R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 25 (Patreon)
Content
R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 25 (in editing-v3)
“How do you know he’ll be here? Isn’t he supposed to be dead?” Serena questioned Micheal as they jogged, heading deeper and deeper into the territory of the Rushing River Sect.
Rumors of the Nirvana Saint’s death had become widespread enough to even reach the ears of the Farians.
“He’ll be here.” Micheal returned, though he couldn’t say that with absolute confidence.
There was no doubt in Micheal’s mind that the Nirvana Saint was still alive. Despite the fact that the Purgatory Church and the Vile King had clashed multiple times in the first timeline, it took a literal time-reversing God, the Titled Deity Navir, to kill the Nirvana Saint.
‘He’ll probably be here, anyway.’ Micheal thought to himself.
The fact that the Purgatory Church controlled the Rushing River Sect was a closely guarded secret for most of, if not all of, the Great War Between Races.
In the first timeline, after the Nirvana Saint arrived and seized control, this location was his safe haven and primary hiding spot, per the leaked records that came out after the Purgatory Church was destroyed on the 6th Layer.
‘That man is nothing if not methodical. If this location was the best spot to hunker down in the first timeline, it’s probably still the best spot now.’ It was his best bet to finding the hallowed leader.
Serena nodded at Micheal’s words, a curious light growing in her eyes as she looked at him.
“What kind of person is the Nirvana Saint? The way you talk about him makes him seem special.” Selena questioned.
Micheal paused for a moment, his gaze moved from side to side, scanning the area as they moved. The land around them was a mix of an open grassy plain with small, scattered clumps of trees.
There was no sign of any patrolling Byren Martial Artists or humans, though there was an increased presence of Magic Beasts. They had already run into more Low-Tier Magic Beasts within this final stretch of their journey than the entire rest of their adventure combined.
“He’s a lot like me, in a way.” Micheal smiled after a moment as he looked back at Serena, his lips pursed.
“He’s a man that won’t stay dead even if you kill him.”
In the seemingly endless historical records compiled and spread by Dark Void, there were multiple documented reports of the Nirvana Saint supposedly ‘dying’ only to later appear alive once more. The leaked records from the Church showed that this was one of the Nirvana Saints favored methods to use when he was purging potential spies, Seeds, and infiltrators from within the Church. The chaos caused by his ‘death’ led to the capture of countless rats.
‘If only Dark Void had gathered clearer records on what happened on the Second Layer.’ Micheal frowned, a hint of frustration staining his thoughts.
Dark Void originated from the Dark Void Research Branch, a group of historians, researchers, and explorers formed by the Purgatory Church on the Third Layer. The Research Branch eventually broke off from the Church and became independent, dedicating themselves to creating an unbroken, complete historical record of all information obtained by humanity on the 7 Layers.
Dark Void was one of humanity’s single greatest achievements. The anonymous researchers worked by spreading information drives and storage devices, copied and updated over and over, to every known group of humans. They encrypted their work to ensure it was impossible to modify or fake and created a decentralized, permanent record that could not be erased or destroyed.
It was thanks to Dark Void that the existence of the Vile King became well known, that knowledge on countless different Abilities, Artifacts, and their interactions became widespread, and that detailed data about how to overcome the obstacles one might face on each Layer was common knowledge.
If the Vile King was responsible for the greatest number of lives lost, then Dark Void was responsible for the greatest number of lives saved.
However… if there was one problem with Dark Void, it was the fact that they only existed from the Third Layer onward.
‘Everything before then had to be put together piecemeal.’
Information in the 7 Layers flowed upward, not down.
The only known Ability that had the power to interact with humans on a lower Layer was in the hands of the Vile King.
Micheal and the Farians moved deeper into the territory of the Rushing River Sect. They passed through several large fields and eventually came upon a duo of small mountains that were split by a large river.
In the larger of the two mountains, set right next to the base where the river flowed, was the headquarters of the Rushing River Sect. It looked much like a castle from modern earth, complete with large stone walls, with dozens of stone pavilions and buildings behind those walls. Beautifully carved mosaics of warriors fighting across strips of flowing water were carved into the wall, giving the stone castle a unique appearance.
Micheal’s eyes narrowed as he approached the large entrance gate to the headquarters, zeroing in on figures of several buff Byren Martial Artists standing guard.
He waved over at Shadow Captain Sprel, who in turn gave Micheal a nod and held up a fist.
Immediately, all of the Farian warriors began to slow down, taking unassuming and unthreatening positions. They spread out behind Micheal and walked in formation, bringing up the rear.
Meanwhile, Micheal, Serena, and the Shadow Captain advanced forward and ahead, breaking off from the rest of the Farians.
It was a simple tactic, leaving behind the majority of one’s force to approach in a manner similar to that of an ambassador or peacemaker, but an effective one in Micheal’s experience, creating an implied threat of the larger group attacking should the smaller group run into trouble.
At the least, as the trio approached the front gate, they weren’t immediately ambushed.
“Greetings-” Before Micheal could finish his shout, he was interrupted.
“Leave at once! The Rushing River Sect’s gates are closed to avoid the spread of the Darmaton Plague! You are not welcome here!”
The speaker was a large Byren dressed in a set of grey metal armor and wielding a gleaming white spear. He stood at the top of the gate and was accompanied by a full twenty other Byren guards, all of them dressed in similar gear. His armor was embellished with a golden wave mark on it, signifying that he was in charge.
Just from appearance alone, there was nothing that linked these Byren Martial Artists to the Purgatory Church. Even the excuse they gave for being in a state of ‘closed gates,’ the term for when Byren Sects closed themselves off from the outside world to avoid exterior threats, was perfectly reasonable.
Micheal could feel Serena shifting nervously behind him, her head bobbing as she glanced from one gate guard to another. Shadow Captain Sprel remained motionless, his gaze calm and steady.
Micheal acknowledged the guard with a wave before taking a deep breath.
“Tell your leader I’ve come to negotiate.” His words echoed out loud as he flared his Aura and Ki, a blast of powerful, Sky-Tier energy imbued with all the force his Soul could muster.
Micheal’s words literally stunned the leader of the guards for half a second before the Martial Artist recovered, a stern frown appearing on his face.
“Leav-” Before the guard could finish, Micheal interrupted him.
“Tell your leader…” Micheal’s eyes flashed,
“I’ve come to talk with the Nirvana Saint.”
The moment he mentioned the Nirvana Saint, the entire mood of the gate guards shifted.
In a split second, the moment exploded with tension as the guards flared their own Ki, raising spears and glaring down at Micheal. A loud bell rang out and, from seemingly thin air, dozens of armor clad human warriors and Byren Martial Artists appeared on the walls. A myriad of colorful Abilities were activated and Artifacts primed, sending off various rays of light as an entire small army prepared to attack in less than 10 seconds.
As soon as Micheal saw the human warriors appearing, his eyes lit up in glee.
The Farian Shadow Guards that were waiting in the back tensed up, preparing to throw themselves into combat if they saw the slightest sign of danger. Serena froze next to Micheal for a split second before she began to silently gather her Bloodline, readying a barrage of Phoenix Fire.
Only Shadow Captain Sprel and Micheal remained calm and motionless, neither giving any sign that they felt threatened.
The air grew chaotic, crackles of energy rattling out as bits of rock shot into the air, exploding shrapnel formed by the various waves of energy being concentrated atop the stone wall.
Just as the scene grew to one mere moments away from breaking out in violence…
A warm, sonorous voice sang out in the air, bringing a hint of a smile to Micheal’s face.
“Bring our newest guests to me.” The ‘dead’ Nirvana Saint’s words brought both sides to a still.
“I’ve been expecting them.”
Micheal’s gamble had paid off.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
“Micheal Care… it seems I owe you a debt of gratitude.” The Nirvana Saint’s voice cast out almost like poetry, his words somehow both soothing and charismatic.
In a brightly lit room within the depths of the Rushing River Sect headquarters, Micheal, Serena, and Captain Sprel stood facing the Saint, a young man that appeared to be barely in his mid 20s. He had short, bright silver hair and glowing, golden eyes that gave him an almost ephemeral appearance. He was dressed in a set of white robes adorned with the image of a white circle that held a small flame within it, a symbol Micheal recognized from the first timeline.
‘He’s already adapted the Trials Doctrine?’ Micheal’s first thought was that of surprise as he saw the artwork. The symbol was part of the ‘modern’ imagery of the Purgatory Church in the first timeline, created when the Church solidified their beliefs and truly began to unite.
‘That wasn’t supposed to happen for at least 2 more years.’ The Nirvana Saint’s early existence on the Second Layer was rapidly advancing the progress of the Purgatory Church.
“It’s nothing. I only hope the information I shared has proved useful.” Micheal returned with a smile, concealing the tension that brewed within him.
Even after all he had been through, he couldn’t help but feel nervous facing the man before him.
“Oh, it most certainly has. Because of you, we have managed to greatly mitigate the damage caused by the Darmaton Plague.” The Nirvana Saint matched Micheal’s smile with a warm one of his own as he leaned forward on a wooden table that stood between them, covered in large maps.
“Simone was a delight to welcome, as were her companions. The Rury Group ended up joining the Cause and have greatly contributed to securing the safety and stability of humanity on the Second Layer.”
Micheal’s eyes flickered for the briefest moment as he heard the surprising revelation. Somehow, the gang of unruly warriors that Micheal had blackmailed into signing a Magic Contract in order to send a message to the Purgatory Church had apparently been converted into devout believers.
‘...he really is a ridiculous man.’ Micheal couldn’t help but to pause, his mind racing as he faced the living legend in front of him.
The Vile King was a genius that manipulated thousands of different people at the same time, using his Seeds to directly affect their minds and bring people to his side.
The Nirvana Saint, on the other hand, relied purely on his own charisma, genius wit, and absurd confidence to gain support. Despite having the capacity, influence, and ability to forcibly control others, the Nirvana Saint truly stood by his own beliefs and never crossed the lines he set.
Micheal had seen the results of this firsthand as he walked inside the stone fortress.
After the Nirvana Saint had invited Micheal and his team in, the Farians had all filed inside the stone castle without issue. The previously boiling Byren Martial Artists and human fighters stepped back to a state of unerring calm as if it was completely normal, looking nothing like a group that had been prepared to fight to the death just moments prior.
The small army of Shadow Guards were asked to wait within the main courtyard entrance while Micheal and the two leaders of the group were invited further in.
And… as they walked further in, Micheal observed the inner workings of the Rushing River Sect.
‘...are all of them devout believers?!’
There was no sign of any human figures on the surface, the warriors vanishing as abruptly as they had appeared. Of the Byren Martial Artists Micheal saw, however…
While none of them were dressed in the customary robes of the Purgatory Church, he saw several Martial Artists reading from the Blessed Doctrine of the Church, the compiled rules and beliefs of the Purgatory Church in book form. There were Byrens quietly discussing their beliefs in courtyards alongside Byrens sparring in formations Micheal recognized as unique to the Grey Knights, the hidden army of the Purgatory Church.
He didn’t manage to look too much around the area as he was led into the largest building within the stone walls, but it was enough to surmise that the Rushing River Sect was squarely within the hands of the Purgatory Church.
Micheal found it to be rather mind-boggling.
The Byren Martial Artists were a group of fierce, independent warriors with their own rich history and beliefs.
Yet, even with all of that, despite the fact that they weren’t even the same species as humanity, the Nirvana Saint had managed to convince the entire Rushing River Sect to join the Purgatory Church.
It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.
There were thousands of different individuals in the Sect, each with their own stories, dreams, and goals. To convince them all to believe in an entirely new religion founded by a group of dimensional invaders seemed to be an impossible task.
Nevertheless… the Nirvana Saint had accomplished it.
It was almost enough to make Micheal doubt whether or not the Nirvana Saint had a mind-controlling Ability like the Vile King. If not for the fact that the historical records gathered by Dark Void proved the Saint didn’t, Micheal didn’t know what he would’ve done.
Micheal, Serena, and Captain Sprel were led through several long stone passages, down two flights of stairs, and into the room they were sitting in now: a large, circular stone room set with several glowing stones along the walls. Apart from the trio, in the room was the Nirvana Saint alongside 8 armed bodyguards standing next to him.
After Micheal had introduced himself and the Farians to the Saint, the conversation had reached the point it was at now.
“The Rury Group might have made their share of mistakes in the past, but they are better than they seem. I’m glad they’re doing well under you.” Micheal replied.
“Alongside me, not under me.” The Nirvana Saint corrected and waved his hand almost apologetically,
“I may lead the Church, but I am no greater than any other human.” The line was one that would’ve sounded cheesy and fake if it came from anyone else but the Nirvana Saint.
‘Probably because he actually means it.’ Micheal thought to himself.
“If you truly believe you owe me a debt of gratitude, then I’d like to ask you for a favor.” Micheal cut right to the chase, knowing the less time he spent talking to the Nirvana Saint, the better. There was no way he would win any war of words against the man.
As succinctly as possible, Micheal began to explain everything he knew about the Beasts of Providence, their plans, past actions, and the fact that there was a man controlling them from behind the scenes. He included as much detail as possible, like the fact that at least two of the Four Barons that led the Syndicates controlling the majority of human forces on the Second Layer were corrupted.
The Nirvana Saint remained quiet and listened to what Micheal had to say. When he mentioned the existence of the Vile King operating in the background, Micheal caught the Nirvana Saint flinch ever so slightly, the movement so subtle only a Master would notice.
Micheal made his case over the course of ten minutes, connecting the dots in a tale of conspiracy, intrigue, and guile that had covered all of humanity.
Serena and Captain Sprel didn’t have much reaction to Micheal’s revelations, not fully comprehending the intricacies of humanity’s interconnected relationships. The Nirvana Saint, however, understood everything Micheal said.
For a few moments, the leader of the Purgatory Church remained silent as he looked at Micheal, his face giving away nothing.
Finally, after half a minute had passed, he spoke up.
“We can’t attack the Beasts of Providence.”
Micheal’s eyebrows twitched, his heart missing a beat in shock.
“...what?” He forcibly regained control of his emotions as he stared at the Saint, blinking to calm himself down.
“Why not?”
The Nirvana Saint watched Micheal’s every movement as he spoke, like a curious predator stalking its prey.
“I see… even a Seer can’t know everything.” The Nirvana Saint nodded slowly to himself.
Micheal frowned, his gaze hardening as he looked at the Nirvana Saint.
“What do you mean?” The leader of the Purgatory Church wasn’t the type to play with words.
“It is as I said. We can’t attack the Beasts of Providence.” The Nirvana Saint paused for a second, gauging Micheal’s reaction as he uttered one final line.
“We can’t attack them… because the Beasts of Providence have left the Second Layer.”
.
(this chapter was originally going to be longer, but after reaching 3,000 words in length, going further felt too long. Hence, the next part of it will be in the next chapter as its own entity)