Chapter 817 Four Pillars: Life of a Shadow Serpent
With Sellifer confirming the thoughts going on in Valyr's head with her words, the latter went silent for a bit before asking the woman a question. "How did you even get the affinity in the first place?"
"Even if you ask me, I wouldn't be able to answer." Sellifer shook her head in response. "After all, that was the same question my parents asked themselves when they found out I had an affinity for the forbidden energy."
"However, even after they retraced their paths to their ancestors, there was no solid conclusion to be found. All they found out was that I had gained the affinity for mana out of nowhere."
"If you were to ask me why, I would have no answer as well." She shrugged her shoulders soon after. "I did think for some time that the affinity was given to me for a greater purpose…"
"But I guess it was just the heavens doing its usual shenanigans of making sure beings were imperfect one way or another."
Scratching the back of his head after that, Valyr faintly let out a sigh before returning his attention to the sight before them.
Watching the couple and the very young Sellifer go through the small settlement, the young man slightly narrowed his eyes as he began to notice a hint of panic on the couple's expressions.
Naturally, as she was still small at the time, the young Sellifer seemed to show no emotion at all.
However, for some reason, Valyr felt that the young Sellifer at the same time looked at her parents with both confusion and worry, wondering what was going on.
"The Gates of Awakening really started going through my journey at this part, huh," muttered Sellifer as she realized what was happening, faintly cursing out the organization not long after.
Seeing the young man look at her for answers, the woman went silent for a bit before deciding to give him a bit more information. "I'm pretty sure the expressions on my parents' faces have made it more than obvious…"
"But as you can see, the two of them have made up their minds to leave the settlement as quickly as possible."
At those words, Valyr felt a bit confused. "For what reason, though? Is it because of your affinity for mana?"
"Precisely." Sellifer faintly nodded with a sigh. "Man… I didn't really want to relive this part of my memory again."
"But basically, even though no one in the settlement knew that I had an affinity for the forbidden energy, my parents felt like the others would find out sooner or later."
"With that, they decided to leave the settlement with me before others could find out, deciding to head to a larger settlement where it would be harder to find our tracks."
With that, Valyr returned his attention to the sight before them, watching as the couple gradually turned into Shadow Serpents far larger than the one he fought to awaken his Shadow Energy in the Shadow Plane.
Slithering through the watery plains at great speeds, the three eventually found themselves arriving in front of a far larger settlement after two continuous days of moving about.
Compared to the small settlement that the three were previously in, the settlement before them at that moment reminded Valyr of Clossbay City in terms of its structure.
As for the territory it occupied, the young man felt that the closest city in that regard would be the capital of Algerie Kingdom, Algerie City.
Seeing the trio go through the gates of the large settlement, Valyr watched as the sight before them move at a considerably faster pace, reminding him of the memories on Vaughn he had viewed in the past.
Though it moved at a faster pace, it was still more than clear for the young man to make out what was going on, watching as the three gradually got settled into the large settlement as its citizens.
After that, Sellifer's parents began to teach her all of the basic skills and abilities needed to become a Shadow Serpent, being reminded that their daughter was gifted in every regard when it came to Shadow Energy.
Eventually, after a few years had gone by, Sellifer had been taught of a skill that would allow to take on a humanoid form that consumed her Shadow Energy in the process.
Transforming into a young child that was only had its face bereft of scales, the young man committed the woman's progress into memory as he looked at Sellifer as he waited for her to give him more information.
Naturally, as she was bound by the agreement with the Gates of Awakening to explain what was going on, Sellifer looked back at Valyr as she began to speak. "Before I begin my explanation, have you come across a settlement during your journeys into the Shadow Plane before?"
In response, Valyr shook his head, telling her that almost everything he had seen during the couple of times he had entered the Shadow Plane was none other than forests and jungles.
With that, Sellifer asked him if he knew of the peculiarity of the species when it came to its predators and prey, to which the young man responded that he did.
Of course, he also mentioned that he knew that Shadow Serpents were an exception to that rule, eliciting a nod from the woman in response.
"As there are no native humans within the Shadow Plane, it could be said that Shadow Serpents have taken the place of humans," said Sellifer as she began her explanation, prompting Valyr's eyes to widen in surprise.
"I'm sure you're still under the notion that almost all of the Shadow Serpents live in settlements and buildings that match their grandiose sizes, assuming that only a minority would take on a humanoid form to live in similar settlements."
"But the reality of the matter is that it's actually the exact opposite," said Sellifer in a solemn tone. "Most high-rank Shadow Serpents are constantly in humanoid form, with only the young and a stubborn few remaining in their original forms."
At this point, the woman returned her attention to the sight before them. "After reaching a certain age, Shadow Serpents are taught a basic skill that would allow them to take on a humanoid form in exchange for their Shadow Energy." "However, there are actually three method in the Shadow Plane for one to become humanoid."
"The first method is the one I just mentioned, which is magic. By sacrificing a part of your Shadow Energy, you'd be able to temporarily take on a human form."
"Though, in that form, you'd be able to execute an incredibly small portion of your power," said Sellifer with a slight shrug. "Then again, there are some who have created skills that would allow them to take on a human form that allowed them to exhibit more of their power."
"The second method is alchemy, most often considered the go-to option by many Shadow Serpents."
"By ingesting a special concoction, one would gain an innate ability to shift between humanoid and Shadow Serpent form. Compared to the first method, the power would be able to unleash as a human through this method is far greater."
"However, it's still lacking when compared to the final method," said Sellifer, piquing Valyr's interest.
"And what would the final method be?" asked Valyr after that, feeling like he had a good idea as to what it was.
In response, Sellifer merely smiled with a hint of pride. "One word."
"Atavism."
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