R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter (35-45ish) (Patreon)

R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter (35-45ish)

(Note: We will return to the PRESENT timeline in the next release! As in, Chapter 43.)

(Next release on or before March 1st)

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Near the southern edge of the territory of the Divine Might Sect, just to north of the Dark Canyon, was a plot of land known simply as the Barren Hills. Like its namesake implied, this area was dominated by large hills that were completely bereft of life. Unlike other locations on the Second Layer, which teemed with energy and wildlife, the Barren Hills were a wasteland where nothing could grow.

There was nothing of interest in the Barren Hills… but the same could not be said for beneath them.

Several dozen meters beneath the earth, through layers of thick stone, rock, and dirt, lay a secretive underground prison.

In a small, dark cell within this secret prison, an obese male Byren let out a quiet groan. The man was chained to the wall, his arms and legs covered in thick metal restraints that glowed faintly in the dim cell.

“Wake up, Lodsforth.” A cold, gruff voice echoed out, shocking the Byren awake.

“Eh-ah?!” The obese Byren’s eyes shot open, his entire Aura changing in a heartbeat. The image of a weak, overweight man chained to a wall almost seemed to transform, a powerful, imposing wave of energy rocketing off the man in an instant.

“Who dares- uh, Orion?” The imposing Aura seemed to vanish as quickly as it appeared, the chained Byren sputtering to a halt.

Standing before the man was none other than Orion Thunderfist.

Lodsforth Bint, the Fifth Lord, glared at Orion, his eyes turning bloodshot.

“How dare you!” The Fifth Lord exclaimed, his arms bulging as he struggled against the metal chains to no avail. Crackling bolts of energy flowed in Lodsforth’s body before rapidly dimming, the glowing chains holding him down absorbing their energy.

“Release me at once!”

The First Lord stared at Lodsforth with an impassive gaze, his eyes unflinching.

“Is this because I didn’t come to your pointless meetings?!” Lodsforth blurted out loud, still struggling to escape the enchanted chains.

“It’s bad enough having a Byren body, why the hell would I risk death to gain the body of one of those freaks.” Lodsforth spat as the muscles in his arms bunched up and strained.

“The Torens’ weren’t freaks. They were a race of warriors that Ascended and became Divine.” Orion responded calmly, with his hands tucked behind his back.

“Who the hell cares?! They destroyed our entire species!” Lodsforth returned. By this point, his continued struggles and constant energy fluctuations caused the obese man’s chest to heave, his breath turned ragged.

“You’re correct. They did.” The First Lord nodded, accepting the truth.

Lodsforth’s eyes bulged in disbelief at Orion’s response.

“And you still would become one of them?!” Screamed the Fifth Lord.

“You’re a madman!”

Orion’s stony face finally cracked when he heard Lodsforth’s reply, a small, sardonic smile making its way onto it.

“You aren’t wrong.” The First Lord spoke, faint hints of emotion staining his voice.

“Only a madman would abandon his wife and child to die alone.”

Lodsforth struggles grew more frantic as he shook his head, interrupting Orion.

“I don’t give a damn about whatever crusade you need to go on to make yourself feel better! Leave me the hell out of this!”

Orion chuckled in response, taking a few steps forward. Lodsforth froze when he saw Orion come next to him, his rapid struggles coming to a halt.

“These chains here are called ‘Yondel-ke Chains.’ They’re an Artifact from another world that dissipates any energy they come into contact with.” The First Lord lightly tapped one of the chains holding Lodsforth.

The chain stilled for a split second, oddly freezing up in mid-air, before nigh-instantly shattering into hundreds of metal shards. The deadly shrapnel pelted the dark prison room, piercing into the stone walls and into Lodsforth alike.

“Arrgh!” The Fifth Lord yelped as the metal bits stabbed into his flesh.

Orion stared down at the bloodied Fifth Lord, frowning slightly.

“Disappointing… hundreds of years have passed and you can’t even handle this?” The First Lord muttered, shaking his head with a sigh.

Instead of responding, Lodsforth simply glared at Orion, his eyes quivering with impotent rage.

Orion bent over and picked up one of the metal shards, holding it in his palm. He eyed it as he turned it over, examining it closely.

“These Artifacts are quite the mysterious thing, Lodsforth. Artifacts and Abilities… the fact that Humans can obtain powers beyond their understanding simply by killing their enemies…” The First Lord muttered, his eyes narrowing, as he tossed the metal shard to the ground.

“The ‘Shop’ is such an absurd irrationality. Nonsensical, even.” As Orion spoke, he tapped on a High-Tier Spatial Ring.

A moment later, a large, green wand appeared in his hand. This wand was covered in glyphs and intricate carvings starting from its base, and ending on its tip with a small blueish-green leaf.

“Do you know what this is, Lodsforth?”

Orion received no response, but carried on speaking all the same.

“It’s a Plasmoiden Wand. A special type of ‘Limited Artifact’ I obtained from the Human’s Shop. It has the ability to absorb large amounts of energy and convert that energy into any other type… even Divine.”

The First Lord ran a finger along the shaft of the wand, activating the glyphs on it.

“Wha-what are you doing?” Lodsforth stuttered. For all the might, authority, and power the Fifth Lord had possessed for centuries, in front of Orion, he was like a quivering child.

“The key to conquering the Sanctum, after all these years, has finally been found.” The First Lord turned his gaze back to Fifth Lord.

“Your only use, Lodsforth, was to help distract our enemies. And recently, the most annoying of those has vanished.” Orion’s eyes glinted.

“I no longer see the need to tolerate your existence.” He held the wand up, pointing it directly at Lodsforth.

“Damn you! What right do you have to pass judgment upon me, Orion?!” Lodsforth’s eyes spasmed as he renewed his struggles, spittle dripping from his mouth as he raged.

“You and I are the same!”

The First Lord paused briefly as he looked at Lodsforth.

“I see. You think I’m wronging you.” Orion remarked, tilting his head to one side.

“Tell me, Lodsforth. What have you done over the past 800 years?” The First Lord crossed his arms.

“Just because I haven’t trained like a madman doesn-” Before Lodsforth could finish, Orion cut him off.

“Pointless murder. Wanton rape. Enslaving other beings for no purpose other than your own enjoyment.” One by one, the First Lord ticked off the Fifth Lord’s crimes, counting them down with his fingers.

“I ignored your crimes not because I condoned them, but simply because I had other, more pressing issues at hand, ones that seemed impossible to solve.” Orion continued.

“But all that changed when the Humans, with their ‘Shop,’ arrived.” The First Lord’s eyes gleamed.

“S-so what?! You don’t need to kill me for this! That Artifact just needs energy right?! Just grab a few Helion Treasures and Magic Herbs!” Lodsforth muttered, his face paling.

“I can- I can change!”

Orion studied Lodsforth impassively.

“You’ve had 800 years to change. That's long enough.” The First Lord held up the Artifact once more, this time truly activating it.

Immediately, the Plasmoiden Wand began to float in the air. A small, beam of green energy shot out from its tip, piercing into the Fifth Lord’s chest.

“Damn you… you won’t get away with this, bastard...” Lodsforth’s body trembled as he felt his energy, lifeforce, and his very Soul begin to get absorbed by the Wand. The chains that restrained him left him helpless to resist, all the mighty strength, energy, and power he had accumulated notwithstanding.

“Even if you get me, Endyaph will never side with you!” The Fifth Lord yelled out, grasping onto one last straw.

“Endyaph?” Orion briefly shifted his gaze from the Fifth Lord around to face away the other direction.

In the cell directly across from Lodsforth, Orion’s eyes zeroed in on the corpse of a lanky Byren warrior at, chained in an identical set of enchanted, magical chains.

Orion returned his focus back to Lodsforth with a shake of his head.

“The Second Lord is already dead. You overestimate your-”

Orion cut himself off when he received no response, in part because Lodsforth had already fallen unconscious, the vast outpouring of energy caused by the Plasmoiden Wand overwhelming his sensibilities.

When the First Lord saw this, he sighed quietly to himself.

“Know that I take no pleasure in this, Lodsforth. I am simply doing what needs to be done.”

He raised his left hand up to Lodsforth’s eyes, closing them.

“May you find peace and joy in the next.”

Orion murmured, his voice silent as the dead,

“A treasure even I, the World’s Strongest, lack.”

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