Grimoire of Cultivation

Chapter 90: Shattered Truth

Opening his eyes, Darius sighed, a weary look settling over his face. "You can stop looking at me like that."

"It just seems cruel, and I really like him," across from him, one ear drooping, Haku sat in his animal form.

"It is cruel, I can't deny that. But it's necessary."

"I still don't like it. But didn't you say the Elemental Forge Matrix was only at the first layer? Shouldn't he be able to see through this?" Haku questioned, his discomfort evident.

Darius shook his head, "I'm not relying solely on the Matrix. While the final layer of the Elemental Forge Matrix is extremely profound, the first layer alone couldn't fool him. I've combined the array with a specific herb, Borrachero Nightshade."

"Borra-what?"

"Borrachero," Darius sighed. "It’s a herb that, when ground and inhaled, weakens mental resistances, making a person more emotional and easier to manipulate."

Squinting at Darius, Haku got up and walked towards the beast-farm. "That makes it sound worse. How much longer does he have?"

Standing, Darius joined Haku, stopping just before the large wooden door. "He’s almost done. There’s one last event he needs to see."

"What if he hates you for this? What if he doesn’t change like you want?"

Placing his hands behind his back, his azure eyes glowing slightly, "I’m prepared for that. But this needs to happen, Haku. I don’t want to change the world; even in Penglai, slavery was common. But the humans here... they don’t even see it as a morally grey area. It doesn’t register in their hearts at all."

His expression hardened, his blue aura radiating gently around him. "Up until recently, my thoughts were focused solely on revenge. I still crave it, like a drowning man craves air. We will kill Rainslif Crowley, but we must also be prepared to deal with the repercussions."

"How is doing this to Marcus going to help with any of that?"

"Marcus is an honorable man, much like my father, but witnessing his passive reaction when that known pervert purchased the boy... it's unacceptable. I cannot allow those close to me to remain blinded by ignorance. If Marcus can't see the truth after this, he has no place in what I plan next."

Haku looked up at Darius, worry etched on his face, then turned back to stare at the door. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"...Me too."

----

Standing alone in the enveloping darkness, Marcus appeared worn and beaten, his breaths slow and labored. "Why are they hurting them? What did they do?...Tell me!"

In what seemed like an answer, a blinding flash of light erupted, forcing Marcus to shield his eyes and lean back. "Enough! Stop these games and show yourself!"

Then, a loud buzz assaulted his ears as the stench of sweat and waste overwhelmed him. Blinking against the harshness, Marcus cautiously opened his eyes to a dimly lit room. As his vision adjusted, he realized he was not alone—figures loomed all around him.

Surrounded by numerous human children and a few older adults, Marcus observed their ragged state. They wore mere scraps for clothing, barely sufficient to cover themselves, all standing with vacant, unblinking stares.

Noticing the small blonde boy among them, Marcus's heart clenched at the sight of the numerous scars across the child's body.

His breathing escalated, his feet still anchored firmly, he shut his eyes tightly, "no more! Just kill me already if that's your goal, why use—" His words cut off as a wave of cheers erupted from outside, startling him.

The ground beneath him jolted forward, propelling him past the solemn assembly and through a hanging cloth. As the fabric parted, another blinding light engulfed him, leading him onto a brightly lit stage.

Forced to continue, his feet slid relentlessly until he came to an abrupt halt at the back of the stage, spinning around to face the awaiting crowd.

The crowd was teeming with hooded figures, diverse in size and color, their faces concealed. "What's going on here? I know someone can hear me! What is the point of all this?!"

A booming voice, unintelligible but unmistakably cheerful, blared from the back of the stage, met with an enthusiastic echo from the audience.

Then, from behind the curtain, the human captives filed out, aligning themselves in a bleak, long row across the front of the stage.

Cheers and excited voices Marcus couldn't understand erupted from the crowd, causing a sickening drop in his gut as he paled, realizing what was unfolding. "They're selling them. They're selling them as slaves! You animals! How could... what are you?! You can't be human!" Marcus yelled, outrage contorting his face.

He continued to strain against his bonds as the bidding surged, and one by one, each human was escorted off the stage and claimed by a robed figure. Each creature extended its robes to reveal a shadowy void that swallowed their newly acquired slave.

"Monsters! The Union will come for you, even if I die you'll pay for this!"

His resistance abruptly ceased, his face paling as the young blonde boy was led off the stage. "No! Leave him alone!" Marcus screamed, his voice breaking with desperation.

The boy was led off the stage and handed over to a particularly large figure, who enveloped him within their robes, absorbing him into the darkness.

Staring down at his feet, clutching his hair, tears streaming down his face, Marcus let out a long, tormented scream.

With his vision blurred and his body heavy, Marcus kept his head down, his eyes unblinking. "I can't do anything..."

The chaotic din of the slave auction abruptly ceased, the odors dissipating, leaving Marcus alone, his gaze fixed on the ground.

"I'm done. Either kill me or be done with this. I won't watch your sick show any further."

"Yes, master."

A dreadful chill raced down his spine as Marcus instantly recognized the voice—it was the young boy. Clenching his jaw, he kept his gaze down, fists balled tightly.

A deep, grating voice jolted him, fighting the urge to look up as he covered his ears. Yet, it couldn't muffle the chilling words: "From this day forward, you exist, to please me. Your every waking moment, belongs to me now."

"Thank you, Master."

Unable to hold back any longer, Marcus looked up. "No, no, no, no..." he repeated frantically as he lunged forward, his eyes bloodshot. "Stop! Don’t do it, come back! Come back! Don't go with him!!"

Just in front of him, Marcus watched through tear-streaked eyes as a large wooden door began to close. On the other side, the young boy stood naked, his expression carrying a weak smile while a dark-robed figure leaned over him.

As the door shut, the last image Marcus saw was the boy finally looking back to meet his gaze, his faint smile unwavering as the darkness swallowed him.

Crouched and defeated, Marcus remained still, the last of his strength having left him, "I can't..."

In the enveloping darkness, he stared blankly, a solitary figure broken by despair. The silence was oppressive, his whispered pleas lingering in the void. Slowly, he pulled himself upright, his movements mechanical, devoid of the fiery spirit that once defined him.

As he stood alone, the weight of what he witnessed pressed down, the echo of the door slamming shut replaying over and over in his mind. With no one to hear, no one to see, Marcus whispered into the emptiness, his eyes hollow, "I'm sorry."

----

Opening the door to the farm, Darius felt his heart pound unexpectedly. He and Haku entered, finding Marcus ahead, his face twisted with grief, tears marking his cheeks.

"Go get the children, he'll be waking up soon."

"Do we really need to do this part?"

"Yes, it's necessary. Hurry, time is short."

With a heavy sigh, Haku dashed off toward the hatchery. Darius circled to stand before Marcus, hands clasped behind his back, waiting patiently.

Staring intently at Marcus, Darius’s expression tightened, his hands clenched. “I’m sorry, Marcus. I manipulated your paternal instincts, using a child’s likeness to Percy. It wasn’t right but I need your help. I just hope you can understand why.”

As the sound of running footsteps approached, Darius glanced over to see the children speeding towards them, Haku in tow, looking surprised by their pace. “You’re quick! Now, all of you, stand by Haku. Remember what we discussed? Don’t move until I signal.”

The children skidded to a halt, arranging themselves beside Haku. “Yes, master,” they chorused, waiting attentively as Haku settled nearby.

Haku's thoughts burst into Darius's mind, his tone laced with surprise, 'those kids dashed off the second they heard you were waiting. This slavery thing... it's kinda scary.'

Darius nodded, his eyes gleaming with resolve, 'Exactly why we're doing this, Haku. We're going to build something different—a place where children, human or not, won't live under the shadow of a master.'

Sensing a stir within the Matrix, Darius straightened up, his tone firm, "Get ready. Remember, if he attacks, let me handle it. Stay out of it."

"Yes, Master."

Haku, understanding the caution was directed at him, responded quietly, "Just be careful."

Darius sighed, a faint smile crossing his face, 'Easier said than done.' He took a deep breath and began to cycle his water mana, "he's waking."

Marcus stood rigid, the tears had ceased, and his aura, initially weak, began to pulse, gaining strength and flickering with a fiery steel intensity. His once clouded eyes cleared as he exhaled sharply, staggering backward before catching himself. He stood there for a second, disoriented, then looked down at his feet, murmuring in confusion, "I'm free?"

Quickly glancing around and squinting against the light, Marcus suddenly saw Darius and blinked a few times. He straightened, his gaze fixed on the teenager.

"Before you decide to attack me, you should know that Percy is safe, still training at the manor, and no harm has come to anyone." His heart thudded wildly, but Darius strove to appear composed, "I realize that doesn't excuse what I've done but—"

"No harm?" The chill slicing through Marcus’s question jolted Darius, "How can you stand there and say that with that face?"

Marcus's aura burst forth, flames wreathing him as his leather armor appeared, swiftly overlaid by his manaforged armor. "You forced me to watch... those children... that boy!" With a flick of his wrist, his rapier materialized. He started advancing towards Darius.

'He hasn’t realized it was all an illusion yet, he's still affected by the herb. I must have miscalculated the dosage.' Frowning, Darius touched his pouch, "you’ll have to forgive me for this as well. Now Haku!"

At Darius's shout, Marcus surged forward, his speed nearly blurring. In that instant, Darius held a strange pod in his palm and swiftly clapped his hands together, bursting it as he leapt back.

Green fog exploded into the air, making Darius wince and cough. Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye; Marcus, a mere finger's distance from impaling Darius, was enveloped by the fog. He instinctively recoiled, mistaking it for poison, his face paling as he began coughing violently.

As his eyes teared up horrendously, Darius saw the giant fox, using his tail as a fan to shield him and the children from the fog, with Haku whining, 'That is horrendous, smells like the back end of a corpse stuffed inside a rotting turd.'

As Darius landed, still coughing, he managed a small smile at Haku's remark. He approached Marcus, saying, "Sorry for that, but you should be thinking more clearly now." Moving quickly to the command stone, he touched it, prompting the wind to clear the fog away.

Marcus, still coughing, wiped his eyes and used his aura to flare wildly, dispelling his manaforged armor and stowing his leather armor, burning away any residual particles affecting his senses.

Walking up to Marcus, who was beginning to regain clarity, Darius stopped just a meter away. Marcus released his aura, looking at Darius with eyes much clearer but still visibly exhausted, "Explain. Tell me why, and then I will decide whether or not you have betrayed me. And yes, I am thinking more clearly, so understand that if your explanation doesn't satisfy me, I will cut all ties with you, and you will become an enemy of my family."

Nodding seriously, Darius held Marcus's gaze, "I used the illusion array because you needed to see—truly see—the reality without bias or prejudice. You needed to confront the truth, or we could never walk the same path."

Confusion and a flicker of rage crossed Marcus's face. "What truth could justify those horrors, boy?! What have you, at your age, seen to conjure such perversions?! What were you trying to show me?!"

As Marcus shouted, Darius’s gaze shifted past him, causing Marcus to turn and follow his line of sight. His face instantly paled, his aura fluctuating as he dropped to one knee, "The children, they're real?"

"Yes, they are real." Darius approached, placing a hand on Marcus's shoulder—the signal to the children, who began to move towards them.

"And although I made them appear human, the children you saw in that illusion, the horrors you witnessed... those were their horrors. This is the truth I needed you to see, Marcus—the grim reality these children face, the brutal training they undergo to be molded into slaves."

As the children approached, they began to strip down to their undergarments, revealing their numerous, grievous scars. Each mark laid bare before Marcus, a gruesome reminder of their suffering.

Tears welled in Marcus's eyes as he fell to both knees, his gaze sweeping across the group. "Werefolk? All of you...this is..." His voice broke as he reached out to them, sobbing openly, "I would have tried... if I had known... I'm so sorry. You're just children, how can we do this? How did I not see?"

Stepping lightly, Tem approached and gently placed her hands on Marcus’s head, pulling him in for a comforting embrace. "We were told you were a good human, and I can see your sadness," she whispered, "don't be sad, you weren't the one who hurt us."

Turning away with his hands clasped behind his back, Darius let out a quiet sigh of relief.

In the tranquil surroundings of the Beast-Farm, Marcus Kinneman, a human, wept openly in the embrace of a werefolk child. For the first time, he was engulfed by a deep, piercing shame—a revelation that shook the very foundations of his life. On this day, Marcus Kinneman's eyes were fully opened to the harsh realities of his world.