Chương 99: Blind Faith

As they left the forest, Esha had returned to her usual self, but not before making Joe swear, swear on his life, that he would never tell a soul what happened at the World Tree. He agreed, though inwardly he already knew he'd tell Corel. Esha would never find out, and even if she did, the reaction alone would be worth it. When they reached the courtyard, it was empty of the unconscious guards. Only one figure remained, Devotion, kneeling in the rubble, his face buried in his hands as he wept into the stone.

"You have got to be kidding me," Joe snapped. His temper boiled over as he stormed forward, seized the man by the robes, and yanked him to his feet.

"What the hell are you doing? How many people died today because of your madness? I should kill you right here, right now!" To his surprise, it was Esha who caught his arm.

"Wait. There's a reason he did what he did."

"What? You can't be serious," Joe growled, turning his glare on Devotion.

"You can't expect me to let this bastard off?"

"Joe, please. Just… listen." Joe's eyes twitched. Esha had called him by his name… not Farmer, not Progenitor. Joe. The rage drained out of him in an instant, replaced by a cold shock.

"Okay," he mumbled, loosening his grip. He stepped back, shaking out his arms and pacing in tight circles, trying to bleed off the fury still coiled inside him. It took a few minutes before he returned and sat opposite Devotion, who was still kneeling, still weeping. Joe didn't know what was real anymore. Too much had happened, too fast. Nothing made sense. So he closed his eyes and waited.

"I…" Devotion's voice was raw, breaking as he wiped at his eyes.

"I must explain myself. My real name is Anthony Parker. I used to be a minister at St. Paul's in Auckland, New Zealand. My entire life was spent in service to the church. I was raised a preacher's son, expected to take my father's place when he retired. He died when I was twenty-six, and I took over in his stead. For all my years, I was devoted to the cloth, to God. And then… the system came. Suddenly, it was clear there was no God, at least, not as we knew him.

Everything I had dedicated my life to crumbled into dust." Devotion drew in a long breath, tilting his face to the sky. Joe didn't care much for the man's history, but for Esha's sake, he held his tongue and listened.

"I entered one of the Gates when it became clear the world was falling apart. Inside, I found only hell and death. I watched more people die in that place than I thought possible. That was when I knew, my whole life, I had been living blind. My faith meant nothing. For the first time, I picked up a weapon… and killed a Beast. Many, in fact. But no matter how many I slew, stronger ones kept coming. In the end, I ran.

I hid for over a month, living on berries and puddle water, until the Gate finally collapsed and threw me back out." He made a strange gesture across his chest before continuing.

"I wandered through New Zealand for months as Beasts tore apart everything, as society crumbled. One day, I found a small box. The system called it a treasure, and it led me to a hidden Gate. Inside was one of the Seven Wonders of the World." His eyes took on an almost feverish gleam.

"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The most beautiful place I have ever seen. Its sights defied imagination. I was overcome with a primal need to explore, and I did. For six months, I roamed those gardens, studied ancient texts, and uncovered secrets of the Multiverse I could never have dreamed of. I learned of the many religions of the Gods. Of it…" He pointed toward the World Tree.

"They call themselves the Heralds, the shunned. The Faye. I call them…" His next words came out garbled, broken into nonsense sounds, as if the system itself barred them from meaning. Yet Devotion didn't even notice.

"... and in that place, I was given a sceptre and a new class. A legendary Class, devoted to the faith of the World Tree. Then, I knew. My life's true task was to nurture and protect its emergence." He bowed his head in prayer.

"So I prepared. Once I left the Gate, I grew in power and claimed one of the Pillars. My faith spread, followers gathered. But none of it mattered. All that mattered was the system's announcement that the World Tree had appeared." His voice cracked with fervour.

"But it was impossible to reach, and then… You defeated the Beast. You claimed guardianship of the Tree. Only you…" He raised a trembling finger at Joe, "... were worthy to approach it. When the worlds merged, I saw an opportunity. I purchased an array, moved my city, and believed… Finally, the Tree was mine to guard. But I let pride take root. My followers paid the price. That title was never mine. But I was too blinded by faith to see it." He raised both arms to the heavens, eyes burning.

"But when you granted the title to the new Rank One… I saw a vision." Devotion lowered his arms.

"I saw into the distant future," Devotion whispered, voice trembling with feverish conviction.

"A destroyer… coming for the Tree. A Grade A. wreathed in darkness and ruin. A force stronger than nature itself, seeking to absorb the Tree and ascend to godhood." His eyes gleamed as he turned them on Joe.

"You were there. Defying the heavens themselves to…" he faltered, shaking his head.

"I don't know how it ended. The vision cut off. But one thing is certain: you must entrust the Tree to me. Only I can keep it safe. If you lose sight of it, you will lose everything. Everything you hold dear. That, I swear." Joe stared back into the man's burning gaze. He almost believed him. Esha placed a hand on Joe's shoulder and spoke.

"I saw it too." Her voice was steady, though her fists trembled at her sides.

"The Tree showed me glimpses. You… crouched over a body, crying beneath its branches. A monster cloaked in shadow descending." She shut her eyes, her face tight with pain.

"I saw you die, protecting something, someone. Then the vision faded." Joe's mind reeled. Dying? A future written in blood? He wanted to reject it outright, but Esha wasn't finished.

"Then I saw you again," she whispered, "standing tall over that same body. No tears this time. Only strength and fire. You fought the monster back and stopped it from claiming the Tree. And you saved… her." That one word cracked his world apart. Darkness swallowed him whole. A voice drifted through the void, soft and insistent.

'Gof houi shara doo yuit gof throo.' The same voice that had haunted him for months.

"Who are you?" Joe asked into the emptiness. Silence stretched long enough for doubt to take root. Then came the answer… quiet, like a whisper carried on the wind. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

'Uriel.' Joe's scream ripped the air as he jolted awake. Chest heaving, he looked wildly around until his eyes found Corel kneeling at his side, her hand cupping his cheek. Esha and Varaiya hovered close by. He was back on his skyboat.

"Are you okay?" Corel asked softly, worry flickering in her crescent-moon eyes. Relief poured through him at her touch. He caught her hand in his own and let himself breathe.

"I am now," he said, sinking back down.

"Not so loud next time, Farmer," Esha complained, rubbing at her ears. Joe tilted his head at her grin.

"Esha… Don't ever call me Joe again, please." She burst into laughter and didn't stop for a very, very long time. When they returned to Landradad, Joe sat in his lounge staring at the bookcase while Corel and Esha settled opposite him. His thoughts were a fractured mess. The last day had been… a lot to take in. The most shocking of all was that last whisper, one only he had heard. The voice in his head was named Uriel. His shoulders sagged as he dragged his eyes from the shelves.

"So, what do you think, Esh?" he asked, forcing himself back to the problem of Devotion.

"I think you should give him control of the Tree," she said plainly.

"Let him guard it until the time comes." Joe blinked.

"But he's insane. He deserves to be punished for what he did."

"I agree. You know me. I'd be the first to ram a knife in that bastard's neck. But I saw what I saw. If you don't… I don't even want to think about the result. The loss."

"We don't even know if those visions were real. There's no guarantee they'll ever come to pass." One look into Esha's eyes made Joe's resolve waver. Just a little.

"The choice is yours," she said as she stood.

"But I believe you should. Trust your instincts, they haven't failed you so far." She hugged Corel, whispered something in her ear, then walked over to Joe and punched him hard on the shoulder.

"I'm going to test out my new skills. Keep in touch, Farmer." She waved and turned away.

"Give Gao a kiss on the cheek for me!" Joe called after her. Esha froze mid-step. For a heartbeat, Joe thought he was about to… but she resumed walking, and he let out a relieved sigh. Only Corel remained now. Varaiya had vanished the moment they returned, likely back to Relashra. Joe didn't mind. At last, he could breathe. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this close to relaxing.

"So what do you think?" he asked, lifting his eyes to her as she crossed the room.

"Should I forgive that madman and hand him the Tree based on a vision? I don't know what the hell to do." Corel didn't answer right away. Instead, she perched sideways on his lap, light as air, and leaned against him. Almost without realizing it, Joe slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close.

"I think you know what to do, you just don't want to admit it," Corel said softly, her finger trailing down his cheek. He sighed. Of course, she was right. He did know what to do, but he wasn't ready to admit it, not yet. Maybe in a few days, he'd change his mind. For now, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked after a moment.

"I sensed a strange pulse just before Esha carried you back to the skyboat." So that was how he'd gotten back. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Corel's moonlit gaze.

"So beautiful," he whispered before realizing what he'd said.

"Shit, sorry, I didn't…" She pressed a finger to his lips, eyes scrunching closed as if to hold something back.

"I wish you hadn't said that. Not right now." When she opened her eyes again, he froze. They glistened red. A memory flashed through his mind, the only other time he had seen her eyes like that. Oh no. Corel pressed her forehead to his, her warm breath ghosting across his mouth. Her cheeks burned as she pulled back just slightly, but her hands lingered, tracing every line of his face. Then, without a word, she kissed him. It wasn't gentle. It was fierce, consuming…

her tongue darting into his mouth as he lost himself completely in her. For a long moment, nothing else existed but the heat of her lips, the pounding of their hearts, and the fire rushing through them. When she finally pulled back, he gasped for breath.

"Rel, is it…?" Before he could finish, she shoved a pill past his lips, her whisper hot against his ear.

"I'm sorry. It's happening again." Boundless lust crashed over him like a storm. His mind blurred, his body no longer his own. Corel dashed from the room, and with a primal roar, Joe gave chase. __ Corel cursed as she ran through the forest, racing toward the secluded clearing they had used the last time her Varvara had overwhelmed her. Her vision blurred, her mind clouded with nothing but lust and fire and him. Why had he said that then? Why had she lowered her guard? She was supposed to be keeping her distance.

She wasn't supposed to be… in love. Her heart pounded as his Aura surged closer. Too fast, he'd catch her any second. And once he did… they'd be lost in passion for hours. She just had to make it to the clearing, the one place she'd prepared, so no one would stumble upon them. The brush exploded behind her, and his arms wrapped around her. She had doused him with a potent aphrodisiac, hoping it would blur his memory of what came next. She wasn't ready to have that talk, not yet. Her grief still weighed too heavily.

Her heart wasn't ready to open… Or maybe it already had. Her thoughts dissolved as he kissed her, and together they tumbled into the clearing she had prepared, surrendering to the pull neither could resist. __ Joe groaned, rubbing his head.

"What the hell… happened?" His vision swam as he squinted up at the night sky. Trees surrounded him. The forest? Why was he here? A voice giggled in his mind, Uriel, laughing at something.

'De tye het var ko see Voldura, sihe het bang bang,' Uriel teased. Joe shook his head, not understanding any of that. Or… had he understood that? No. Surely not. He looked down. Naked. His gaze shifted to the clearing he recognized. No… no way. His hand rose to his neck, fingers brushing against sore, half-healed skin. He pulled out a mirror and stared at the bite marks littering his body.

"Fuck," he muttered, as ten long hours of memories came crashing back. For the next three days, Joe sat alone in his house, brooding over life and everything in it. Corel had fled to Relashra and hadn't returned since. He couldn't blame her; she was probably mortified. This was the second time her Volduran Varvara, or 'heat flare,' as he thought of it, had sparked to life. He had a slight guess at what had triggered it this time. Though she never did explain the first one.

"Dammit, Joe, you just can't have nice things, can you? Always gotta fuck everything up," he scolded himself. With a sigh, he decided he'd talk to her whenever she returned. Hopefully, it won't be too long. He fought down the urge to send her a pulse. To clear his head, he went for a walk. Another competition loomed, a bug collection quest with a prize of 500, 000 points to the winner. It was scheduled to start in a couple of days.

He kept scanning the entrants' list, half-hoping to see Gale's name, but she hadn't signed up.

'Ve sha doth rana con pee Voldura, esh esh ha,' Uriel said.

"Yeah, yeah. She'll come back when she's ready," Joe replied, assuming it was another comment about Corel.

"Tith, men.'

"Hey, that was definitely an insult!" Joe snapped. The next few days blurred by until Joe found himself at the starting area of the integration competition. Corel still hadn't returned, and annoyance gnawed at him.

"Fuck it," he mumbled, pulsing a message out into the bond, knowing it would reach her.

'Come home,' he sent, just as he finished reading the rules. His task was to collect tiny bugs, slugs with wings, each no longer than a finger. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the weight of a hundred eyes on him. Another hunt, another round of bounty hunters dogging his every step. He hated Gods so much. He hated this stupid, bloody bounty! Congratulations. You have placed first in the hunt for the Squish Slug Partoro's. You have been awarded 500, 000 integration points and a peak E-grade Gear Box.

I am watching you, Harbinger of Demise. Joe returned to Landradad with a shiver. Fucking system, toying with him. Fucking Gods, marking him with bounties. Damn women, driving him insane. Rage boiling, he stormed straight to his pond, ripping off his clothes as he dove in to wash the blood from his body. He was so consumed by anger, he didn't even notice Corel sitting at the bank of the pond, watching him.