Chapters 78

"Stare not upon the depictions for too long; they can animate your nightmares." Margot flung the deceased demon's head against the wall, where it vanished behind the portal.

"My nightmares?" I blurted out, my mind grappling with the concept.

"Yes. Are you aware that fear is the most potent and primal sensation across all beings? In this domain, the fear of demise spawns unimaginable apparitions capable of dismantling the very psyche." Conjoining her hands, the entity advanced ahead, maintaining an impassive countenance."Survival is paramount, not the tally of clones slain. This constitutes my initial and ultimate aid, General of The Infernal Legion."

"Thank you." I attempted to avert my gaze from the paintings, which now seemed shrouded in obscurity.

"It's of no consequence."

Our footsteps echoed continuously as we walked along the corridor, the end of which seemed elusive. An impression swept over me that something was shifting from one painting to the next, doggedly tailing our steps.

As I swallowed, I felt something cold seeping through my armor. Droplets... descending from above?

Rain?

I caught the frigid raindrops with the inner lining of my gauntlet.

How intense must these sensations be to penetrate steel?

"Do not gaze aloft." Margot faced me. Behind her hovered a sphere of water, pristine and smooth. My lips parted to caution her, but her index finger pressed to her lips forestalled my speech.

"Shh, you'd rather not behold what lies behind the water curtain, correct?"

Colorless droplets coalesced at my feet, gathering into a puddle that gradually encased my ankles.

Margot slipped behind the aqueous curtain, and her breath became indiscernible. Amidst the indistinct contours on the opposing side of the watery barrier, winged creatures flitted into view. Despite harboring unwavering confidence in my capabilities, I procrastinated in following Margot's path.

I pierced the sword tip into the painting and reopened my eyes. Amid the sun-soaked plains stippled with vibrant stones, the clone readied itself to leap, crouched on all fours, a grin directed my way.

The blade struck the stone beneath the demon's feet with a resonating clang. My shoulder twisted, attempting to wrench the sword free, but the Spiritual Weapon remained ensnared in the canvas's grasp.

Dammit.

A furry appendage lunged toward me, jagged claws mere centimeters away as I invoked Poison Arrows and materialized claws upon my gloves. Enlisting Steel Claws, I severed the clone's digits.

The demon howled, and a portion of its torso transmigrated through the canvas, sinking its fangs into my shoulder.

Amidst grinding and slurping noises, the clone infiltrated my armor, tasting my flesh.

A stifled groan escaped me as I staggered backward, attempting to extricate myself from its grip. My leg gave way, and I perceived the floor dissipating beneath me. From the corner of my eye, the sensation of a freefall unfolded as the grip of fangs relinquished its hold. Darkness enveloped me.

My equilibrium abandoned me, propelling me into a descent. At intervals, I struggled to deploy my wings, but they remained unresponsive, a silent defiance of my mental commands. Eventually, a distant glimmer of light caught my attention.

A gentle whisper penetrated my ears:

"Kai Theron... Kai Theron... Kai Theron..."

Echoing the possessor of the corporeal form's name, I was propelled directly into the illuminated segment of the void.

"Remember?... Do you remember?... Remember?..."

I found myself amidst a sprawling green meadow, a realm inhabited by little Dark Elves. Their lustrous strands of hair, as white as freshly fallen snow, were adorned with delicate blue flowers, each petal still adorned with the glistening remnants of morning dew.

Amidst playful laughter, they engaged in spirited games of catch, a vivid expression of youthful exuberance. However, the jubilation came to a halt when one of the younger Dark Elves stumbled over a fallen log, collapsing onto the grass with a heavy thud. His vibrant green eyes now brimming with unshed tears. A nose reddened by the impending release of grief, and trembling lips, betrayed his heart's turmoil.

A figure, evidently the eldest among them, approached the fallen child, extending a supportive hand:

"Come on, Kai," he encouraged gently.

"Brother Del."

With a sniffle and a swipe of his tears with a dirty sleeve from his light tunic, the elf named Kai rose from the ground, his countenance soon blossoming into a radiant smile.

The sudden onslaught of emotions gripped my chest in a vise, causing me to double over in pain.

A cough wracked my frame, a futile attempt to alleviate the overwhelming sensations provoked by this whirlwind of chaotic memories.

"He yearned for your return, yet you never arrived... Wretched one... You abandoned him... You abandoned him..."

The whispers grew more malicious, each word oozing with venomous resentment.

My form seemed to shrink, the weight of the armor bearing down on my fragile frame. In response, I had to dispel the defensive enchantment, affording myself some breathing room to recover.

Through the torrent of my blood, I mentally channeled the filth, endeavoring to restore a semblance of mental clarity.

The vision shifted anew, and before my eyes loomed a majestic tree. The pale figures of elves adorned its branches, their demeanor exuding an air of aloof disdain. Dozens of pairs of blue eyes stared down, teeming with condescension. Lower down, I spotted a young Del, kneeling and imploring them for something.

His lips moved urgently, yet the words remained unintelligible to me.

Breathing heavily, I straightened, my thoughts swirling as I sought to decipher the enigmatic fragments of information I'd received.

"Where were you?... Where?... Where?"

Neither the appellation, nor this elf, nor the tear-veiled justice of the Dark Elf realm allured me.

What lay beyond this?

Regaining my poise, I maintained a facade of astonishment as the scene unfolded, its portrayal akin to a staged performance.

Gazing upon the tree's shadow, I glimpsed mirthful clones, demons perched upon branches, swinging their paws gleefully. They grew more distinct—slit-like eyes forming inverted crescents, wide mouths equipped with anticipatory fangs.

The silhouettes grew more defined, and their murmurs escalated into a collective shriek:

"YOU ABANDONED US! LEFT US BEHIND!"

Del staggered to his feet, moving as if controlled by some otherworldly force. The verdant green of his eyes was marred by trails of blood, outlining the parched skin on his sunken cheeks.

A demon clone lurked within his shadow, poking out a forked tongue in anticipatory glee.

The ashen-faced elves descended from their perches on the tree's branches, drawing closer with each step. Their forms twisted and transmuted, evolving into ambulating skeletons, their rotting flesh clinging like tattered rags. Their mouths moved in unison, an eerie chorus chanting in relentless repetition:

"We've waited for you, waited so long! Welcome home..."

For a moment, I shut my eyes, releasing a bitter sigh as I spoke in the guise of a contrite child:

"I'm sorry for being late, I..."

Del surged forward, his transformation into a towering two-meter demon complete, his powerful paws poised to strike.

Smirking, I withdrew an acid bomb from my inventory, wedging it into my agape maw before retreating behind the Shield of Light.

Reverting to my adult configuration, I shifted my hip playfully forward, appending an impish gesture as I concluded my utterance:

"...brought something new."

"GYAYAYAYA..."

The explosion reverberated with a deafening boom, the stench of centuries-old decay engulfing the area. Clones nearest to the blast also suffered, their elven façades shredded to reveal their true demonic forms.

Fleshy chunks pelted the pallid barrier, which retaliated with deadly magic, obliterating the creatures.

Furrowing my brow, I dismissed the shield and summoned the General's Armor along with my array of Spiritual Weapons.

These demons were not to be underestimated — stronger, faster, and more cunning than their counterparts on the Descent or at the Redemption Plaza. They exploited blind spots, forcing me to retreat.

In a brief lapse of vigilance, I tripped over a jutting root, my back striking against the tree's bark. Surveying my encirclement with calculated detachment, I summoned Poison Arrows, repelling the clones before vaulting onto the nearest tree trunk.

Mere centimeters from my steel-clad boots, a rapacious maw snapped shut. Thrusting my sword deep into the clone's cranium, I swiftly followed with a decapitating blow.

"Kai Teran eliminates the first archaic demon clone. Congratulations to those who bet on the Dark Elf's victory."

The first? Curious.

It seemed the bomb had obliterated the clones' bodies, but their demise wasn't officially tallied.

As the head vanished into the portal, it became evident that the Caretakers were again gathering the creatures' fresh remains.

What purpose did these collected materials serve?

Nevertheless, my concern was scant; my prime concern lay in ensuring my escape from that realm.

Scaling higher and higher along the tree's limbs, I carved a path through the leaping demons that emerged from every angle. Reaching the canopy's zenith, I stood atop the thinnest branch, sunlight glinting off my blade, purple droplets falling to the ground. The voice of a Caretaker chimed in:

"Kai Teran annihilates 12 archaic demon clones! Congratulations..."

The portal engulfed me, then disgorged me back into the familiar expanse, my sword's final swing obliterating the vacant canvas. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I lowered myself to sit up, leaning on another picture that materialized behind me.