Chapter 157: Pulling the Trigger
Jack appeared in the middle of the shrine with a stumble. The moment reality finished playing around, he scanned his surroundings.
Destruction. The skeleton by the corner was the only thing left untouched. The rest of the shrine was carnage, like someone took a sledgehammer and went to town on it. The thin walls were torn and battered. The floor was upturned. The ceiling had collapsed in places, showering the room with debris.
Not even the statue of Enas had escaped. It lay on the ground with tiny dents on its face, surrounded by chips of stone. Someone had tried and failed to break it.
Jack was seized by anxiety. He had just received a divine gift by Enas. Now, someone had tried to break his statue? Was that considered blasphemy? Was Jack supposed to do something about it? Not that hed ever agreed to such a thing, but still, it felt right to help those who helped you.
If the statue was destroyed, would I be stuck in that cavern? he wondered with rising brows.
Jack! A cry reached him, filled with elation. He looked outside the shrine, finding Nauja approaching, and walked to meet her.
Outside the little room, the wave of destruction continued unabated. The flimsy fence was tattered, the soil carved, the nearby ruins of a house collapsed.
Thank the System youre here! Nauja said, rushing over. She seemed relieved. Brock was worried sick. He tore the place up to find you.
Brock did all that? Jack asked, looking around again.
He went berserk! I managed to stop him from destroying my ancestors skeleton, but the rest of it She gestured widely at the disaster. Well, lets just say its a good thing the Ancients here are long, long gone.
My little bro
Jack heart fluttered. Brock had been so worried that he started searching everywhere He wasnt even gone that long. The brorilla must have been frantic.
As if on cue, Brock spilled out from behind a hut at full tilthed heard Jack and Naujas voices. The moment he saw Jack, his little eyes widened, and Jack could see the tension leaving the little brorillas shoulders.
His fur was matted, covered in chips of wood and stone. His staff was dusty, his pants torn at the hems, his gaze filled with elation. He rushed to Jack like a cannonball of fur and slammed on him, sending them both to the ground.
Oof! Jack said, falling on his back. I missed you too, bro.
Yes! Bro! Yes! Brock stood on Jacks chest, drumming on his chest and cheering to the heavens before realizing what he was doing. He quickly stepped back and helped Jack stand, then dutifully dusted off his big bros pants.
Jack laughed. Its alright, Brock. Im glad to see you were worried about me.
Bro! Brock exclaimed, almost insulted. He pointed at Jack, then himself. Bros.
Oh, you even know the plural now? How long was I gone for?
A few hours, Nauja replied. She gave him a pointed look. Enough for Brock to wreck the ruins of my ancestors.
Jack paused. That didnt sound quite right. Should he scold Brock?
Then again, Brock had seen his big bro touch a statue and disappear. He didnt know how the world worked. In fairness, Jack might have acted the same way. He really couldnt blame his little bro.
But he had destroyed the ruins of Naujas ancestors. Why didnt she stop him? Could she be worried, too?
I understand your reaction, bro. It came from the heart, he declared, raising his hands in a peace gesture. Still, we apologize for disrespecting your ancestors, Nauja. At least it all worked out.
Yeah, she accepted the half-apology after hesitating for a moment. Where were you, anyway?
So, Jack told them. Not everythingjust most things. He detailed the simple stone cavern, the voices instructions, and the trials he went through. In the end, he even told them about his reward. The only things he withheld were the vision, the battle form offered by the Life Drop, and its true identity as a drop of blood from Enas himself. He said it was simply the Dao Root of Life.
It pained him to lie, especially to Brock, but he remembered the voices instructions. Closest friends were the ones whose betrayal stang the bitterest.
A moment later, he felt ashamed by his own thoughts.
No, you know what? I said some inaccuracies. Let me fix that.
And he told them the rest as well. In the end, he hid nothing. Such was the path of the fist. Perhaps there were mind-readers somewhere in the universe, but Nauja had journeyed here with him and risked her life to help him when the minotaur came knocking.
As for Brock Well, Brocks importance and loyalty went without saying. They were brothers.
Wow, Nauja said breathlessly when Jack was done talking. An Old One? Really?
The voice called him an Old God, but yes. He nodded. So, basically, Im super strong, but nobody must find out.
Brock gave him a thumbs-up.
You should test out that form, Nauja said. I look forward to seeing four-armed, big Jack.
What, here?
Why not? This could be the most secretive place in Trial Planet.
Jack hesitated. He didnt fear discovery if he used his new power here, but the truth was, he felt a bit uncomfortable. He had already ignored the voices instructions by sharing the secretfairly, in his opinion. If he now demonstrated his powers for no reason, even if it was safe Wouldnt he be a little too carefree? Almost disrespectful of the power hed received?
Maybe later, he finally said. When the time comes, you will see it.
Nauja pouted but said nothing. Brock nodded calmly. He was obviously consumed by curiosity but acted like nothing was wrong.
So, Jack said, looking around, how do we get out of here?
There is an exit tunnel leading to the next ring. We discovered it while searching before.
He raised a brow. We?
Obviously, I was searching too. Nauja crossed her arms. What did you expect, that Id just sit back and let Brock wreck this place alone?
Good point. But what about you? You dont want to come to the next ring. Is the way back open?
She bit her lip. I took a look, but the door remains sealed. I think I think there is no way back. Or, if there is, I dont know where.
Jack fell silent for a moment. I could try breaking the door.
I dont think thats wise.
Then, what are you going to do?
She raised her head. Come along, obviously. At least for a bit. I can backtrack when we reach the next ring and climb back up through another tunnel.
Hmm. Jack took a close look at her, not believing her hard attitude. If youre there already, you could come to the village with us. Meet Gan Salin. See the world a bit. And you backtrack later.
Her head remained raised, her gaze somber, but Jack saw the redness creep up her neck. I have considered that, yes. Maybe I will.
He smiled gently. Your father will be worried sick, you know.
At this, she finally lowered her head. I knowbut he sent me on a suicide mission. He even told me to win or die trying. I I didnt like that. I didnt deserve it. He always acts like he knows everything just because hes five hundred years old and an immortal, but I dont think thats right. So, its okay. Let him worry. He could use some heartache.
And the rest of your tribe?
They can handle it. Besides, we barbarians hate holding each other back. Theyll understand. And if I never make it back Her gaze darkened. Then I died in the Forbidden Cave, hunted by delvers for protecting a guest of the tribe.
Jack nodded, his appreciation of her rising. If nothing else, Nauja was clear-cut and decisive. Very well. In that case, we should get going. I suppose we already searched the ruins, in our own, special way.
Nauja looked around. I suspect this kind of searching will become our staple.
Heh. You know what? Our team has a brorilla, a barbarian, and a musclehead. Sounds like a recipe for fun.
And death.
Not if we can hit it hard enough. He laughed.
What about that friend of yours? That Gan Salin?
Oh, hes the worst of us all. Hes insane.
Great. She rolled her eyes. Maybe we should try breaking that door after all.
Jack laughed again, accompanied by Brock.
So, lets get going, he said again.
Right.
They only took a few steps before Nauja froze. Her eyes widened. Wait! she said. Oh, by the System, I cant believe I forgot to tell you.
Tell me what?
While searching for you, I scanned some things. The statue, the wood in the ruins. And, well
She sounded equal parts worried and guilty, like it was a big deal.
Well, what? Jack asked.
You might want to take a look for yourself.
But the rules
Trust me. It no longer matters. Just inspect it.
Jack was already worried, but he trusted her. He directed his gaze at a collapsed house and finally gave in to the urge of scanning.
Ancient Wood
A kind of wood only found in
The screen suddenly crumbled, replaced by another.
WARNING!
ANCIENT ACTIVITY DETECTED. EXTERMINATION PROTOCOL INITIATED. THE NEAREST AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. EXTERMINATORS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED.
LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY. VISIT ANY HAND OF GOD HEADQUARTERS TO RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE BOUNTY. YOUR DISCOVERY CODE IS DT3759FGD937RN.
ALL DETAILS OF THIS MATTER ARE NOW CLASSIFIED. SHARING ANY INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN YOUR SWIFT EXTERMINATION.
THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEW WORLD.
Jack recoiled. The intensity of this System message was unlike anything hed ever read before.
What? he said, reeling. Red, capital letters? Extermination? Bounty? Hand of God? What the hell is going on?
I have no idea, Nauja replied quickly. I dont know many things about the outside world. It almost sounds like there is a bounty on Ancientsbut that should be impossible. The System was created by the Immortals to avenge them. It should be overjoyed at any sign of surviving Ancients. Why would it want to exterminate them instead?
The Hand of God is acknowledged by the System? Jack asked, focusing on that part of the message. He shook his head. I really have no idea whats going on anymore.
We should go.
Absolutely. I dont like this. The farther away we are from whatever is happening, the better And lets not tell anyone about this. Just to be safe.
Agreed. The tunnel is just behind that hill. Lets go.
Rushing over, they quickly reached a stone door engraved with images of dinosaurs and fur-clad people, along with colossal sea creatures, dragons, and all sorts of large monsters.
Not every part of this Ring has dinosaurs, Nauja explained. Jack grabbed the door and pulled itBrock took notesrevealing a dark tunnel sloping downward. After you.
Charming.
There were no torches here, but Brock grabbed some wood from the ruins behind themnot the scannable kindand lit it up. He went first, followed by Nauja and Jack. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving the ruins undisturbed, silent, alone. Sacred. As they had been for eons.
***
Trial Planet was alone in a sea of nothingness, unattached to any stars, simply floating through the vastness of space. The only signs of life around it were two moons in orbit, each housing one station of the Hand of God. Nothing changed here. Ever.
On this day, space was ripped apart like a torn sheet. A small fleet of starships flew in through the rift. Ten of them were dark and needle-shaped, each an order of magnitude larger than the Trampling Ram. The last was white and even larger, shaped as the curve of a magnet.
These ships housed a flurry of activity. People dashed back and forth, all of them immortals. Each of the ten needle ships was commanded by a person clad in long white robes, to whom all nearby immortals showed great deference.
On the bridge of the largest ship stood a woman whose mere presence bent space. She was tall and lithe, middle-aged in appearance. White hair framed her pale face, and a white robe stretched from her shoulders to her ankles, but her physicality belied the gargantuan force that hid inside her.
The Dao flowed around this woman like a river around a rock. Reality shuddered where she looked, and all nearby immortals avoided her gaze, unworthy of even meeting her eyes. She exuded a feeling of purity, like everything was made cleaner just by being near her, but it was the kind of purity that could smother and extinguish everything else. Her eyes were narrowed at Trial Planet, clear, yet intense.
We have arrived, Head Enforcer, a white-robed man said, falling to his knees behind her. He was her lieutenant, and he, too, was someone that the nearby immortals greatly deferred to.
Trial Planet the woman said slowly, her voice clear like river water. What an inconvenient place. Why am I here?
Head enforcer, the protocol dictates that a B-Grade is always to lead the ext
But I cannot enter that planet, can I? She swiveled around to look at him, her eyes boring holes through his heart. So my time is wasted.
The man hesitated. Protocol is
I am aware, she said with a sigh, turning back to Trial Planet. Already, the leaders of each satellite station were rushing over to meet her, but she was in no mood. Unfortunately, even B-Grades couldnt openly oppose protocol. She hid her discomfort, asking, Do we have more information?
We only know theyre somewhere inside the planet. Not too close to the surface, so we can rule out the second ring.
Okay. Inform every Hand of God initiate inside Trial Planet to be on lookout. Detecting the Ancient remnants is now our top priority. They are to scour their respective rings exhaustively. If they find anything, they are to back away and inform us without taking action. They should also ask around for unusual events within the last day or couple of days. Additionally, assemble a team of a hundred E-Grade initiates, give them the proper equipment, and send them in Trial Planet within three days. They are to search everything and not return until they find the Ancients.
Do you mean we should spend a hundred tokens, Head Enforcer?
Did I stutter?
The lieutenant remained silent, sweat forming on his forehead. I hear and obey, Head Enforcer.
As you should. Conveniently, the Animal Kingdom gave us those tokens just recently.
Should we withdraw our members from the Garden Assault, Head Enforcer?
She took a moment to calculate. Keep our head team in the Assault, but withdraw everyone else. The extermination takes precedence, she finally decided. She sighed again. We will remain here until the remnants are confirmed exterminated, as protocol dictates. Arrange for one of the two moons to be evacuated and made into my meditation chamber.
Yes, Head Enforcer, the lieutenant said, bowing deeply.
The woman with the Dao of Purity gazed at the planet again, scowling deeply. A waste of my damn time. She shook her head, then looked to the side as if remembering something. Oh, and obviously, surround Trial Planet and get the proper equipment to deep-scan anyone who exits. The Ancients liked to leave power behind for their successors. If anyone got it, they wont escape our net.
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