The Path of the Strongest Mortal, page 5
Surviving a day-long battle wasn’t an easy feat, so it wasn’t at all strange that someone had decided to borrow a little energy from the Emerald Water.
Told you I’d get back at you, you fat fuck, Kai thought, I’m sure you’ll be punished for this. Both you, and that traitor.
Chapter 5
RESILIENCE
Four days since Menlian’s betrayal
After four days, a new group of slaves had finally been sent underground. However, Kai had no intention of helping them guard the Water and the bowl for the whole battle. All he needed was the elevator. So, having hidden near the well, he waited.
Eighteen hours later, he entered the Night Space.
“I’ll deactivate this technique now,” he told Shacks and the giant, “and return us to the Abyss. There’s a fight going on nearby, which we’ll join. Let’s help the slaves finish off the creatures. Don’t worry about the fog, I’ll protect you from it. But stay close to the well!”
Shacks nodded. The giant shrugged.
“Good. Now get ready.”
In a blink of an eye, the Night Space was no more.
“Let’s go,” Kai said and pointed to where the sounds of battle were coming from.
The slaves were surprised to see them, but they were in no hurry to do anything about it as they were busy fighting the creatures.
The trio was also surprised. They hadn’t expected to see an armed and armored group of Exorcists. They were even more surprised to see that they were unharmed and more than capable of dealing with the creatures.
After two hours, the Water stopped flowing and the platform descended.
And although the creatures hadn’t yet disappeared, the Exorcists began jumping onto the platform, covering one another as they did so. They did it so quickly and synchronized as if they were doing it for the thousandth time.
One of the last people to board was a dwarf. Before he joined his friends, he activated a powerful technique, driving away most of the creatures, giving the rest of his group enough time to climb onto the platform.
The slaves were on their way to the surface.
***
The trio was sitting in a spacious office. Although there was no one else here, there were three reasons for them not to do anything stupid: they were wearing collars, there were a couple of guards standing outside the door, and they were still slaves of the Starks Quarries.
Soon, the door opened, and a short elf entered the room. He was a peak Elementalist and seemed vaguely familiar.
“So...” He sat down at the table. “The three of you went down with the group of slaves that had been dispatched to Abyss No.6 five days ago, right? How did you appear here now? And how come you survived this long?”
“We were attacked by the rest of our group almost immediately upon descent, so we decided to flee rather than fight. There were three of us, and seventeen of them. After that, we began to look for another way to the surface, and came across your group. As for how we survived...” Kai shrugged. “Maybe we got lucky? Although... I have a unique bloodline; my friends probably have something similar.”
“Why didn’t you try to return to your own well? Your group, or what remained of it, wouldn’t have posed a threat to you after a day-long fight,” the elf inquired, narrowing his eyes.
“Overseer Zirx said that if something happened to the Emerald Water or the bowl, he’d personally execute all survivors. So we decided that it’d be safer not to return,” Kai continued. “Besides, we saw how strong those creatures were, so we were certain that we’d die if the three of us went up against them.”
“In that case, where did you get the idea that after returning to the surface you wouldn’t be returned to Zirx?”
“We didn’t,” Kai said. He had counted on the authorities being curious enough about their survival not to kill them immediately. Also, he was certain that Zirx had more important matters to attend to at the moment. “We could only hope, and we decided to take the chance. Better to face him than to die down there.”
“I see.” The elf grinned. “Unfortunately, I still have to return you to him…” He paused and looked at the trio. He expected them to become tense, but they seemed indifferent. “You’re not surprised at all...” he stated, arching an eyebrow.
“We might look like idiots, but we ain’t that dumb.” Shacks smiled. “If you wanted to hand us over to him, you would’ve done so long ago. And this whole conversation would be pointless.”
“You’re right. I have to return you, but... I don’t want to. I don’t care about Zirx, and I don’t even intend to talk to him. But I need you three. So, congratulations, starting today, you’re members of the First Squad.” He clapped his hands. “And now you can ask me one question. You’ll learn the rest from Ghim.”
Kai and Shacks exchanged glances, and then looked at the giant who was looking out the window.
“Who are you and why are you even talking to us, slaves?” Shacks asked.
“Those are two questions. But, I’ll answer. My name’s Alex Greimar. I’m the assistant of the overseer of the first and second shafts.”
Just an assistant? Kai and Shacks thought at the same time.
“And I’m talking to you only because I want to. And out of boredom. It’s not every day one gets to meet an aristocrat, sold by his own family, as well as a couple of human cultivators,” he explained and got up. “You’re free to go.”
Before the three of them got a chance to say anything, their bodies were again under the control of the collars. Except they now obeyed Alex, not Zirx.
They went to the door, after which they left the office.
***
Evening of the same day
The trio was sent to an empty room in one of the barracks, where they were ordered to wait until tomorrow.
Having decided to spend his free time wisely, Shacks was the first to start meditating. Kai was about to follow his example, intending to go into his soul world, when he got interrupted.
“Kai,” the giant suddenly said.
Kai opened his eyes and stared at him in surprise.
“My name’s Malvur,” he finally introduced himself. “I’m grateful for what you’ve done. I’ll repay the debt.”
Having said that, he closed his eyes and detached himself from the outside world.
Kai, who was still looking at him in bewilderment, nodded slightly, and then went to his soul world. But instead of clearing his mind and concentrating on cultivation, he went over today’s events once again.
After they got to the surface, they were immediately taken into custody. They told their story and they were sent to the Assistant Overseer’s office, after which they met with a broad-shouldered and bearded peak Exorcist. The dwarf’s name was Ghim.
As it turned out, this short and stout guy was the leader of their group, so-called Squad One. The first thing he did was congratulate them on being “Resilient.” As he explained, this name was given to those on whom the dark fog had little to no effect.
Unlike most, who usually died from the dark fog after the second dive (if, of course, they hadn’t been killed by the creatures), the Resilient ones could go to the Abyss over and over again for many years. Given the fact that, on average, only one in a hundred thousand was able to withstand the dark fog, finding such people wasn’t easy. Therefore, they were quite valuable.
So it was no surprise that once Alex learned that three such people had arrived from the Abyss together with his squad, he wanted to see them.
Resilience to the dark fog appeared due to various reasons — bloodlines, special mutations, rare techniques, or Forces. There wasn’t a single instance of them dying from the fog, which couldn’t be said about the slaves.
Unfortunately, they weren’t immune to everything. Although the fog couldn’t harm them, the creatures born from it could. Over the past five years, four had died, and their deaths were felt in both the mood and performance of their comrades.
The last time a Resilient died was just a month ago, after which Alex decided to fill the hole with the strongest available slave. Although it helped a little, it was still a temporary solution. Therefore, the trio seemed to be a gift from the Heavens themselves.
Dawn soon came.
Ghim entered the room.
“Get up!” he ordered, filling his voice with energy. “It’s time to dive! I’ll fill you in as we go.”
The trio, having snapped out of their meditation, nodded, got up, and followed.
“Just do as you’re told,” Ghim continued once they were out of the room, “and everything will be fine. I think you’ve noticed yesterday that Sir Alex treats slaves as equals. However, make no mistake. You’re still prisoners here, so if you start acting out, he won’t hesitate to use the collar.” Ghim stroked his beard. “We’ll go to the armory first, where you’ll get your weapons and armor, and then we’ll go to Abyss No. 2. Something you should know: the first and second wells are activated in turn every other day. We gather near the armory at six in the morning, from where we immediately go to one of the platforms. If you have any questions, ask now.”
“How come you can use your energy?” Shacks asked.
Ghim chuckled and stroked his beard again.
“Unlike you, I’m not a slave, which means I don’t have a collar. I’m a full-time employee here.”
“Employee?” Shacks asked in surprise. “But why would anyone agree to work here?”
“Boy...” Ghim turned suddenly and looked at him as if he were a complete idiot. “Do you know how much Emerald Water costs? One drop of it would be enough to free all the slaves! Now think about how much the leader of the squad that retrieves more than seventy percent of all the Water on the continent can earn.”
After a short pause, he continued: “I have a grandson, Tais. He’s very talented and even managed to get into the Cloud Abode. But there are many other talented people there, and to maintain his position he needs to keep developing, which is impossible without resources. And resources cost money. That’s why I work here.” He sighed. “I’m old. The Exorcist Stage is the highest I could go, but my grandson is still developing further and further.”
“How did you know that you were a Resilient?”
“I was born at the foot of the Bald Mountain, near the River of the Dead. Somehow, be it my lucky star or whatever, I didn’t fall ill with the Dark Pox when I was a kid. Usually, everyone dies of it, but here I am. Later, when I first visited Udin and learned about the Abyss, I was surprised to find that the symptoms the slaves suffered from were very similar to the Dark Pox. It was then that I learned that I have immunity. To be more precise, the dark energy simply ignores me, as if I don’t exist.”
“And what’s this River of the Dead?”
“You haven’t heard of it?” Ghim asked in wonder. “It starts in the swamps a little to the south and continues to our mountains, and then flows into the ocean. The water in this river is poisonous and it exudes deadly fumes. The lands around the river are considered cursed because the undead live there.”
The river... Kai thought, remembering something. But Yin has nothing to do with the undead. Although, Eria’s power and the concept of Yin seem to have some similarities. Could it be that Yin contributes to the Forces of Death?
“Sir Ghim, can I ask you something?” he suddenly got involved in the conversation.
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve noticed that humans aren’t exactly... liked here. But you don’t seem to have any problems with us. Why?”
“Times change. As long as there’s peace on the continent, members of all races won’t have a choice but to learn to coexist. Such blatant racism is a thing of the past. I personally don’t care about your weakness, and I don’t believe in that ancient legend. Also, I’m too old to hate someone just because they’re different.”
“What are you talking about?” Shacks asked, interested.
“The weakness or the legend?”
“Both.”
“You really are from a different world... Your race is weak because, unlike the rest, you have a poor connection with the world’s energy flow. If I remember correctly, out of a thousand humans, only one can learn to control their ki and then master the Breath of Power, which means that not all humans can cultivate. But it’s different with other races. All of us can control our ki. That is, every dwarf, elf, sylph, giant or dorgan can set foot on the path of cultivation. Of course, not all of us have the talent to rise even above the Internal Organs Endurance level.” Ghim explained. “As for the legend, I’m far from the best storyteller, and we don’t have time for that,” he said and pointed to the well-guarded armory as if to explain why they were short on time.
Inside, they met other members of the squad, who were just finishing getting ready.
“Choose what suits you,” Ghim said. “I’ll be back soon.”
Kai took a pair of straight blades and standard armor. Shacks chose daggers instead of swords, and a bow as his main weapon. Malvur, oddly enough, chose a glaive.
Having gotten ready, they set off for the Abyss.
***
It was raining heavily. Dark clouds covered the sky. The people had long been hiding in the barracks, so there were only guards on the street. A small figure in a dark cloak stood out. It stood in the street, not even trying to find shelter from the rain.
Limping on its right leg, the figure slowly made its way to a wide, three-story building belonging to Kalia, the overseer in charge of the first two wells.
The figure, whose face was hidden under the hood, was soon noticed by a pair of guards standing at the entrance to the building. However, they were in no hurry to chase the stranger away, since they were an initial-level Elementalist.
“Stop! Identify yourself!” they ordered when the figure got too close.
As if not hearing their demands, the Elementalist took a few more steps and stopped right in front of the guard. With their left hand, they lifted the hood slightly, allowing the guards to see their face.
The guard staggered back, but quickly pulled himself together.
Under the cloak was an elf. Half of his face was covered with a terrible burn, and the other looked as if the man had been reanimated after a close encounter with death. The once-youthful skin was now full of wrinkles and age spots.
On top of that, he was missing his right hand.
“I need to see Kalia,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Lord Zirx, but she’s away. Lord Alex is in charge of everything during her absence,” the guard replied.
“Then take me to him,” Zirx hissed.
The guards looked at each other.
“Follow me, sir,” he said and led Zirx to the door of the overseer’s office. Knocking, he announced their presence. “Lord Alex, you have a visit—”
But before the guard could finish, Zirx burst into the office, without waiting for permission.
“Long time no see, brother.” Alex grinned. Such outbursts weren’t uncommon for Zirx.
“I want those three back,” Zirx demanded immediately.
“Who are you talking about?” Alex asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Don’t play coy with me! I know that the humans and the giant are here. I want them back.”
“And why should I return them to you?”
“Because I’m their overseer! And I’m in charge here!”
“Here...” Alex swirled his finger in the air, pointing to the office around him, “you’re nobody, brother. And you can’t demand anything from me. The time when you could boss me around is over...”
“Shut up!” Zirx interrupted him. “I order you to return them! Or else...”
“Or else what?” Alex asked with a cold smile, putting the pressure of his aura on Zirx, reminding him of the difference in their strength.
“We aren’t at home anymore, where you could do whatever you wanted. I’ve already surpassed you, brother. Now you’re nothing more than an embarrassment. I’m grateful that neither father nor mother know how pathetic you’ve become. All your life you’ve relied only on your talent for energy control, without putting a single drop of effort into bettering yourself. You’ve never invested in your development. And I... I tried to do my best. I almost worked myself to death, trying to catch up with you. And now, here we are. Ironic, isn’t it?” He sighed. “Becoming an Elementalist pretty early and getting the prestigious position of an overseer made you so proud… But what did you do with it? Your sector... How many people have you hired for your Abyss? Do you have an assistant? A secretary? Who keeps your records?”
“The sixth well… is unstable…” Zirx hissed, caving under the pressure of Alex’s aura.
“I can’t argue with that. There’s less Emerald Water, and the well is activated less often than the first two. But don’t use that as an excuse. After all, the fourth one is the same. But it still brings more profit, since people there don’t die as much. How many Resilient ones have you hired to try and achieve better results? And don’t say we’re taking everyone for ourselves. First, we buy them. And second, almost a third of our group aren’t slaves. Kalia has hired many cultivators across the continent to look for Resilient ones and offer them jobs. Well paid jobs. And what are you doing? You spend the money only on yourself. And I’d understand if you spent it on work, but... Brothels, gambling, food, and drugs... Are those your life goals?” Alex stood up. “You’re pathetic, brother. You disgust me. Now, get out of here. And if you have any complaints, you can make an appointment with Lady Kalia or even with the lord himself. You enjoyed spending time with him, didn’t you?” He chuckled, looking at Zirx’s burn and his missing arm. “In my eyes, you’re no longer a cultivator. You’ve abandoned this path forever, and you’ll never return!”
Zirx’s eyes widened with anger and rage, but he couldn’t do anything.
“Get out of here!” Grabbing Zirx by the neck with one hand, Alex threw him out into the street through the open window, fixed his clothes, and returned to the table and continued to work as if nothing had happened.
