Return of the Fallen Volume 11 Chapter 51
A silence spread all around before the radiant glow darkened and a chilly atmosphere surrounded the entire landscape.
“Little one, you confuse me for some worthless welp. I am not one to be messed with, leave this place now while I still hold patience.”
Arc did not back down and instead inched closer.
“Your denial and bluffs reek of fear and weakness. If you really had the power, you would have reduced me to nothingness the moment I appeared before you. Not only have you not made a move but I have even insulted you directly to your face and all you’ve done is speak threats. I can sense it all, you are fading into oblivion. It won’t be long now until you are totally forgotten from all sight and sound. Your time is almost upon you. You have lasted eons in such a miserable state. For what reason does your soul still exist? Do you not have regrets, do you not have something you wish to do? Some purpose you have or is this where your fate meets its end?”
Resadez was silent. The anger billowing outward, suppressing everything in sight halted and became neutral. It reexamined Arc and found that it could not completely see-through Arc’s power.
“You…What are you? Where did you come from?”
Arc smiled inside. Catching Resadez’s curiosity was the first step. Now was the time to toss the bait.
“I am one who seeks what was lost. I can see things others cannot and sense the true nature of the cosmos. I am called Arc. I have come to you to trade. In doing so, things you have lost, I can help to restore, that is…if you’re interested.”
…
You wish to help me restore what was lost, you ask why I hang on through this endless torment. Yes, there is something I wish and to complete my goal, I first require a body. A real body so that I can regain my power and finish the bastard who put me in this state.
Marty, Kazuki, and Arc all thought about the legends surrounding this place. From the stories, Resadez fought on par with the God of gluttony Ourodyess. In the end, Ourodyess won and Resadez fell. Afterward, it was Ourodyess who eventually fell to other Gods, possibly at the hands of Supreme Gods but none of them knew if this was the truth or not.
None of that matter to Arc. In the end, he only wished to make a deal.
“A body? With you’re power, surely you could have left from here long ago and created a new form on your own. Why stay here in this decimated state?”
The floating soul in the air above dimmed for a moment before expressing frustration.
“This bastard slug beneath me. All of the time I’ve wasted stuck here is his fault. His power can block my own from escaping this place. Even Gods have trouble leaving from here.”
Arc and the others were surprised by this truth.
“So it’s the worm that binds others here.”
“Yes, that parasite can suppress the souls of others along with magic and strength and many other ways. If I try to make a move and leave, this bastard will drag me back down. Maybe back in the day, I might have been able to escape If I used everything all at once but I was foolish back then and thought others would help but no. I am alone and one false move and the rest of my soul will be eaten. You though, there is something different about you. All artifacts have mysterious abilities. If it’s you, maybe there is a chance.”
“So does this mean you wish to make a deal with me? This sudden change in attitude is it not too abrupt?”
Resadez energy pulsed.
“I did not know what you were but now I see. You are an artifact but you are not complete. I can sense that you have been self-aware for a very long time. You act like you know exactly what you are but thinking about it more clearly, you are missing a part of yourself. How would you ever know what and who you are without that missing piece? You couldn’t know. Because of that, we are similar in some ways. Both of us, you could say are helpless in many ways. I feel a sense of comradery because of this. So maybe the change is sudden but can you blame me? You who have clearly come with a purpose, you wish for something from me and it’s clear I may actually benefit from you. So why be hostile, there’s no point.”
Arc agreed with this.
“I do indeed want something from you, that’s why I spoke of a trade. As you have probably noticed by now, the worm king down below has not yet sensed my presence. Because of this, the suppressing effects on me are reduced greatly. You wish to have a body but cannot leave this place due to him. Well, I can conceal you inside my own form, inside this very ring. I can then take you away from here and I can then even have a body crafted to your own specifications if you wish.”
These words were like bombs going off in Resadez’s soul. He trembled down to his very core and suddenly the universe seemed to have opened up to him and the possibilities and future seemed limitless.
“I can…I can regain my freedom. Is this true?”
“I would not lie. Do you think I would come all of this way just to trick someone destined to fade out?”
“Right, coming here you had your own reasons. So why trade with me? Out of the three High Realms and the nearly infinite Lower Realms, of all the creatures and other beings why come to me?”
“I’ll admit something to you now. Before I arrived here, I felt a power similar to my own and thought it could be my missing piece. When I arrived I found out it was not my missing piece but instead the remnants of your soul. So now using up a good portion of my own energy, I have become stuck right along with you and everyone else unfortunate enough to crash on this decaying eye of yours. The trade is simple. I simply need you to spare a small amount of your power. With it, I can open a rift allowing us all to leave from this place and never look back. That is all. Some of your power in exchange for you receiving safe passage and a brand new body.”
…
“Well, what say you Resadez?”
…
“I say this deal is absolutely perfect. I accept. What is it you need me to do?”
“Simple just allow me in and do not resist. I will sever a small portion of your power and take it as my own.”
“What about my consciousness inside that severed piece, what of my will connected to that fragment?”
“No need to be concerned. With my abilities, I can remove your consciousness and will from the fragment and completely take it as my own. Just don’t resist or it could damage me in that vulnerable state.”
“If it’s just that then fine. I will not resist. Shall we start right now?”
“Yes.”
Arc began to pulse with energy and sent a small tether of power directly to Resadez’s shapeless ever-shifting soul. In an instant, a shared connection was created. Arc’s power entered Resadez’s soul and very quickly a portion of Resadez’s soul was surrounded by Arc’s power.
“This will only take a moment.”
The instant Arc said this, something strange occurred. The place Arc surrounded was suddenly surrounded by Resadez instead. Not just here but outside as well, Resadez’s soul took Arc inside of the floating light in the air, and Arc was trapped.
“ARC!”
Kazuki dropped down from the wall and rushed ahead. Marty as well didn’t wait around and followed up.
“RESADEZ, WHAT IS THIS!? WE HAD A DEAL! WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT!?”
A psychotic laugh rang out and the world shook.
*HAHAHAHAHA!*
This laughing caused Kazuki and Marty to freeze on the spot. it rattled and reverberated their insides and the pair keeled over as they couldn’t help but cough up mouthful after mouthful of blood. Blood ran from their eyes, ears, and nose, creating an ugly sight. Still, Kazuki did not stop running forward. Marty who took longer to regenerate could only slow down or be destroyed by the power contained in this laugh.
“Little one, did you really think I would make a deal with you? Did you really think I would just trust you and make a deal? Even if you are an artifact, I don’t feel you have any connection with anyone else. Without an owner, your powers can never be brought forth in full. Because of this, you can never even dream of competing with me. I will take whatever remains inside and drain you and use it to finish my rebirth.”
Suddenly The king sandworm began to twitch as Resadez called out.
“Time for another meal!
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