They all sat under a wooden house which was surprisingly still holding itself up. They ate stew from clay bowls, and Asura was scarfing his brown ferociously.
Klade watched Asura, thinking, 'If only you could talk again, buddy. I've been through so much since they split us up. And here you are, can't even talk, and not even full power like I had you. I get it then. You must've had your stats reset like I have. Before, when I first got you, you couldn't talk until I began to level up your intelligence. Man, we were so badass. You watched me get stronger and stronger, solo'ing bosses left to right. How we used to steal boss kills from other players in Shadow Lance. Good times. Good times. All those hours we put in. Sucks seeing you like this. The question is, why did our stats reset? Why are we back to square one? Before, I didn't feel this much pressure because it was just a game. If I couldn't beat a boss or a demigod or something, I can just clear my head, live my life in the real world, and come back. But this is different. I'm weak now, but I'm getting a little stronger. As far as taming you, I'd have to find something similar or create a collar to tame you, something that was the same as what Elma gave me. Which is discarded upon usage, which makes sense. The devs didn't want people just taming everything, that artifact was broken. Anyway, I'll find a way to help you again. Oh, and this girl eating in front of us, she looks better than most girls I've seen in my entire life, even though she tried to slit my throat. You would laugh at me, Asura. It's childish to say I have some sort of crush based on how she looks, but I can tell there's something going on with her. Something dark maybe I don't even know. She's way out of my league though. But she'll probably want me if I was overpowered like before. Ha..that's something you would say. But on a serious note, the royal family…they've taken the power and essence from the gods we killed in the old world, and now harness it, and they used Elma's Ember Tree to sustain immortality. Now they're trying to put the finishing touches of an embryo to a future child king to rule over this world. I'm not strong enough to stop them yet, but I will be. I wonder what type of embryo they're searching for in this world. And there's others like me out there also, those trying to fight off against the royal family. The royal family are like the main bosses now. And there are demigods here too, against them, but against us also, manipulating the circumstances of other beings to combat the royal family. It's sickening, dumb idiots.'
"Kid?" Halgrim said.
Klade looked up, "What's up?"
"You seem lost over there. Deep thoughts or something?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Seven just looked at Klade. Klade looked at her, but Seven looked away.
Halgrim asked Klade, "So what's your story, kid? How exactly did you escape Carnage? Tell us the start of everything."
Seven thought, 'Impossible…he escaped Carnage..? He looks weak. He couldn't have without help..'
Klade continued to answer Halgrim's question, "Um…my story, huh?"
'Should I tell him what I know from before this? How I believed this was all a VRMMORPG video game. They won't believe me, they'll think I'm crazy. I know Seven doesn't believe I escaped Carnage just by the look on her face. What should I say? I think I got something.'
Klade sighed, "Me and a couple hundred others from my realm invaded this world on our own, we heard the royal family had been wandering around causing havoc, and if the future child of the family gets the embryo they're looking for, then he'll control all the realms and this world altogether. We're just here to stop it."
Halgrim nodded, "Cool, cool. What realm?"
"Earth…? Yeah, I'm from Earth. A modern realm of bullshit and craziness."
Seven said nothing, she just had her arms folded, looking away.
'This boy, he's suspicious. I don't trust him.'
Halgrim bumped Seven a little, "Can you believe it? He's from another realm!"
"I heard him. I have ears."
"Get this, he's 18 JUST LIKE YOU."
"Am I supposed to care?"
Klade thought, 'My story is somewhat believable I guess. I just don't want them thinking I'm crazy.'
Seven asked Klade, "You. How exactly did you survive? Those who go to Carnage have to be dead. And leaving is something else."
Klade smirked, "Don't trust me?"
"No."
"The Ember Tree of Elma. A demigod from the old world who blessed warriors and others with a second chance of life at this game—world. Once someone dies, the blessing raises them again."
'I almost slipped up saying game. But the blessing is true. Those who died in the game at a demigod boss location, get to revive at that same location and the exact same spot with extra health and enhanced attributes. But without the blessing, players have to revive back at the start of the sequence which is like the beginning of the quest. Most players used theres at the final boss. I didn't even need to use it because I was so overpowered.'
Klade continued, "An old woman named Glefnir, mother of Rathgor, she's in control of the afterlife called Carnage. Her husband fought her and died bravely, I tried to fight, but I knew I would lose. That's how I came up with all of these wounds and scars, and blood. Her Serpent she tamed goes out into this world and picks up dead bodies for Carnage. Just to sustain the now corrupt Ember Tree, which is used to sustain the Rathgor family's immortality which the more bodies it's fed."
Halgrim said, "So how did you get out?"
"Oh right I didn't explain it. So basically I kinda let myself get eaten by the Serpent, waited awhile, and then used my ability to forge the Serpent's heart into this clothing armor I have on now. It kept me from dying, that's for sure. After all I went through…it's crazy."
"Damn you're a war hero. But hold on..if the Serpent is dead, doesn't that mean the immortality for the Rathgor family will kinda just go down?"
"The Serpent is just one of the conduits for the Ember Tree. The beings and people killed by the Rathgor family members who are now literal gods are automatically sent to Carnage. And in any case, I think no matter how you die, you end up there."
"You know a lot. That's good."
Asura sniffed Klade's food, and tried to chomp it.
"Bark!" Asura lunged for it.
Klade grabbed Asura by the face, and threw him far away, and Klade growled, "YOU KNOW BETTER, DAMMIT!"
Halgrim laughed, "HAHAHA! You're a real piece of work, aren't you? There's something else I wanna say."
"Hm?"
"There's another reason why we want to get rid of the brutalists altogether."
"What is it?"
"They're blocking the bridge to the Sanctuary. A place where the 5 Hero Lances are held. Hero Lances Is just a name people gave them by the way."
"Why?"
"They killed a Rothgar royal family member."
Klade gasped, "Really…? How?! But they're immortal…"
"No one knows. But my wife, Seven's mother, was a part of that fight. But she vanished after they won. The 5 Hero Lances were a group of buddies or something who fought together since they were teenagers. And then the royal family arrived and caused havoc. One night, my wife left with them to fight as me and Seven were asleep, and she never came back. But a letter was left at our door and told us what I had told you."
Klade thought, 'That's probably why Seven is like that. Maybe if she found her mother again, she would be happy.'
Klade gulped, "If there's any way I can help, I'll do it."
Halgrim chuckled, "Haha. You're a loyal brat aren't ya? Are you trying to impress Seven?"
Seven scoffed, "Shut up, dad."
Halgrim continued to say to Klade, "We believe my beloved is there with them. But the brutalist blockade is keeping her away, or she doesn't want to get their attention because of the demigod there, which could lead to us getting massacred. So she's probably staying there for our safety. But aren't you scared, Klade?"
"Nope. I just need to be a little stronger. I'm not good at a lot of things, I failed at a long of things. Hell, since I've got here, I've made mistakes and realized I'm a damn failure. But I won't let that keep me from killing those who fuck with me. I'm not a wimp in this world. I have my own issues and mental development to go through, and until I'm fully fixed, I'm gonna get back to being overpowered like I was before. And help Asura as well. And along the journey I guess I can help you guys."
Seven said nothing, she just thought, 'A weakling boy actually accepting he's a failure to everyone? That's new. Still don't trust him.'
Halgrim stood up, stretching, smiling, and drinking, "AGHHH! Okay. I got some recon to do. Super secret ninja stuff. Seven…"
Halgrim pulled at Seven's arm. His voice slurred slightly under the weight of intoxication as he repeated his request, "Take Klade to Arak'Sul, the dungeon in the shadows of Mount Gormaith."
Seven's face twisted with reluctance. Shaking her head, she scanned Klade's bewildered expression and sighed deeply, relenting only after her father's persistent, almost childlike begging.
Seven said, "I don't wanna."
Halgrim pleaded, "Pleaseee."
At that moment, as Halgrim kept begging, Asura was on Klade's shoulder.
Klade looked up at Asura, saying, "Asura…?"
Asura just looked at him, growling. Klade quickly looked away, "Huh? Who the hell are you growling at? I'll cook and eat you."
"Bark!"
"Don't back-talk me!"
"Bark! Bark!" Asura growled.
Halgrim pleaded to Seven, "Please escort him there. With him, we'll be able to get through those damn brutalists."
"….He's weak."
"That boy is definitely not weak. He may seem weak, but how do you think he was able to come out of Carnage with all of those wounds? He can get stronger. Let him grab whatever he needs in the dungeon."
"Then what happens after?"
"Go to the forge. A blacksmith giant in the mountains. Once a former Hero Lance member, I was told he ran off to forge by himself to cope after your mother disappeared. He thinks she's dead. The Sanctuary begged me to find him if we could. He also has a medallion to get into the Sanctuary."
"Fine. Whatever."
As dusk crept upon the fractured lands of Völundrheim, Seven's hands wove through the air, her fingers tracing incantations that birthed shimmers of blue and gray until, from the murmurs of the earth, a spectral horse emerged. The creature, magnificent and eerie, materialized fully—an equine form pulsating with ghostly energy. Klade and Seven mounted the spectral steed, the fabric of their heavy cloaks fluttering against the evening breeze. With a whispered command, they were airborne, the ground receding rapidly beneath them.
Halgrim waved, "Bye byeee! Be safe kids! And if you plan to get married while you're away, bring back kids too—!"
Seven yelled, "Shut up!"
"HAHAHA!"
Asura growled at Klade, and Klade said, "I'll be back for you, Asura. I'll fix you!"
Seven then said to Halgrim, "Be safe by yourself and don't drink yourself to death. Please."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
As they ascended and took off, Halgrim stared at them, looking at his mead.
"Yeah. This is how I cope. Want some, boy?"
He tried to offer some to Asura, but Asura smacked it away with his paw.
"That's expensive stuff! Expensive as in hard to find. Better hope that Klade kid brings back more if he finds any. That's if he comes back alive. He probably won't, but I'd be surprised if he does."
Klade and Seven's flight took them over Lazariax Plains, where the winds howled mournfully over expanses blanketed in frost even amidst summer—a testament to the world's unraveling seams. The skies above shifted through a palette of mourning purples and sickly greens as they passed under them. Titan-like beings, the Groaning Soothsayers, wandered these plains, their immense forms half-shrouded in the freezing mist, their groans foretelling doom in forgotten languages.
Klade held onto Seven, and Seven's cheeks got red, but she said, "Let go of me."
Klade replied, "I'll fall."
"So?"
"That's bad."
"No it's not. It's nature. By the way, you'll be clearing this dungeon on your own. I'm not getting involved no matter what."
"That's fine. I work better alone, I always have."
Seven thought, 'For a weakling, he's too confident in himself. It's disgusting.'
Seven asked Klade, "My advice for you is to just run away as far as you can. Can you do that?"
"What do you mean?"
"This is way out of your league. You'll end up missing or dead. It happens all the time. Seen it too many times."
"I can't do that…I got too many things I have to do. And one of them is helping you and your father find your mother, I made a promise. In exchange for you helping me."
"Tch. Think this is gonna make me warm up to you? Don't bother."
"I don't care if it does, nor do I give a shit. I'm gonna do what I need to do. I'm gonna get overpowered like I was before, kill all the demigods and the royal family that's in my way or anyone else in my way, and I'll be good. But I'm here to help. If you're in danger, I'll
Help you too."
"You? Help me? You're joking."
"I suck at making jokes." Klade said seriously.
"…Whatever. Stay silent the whole ride."
Seven thought, 'No way he's different from all the other men in this world..right? Reading his spirit and emotions..he's serious about what he's saying. The only people that's been serious about helping me before were mom and dad, no one else. Could this boy actually be different? What am I thinking? Why am I even thinking about him this much? I just met him. He's bombarding my brain with his presence.'
Swooping lower, they skirted the edges of the Vermilious River, notorious for its blood-red waters that whispered of slain gods and shattered mythos. The banks were littered with the petrified remnants of creatures unknown, turned stone in eternal poses of despair, their agony preserved by the river's curse.
Solemn-faced individuals in dark, water-resistant garb casting wide nets into the red waters. They are fishing for Bloodscale Carp, creatures adapted to the river's unique ecosystem, invaluable for their healing properties. Monks in faded red robes moving solemnly along the banks, erecting small shrines or cairns where battles once raged, honoring the fallen with quiet chants and smoldering incense. Artists capturing the sorrow of the Vermilious on canvas, their palettes a haunting mix of crimson and black, attempting to depict the river's mourning and the petrified faunal sculptures on its banks.
The spectral horse galloped mid-air through the rusted Gates of Teranth, its once golden arches now tarnished with the patina of decay. Beneath this archway, the remnants of battles lost and won shimmered on the cracked earth—weapons half-buried, gleaming faintly under the deceivingly tranquil blanket of twilight.
Klade looked down at them, thinking, 'This world is beautifully horrific in its own way. This appears to be years of destruction. And for this realm to be here long, why did Asura call it the new world?'
As they entered the floating Canyons of Sylvox, the world seemed to invert. Cliffs and rock formations levitated, disconnected from the ground, creating a labyrinth of stone suspended in the atmosphere. Within these rocky islands, a multitude of Lances with magic and magic weapons clashed with a being high in the sky, wearing a white robe with gold runes, and he had glowing white hair, it was a Rothgar family member; the the Lances armor glinted inconsistently as the multicolored skies cast eerie lights over the battlefield.
"Keep him on the offensive!"
"Got it!!"
"He's too damn fast!"
The Rothgar family member said, "Weak."
Klade saw them, thinking more, 'Those have to be the Lances Halgrim told me about, warriors like me fighting against the evil demigods and the royal family of Rathgor. And that man…he's definitely a royal family member. Even if I wanted to, I can't attack. It would be suicide and dumb. No matter how much I hate them.'
Through this chaos, Seven guided their mount deftly, her eyes set with a sharp glint of determination. Klade couldn't help but notice the lines of concentration etching her face, a stark contrast to the nonchalant demeanor she projected at ground level. The sky darkened further as they approached the Eclipsed Forests near Dhorum's Veil, a region known for its continuous cover of shadowy mist and the haunting echo of creatures hidden beneath the twisted boughs.
Klade noticed Shadowy figures with eyes adapted to minimal light, scouting for rare luminescent fungi, a gourmet delicacy with potent hallucinogenic effects. Stealthy trackers in mottled cloaks that blur with the forest shadows, communicating through subtle gestures as they patrol the region, guarding against the malevolent creatures lurking in the underbrush. Mystics adorned with veils of woven dark mist, conducting séances to contact the ethereal entities believed to guard over the forest, their bodies slowly swirling with the vaporous energies drawn from the surroundings.
On the other side here, humans in dark orange robes, known as the Ashen Monks, chanted low, resounding tones that vibrated through the air, their bodies marked with glowing gold runes that symbolized their sacred vows to heal the fractured world.
"Please….make this world anew…" One prayed in formation.
"Please…"
Breaking through the veil, the landscape opened into the Searing Expanse—a vast desert with sands of deep crimson and skies perpetually torn by lightning. Thunder reverberated around them, a constant soundtrack to the relentless wind that whipped across the barren land. Artists etching elaborate, transient artworks into the crimson sands, their figures wrapped in bright, reflective fabrics to shield against the sun's fierce glare. Daring youth using specially crafted boards to glide over the heated dunes, their protective gear shimmering with heat-resistant runes that flicker in the relentless sunlight. Scientists in high-grade thermal suits installing sensors to study the intense solar activities and their effects on Völundrheim's climate, often accompanied by automatons designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
Klade thought, 'Automatons are here too…? Halgrim was right, this world really is endless. In the last game they only had a few automatons. But it's mainly a medieval setting. Such as this..'
Eerily beautiful, the Celadon Pits soon yawned below, glowing with an unnatural light. Geysers of spectral flame burst upwards, illuminating the faces of wandering souls, lost to these pits by broken promises and shattered dreams.
As they neared Mount Gormaith, the terrain grew harsh and unwelcoming. Jagged rocks jutted out like the jaws of a colossal beast, the cave mouth of Arak'Sul looming ahead, its darkness daunting even to the heartiest of souls. Here, the mountain's base was littered with the remnants of clashes, bones entwined with rusted metal—the arms of fallen warriors reaching out from the grave.
"We're here." Seven said.
Descending into the mouth of the dungeon, Seven's spectral horse dissipated into the cold mountain air, leaving them standing at the threshold of shadows. Around the entrance, a group of Lances huddled, their armor battered and stained with the marks of recent skirmish, the air heavy with their solemn oaths.
Klade stepped forward, the presence of the Lances a stern reminder of the dangers that lay within the depths of Arak'Sul. Seven stood silent beside him, her demeanor now more that of a guardian than a reluctant guide, her earlier ire forgotten in the face of looming darkness and unknown threats.
Together, under the watch of gray, storm-heavy skies, with lightning splitting the heavens, they prepared to delve into the abyss of Arak'Sul, where horrors awaited—horrors as apocalyptic as they were mesmerizing in this shattered, haunted world of Völundrheim.
Klade said to Seven, "They didn't clear the dungeon yet did they?"
Seven responded, "They better not have."
Seven grabbed Klade by the hand, and she led him through the group of Lances, and Klade's face blushed tremendously.
'I'm holding a girl's hand…?!'
The Lances said:
"Hey!"
"There's a hot girl cutting us…"
"No cutting bitc—."
Seven punched the Lance in the face, making him bash into the wall, getting gasps from the other Lanced.
Seven led Klade to the front, a wall of red flames blocking the entrance.
Klade thought, 'They had this in the old game, a red flame wall blocking the entrance to all dungeons. The only way it can be opened is by literally breaking it. The barriers are out there by the beings inside to keep anyone from coming in. That was the original lore.'
Seven said, "We have to break it."
Klade replied, "Well obviously."
"Shut up. Don't act like you know."
"I know a lot."
'She's still holding my hand..I'm gonna go crazy.'
Behind them, the entire group of Lances approached her, whirring up their magic and weapons. One particular Lance came walking through the crowd with a smile, saying, "Perhaps…we can work something out. If not, no one's leaving alive."