Chapter 76: Assured Annihilation

Janak, Vir mentioned blankly, addressing the glowing man who stood ten paces tall. White was the phrase that greatest described him. From his hair to his lengthy white beard, his flowing white gown with blue-white patterns, he shone like a solar to Virs eyes and Prana Imaginative and prescient alike. As within the god from the myths?

Myths, Janak mentioned with a chuckle, however there was no happiness in his eyes. Solely tragedy. Sure. I’m one and the identical.

Of all of the sermons Apramor had ever given, Vir valued Janaks story probably the most. A mortal who had ascended to divinity. Whod triumphed in opposition to all odds. And right here he was, assembly this god in particular person

Vir took a knee.

Rise, Ekavir, seventh of your line. Janak died millennia in the past, the glowing man mentioned, striding as much as him. Together with the remainder of his form.

Apologies, sir, however how are you aware my identify? Vir requested earlier than realizing he was speaking to a dwelling god. In fact hed know his identify.

I do know a lot about you. I’ve noticed you because you arrived at Daha.

Noticed? From the place? He hadnt felt like anybody was spying on him. Except

Comprehension dawned upon Vir. From the Vimana.

Certainly. The person provided his hand, which Vir reverently took however discovered that his hand handed proper via.

This physique isn’t of flesh and blood. I’m merely a pale echo of an age lengthy forgotten. An avatar. However even nonetheless, this assembly is each dangerous and fortuitous. Our time is brief so I have to be transient. Inform me, how did you attain this place?

I truthfully dont know, sir, Vir replied, averting his eyes. I tousled a capability of mine and located myself in a cavern. Then I simply adopted the prana, which led me right here.

Coincidence? Janak mentioned, stroking his beard. Nay. It have to be their affect. However do they hope to assist or hamper?

Sir, I dont perceive. Of whom do you communicate? Vir requested. He didnt rightly know the best way to tackle the avatar of Janak; whereas he claimed to not be a god, the entity earlier than him was at the least associated to the god. He deserved Virs immense respect.

There are these on this world who search to form the threads of future. Beings who predate even my individuals. Fateweavers, of a kind, Janak replied. However our time is restricted and there are extra necessary issues to debate. Come, stroll with me.

Why? Whats the matter? Vir requested, following barely behind the god.

Beasts lurk in these depths. Ones that survive and thrive off prana. And you’ve got simply lit a prana beacon, he mentioned, pointing up on the metropolis round them. Ordinarily, such a factor can be not possible. However you’re particular. You’re associated to my individuals in a approach that no different dwelling being is. The outpost of Valaka Amara opened itself to you, and also you alone.

Outpost. Not a metropolis, Vir reminded himself. It was small, but it surely was nonetheless probably the most dazzling sight Vir had ever seen. And particular to his individuals? Vir was giddy to badger the person, however he did not wish to interrupt him. Little question, the solutions had been forthcoming.

Take heed to me, Ekavir. You will need to search the Ashen Realm. Little question your prior incarnations have suggested you as such already?

T-they have, Vir replied. So theyre not demons then? Ekanai and Shardul.

Demons, sure. However not the type you’re imagining. Damaged shards of id, misplaced to time. Watch out. They imply properly, however might pose a hazard to you if managed improperly.

Ive seen that.

If Ekanais voice in his head was only a shard of the particular person hed as soon as been, then his manic obsession with killing Maiya made a bit extra sense.

Janaks phrases confirmed the suspicions hed had for therefore lengthy, however may by no means show. Theyve been threatening me to go there. However to enter the Ashen Realm is suicide.

Suicide for people. Not you.

Once they reached one thing akin to a central sq., Janak swept his arm, inflicting an unlimited picture to seem in midair. A picture of black volcanoes, thunderclouds, and ash-dyed wastes.

Vir jerked again, almost falling over. It was like a portray the dimensions of a home, and but

Its such as you? Vir requested, working his hand via the floating picture.

Janak nodded. This… is the Ashen Realm.

The portray moved. It confirmed volcanoes erupting, lightning strikes flaring earlier than dying away, solely to get replaced by a dozen extra. Hundreds of vicious-looking raptors skittered throughout the panorama, whereas monumental flying beasts blotted out what little gentle made it via the thick thunderclouds.

It was a glimpse into one other world. A world of nightmare and horror.

And this, Janak mentioned, is Mahdi. The once-capital metropolis of my individuals.

The scene shifted to indicate a metropolis? However it was not like any Vir had seen earlier than. Lots of upon tons of of pitch-black spires pierced the sky as lightning struck them relentlessly. It appeared much less like a metropolis and extra like a mausoleum.

At Mahdi, you will discover me. The true me. Or no matter is left, at the least. However Ekavir, heed my warning. Don’t enterprise there till you’re prepared. The Ashen Realm is harmful, sure, however that metropolis exists in its personal realm, break up off from the remainder of the ash. The Mahdi airplane. It’s completely deadly to life. Not even demonkind survives there for lengthy. Each certainly one of your predecessors who has tried has failed.

Predecessors… T-then, Vir gulped, afraid to ask the query that had been on the tip of his tongue. Im a demon?

Neither are you human, nor demon. You had been crafted for a function, Ekavir. You’re primordial. A being who transcends all different beings.New novel chapters are printed on

What do you imply? What is the function of the primordial? What is that this future they communicate of?

Janak pursed his lips. If I informed you now, it will solely scale back the chance of that future coming to go. You… will not be but prepared to listen to it.

Vir was about to answer, however Janak held up a hand. Not your energy, although you require way over you at the moment possess to enterprise into the Ash. I imply your maturity. Ekavir, some truths have to be skilled. Solely then, as soon as your thoughts has been tempered by trial and toil, will you comprehend its significance. I do know this isn’t what you wished to listen to. And if I may let you know, I rightly would. Please have religion. If not in me, in your previous incarnations. All shall be revealed in time. Time that has now run out, Janak mentioned, wanting off into the space.

Vir adopted his gaze and noticed it as properly. Not together with his eyesthe monster was invisiblebut via Prana Imaginative and prescient. Its prana signature was so sturdy it lit up like a beacon, even from this distance. A singularity of the blackest Ash Prana hurtling to the town. It possessed neither kind nor physique, however Vir acknowledged it instantly.

Prana Swarm Vir whispered, scarcely believing what he was seeing.

The bestiary had mentioned that something that ever got here into contact with a Prana Swarm died. That it consumed something and every part containing prana. That it was invincible. Balar 3,500 to 10,000. Risk degree Cataclysmic.

This was a being that was solely imagined to exist inside the depths of the Ashen Realm, the place the prana was dense sufficient to assist it. It was a creature of legend, and from the existential dread that coursed via his physique he knew. He felt it in his veins.

By extending his arm out of the shadows, he’d gained one other twenty counts of time, however that had now expired, popping him again into the tunnel.

Proper because the Prana Swarm arrived.

The horned beast locked its gaze upon Vir, utterly ignoring the apocalyptic horror.

It cant detect prana! Vir realized. Not two seconds in, and his plan had already fallen aside. The beast centered on him as a substitute of the true enemy, dooming them each.

Vir Toughened his chest and forearms.

The animal Blinked once more, and as soon as once more Vir was thrown sky excessive. Proper on the Prana Swarm.

As he sailed via the air, he did the one factor he couldcharge Dance. Hed by no means charged a Expertise utilizing prana within the air, since thered by no means been sufficient to take action, however after coaching Maiya, he knew the method labored the identical. He sucked blood from his ft up into his legs, however this time, he did the identical together with his arm, accumulating prana from all 4 of his limbs without delay.

Vir launched himself right into a roll the second he hit the bottom, leeching some floor prana to melt the blow with Mild Step as he rolled proper on the Prana Swarm.

The monster blinded his Prana Imaginative and prescient with its depth.

Nonetheless not sufficient!

Dance hadnt absolutely charged, and he didnt wish to danger a repeat of the final time he undercharged the power. What if it threw him right into a wall? What if it deposited him proper into the center of the Prana Swarm?

As an alternative, Vir did one thing dumb. He reached out and touched the Prana Swarm. If Prana Swarms had been pure Ash prana, and if he depleted his arm of prana, then it stood to motive he may take prana from the Swarm.

He was proper. And he was unsuitable. The second his hand got here into contact with the swarm, prana rushed into his arm, which prompted the swarm to start consuming his flesh.

It was as if hed fallen right into a vat of acid, which jolted him into motion earlier than his arm was eaten.

Dance activated, sucking him into the embrace of the shadow realm.

Trapped contained in the shadow world, Vir couldnt even scream in ache. And in any case of this, hed purchased himself solely ten further seconds.

What can I do?

For the second time in lower than a minute, he discovered himself attempting to plot a plan to save lots of his life. Besides this time, he had one thing he lacked simply moments priorhe had data on the Prana Swarm.

The Ash Beast had solely consumed his arm as soon as hed refilled it with prana. Till then, itd ignored the limb, reaching out for the remainder of his physique.

Which suggests if I purge my physique of prana I’d survive.However can I even try this?

Not as soon as throughout all of his experimentations with prana had he tried to evacuate prana from his physique. Itd all the time been the oppositehed spent a lot effort to maintain each morsel of prana he had.

However the extra he considered it, the extra he believed it may work. In spite of everything, prana sought equilibrium with its environment, and proper now he was forcibly holding it in his physique. If he simply let go, after which pushed the prana in his physique to the sting of his pores and skin, it ought to routinely dissipate.

As soon as once more, the problem was timing. Vir picked a distant shadow and moved his unhurt arm out, permitting time to start flowing once more, albeit slowly. He wanted a while to purge his prana, and there was no higher probability than when the Swarm was consuming the beast.

The Prana Swarm moved to the four-legged animal; the poor factor had no thought it was about to die.

Vir appeared on, horrified, because the beasts pores and skin dissolved, revealing its muscle tissue and tendons in sluggish movement. He appeared away, unable to bear anymore.

Its now or by no means, I assume.

Vir absolutely exited the shadow realm again into the tunnel, as distant from the Prana Swarm as he may handle.

Mendacity down upon the stone, Vir closed his eyes and launched all of the prana he contained inside his physique. The prana dissipated into the bottom, flooding out of his physique.

For the primary time in lots of months, Vir felt weak. However it wasnt enoughnot sufficient prana had left his physique. He grasped no matter motes of prana had been left and gently coaxed them alongside his blood pathways to his pores and skin, the place they may escape.

The Prana Swarm completed consuming the Ash Beast. It hovered for a second, unsure.

Then it turned and floated towards Vir, as if questioning whether or not there was a meal there for it.

Vir frantically searched his total physique, purging all motes of prana he may discover. However whereas some areas of his physique allowed him a heavy hand, he dared not try such a factor anyplace close to his head. Hed seentwicewhat violently manipulating blood to his head did.

Which meant it took a while to eliminate all of that prana. Time he scarcely had.

The Swarm approached. And approached. And nothing Vir did swayed it.

Empty as he was, he couldnt even use Dance anymore to flee.

The Swarm meandered nearer and nearer. After which it was on high of him.

Vir held his breath and chanted a prayer to Janak in his head because the being handed over. It hesitated, stopping briefly over him.

He lay there for what felt like an eternity. Ready for his executioner to resolve.

However it appeared the Prana Swarm wasnt . It lazily moved on, looking for greener pastures.

Vir lastly allowed himself to exhale.

In some way, in opposition to all odds, hed achieved it. Hed survived in opposition to a Cataclysmic degree menace. A mythological being that was mentioned to convey sure annihilation upon all those that encountered it.

He remained in place for an additional ten minutes, properly after the Prana Swarm had moved on.

Solely then did he permit himself to cry. He wept and wept till he may cry no extra.