Chapter 211: The Bleak Walker
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Price of Rebirth

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAA,” he took in air as if he was drowning. He was naked, and all alone in a forest.
His body was chiseled, and despite that, he felt like he lost a huge part of his soul. On the horizon was the tower of nimrod lit up with magical flames, and around the vicinity of the tower was tents, siege engines, and armies marching forth.

“What happened?” He thought back. “Ah, that’s right, isn’t it?”

He was naked, and the cold winds of winter were making him shiver. He plodded through the knee-length snow and saw a man who was braced on the tree, there was no light on his eyes and he had no pulse. It was inappropriate, but he had no choice with how things are. He just awoke, and if he doesn’t get anything then this would die from the cold.

“Forgive me,” he said. “Rest in peace, may your clothes save my life.” He took the clothes of the dead man and wore it. He adjusted the frozen clothes around him, and tried drawing runes from his hands. The runes sparked like flint, and magical signs flickered. “My runic signs are strange, it must be because of the revival? Master could revive out of the fragments, and he never suspected that it was his ability.

He stared at the falling snow. “It must have been months ever since that day. To be struck down so helplessly, damn, that was a nightmare. Still, should I find revenge against an opponent like that? No, I shouldn’t, that would be stupid, what revenge? Does it help me?” He muttered while plowing through the landscape of snow.

The terrain was strewn with bodies and loose arrows. Corpses, horses, and magical beasts were around the battlefield, many of them were looted, decapitated, and impaled, the merciful snow covering their shame. It took him minutes to reach the camps where the battered men and women were. He looked and saw that the walls of the towers of nimrod still stood. The barrier that filters out of friends and foes guarded the tower.

“They must have thought that the tower was easy to bully, the city of warriors, magus, wizards, and wise men cannot be easily beaten. It would take more than this to break the tower, who said that the tower was the only protection of the City of Nimrod?”

He stretched his legs to the front of the gate with the stares of the soldiers following him. “If you want to die, go ahead, you’re not the first one, lad.” The soldier who was chewing on his cigar said, he wore a fur coat around his shoulders, it was thick, and gashed with sword wounds. He didn’t bathe an eye as a soldier who should be part of the allied army moved towards the barrier of the city of nimrod.

“I’ll be fine.” He said while taking a step inside the barrier. The barrier didn’t react or behaved violently. The man who was smoking cigar widened his eyes, before shrugging his shoulders. “Oh, so that’s how it was. Tsk, I’m tired, I don’t care.”

“Is that so?” He blinked. The guards inside the barrier acted immediately, their spears pointed, before they opened their eyes wide. “Oh, I thought you were dead, lad.” The bald man with huge gash around his neck said. “Must have been quite the injury, huh.”

He smiled. “It was. May I continue?”

The guard gestured with his hand. “Go ahead, the towers aren’t as lively as it was before.”

He took a stride inside the guardhouse and entered the main streets. There was no soul to be found around and only the snow covered the ground and the roofs of the houses. There were a few strays but they retreated to the alleys. He clenched his right hand tightly and ambled forward. His eyes trained on the paving stones. His boots kicked snow and snowflakes fell on top of his nose.

It was then that there was a sudden light that cut through the fabrics of space. A woman, whose red eyes and ashen blonde hair, along with an illusionary burnt scar around her face appeared, she was wearing eastern robes, and she stared at him. Her eyes were riddled with guilt and shock, and words seem to be unable to escape her lips.

“Ah,” he said, “my murderer, to think you would come back only a few minutes. Hah, I understand now why the Old Man was wary of you, you really are too strong.”

“I was sure that your soul was destroyed, child.”

“I think so too, but it seems that the Old Man forgot that he was an undying time wraith. I saw how many times his soul was fragmented, and your strike was indeed something, Mrs.”

“Do you despise me, child?”

“I’m still alive,” he craned his neck at the tower. “That’s all that matters, the old man taught me what need is there to weep over things that had already happen, and he loves you like crazy, you know?”

“I see,” she lowered her head.”

“Hey,” he said, “what happened to the old man?”

“We are living together.”

He smiled bitterly. “He didn’t try to avenge me? I know it, he really is still madly in love despite denying it.”

“No,” she shook her head. “He did try, but no blade or power would hurt me. You should know this better than anyone, child.”

“I do,” he snorted air. “If I didn’t have the power of the old man, I would have died. Still, it looks like my soul is fragile, and the powers he bestowed are gone, I might crumble.”

She raised a palm. “No, I won’t let that happen.” A bright light shone around him. “I refuse to have more tragedies and your death…has caused me happiness.”

“Well, you do have that smile hanging on your face, Auntie.”

“We have two children now.”

“That fast?”

“I’m different.”

“Figures,” he said. “Could you tell him I’m fine?” He manifested power on his right hand. “That should cut off our connection, and we shouldn’t be connected.”

“I will.”

He looked at her. “Say, can you end this war?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I refused to be a part of this, not anymore. I’ve lived my life fighting for others, I think that my husband is right. There is no need for me in this world.”

“I see,” he kicked the snow. “Very well, I understand. I saw the memories of the old man. I saw how he struggled and how you two acted. It’s a good thing that you decided this, still, I wish to see the old man’s children. He must have raged when he saw me dead. Please tell me.”

“He did. He was angry and was willing to kill.” She smiled bitterly. “Still, somehow, we ended up having two children. Aren’t we despicable?”

He shook his head. “Not all, I just see two broken people trying to figure things out. Madam, you and the Old Man has lived long enough. The eternity that you two have walked is unfathomable to me. The times you hurt each other bleeds my heart. I am happy for you two.”

“You really are a sweet boy,” she said. “I am glad that my husband raised such a fine young man. I, wish I could help you more than healing your soul. Child, I fragmented your soul, and the powers he bestowed upon you are lost now. The time wraith’s ability saved your soul, and the only thing that remains on you are the body of the half-dragon that he once consumed. Child, you saw how many times my husband had died. His soul has been fragmented, and he had been split into beings or even three at once. His soul is resilient and you adopted some parts of it, hence, this survival of yours was a strange surprise. However, that was your last saving grace and the one blessing that you had.”

“Will you really not end this war?” He asked again. “Once you act then there would be no need for war.”

“I could do that,” she said blankly. “However, child, let me ask you, once I destroy the enemies before the tower. What would have happened?”

“Everything would be fine?”

“No,” she placed her hands behind her back. “Things would become different, and many would looked at the one that saved them with reverence. I saw such scenes many times and you know what happens? They rely on you, and you are tasked to carry the weight of their struggle. You would try to make things right but before long, you will find yourself walking on a field of corpses, sword coated in blood, and eyes numbed. Every world, every timeline, it doesn’t end, the struggle, the fighting, the bickering…I fought because I wanted peace. However, I can’t do that right now, I don’t want to involve myself while my children are still young, do you understand me?”

“You can just conceal yourself.”

“No, I already showed my presence while dressed in an astral cloak, they will find a way through divination and that I cannot allow that to happen. It would have been fine if I was alone. But now anymore, I cannot allow myself to act so selflessly, I need to be selfish for the sake of my family. I hope you understand, child.”

“I understand,” he raised a hand. “Still, it would be great to have someone like you by our side.”

“I am on your side,” she said, “I have done you wrong, and I intend to help your family. Child, you scare me with how you are too nonchalant with this, here you are, speaking to the murderer of your soul and you act as if nothing.”

“I am still alive,” he placed a hand on his chest, “my heart is beating loudly, my soul, although fragmented, still works. I should be happy that from a speck my soul survived. I am grateful enough that the thoughts of revenge aren’t my problem at the moment. Besides, can I win against you, Auntie?”

“No,” she said sternly. “Martial and magical cannot harm me here, and although I sense another layer of the firmament in this world. I don’t think they can match me, not like they will do anything about me. I like to see them try and harm me or my family.”

He felt the coldness of winter when she spoke. His soul trembled and the barriers around the city rippled. The whole city shook when she released her intent against the heavens. He couldn’t believe how his Master was able to make a woman this strong fall in love with him so madly. Revenge? He would be foolish enough to raise his blade against the person that killed him once.

“If you want to, I can evacuate your family with a teleport spell.”

He shook his head. “No, my family loved this city more than anything. Besides, this is my home and to see it fall to others does not sit right with me.”

“Very well,” she said. “You will be walking the bleak path, child. North, east, south, and west surrounds this city of nimrod. You will face hardship, and you will tire out. I pray that your soul wouldn’t crumble, this is the last of your life, and if you experience damage to your soul again. It will not do you good. Unlike my husband who has refined his soul as a bleak walker. Yours is fragile, child.”

“I see,” he said with a bow. “I don’t know what to say, Auntie. All I can say is that the Master should stay away and live his life with the woman he chased after for. And Auntie, please don’t run away anymore okay? Same as the Old man, you two are always running away, avoiding each other, and I hope that your children will be that link that holds you both.”

She had a guilty face. “Your kindness, it stings me.”

“I can’t just get mad at you, Auntie. I’m alive, and I know that there was something wrong with you when you fought me. That’s why you shouldn’t worry too much about things that you can’t change.”

She started to go transparent and the space behind her was slit open. “See you around, Child of Elior.”

“Yes, see you around, Auntie.”

The figure of the War Maiden disappeared like dust drifting on the wind. The Bleak Walker, trained his sight on the tower, his fist clenched.

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