Anna, Aurora, and Leroy returned to camp just in ti for lunch. My familiar went back inside to take a nap, while the others joined us for a al. Needless to say, it was a tense affair. Cally felt angry and frustrated towards Roxie, Priest Jai and Priestess Natille felt wary around her, and Anna regarded her with outright hostility.
The only one who seed fine with her presence, aside from myself, was Leroy.
Roxie's attitude didn't help. She regarded everyone but as an enemy. Getting everyone to cooperate and eat in peace took a lot of effort on my part. So much so that I didn't get to enjoy lunch at all.
Afterwards, we set up a wooden table and a chair outside. Cally made Roxie sit down, before she placed a map of Mirkvale Forest atop the table. Roxie started marking the map, while the rest of us crowded around.
"The base is located over here," she said, putting a mark on the northeastern most corner of the forest. "Near the Giant's Spine."
I frowned. What a pain. If we had tried to locate the base the old fashioned way, we wouldn't have found it until after we searched almost the entire forest.
"There are also outposts at these locations," Roxie said, adding more marks to the map. "At least, these are the ones I know about. I don't know if there are any others."
I frowned.
"Outposts?" I asked.
Roxie nodded, a serious expression on her face.
"Our—" She paused, catching herself. "The enemy base here is a research facility. The Order of the Infernal Star is experinting on humans and monsters. They're looking to create human/monster hybrids." She gestured to herself. "I'm one of their successes. That's why I can turn into a briar maiden."
I stared at her in horror.
"Why?" I asked.
Roxie raised an eyebrow.
"Why are they conducting these experints?" she asked. "Or why did I agree to participate?"
"Both!"
Roxie frowned in thought.
"From what I heard, most monsters are powerful but unintelligent. Humans can beco powerful, but it requires ti, training, and resources. The Order of the Infernal Star wants to take a shortcut and create an army within a short amount of ti." She gestured to herself. "Before I beca a monster, I was a regular human with no talent for magic or martial arts. That's also why I let them experint on . I needed power for my revenge."
Silence fell over us.
"These outposts," Cally said, breaking the silence. "They exist to capture monsters for these experints?"
Roxie gave her a sideways glance.
"Just answer her," I said, annoyed.
Roxie rolled her eyes, but obeyed.
"Yes," she said. "The chances of success are quite low, so they need a lot of research subjects to make up the difference." She paused in thought. "I think the chances of success are about one in a thousand."
Everyone's expression hardened when they understood the implications of her words.
"How vile," Priest Jai said, glaring down at the map. "The sooner we exterminate these degenerates, the better."
"Why would you join such people?" Priestess Natille asked, glaring at Roxie.
Roxie gave her a mocking look in return.
"Do you know what it's like to be powerless?" she asked. "To be filled with such hate and anger, but be unable to do anything about it?"
Priestess Natille's expression faltered.
"That's what I thought," Roxie said. "So you are in no position to judge ."
Anna scoffed.
"Are you telling that the Order of the Infernal Star is filled with wronged souls seeking justice?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.
Roxie looked at her as if she were crazy.
"Of course not," she said. "Most are insane, demon worshiping bastards who want to bring about the end of the world. Others just want to kill with abandon. People like are a small minority, and we're no saints either."
"That much was obvious."
Roxie pointed a finger at Anna.
"Hey, at least I didn't kill any innocents. Everyone who died by my hands deserved it."
"No, you just joined a cult that kidnaps people and uses them in horrific experints."
Roxie looked away with a guilty expression on her face.
"I didn't know how bad it was until after I beca a fiend," she said in a pained voice. "By that point, I was in too deep. So I numbed myself to it all and tried not to beco too much of a monster." She glanced at , her eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions. "If it weren't for Lord Gabriel, I would've never had the chance to break free and redeem myself."
I frowned.
"How many people like you are there in the Order of the Infernal Star?" I asked. "People who didn't know what kind of organization it was until it was too late?"
My companions all looked at in exasperation.
"Gabriel," Anna said, a warning in her tone.
"Tell you aren't thinking what I think you are," Cally said.
Leroy frowned at , making his feelings clear.
Even Priest Jai and Priestess Natille joined in.
"There is such a thing as too much forgiveness, Lord Gabriel," Priestess Natille said.
"The wicked must be punished for their sins," Priest Jai said.
I held my hands up in a placating gesture.
"I'm not saying we have to go out of our way," I said. "However, if the opportunity presents itself, why not try?"
Roxie frowned.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
Cally sighed.
"Gabriel wants to see if he can save others the sa way he saved you," she said. "Like a goddamn bleeding heart."
Roxie shook her head.
"In that case, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, Lord Gabriel," she said. "Many of the lower ranking mbers get tricked into joining. However, once they gain a taste for power… Well, they embrace it and never look back. People like , who manage to hold onto a sliver of humanity even after becoming a fiend, are rare."
Anna raised an eyebrow at her.
"In that case, how did you end up reaching a higher rank?" she asked. "It's clear that you know more than the average mber."
"I was a successful experint," Roxie said. "That, and my hatred for House scions made easier to control." She shrugged. "I didn't care. As long as I got my revenge, they could use however they wanted. Even then, they didn't fully trust ."
"Is that why they put a seal on your soul?" I asked.
"Sort of," Roxie said. "Everyone above the lowest rank receives one. The seal kept us in line, and also ensured that we wouldn't betray the Order of the Infernal Star." She snorted. "Trying to remove it should've resulted in my death. However, it appears that they hadn't accounted for Lord Gabriel."
My companions looked at with varying expressions on their faces.
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"I can't take all the credit," I said. "The Wandering Witch helped . Without her guidance, I wouldn't have been able to remove the seal with such ease."
My companions, except for Anna, looked at in shock.
"She talked to you?" Cally asked. "From this distance? How?!"
Oh, right. I never told my companions that I accepted Nox as my teacher, and ford a bond with her.
"I'll explain later," I said. "Right now, we have other things to worry about."
My companions regarded with suspicions, Cally in particular.
"Who is the Wandering Witch?" Roxie asked.
"Soone you don't want to get involved with," I said. "Anyway, let's get back to the matter at hand."
I tapped the map.
"Should we attack these outposts, or should we assault the base right away?" I asked. "The more of the enemy we kill, the better. However, if we attack the outposts, that will alert the base that we're on to them."
"Not quite," Roxie said. "The outposts also serve as the main base's eyes and ears. You take them out, you'll blind and deafen them. They'll still figure out that soone is attacking them, but it will take a while."
I looked at the others to gauge their thoughts.
"It's not a bad idea," Cally said. "Besides, it's been a while since we've had a proper battle."
"What about the ambush?" I asked.
Cally snorted.
"That barely counted as a warm-up," she said.
Roxie looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"We should also hire adventurers to help us," Anna said. "That way, we can destroy more outposts within a short amount of ti."
I sighed. I couldn't wait for Kaya to finish sorting everything out with the Church of the Sun, including the personnel they sent our way. That way, we wouldn't have to keep relying on others. Instead, we could use our own people.
"What if there are more enemies pretending to be adventurers?" I asked.
Roxie shook her head.
"There aren't," she said. "At least, as far as I know. I brought them all with when I set up the ambush for you people."
It felt surreal to have a forr enemy, one that tried to kill us a re few days ago, on our side now. The world was truly a strange place.
"Speaking of which," I said. "Where are the other three we captured? I don't see them around."
"We executed them," Cally said in a blunt tone.
"I thought that maybe they could be redeed, like Roxie here," Priestess Natille said in a sorrowful tone. "However, their sins were too grave. It was better to end their lives and send them to the gods."
I sighed. While it was childish and idealistic, a part of had hoped they could be redeed like Roxie. Alas, it was not to be.
"So," I said, moving the conversation along. "We have our next step. Destroy the outposts, before assaulting the enemy base. We'll hire adventurers to make up the numbers."
I also wished that there was so way I could contact Mother. Destroying the outposts would go much faster with her help. Too bad cellphones weren't a thing here on Lumina.
Then again, if we made enough noise, she would find us on her own.
"We'll head back to Mirktown first," I said. "That way we can use the personal transport to just fly to the outposts. There's no more need for us to trek through the forest anymore."
Most of my companions looked relieved by this. Anna, on the other hand, seed disappointed.
"Any objections?" I asked. "Suggestions? Concerns?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Alright then. Get so rest. We leave at first light tomorrow."
With that, everyone split up to do their own thing. I wanted to head out to find the tree house, and see if it actually existed or not. However, before I could, Anna pulled aside.
"Co with ," she said. "There's a place I want to visit with you."
I studied her for a mont. Given our location, I had an idea of where she wanted to go.
"Very well," I said. "Let's inform the others before we leave."
Anna nodded.
With that, we told the others of our plan before heading out.
After leaving the campsite, our destination beca obvious, confirming my suspicions. Anna was indeed heading towards the tree house. Thanks to her ability to navigate through Mirkvale Forest with ease, we encountered little trouble on our way there. While we passed by several monsters, they either never noticed us or left us alone regardless.
Neither of us said anything during the entire journey. We traveled through the gloomy forest in silence. It felt right in a way that I couldn't quite articulate. This went beyond deja vu. It was as if we had done this so many tis before, it had beco etched into my bones.
No.
My soul.
A part of started to suspect what was going on. However, I kept it to myself for now. I wanted to see the tree house first.
It took us several hours to get there. By the ti we arrived, it was mid to late afternoon. I knew this because Mirkvale Forest grew a little darker. When night fell, it would be pitch black outside.
Despite this, neither Anna nor I panicked. I didn't know about her, but it felt as if I could navigate through Mirkvale Forest even in complete darkness.
Soon, we arrived at a tree that I was intimately familiar with, but had never seen before. It was a strange sensation, as if two tilines were overlapping.
Or two lifetis.
I felt a thread of tension between and Anna when we arrived at the tree, one filled with anticipation and anxiety.
What if the tree house wasn't there? What if it never existed? In that case, what was going on? Was I going crazy?
Given everything I endured, including multiple deaths, that wouldn't be out of the question.
I shook my head free of these useless thoughts and looked up at the tree's branches. Unfortunately, by this point, it was too dark for to see much. A layer of gloom shrouded the tree's upper branches, obscuring my vision.
Anna looked at with a complex mix of emotions in her eyes.
"Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"
I took a mont before answering.
"I think we need to climb up to see if it's still there," I said.
Anna's lips parted, before they stretched out into a wide smile.
"You rember?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.
I shook my head.
"I don't know what I rember," I said. "I'll have to see what's up there before I know for sure."
Despite this, Anna didn't look disappointed. She gestured for to go up the tree first. I obliged her and started climbing. The sense of familiarity I felt grew stronger and stronger, as if I were coming ho.
By the ti I reached the top, it felt as if I were coming ho. The incongruity from earlier disappeared altogether.
The tree house was there, exactly as I rembered it. I stared at it, stunned. Despite everything, a part of hadn't expected to see anything. It thought that everything going on had been nothing but a fignt of my imagination.
However, there it was. The tree house, in all its glory. I recognized every board and nail.
"How is it still here?" I whispered.
Mirkvale Forest was a damp and gloomy place. Without maintenance, the tree house should've rotted away a long ti ago. An idea ca to mind. I looked at the tree house through Spirit Sight and noticed that so kind of Holy magic or divinity preserved it.
No. Not divinity. This power, while similar to divinity, differed in a subtle way.
Sovereignty.
Was this Nox's doing?
As I had that thought, I heard the faint sound of her chuckling in my mind. I didn't know if it was actually her, or a product of my imagination.
"Let's go inside," Anna said.
I nodded and followed her suggestion.
The tree house wasn't big. Just a single room filled with the bare minimum of furniture. A bed, a dresser, and a chest. Nothing more. Like the tree house itself, they were all perfectly preserved.
I walked around the room, taking it all in. At the sa ti, long-forgotten mories surfaced from deep within . They didn't hit in an overwhelming tide. Rather, it was as if they had always been there, and were now making themselves known.
These mories were of another ti, another life.
These mories belonged to the that existed before Gabriel Sturm.
They belonged to a man captured by a briar maiden, and ended up falling in love with her.
"I built this place," I said. "Over ti, we made it a ho."
"Well, for you maybe," Anna said, amused. "For , it was just a convenient place to have sex."
I snorted.
"Oh? So if I burned this place to the ground, you wouldn't care?"
I felt killing intent explode out of Anna.
"Don't you dare."
I chuckled.
"That's what I thought." I paused. "If I recall, pretending that everything we did ant nothing to you, that I ant nothing to you, led to our tragedy."
"How else was I supposed to react when you were looking at with such horror?" Anna asked. "After you said such harsh words to ?"
I sighed.
"True," I said. "I was cruel to you."
I thought back to our past life.
It was a story about an unlucky adventurer and a briar maiden curious about humans, one that ended in tragedy.
The adventurer, betrayed by his companions, ended up all alone in Mirkvale Forest. He tried to make his way back to Mirktown. However, along the way, a briar maiden captured him.
To his surprise, she didn't kill him. Instead, she proposed a deal. If he indulged her curiosity about humans, sex in particular, she would let him go. In fact, she would bring him back to the edge of Mirkvale Forest.
The adventurer accepted.
Afterwards, true to her word, the briar maiden brought him to the edge of Mirkvale Forest and left him there. The adventurer made his way back to Mirktown and got his revenge on his treacherous companions.
That should've been the end of it.
And then the adventurer went back into Mirkvale Forest to find the briar maiden.
He told himself that it was for revenge. However, after the adventurer found the briar maiden, she forced him to confront the truth. He was captivated by her. She showed him heaven and hell, and he wanted more.
In the end, he gave up his pretense, thus starting a romance between the two that went on for several months. At first it was rely about sex, but over ti the two grew closer and closer.
Things took a turn for the worse when the adventurer caught the briar maiden consuming another human. That's when he rembered an important fact, one he had ignored the entire ti: the briar maiden was a monster.
Their romance, no matter how sweet, would never last.
An argunt between the two broke out, where they said cruel and harsh words to one another. In the end, the adventurer left. After he returned to Mirktown, he spent his days drinking himself into a stupor. Unable to return to the forest, but unwilling to leave the area.
This continued for weeks until one night, when a woman told the adventurer that another group of adventurers went into the forest to hunt a briar maiden. His briar maiden.
Fearing for his beloved's safety, he rushed to save her. By so miracle, he succeeded. However, he took a spear to the chest and ended up dying in the briar maiden's arms.
That's where my mories of that lifeti ended.
"What happened after I died?" I asked Anna. "How did you end up becoming human?"
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