R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 44 (Patreon)

R-a - Volume 4 - Chapter 44

“You know about that, huh?” Micheal spoke aloud, motioning towards the Soul King with a nod.

“Oh indeed. After the Torens Ascended and transformed into Deities, I learned a great deal about their hatred for beings that dare to rewind Time.” Tallanoran returned with a small shrug.

“You might not know it, but the war between my people and the Torens was a brutal one. It lasted for years, in part because of me.” The Soul King patted his chest with a half-grin.

“When I was alive, more than the mere remnant Soul I am now, the power I wielded was a sight to see.” Tallanoran reccollected.

“Thousands of Torens died at my hands, and not just me. Kyrui, the Master of Space. Leia, the Master of the Storm. Bilt, the Master of Strength.” The Dark Wraith’s eyes glazed over slightly.

“We were the leaders of our people, the Four Masters who brought balance to our kind.”

Micheal’s eyes widened as he learned of names he had never heard before, ancient warriors that fought in a war whose records were fractured and lost. Only Tallanoran’s name had been uncovered in the records shared by Dark Void in the first timeline.

“It was a war for the ages, a war we had hope of winning…” The Soul King let out a long, drawling sigh.

“A war effort that was ruined...” Tallanoran’s voice turned harsh.

“By a single man.” The air around the Dark Wraith fluctuated with energy for a brief moment, faint particles of light flickering as the Soul King’s emotions got the best of him.

“A warrior of horrific strength, a being that possessed enormous power, and abilities that defied logic.” Tallanoran clenched his fists, his voice impassioned.

“Sion Swordsoul - A Titled Deity.”

Micheal froze, his heart dropping as he heard a name that brought back memories.

Sion Swordsoul. One of the Five Calamities. A group of 5 Titled Deities that absolutely devastated humanity, ruining any attempt the Human Race had at survival.

A man Micheal absolutely had to kill this time around, before he brought the human race to its knees.

Micheal snapped back to the present, blood rushing to his ears as he focused on every word Tallanoran said.

“In a single day…” The Soul King continued speaking,

“In a single day, he destroyed everything.”

“It took him 5 minutes to kill Bilt and Leia. Kyrui managed to stop him for around half an hour. I held him back for a dozen or so minutes.” Tallanoran rasped,

“And then that was that.” The Soul King smiled grimly.

“By the end of the day, more than 99% of my race was dead. Slaughtered down to the last child, save for a few cowards who managed to flee.”

Tallanoran chuckled darkly, his eyes piercing upwards towards Micheal.

“So believe me when I say this, young friend. You have been marked by Time. You will inevitably face the same Fate as I, lest you grow strong enough to resist.”

Micheal stared back at the Soul King, his mind racing.

“So what is the deal you want to make?” Micheal asked.

The Soul King grinned.

“It’s simple. My Inheritance here is one I’ve designed very carefully.” Tallanoran motioned around him.

Immediately, several lights flashed brightly in the air, blinding Micheal.

A split second later, as his vision cleared, he opened his eyes and saw the world around him had changed.

A transparent recreation of Tallanoran’s Inheritance had appeared in front of him. The Five Gates that could be used to test, train, and try oneself, as well as the large dais Micheal had arrived upon.

“You’ve already entered the Fourth Gate. A wise decision that has allowed you to meet with me.” The Soul King said with a light grin.

“You have passed every trial I have set here, and will earn the highest rewards possible.” The Dark Wraith nodded at Micheal.

“But there is something you might not know, man from the future.” Tallanoran pointed at the Third Gate, the unknown Third Gate of Fate that had been lost to history.

“I call this my Inheritance, but, in fact, precious little of what I once possessed survived. I am a mere remnant Soul that will dissipate when our conversation finishes. Sion made sure to destroy nearly everything related to me before he and the rest of the Torens moved on.” The Soul King smiled sardonically.

“But what I lost of my own, I managed to preserve of my comrades.”

Micheal straightened his back, sitting up straight as he stared at Tallanoran, understanding immediately what the Dark Wraith was saying.

“The Inheritance of the Master of Space, the Master of the Storm, and the Master of Strength.”

The Soul King came to a pause, glancing at Micheal expectantly.

“So for this deal you want, you will grant me access to these Inheritances?” Micheal responded, suppressing his emotions to maintain a calm poker face.

“Not just that. Aren’t there some of your companions here inside my Inheritance?” With a wave of his hand, the Soul King condensed energy particles together to form two images.

One was a picture of Shin, covered in sweat with his eyes shut, rapidly teleporting around. The other was a picture of Sophia, sitting on the ground meditating. Both were images pulled from the First Gate of Suffering, where the duo were in the midst of time-accelerated training.

“This girl, in particular, is immensely talented. Any one of the three Inheritances of my comrades would perfectly suit her, but based on the Abilities she’s shown, the Master of the Storm, Leia, would work best.” Tallanoran commented on Sophia, giving her a respectful nod.

“This boy is decently talented, less so than the girl, but he has potential. His unique ability to teleport is antithetical to controlling Space, but he possesses the strength of will and physique perfectly adaptable to Bilt’s Mastery of Strength.”

The Soul King paused for a moment before turning his attention back to Micheal.

“And you, my friend. You have an above average talent for combat, mental control, and training, but what stands out the most is this.” Tallanoran held up three fingers.

“Your determination, your willpower, and your ability to adapt.”

With a wave of his hand, Tallanoran dissipated the energy around him, returning the room back to its normal appearance of him and Micheal sitting across a table from each other.

“Powers involving Time don’t work well against Deities. It’s something I found out as we fought. I don’t know if it's an innate resistance they possess, but even against regular Deities, I found that they were able to resist my manipulations quite well.” He continued,

“Of course, I was the strongest Dark Wraith in existence, so that didn’t mean much against most Torens. Even a slightly weakened version of myself at my prime was overwhelming.” Tallanoran snorted.

“Among the Four Masters, Kyrui, the Master of Space, was the weakest, yet he managed to hold off Sion for nearly twice as much time as the rest of us combined.”

“That doesn’t mean the Deities are weak to Space.” He warned,

“Rather, they are strong against everything. It’s just, at least in the case of the Torens, they are least strong against Spatial and Gravitational manipulation.” The Soul King finished, his words resounding in the air before him.

“You might not be the most talented individual, but you have the strength of will necessary to make up for your flaws. So this is my deal to you, young friend.” Tallanoran’s eyes flashed as he smiled at Micheal.

“I will gift you and your comrades access to my fallen friend’s Inheritances. In return, what I ask of you is simple.” The Dark Wraith’s eyes bored into Micheal.

“Grow. Grow strong, mighty, as powerful as powerful can be, and even then, grow more.”

Micheal’s frowned, his brows crinkling.

“That’s it?” The offer was an extremely attractive one that he had no intention of refusing, but what the Soul King asked for was unclear. It seemed almost too good to be true.

Tallanoran nodded, his smile fading.

“I already told you, my young friend. You have been marked by Time.”

“There is no cost for this deal. Your promise to grow as strong as you can is enough… for, inevitably...”

“The Gods will find you, all on their own.”

“And either you will die… or I will have my revenge.”

The air before Micheal distorted, the world around him beginning to vanish as the Soul King’s Inheritance began to teleport him away.

“Wait! How can I…” Micheal’s words trailed off as he stared at where the Soul King had sat.

His seat was empty now.

Tallanoran was no more.

His final remnant Soul, all that was left of him, was now gone forever, never to be seen again.

There was a brief, tense pause right after the world twisted, as Micheal registered what it meant.

Slowly, Micheal closed his eyes and bowed his head, holding a silent vigil that only he would know.

That moment passed.

Micheal opened his eyes a few moments later, after his teleport finished, and found himself at the entrance to the Soul King’s Treasury.

It was time to receive his reward for conquering the Fourth Gate.

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