Salvos

As a child, Mori Gladius had been given everything he’d ever wanted in life. His parents were a powerful noble family in the Eastern Kingdoms, and they treated him like a prince but without the responsibility. He hadn’t even been the oldest son— the one to inherit the family as their leader. He had no purposes, and as such, he pursued personal power because that was the only thing he didn’t have.

He trained. Grew stronger. He even became an adventurer just so he could forge his own path. But as a bratty noble, he would always get things his way. He used his influence to join one of the most prestigious companies in the world. One of the Three Honorable Companies. The Remembered Order Company.

And that was when he met the Watcher. Unlike everyone else he’d met up to that point, the Watcher paid no attention to his status. To the Watcher’s eyes, Mori was nothing more than another adventurer. The noble boy was treated as such, and that was how he learned humility.

The Watcher taught him very many things. About right and wrong. About justice and responsibility. Mori learned that there was far more to life than just power and influence. He slowly rose up the ranks of the Remembered Order Company, and in time, he became the Watcher’s successor.

He learned to uphold the principles his Master taught him. To be the leader of the Remembered Order Company. And more than just that, Mori Gladius became—

“The Champion of the Human Lands.”

His eyes flickered as the warbled voice echoed from all around him. He stared at the grotesque insect-like figure before him. The Primeval Demon that had been wreaking havoc for so long. A Level 164 [Hellprince].

“You know me?”

Mori asked, raising his glinting spear. Behind him, a flaming figure got to its feet. The Salvos clone shook her head, bringing up a scythe that radiated a faint sense of Divine Essence. He nodded approvingly at that.

The Primeval Demon chuckled. Its wings buzzed as it rose a foot off the ground.

“Of course I know you. I am no fool. I have studied the Human lands. I have taken note of all of your kind that may be a threat to me. And there are few.”

It began listing Titles.

“The Watcher. The Headmaster of Mavos Academy. The Dark Avenger. The Mistress of the Wind. And lastly…”

Its bulbous eyes fixed on the leader of the Remembered Order Company. The Primeval Demon began to multiply— like a reflection on a shattered mirror. A lattice that reflected his image one after another, spreading out around him.

“You, Mori Gladius, Champion of the Human Lands, and [Divine Spearmaster]. One of the highest-leveled [Warriors] of all of Humankind. You are one of the few Humans who are a threat to me.”

Mori narrowed his eyes. He whirled around as the Salvos clone blinked. He stood back-to-back with the flaming figure, both of them surrounded by a hundred of the Primeval Demon. A thousand voices spoke in a cacophony.

“That is why you shall die here.”

All at once, the Primeval Demon swung down with the Sword of Alexander. The attack came from all sides. The Salvos clone squeaked without a noise. She braced herself, but Mori Gladius stood without fear. He thrusted his spear into the air as Divine Essence coalesced around his weapon.

“[Lance of Radiance]!”

A golden glow shot up. Like a pillar of light. It parried the Sword of Alexander. The clash drove the Primeval Demon back as the illusion vanished.

The Salvos clone just stared.

Huh.

I didn’t expect that. I thought my second clone was going to die there and then, but she survived the attack. And it was thanks to Mori Gladius. He took on a wide stance, holding his spear with only a single arm. Divine Essence flaked off his body, dissipating as quickly as it came. It didn’t come from his weapon— I could tell the Divine Essence was his alone.

Still, that spear managed to drive back the Sword of Alexander. A weapon that managed to survive a direct hit from a Mythic Grade artifact without breaking. It had to be powerful. I used [Identification] on it, but some kind of obfuscation magic prevented me from appraising it.

Mori noticed my curiosity and shook his head.

“It’s a Bloodforged Lance. My Master commissioned it for me. It was created by the greatest [Forgemaster] of the Dwarf kingdom of Vonus. Made from my very own blood mixed with their precious orichalcum, it is tied to my being. Its power is dependent solely on my own.”

My second clone’s eyes widened. That was amazing. A weapon— or armor— that grew alongside you— it sounded too good to be true. And yet, I knew Mori was telling the truth.

Belzu panted, steeling himself after being knocked back by Mori. The Primeval Demon was in disbelief.

“How…?”

“I can’t take him on alone, Liberator of the Plaguelands.”

Mori spoke to me as Belzu eyed us warily.

“Will you help me?”

I looked at the Human man through my second clone’s eyes. He had dark blue hair that was dirtied from the fighting. Motes of Divine Essence gathered around him as he readied for another clash. I beamed, making my clone flex an arm.

He smiled in relief.

“Good. Now let’s—”

“[Abomination Fulmination].”

Belzu whispered, cutting off the Human man. He unleashed thousands of horrors at us. They came out of him. At first, like a deluge of black fire. Then came the chittering. The buzzing that roared louder than the raging fire. Thousands of inky, deformed locusts, roaches, and centipedes poured out of the Primeval Demon’s skin.

They came for both Mori Gladius and the clone. She blasted back at them with golden fire, but they phased through the flames. An illusion?

“Don’t let them touch you!”

Mori shouted, leaping atop a nearby building. The first wave of the horrors reached the clone, and she flew into the air. She glanced over at the [Divine Spearmaster] as he continued.

“These aren’t illusions. They’re curses given form. They’ll drain you of your life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a clone— your real body will be affected.”

That was starting to become a trend, huh? The second clone watched as the horrors pooled up, scrambling for her in a mad frenzy. She swerved sharply around them, only for Belzu to appear before her. He stabbed at her with the Sword of Alexander, and she barely blocked it again with the Divine Nebular Scythe.

The rainbow-colored blade cracked once more as my clone went sailing back. Belzu pressed on, bringing down the Sword of Alexander again.

“Perish.”

“No— [Hallowed Thrust]!”

Mori stabbed with his Bloodforged Lance. Even from afar, its tip extended. It shot out like a bolt of lightning as it went for the sky. Then it curved sharply, moving to intercept the swing of the Sword of Alexander. Belzu grunted as his attack was parried.

“You pesky—”

And my clone grinned. She quickly swung for him as he was distracted. He narrowly zipped out of the way as the edge of the Divine Nebular Scythe nicked his side. The Primeval Demon pointed at her.

“Die.”

The dark horrors from below rushed up at her, and she weaved out of the way. She winked at him as she flew back. He frowned. Then he caught sight of the glowing symbol where he was cut.

“This is…?”

[Demon’s Mark]. A crimson ball of flame engulfed him. It consumed even the fire that was eating away at the city. Mori Gladius raised a hand, watching as the magic faded away. Belzu emerged from the fire, a few burn marks scorching his insect-like body.

“Nice trick, but did you think it was enough to defeat me?”

The Primeval Demon’s eyes flashed. But before he could cast another curse or create even more illusions, Mori Gladius’s entire body was wreathed in a golden light.

“[Lightning Step].”

The Human man became a thunderbolt. There was a crackle as he leapt into the air, rapidly striking Belzu before the Primeval Demon could launch a counter attack. My clone joined Mori Gladius, activating [Haste] and [Warped Time]. Even still, she couldn’t match his speed. Together, they attacked Belzu from all sides.

All the Primeval Demon could do was defend himself. His horrors couldn’t even follow after us. He grunted as he was cut from all angles, unable to block some of the attacks. When both my clone and Mori Gladius struck him at the exact same time, Belzu couldn’t take it anymore.

“Enough!”

His words were like a pulse. A curse. It knocked both my clone and the Human man back. The closest flames dissipated as rooftops crumbled. Even the horrors were affected. They vanished as Belzu’s words reached them.

The Primeval Demon flew to the sky as dark clouds gathered above him. He stared down at both Mori and the clone with his bulbous eyes.

“I am the Lord of Lies. A [Hellprince] of the Netherworld. A Primeval Demon of Greed. I will not be overwhelmed by either a pathetic mortal or a mere Archdemon.”

Mori Gladius paused as he got to his feet. His eyes flickered.

“What?”

I bit my lower lip. My clone averted her gaze as the Human man looked her way. Belzu didn’t elaborate. Instead, the Primeval Demon continued.

“I will not fall. Not until Regnorex is dead at my heel, and his kingdom is mine.”

The ground shook. My clone narrowed her eyes, glancing around her. She saw figures moving about. Closer and closer. Even up above, there were shrouded creatures floating around Belzu. But this was not an illusion. They were real.

Belzu’s army converged on us. The Primeval Demon’s body glowed. The sky twisted. The world itself seemed to bend to Belzu’s will. I recognized this. I understood what was going on. I watched as the moon itself vanished. The sky was painted a blood red. And Belzu uttered the first words.

A Grand Skill.

“[The Oozing Lifeblood of the Netherworld. The Advent of Birth. Reject Your Foolish King. Unite. Rebel. Become One with Me, and Ascend].”

The world began to shrink. Dark clouds formed above. A black rain pattered the white ground. Belzu’s army changed shape— they took on different forms. Shapes with horns. With wings. Which bled a black blood. Belzu laughed as he grew in size. His body contorted, and his eyes replaced the moon in the sky.

“[The End of Genesis: the Desolation of Hell].”

I blinked.I felt my connection to my clone growing weaker and weaker. And just as Belzu uttered his next words, my link to my second clone fully vanished.

“Welcome to my world.”

Mori Gladius looked around. He saw a desolate landscape. A vast and expansive land of white. A crimson dome fell overhead, with black clouds raining a dark liquid from above. He took a step back, blinking.

Where… is this place?

Just as he asked the question, words popped up in his head, telling him where he was not.

Now Leaving [Nexeus: Mortal Realm].

Nothing came after. He was outside of the Mortal Realm. He was no longer in the Human lands. He was… somewhere else. The Primeval Demon’s booming laugh shook the land.

“Welcome to my world.”

He glanced up, looking up at the bulbous eyes of the Primeval Demon. Its eyes seemed to meld with the sky— like the sun and the moon, all at once. Mori Gladius tensed, reaching for his spear. And he… wriggled.

The Champion of the Human Lands paused. He looked down at himself as the laughter continued. He didn’t have any clothes. His Bloodforged Lance wasn’t with him. In fact, he didn’t even have arms. He had a set of nubs that protruded from his body, but that was it.

And wait— his body!

He looked at himself in alarm. He was… a worm. Or a caterpillar. Or a kind of insect larva. He wasn’t sure what he was, but he looked like a grotesque amalgamation between all three of those. He opened his mouth to question what happened to her, but nothing came out.

Mori Gladius had no mouth. All he had were a few nubs and a pair of antennae. He didn’t believe himself. But when he peered down at a black puddle and saw his own reflection, he knew it was true. He jerked back as something brushed by him.

Spinning around, he warily faced another slug-like creature. It looked similar to him, except it lacked the same nubs or antennae. It looked like a monster. He would’ve attacked it the moment it touched him, if not for the fact that it was glowing.

…Salvos? he asked, but again he couldn’t speak.

The same laughter from before reverberated throughout the entire world, causing another tremor.

“This is no illusion, Champion of the Human Lands. You may try to break out of it, but you will fail. You are trapped. Cursed to be nothing more than an Infant Demon.”

Mori Gladius looked up in disbelief. Then he saw the figures ambling towards him. Demons of all kinds. Lesser Demons. Greater Demons. Archdemons, even. They surrounded both him and the Salvos clone. They had hollow eyes. A wild gaze that seemed ready to tear everything— even each other— apart.

The Salvos clone backed up next to him, bracing for a fight. Mori Gladius readied himself too as the Primeval Demon continued.

“Make no mistake, you will not survive. Desolation has begun, and you will die.”

And as if that was a signal, the Demons surrounding both of them rushed out. They charged at the two Infant Demons, snarling, tearing each other apart, all hungry for battle. For the first time in his life, Mori Gladius, leader of the Remembered Ordr Company, and Champion of the Human Lands, didn’t know what to do.