"What did you say?" Darian turned to him, serious.
The demon beast took a deep breath, locking eyes with him. "My race has been in this universe for ages… way before the Risen showed up. We have a secret bloodline technique that lets us pass down crucial teachings and information through the generations. Without it, so much would be lost."
"Countless generations ago, our race worshipped a god long forgotten by the world. One day, that god destroyed all his statues and left a message for his faithful. His exact words were lost… he must've made sure no records remained. But he made it clear he'd be watching everything and everyone… that it would be like…"
"Heaven's Will…" Darian finished, stunned. Was he talking about the same being he'd been thinking of?
"Yes. We believe that god—our lord—became Heaven's Will." The beast leader nodded. "His greatest teaching was this:
The world isn't fair and the celestial laws have no emotions. In the end, everyone lives by the law of the strongest, and that's what rules the world. But Heaven's Will watches all living things from afar. The catch is, it can't break the rules. Karma is the key. If everyone's karma permits, it will move mountains to help the righteous."
Darian listened and exhaled. In the book that had been accurate about everything so far, the protagonist eventually became a god worshipped in many places.
In the end, he did exactly as commanded: he destroyed all his statues and ended that religion. Then he sent a message to his followers, saying he would watch them, but they should no longer worship him. And indeed, he had become Heaven's Will.
The beast leader continued, "We respect our lord's choice. We don't worship him directly, but his teachings stay with us. My ancestor… she was the old leader of our race, a powerfully mutated wolf… she was the strongest demon beast in a very long time."
Niara heard this, surprised. Mutations happened in every race, creating unique abilities. They were random and usually harmed the bearer. Mutants often died young, but occasionally a useful mutation emerged.
"She led us to prosperity and survival… but one day, the Academy gave her an order she refused to follow. No one knows what it was, but as punishment, she was forced to sacrifice herself. She died in battle after fully corrupting herself. Yet, before her final battle, she left her legacy and words that strengthened future generations:
Fight and never lose the will to live. Our bodies and lives may be corrupted, but our souls and wills never will. Never dishonor the teachings our lord left. We will keep building good karma with the world, and that will allow our lord to help us. One day, someone sent by him, capable of saving us and dealing with the Risen, will arrive."
Darian took it all in silence, but internally he was in turmoil. His curse had always been a baffling mystery… and the book, which felt like a bible, was equally mysterious. Hearing all this left him unable to think straight.
"Lord…" the leader spoke seriously, making Darian meet his gaze. "Please go to our ancestral tomb. If you are who I think you are, you will connect with the teachings."
Niara was confused, feeling Darian's emotional storm. Neither of them reacted, so the leader grew tense and worried. After a few seconds, an idea lit him up:
"I know! In the ancestral tomb, there is a sealed Rainbow Lily. Its power is what has kept the tomb intact for countless generations…"
"What? The same Rainbow Lily?" Niara asked, surprised.
He nodded. "Yes. It's definitely the oldest Rainbow Lily on this planet—maybe in the whole universe. Its power far surpasses any other. Luckily, the ancestors sealed it in the tomb. So no one can easily detect it."
"Partner!" Niara turned to Darian, excited. "The older the Rainbow Lily, the higher its value! If we get it, we'll clinch first place for sure!"
Darian snapped out of his stupor and looked at the leader.
"Don't worry. That Rainbow Lily can only be removed if the ancestral seal is lifted. If you're the right person, we don't need to keep it there." The beast leader said quickly.
Darian nodded. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked around at the beasts.
They should be waking up soon. Darian had healed them because he felt they were close to total corruption. As for that other one—when he failed to heal him, the corruption fought back, took over, and destroyed him completely.
"They'd probably have their final battle and be sacrificed." The leader caught Darian's gaze and continued, "Since you healed them, we can tell the Academy they didn't hold out in time and had to be sacrificed. It happens sometimes when we don't get enough Rainbow Lilies. It won't be an issue—they'll just make us send more people to corrupt themselves again."
"All right, let's head to this tomb." Darian nodded.
They quickly made their way back through the tunnel. On the surface, all the Demonic Beasts were there, waiting with worried looks.
"Get everyone out. As for my brother… take him to the sealed nest. No outsiders can ever see him."
The beast leader ordered, then showed Niara and Darian the way.
They approached one of the mountains encircling the area. There was an entrance to a cave. They ducked inside, and in front of them was a simple altar. On top of it lay a canine fang over thirty centimeters long.
The leader was now in his true form. He stepped forward and dripped his blood onto the fang. The ground trembled; then, the fang vanished as if it had been absorbed into the altar.
Pulsing runes covered the entire cave, like one big connected inscription. Soon, a secret doorway opened at the top of the altar.
"Please, go inside. At the end, you'll face a test. If you pass, you can retrieve the Rainbow Lily and prove you're the right people," the leader said, his voice heavy with seriousness.
Niara and Darian moved forward, entering alone.
…
The leader took a deep breath as the passage sealed behind them. He left the cave full of hope and thoughts. Now it was just a matter of waiting.
The first day of the test passed.
Soon after, the second day ended.
Early the next morning…
Howls echoed across the region.
The beast leader sprang into action, alerted. They were danger signals from the mountain sentinels!
He ran and scrambled up one of the peaks. At the top, he saw nothing—but when he inhaled deeply, his senses detected invisible presences that made his eyes go wide.
They were coming from every direction.
Mannaz… thousands of them, silently closing in with no chance to escape.
'Bloodkill Claw!' he muttered in his mind, stunned. 'Why are they here?'
The leader howled the command.
A black wolf moved forward alone, walking slowly toward the hidden shadows. It clearly wanted to parley.
But…
*Slash!*
A blade shot out of nowhere and cut him in half.
There was no conversation.
They came to kill.