Ascension of the Nephilim

Chapter 86 - Taking The Road Less Traveled

The entry to the fortress was the main problem. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as the one facing the other side, it was practically impossible to do so for a small team.

To resolve it, Kyros sent Querk Stonefist and a few disguised soldiers to pretend to be the Viscount squad returning from the intense battle that led to a defeat. The moment the guards saw it, they hesitated. Kyros even heard the discussion.

"It's Querk Stonefist!" A guard identified.

"Open the gates!" The leader of the platoon immediately ordered.

"Weren't they confirmed to be dead? Many of his squads were found among the remains of the Viscounts he was with!"

"Close the gates!" The leader ordered again.

"But his body wasn't found there! He's alive!"

"Open the gates a little!"

The opening gave Querk and the group a chance as they suddenly rushed inside and killed the group. Kyros shot several arrows with Martha to kill the group.

With two days that passed, Martha had managed to heal most of her wounds and was battle-ready. The two-shot the arrows and killed the enemy with ease. The darkness of the night made the rest unaware that the gates were opened by a little and that intruders had already entered.

With the infiltration successful, the Coven moved secretly along the side, killing enemies with stealth. But they would always bite or make wounds that made it look like the ghouls were responsible.

Meanwhile, Kyros allowed himself to be carried off by Querk's zombie body. Scarlet was controlling and giving simple orders to Querk.

When Querk was discovered, Kyros talked on behalf of Querk when the knight called out to him.

The deception was successful. Querk threw Kyros's body to the side after talking, and the battle commenced.

The fight began, and even though Querk's body should have fallen, Kyros had experimented on Querk's body. Through Calaminus's many lessons, Kyros was able to apply a light coat of earthen makeup that had the power of Earth. This made Querk's body retain a hardness that made it look like he still was strong.

While Querk attacked, Kyros and the group secretly moved throughout the many rooms of the fort, ransacked it, and even burned some. Kyros found oil from his previous trips and used Mana to retrieve it from the Temple, which burned the place.

After burning the area, Kyros sent two Shadow Familiars that raced outwards and used [Oration] to warn the group.

This caused the Champions to chase after the creature allowing Kyros and the team to steal from the room of the Generals of the base.

And then they left.

"Are you alright, lord Kyros?" Scarlet asked.

"A little injured, honestly. That ghoul Querk was very reckless when he held on to my body."

"I am sorry, Lord Kyros." Scarlet apologized.

"It's not your fault... They can't really carry me with such precise orders. Although your commands are not more accurate, our ghouls still can't follow the command 'be careful.'" Kyros laughed.

"Where are we going, lord Kyros?"

"The orc fortress, of course. We are going to rescue Martha's little sister." Kyros explained.

Martha was stunned.

"You- lord Kyros?! You mean it?"

"That's the first time she called the young lord, lord." Hemsey laughed.

"Of course. I told you, I'm a good guy. I hope I proved it to you."

"Well... disregarding the fact that we have been killing on feeding on humans these past two days... I can't say I'm thoroughly convinced."

"Oh, come on! Almost everywhere we went, we've proven they're guilty of stuff. Do you think the orcs are all evil? Many of them are more righteous than you! You are so caught up in Lowland's perception. The kingdoms of the Lowland region had long created this propaganda that orcs are bad, humans are good. It's not true. Humans can be as bad as vampires."

"Humans don't feed on other humans."

"Vampire don't feed on other vampires either. If they do, it's to absorb the power and is related to cultivation. But humans feed on monsters, animals, sentient beasts. We even eat dragons which are one of the most intelligent beings! So how different are humans to these dark beings?"

Martha was surprised at Kyros's statement.

"Listen, the reason why we believe that dark is bad and all that nonsense is because of where we get our power. Most of humanity needs light to live. We channel energy and search for eternity by harnessing that light to become gods. Those who live from the lower Lowlands to the Dark Sea and the Netherlands cultivate through the darkness. Both are just trying to cultivate and survive in this eat-or-be-eaten world. We just get our food and cultivation resources from different things. If you think a race is more righteous than the other, you are wrong. It's just a propaganda made by those in the Highlands. They won the Nether Wars and now define what righteousness is."

The three H's had little educational background and couldn't understand what Kyros was saying.

But the rest were of noble or high-born status. They had some idea as to what Kyros was saying and were enlightened.

"So you mean... I'm not evil?" Avary asked.

"Evil is what we do with our lives, Avary."

"Like... killing humans?"

"Killing corrupt humans. Let's take those three Viscount teams we killed. I've shown you their dark artifacts. It's quite powerful. It's a Necromancer's magic that consumes darkness to create a new dark soul. It's how Necromancers can create powerful summons." Kyros explained.

"I get those three. But I just don't feel that killing those people who only have petty crimes is justified. Especially if innocent men were doing their jobs as soldiers." Martha sighed.

"Are you going to apply that morality when we are in the orc kingdoms?" Kyros sneered.

Martha was silent.

"Just because an orc isn't human, you already feel that you have the higher ground to kill them. They have lives too, you know. Orc lives matter."

Martha grew all the more silent.

"I'll let you guys in a little secret. Something that uncle and father don't know. The Temple has shown me a vision of the future. A great upheaval is happening in the entire Planes World. And not just there, but the heavens itself. I plan to cultivate all the way to godhood to survive this storm. You will see that killing people, wicked or righteous is better!"

"An upheaval? Godhood?"

"It's possible. And the way things are going, I'll need an army of gods on my side. And they will be you. So when we fight and kill, don't worry. It will be grace to the righteous, for they will enter into the afterlife and be part of the great celestial light that shines over the Planes World. They will die and not experience the tribulation coming and live in joy. The wicked who perishes go to the Nether World and endure the torment of being used, abused and even devoured by the dark beings there."

"That doesn't give you the right to kill them!"

"It doesn't. But it is more beneficial. Who knows? In the upcoming tribulation, it may force people to do unspeakable things. The vision the Temple showed me had mothers eating their sons and daughters from the terrible siege in the future wars to come." Kyros sighed.

While the Temple didn't show him this vision, he saw those same scenes in the battles he survived. The disgust and horror that Kyros displayed silenced Martha.

The group traveled quietly after that talk. Martha was in deep thought and began to question her morality.

Scarlet, Gregory, and Avary kept talking with Kyros about how the dark beings lived, and the more they learned and heard how the propaganda deceived them, the happier they were. They no longer saw themselves as dark, evil creatures. 

The group continued to head towards the west side of the mountain range, which would be the entrance to the orc side. They soon reached the region known as the Airom Logat, which was the mountain's western side. 

A long canyon trail that was full of lava and thick smoke separated the two regions.

"The Great Airom Red River. It was said that these mountain regions used to be connected, but a God hailing from the Highlands stepped down to the Lowlands and attacked an insurrection of nether beast who hid deep in the mountain. A great sword slash sliced through the region and created this deep canyon that opened volcano in the Airom." Kyros recounted as they passed through the unassailable canyon.

"Alright. We wait here for Grandfather. My father has already told my Grandfather to meet us near this region. After we send their items directly inside the Temple, we head to the Craggy Steps further west of here. Like in Airom Vagat, there will be cliffs full of outposts and are manned to warn of any group that intends to scale the mountain. But in the Craggy Steps, it's doubly deadlier to move there since the stones have a brittle exterior that cracks and will create echoes. But I know of a hidden cave that leads to the surface." Kyros smiled.

"You seem to know your way in this place..." Martha was curious. In Airom Vagat, Kyros knew nothing about the geography from within. Yet how was Kyros able to make a detailed explanation to this region.

"How do you know of a secret cave that even orcs don't know. They don't call this region the road less traveled by humans for nothing. Because of how easy it is to detect those scaling here, this place is a frequently used trading route for Orcs."

Kyros smiled and didn't answer. How could he tell her that he had raided Airom Logat in his anger after the Orc army killed his parents? Kyros and his future mercenary group formed after the massacre of various human kingdoms used this secret entrance that the most secretive smugglers used to enter the region.

"Orcs..." Kyros suddenly held out his hands to silence and stopped everyone from moving.

It was a caravan of orcs that was had departed from the mountain region. The guards it had were numerous and numbered more than a hundred.

"Stay low and stay hidden. These orcs have a great sense of smell. But since you are undead, and I have a way to masks scent, we should be able to evade these orcs." Kyros ordered.

The group laid low on the thick shrubs nearby as the caravan passed.

"I'm just glad to be alive..." An orc spoke as he passed. Although it spoke in orcish, Kyros could understand his words as he was taught by Calaminus how to speak them.

"They are calling that threat the Blood Calamity! The mountain itself bleed from the terror of that creature!" The orc continued.

Kyros heard it and drew closer. This was the Blood Calamity that Kyros saw, which followed right after he saw the notification of Destiny regarding how Mechiel will die.

"You saw the Blood Calamity?" One of the Orc asked.

"Yes. I was the only survivor in my team."

Kyros frowned. He needed information on the Blood Calamity as fast as he can.

"Coven... Get ready! We will be kidnapping that orc."

"What?" Martha and the group nearly shouted in surprise.