As the colossal form of Drakaris disappeared, Asher felt the world around him shift. The darkness enveloped him, thick and palpable, a cloak of absolute obscurity that seemed to alter the very fabric of his surroundings.
He braced himself, a sense of disorientation briefly seizing him, before his feet found solid ground once more.
But this was no ordinary terrain; he stood enveloped in pitch-black darkness, a void where light dared not venture.
Yet, Asher remained undaunted. His eyes pierced through the darkness with unnatural clarity, unlike when he had first entered the tower.
The absence of light, which would have blinded any other, was no obstacle to him. He saw the world around him as if bathed in the light of day, every detail sharp and defined.
He knew his bloodline allowed him to see clearly in complete darkness and realized that when he entered, the darkness that enveloped him was not simple at all.
"My king...is that you?" The voice, soft yet distinct, cut through the stillness.
Asher turned, his eyes immediately recognizing the woman.
He could see Naida standing before him, her expression appearing a bit shaken.
Her eyes, though unseeing in the blackness, were directed towards him, filled with a mixture of concern and relief.
Asher's heart stirred at the sight of her. The resemblance she bore to Selene was uncanny, stirring memories and emotions he knew weren't really his.
It was a disconcerting sensation, the lines between two souls, between Naida and Selene, blurring in his mind.
Both women shared a lineage, their similarities more than mere coincidence, yet their identities were distinct, a fact that Asher found increasingly difficult to reconcile.
Naida's expression softened, her voice carrying a blend of relief and admiration, "I am relieved to see that you have passed the trial, my king. But I am quite surprised by what you did during the trial. Anybody would have chosen power and survival," she said, her words laced with a hint of wistfulness.
Surprise etched across Asher's features, his usual composure momentarily faltering, "You...You remember everything?" he murmured, a mix of disbelief and curiosity in his tone.
Naida's eyes became distant as she said softly, "Not until the trial ended and the supreme one himself explained what happened," she began, her tone laced with a sense of wonder and disbelief, "I felt like a different person, living a different life. Who would have thought this person would turn out to be my ancestor. Never in my dreams would I have imagined I would be familiarizing myself with my ancestor like this."
Asher, absorbing her words, realized the gravity of the situation. He had not anticipated that Drakaris would reveal himself to Naida as well, nor the impact it would have on her.
It was clear that experiencing the life of Selene had left a profound mark on her, just as Raziel's experiences had affected him deeply.
She slowly lifted her gaze towards where Asher stood, her unseeing eyes searching the darkness, "Nor did I expect I would be witnessing the origins of our kingdom's founder. We never knew it was us playing those roles," she added, her voice imbued with a mix of wistfulness and introspection.
A wry chuckle escaped Asher's lips, "This tower played a cruel joke on us, making us suffer countless times. It must have hurt...right? I should have done better," he said, his voice tinged with regret.
He pondered over the numerous lifetimes they had endured, the pain Naida must have experienced as Selene, dying over and over, each time he failed.
A sense of guilt washed over him, for the suffering he inadvertently caused, even though he was unaware of his true identity at the time.
Naida's gaze softened further, and a gentle smile graced her lips, "You have no reason to blame yourself," she said with a slight shake of her head, "Even if it hurt, it was worth it because I got to help you albeit as a different person."
Asher felt a heartening sensation since Naida didn't seem to hold any anger or grudge against him.
Even if someone volunteered for this, they wouldn't have known they would be going through such suffering and would feel compelled to blame the one who caused them to go through all that.
Most of them would have come out broken if they remembered all that.
But since it was her, he wasn't surprised to see her survive that. However, he was surprised to feel the sincerity in her words. She really meant it despite what she went through.
*Rumble!*
The tranquility of their darkened surroundings was abruptly shattered as the ground beneath Naida and Asher began to tremble.
Instinctively, they both tensed, their senses heightened in anticipation of an unseen threat.
Asher's eyes scanned the interior of the empty tower. He noted with a growing sense of alarm that the once sturdy walls were now riddled with cracks, groaning under some unseen strain, as if the very structure was threatening to come apart.
"Don't tell me this tower is going to collapse on us. I can't use my mana for a while," Asher uttered, his voice steady but laced with urgency as he searched for an exit amidst the chaos.
Naida replied with firm resolve, "No need to worry, my king. I will protect you and try to find a way out," Her hands emanated a radiant red glow as she conjured a blood barrier, enveloping them in a protective shield.
"I can't see the entrance," Asher stated, his voice tinged with frustration, as the ground continued to shake, each tremor more violent than the last.
The ominous sound of cracking stones echoed around them, growing louder, a cacophony of impending doom.
Just when they braced for the worst, an unexpected calm ensued. The tower vanished as if it had never been, replaced by the glaring brightness of the crimson sunlight.
Blinking against the sudden onslaught of light, Naida and Asher found themselves staring into a sea of faces.
A gathering of draconians surrounded them, their expressions mirroring Asher's own disbelief coupled with great shock.
The Tower of Torment was not only a sight of despair but also a symbol of their kingdom. It had stood here since the birth of their kingdom, and to suddenly see it crumble and disappear left them feeling a sense of emptiness and shock.
They stared at the Bloodburn King with looks of horror, wondering what kind of monster he had to be to really conquer the tower when everyone else failed.
Some were even awed despite holding grudges towards the Bloodburn Kingdom.
Drakar stood mere feet away, his shadow extending in an eerie way on the ground. However, despite a flash of surprise in his eyes, his lips began to slowly curve upon observing Asher's eyes.
On an elevated platform, Lysandra and Rhygar observed them with evident shock.
"Impossible! His eyes…they don't seem to be soulless. How did he come out without a scratch in his mind??" Rhygar felt angered and frustrated upon seeing that this alien managed to do something nobody could do on his own soil.
And just like others, he wondered what kind of reward he must have got for completing it. It can't be anything ordinary. Fortunately, he doesn't seem like he has gotten any stronger.
But now, at least, he would have the chance to deliver this alien's head on a platter to his mother. He could only imagine her look of happiness and satisfaction when she sees it.
However, Lysandra slowly got up, her eyes brimming with astonishment, hope, and a sense of disbelief, though she quickly masked.
She couldn't help but wonder if he was not merely just a genius but someone special. He can not only achieve the impossible, but he can also communicate with those trapped in another dimension.
The fact that the devils granted him such an ability made her wonder if he could really bring her son back. Someone with such special abilities and bloodline must be able to make it happen.
She felt she made the right choice by resisting the urge to kill him, and instead, once he returned her son to him, she could use him to fix everything that was wrong.
Leonidas, Caelum, Silvan, Oberon, and Eradicator were also there, positioned exactly as they had been before Asher entered the tower.
"I knew it! Our king is the greatest of all time!" Leonidas roared with a frenzied look while giving a contemptuous look at the draconians around him, who clicked their tongues and looked away with their faces burning.
"It's quite magical. I wonder how long they must have spent inside…" Caelum mumbled.
"This is a first. For all the previous attempts, nobody came out this fast. It must be because he passed the trial," Silvan said with a contemplative look.
Fuck…fuck…FUCK!!...Oberon's right eye was twitching uncontrollably upon seeing this alien fiend coming out unscathed and causing the tower to self-destruct.
Why were the devils favoring him so much? If only they could have made him lose his soul inside, things could have finally looked bright for him.
He had just begun to dream how he could reclaim everything that Asher had stolen from him. But now, all those dreams were gone before they could even develop further in his mind.
The scene before them was surreal. To Asher and Naida, it felt as though years had passed within the confines of the tower, yet for those outside, it appeared as if no time had elapsed at all.
The disparity in their experiences, coupled with the outcome, created an air of confusion and disbelief.
However, Asher's instincts kicked in. He realized that with the disappearance of the tower and Drakaris, they were no longer shielded by the pact that had protected them all this time.
His mind raced, anticipating an ambush any time, and he was just about to caution Naida to be ready for anything when Drakar's voice cut through the tension,
"I can't begin to express how impressed I am to see that you have once again conquered the impossible. You deserve the title 'Defier of Despair' which is meant only for the one who conquered it," Drakar said, stepping forward with a commanding yet amiable presence. He then spread his arms wide, a smile playing on his lips. "I am sure we will have a lot to talk about. But why don't we do it over a grand celebration to celebrate your act of making history today. Tonight, I will hold the celebration, and all of your people are invited to come. I won't accept any refusals for an auspicious day like this," he declared, his smile deepening.
Asher, taken aback by this turn of events, quickly masked his surprise.
He had braced himself for confrontation, not an invitation to a celebration.
Drakar's demeanor also seemed far from hostile despite having his tower conquered. He also seemed genuinely happy.
Asher's eyes narrowed as he wondered what Drakar was up to. This wasn't exactly the ruthless and power-hungry king he had imagined in his head.
