Tree of Aeons

Chapter 279

Year 270 (Later half)

Multipus was defeated, after what felt like a prolonged campaign. Even if the final battle on Treehome was anticlimactic, I was relieved that it was finally, finally over. 

There were still some remnant rocks to destroy, and the skies will continue to be filled with momentarily sparks of light from our magical attacks. Some will streak across the skies and burn in the atmosphere of Treehome, creating beautiful meteors. 

Now, we could redirect our attention to the other issues.

Chung. 

I watched him from afar, and through my vines and trees. His situation eroded.

What seemed like insanity, began to set in. Madness. Prabu and Colette seemed upset, they didn’t want to be the one to kill him. Prabu and Colette did visit, and did try to talk to him. But it went nowhere. 

Madness creeped his mind, as he seemed to hallucinate that everything around him had somehow transformed into demons.

“Demons!” He screamed, blasting trees the moment he saw them. Grass and trees seemed to be demons. Even people seemed to be demons. I summoned the rest of the sane heroes, and updated them on the situation. 

I didn’t know why.

I didn’t hurt him.

I’ve treated him fairly, as far as I could.

Even from this distance, my [Soul Forge] could feel an intense disquiet in his heart. The energies of a soul that struggled against the demands of his class. A god’s curse. I wondered whether Hawa could remove his class. 

“Try not to kill him.” Prabu said.

“I would, if you’d help me.” I said. “This madness is caused by the [hero] class.”

“I’m not mad.” Prabu countered. Adrian and Khefri listened quietly.

“Not all heroes take the effects and chains of the [Hero] class equally. Madness is the outcome for some.” I countered. 

“You don’t know that.”

“I’ve seen enough to conclude madness is likely the outcome of the [hero] class and his personality.”

At this point, the only plausible solution, at least, the only non-lethal one, was to do something like what I did to Colette. Remove the [hero] class from Chung. 

He would become mortal. 

Or I’d kill him in the process. 

Or kill him, if he used his powers to hurt more than it is worth. 

“If you’d help me knock him out, I will try to remove the hero class from his soul.” I offered the heroes a way out. I know they don’t want to kill their fellow hero. 

“Bloody hell.” Prabu cursed. “I don’t even know how effective our powers are.”

“The alternative is death.” I countered. My domain holders would assist. It was a valuable chance to deal with a hero that’s not at full strength. Chung was mad. His magical powers and abilities are still insanely destructive, but with his mental state a wreck, he is likely unable to strategize and fight us properly. 

“Must it be now?”

“If not now, then when? Chung’s mental state deteriorates, and he seems to be suffering from some kind of imbalance in his soul. I don’t know the effects of long term internal struggles, and whether it can be fixed, if it’s too late.”

I was being a little manipulative, but it was true. A soul, as I understood it, can get damaged. It happened with the first generation of heroes I encountered, Alexis and Meela. Their souls suffered damage. I’ve seen soul damage in many ways or forms, and I expect Chung’s situation to be similar. 

“There is a rot in Chung’s soul, quite similar to Colette’s feeling. While Colette understood it,  Chung denies it.”

Partly because he doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Partly because he feels, and still feels I am responsible for Ken’s death. In his eyes, I am a murderer. I killed his friend. 

Prabu and Colette looked at each other. Somehow, the burden of this decision was with them. They were the same generation, the same batch. If they decided to help, then it was possible.

“If I have to step in, I cannot guarantee he will live. He is a hero, while we are not. We will have to go all out to take him out.” I answered. 

To be fair, I was excited at the thought of finally taking on a hero. I’ve known, since the Sun-Rings, that I could take damage really well. Now I wanted to see how I stood against a hero like Chung, with his destructive piercing arrows. 

Is Level 250 enough?

I think it is. At least, Patreeck puts the chance of me winning to be fairly high, though the level of destruction we will cause was catastrophic. 

Prabu and Colette looked at each other. “Khefri, Adrian, what do you two think?”

Khefri shrugged. “He needs some sense beaten into him, but as much as I hate to say it, I think he’s higher level than me.”

Adrian nodded as well. “I’ll help, but- yeah. We can’t let him destroy and kill like this. I think he might get excommunicated, like-”

It didn’t need to be said. 

It was kinda sad. I’ve watched Chung over the years, and he’s always been suspicious of me. But I did think we had some level of professional respect for each other’s abilities. He knew I could do certain things, and I respected his power. 

But in a long enough time frame, even friends can be enemies. 

Then I wondered whether this was how paranoia starts. 

Day by day, Chung’s descent into madness worsened. He blasted more places, destroyed more mountains. He began seeing demons where there were none, and it felt like some kind of suppressed rage. 

“You can’t postpone this decision forever.” I spoke to both Colette and Prabu. Colette accepted the decision was necessary. Prabu struggled a little harder, but ultimately, the [hero] class did not oppose such matters. There were no restrictions on heroes fighting each other. They fought each other in the past. We had records that heroes went to war with other over petty things.

Colette agreed. “Let’s do it.”

The plan was the heroes engaged first. They would take the lead, since it is their friend. Lumoof and myself would only emerge in the final minutes, to use our disabling abilities on Chung. Edna and the rest would only step in, if any of the heroes were in trouble. 

But otherwise, as Colette puts it, “Chung is our friend, and well, let us do it.”

Honestly, I think the chance of my domain holders dying was quite high, especially for my softer members like Roon, Johann, Stella, Ezar and Kafa. We exempted Stella from the battle, since she wasn’t really a combatant, and we highly needed her, even if we had other void mages. 

“Think he’ll kill us?” Adrian asked.

“He might be mad enough to do it.” Colette said, and after a long pause. 

Chung’s senses are incredible, and it is for this reason we have not attempted to set up traps nearby. We’ve seen him attack things for tens of miles away, as if augmented by the [hero] class. 

I remembered the very first generation of heroes I met, using super long range attacks against the demon king. Chung being able to do as much was entirely a surprise, but meant our ability to trap him was fairly limited. 

As a hero, he was also blessed with all sorts of protections that most of our restraining powers would likely fail. 

Except mine. 

If there was any way we could restrain him, it’ll have to be Lumoof and me. Together, I think I could do it. 

***

There was no need to alert Chung immediately, because with our teleportation abilities, the rest of the fighting force can arrive immediately. The domain holders’ presence would alert him, and that was not something we wanted to do. Not yet.

Prabu, Colette, Khefri and Adrian approached him first. 

Colette spoke. She spoke softly, but with the hero’s senses, it was clear he heard it. “Chung.”

“What?” Chung stood on the remnants of a mountain, blasted and riddled with holes. 

“Are you alright?”

“Alright?” Chung laughed. “Alright?! Is that what you came to ask, Colette?”

Colette nodded. “Yes. We wanted to see why you’re doing this.”

“Why?” Chung answered and then laughed some more. The laughter turned manic, and for us listening from afar, this was unsettling. After that long, manic laughter, he stopped abruptly, and then stared at Colette. “Do you really want to know?”

Colette didn’t flinch. “Yes.”

“Why are you working with the murderers? We were friends, Colette. We were teammates. We came from the same world! And you chose to side with the murderer!”

Colette’s eyes furrowed. “I was there. There was no murder. Ken died, as he always wished to.” 

“Murderer!” Chung slammed the rock next to him with heroic force, the force of the impact left a huge explosion in the ground. “So much for being on the same team, Colette. All of you’ve decided to work with the evil creature that’s clearly using us to achieve its own goals.”

Colette stared at the archer hero, and asked. “So what should we do?”

“Destroy the tree, of course. An eye for an eye, a life for a life.” Chung laughed. “Were you waiting for me to say that?”

Colette frowned, as Prabu held her arm. “Chung, doing that solves nothing!”

“It does. It solves the knot in my heart. The fury in my soul. I want to destroy this tree, and everything it created.” Chung answered. “This theocratic empire is evil, Colette. It is a heartless existence that’s only goal is to win. We are just chess pieces in it’s game!”

“Then why not?” Colette asked.

“Would you join me?” Chung laughed. “If you do, we can get started right now.”

Colette sighed. “No.”

Chung frowned, but there was insanity in his eyes. “It’s your baby, isn’t it. He has your baby under control, so you’re compromised. He bought you when he gave you that baby.”

Colette’s patience instantly vanished. “Chung, not a single word more on my child. There are some things-”

“How do you know your baby is real, and not a puppet created by the evil creature?” Chung pressed her buttons. I had the feeling even though he knew that was not true, but the things people say in moments of madness.

“Of course I know she’s real!” Colette countered, as magic swirled in her hands. The rest of the heroes took the hint. “I hoped it didn’t have to come to this.”

Chung’s manic laughter was his response. He stood from the rock, and then, the skies were filled with arrows. Prabu and Colette retaliated with shields that deftly blocked the magical arrows.

“We’ve sparred a lot.” Chung countered. “But I bet you’ve never seen this!”

Chung manifested a magical arrow unlike any other, and fired it across the barren landscape. It resembled an arrow that was tied up with chains, and it was wrapped in anti-magical energies. 

It easily pierced through the two mages’ shields, but it was blocked by a heavy barrier from Khefri, and then exploded. When the dust settled there was a deep mark on Khefri’s carapace. But the archer was already shooting more arrows. 

Colette retaliated with an area magical spell that turned the entire area into a raging inferno. 

Against the demon king and its’ incredibly high armor and health, the heroes generally stuck to high damage, focused spells. These raging infernos were not individually powerful, but they covered wide areas and were likely more effective against Chung. 

“Do you plan to kill me?” Chung laughed, as he deftly dodged magical projectiles from the heroes. 

Khefri and Adrian both charged ahead, trying to get him into melee. They were stronger there, but because Chung was the higher-leveled hero, the two melee heroes stuck together. Khefri immediately countered. “No. I hope I don’t have to.”

A magical scorpionoid tail appeared from her back and attempted to stab the archer. But the archer was already gone. 

Chung frowned. “Why do you believe in that murderous tree?”

Khefri and Adrian landed. “Because it is the best choice.”

“Even if it’s evil? Even if it kills other heroes? Even if it makes us fight against each other?!” Chung countered. “Look what it has done! It rules over the worlds like an iron fisted dictator!”

He somehow dodged a wave of magically enchanted icicles, shot an arrow that created a small shield and blocked some of the spells headed his way. 

The two melee heroes charged in, trying to make use of the space created by the mages. “Yes. It is still the best choice. Because the alternative is demons.” 

Chung countered. “Wrong! That’s what the tree wants you to believe! The alternative could be us! Us heroes, as rulers!”

Khefri frowned but wasn’t affected by the archer’s words. She was encased in a golden carapace and attempted to step close. Chung created mirror images of himself, phantom clones that vanished. “You told me long ago you didn’t like ruling.”

“I don’t.” Chung replied. “But some of us can do a better job!”

Khefri’s claws barely grazed Chung’s skin before he somehow vanished. “No. We can’t. We’ve seen it in the journals.”

Chung countered. “That’s also the Tree’s doing! How can you believe it!”

At that moment, thousands of magical spikes emerged around Chung, and trapped him. Chung panicked, and attempted to smash into the magical spikes. It hurt him. Khefri watched, as more spikes emerged. There were spells from both Prabu and Colette. The two were the only heroes who were closer in levels. 

“Free me! You’re under his influence!”

Colette frowned. “Maybe. But what you’re doing is not right, either.”

Prabu added. “Chung, we didn’t want to do this. But we can’t let you go mad.” 

Lumoof then appeared, and in my avatar form, we entered the trap.

Chung struggled in madness, as Lumoof’s magical vines quickly grabbed hold of the archer hero. “Let go!”

Lumoof didn’t reply, but continued to focus on disabling him. My energies began to flood his body, and we began to forcefully drain his mana. His soul attempted to fight mine, but this was a sensation familiar to me. 

I remember Alvin struggling in the same manner. Chung was quickly immobilized and paralysed, as my own energies took hold of the hero’s body. 

He struggled. “Let go!”

But eventually, my spiritual energies overwhelmed him, and he was knocked out. I teleported Chung into the depths of the valley, and we would begin the accursed process of stripping a hero of his class. 

***

Chung’s soul spring was encased in the same type of shining marble stone. But, on closer inspection, the shape of the rocks had turned into large, thorny structures that surrounded the sparkling, star-filled waters. 

“Get out.” I felt Chung’s thoughts here. “GET OUT.”

It was the soul’s resistance, trying to force me out. It was like a wave, pushing back at my presence. 

But this wouldn’t kick me out. Not now. My presence was like a tree, and my energies, like roots, grabbed the soul spring, and pierced the soil of his spirit. 

I would rip the hero class out of his soul, and I would do so in the way a tree would. 

My roots pierced the gaps of the marble stones, and forced my way in.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Chung roared. 

“Stripping you of your powers.” I answered plainly, as my spiritual roots drew power from the worlds.

“NO!”

The rocks cracked, as I pushed. It was harder, because Chung wasn’t cooperating. But I am now Level 250, and the hero class wasn’t going to stop me.

“EVIL! YOU WORK FOR THE DEMONS!”

“I don’t.” 

“YOU WILL BE THE NEXT DEMON.” Chung accused.

My roots pierced the foundations of his soul spring, and slowly, I lifted. The rocks felt heavy. They always were. I felt his soul spring try it’s best to hold on to the rocks. But I pushed. My roots grew, and his soul spring buckled like a road with roots growing underneath it.

“Maybe.” I answered, as I kept working. “But I posit life is better than death. So better alive than dead.”

“I RATHER DIE WITH PRIDE AND DIGNITY THAN TO SERVE.”

I didn’t bother answering that. His soul buckled.

***

The entire valley trembled with the turbulent powers of a hero’s energies. The four heroes were nearby, near my main tree, and they could feel it. 

“Everything alright?” Colette asked Lumoof.

Lumoof shrugged. “It’s going well. The hero class is loose.”

Khefri had a mischievous grin. “Zhaanpu’s going to have a good time once he knows you can do this.”

Lumoof looked at Khefri, and shrugged. “He’s been having a good time for a while now. We still owe him an apology. Aeon promised he’d get an audience with a god.” 

Khefri then looked at Lumoof. “Wait. I wasn’t briefed on that.”

“Ah. Yes. Priorities.” Lumoof laughed. “We did intend to inform him about Hawa and the things that were discussed, but, things happened.”

Khefri squinted. “Fill me in.”

“Later, later. Aeon’s getting there.”

The valley swirled with turbulent magic. Lightning and bursts of magic seemed to manifest out of nowhere, and briefly, everyone felt divine magic. 

“Huh.” Lumoof said. “That was unexpected-”

They were instantly hit with notification that their domain had blocked attempted scrying. For the heroes, they were all instantly hit with a headache, except Colette, who felt as if something attempted to touch her. 

Lumoof looked at the heroes, and immediately encased them in a barrier of roots and vines. “Something’s trying to look through your souls.”

Adrian, Khefri and Prabu struggled for a little, before the sensation vanished. “What’s that?”

Lumoof frowned. “A god’s trying to spy on us.”

***

Chung’s spirit was in turmoil, as my roots and vines separated the marble rocks that made up the hero class from the soul spring. 

The hero was in intense pain, the act of ripping out one’s class is quite like removing a central pillar of his identity. I spent quite a bit of my energies trying to hold him, as the rest of my energies pushed the hero class out of the way, further, and further.

My spiritual vines grabbed the stones of his hero class, and bit by bit, I pulled it further and further away from his soul spring. 

A full day later, the hero class was finally out of the reach of his soul spring, and then-

[You’ve removed the [Archer Hero] class]

[You’ve gained the [Archer Hero] Class Seed]

[Warning : This Class Seed is highly unstable and may cause death during attempted merger]

Chung was alive, but suddenly, the young man strapped into the soul forge began to age rapidly.

“Uh. Shit” 

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