Eternal Elysium

"The more one grows, the stronger it becomes?"

The words told by Commander Clonas rang like a bell inside of me.

The instincts he speaks of. Have I not experienced this before?

There were times when I had also experienced it firsthand as well.

One moment was to tell me about my surroundings, while another was to tell of a deep danger lurking at the end of Churner's nest.

They both have played a vital part in saving my life.

While I wouldn't call it a tug like he described, it was still a feeling that always ended up saving me.

However, it looks like I can't always trust those feelings.

"Now that's enough from my side of the story… Tell me about the Calamity you spoke of."

With a dark look over his face, Clonas asked in a low voice.

"While I can't tell you everything like you did. I will try my best to explain the situation as clearly as possible." I said evenly, finally having my emotions under control.

"But do you really not feel anything strange? Anything amiss?"

I added politely, keeping a straight face.

But the reaction didn't come exactly as I had hoped it would.

"No, like I said, I don't feel any such things. Why do you keep asking it anyways?"

Clonas answered with a frown. His expression remained the same, just a little less stressed than before due to our lighthearted words.

"Because I think something was wrong… That you don't feel anything wrong is weird in itself. Hell, even Commander Alos was feeling sick due to those weird feelings. But you are alright. Sigh."

It looked like Clonas truly knew nothing. But I don't think he is weaker than Alos either, so there could only be one possibility left.

'The Plague has avoided this place till now.'

Or its influence here was not strong enough to be noticed.

And the reason for that—

"It's probably the swamp…"

I said, looking its way.

Clonas tilted his head sideways and looked at the swamp, then at me.

"Again, this guy is not answering any questions." He grumbled with irritation.

"The Calamity is called the plague; whoever it eats, people around forget their existence as a fog fills their mind. It also has several avatars roaming around the world so it's impossible to kill…"

"And it has entered the central base?" Clonas finished my words.

I nodded.

"Yes, it has… I don't know how many but probably its number has already reached more than we could chew."

"And who told this to you again?"

I sighed, feeling my head starting to throb.

"The Temple, I don't know how they plan to stop it. So, I am only doing what is asked of me."

I paused, tearing my gaze away from the swamp and gazing at Clonas. His face remained calm and composed; likely his mind was in turmoil.

"Well, they asked me to tell this to no one. But since you are also from the Temple I will make an exception… and I am not bound to follow their orders word by word now, am I?"

Clonas's eyes shook vividly as he heard my words; his lips twitched and brows shot up as he scoffed.

"Unbelievable… Your story is so absurd that I don't know what to say. However, even saying you are not allowed to say anything about it but still telling, I really don't know how to react, especially since I am also from Temple."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Seeing his confident smile, a little strained but still present on his face, made me more confused.

"Your reactions are surely different from what I had expected, Commander Clonas. Do you believe everything I said that easily?"

Clonas gave an awkward laugh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's not about believing you. I am well aware of the temple's inner workings, and I already have several guesses why and what type of orders they have given you, Asher. The methods they use are absurd and surely unorthodox, even at times, but that's how our world is. This type of monster just doesn't spawn out of nowhere; it must have existed for a long time."

Clonas inhaled deeply and looked at the blood rising in the swamp with a heavy gaze.

"The Temple must have been dealing with it silently but now that they can't handle it and keep it hidden, they want to give a valid reason for the world to see its existence."

"As shrewd as always." He added, rubbing his chin.

'He… He understood that so fast?'

"Your reaction is enough for an answer." Clonas said with a small voice.

I sighed and took a step back and turned to look at the base. It remained still, even silent. The dark swamp's shadow has covered the land beneath but now it was shifting back, going deep inside the dark forest.

"Well, I plan to bring the Calamity here. Hopefully you will cooperate with me when the time comes."

"I see. So the plague is not here yet… Hmm, is this due to the swamp? I guess even though it's a calamity itself, it doesn't want to get involved with this sealed one."

"Not yet… yes, but we can't say it won't in the future as well."

"Avatars are not as strong as the real body so I think you will be able to deal with it as well." I asked with a grin.

Clonas again licked his lips and stared at me for a few seconds, already regretting his actions.

"I don't think I can allow the Calamity to knock on my doors, though."

"It will come here. Whether we want it or not is a different thing."

Clonas shut his mouth and fell into deep thoughts, his foot tapping the ground once before he inhaled deeply.

"...And why is it coming here?"

"..."

I didn't answer at once and thought for a while.

Clonas didn't interrupt me and let me think in silence.

My thoughts, even accelerated by [Kairosflow], couldn't keep up as I finally sighed, letting a flood of thoughts escape my mind.

"Because it's known that I have found out about him. He'll come for me first, and through my mind, erase anyone who's learned of him."

Clonas eyes sharpened.

"I don't think it will take such actions just because you know about its existence."

"Well, yes, it won't, but I made sure to provoke him before coming here."

"...?!"

Clonas face stiffened as he heard my words.

But it was already too late.

I have done everything I could. Planting hints that I was searching for him in the open. That should be enough to show I am easy bait.

After all, the one who had vanished was none other than Mathew… and the one who last saw him was someone from 2nd Division.

They will come… and that's when I finally get him in the open.

***

Near the temple now filled with silver flowers that had filled the place with a faint sweet fragrance, a small flash of light happened.

As the light died, a figure emerged from it.

His hair danced in the air and his eyes glowed with a faint silver glint in them. Asher looked around with a calm look on his face. This time he didn't fall on the ground like before after Commander Clonas made him travel through inner space.

'Not using [Kairosflow] was the correct choice.'

With a satisfied look, he took a step forward and looked around.

The place that he had appeared was still near the temple; the surroundings were empty with no sign of human life. It was expected to happen; after all, just a few moments ago a war happened outside the walls. And the swamp was still active; there was not much one could do when a living calamity lived outside and soon another was coming to join them.

Asher chuckled self-deprecatingly at the bad joke. With a wry smile, he turned his head to look around to look for Enzo and the others.

"Where did they go?"

Asher muttered with a frown.

But he didn't need to search for long. Outside the temple, through the tinted glass panels, his eye looked at a silhouette—many of them. They looked eerily similar. So, with a brave step, he moved toward the closed temple door.

The strong smell of sweet and refreshing flowers brushed at his nostrils.

Asher couldn't help but like the smell; unlike before, he wasn't getting overwhelmed by them anymore. The trails and stems of flowers had surrounded the temple deeply to its core; faint silvery glows were visible, lighting the surroundings with an ethereal glow.

Asher inhaled deeply, pushing bad thoughts away and allowed himself to relax for a few moments. This place didn't have the Plague or was too invisible here.

In any case they were safe here, as much as they could be.

Going inside, his eyes soon looked at the stars hung on the ceiling, moving in a circular pattern just like in any other temple. The thing that made it different was the rings surrounding it; they were interlinked together and moved like a pair, creating a beautiful work of art.

Asher watched those intertwined links with a sense of awe before looking at the old priest waiting at the podium, the place where the sermons were conducted.

Before him five figures rested on the benches.

Then, before Asher could greet his teammates, the old priest's gaze met with his as he spoke.

"We have been waiting for you… Captain Asher."