Misdeeds And Chaos

Misdeeds can bring a perverse satisfaction to some, but they always come with a steep cost.

Dalio gazed down at his younger brother Kalisto, whose lifeless body lay on the ground, a grim testament to his final acts of cruelty. "If only you had listened," Dalio thought, feeling a deep well of regret and sorrow.

He had tried so hard to guide Kalisto toward a better path, but now it was too late.

Kalisto had been a guard at the coal worksite deep within the Mineral Cave, tasked with overseeing the minor slaves who labored under harsh conditions.

From an early age, Kalisto had displayed ruthlessness that set him apart from his siblings.

Dalio, the eldest, had always hoped to reform him, believing that with time, Kalisto might change.

But their family's dire circumstances had forced them into the harsh world of Grave Dominion, where survival was governed by power and authority.

In this grim reality, Kalisto's position became a source of perverse pleasure.

He wielded his authority to torment the slaves, reveling in the power it gave him.

Dalio had done his best to protect the victims, but his attempts were met with disdain.

Eventually, Kalisto's reign of terror ended violently. His body lay on the ground, a deep wound in his abdomen, blood pooling around him.

Dalio knelt beside him, whispering, "Rest in peace, brother," as he bowed his head in sorrow.

Tora watched as Dalio and the other guards mourned Kalisto's death.

They carefully lifted his body, and the weight of Tora's actions began to sink in.

He felt a pang of guilt, but the other slaves offered him some solace. "You did what was necessary, Tora. Kalisto had terrible plans for Rika, and you stopped him before it was too late."

Tora's eyes fell to the ground. "I'm still struggling with what happened," he admitted.

Rika gently lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. "It's not your fault," she said softly, embracing him in a warm hug that eased his burden.

Meanwhile, Visgard removed his Oxy-mask, revealing a face marked by deep contemplation.

The other slaves watched him with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, sensing his inner turmoil.

"Do you understand what I'm feeling right now, Sage?" Visgard asked mentally.

[Sage: I understand, but you must confront the questions you've been struggling with to fully grasp your situation.]

"I'm trying to understand who I am," Visgard replied, feeling fragmented and disoriented.

[Sage: As I've said, your skills are tied to your soul. Regardless of whether you are Rain Freedom or Visgard, you remain fundamentally the same person.]

Though this was somewhat reassuring, Visgard remained unsettled.

"I'm starting to recall things I don't fully understand, like combat techniques I've never learned. It's as if I've known them all along," he said, realizing he was regaining some of his lost abilities and knowledge.

As Visgard wrestled with these revelations, a slave approached him cautiously.

"I think it's time for us to leave," the slave said, tapping him gently.

Visgard's intense gaze made the boy shiver, and Rika intervened, "There's no need to stare so intensely."

Visgard noticed the shift in his demeanor, sensing that his behavior had changed.

[Sage: The remnants of your past self are merging with your current persona, which may explain your altered attitude.]

[Sage: As you continue to adjust, fragments of your previous self will become clearer.]

"I see," Visgard said mentally, though he unintentionally spoke aloud, making others view him with concern.

Tora, despite feeling a twinge of fear, approached Visgard with gratitude.

"Thank you for your help," he said, offering a handshake and a sincere smile.

Visgard shook his hand and smiled back.

"No, thank you. Your actions helped me regain something important," Visgard replied, acknowledging the significance of Tora's intervention.

Though Tora was confused, he appreciated Visgard's gratitude and smiled in return.

After that, they began to leave the cave, following Dalio's instructions to depart within thirty minutes.

As they walked through the narrow, eerily silent pathway, Visgard felt an uneasy sense of foreboding.

The usual clamor of pickaxes was absent, replaced by a troubling silence.

"Something feels wrong," Visgard thought, his sense of unease growing.

Tora and the others trailed behind, uneasy about Visgard's detached demeanor. "Isn't he acting oddly for someone so young?" Rika asked, walking alongside Tora.

Tora nodded. "Even my instincts tell me something's off. But he did save us from that dreadful bell Kalisto was using," he said.

The bell, a magical instrument of torment, was designed to inflict suffering on those already in distress.

"Don't remind me," Rika said, shuddering at the memory of the bell's agonizing toll.

As they neared the end of the pathway, Visgard suddenly stopped.

The sight that greeted them outside was shocking.

The ground was littered with the bodies of guards and slaves.

The air was thick with the smell of blood, and weapons lay scattered.

"What happened here?" Tora asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"It looks like a fierce battle took place," Visgard replied, his voice calm as he continued toward the cave's exit.

Tora and the others followed cautiously, their senses alert to the grim scene.

Visgard, though outwardly composed, was deeply unsettled by the carnage.

"Any clues, Sage?" Visgard asked mentally.

[Sage: A violent confrontation seems to have occurred, though details about its origins are unclear.]

"Yeah, but I have a rough guess," Visgard mused.

[Sage: Your theory is likely correct.]

[Sage: It seems a violent clash was part of an escape attempt.]

Visgard nodded, surveying the bodies scattered around.

As he reached the cave's exit, he froze, his eyes locking onto a familiar face among the fallen.

"Regie..." Visgard's voice cracked as he saw his friend's lifeless body, his throat slashed.

Regie, once a symbol of justice and hope, now lay motionless, his head nearly severed from his body.

Tora gasped as he saw Dalio's headless corpse among the fallen.

The guard who had protected them was now a gruesome sight, drenched in blood.

"Dalio..." Rika's voice was filled with fear as she stared at the decapitated body of their protector.

A scream erupted from one of the slaves, drawing everyone's attention to the wall.

There, Dalio's head and those of several other guards were mounted as grotesque trophies.

The sight was horrifying, a grim testament to the savagery that had unfolded.

Tora tried to calm his friends, but fear gripped them all.

Visgard, still in shock, recalled Cornio and urgently began searching for any sign of him among the bodies.

Visgard was determined to search for Cornio while his mind racing as he faced the brutal reality of the conflict they had narrowly escaped.

An ominous, aggressive energy thickened the air as Visgard made his way through a gruesome scene.

The acrid stench of blood clung persistently to his nostrils, a grim reminder of the countless corpses strewn along his path.

He approached an area close to the slave cells, and through the dim light and haze, he could barely make out a confrontation unfolding in the distance.

Two figures were locked in a violent struggle, their forms shifting and blending into the chaotic surroundings.

One of them, however, was unmistakably familiar.

The back of this man was a sight Visgard knew all too well.

Before this familiar figure stood Arnold, his presence as menacing as ever.

Arnold's face was twisted into a smirk of cruel satisfaction as he exchanged brutal blows with his opponent.

"You'll end up like him if you keep resisting," Arnold taunted, his grin widening with each word, reveling in his apparent victory.

The beleaguered man before him was none other than Cornio—Visgard's own reluctant quarry.

The scene was a standoff; Arnold, relentless and mocking, thrived on the torment he inflicted, while Cornio, battered and exhausted, could barely hold on.

Visgard watched from a distance, his rage simmering just beneath the surface.

The intense fury he felt seemed to seep from his very being, distorting the air around him and adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

Chapter End.