MM - Chapter 199 - A BRIEF RESPITE

The world was silent and gray, frozen at the moment of the Patriarch’s death. From the tear in reality that had swallowed the sky in pitch darkness, The Infinite Host descended. It maintained its previous shape, a vaguely humanoid pillar of starlight, within which swarmed countless faces old and young, beautiful and grotesque.

Raine’s own voice, repeated tens of thousands of times, was unleashed in a psychic wave that was implanted directly into his consciousness. “It would appear that congratulations are in demand.”

Raine couldn’t have responded even if he wanted to. His body was a prison of agony. With his resources completely drained, every nerve ending simultaneously on fire and being crushed by an impossible weight. He was far past his limits, and they both knew it. Any sane person would have been a whimpering mess on the floor, begging for the sweet release of death.

With time stopped, his regeneration was halted, trapping him in this hellish, unending moment.

Aware of his struggles, the Infinite Host continued its one-sided conversation, innumerable tones all devoid of emotion. “Zagan is a patriarch in more than name. The Fetches are his children, the trees their playground, the shrines their duty. His death will leave this land barren of all life in but a few of your decades. The Ordeal of Survival and Piety will never again host a son or daughter of Celendine. This tiny slice of our past will cease to hold meaning.”

So that's what this is about: the life of your pawn.

“That is correct,” the million voices answered his unspoken thought. “While this place holds little meaning to you, it is a sliver of our origin, a piece of the foundation for all that we have built. We do not desire its end.”

The crushing divine pressure of the god was absent this time. With a monumental effort that sent fresh waves of torment through his system, Raine sat straight up on his heels and lifted his chin. He locked his gaze with the shifting vortex of faces, pouring every ounce of his unyielding will into the stare. It was a declaration that not even a god was worthy of denying him the spoils he had bled for.

“If that is your choice, we shall accept it,” the Infinite Host remained unfazed. “However, allowing us to save Zagan is not without benefit to you. The ordeals are graded on merit. Your current merit is outstanding, but it is within my right to multiply your earnings severalfold. While Zagan's death will enrich you with a few random treasures, they are nothing compared to what merit can purchase. The relics in this realm's feretory have been waiting to be claimed for millennia, yet none who came before could afford them. I guarantee that even if you repeated your outstanding successes across every ordeal, your merit would fall short of acquiring even one.”

The offer was a classic temptation aimed directly at Raine’s greedy heart. Still, he shook his head subtly, glancing to the side where he knew Selena was frozen just out of sight within the trees.

This isn't only about me.

The Infinite Host’s eyes became bottomless black holes that sucked at the ambient light. “The daughter of Celendine the Unfathomable will be rewarded amply for her efforts in keeping up with you. She will not be disappointed with her merit.”

There was no logical reason to refuse, especially when antagonizing a literal god was a surefire way to have a very bad, and very short, rest of his life. There was only one holdup: a question that had been burning a hole in Raine’s head since he arrived in the Primal Realm. Endless determination welled up from deep within his psyche as he narrowed eyes at the god.

I'll accept your deal if you answer one question. Those pricks you left in charge of this place mentioned my mother…

The Infinite Host did not outwardly respond to Raine’s blasphemy. Its answer was short and succinct. “Not your mother. The Earth Realm's mother.”

Earth has a mother? What does that even mean?

The god’s expression made it clear he wouldn’t be getting any more answers. Raine tried to give a short, sharp nod. The motion unbalanced him, and he slumped to not fall completely.

All right. I accept.

The Infinite Host flicked a finger, and time rewound for Zagan. The great flower’s withered petals plumped with renewed life, its slashed stalk stitched together, and the grievous wounds Raine had inflicted vanished in reverse until it stood tall and unharmed once more. Without another word, the god floated away, ascending back toward the tear in space and time. The slash across the heavens mended itself, and as it shrunk to a final, pinprick of darkness, that dot suddenly exploded outward.

Just as when they first arrived, the world fractured. Reality bent at sharp, impossible angles; millions upon millions of hexagonal panels that folded in on themselves. The shapes converged on Raine and Selena. Just as quickly, the flow reversed, the panels bursting outward to form a serene, cloudy-white space, vast and featureless.

Selena was now standing beside him, but he barely registered her presence. Arrayed before them were nearly a hundred short, cloudy pedestals, and atop each rested a glimmering treasure. Coiled around the entire area, so immense its scales blotted out the white horizon, was a colossal snake. Its head rose high above, and fathomless, slitted pupils froze them in place.

At first, Raine was met with all question marks as he beheld the imposing monstrosity. Then, the beast proudly unveiled its status. Seeing Raine’s wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock, its face stretched in what could only be a dry, reptilian smile.

[Feretory Guardian (Ancient - Transcendent - Aberration): Level: 200 (Health 5Qd / 5Qd)]

Raine could barely believe what he was seeing. Even the Moon Eater was inferior to the creature surrounding them on all sides. Its five quadrillion health was just the cherry on top. In the natural order of life force, there were Elites, then Nobles, then Hierarchs. Above them were the world-ending catastrophes known as Monarchs, and beyond even those were the Transcended. Matching a Transcended being in battle required the combined efforts of an entire raid of 5th-class gods. Considering the personalities of those monsters in human flesh, cooperation was a pipe dream. In the past, only three attempts to kill a Transcended had ever been made public. They had all failed.

The guardian’s head lowered, finding little of interest in the pair. When its paralyzing attention was no longer on her, the princess came to life, her jaw agape. “The Feretory Guardian? How? This doesn't make any sense… We haven’t even completed the first ordeal, how are we at the end?”

As if summoned by her voice, a cascade of notifications appeared in their interfaces.

[Ordeal of Survival and Piety (Nightmare): Survive Zagan the Imperishable’s pursuit until the perils of the Primal Realm take you. The shrines to the gods of old will be your only respite from his inexorable thirst for your blood. Items have been sealed until death, or the completion of the first ordeal]

[Quest: Ordeal of Survival and Piety (Nightmare) complete!]

[Obtained 1,000,000,000 Superiority]

[Obtained 1,000 Primal Merit]

Looks like the host didn’t want me repeating the same fiasco at the next two ordeals. Bastard tricked me into an early exit. I could have learned so much more with the Primal Energy. And now it's gone.

“T-two hundred and fifty merit?!” If Selena’s jaw was on the floor before, it now drilled straight through to the center of the planet. Her eyes bulged, flicking back and forth as if waiting for the message to change on her.

“Two fifty? Is that a lot?” Raine asked, words raspy. He was physically unable to form his usual smirk. Instead of rushing off to inspect the treasures, he plopped unceremoniously onto his butt and withdrew a Regeneration Stone. The soft, cool gem instantly boosted his recovery by 1000%.

Selena recovered from her shock enough to swivel his direction. Her voice held a hint of awe woven around layers of confusion and disbelief. “The first ancestor only received two hundred merit. No one has ever matched his success.”

“Until now.” Raine coughed weakly. Waves of relief washed through him with each second as the regeneration stone soothed his screaming nerves. “Congratulations, Princess. Looks like defending your people just got a little easier.”

“I-I can’t… I don’t understand.”

“Like I said before, greater risk, greater reward.” Each word came easier than those before. Raine breathed deeply for the first time in what felt like hours. “You can thank me any time.”

Selena paused, and to his utter surprise, bowed low. “I… Thank you, Alaric.” She was bent at a full ninety degrees from the waist, the formal posture identical to the first time they’d been introduced.

Raine acknowledged the pinprick of fondness that sparked in his chest, allowing mutual respect to color his tone. “You’re welcome, Princess Selena.”

She rose, eyes now glimmering jewels of pure excitement as she faced her waiting inheritance. Raine flicked his fingers, shooing her away. “Go on then. I need a second to catch my breath.”

She shook her head, dark, sweaty hair cascading side to side. “I can wait.”

“It's fine. I’ll catch up.”

Selena’s excited grin turned predatory as she faced the field of treasure. “If you insist.” She practically sprinted away, darting between the pedestals, momentarily staring at each item before moving on, careful not to touch anything.

Raine watched her for a moment before diving into the many system messages still awaiting his perusal. The billion Superiority from completing the quest was just the start. All the accumulated Superiority and Attunement from the countless Fetches slain during the ordeal were waiting as well.

[470,400 Superiority distributed (950% bonus for defeating an ancient monster 9 levels above you)]

[63% Attunement distributed (950% bonus for defeating an ancient monster 9 levels above you)]

The same two messages repeated hundreds of times. In total, he gained another 202,272,000 Superiority. Unsurprisingly, the kill message for the Patriarch itself was absent from the list. He also gained just over 3,000 Attunement for each weapon type. Since none were even halfway to Adept, he didn’t bother looking closely.

Definitely missed out on a title for killing the Patriarch, probably a world first too. Damn. Oh well, no point crying when I got four times the merit Selena did.

Raine’s evil grin came out in full force as he moved to the next item on the menu.

[Level up! x8]

[+160 free attributes points]

[Potency: +48]

[Finesse: +48]

[Acuity: +48]

[Physique: +48]

[Connection: +48]

[General Skill Points +4]

Raine was now level 41, and before doing anything else, replaced his most outdated equipment with the best-quality upgrades he had.

[Razorwind Spike Dusters: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +131) (Attack Speed +1.5) (PTC +25) (ACU +50) (PHY +30) (Durability 150/150)]

[Club of Forgetfulness: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +140) (Attack Speed -.25) (Health +85) (PTC +55) (PHY +55) (Durability 150/150)]

[Twig of Putrid Azalea (Staff): (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Elemental Power +130) (DEF +45) (CNC +125) (Durability 155/155) (Innate skill - Pestilent Contagion: Physically striking an enemy after channeling any Nature-based skill through the Twig of Putrid Azalea will release a poison that spreads on contact, dealing 150% Elemental damage over 15 seconds]

[Spear of the Lost Legionnaire: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +157) (DEF +35) (PTC +42) (ACU +15) (PHY +23) (Durability 150/150)]

[Ucimmon Holly 2-H Sword: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +185) (PTC +25) (FNS +25) (ACU +25) (PHY +25) (Durability 175/175)]

The rest of his gear was from the demon raid, and still far better than anything else he owned. He held off on allocating his attributes. There was no telling if one of the relics was good enough to warrant a reconsideration of his build. Body still over-stuffed with Primal Energy, Raine regretfully activated the soul flame’s Purge, cleansing himself of the dangerous energy. Inner fire flared, dropping his health back into the crimson.

A few minutes later, nearly recovered completely, he stood and stretched aching limbs while reading the final message in his interface.

[Unique Quest: A Princess’s Peril updated]

[You have passed through the trials of Primal Realm, supporting Princess Selena Celendine on her mission to claim a relic created by the deities of old. All that remains is to ensure her safe return to Silverlight City]

[Rewards: Celendine Dynasty Reputation. Additional potential rewards based on performance]

Right. Almost forgot. Getting out of here is going to be a hell of a lot more interesting than getting in.

Raine’s gaze drifted back to Selena, who was excitedly bouncing between the pedestals. He once more considered how to tell her what was likely coming. He’d thought they would have more time to build trust before he broached the subject. They still weren’t close enough for her to believe him, which meant she would just have to see it for herself.

Raine swapped fractions to the one that would be most suitable for their escape, then let his resources regenerate until he was back to a semblance of normality. With a pep in his step, he finally approached the glittering prizes. Resting atop the first pedestal, inside a thin bubble that looked like it would pop with a breath, sat a sleek longsword. Below it, a golden plaque displayed the number 50.

[Blade of Shadowy Absorption: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 40) (Attack Power +265) (PTC +80) (PHY +80) (Durability 175/175)

[Innate Passive - Power Absorption: Each kill drains 10% of the victim’s Potency, granting it to the wielder to a maximum of 100% wielder’s Potency]

[Innate Skill - Death’s Eclipse: Allows the next attack by the Blade of Shadowy Absorption to phase through all inorganic matter (Cooldown: 10 seconds)]

Raine sucked air, whistling appreciatively. While the raw attributes were lower than his current raid gear, the passive and skill were top-tier. The pedestals to his left and right held equally powerful equipment, all with the same 50-merit price tag. The next row was dedicated to ranged weapons, and beyond them, heavy armors that irresistibly called his name.

With immense willpower, Raine disarmed temptation. He walked with a purposeful gait past the first several rows, ignoring the rest of the 50-merit items. The following rows cost 100, and the ones after that 200. He passed Selena, who was hemming and hawing over a delicate tiara. She watched him stride by with a confused frown, though didn’t call out to dissuade his curiosity.

Finally, at the last row of pedestals, Raine found the real prizes. The air here felt heavier, humming with palpable power. Each item cost upwards of 500 merit. He was instantly glad to not have splurged before looking.

He stopped before the first and had to physically wipe drool from his lips. It was a greataxe forged from semi-transparent, hardened smoke. The view through its blade was distorted, twisting light in a way that made looking at it for too long uncomfortable. Raine’s stomach roiled just from staring for a few seconds, and he could only imagine the nightmare of fighting against someone wielding it.

[Merit: 550]

[Fell Axe of the Ever-Victorious King: (Heavenly Amethyst - LVL 40) (Attack Power +600) (PTC +240) (FNS +240) (ACU +240) (PHY +240) (Durability: Indestructible)]

[Innate Passive - The Flesh and Soul are Fluid: All damage dealt by the Fell Axe of the Ever-Victorious King is converted to soul damage]

[Innate Skill 1 - God King’s Decree: Successful attacks summon a spectral member of the King’s retinue. Each spectre attacks once (non-dodgable and non-resistable), inflicting 200% of wielder’s physical damage as soul drain, healing the wielder. Additionally inflicts a random negative status effect]

[Innate Skill 2 - Summon the Guards: At will, 2 members of the King’s retinue appear in physical form, automatically intercepting attacks until their durability expires. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

Raine glanced to his left and right, seeing dozens more items that appeared just as fantastical—a cloak woven from pure shadow, a ring that bent light, an orb of pulsating chaos. A familiar, greedy thrill settled into his bones.

Shit… This might be harder than fighting Zagan.