Chapter 035

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‘ ‘ for thoughts.

“ “ for speech.

* * for actions.

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Jack and his companion proceeded through the narrow passageway. Ahead of them was a set of giant metallic double doors. They were made of some sort of electric blue metal and had mesmerizing carvings on them. The carvings were of overlapping geometric patterns which glowed softly in his spirit senses with a lime-green radiance.

At shoulder height, near the center, was a circular depression, which fit the augmented coin he had. He withdrew the coin and placed it in the depression. The geometric carvings on the gate blazed with energy and the doors opened inwards. When he retrieved the stone coin, he noticed that it was back in size to its original smaller size.

When the door opened, it leaded to a large rectangular room resembling a hall. The room was bare except for an intricate formation near the center. The formation was throbbing gently with electric blue light. In the center of the formation was something that looked like a translucent granite statue.

The statue looked like a naked humanoid female. Jack was about to approach the formation, when his companion stopped him. He turned to question his companion, and saw that Bob was frowning. He looked at his companion with a questioning look.

Bob: “I sense ahead, taint of The Blight… but it’s different somehow.”

Jack: “How so?”

Bob: “It is as if its essence is frozen... yet slowly burning away.”

Jack: “That sounds…intriguing. It must be something to do with the formation… it is radiating a lot of mana.”

Bob: “So how should we proceed?”

Jack: *scowls* “For the time being, you stay back. Don’t attack first. I will approach; if something is hostile, join the battle else approach cautiously. If I die without being able to retaliate, wait for me outside the cave. In that case, I should be back in around four to five days. ”

Jack handed his companion the stone coin and cautiously approached the statue. He stopped at the edge of the formation and observed the granite statue in the center. There were wrinkles on its face, and its eyes were closed. It looked like an expression full of grim determination and disdain.

The naked form of the statue had an astounding amount of detail on it. Each and every strand of hair, on her head and elsewhere, looked like separate strands of marble glittering in the ambient light He couldn’t make out whether it was a human or half-elf, as the hair on her head covered her ears. The statue was definitely not that of an elf because the body proportions and facial features wouldn’t match those of an elf.

Jack: ‘A very nice body. It would be very fuckable if it wasn’t for the wrinkles on her face and body. Not to mention it’s a statue. I might as well proceed further with the quest… no point just staring at the naked statue of an old lady.’

Jack took a deep breath, steadied himself and walked into the formation. He felt a tingling sensation all over his skin, as he did so. As he observed the statue, he noticed that the eyelids were slowly opening. The statue’s eyes glittered like gems. Her left eye had an iris which was green like an emerald, while her right eye was like an amethyst.

Jack stopped in his tracks, a bit shocked. As he waited for further changes in the statue, the statue’s jaw rasped like grinding stones and he heard an ancient somewhat feminine voice, which sounded like the creaking of metal.

Statue: “Why have you arrived here, young adventurer? There are no riches to plunder here.”

Jack: “Woah, you can talk! As for my purpose, are you the prisoner here?”

Statue: “Yes. You could say so. What do you wish of me?”

Jack: “A group of nearby druids sent me here. I am supposed to free you apparently.”

Statue: *throaty chuckle* “Do you even know who am I? Or what is this ‘prison’?”

Jack: “Not really, but does it matter? I don’t think the druids would unleash a catastrophe… even if they are all haughty and uptight.”

Statue: “There is truth in your words. But even if I could leave, I wouldn’t.”

Jack: “What do you mean?”

Statue: “It’s a long story. And you don’t have the qualifications to listen to it, anyway.”

Jack: “What do you mean? The Druids sent me here.”

Statue: *sigh* “They sent you on an impossible task, as a pretext to get rid of you.”

Jack: *annoyed look* “That may be so, but I don’t plan to return before giving it a try. And to even attempt that, knowing your circumstances would be a start.”

Statue: “You are one annoying brat. I would drive you away, if I could. But unfortunately, my abilities are severely restricted now. I will satisfy your curiosity for the time being then. Call your companion into the formation first though. Or he will probably wonder why you are talking to a statue.”

He left the formation and went towards his companion and asked him to follow him into the formation. His companion questioned him, but he didn’t want to spoil the surprise. As they both entered the formation, it glowed blindingly and a transparent dome of energy materialized over the formation, trapping them with the statue. Bob didn’t seem to notice it, however the changes to the surrounding mana was as clear as air to jack’s Spirit Senses.

Statue: “Now that both of you are here, we can begin.”

Jack: “Before we begin, why have you trapped both of us in this formation with this energy dome?”

Bob: “What are you talking about? I don’t see any energy dome.”

Statue: “Your companion seems to be blind to mana, but you aren’t. Interesting. As for your question, the formation is just draining some of your life force to supplement me. Don’t worry; it is nothing that will kill you. It is only so that I can have a conversation in my present state, without killing myself.”

Jack: ‘Fuck. I should have been more careful. Why did I walk into the formation with Bob like a retard? Did those granite tits befuddle me? On the plus side, it just seems to have stopped my HP regeneration…’

Jack: *rubbing his temples* “So who are you and why are you trapped here.”

Statue: *thoughtful expression* “I was a druid during the era of the Divine Wars. You are familiar with it yes?”

Jack: “Yeah the gods spreading devastation in a series of brutal wars over Terra through their mortal agents.”

Druid Statue: “Well there is more to that story than that. Do you know how the Divine Wars came to a conclusion?”

Jack: “I have some idea…”

Druid Statue: “Do tell what you know. The more accurate it is, the more I will reveal.”

Jack: “Gaia woke up and started clearing sentient life and sinking entire continents to force the gods to come to a truce. However, the Forsaken were petty and their agents continued the Divine Wars. The Brahman Sangha assassinated collaborated with other divine agents to hunt the agents of the forsaken and make them betray the Forsaken, who were sealed by the other gods, and peace finally descended on Terra.”

Druid Statue: *disappointed look* “Hmm, so you are parroting the official version of the Brahman Sangha. Do you truly know nothing more, indoctrinated Bhikku? I thought your members yearned for enlightenment.”

Jack: “Well I do know a bit more. But reputation of my Order is important, after all.”

Druid Statue: “Oh? Do continue… it’s been a while since I had an interesting conversation.”

Jack: “Well I will continue. But Bob, don’t ever reveal what I am about to say to anyone else, OK?”

Bob: *nods* “All right. I can keep my mouth shut.”

Jack: “Hmm, what I have to tell has some drama. Let’s begin with a long forgotten Paladin. He was extremely faithful and blessed with immense powers by his patron deity. He fought for his patron for a while.”

He paused meaningfully, and observed a hint of shock pass through the druid statue.

Jack: “But for some reason, he betrayed his patron and was stripped of his powers. He then allied himself with an Order which fought against the deities as a whole, The Brahman Sangha. This ex-Paladin turned himself into a lich, and collaborated with the Order to wake Gaia. Their plan was far too effective, but the ex-Paladin lich was unfortunately imprisoned for an eternity…”

Druid Statue: *a momentary look of disbelief and shock in her eyes* “How did you know what happened to the imprisoned ex-Paladin lich?”

Jack: *smirk* “I talked enough, for now. It is your turn to speak now.”

Druid Statue: *a longing look in her eyes* “This Paladin you speak of, was my lover. Even though we were on opposing sides of the war, we fell in love when he was a prominent paladin, and I was a young druid.

Druid Statue: *bitter smile* “The reason he betrayed his patron deity was because of his love for me. His fellow agents reported our affair to his patron. In order to test the resolve of his follower, the deity ordered him to wipe out my coven, including me.”

Druid Statue: *tearful look* “But his love for me was greater than his faith for his patron deity. He saved me and some of my coven, betraying his patron and losing his divine powers. And that is how the events you mentioned came to pass.”

Jack: *mocking smile* “Faith and love. The more I learn, the more I am led to believe that these emotions are the gateway to insanity.”

Druid Statue: *hollow laugh* “That is something unexpectedly wise for someone as young as you. It is almost enigmatic. Indeed strong emotions can be a trigger to lose our rationality. It may be something as small as a petty insult which hurt one’s pride, or the jealousy aroused by coveting someone else’s wife.”

Jack: ‘This NPC is guessing my Enigmatic Wisdom trait just by my offhand comment? Damn… all the druids I meet are very scary.’

Druid Statue: *forlorn look* “But yes, Faith and love are the most powerful emotions one can experience. In my experience, nine times out of ten, Faith triumphs Love. Rarely is it, that Love triumphs Fate.”

Jack: “So how it is that you came to be trapped here?”

Druid Statue: *stirring from her contemplation* “Didn’t you ever wonder, how they managed to wake Gaia, who had vowed eons ago to go into slumber eternally? It was because, l too betrayed Gaia. Just like my lover had betrayed his Patron. It was due to my help, that the whole plan was a ‘success’.”

Druid Statue: “My act of betrayal wasn’t known to many outside my coven. However, the divine agents hunted me to use me as a bargaining chip to trap my lover. But I didn’t wish to be the tool which leads to his demise, so I fled using my talents.”

Druid Statue: “The pursuit was long and hard, and it had drained me, almost completely. Fortunately, I came across a seed of the blight festering, almost hidden. I took in the seed of the blight, and started to corrode it using my soul, turning into what you see now.”

Druid Statue: *sigh* “Soon the divine agents found me, constructed this prison around me and cursed me permanently into this petrified state. So the most I can do now is converse, even if the seed of the blight has long been extinguished.”

Jack: *frown* “But my companion here sensed the Taint of the Blight in you. Although frozen, and being burned slowly. How do you explain that?”

Druid Statue: “Your companion seems perceptive. The Blight has tainted my body, not unlike your own. However, instead of accepting its power, I am slowly cleansing it. I can’t utilize too much power due to this curse, so in any case it will be a while before I am fully free of its taint.”

Jack: “There must be a way to free you. Do tell, no matter how impossible it may sound.”

Druid Statue: “I believe that there are only two ways to free me. The one is for powerful High Priests to undo this curse on me. But that will never happen because the deities will never allow their agents to act as such with the powers they themselves have bestowed.”

Jack: “And the second way?”

Druid Statue: “The second way is also highly unlikely. It would require a Spirit Eater with sufficient mastery and control over the abomination.”

Bob: *addresses the Statue respectfully* “My leader just happens to be a Spirit Eater.”

Druid Statue: *chuckle* “You don’t cease to surprise me. You are a Bhikku and a Spirit Eater? On top of that your follower is afflicted by Gaia’s hate, and you have tainted your body with the Blight. Impressive, but not enough.”

Jack: “So how can a Spirit Eater undo a curse which only the divine power channeled through High Priests can undo?”

Druid Statue: “I don’t believe that you have the means or the willpower to free me. It is just a speculation anyways. And if experiments with Spirit Eating go wrong, the results can be devastating.”

Jack: “Let me attempt it before you declare my incompetence. Besides, I am not exactly a Spirit Eater. I am a Shackled Spirit Eater. Irfit has chained the abomination in me, so he won’t allow me to go on a rampage if I do fail.”

Druid Statue: “Hmm I sensed a powerful spirit pact from you, but wasn’t entirely sure. It seems my present state have dulled my perception significantly. Very well, I will explain my theory to you. If you fail, the backlash will be devastating for you even with Irfit’s aid. Do you wish to proceed?”

Jack: ‘Yes, I need to wipe off the smile of the bitch Eldest and get my rewards.’

Jack: “Yes. The choice is mine to make, and the consequences will be mine to bear.”

Druid Statue: “All Spirit Eaters possess an abomination, a mindless primal entity with hunger as the essence of its being. This abomination is extremely powerful and dangerous. It only knows how to feed and devour Spirit Energy, the essence of consciousness and life.”

Druid Statue: “Any ability to manipulate Spirit Energy, grants Spirit Eaters the ability to interfere in Samsara, the great cycle of reincarnation. That is something which encroaches on the domain of gods! The abomination is destructive innately. But what if the abomination can bestow Spirit Energy instead of feeding on it? A Spirit Eater with enough mastery over his abomination could potentially heal anything short of death!”

Jack: “Interesting theory and it makes sense somehow. Problem is; I don’t have any Spirit Energy with me now. And once I leave, I will be unable to return.”

Bob: “I will gladly sacrifice my life for the Spirit Energy you need Jack.”

Jack: “Won’t work. My pact with Irfit forbids me from feeding on souls in service to Gaia. There must be another way to gather Spirit Energy. Isn’t there, druid?”

Druid Statue: “Indeed. Spirit Energy is just energy of the Soul. You always have one soul accessible to you all the time… your own. In theory, any Spirit Eater should be able to feed on his own soul to generate Spirit Energy. It should be more efficient than any other means as you will know your own soul best. However, you could potentially end up devouring yourself. As to what the abomination would result in after devouring the soul of its own host… that is something better left unknown.”

Jack: “Fortunately, I have Irfit backing me up. Your theories are interesting.”

Jack: “I might need some time before I can figure this thing out. So don’t interfere or disturb me, no matter what as Irfit will channel through me, if things get truly desperate.”

He then sat down cross-legged inside the formation and went into a meditative state. He veiled his mana centers in Soulfire before proceeding. He imagined the abomination manifesting inside his body. He then imagined the abomination slowly connecting its tentacles, which ended in maws, to his mana centers as he provided miniature gaps in the Soulfire veil guarding his mana centers.

He could feel the surprising eagerness of the abomination to feed. However, he only let it satiate itself with a trickle, using the Soulfire veils to restrict the abomination. Soon he felt the familiar elation he felt during acts of spirit eating. However, it was accompanied by a spectral ache which left him very drained. He exited his meditative state and stood up, while allowing the abomination to feed on a trickle from the wellspring of his soul.

Jack: “I have managed to gain some Spirit Energy by feeding on my soul. It is now time to free you.”

He walked closer to the statue of the druid, and placed his hand on her head. He took a deep breath and manifested his abomination. The abomination manifested quite unusually. Instead of floating above him, its ethereal form bound by Soulfire chains was superimposed on him. Many of its smaller tentacles drilled into his body feeding on his soul.

The spectral form of a large tentacle superimposed with his arm, the mouth on its end attached to the statue’s head where his palm touched it. He closed his eyes and mentally willed the abomination to transfer spirit energy to the statue.

The abomination stubbornly refused to bend to his will, and kept on devouring his soul without transferring Spirit Energy to the petrified Druid. He steeled his resolve, raised his soulfire veil and cutoff the trickle of energy from his soul to the abomination.

He then willed, with all his might for the abomination to transfer spirit energy to the petrified Druid. Starving, shackled and cornered, the abomination finally bent to his indomitable spirit as a trickle of fluorescent yellow-green energy spread from his palm to the petrified Druid.

However, the process was draining his spirit energy very quickly. He again lowered his soulfire veil as the abomination greedily drank from the wellspring of his soul. He had to limit how much the abomination fed from his soul, while simultaneously forcing it to transfer spirit energy to the petrified statue.

It was a delicate balancing act, which required almost all of his concentration and willpower. After what seemed like hours of struggling, he felt a smooth palm catching hold of his wrist and removing his hand from the top of the Druid’s head, interrupting his act of healing.

He opened his eyes, and before him appeared the naked form of what seemed to be a human female who was in her late twenties. Almost all of the wrinkles had disappeared from her body and she was no longer petrified! Her skin was a dusky shade of caramel and her eyes displayed heterochromia, with one iris being a brilliant green and the other a sparkling purple.

Naked Druid: *melodious tone* “You have done well, Spirit Eater. You can stop now.”

Jack: *weak raspy tone* “What happened to you…”

Naked Druid: *enchanting laugh* “It is thanks to you Spirit Eater. My theories were correct, and you just proved it. Not only did you heal the curse and cleanse the blight, you also healed all the wear and tear age had brought to my body and soul!”

Jack: “Well I hope it is worth it… because I feel like shit.”

Naked Druid: “I would appreciate if you have some clothing with you. And avert your lustful gaze Spirit Eater, as technically I am at least a thousand years old... older than many of your ancestors”

He looked embarrassed at her rebuke and rapidly browsed his inventory for some clothing. The cheapest set he had was a set of Beginner Clothes. He withdrew it from his inventory and handed it over to the Druid. She elegantly dressed and thanked him. He gave a groan of relief and sat down cross-legged on the ground.

Jack: “I need to rest for a while…feeling very tired.”

Druid: “Of course, Spirit Eater.”

Jack: *addressing Bob* “How long did I take to heal her anyway?”

Bob: *shrugging* “Around ten minutes, I suppose.”

Jack: *addressing the Druid, who was now clothed in a set of Beginner Clothes* “I am curious about something though.”

Druid: “Speak, then.”

Jack: “Why were you naked, when you were petrified?”

Druid: *wry smile* “My robe was nothing special, and it disintegrated into dust a long time ago…”

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A/N: Another chapter of Asunder Online. It is a mid-length one with ~3.5k words.

My usual Proofreader is MIA, so all of you will have to bear with some minor spelling/grammar errors...unless you volunteer for PR.

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