Chapter 4, Worse Than Death

Fear is one of Amon's scepter and instruments to rule. Upon its presence, they kneel. Upon its sway, they act. And upon its bash, they are judged. Amon believed that fear solves injustice, ill will, and a guilty conscience. One of Amon's rules is to punish those who commit wicked acts along with their blood, and those who were punished are never the same.

A father of five immorally ravaged a young lady. So Amon held a public execution of the man along with his children. His children cursed their father for his wrongdoings, but it won't change the truth that was coming next. Amon's people can only pity the innocent children because their fate is worse than his.

While the children were desperately screaming, from the eldest daughter to the youngest son, Amon held their heads and turned their despair into mindless obedience. They are soon to be taken by Edolians to work as slaves for the remainder of their lives. After witnessing his children robbed of their future, no amount of regret can change the fact that he inflicted.

Amon ends the sinner by cutting his head and devouring his soul. When Ethan, the lover of the sinner's eldest daughter, heard the news, he was maddened and swore to bring retribution to the tyrant. But it was futile. No mortal can stand against a god...

--------

After two months since the test started, Lena returned to the forest to check on Salvino. She was surprised that Salvino was sitting with an elemental dire wolf. She also noticed how much Salvino had grown. From the firmness of his body to the awareness of his surroundings. She could only guess the hardships he had gone through.

"Lena!" ~Salvino waves at Lena, excited to share the bizarre experience.

As Lena walked nearer, she heard a roar behind her. It was a wyvern that alerted her to guard herself. But before the wyvern hit her, its head fell off. It appears that Salvino shot it with a wind blade before it reacts. This assures Lena that Salvino is now proficient at using Kedarinus.

Which isn't what Lena planned. She was supposed to test Salvino's proficiency on the five manas and teach him Kedarinus afterward. But she can't question Amon's decision.

"Well done!" ~Lena

"Thanks. You wouldn't believe what happened." ~Salvino

Salvino shared his experience. One of his experiences caught Lena's attention. That earlier, the woods went silent. It could only mean that there are larger predators or the squad that hunts Edos.

"Did you find anything else strange?" ~Lena

"Maybe, the ones on trees." ~Salvino

"The ones on trees?" ~Lena

"They've been watching us, but they seem harmless, so I ignored them." ~Salvino

Lena grabbed Salvino's arm and started running. While running, they heard people jumping from tree to tree. Lena began burning the trees as they ran. So now they are on the ground but are still chasing Lena and Salvino.

"Who are they?" ~Salvino

"They are here to capture us." ~Lena

"Why?" ~Salvino

Suddenly a wall of earth appeared in front of them, which stopped Lena and Salvino from running. They are now cornered. Out of desperation, Lena raised earth entrapment to stop them. But they removed the cage as if it was mud.

Now Lena has no choice but to fight them. One of the hooded figures went nearer. It was the captain of the squad, Adira.

"Burning the forest, threatening and enslaving the creatures. How much more do you intend to curse our land? Seize them." ~Adira

The squad went nearer with their enchanted shackles to capture Lena and Salvino. Lena started to channel Kedarinus in their bodies to stop them from using magic and threw a wind blast to throw them away. But Adira raised an earth barrier to block the wind blast.

"Your tricks won't work on us." ~Adira

The squad tasked to hunt Edos is trained especially against Kedarinus by washing it out of their body using Arnonus. Lena didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed, but it was unavoidable. She has to defend Salvino.

So Lena started raising the earth to impale the pursuers, but the pursuers dodged it along with the fireballs that came next. The pursuers blew wind magic at them, which threw them to the wall and molded the wall into shackles to prevent them from moving.

But Lena removed the wall using Kedarinus. Due to the amount of mana Lena used, she felt exhausted and was on her knees. Adira created an Ice blade and pointed it at Lena's neck.

"Is that all?" ~Adira

Salvino was still confused about what was happening, but he knew he had to defend Lena.

So Salvino threw the pursuers using wind magic. As the pursuers land, they shoot needles of earth magic. Salvino tried to dodge them, but they were too many. It started grazing him, and it was getting harder for him to move. He made a reckless decision not to use Kedarinus to cancel the needles.

The wolf then attacks the pursuers, but Adira entraps it in Ice.

Salvino had no choice but to use his final resort. He used a wind dome on their heads, then mixed it with fire magic. It made the pursuers unable to breathe. When they were figuring out how to remove it. Salvino carried Lena and started running.

When Adira and some of the pursuers finally removed it, Lena and Salvino were gone. Adira also noticed that half of their team passed out due to suffocation.

"That boy is dangerous." ~Adira

After Salvino finally reached the capital and entered Lena's shop. He puts Lena, immobile due to mana exhaustion, down on her bed.

"Are you alright?" ~Salvino

"I'm fine. Just tired." ~Lena

"Who were they? And why are they pursuing us?" ~Salvino

Lena paused, unable to answer. She was only following Amon's instructions. But in a few years, she was with Salvino. She grew attached to him and genuinely cared for him as a mother would for her child. She thought she shouldn't leave the young man in the dark any further. Since the hunters will also go after him.

"They are hunters from Atalantas that hunt Edos." ~Lena

"Why are they hunting us?" ~Salvino

"Kedarinus is a magic that only Edos can use." ~Lena

Salvino suddenly went silent. He now knows that Lena is an Edolian. Was he fighting for the wrong side all along? He has been living with Lena for almost four years, and only Lena made him realize his worth when everyone decided to abandon him. Only Lena made him feel the warmth of another person who truly cared for him.

[Were Edos' evil just as Abelians describe? A woman who gave him a home, fed him, and taught him magic?] ~Thoughts flooded Salvino's mind, which woke Amon up.

While Salvino is in deep thought, Adira's squad is already in the capital looking for them. Amon felt their presence and decided to alert Salvino.

"They're here." ~Amon

"What do I do, Amon?" ~Salvino

"Let me borrow your body." ~Amon

So Amon took control of Salvino's body. As Amon encounter Adira and her squad, Adira is surprised at the boy's courage.

"I admire your bravery, but it is pointless. Please surrender, or we'll take you by force." ~Adira

"I pity your ignorance." ~Amon

The moment Amon finishes his speech, all of Adira's subordinates are impaled by dark arrows from all angles. Adira was shocked in horror. She did not know the nature of Void magic, so she was terrified and started running.

The arrows start moving the dead bodies as if they were puppets and begin chasing Adira. Everyone near the area started running and screaming. One of the puppets raised an earth wall in front of Adira, which stopped her from running.

"Get away from me!" ~Adira

While screaming, Adira starts shooting Ice bullets at the puppets, but they don't seem to slow down. It was amusing for Amon. Adira was desperately struggling against her old subordinates whom she once considered friends. For Amon, it is justice for harming his people.

But toying with Adira was his mistake. He could've ended Adira instantly. Now he's running out of mana. He can't fully use the void mana because of the tiny fraction of his core. As Amon gradually loses control of Salvino's body. Salvino witnessed Amon's cruelty.

Amon finally lost control over his puppets, and Adira was in despair and disbelief.

"Amon, what did you do?" ~Salvino

Salvino panics, unable to grasp the situation. He felt overwhelmed by the guilt of killing people, even though it wasn't in his control.

"Justice. Now end her." ~Amon

"No, I can't." ~Salvino

"If you don't, she'll come back for your head." ~Amon

Before Salvino decides, the second squad enters the capital because of the commotion. Amon felt the second Squad captain's presence. It was much stronger than Adira, so he told Salvino to save energy and escape.

"Leave her. There are more of them. Take Lena and leave. Now!" ~Amon

So Salvino did as Amon said. He went inside the shop again, carried Lena, and started running away from the capital.

This was when his journey began...