Suluvuk heaved a long sigh as he sat crosslegged inside the dome Guineveve trapped him in.
"King of demons, dethroned by those he calls 'lesser beings,'" he murmured, amusement sour on his tongue. "If anyone wanted poetry, life would have obliged."
Though, he's not one to talk since he lost to one of the four who fought Valtraak. But at least he lived (whole) longer than Valtraak.
Anyway, when Guinevere comes back, she will inevitably slay him. She was currently casting some kind of seal on that floating spherical rock in the sky. While he doesn't fear death even after losing the "curse" of immortality, he still has desires in life he wants to fulfil and past mistakes he wants to correct. And no, it is nothing like skinning a human alive or other evil deeds.
"Contemplating your life choices?" a shadow was cast over Suluvuk.
He looked up, facing a tall young man with sharp ears, ashen skin, wearing a suit.
"Ohhh? A demon walking amongst the humans?" Suluvuk remarked, "Could it be, a traitor who ran away from the consequences?"
The man sighed, "You could say that since it was sworn that my entire family lineage will be hunted down for generations. While I do not plan on starting a family, that threat is not something I will take lightly."
Suluvuk's eyes widened at hearing that.
"You… You were one of the clans that joined Oriel's resistance against the king?"
That was the only crime that would warrant such hostility among the demonfolk—it was back then, anyway.
Many factions and clans wanted Oriel to become king despite not having the blood of a Royal. If you were to compare the two opposing sides, Oriel's had the greater numbers. That said, he was not in power and only had his own strength to fight with. Whereas Arsnoria was the Demon King and could make sure they taste the consequences of treason.
"Yes, I am the son of Yaarf from the Cubus Clan."
"The clan known for their deceptive nature and history of pumping out fiercely intelligent demons, huh? How Oriel trusted you is beyond me."
"Well, I do admit that we didn't have good intentions for following Oriel. We just wanted to use him for a greater purpose." He looked back at the collapsing barrier, "I had hoped to earn Valtraak's trust to help in this endeavor but that red-haired woman is sealing him with a powerful divine spell that I am simply incapable of breaking."
"Oh? I'm the second option?"
"It will benefit you as well in the future. All I ask is to lend me your aid."
"You can still save Valtraak. He's of the royal lineage so he can survive even the most extreme conditions."
"…I would rather not as I am incapable of taking any of those humans down. Perhaps I could win against the ancient dragon but I doubt my chances."
"An honest demon wearing the clothes of humans—this would make for a good joke, hahaha! Say I accept, what is your plan exactly?"
"I intend to break the barrier separating our worlds, to spark the flames of war sooner before Arsnoria has a chance to evolve."
Arsnoria, like all her other ancestors, was born from an egg. Royal Demons aren't born in the womb of their mothers. The egg forms around the stomach and breaks off in the later stages of pregnancy. Then it is left to incubate in the hottest fires known to mortalkind for several planetary orbits, under the watchful gaze of the Monarch Watcher.
Upon being born, they are as mature as humans at the stage of their "age of coming", so about 15 years old. Arsnoria will need at least another ten years to reach adulthood. Even after 250 plus years since being born, she still looks like a young girl at this stage but once she reaches adulthood, she will go through an evolution that doesn't just mature her body but unlocks her full potential.
There's no way to determine if she'll be as strong as Oriel by then but she'll be a greater threat to the humans. Not on the level of Valtraak, certainly, but enough that humanity will need two Champions.
But it's not impossible for her to gather allies like Valtraak in the Layers of Hell. She must have informants on this side of the barrier that have watched the entire outcome of that earlier fight so she knows those realms has what she's looking for. The questions remains if anyone or anything there will be willing to follow her.
"You are aiming to have Arsnoria killed by those four?"
The man nodded with a smile, "It is as you surmised. Her demon lords, however, will be a problem for me."
"This must be what you need my help with."
"Kukuku, you are quick to catch on. Yes, as you were one of Arsnoria's trusted generals—who even served in Valtraak's army, you will be welcomed there with open arms. But you are also a card that can be used to betray the King."
"Why do all this? What's your endgoal?"
"Power."
"You gonna elaborate, boy?"
"…The highest seat of power."
"Oh? You want to rule over the humans? Quite the strange goal for a demon."
As if he heard the most disgusting thing his ears have ever bore witness to, his face scrunched up, "I do not wish to rule these sub-sentient creatures. If I did not have a lot to lose, I would skin them all alive and feed them to each other."
"Kahahaha!" Suluvuk slapped his knee as his laughter shook the surroundings, "Good to know we are on the same page, brother! Kahahahaha!"
"They still have their uses so I would not say we are… Would you like to hear the terms of our alliance now, Lord Suluvuk?"
"Why do you think I would side with you?" that's if Guinevere doesn't come here first and kills him.
"Forgive me if this sounds like a threat but you will have no choice."
Vetis silently took out a mirror after sticking his hand through solid space, like a space pocket that conveniently acts as a storage. This was a new thing to Suluvuk so his interest in the man skyrocketed a bit. He must've been quite busy going into relic tombs to get such artifacts.
The mirror flashed blue before something appeared inside of it, not a reflection, but a memory that Suluvuk had chosen to keep buried.
"You… How did you… How?"
It was a slumbering elven woman with pale skin, hair as red as blood, wearing a dress that comes straight out of a 1st century painting. Judging by her hair color, she was unlike any ordinary Elf you would find today.
"This woman is the one you fell for as a young boy when you were sent onto the battlefield to kill humans before the world border existed. But she was not a young woman when you met her—you stole her from her mother's arms when she was but a small girl, barely in the double-digit age range. During the great war, you kept her confined in a tower, where you promised yourself to make her a mother once she sheds first blood."
"…."
"Then when the battle was lost, shortly before Valtraak attempted to invade the divine realm, you decided to put her in cryosleep using technology you stole from the humans of the past. You joined this battle, thinking it will be a long, arduous fight which could span years. But you didn't want your 'soulmate' to lose her beauty, so you froze her. The only freedom she had ever known was when she was a mere child and she had to watch her parents get slaughtered by the very man who lusts after her, believing the prophecy he received from a shaman dictates her life. Where she dreamt of being married to a prince from a powerful royal house, he dreamt of taking away her freedom for the sole purpose of turning her into his loyal wife." The man threw the mirror inside the barrier, "Sound familiar?"
"…How do you… know all this?"
"I know a lot of things and when it comes to who to choose to work with, I dig even deeper to uncover what I can use to pull them over to my side."
"…Hahaha, so you will kill her if I don't join your side? What does that matter to me? The prophecy said that I need only find a High Elf. Some might be alive even today. If not in this world, I can go directly to Alvaria."
"The prophecy is so simple yet you require a High Elf of all things? Does bloodline matter that much to you?" he asked, as if he had distanced himself from his own species so much that he started to see it as barbaric or alien.
"A warrior race such as mine requires the strongest blood to further our bloodline. You should understand that. The fodder born from the wombs of the breeding cattle we caught in the war could never be compared to the fruit born from the love of demigods." Those words left his mouth as if spitting venom. He had led those halflings to war in the past—while they were strong they were not only atrocious-looking but were a far weaker and inferior breed of demons than purebloods.
"Love?" the man held a hand in front of his mouth just as a chuckle slipped out, "I agree with you there as Greater Demons are considered demigods in a way. To ease your worries—which I have no doubt you have—I do not plan on doing anything to her. In fact, there is something I can do for you. Do you think cryosleep have no ill effects on a person after hundreds of years when the technology was so primitive compared to today?"
"…I am prepared to marry a vegetable."
It was a sickening thing to say but he meant it.
"I pity that poor girl. To not only be robbed of her childhood, love and youth but also her mind. If she drives a knife into her neck one day, I won't be surprised in the slightest."
"…Get to the point. What do you mean by there's something you can do for me?"
"I possess many artifacts that offer a number of uses, obtained through service to my new Master."
"Master? You?"
"Though it may surprise you, I cannot do everything on my own."
"And what happens after you get what you want? Will you kill that master?"
His mouth opened then closed, choosing not to say anything, "You are scum who will drive a knife into my back if I inconvenience your plans by even a margin. But… you are not a direct threat to me and I believe we can help each other."
The man smiled but such a happy gesture looked disgusting in Suluvuk's eyes. That was the kind of smile a toddler makes when they get what they want.
Suluvuk will become this man's plaything if he's not careful.
"We are deviating from the subject a bit. You say you would copulate with a vegetable so brazenly but have you never considered that your children may be stillborn?"
"…"
"I'm glad my point got across. Kukuku, she really isn't replaceable as you would like me to believe. We demons are not capable of love so the fact that you can feel something means you are special."
"Shut your trap, boy…. Who else will help you with this plan of yours?"
The man stuck his hand through solid space yet again, pulling out a lantern-like object that had a big sphere in the middle instead of oil. Inside was a small fairy-sized person—
Suluvuk recognized who that was, despite not being in her gross, orc-like form, "Sersei? How did she get out of the barrier?"
She had jet-black hair, wearing the same color dress and heels, as well as dark mascara. You wouldn't be able to tell her apart from her twin sister, Aedri.
Her eyes were closed as if deep in slumber.
"Technically, she did not escape. Rather, she materialized her entire being into a spirit that can contain her soul. Her true body is gone but knowing gods, they can always revive themselves as if nothing happened so long as their souls are intact."
"How did the two of you—"
"I would appreciate it if you keep any further questions for later. All you need to know is that I promised her a deal as well, same as you." He put the lamp away then pulled out a dagger from the same empty space.
With a swift motion, he stabbed the barrier—which surprisingly went through—then he began to cut it from top to bottom.
Suluvuk looked in confusion at how easy it was for the barrier to be cut open. Seeing that face, the man chuckled, "If you are curious about what other items I possess, I would be glad to show you my collection, which I have gathered over several hundred years. Well, the barrier itself is at a weakened state now that the caster has let down their guard so that helps too." He muttered as he finished cutting the barrier open.
'This man… He's not just intelligent but resourceful. If he wasn't from a clan of snakes, you could almost rely on him.'
Suluvuk, who had been in a sitting position ever since being sealed, could finally stretch his body.
"If you have done your own dirty work on me, you should know artifacts rarely fascinate me. So, you best have other benefits ready for me when I'm expected to risk my life for your vague goal."
"All shall be revealed in due time, that I promise."
"Humph, we'll see. What is your name, boy?"
"…I would appreciate it if you refer to me as a colleague and not your subordinate."
"You focus on unimportant things! Just tell me your name." Suluvuk chuckled as he patted his back.
"…Ironic coming from you," he muttered, "My name is Vetis Creste, and I have long since abandoned the name Cubus after fleeing the demon realm to start a new life as Brynhildr Selia Bloodforth's subordinate."
He held out his hand. Without delay, Suluvuk took that hand, ready to face whatever schemes this snake will have up his sleeve in the future.
"To a future where new king shall rule over the ashes." Vetis' ominous mutter went unheard.
**
After she finished adding protection and sealing spells to the floating rock, Guinevere returned to where she might find Suluvuk. That's what she assumed, that is. She was certain no amount of struggle can free anything deemed impure by the divine law.
But what she found was an empty barrier, a hole cut cleanly through it, its sides blowing in the wind like a curtain freely.
She didn't immediately panic and inspected the cut instead. while invisible to the naked eye, she felt immense dread from that cut. When she examined it, she found a disgusting energy looming in the air and on the barrier.
This dread reminded her of the Dark Forces, the dark energy that threatens to consume all life in this universe and deprive everything of "Divine Touch".
"Either someone from the Between Realms freed him or an artifact imbued with Dark Energy was used."
The former is less plausible as harnessing the power of the Dark Forces is something only a handful of entities have achieved. If such an entity arrived in this world even during all this chaos, Guinevere would've sensed them. It's hard-coded into her DNA to sense such a presence, you could say.
The latter is more likely because, once Dark Energy covers an artifact created by the Gods, a new tier of artifact is born. The divine realm calls these artifacts "Cursed Artifacts". During their first invasion to take over the divine realm tens of thousands of years ago, the dark energy clouds of the Between Realms engulfed many relic tombs, seeping through every crevice, even hidden compartments, "poisoning" every artifacts created to aid the divine realm.
But through continued effort, these dark clouds were driven back where they belong, but leaving behind a wasteland where divine energy can never thrive ever again and those of divine origin would be poisoned and die within mere days. Imagine it like a plague that rots the skin, muscles and tissue.
Perhaps whoever freed Suluvuk ventured into these cursed relic tombs for the sole purpose of getting those artifacts. How they didn't die is a mystery she couldn't be bothered to solve.
She hasn't forgotten about those creatures that can just appear anywhere they please.
However, her new "hunt" begins.
Suluvuk must be eliminated and so must his companion that freed him.
Volume end
I hope volume 6 concluded this mini-arc well. If you guys remember in Adavire's intermission, there was a priest who was thrown out and humiliated by the temples, and even threatened with execution. That's the same man who prayed at the church in the town where Guinevere showed up. Honestly, I wish I could've dived into the cultists a bit more but too much was going on and I don't feel like adding new plotlines to this story will be healthy when they can just be left in the background then lead to something bigger.
Despite this arc, I actually wanted Sylphy to join Arnold's side in another way, like the Thalivielle quest where they have to find out what's killing the World Tree. But later in planning, I realized that was a bit too late since many things have to be concluded before even reaching that arc (which will probably be in volume 8, gods...). She will be important to Arnold in establishing a relationship with the Dwarves since they can help Anais and Lauran with the teleportation. Oh and remember Dunfer, Lufulur's airship? Sylphy's connected to that as well.
**
Volume end
Patreon Note: Next up is an intermission of the aftermath then a few extras (I'm excited to share Luke and Norn's date) then a hiatus so that I can work on volume 7. I have the rough outlines and scenes planned but I don't want to rush it so I'll try to stockpile a whole lot before starting the new volume. In the meantime, I want to finish releasing the rest of Second Chance's first volume chapters (Volume 2 is not even halfway complete so I want to work on that alongside volume 7 of RATV). While RATV is the most important thing right now, Second Chance (a rewrite of my old Spirit King Incarnation series) is very important to me as well so I hope it doesn't upset anyone that I'm pushing the story so much. I want it to be bigger than RATV which is why I'm taking my time with it. I hope my writing improved despite having been alone all these years. They all started with a dream and ambition.
How long has it been...? Four or five years now?
I'd like to eventually turn both stories into webtoons in the future. Hopefully more people join me along on this journey and offer support on Patreon so that I can even hire artists to bring my characters to life.
Sorry if this message to you all sounds a bit rough. These are just my honest thoughts but to conclude it all:
Thanks for supporting the story. Never thought people would be this interested for so long. Could volume 7 really get crazier than volume 6? Guess we'll have to find out!