Silver Realm
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CHAPTER 238- REUNION
🕑 Added 2025-03-21 18:00:19 +0000 UTCAlaster appeared in the deep bunker and sighed, brushing off some of the blood and dust before he looked up at Evelyn and Cathrine gossiping.
“So he went outside completely naked?” Catherine giggled.
“Yes! Oh mom was so mad! It got even worse when dad started laughing.” Evelyn laughed loudly.
Alaster sighed once more. He remembered the story Evelyn was talking about. He really did not want that haircut.
“If I remember correctly, after she was done with me, she turned to you. You hid in a haybale for three hours to avoid the haircut.” Alaster interjected, coming into the light of their Mage Light.
“Alaster!” Evelyn jumped to her feet.
“Everything alright Master?” Catherine asked, standing up as well.
“No. In fact everything kind of failed, but not horribly. Some things happened that got in the way. I’ll explain later, but we should get going.”
“Where?” Evelyn asked, she eyed the blood that still covered her brother.
“First Onigas, then Galmore. Catherine, get back to Zalar immediately, tell King Heradon that the Invasion has begun in Zolis.”
Catherine curtsied slightly before vanishing in a puff of shadow.
“Invasion? What invasion? Are we under attack?” Evelyn’s eyes grew wide and panicked.
“I’ll explain on the way.” Alaster raised his hand, offering it to his sister, but she backed away slightly.
“Wait! I have friends in the city! I can’t just leave them!”
Alaster shook his head, “Not anymore. When the battle initially started, I had some of my Undead find them and bring them to a safe place outside the city. They are safe, for now. We will gather them on our way.”
“But what of the other people in the city?” Evelyn asked quietly, already knowing the answer.
“The King issued an evacuation long before the invaders spread throughout the city. If the City Guard were prepared, they would have gotten most of the people out.”
“Most?”
“There would have been those who refused to leave, avoided the Guards, ignored the evacuation bells, or even outright sabotaged the evacuation. Now please, Evelyn, we must go. Time is of the essence.”
Evelyn silently nodded, taking the offered hand this time.
Shadow wrapped around both of them, and in a moment, they were hovering hundreds of feet in the air, overlooking Zolis from a few miles away.
Zolis, the capital city of Lissura, was burning. Countless Devils and Argalons ran through the streets, cutting down any Human, Elf, or Dwarf they came across, be it man, woman, or child. Here and there, the City Guard had created lines to hold back the enemy, but the shoddy defenses came apart almost immediately after one of the Argalon Mages arrived, disabling the System around them.
Long dark lines of people filed out of the city in all directions, running as fast as they could.
The Demigods continued to battle in the skies, alongside the various types of flying mounts or mages capable of flight. The flying Argalon were trying to attack the fleeing crowds while the Demigods and other fliers attempted to stop them.
They were not always successful.
Their cries of terror and screams of pain were heard by Alaster and Evelyn, even as far away as they were.
Alaster watched all of it closely, studying the capabilities of the Demon Forces, especially those of the Argalon Mages. In a few minutes, after studying the numerous locations they were dotted throughout the city, Alaster gained a rough estimation of their abilities.
He did not like it.
“Can we not do anything to help?” Evelyn asked with teary eyes.
“Not in any meaningful way and only through great risk to you. They caught all of Humanity off guard today. The best way to help would be to retreat to safety and prepare.”
Evelyn looked down at herself, still in her beautiful ball gown, though it was marked by dirt, dust, and even a bit of blood.
Black wings of shadow sprouted from Alaster’s back. He hugged Evelyn tightly to his chest, covering her with his Mana to shield her from the harsh winds as they shot through the sky faster than an arrow.
Evelyn hugged him tightly, crying silently into his chest. Unlike Alaster, she felt the pain of the people around her. The horrors they were facing. But she also cried at her own helplessness. She was still too weak.
In just a few minutes, Alaster landed softly on the ground, deep in the forest.
Alaster let go of Evelyn and gently pushed her forward. She looked up to see her friends and party huddled together around a fire, surrounded by dozens of Undead.
Many of the children sported various bruises and light cuts, eyeing the Undead warily. They all watched Alaster land, and all shot to their feet at seeing Evelyn.
While the rest continued to eye the Undead, Liam ran forward, barging through the Undead that had previously kept them in one place, no do nothing to spot the large boy.
Liam wrapped Evelyn in his large arms, lifting her high.
“Evelyn! I am so glad you are safe.”
Evelyn chuckled, “I’m ok. Please put me down.”
The others, seeing that the Undead were doing nothing to spot them, soon surrounded Evelyn, peppering her with questions.
“What is going on?”
“Why were we brought here?”
“What are these Undead?”
“Where is Luke?”
“Are you ok?”
“Do we have to fight our way home?”
Evelyn was overwhelmed by all the questions coming at her from all directions.
Alaster lightly stomped his foot, infusing it with Mana. The shockwave shook the snow from the tree branches and caused the wood of the fire to collapse.
“She will answer your questions later.” Alaster said sternly, “Right now, we have to go.”
Lifting his arm, liquid bone flew out of his Ring of Holding and within a few minutes, had been constructed into a large carriage. Four Skeletal Horses stood next to the Carriage, waiting as the nearby Undead began to harness them.
Alaster also summoned Nightmare and hopped on, “Get in.” He commanded simply.
Faced with the masterful display of Magic and the massive figure of both Nightmare and Alaster, the children were frozen to the ground, unmoving.
“Come on, its cold out here.” Evelyn said, jostling them out of their frozen fear.
They began to hesitantly shuffle into the carriage, sighing as they felt the heat from the Flame infused bone.
Once all the children were inside, one of the Undead closed the door while the others went about removing any sign of their presence.
Finally, after much too long in one place, Alaster gave the command to move.
He directed Nightmare to walk alongside the carriage. He could have gotten in as well, he had made the carriage plenty large enough, but he needed to think, and he knew the Children needed to talk amongst themselves. He would update them on the situation later, but right now, everyone needed time to think.
Plus, Alaster did not like the idea of being surrounded by loud and annoying children.
Many hours passed as the air grew colder, the wind sharper, and the world quieter. It was as if the Monsters themselves understood the seriousness of the situation and were hiding.
As the sun began to set, Alaster had one of his Undead climb on top of the carriage and drop in blankets, pillows, food and water, through a hole Alaster created. Once the last of the gear was dropped in, the hole closed up once more.
They would not be stopping.
The Demons would not.
‘Bel, what do I do?’ Alaster had no idea. Things were accelerating too quickly. His plans had been disrupted. His ideas were jumbled.
‘You do what you swore to do all those years ago. Protect your sister. Protect those close to you.’
‘Even if it means killing your own people?’
Belgroth was quiet for a moment, ‘War means death. They came to kill, so they should be prepared to die. I helped you try to negotiate peace for your own, that is all we can hope for at the moment.’
‘Do you think the Envoy will actually convey my words?’
‘Most certainly. But as for how their War Masters will react to them? That remains a complete mystery. If you don’t want to give up Onigas, then you must fortify it so much that they don’t want to take it.’
‘What about Zalar?’
Belgroth sighed, ‘They will not allow such an advanced, large, and populated nation of Humanity to survive. They will attack it, regardless of the cost.’
‘Why do you think they are allowing the Independent Lands to remain under Human control?’
‘Because they aren’t under Human control. It’s a joke. They have said it themselves, their own peoples are divided between peace and war, though obviously war is the stronger side. In order to pacify the pacifists, they are giving Humanity land to live in, but they chose some of the most inhospitable land.’
‘Should I instead focus on creating more cities and safe areas within the Independent Lands to house more Humans? Instead of fighting the Demons?’
‘No. Even if all of Humanity began to relocate, I would estimate that a fifth would perish before they reached the Independent Lands, and another three fifths would die within the Independent Lands. Only the strongest and luckiest would live.
Humanity can only fight.
You can expect some refugees, but not enough to make any difference.’
Alaster sighed, leaning back in the saddle to look at the purple sky of the setting sun. The miles continued on in silence.
‘Should I create your body?’
‘Why is this coming up now?’
‘The war has begun. It might not yet reach Zalar or Onigas, but it will. I will have to fight. And as powerful as I am, with all the survivability Abilities I have, I am not foolish enough to think there is no chance I might die.
If you are still inhabiting me when I die, so do you.’
‘You are still too weak. Any body you could create would burst once my soul was put into it.’
‘Still? I just killed a Demigod.’
‘And with my original body, I could have killed the entire pantheon of Demigods. Speaking of, you should check what the System Notifications. I doubt it would not say anything after such a feat.’
‘I know. I have seen them, but I haven’t read them yet. I’ve been ignoring them.’
‘Why?’
‘Because the last time I looked at one of the notifications, the System spoke like a person, and it was as if it was calling me the chosen one, meant to save Humanity.’
Belgroth scoffed, ‘There is no such thing as a Chosen One. But if it was merely a matter of strength, you would certainly be a contender.’
‘Why? Yes I killed a Demigod, but I am sure there are stronger people.’
‘No. There isn’t. Sedall is quite possibly the only one in this world stronger than you, and his power is purely himself. Your power is your Minions. While Sedall could fight thousands of Argalon by himself, he would be limited to a single location. They could just go around him. You could fight entire armies and be in multiple locations.
Your power isn’t in pure strength, but in versatility and spread. Now get over yourself and look at the System.’
Alaster took a deep breath, preparing himself, before finally opening the Notifications.
[New Title Gained: God Killer]
