The Kind of Evil

Chapter 617 - 617: Facing Consequences.

Rullein used every limb of hers to fight the nine Ancient Great Spirits. She couldn't borrow the Overlord's power anymore since that first blast that Agon and Zagres created. She purely used her own power, but even then, her power was being disturbed and released without her will by Hywan's power. The longer she fought the less she dominated the battle and the stronger the Great Spirits were due to her power being purified and redistributed to them by Hywan's power.Bai appeared right behind her and bit her left shoulder with his fangs and strong jaw. He ripped her shoulder and arm off while Zagres used that opportunity to punch her right in the gut. She was sent flying but Agon appeared behind her back and kneed her right on the spine. She turned into smoke but then was disrupted by Hywan's power, forcing her to stay in a solid form. Using that opportunity, Frin dove from the sky, creating rapid sonic booms before his beak hit her right in the chest.

Rullein's back hit the solid ice and spiky surface above the sea that Rhys had prepared for Rullein's downfall. Her body was impaled by the ice spikes then Rhys howled, crystalizing Rullein's body while at the same time sealing Rullein's power. Rullein tried to resist the frostbite when she saw a massive silhouette that blocked the sunlight. She looked up and saw Ashu in his turtle form falling down toward her. She could only grit her teeth when the heavy and solid shell crushed her body and the frozen sea shattered below her. She sunk and drowned into the deep sea.

Rullein could easily swim back to the surface, but the silence felt too peaceful. She then heard cracking sounds around her, and when she glanced to the side she noticed the water around her began to freeze. Slowly but surely she was imprisoned in the block of ice and she didn't try to resist it.

"(Rasmus...)" Rullein closed her eyes.

"(Yes?)" Rasmus responded.

"(I underestimated them)" Rullein said as she listened to the sound of bubbles around her.

"(You always underestimated your opponents)" Rasmus responded.

A smirk appeared on Rullein's face as her whole body began to feel cold.

"(I learned it the hard way)" Rullein said.

"(At least you learned)" Rasmus hummed. "(And now you're facing the consequences)" He added.

"(I am...)" Rullein felt as the silence began to feel deafening.

"(I said face those consequences, not accept them)" Rasmus pointed out. "(You're on your own right now. Think)" He added.

Rullein reached the seabed and could feel the ice cracking due to the immense pressure. She was unbothered by it and focused on something that she had been told by Aristoria to never look at it unless she was so powerless that she couldn't do anything else. She knew what it was because Aristoria told her, knowing that she might get curious someday, it was her origin.

Rullein opened her eyes and she found herself standing next to her core, a blob of darkness that emitted eerie black smoke. She had never looked into her own core, she never knew what the limit of her power was. She was taught by Aristoria to master what she could control, but not her true power.

"The resentment of the True Dragons..." Rullein muttered as she approached her core. "Beings who harbor no emotions ended up creating and accumulating such resentment after their deaths," she stood right in front of her core and her right hand hovered over it. "That makes no sense, right?" She asked herself as she touched the blob and it immediately reacted and tried to devour her hand.

Rullein didn't pull away her hand and watched as the blob devoured her hand and arm until she was being pulled toward it. She took a step forward as she put her other hand on it, noticing that the blob didn't feel like it was devouring her, it was more like she was being pulled out of desperation and powerlessness, being pulled by something which had no more strength to spare.

"Because True Dragons are the law of nature itself. The resentment doesn't come from them, it's the world itself that weeps after their death. Just like rain to the trees, without the trees the rain creates an avalanche," Aristoria answered. "It was the trees last wish to protect... to live, and the rain granted it and created a single sapling. And that sapling is you," she explained.

Rullein turned around and was surprised to see Aristoria in this tiny world of hers.

"Whatever you see, feel, and hear, they belonged to the past. You're not the essence of True Dragons, you're way more special than them," Aristoria smiled gently at Rullein. "I taught you everything but there was one thing that I couldn't teach you, it was maturity because my emotions and way thinking were artificial. But now, you have someone that taught you that. You're ready to see that now," she pointed out as she looked at the blob of darkness.

"Am I ready?" Rullein asked.

Aristoria's smile widened, showing pride and relief when she heard that question.

"The fact you asked, you are," Aristoria nodded.

Rullein looked at the blob that had pulled her whole shoulders, and she could easily pull away from it, but she didn't. She looked over her shoulder at Aristoria, but she disappeared. She then took a deep breath and steeled her resolve before she finally pushed herself into the blob.

As soon as she entered the blob, she arrived in a world of silhouettes and shadows and she saw thousands of True Dragons around her, beings that made mountains look like small piles of soil. She felt overwhelmed that tears began to run down her chin because she was moved by something and touched right into her soul if she had one. She could feel the desperation, the pain, the powerlessness, and the fate that brought True Dragons into extinction. She could listen to every one of them during their last moments before they cease to exist. It was as what Aristoria said earlier, she could feel the wishes of the True Dragons to protect Neva.

Rullein fell to her knees when she found out how selfless and caring True Dragons truly were. They weren't beings that used their powers to dominate, they used their powers to nurture Neva that the world given them. They knew of a future where beings would exist after them, and they wanted Neva to be a safe place for them to live, a perfect habitat to live in harmony.

As Rullein wept from the memories of the True Dragons, she was unaware that each silhouette and shadow were being absorbed into her own. She sobbed as she covered her face with her hands, finally understanding the reason for her existence. Once she accepted of who she was, she wiped off the tears in her eyes and when she lifted her head, the world seemed empty, leaving only a faint glow of pale brown on the horizon.

"Your wish is not mine, but we have something in common..." Rullein slowly stood up as she clutched onto the silk cloth on her chest. "The world wept for you, and so I'll be the avalanche," she muttered as she closed her eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, she was back to reality and her whole body had been completely frozen on the seabed. She slowly turned into a puff of smoke and escaped the ice. She appeared on the piece of floating ice and could see the surprised look on the Great Spirits who had thought they had just defeated her. They immediately created havoc on the weather and on the sea, preparing for another fight. However, she glanced at the blizzard, the storm, the tornadoes, the raging sky like they were child's play. She flicked her hand and immediately the sky cleared, the blizzard disappeared, and the storm calmed down.

Aris who had been observing the situation from afar suddenly clenched her fists.

"This is the worst outcome for your situation," Aris said and looked at Rasmus. "She has awakened her power," she revealed.

"Then there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to face it," Rasmus responded as he stared at the distance. "We rested long enough, we should continue our journey," he said as he turned around and walked back into the carriage.

Aris sighed and lowered her head for a moment before she caught up with Rasmus and entered the carriage.