The general’s office was as impressive as you would assu. The floor was covered in plush carpeting that made feel ashad of my bare feet, all the furniture was made of richly colored wood of superb quality, and the shelving was filled to the brim with the man’s most prized trophies.
I couldn’t even look at most of those. Their effect was even more overwhelming than the displays in the hallway. I tried to sneak a glance at so kind of sword, but looked away quickly when my head rang with a sudden dizzy spell.
Of the few items I could look at without keeling over, the most notable was a massive, jagged crystal, featured prominently on the general’s desk. My stomach twisted. This was a huge soul crystal, bearing closer resemblance to a Christmas tree than to the orbs I was familiar with. Countless souls were trapped within it, though one face was larger than the rest, taking up the whole center of the crystal: a single soul, caught in a mont of eternal agony.
Glaustro and Graighast both jerked away from the crystal as if it would bite them, and the general smiled like a shark.
"I see you recognize the latest addition to my collection. The corrupted soul of one Reliana Tingent." He spread his arms, as if showing off a precious gem. "In all its twisted glory. Quite the unique item, I must say."
"Ah, congratulations," Graighast ventured.
His smile was strained, but the general didn’t seem to care whether the words were genuine. He simply waved his hand in a leisurely fashion, and a stunning amount of mana erupted from his skin. It all clumped together into the rough shape of five chairs. Then the whole world shimred, like a mirage, and the mana constructs were replaced by very real, very physical, undeniably comfy-looking padded chairs.
"Sit," was the extent of his order, but we all rushed to obey.
"Now, Glaustro." The general leveled his gaze at my commander. "You were cited as the primary petitioner. Explain what you want from , that you would insist on such a eting."
Naturally, Glaustro complied. I was impressed at how thoroughly the demon had morized my account of events, down to the last detail.
The general did not stop him, not even once. He asked no clarifying questions. The terrifying demon simply sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face, like he was enjoying the story.
At long last, when Glaustro wrapped up the tale, the general nodded. "I see why you ca to . rcutio is not much of an issue, obviously, the boy is hardly competent, but lchom is. Even so… tell , why should I act against one of my own aides? One who now heads an entire division?"
He sounded more amused than anything, so I didn’t imdiately lose all hope. Glaustro, however, looked distinctly uncomfortable at still being the center of attention.
"Sir, rcutio has gone too far this ti. He lay claim to tested and promising recruits, and reduced their numbers to shambles. Our losses are extre. Furthermore, he personally tried to assassinate a holder of two separate higher level rits."
"Allegedly. He allegedly tried to assassinate him. And rits or not, we are still talking about a recruit." Despite his protests, the general still seed to be in a good mood. In fact, dare I say it, he looked like he was toying with Glaustro.
anwhile, my commander was looking paler than I had ever seen him, but he forged ahead. "We do these recruitnt drives to find people with potential. Individuals who could truly assist us with rising higher in the ranks of the Abyss. So of those recruits had that potential. rcutio does not."
Suddenly, the general burst out laughing. When the sound petered off, he swept his eyes over all of us. "True. It is unlikely that rcutio will ever amount to anything. However, all he does, he does on his father’s orders. And I am telling you now: I will not punish lchom."
Equal parts disappointnt and anger swept through . I couldn’t even bring myself to care that the demons around could feel all of it. I always knew the idea of revenge against rcutio was a long shot, but still… To do everything I did, to struggle so hard, only for an entitled idiot to swoop in, wreck everything, and walk out unpunished? It felt, well, like a betrayal.
To my surprise, the general laughed again.
"Oh, look at you all. Yes, I said I would not punish them. I never said I will do nothing."
The general’s eyes fixed on mine with unearthly intensity, his voice inarguably final. "They will not try to touch you again, recruit. You have my word on this. Likewise, logistics will never be allowed to ddle with soldiers again."
It wasn’t much. It wasn’t nearly enough. Still, Glaustro had gotten exactly what he promised out of the eting: safety.
"Thank you, sir," my commander said quietly, and with genuine feeling. He looked so relieved, I realized I must have underestimated the danger I was in.
"Think nothing of it. I do, after all, regret what has happened. It should not have co to this. The loss of such a promising mutated recruit troubles greatly too. I did not even get a report on that rising star, before or after his death."
The general went silent as he mulled over this. I hoped it ant rcutio and his father would get into so trouble after all.
The silence beca uncomfortable as it stretched on and on. But when it was broken by the general’s attention falling on again, I realized I preferred the unsettling quiet.
"Do you have any questions for , recruit, about this incident or its resolution?"
I wet my lips, heart racing. The offer was extrely generous. He was basically a ruler of the legion, and I was a lowly recruit. The wise choice would be to thank him and then keep my mouth shut.
Still, there was sothing I desperately needed to know.
"Why? Why did they do all this? And why not just kill outright?"
The general scoffed, eyes distant for a mont. "A simple answer? Reputation. Your existence is… inconvenient, but so is killing you openly, as it would invite far too much scrutiny. Unfortunately, I am not one to gossip about my subordinates."
I slumped a little in my mana-chair. I didn’t expect much, but I had gotten even less than I hoped.
Then a vicious smile blood on the general’s face.
"Instead, why don’t I share an inspiring story with you instead? You see, lchom has set himself up as a shining example, an ideal ascended demon, with an exemplary rise to power. After all, it is not every day that soone joins the legion by offering up an entire world to the Duke of Tornt."
The general gauged our reactions, apparently pleased by the shock he observed.
"You see, lchom’s family was a renowned household of mages. They had a peculiar tendency to birth twins. Every ti, one twin would be raised in the art of magical warfare, while the other would be raised in the art of summoning, binding, and wielding familiars. The forr sharpened themselves as blades, and the latter ruled the family."
I hung onto his every word, leaning closer for fear of missing sothing. A part of that was definitely all Hayden craved this knowledge with an intensity that bordered on the unholy.
"When lchom took over as head of the family alongside his twin brother, he delved deep into the summoning arts, deep enough to eventually summon a demon and bind them to his service. He forced as much knowledge as he could from his new familiar, and his hunger for more only grew.
"Slowly, he hatched his plan. A plan that would trade an entire world for the ascension of his family. However, rumor has it that lchom’s brother objected to this sche. For these objections, the brother’s entire branch of the family was… purged. Still, I have it on good authority that lchom was never one to waste resources."
The story didn’t co with details. I couldn’t even determine exactly where I would fit into the whole thing. Yet, I did fit. That, I was sure of. I could no longer deny that I was related to this monster.
A monster who apparently sacrificed his entire world and a good chunk of his family in order to rise to power.
"Setting this grim topic aside, we have sothing more important to discuss," the general declared, his eyes never once leaving . "You see, I am determined to right so of the wrongs wrought by rcutio. And, as the primary victim of his hostility, you are also the main recipient of my benevolence. This armor you lost. Show it to ."
Sohow, I managed to stand. I was still holding the crate in which the armor was returned to , so I rather dumbly presented the whole thing to the demon. Looking amused again, he picked up the ruined chest armor and held it almost gently.
"This symbol… Amahis Armory? Tibath did sign up for this invasion, but I am surprised you t her, let alone that you could afford her work. Then again, this isn’t her work, is it? Wrong mark."
My curiosity got the best of . "You know the armory, sir? And it’s not Tibath’s work. Her daughter, Yules, made the armor."
The demon sent a sardonic smile. "You could say we are familiar, yes. Did you note the mark? The hamr and needle are symbolic of Amahis Armory, but the number denotes the generation. Tibath’s own mark bears the number four. Hmm…" He hefted the plate and leather in his hands as if weighing it. "It is not particularly noteworthy on its own, yet as the work of a future master armorer, its value is considerable. I can see why you would react badly to losing sothing like this."
I wisely kept my mouth shut. Having my ltdown rehashed by Glaustro was embarrassing enough. I didn’t need to explode in front of the general.
Regardless, though, he seed to understand. He returned the armor to the crate with great care. Then he fixed his gaze on once more.
"I am going to, as so are fond of saying, lay our cards on the table. You have three options. First, I can give you enough souls to ascend on the spot, as well as replace your armor and any other material losses you may have suffered. Second, you can opt for a long-term approach. I will provide you with the right materials to aid your growth, so that when you ascend, you can do so as a powerful demon in your own right. Finally… you can take a risk."
The general smiled enchantingly, even as my mind spun at the dizzying offer. I already had mana crystals, true, but if he could speed up my training…
"What sort of risk, sir?" I dared ask, much to the demon’s approval.
"You can complete your preparation to ascend, then decline to do it imdiately. This would provide you with benefits and abilities that no regular mortal could match. Several important opportunities will open up to you. However… I will warn you now that there is a reason most mortals choose to ascend imdiately."
Judging by the harsh intake of breath from the ascendant demons in the room, I could only assu that the risk was considerable. Even so, I was rather upset that no one had explained any of this to before.
Thankfully, the general was determined to remove my ignorance.
"You see, when you completely convert your mana, you bring your mortal self in line with what resembles a demon. Unfortunately, mortal faculties and minds were never ant to process or withstand that kind of existence. The longer you tarry without completing your ascension, the more likely you are to lose yourself entirely. Afterwards, even if you ascend, and it’s far more probable that you would be put down, the newborn demon would be so far removed from who you used to be that they might as well be considered a wholly new person."
I glanced at the brothers and Bronwynn, only to see grim looks on their faces. Not that I needed this confirmation. I wasn’t entirely stupid. I had noticed… issues with my behavior already. What would it be like, to fully sink under the influence of the Abyss?
"And if I succeed?" I asked tentatively.
The general eyed , leaning back into his chair. His answer, at first, made no sense at all.
"Our world is one of the most unique and powerful out there. Other than the Cradle of Reason, perhaps the most unique and powerful. Gods like to brag about their Divine Realm, and mages will forever strive to ascend their worlds above all others, but it is our world that stands at the apex. The few species who can match us have no need for a howorld. They are creatures of mana and of the Void, and as such, are only passing visitors on any plane."
He paused, dramatically, then finally got to the point.
"Success would allow you to bridge the typically observed gap between ascended and Abyss-born demons. You would be stronger, your abilities more potent and far more unique than what your peers might attain upon ascension. Unfortunately, to do this, you will need to prove yourself worthy of the gift."
His voice seeped into my pores like ambient mana. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his, but the jagged soul crystal on his death churned in my periphery, Reliana’s face screaming in silent anguish.
"What do you think the Abyss is?" the general went on. "It is a confluence. The centerpoint of Emotion. Throughout creation, the feelings of all creatures, sentient or not, have echoed and pooled here. We, as children of the Abyss, are creatures of Emotion. Without the ability to shed madness for reason, you would not be worthy of the true gifts of the Abyss."
I felt a spark of defiance ignite in my chest. His language was fancy, but the ssage was simple: most ascendant demons were not worthy.
But how can they be? When no one shares important information, when resources are scarce, and when thods to grow are guarded jealously?
It was easy for Abyss-born demons to proclaim themselves ’superior.’ Their birth gave them every advantage. They didn’t have to fight for it.
It was ti for soone to prove them wrong.
"I want to do it." My voice was quiet, but hardened. "I will do it. I would choose the third option, every ti."
Glaustro choked. Graighast looked grim. Bronwynn seed to be watching my funeral unfold before his very eyes. Only Mia stared at with a boldness that may have rivaled my own.
The general’s smile was victorious.
"I can appreciate ambition. Very well, then." He extracted several sheets of paper from his desk, then quickly started to fill them out. "In that case, I will issue you a grant of one thousand souls right now. I know you are halfway through your ascension already, but they will help. Likewise…"
He paused, briefly, to rummage through his desk. When he found what he was looking for, he made a tiny noise of satisfaction that I found surprisingly mundane coming from the leader of the legion.
"Here we are. A voucher, for three thousand souls, that can be turned in at any armory. Personally, I think you already know where you should go, and your extra souls will easily afford you the passage fee for traveling between layers."
He finished scribbling and pushed one of the papers towards , with a voucher card on top of it. I had to blink several tis to shake off my disbelief. The card looked starkly modern. When I picked it up, it even felt like plastic.
"Ahhh, that," he said, noticing my surprise. "It’s a relatively recent innovation, from one of our newer officers in acquisitions. They are quite useful for quickly handing out rewards. Do not think I forgot about you, either."
This comnt was addressed to Mia, who looked startled as he slid a piece of paper to her, too.
"I did say I want to reimburse everyone affected. You didn’t quite quality for a gift voucher, but your ambition is as clear to as his."
I peeked at the paper. Just like mine, it entitled her to redeem a thousand souls at her convenience, at any bank within the Tornt layer.
Glancing up, I caught Mia’s gaze. Her eyes were shining with determination.
But the general wasn’t quite done yet.
"I will leave you with this parting advice, just so you know what you are getting into. The Abyss is our mother. Our origin. Our cradle. She loves us, and we love her in turn. However... she is a parent. And like all parents, she has aspirations and expectations for her children. What she wants for us is not always what we want for ourselves.
"She is also a jealous mother. She clings to us, even in death, so none other than she may claim us. No matter how you might try to avoid this fate, you will fail. You belong to her. Now, and for all eternity."
His solemn face broke into another smile. "It is not such a bad lot in life, however. She is a better parent than most. At the very least, she will never abuse or abandon you."
Then the general motioned us out of his office. Without a word, we stood and filed out.
I was still numb with disbelief. Whatever my thoughts going into that eting, I had not expected to walk away with rewards. But as I stared at the general’s gifts, I resolved myself to make the most of it all.
I would rise within the Abyss.
No matter what.
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