Void Spawn - A litrpg adventure fantasy

The winds of Caldora were colder than most. The chill touch of the Pillari Mountains was undoubtedly the root cause.

Samael's hair fluttered back as he stood upon the edge of a cliff, his gaze locked towards the distance where the silhouettes of the towering mountains lingered.

It was quite nostalgic. It reminded him of the days when he threw himself into his trial and the freezing nights he had to endure.

Some of the locals were even worried for him with how carefree he was against the harrowing cold. But it did not bother him.

In preparation for their next stop, he and Ajax had to take a short break at Caldora to remodel some of their gear and purchase new ones.

Ajax had his armour redesigned with the addition of heavier cloth padding and winter scarves to avoid frostbite. They also got ice climbing equipment, and Samael took the chance to ask around the locals regarding Pillari.

It took some time to locate the right person, but Samael's efforts did bear fruit. He met a young man around maybe the age of 15 or 16. A local boy who claimed he was part of an expedition group that frequents the area. He said to meet them at the Ice Cove, a tavern in town.

Pulling out a clock, Samael sighed, his breath forming a thin layer of frost visible to the eyes.

It didn't take him long to reach the location. He had familiarised himself with the workings of the area, and even the locals had gotten used to him.

There were questions and a fair amount of attention. Though Caldora was far from most cities, it was still a place capable of communications. They've heard of tales of the Grim Hound and the Shadow Saint, who continues to wreak havoc on the battlefield.

Even the mayor of the town wanted to create a banquet to celebrate their appearance, but Samael promptly refused their offer. Not that it stopped their advance either way.

Arriving before the establishment, Samael's ears swiftly picked up the drumming and bustling noise of the crowd inside. He could smell the liquor and the roasted chicken wafting in the air.

Pushing through, Samael saw the cheerful lads and the bar ladies swivelling around the chaotic men singing and dancing.

It was quite fascinating. Caldora had created a liquor that even echoes can get drunk from. It was the main reason why nearly 80% of the men within the tavern were awakened individuals.

However, Samael's gaze drifted to one presence, the strongest amongst everyone else.

Pushing through the crowd with silent steps, Samael soon came in view of a dozen or so men singing and drinking, their laughs thundering.

Catching a glance of Samael, the young boy known as Itemat stood from his seat as he waved at the approaching man.

Seeing this, the rest of the party cast a glance at Samael.

"He's the man I was telling you about!" Itemat pointed.

"Well, shit," the man at the end of the table muttered.

He was the strongest amongst them all.

Is he the leader? Samael's head slightly tilted.

The man was around his 30s with brown hair, eyes, and a finely kept beard. He had rather pale skin but a sturdy body. He wore a brown leather jacket with all sorts of trinkets hanging off of it.

The man rose to his feet as he cleared his throat, his back straightening and tone dropping a notch.

"How may we be of help, sir?" The man asked.

The young boy's brows furrowed. "Boss? What are y—"

A hand clasped his mouth shut tight, his groans echoing as he was slowly dragged back.

Though whispered, Samael heard it fine as day.

"Shh! Are you nuts?! That's the legend Grimhound, the liberator of the sanctuaries!"

Samael fought hard to keep his sigh from leaving his lips, lest the men think he was displeased.

Popularity was... tiring.

"Be at ease," Samael waved his hand, yet that did nothing to the tensed warrior. "What's your name?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The man cleared his throat as he hastily rubbed his hand over his jacket, ridding it of grime and liquor. "Smith, sir." He pushed his hand forward only to retract it back out of fear.

I have no choice, Samael took a deep breath. "Smith, I have a mission that requires the speciality of your group. That young man over there, Itemat, told me you folks venture over to Pillari?"

Samael watched Smith's face twitch. It seems Itemat overspoke.

"Pardon me, sir, but we don't really travel that far and often just take short stops over the coast. The Blizzard is far too dangerous to hike," Smith explained as he scratched his head.

"That's enough for me," Samael said. "I need passage along with my friend over the coast. You don't have problems with us coming along, right?"

Samael felt bad about using his authority to task the man, yet somehow, it felt natural.

Smith nodded. "Y-yes sir, no problem! We can do that."

Samael gave the man a brief nod. "When do you depart?"

"Tomorrow morning, sir," Smith answered.

"I'll see you guys then." Samael left without another word, allowing the poor blokes to breathe.

As he slowly left the establishment, he could hear them reprimand Itemat for speaking too much and not knowing Samael's reputation.

Samael could only shake his head in annoyance.

***

With their trip set in motion, Samael fetched Ajax early in the morning. As agreed upon, they met the explorers at dawn, where they saw a fairly medium-sized boat armoured and prepared.

The crew waited anxiously; Samael could notice that much. If only they understood that he and Ajax literally did not give a fuck if they treated them normally.

Alas, their reputation was far too stretched.

They boarded the ship without too many words. Itemat had gone silent too, avoiding Samael's eye contact with hasty, nervous movements.

As such, Samael and Ajax remained far from the crew to not unnerve them. It was better that way.

The trip was surprisingly calm. Samael was prepared for ambushes or monster appearances, yet there was nothing but the cold northern wind.

"It must seem odd, doesn't it, sir?" Smith spoke, a pleasant surprise to Samael.

Samael nodded. "It is."

His finger tapped the steel railings as he watched the ever-approaching towering mountains in the distance. "Our last trip was harrowing. Monsters on all sides assaulted us without mercy. We nearly didn't make it."

He turned to the man. "Why are the waters calm?"

Smith shrugged. "Pardon my ignorance, sir, but this part of the sea had always been calm ever since I've sailed it when I was just a brat."

Samael's brows furrowed. "It is? And it had never changed?"

"Never," Smith shook his head. "It's strange even for us. The elders call it the blessing of Taranius, but with the recent revelations..."

"I understand," Samael nodded.

"Is it true?" Smith asked.

"What is?" Samael replied.

"That the war is severe? How bad is it?" Smith asked. "I and my mates wanted to join the frontline, but the elders forbade us from doing so."

Samael fell silent.

Smith cleared his throat. "I—I apologise for asking too much—"

"No," Samael cut him off. "The war is indeed severe."

Smith fell silent this time. A heavy atmosphere settling in the air. A sombre chill that made the cold even harsher.

"Each day hundreds die, if not thousands." Samael remembered the reports and the counts of casualties. It had become so bad that their deaths had become just another number in the tally. "It would have been easier if we were facing monsters only, but we are facing men who were prepared for a war of this scale."

Smith's jaw tensed, a mutter escaping his lips. "Traitors..."

"I've seen great men fall to their tricks." Images of Hammel's last moments hammered his head. "No one deserves to go out like that."

The two fell silent. Not a word, not a remark. Simply... silence.

"I-I I'll leave you for now." Smith hurriedly went away.

A sigh escaped Samael's lips. It keeps him up sometimes. The deaths, the loss, and the fact that he could have prevented it all if he were stronger.

For the last few years he had fought tooth and bone, yet every day his strength was challenged, and every day he sustained losses.

They say his presence inspires honour and courage, but is that courage truly worth it if the same men he inspires die like cattle?

He doesn't know sometimes if he's doing the right thing.

But he knows he must keep going.

Because if he doesn't.

Who will?

A blaring siren echoed in the ship as Samael's gaze snapped towards the deck. Soon, a voice came from the captain's cabin. Smith's voice.

"We're arriving soon! We are ten minutes out! Prepare the gear and the chains!"

The men went to move like clockwork, settling on their respective positions while Samael and Ajax regrouped back on the front deck.

They could see it now, the shore.

He had never seen sand frozen before nor oceans turned to nothing but blocks of ice.

Fortunately, he was resistant to the cold. But even he could tell how bad the frostbite was with how much the men were shivering under their heavy and thick coats.

"We're arriving soon. What's our plan?" Samael asked Ajax.

"We were given a general location of the last message. We could head there right away, but it'll be hard," Ajax responded.

"I figured as much," Samael muttered.

It didn't take long before the ship came to a halt, as the ice was far too thick to bypass. Due to this, they had to stop prematurely.

Approaching Smith, who guided his men, Samael asked. "Captain, why do you and your men come here? Surely not for the thick ice?"

Smith pointed outwards, deeper inland. "We come to resupply a tribe that lives here. We made contact with them a long time ago. They helped us when we crashed."

"A tribe?" Samael's brows knitted together. "I thought Pillari was desolate?"

"Well, those are false rumours then," Smith chuckled. "They call themselves the Ankin tribe. They're rather... unique with their ways."

"Elaborate," Samael insisted.

"Well, for one, their technologies are old. They use animal hide as cloaks and use crude weapons made of cold steel," Smith recalled. "Their medicine is also exotic, with doctors from Caldora not even being able to tell how they were made."

Smith's brows frowned. "It's almost like they've been forgotten in time."

Samael's gaze shifted aside for a moment, his mind cranking as he recalled the information he had read in the history books.

Pillari used to be a habitable place with kingdoms and such. Yet, the snow killed everything.

Or so they thought.

It seems some survived.

If so, do they know about Namesh Lit Karpa?

Without another word, he made way for Ajax, who had disembarked not long ago.

"What did you get?" Ajax asked.

Samael's gaze shifted far into the mountains.

"A way."