Chapter 658: A Message

The small celebration lasted until midnight. By then the bottles on the table had nearly emptied.

Don had become completely drunk and was laughing at things that were not particularly funny. Maira’s cheeks turned red and even Leyan had lost some of his usual composure.

Arven fallen into a comfortable silence, resting against his chair with his eyes half-closed.

Samuel was still kind of conscious, but the alcohol had clearly affected him as well.

Clyde, surprisingly, remained mostly unaffected. He finally stood from his chair and stretched.

"I’m going home," Clyde said.

Samuel looked up at him. "Already?"

"It’s late."

Don raised his cup lazily. "What? The night is still young!"

"It’s midnight," Maira muttered.

Don stared at her for a few seconds. "Exactly. Still young."

Maira sighed and covered her face.

Clyde shook his head with a faint smile before looking back at Samuel.

The two of them stepped away from the table and stood near the edge of the rooftop. The noise from the others became quieter behind them.

Samuel looked toward him.

"Jack."

"What?"

"I want you to stay with us."

Clyde turned toward him.

"I mean permanently," Samuel continued. "Not just for missions. Become a permanent member of my team."

Clyde remained silent for a moment. Then he give a firm asnwer, "No."

Samuel blinked. "That fast?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask why?"

Clyde looked toward the dark city below. "I have my own plans."

Samuel studied him carefully. "You never talk about your plans."

"I don’t need to."

Samuel smiled faintly hearing that.

"I figured you’d say that."

Clyde glanced at him.

Samuel leaned against the railing.

"You know, I’m not asking because I doubt your strength. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve fought alongside. I just think you’d be better off with people you can trust."

"I know."

"Then why refuse?"

Clyde gave him a calm look and said, "Because I can’t stay tied to one group forever."

Samuel watched him for several seconds.

He could tell that Clyde had already made his decision. There was no hesitation in his voice and no uncertainty in his eyes. Whatever reason he had he clearly had no intention of explaining it.

Samuel eventually sighed and said. "Fine. I won’t force you."

Clyde nodded. "Thanks."

"But if you ever change your mind, the offer remains."

"I’ll remember that." Clyde said, while gave him a small smile.

He then left the rooftop and descended the stairs.

The night air felt cool against his face as he walked through the quiet streets of Sivagadh.

The wine had been stronger than ordinary alcohol. It muat be a special alcohol. It could even affect people who had developed magical power which explained why everyone had become drunk so quickly. Clyde could still feel its warmth lingering in his body, but his mind was clear.

He eventually reached his living quarters and closed the door behind him.

Instead of going to sleep, Clyde sat cross-legged on his bed. There was something he wanted to try again.

He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

The alcohol did not interfere with his concentration. His mind became still as he directed his awareness inward, searching for the fragment of the Ancient One that remained within his soul.

Maybe this time he could reach deeper and the connection could give him something more than before.

Clyde concentrated, minutes passed, then his consciousness descended into darkness.

A vast emptiness surrounded him, silent and cold. At the center floated a small lump of darkness, the remnant of the Ancient One.

Clyde approached it carefully.

He focused his senses on the dark mass, trying to understand its condition. He searched for any change, reaction, or sign that the connection between them had grown stronger, but there was nothing.

The same sensation greeted him.

The Ancient One was alive but he remained unconscious.

Clyde’s expression darkened. Still nothing...

He had hoped that his connection with the Outer God would have developed further by now. He wanted access to the Ancient One’s power. He wanted answers. More importantly he wanted to understand why the Ancient One had returned him to this world and what purpose his resurrection served.

But the remnant remained silent and unresponsive.

Clyde stared at it for a long moment.

He had expected the connection to awaken faster after everything he had experienced and his power rises. Instead, it seemed he still needed to wait.

A long sigh escaped him. "Looks like I just have to be patient."

There was nothing else he could do.

For now, the Ancient One remained beyond his reach.

Clyde slowly withdrew his consciousness from the darkness and returned to his body.

He opened his eyes and stared into the quiet room.

The path ahead still contained too many unknowns but at least he was already able to see a way.

Asmodeus might provide some answers. The Ancient One might eventually awaken.

—

Deep within a huge cave Asmodeus sat upon his throne, which had been carved from melted stone and fused bones. The massive room stretched into darkness around him, illuminated only by the dim red glow of lava flowing through deep channels beneath the floor.

His expression was relaxed as ever. Nothing particularly good or bad had happened recently so Asmodeus had no reason to feel anything else. He just sat upon his throne, enjoying the quiet.

Then the enormous doors at the far end of the cavern opened.

A small, hunched figure entered.

Despite his frail appearance the figure moved surprisingly quickly. His thin legs carried him across the long stone bridge that stretched over a vast pool of bubbling lava. Heat rose from below as orange light reflected against his ragged cloak.

Asmodeus frowned.

One of his servants rarely came directly to him. The creature usually wandered through different Ruins, observing events and gathering information. If he had returned personally something important must have happened.

The hunched figure crossed the bridge and stopped before the throne.

Asmodeus stared down at him.

"My lord," the servant said nervously. "I have brought news that is... unusual."

"Say it."

The servant hesitated. His fingers tightened beneath his ragged sleeves. Even after reaching Asmodeus, he seemed reluctant to deliver the message.

But eventually, he forced himself to speak.

"A human I encountered in a ruined world said that he knows you."

Asmodeus’s expression was unchanged.

The servant swallowed. "He also asked me to deliver a message to you."

"What message?"

The servant lowered his head.

"He said..." His voice became quieter. "Clyde is back."

Asmodeus’s eyes widened. The relaxed expression disappeared from his face.

—