The Regressed NoBody

Seo Jiwoo

My eyes slowly blinked open as I saw the cobblestone cut ceiling in front of me, the cracks filled with old moss and webs around it, but something I'd grown accustomed to. I rose to my feet, as I yawned, my mind felt refreshed and relaxed, to the point that I'd slept longer than usual, something unexpected even in the current situation, but I didn’t fret too much on it.

For the past few days ago—almost two weeks to be exact—, all I’ve been focusing on was either training or participating in the gathering, to better address any concerns in our plan and to not allow for any mistakes.

But for the past two days, I'd been slightly laid back, not pushing myself during training, and relaxing more to ease and prepare my mind for

the upcoming fight.

I knew from the get go that the situation wouldn’t be resolved merely by our sneaky tactics, I would probably need to fight and force my way through after I retrieve the compass and rush for Tseige where our allies would be gathered with our full force.

And in the meantime I would also need to find a way to free the chieftain and the remaining elders imprisoned in the underground dungeon located in Esparossa.

And to keep my nerves relaxed and mind prepared for the inevitable, I took it easy for the past two days.

Well, Master used to tell me: ‘that training isn’t always the answer to everything, you must also maintain a healthy mind and take considerable amounts of rest in order to keep yourself in the most optimal condition.’.

I walked closer to the table where I saw a bucket filled with clean water, a towel lying on the wooden surface as I went and sat down on a stool that I'd brought a few days back.

I took handfuls of water and continued splashing water over my face a few times, as the cold and refreshing feel made me rejuvenated and fully awake now.

I draped my hands with water and then carefully combed them across my hair, my fingers gently touched my scalp as I straightened the long strands that had grown way past my shoulders.

If I had to say, ever since I’ve entered the trials, I’d let my hair grow without giving much mind to it. My entire focus and attention was entirely on the trials and their challenges, that something as trivial as a haircut never crossed my mind.

I ran my hand through my hair once again, feeling the long strands that now hung past my shoulders. It was the first time I'd let it grow out this much. In the past, Master would insist on cutting it himself, usually turning it into a disaster—he’d succeeded once before Fujimoto finally stepped in and gave me a proper trim, and after that Fujimoto had remained the one to cut my hair once it reached a certain length.

Making up my mind, I opened the system inventory and took out a simple blade with bandages wrapped on its hilt which was exposed steel.

I glanced at the blade in my hand, the edge gleaming in the light of the room. Grabbing a handful of hair at the nape of my neck, I stood up to get a better view and control, I brought the blade close, ready to cut it short. Just as I was about to make the first slice, the chamber door creaked open. I tilted my head slightly as I moved the blade at the same time. Black strands fell to the floor as Aurora stepped in, her mouth agape, staring at me in shock.

“What the heck are you doing?” she asked, her voice ringing through the chamber, almost bouncing back at her.

I glanced down at the hair still hanging in my palm, then noticed the uneven chop—my hair on the right was now half the length of the left.

Ah..crap!! I lampooned inwardly.

“Well… I was trying to cut my hair,” I said, blinking at the mess. “But it looks like I screwed it up pretty badly."

Aurora approached with an awkward but unsurprised look. "Yeah, I can see that."

Aurora let out a long sigh, shaking her head as she walked over to me. "You’re hopeless," she muttered, glancing at the uneven chop I'd made. "Seriously, why didn’t you ask for help? You can’t hope to do everything, can you?" She scoffed as she pointed at the fallen hair with her eyes, a wry expression over her face.

I shrugged, still holding the blade. "I figured it couldn’t be that hard. You just... cut, right?"

She raised an eyebrow in incredulity, which soon turned to amusement, her eyes and tone filled with wry humour. "Clearly, that didn’t go as planned." She motioned for me to sit down on the stool by the table as she walked closer, grabbing the blade from my grasp. I hesitated for a second before giving in, taking a seat.

Aurora stepped behind me, gently gathering the rest of my long, uneven hair. I could feel her fingers moving through it, the tugging of each strand a little more precise than when I’d tried, but ultimately failed. Pretty pathetically at that.

"The first time I met you, your hair was only slightly longer, and barely reached down your ears, so I thought you preferred short trims," she remarked, tying it into a loose knot temporarily to assess the damage I’d made. "It’s kind of weird seeing your hair so long—It took me a second or two to realize it was you back then when we met again.” She paused for a second as her hands took hold of my hair. “But I guess it suits you."

"I know," I said, glancing over my shoulder at her. "I usually keep it short, but lately... I don’t know. I just didn’t care enough to cut it.” I paused, retracting my gaze and looking down at the table. “With all the trials and figuring out the past and the ancient war, everything just came crashing down all of a sudden like an avalanche. And you know, the remnants didn't make it easy for me either. So, sorry I didn’t have time for keeping a check of my beauty standards.” I ended my words with sarcasm laced to my tone, making Aurora chuckle.

"Too busy saving the world and learning the history to bother with haircuts?" she teased, skilfully twirling the blade in her hand as I felt a little nervous now. I gulped hard as the blade settled in her hand, as I almost shielded my neck.

"Something like that," I replied, smirking as she positioned herself to fix my mess. Aurora was careful, more precise than I expected, as she slowly evened out the disaster I’d started. "You know," she said after a moment, "this kind of reminds me of when I cut my father’s hair once when I was very young—he adores me very much even now, like any typical father would—but sometimes, he goes overboard."

"Really?" I asked, trying to imagine her playing the role of a hairdresser. There was a certain emotion of longing in her tone, a sombre hue which indicated her yearning to meet her family, as she brought up the topic about her father. I could already guess what kind to expression she was making right now even without looking back.

It was only right, who knew how long has it been since she last visited her home. And hearing no news about her must have made her parents worried sick for her. I could only imagine what they would be experiencing and going through when Aurora must have went missing with no traces left behind.

But, if I thought back on our encounter in the sand dunes, it looked like a very good coincidence when we had met again—when she had been transported to the desert due to her compass malfunctioning and ultimately losing it. But for some reason I had a hunch that there was something else which was obscured from sight.

I just couldn’t push this thought away that our encounter wasn’t something coincidental, but something propagandist.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Yeah, he’s a bit like you—stubborn at times, sometimes awkward and hopeless, thought he could do everything by himself—like a certain someone—," she said, holding up a lock of my uneven hair before snipping it away.

I chuckled, feeling slightly offended on her remark. "Am not!” I shot back, but not loud enough. “Do you know how many times I’ve had my ass kicked miserably by doing things on my own—all by myself? Numerous.”

On my remark Aurora laughed softly and loudly, her soft voice rang inside the chamber slightly as I looked at her charming face, her cheeks slightly puffed reddish as her slender hand covered her face gracefully. "Yes, I can imagine to a certain extent.” She said, her words soft.

I chuckled. "And how’d it go? Your father’s haircut?” I asked, curious.

"He ended up looking like he’d fought a wild mana beast," she laughed softly. “But he appreciated the help given to him eventually. You know, like you will."

"Appreciate might be pushing it." I shot back, as I felt slightly afraid for my hair.

Aurora smirked as she worked, cutting carefully and smoothing out the length until it properly reached above my shoulders. "I think you're already appreciating it more than you want to admit." She brushed some stray hairs off my neck with the towel placed on the table, then reached for a band from her wrist, pulling my hair from the crown of my head together and securing it into a ponytail at the end.

"There," she said, patting my shoulder lightly. "Not bad, right?" She looked smug.

I reached back, running my fingers along the now even cut and the neatly tied ponytail which looked pleasant. "Not bad at all," I admitted. "Guess I’ll let you do it next time too, when my hair grows longer.”

She grinned, stepping back to admire her work, as if I was now a piece of art she had created.

"Of course you will. But next time, don’t expect it to for free.” Her smirk widened to a grin as she moved away and then went to sit on the bed made of weeds and hay.

She straightened her back against the wall, her expression turning complicated and anxious as she tried to say something, but held her tongue and only looked into the emptiness of the room which gave off a claustrophobic feel.

A few minutes past without any words spoken between us as I waited for Aurora, her alluring eyes gleamed in nervousness which was palpably visible, her face was warped into a complicated expression which converged several emotions on to her face, as she wrapped her hands around her knees and leaned her chin forward.

I knew exactly why she was acting like this. I had once been like this myself, afraid to participate in the war, trying to imagine the imminent danger and death that awaited me, or the people around me, which left a person feeling hopeless and despaired to some extent, even before it started.

And war wasn’t something simple. The nervousness and anxiety which shrouded a person before a battle, leaving them numb and causing their legs to shake and cold-sweat to envelop their back, their emotions in jeopardy. And only one thought would remain in their head, “Would I come back alive?”

"Do you think that we can win?” Aurora asked, her tone felt weaker than usual, weary and thin, she continued looking blankly at the end of the room, as if the question was asked not for confirmation but for reassurance, as if to make herself believe that we can win.

I knew she was afraid, but we had no choice, even at times of war those who used to live peaceful and mundane lives would take up arms in order to fight and protect their simple lives. War was something which no one was protected from.

“I don’t know.” I said truthfully as I looked at her teal eyes, which seemed both fearful and hopeful of my next words. “But, all I can say is that we can only try our best to preserve and protect what we deem precious. Only we can fight for it, to protect it, no one else would do it for us.”

Aurora lifted her head slowly, as if her movements were stuck in slow motion, her brows knitted slightly as if she was on the verge of tears and having a break down.

“I don’t know. From the way I've lived my life, I've always been sheltered since a very young age, not allowed to explore the outside world and transverse beyond the gates of my home, not knowing better than anyone, always being protected and given whatever I asked for. My entire world comprised of my home and its boundaries which felt more like a confinement than an actual home, that’s why when I graduated from the academy on my sixteenth birthday—a few months ago—, I decided to go on dangerous adventures to try to quench my thirst to explore the outside world and take control of my own life.” Aurora’s tone grew weaker as she leaned her head back, she gently brought her legs forward on the bed as she softly wrapped her hands around her shoulders.

“You might call me spoiled and rebellious after learning this.” She scoffed in self-deprecation, her words sharp and precise. “But I was still very much unaware of the dangers which lied in the outside world. I was so afraid after I'd been trapped in that desert with my compass destroyed.”

I didn’t say anything as I continued listening to her. Because, what Aurora needed most right now was not verbal consolation, but a shoulder to lean on and allow those pent up emotions to release, which weighed heavily on her heart, which might become a weakness during her upcoming battles. Because, when a person allowed their emotions to bottle up, they would simply burst like a volcano when triggered. I knew a reason, because I was the same.

“This is my first time fighting a war, I don’t know what role I'm supposed to play. The stress and anxiety is something I've never even considered before in my simple and mundane life previously.” She let go of her emotions, pouring all of them into her words and releasing them as I tried to a be a wall she directed those emotions and worries at, as I faced her head on.

“I’m just nervous and anxious, now that I have sat down and finally realized the severity of the situation.”

She turned her head, and our eyes met, as if we shared a deeper understanding of one another now. A faint, almost enviable yet complicated smile replaced her frown as she continued. “Since the last two weeks, you and Mordian have been carrying this burden on your shoulders, looking unfazed and unaffected as if you guys are so used to it. I know you both are trying your best to help them out, but I feel like I'm only getting in the way.”

I corrected my posture on the stool as I shifted my left leg’s weight on to my right.

“How do you stay this calm and rational even in such a heavy atmosphere? Are you not afraid? Or does this confidence stem from your unmatched and impeccable strength?” I took a deep breath, thinking deeply over her words as I scrutinized over my own answer.

After a few mores seconds, a faint yet painful smile spread across my face unbeknownst to me. “Why do you think I'm not afraid?” I simply asked, I chuckled for some reason, not trying to be rude, but merely asking a question.

Aurora was at a loss for words when she saw my expression, her own expression seemed guilty for asking such a question now after seeing my expression.

“True, that I've been carrying myself with a rational and positive attitude for the past weeks, but that doesn’t mean that I'm not afraid.” I said. “I might grow a facade to fan out those emotions and hide them from the others to not show my growing nervousness, to appear more logical in my decisions and conduct—to not be driven by my emotions to make a critical mistake in my judgment. But that doesn’t mean that I'm not afraid of fighting a war.”

I allowed my words to roll out slowly and comfortably, as I stood from the stool and walked over to Aurora’s side, maintaining a simple distance to not appear distant or overwhelming, as I sat down.

“But right now, I might be the most scared out of anyone else. Because, this battle puts our lives at stake.”

Aurora leaned in closer as she asked. “Then what do you do when you’re afraid?” She asked with an innocent tone, her gunmetal hair swayed to the side as her bangs added to her alluring and soft features.

A thin smile curved my lips as I looked straight into her eyes, the teal so vivid and shiny. “I make myself remember over and over again for what purpose and who I'm fighting for.”

“I try to remember the most precious memories I have of the people I love and cherish, which brings me solace and gives me the drive for what I must do to become strong enough to protect them, and return home alive to meet them. I must do what I must do.”

Aurora inched closer as I felt weight press down on my shoulder, as heavy gunmetal locks swayed down my shoulder and back.

I allowed her to rest her head as I spoke. “Doing that, I try my best to appear rational and logical outside, despite being fearful of the inevitable inside. Because, if I let my fear control me, than I wouldn’t have come this far. Its a part of me and I’ve accepted this aspect of myself, not as a weakness, but as a strength. My emotions are an extension which make me the person I am. Because, it always makes me continue being who I want to be."

Aurora nodded her head as she listened attentively. She generated no voice, but I understood her intentions and she did mine.

“Because, if I had no fear, then I would be prone to failure.” I mused in a thin voice, whispering it into her long ear. “That’s why, don’t think of yourself as a burden, you have helped us heavily and I couldn’t thank you enough for all you have done.”

Aurora continued resting her head over my shoulder, as we allowed this intimate moment to pass, the silence didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable anymore, it was rather soothing to some point as I ruminated over my own thoughts and emotions. Minutes later, I realized Aurora's thin breathing and the loosening of her body, she had fallen asleep in her leaning position.

I gently brought my hand forward and held Aurora softly, as I laid her down on her hard bed stuffed with weeds and hay working as a mattress.

I stood up, as I looked at her sleeping visage once again. A thin and fond smile encompassed my face.

She had trained heavily in the last few days, pushing herself beyond her limits and finally having broken through to the next subsequent stage—she had now reached the mastery stage's first layer, equivalent to a rank, after absorbing the pure and compacted mana left within the Eldergrove Sentinel's core, she was already on the verge of the break through, but it took her a few more days to do so—giving her a better chance at victory due to her advancement.

She had worked really hard, while I had to deal with my own responsibilities, I had notice Aurora doing whatever she could to be useful, accompanying us in every gathering, providing help and assistance in our plans and contingencies. She was more helpful than anyone I could ask for. Maintaining good relations with the other races and getting fully acquainted with the elves, orcs and dwarfs here.

Afterward, I decided to let Aurora continue sleeping as I reached for the door and slowly opened it, to not generate any sounds to disturb her slumber as I walked into the hallway outside.

I walked through the long hallways aimlessly, with all the preparations coming to an end, it was already time to launch our attack. All we needed was to wait for Zalar’s speech.

I pondered over the matter regarding the spy, or spies, who haven’t been discovered even after clear observation from me and my bond for the past two weeks we have been in here. Or perhaps there weren't any, or I was just getting paranoid.

Not having the mood to train or joining the other elders in the main chamber of the fortress, I walked to the gates of the fortress, which separated the sanctuary from us as I stopped in front of a guard, an orcen male, whose tusks reached the middle of his cheeks, his small yet ferocious eyes gleamed red as the ash-green colour of his skin made him look more intimidating.

He stood with a mace in his hands, wearing simple leather armour which protected his vitals.

I looked up at him with a simple expression, unbothered by his gaze as he stayed silent for a second, before moving away and gesturing to another orc on the other side of the gate, as the obstacle between me and the sanctuary creaked opened.

The smaller compartment in the gate opened as I walked outside and continued a slow stride into the boulevard as I felt a few gazes sizing me up, as I walked to the left and caught into the swarm of civilians, orcs, elves and dwarfs comprising of them as I suddenly found an open area and jumped without anyone noticing and flew above as my figure floated into the air and immediately I landed on a handmade path which led to the several tunnels structure which connected the sanctuary.

After a little walk, I stopped in front of a hill like opening at the end of the sanctuary from where the fortress was in clear display.

I stopped as I saw my bond standing there silently, observing the individuals who continued on their daily activities in the sanctuary, his gaze looked unamused and disinterested, as if he wasn’t looking at them for observation but for some other reason.

This was a good hiding spot for observation, through which the entire sanctuary was visible. He continued wearing the cloak of nyx, above his black battle-robes.

Mordian moved his gaze toward me, as he looked at me for a second longer, his eyes noticing my shorter hair tied behind, and without asking or saying anything else, he moved his gaze back at the masses in the distance.

"It’s time to change shifts.” I said, as Mordian slowly took off the cloak of nyx and handed it to me.

Without a word, he left, but I knew what was going on inside his mind because we were bonded together. Mordian had left the fortress this morning without wearing the cloak to not seem suspicious in his return when I decided to walk out on my own violation.

‘You are close.’ Mordian said as I saw him descend from the path and slowly vanish into the masses as he reached the fortress.

I knew what he was talking about, when he said I was close, he meant I was close to my break through to the next subsequent stage, meaning I was soon going to be a rank again, a rank only reached and attained by certain individuals with one of the most prodigious talents.

And while I was close to my break through, it still meant there was a gap between the next subsequent stage and my current one. And according the information I'd received, the biggest obstacle in my way would be the leader of the battlegroup of the demons, their leader who was a descendent of the Noros clan, and someone who was equal to a mystic stage mage. He would be an amber eyed demon.

While it wasn’t as impossible to bridge the gap between us with all my skills and equipment it would still be quite tough if I were to engage in combat with an amber eyed demon with the severity of the situation and race against time. But if I were to engage in a fight with no hopes of escape, then that would be that.

But I was more or less relieved that they didn’t have a grey eyed demon or quasi crimson eyed demon—like Mordian had said before, enlightening me on the stages of power used among the other races, that most demons experience the break through but don’t acquire the true strength of someone on the transcendence stage, simply half, like a half evolution, but still experience the mutation which makes the pigment of their eyes red—on the lookout in the orcen lands.

I continued observing the sanctuary, using Mind’s Eye to observe any shift or change in the mana or demonic energy around me, not easily caught unless seen, but there wasn’t any. The mana remained eased, creating harmony together with demonic energy.

And for the past few days, I’d gotten quite used to the effects of the cloak of nyx, how it hid the wearer’s mana and how incredible of an artifact it actually was.

I regret not using it any sooner. I lampooned inwardly as I remembered the many hardships I had to face because of the mana beasts having a high sensitivity towards mana in different zones.

Soon I grew bored of my unfruitful observation, as I withdrew the multifaceted keystone I'd gotten from Indra Arudecarus, that I’d barely made any progress with. Ever since I'd received this keystone, the insight which it had stored inside was something I'd barely been able to access to have an understanding of what this relic had in store for me.

I traced my fingers along the sharp multifaceted curves of the stone as I hoped for it to produce some reaction this time. I barely had gotten any chances to experiment with the keystones I'd acquired since clearing Vetustima’s trial.

And according to the remnants, these keystone were keys to unlocking the insight to attain the powers which governed the authority which shaped reality itself.

I knew I lacked the experience and understanding, even my own skills were examples of my lack of capability and knowledge, which had at most been rudimentary. I took a breath as I tried to stir the keystone in my hand, the cool and hard surface of the stone-cut relic which didn’t display any changes despite the amount of tries I'd made in my free time.

The dead lifeless relic remained unchanging, not willing to produce the same glow like before it pulled me inside the keystone realm.

But the things I'd experienced when I'd forced my way into the keystone realm had left me vulnerable, the excruciatingly long and unbearable headaches and stress it brought was something I wasn’t able to understand and bare because I had only once entered the realm inside it, which hadn’t been fruitful in my journey of insight.

After a few more tries, I lost focus but kept the keystone firmly held in my palm, as I conjured the interface and withdrew the cubic shaped keystone I'd acquired from the female remnant only recently.

It looked and felt similar to the multifaceted keystone I held in my left palm, the cold surface, and the lifelessness of these two objects made me thing otherwise that they actually held anything useful for me.

I didn’t try to nudge the cubic keystone yet, in my mind the stern words of the female remnant continued echoing like a broken cassette.

She had said that if I wanted to make progress in my journey of insight and learn the power of these three edicts, I needed to be patient and open minded, to explore new ideas and try to gain fresh insight through means untested, and I think she’d also indirectly advised me that if I wished to unlock this new keystone, I first needed to unlock the intricate powers and insights locked away in the one I'd acquired from Arudecarus.

Frustrated, I didn’t do anything for the time being, except for observing the sanctuary as I stored the keystones back as I suddenly noticed the many orc soldiers, together with elves and dwarfs making some announcement and gathering the masses of the sanctuary in the open area, facing the fortress.

From my focused vision, strengthened with mana and heightened with Mind’s Eye, I noticed the elders of the council standing on the roof of the fortress, their figures easily displayed to the entirety of the sanctuary, as a few armed soldiers stood around them—Zalar stood, wearing a red robe, the crimson resembled blood which matched the hunched orc well, the other elders stood beside him, the elves to his right and the dwarfs and the final orcen elder to his left.

But, gone was his gentle and delicate expression, which had now been replaced with the demeanour and hardened ego of a warrior and leader as he tried to straighten, but remained slightly hunched still.

The refugees of the sanctuary were confused upon seeing the elders and the guards taking post, as their necks lifted and everyone was currently observing the figures standing above them.

I noticed Aurora standing behind the others on the fortress's roof with a good distance to separate her, Mordian beside her, as I observed with a clear view.

Then as Zalar took in the view below, the swarming civilians, the bustling streets, the middle of the sanctuary concentrated with all the people who had gathered.

A veil of silence descended over the sanctuary, so potent that I could even hear the beating of my own heart, each beat echoed in my ears, the air left the cloak I wore swaying slightly with the passing breeze as I finally saw Zalar speak.

“My people, my brothers and sisters, today I’ve called you here for something I wish to share with all of you.” His voice was amplified several times, enough to reach the very end of the sanctuary where I sat, as I could perfectly hear his speech.

He was currently speaking in the common tongue, and the reason I was able to understand him was because, I'd learned the language diligently for the last two weeks, and thanks to Aurora’s help I was able to pretty easily master the language, which had a similar tone and pronunciation like the human languages.

And thanks to Ruler’s Authority, my perception and learning speed was increased several folds so I could easily remember and figure out the words and talking patterns of the language.My gaze went behind him where two elves stood, using the deviant magic of sound which probably enhanced his words and speech to automatically reach everyones’ ears.

The faces of the refugees were the same as I’d seen when arriving here two weeks ago. Full of despair, struggling to live and trying to piece and mend together their broken hearts and hope which could very well be an impossible task for them currently.

Zalar took a breath. “I stand before you today, not as a king or elder or anyone else who is worthy of such a title, but as one who has failed you, his own people continuously. We all lost our homes, our pride, our future and our freedom, it was stolen and taken away from us. And for that, I ask your forgiveness.” His solemn words turned gentle and sorrowful as he almost bowed his head, but stood almost straight, his hands resting on the edges of the fortress’ roof.

"But today, I do not ask for forgiveness alone—I ask for something which may as well be a thing which I don’t deserve anymore; your trust once more. Trust that we can reclaim what was taken, trust I ask you place in us. Trust that we can rise again, stronger and more united than ever.” His words carried power and conviction, as if steering the soul and anchoring them, as I felt the atmosphere turn determined.

Zalar looked around, his gaze as if landing on each refugee individually, sharing a simple gesture with them. Finding understanding and hope.

“We will go to war again, but this time we will not be alone or disoriented, with strong allies we can trust." Zalar said as his gaze moved again, until our eyes met for a passing moment, before he moved them away naturally.While using the cloak of nyx, he wouldn’t be able to see or sense my presence unless I actively allowed him to.

His arms moved, as if following a simple rhythm, making the dim hearts of the civilians burn with determination once again. Their expressions welling with hope, as their eyes shed tears as they looked above.

“As you all may have heard from the brave warriors who returned from an expedition only recently, they brought alongside them, an existence of ancient origins, a dragon.” His words seemed to shake the civilians below, as their faces wore obvious looks of skepticism but confusion. “Lord Astrionyx has agreed to provide us with help—similarly his companions sharing his thinking—bestowing us a chance to reclaim our stolen freedom and land."

Mordian took this moment as he appeared beside Zalar, but appeared slightly ostentatious, his alluring and extraordinary features left everyone in awe, making them spellbound to his visage, his golden eyes surveying below, as everyone looked above, seeing the impeccable features which looked otherworldly.

We had discussed about this previously and Mordian had agreed to become a beacon of hope for the refugees here, who they could use as a wall to direct their desperation toward, he didn’t like the idea initially but I had convinced him after much effort, by telling them the truth and appearing before the masses it will give us their full support.

Only after Zalar's words were they able to recover from their petrified states. “We will not fight for just the land. We will fight for our hope, for each other, for a future that cannot be stolen from us. A better future.”

The sanctuary fell silent, not one word or noise heard as Zalar stood with his chest swelled and expression ablaze with determination and adrenaline rushing through his veins. “And this time, we will win.”

"We are the embers of a fire once thought lost and extinguished, but know this—from the very ashes which buried us, we will ignite once more, our hearts ablaze, burning brighter and fiercer than ever, until we strike at the heart of our enemies and reclaim what it is rightfully ours." Zalar ended with a quotation as his ultimatum.

The crowd, silent and worn, felt the weight of his words, and in that moment, they believed. Their faces still having the fresh despair and dread, but eyes now looking more alive and lively

Suddenly, a chant broke out from within the crowd, reverberating and bouncing on the walls, as I realized it had come from a youthful orc, tears welling in his eyes as he looked above with a new found resolve.

That chant caused a chain reaction, as the entire sanctuary shook with the loud voices and chants—which seemed like a mantra. Their expressions conveying support, as the chants comprised of: Long live Lord Astrionyx! Long live the orcs!

They continued on for a little while, as the heated atmosphere made a stark of hope to ignite in the hearts of those below and the soldiers.

I lifted my head and saw Mordian, my bond looking directly in my direction, a saint smile over his face as I returned his unusual and almost alien gesture with a similar one. “We will commence our attack once the sun sets tomorrow.” Zalar told with a calm and commanding voice.