Back to the Surface 3

This is the end of Volume 2.

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(Change in POV)

I felt my skin burn, however, I couldn't twitch a single muscle, it felt like the heat was not even burning my skin as it was continuous. As if letting me savour the damn experience.

My eyes opened but my mind was blank, I tried so hard to think just for my numb mind to recognize nothing. I closed it again, opening it later due to a scream.

I saw her, blue skin and white hair haggard, I tried to recognize our environment. For only dull grey colours to fill me in and the smell of iron that dulled my nose.

"Leo! L-Leo!!"

A very desperate voice called me, but I couldn't move.

"Stop it! You bugs, how dare you— ahh!"

I could hear her, Jai… no! No! In a hostage situation, you don't resist, that was what I wanted to say, but I can't. My body was like a log, it didn't move and it was heavy.

My body won't listen to me even if I scream internally… the things I hear, I want to fight back, I want to see Jai if she's alright.

She's my only family here, I… I can't lose her, I simply can't. The Xyn and the Jakari have been at war for ages. I have read that through their history books.

Suddenly, I woke up. A dark grey ceiling greeted my eyes, but I doubt I was safe. And I felt… wrong… no… No, is my sight wrong?

I looked at the ceiling, a dull grey ceiling. But… I could see mana, I have not activated anything at all. Not my mana eyes or anything. I tilted my head to the side.

And I was below a circle, a transmutation circle, with the body of a lifeless girl that I cherished with all my heart.

***

Zhar'kerut has been waiting for centuries, the chosen human boy of the future predicted by seers has been a long time coming.

He is the chosen one, no matter who chose him God or the devil doesn't matter. It's the fact that he's a chosen one.

He could have no choice, no… he could not let go of this opportunity, for another century if the Queen had not approved of him he would never have a chance again.

"Ugh… ugh…! Y-you bug!... Ghk— AHH!!"

He strapped the young Jakari on the table, the materials made from the best quality there is. The struggle of the young Jakari didn't even register for Zhar'kerut. He started using a scalpel, made from the finest metals the dungeon has to offer.

He started cutting up, removing the eyes first without sedation, the screams and the torment the young Jakari was feeling was nothing Zhar'kerut. He held the eyeball as if checking the quality.

The young Jakari cried blood, her screams were unnoticed, Zhar'kerut didn't stop there, he started opening her stomach, checking for valuable organs.

There was not a single moment she tried to resist, only for that resistance to lead nowhere, Zhar'kerut made sure she was alive during the process.

The image was grotesque but nobody could do anything, the strong acrid smell of ammonia and faces could penetrate anyone's nose and grimace.

"Perfect condition, hahaha! I knew it would be the best! That boy will see his value someday!"

Mad cackle could be heard in the dull grey room, in the middle, a transmutation circle was drawn and on top of it is a boy filled with numbing poisons.

"Oh, this would be enough…"

Zhar'kerut laid the organs in a sack and placed it down in front of the boy and started the ritual, the circle glowed red and pulsed mana started to gather around and tether the sack to the boy.

The contents of the sack disappeared and the boy was wrapped in a cocoon, when Zhar'kerut saw this he was satisfied, throwing the almost dead boy of the Jakari beside the boy.

His job here is done, now all he had to do is wait.

The almost lifeless Jakari girl tried to reach her and weakly to the cocoon. That was her last move.

***

"Ah…. " he sobbed. "J-jai… no…"

He sobbed more, tears coming out of his eyes. His breathing became unstable as he held the sight of the grotesque body of Jai beside him.

"No… No no no! This can't be happening please!"

He begged he begged that all of these are illusions. Crawling next to Jai with blurry eyes, he felt as if his body was made of lead, and he cried. Hugging her grotesque, desecrated body.

"Not you please!!"

He had a family, one before coming to this world. And none after he came here. He was never close to Richard who was his father, the overlord made him act like a villain, a third-rate, cheap, disposable villain.

"Jai! C'mon! We have sights yet to see!" he begged.

He never felt the warmth of family, not until he met and saved his younger sister Lorraine. And Jai, who befriended him and treated him close like family.

"No…!" he begged, but his voice was not heard.

He begged, his face riddled with his liquids. He never felt the warmth of family since coming here, the older sister he had just reminded him of things he wanted to forget.

Now that he had something close the world just had to take her away. Why? What did he ever do to deserve this?

He held Jai's cold body, staring at her eye holes that were just gaping wet, empty sockets filled with blood... And tried to salvage the last remaining sanity in his mind.

Leonard tried healing her. That was stupid, he was not the best at healing. No matter how pure his mana is.

"What are you doing to a dead body?"

He heard a mocking scoff, a voice he was familiar with. Tilting his head he saw the all-familiar Zhar'kerut looking at him with an unrepentant gaze.

"The transmutation isn't don't yet, I don't know why you're so eager to bond with that thing—"

In a second Leonard let him fall to his shadows, and ejected himself out of it. Tries to punch Zhar'kerut, but it seems the Xyn is prepared more than he thought, a barrier immediately being erect at the first sign of danger.

"Oh, Leonard. How naive of you."

"Fuck you!"

Out of rage, Leonard started using everything he learned, Chipping the barrier was hard it was like trying to chip a wall with his bare nail. But he managed, he broke down the barrier with sheer will.

"How fun."

But Zhar'kerut didn't even flinch, he merely swatted his legs and Leonard came flying to the wall without as much touching him. Telekinesis is a basic spell. And it was that strong.

"Stay down."

Zhar'kerut pointed down and Leonard could not even move, much as twitch a finger. Leonard gritted his teeth, asking what did they do to deserve this.

"The transmutation process is continuing, back to your place."

Leonard felt sleepy, but he wasn't done, he started coating himself in shadow, but this time was different, back then he would coat himself in shadows making him invisible and he gave off less presence.

This time, his very existence is being hidden, as if the void decided to be his very own clothes it stuck to him like rubber made of tar.

Zhar'kerut was visibly amused by this exchange, not a single alarm of danger was present on his face, nor did it even brush his mind.

No, Leonard was just a Guinea pig, a rat for experimentation.

"8 or 7 years from now, destruction would befall the dungeon." Zhar'kerut chuckled "Looks as I did it, you're empowered now… Hmm…"

Zhar'kerut muttered he had a purpose, and now it was all done. He could finally push The problem, which is Leonard, back to the surface. But before he could do it, his arm suddenly fell, no, the shadow fell first before the actual arm fell.

However, Zhar'kerut wasn't alarmed; he looked at Leonard who was holding a sword made of shadow. Well, his shadow was holding a sword, his body filled with infinite darkness wasn't holding anything.

"Intriguing. However, I can't afford to play with you. I have a war to win."

Zhar'kerut opened a portal below them, Leonard tried to launch himself and behead Zhar'kerut, only to be met with resistance.

An unnatural force clashed with his shadow sword and hit him in the face. He didn't want to pass out, but with a whipping sound, his head shook violently without being touched.

And just before his consciousness vanished, he saw ambient mana go towards Zhar'kerut's arm as it grew back.

***

It was almost two years since Leonard vanished, yet Lenneza and the other girls didn't lose hope. Yula was solidifying her position as the best game company and Lenneza was learning under Richard's tutelage how to handle multiple businesses.

Although, there are things they are keeping tabs on that seem to meddle every step of the way. Zurtin Brites and Lenneza knew of their function within the world.

And that's to be a parasite, a pest, literal garbage that ruins society. Right now they're viewed as a terrorist group, but all in all, what they are is a cult.

The worst part of them is their indoctrination, they make people normal until they aren't. A functioning member of society till they aren't.

"Grab him."

Lenneza spoke, chill oozing out of her voice. The place was cold as her aura, a cold beauty of the Marchen Duchy. Rumours run rampant when it comes to Lenneza.

An unofficial ranking of beauties was made and she's one of them, last time she heard she was top 3.

—Thud!

"Argh! Lady–"

"I will be called by my proper title." She said coolly.

The man who was grabbed grit his teeth. Two knights are holding him right now, retaliation will only result in injury he didn't need to have.

"Young Lord, I don't understand why I am being unlawfully detained like this!"

"Oh? We did some background checks. I think we're exercising law in its rightful capacity?"

The man looked at Lenneza with an animosity that wasn't there before. Lenneza stared at him unfazed. As if the man changed his personality within a second his demeanour changed.

"Long live the spread of Corruption!"

He screamed, and his internal energies started being erratic, they became unstable to the point of destruction. The Knights acted fast and threw him on the ground, erecting a barrier before things become irreversible.

"Another terrorist. Tsk."

Lenneza found this rat in one of the businesses she was tasked to manage. She would be lying if she said they're easy to manage.

"Looks like you're having a hard time Sister."

The voice was familiar, her head tilted enough for her to see the figure of Yula, her dark hair was complimented by the darkness of the night and her crimson eyes alluring.

"I guess I am. Why are you here?" she questioned in doubt.

"I received some good news, it's from the Princess."

"..."

"Leonard is set to come back in 2 days."

Lenneza visibly twitched, she was shocked yet elated. But she quickly composed herself.

"Where?"

"That's the problem." Yula ruefully smiled. "The Demonic Continent."

Lenneza's eyes widened. She gripped herself and steeled her heart. She has been waiting, what would Leonard look like? Would his opinion of her and the others change? What about her image in his head?

She hasn't been forgiven yet, she knew she isn't.

"Can we do anything about it?" Lenneza asked.

"Nothing… we could only hope that he survives there…"

Lenneza pondered for a while then a thought immediately struck her. "There's a new anti-demon force that is pushing the demons back right?"

Yula remembered the anti-demonic forces, they came from Termon, a quarantined city till to this day. When she heard that concern filled her mind as she realised what Lenneza was planning.

"Sister we cant."

"Why not?" Lenneza asked quite annoyed.

"If we need to get on board with them we have to gain the favour of… ugh you know who."

"..."

Right. The emperor wasn't a good man, but he isn't bad either. However, he is extremely pragmatic. Weighing favours and benefits with utmost unfairness. If Lenneza were to ask to come with the anti-demonic forces she will certainly be allowed so, but in turn for a favour. It's not good to fall into debt unto a good emperor.

"So there's nothing we could do?" asked Lenneza.

"Only hope for the best."