Chương 49: Chapter 47. Rebirth

Maveon Reissi was alive. He'd been killed by his very own blood brother, but he was alive. In a sense, however, Maveon Reissi was also dead. When his Lord had restored him back to the living, he had been brought back enhanced and cured of his maladies. No longer was he afflicted from the call of bloodlust, or what his brother might have deemed insanity. He was a being of calm now who only wished to serve his Lord.

A part of him did want to get revenge on Oscar, but it was such a minuscule urge in the back of his mind that it was easy to ignore. After all, his Lord hadn't restored him for such petty matters of the heart. One that first day after his rebirth, Maveon had found himself clawing out of the dirt in the defunct District Five park. The time apart from his death to his rebirth was unknown to him, but given how quickly worms had found their way into his deathly wound, he estimated it had taken a few days.

Unfortunately, while he may be alive yet again, his body seemed to no longer accept healing potions. When he'd broken into an [Apothecaries] shop and drank one, his body had rejected the potion. A deep, searing pain flared throughout his body which had induced a heavy nausea. Black bile had flooded out of his mouth, staining the shop's floors. This meant that the wound his brother had inflicted was still open, forcing Maveon to do his best to wrap it in bandages he created from the cloth of his trousers right leg.

In this new state of existence he found himself in, he was unsure if infection was a threat or not. It really wasn't that important to him, as he couldn't feel any normal pain or discomfort anymore. Or, if he could, his threshold was massively increased. His old class had been erased and replaced once he'd awoken. His new class was one he'd never heard of before. An [Abyssal Harbinger] was now what defined him, which he instantly was at level 10.

He had no understanding of his new class or skills, only that he no longer had any of his prior skills. A lot of the skills were strange sounding, like [Soul Transfer]. What was a skill like that meant to fulfill? When would he have a chance, or the desire, to move someone's soul around? What that meant for him, Maveon didn't know just yet. All he had been told to do was wait in the sewer system. And wait he did.

Which had been a fairly mundane experience aside from the rumblings of something massive that shook the ground every so often, but it bothered him very little. The stench down here, though… that was bothersome. Hunger wasn't an issue thankfully, so he had been able to find a spot and just rest there. That was where he found himself now. Finally after waiting for so long, the stirrings of his Lord within his mind had woken him up once more.

"Maveon… my emissaries… they march onwards towards you… go forth and enhance them…" His Lord said within his mind.

"Yes, milord, as you desire," Maveon replied. Despite himself, he just had to ask something which had been troubling him.

"Lord, what should I call you? Apologies for asking… but I just want to know."

"Soon… my name will be known… Patience my pawn… Play your part… and you will be rewarded." Maveon felt the overwhelming presence leave his mind. Partially, at least. They were connected now—a connection that was even deeper than before in his last life—and that bond couldn't be severed. He had hoped that since the bond was stronger now, that his Lord would trust him with a name. But alas, nothing had been provided. So, all he could do was refer to them as Lord.

These old sewers stretched for miles underneath the city, but with the faint touch of his Lord's guiding hand, Maveon eventually reached where he was supposed to go. It was shameful, but once he saw his Lord's emissaries… he felt doubt.

"Surely this isn't what you meant…" Maveon said, his eyes bulging at the sight of a swarm of osciliopods. They were straight ahead and had stopped at his approach. All he knew of them were stories… but those stories were pure nightmares.

"You know the words… Approach them… and say what must be said…" Digging a trench inside his heart, Maveon shoved his fear inside and walked forwards. The largest osciliopod—most likely a budding matriarch given its markings—raised its long segmented body as he got closer. This was strange as from what he understood about these monsters, they were highly aggressive. What this one was doing felt like an animal being cornered, but was doing its best to scare off a predator. Was it sensing his Lord's touch on him?

He knew better than to fully believe himself safe, so he stopped his approach. Just like he was told, once he dug deep and thought about what it was he needed to say… the words came to him. This new class of his was still enshrouded in mystery, and much of its potential still hidden.

"Easy… easy…" Maveon said coaxingly, holding a shaking hand out towards the monster.

"[Soul Warp]," he said, and placed his hand on the insect's rigid carapace. Cracks appeared all over the budding osciliopod matriarch's body, with a dark purple light and steam emitting out of the cracks. The monster started to violently spasm, causing Maveon to quickly back away lest one of its razor-sharp legs slice him open. The process took about a minute in all. Due to the steam, he was unable to see the result right away until all had dispersed.

"Lord… what is this?" Maveon asked, unable to keep the horror out of his tone. A fully grown adult osciliopod matriarch was already fearsome enough, and while this one hadn't been at that stage yet… he reckoned this was far worse. Looming over him and the other osciliopods, Maveon stared at the newly enhanced matriarch. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. An osciliopod's carapace already featured a near impenetrable defense.

This one, though, it had jagged spikes protruding in seemingly random spots, further increasing its defensive capabilities. The body was longer, wider, and more bulky, with just one of the legs alone now thicker than Maveon's body. The rest of the brood had been forced to back away due to the immense increase in size. He could hardly bear to even look at the monster's face anymore. A shudder racked his frame as he stared at those massive mandibles.

They looked like they could easily bite him in half, assuming it couldn't just devour him whole, which he believed it could. Whatever could the purpose behind this enhancement even be…

"Don't be afraid, my pawn… She won't attack you… she serves me now… Behold, a new Baleful Matron has returned to my world…" The Baleful Matron remained still, just observing him. Suddenly, without warning, it screeched and entered a frenzy and slammed her beefy body into the walls. The walls chipped away and when her face got close enough to bite chunks out of the stone ceiling and walls, it did so. Massive chunks were ripped away, or smashed, until finally, it had carved a new large and spacious cavern.

And then, Maveon was forced to behold what it was that his Lord had truly wanted him to see. The Baleful Matron let out a deafening scream and reared the top half of its massive body. A set of huge and dazzling wings sprouted out of her back. It was four wings in total, with two on each side. This new form might be physically terrifying, but that paled in the face of what this new evolution meant. The saving grace that society had against these horrendous monsters was how they were confined to the ground.

They were still a massive threat, of course, but height was a decent way to lessen their lethality. An osciliopod unshackled, free to roam both ground and air? That could very well destroy Dynarus on its own. There weren't any famous adventurers residing in Dynarus, and hardly any regular ones either. The [King] had shut down the adventurers guild for whatever reason, claiming the city had no need of their services.

As a result, not many strong adventurers stopped by, and all the rookies chose to make their name known elsewhere. If this thing was unleashed upon Dynarus… there'd be no one strong enough to stop it. This was just the one first he'd used the skill on as well. There was ten more juveniles behind the matriarch… would they all become like this?

"Use the skill on them as well, but just know… only one Baleful Matron may live at any given time… However, any larvae it creates… will be enhanced to a lesser degree… Should this one perish… one of her new broods may evolve into another…" His Lord said, responding to what he had believed were private thoughts.

"You'll need to find… a suitable vessel for her to feed and breed in… Which you'll find… a bit deeper in…" Maveon figured that must refer to whatever had been causing the tremors he'd been feeling since coming down here. If it was as large as he believed it to be, then this beast could lay hundreds of eggs within it. And despite his fears, he'd do what was asked of him. He'd been saved by his Lord, so it wasn't his place to question his will.

The next few hours involved Maveon using [Soul Warp] on the remaining osciliopods. The changes in them was minor in comparison. Their coloration changed and gained some of those purple spikes that the matriarch had gotten, but thankfully remained their normal size. There might have been other subtle changes, but he wasn't the right person to chronicle stuff like that. Once the task was finished, to his shock and horror, he found that the whole brood was following him.

They kept their distance, but whatever it was that he had done to them, it had given him some sort of control over them. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that they viewed him as their new leader, but there was no open hostility radiating from them either. It was maybe more like a mutual respect, if he had to define it. Which wasn't to say that he respected the insects, but more so that he respected his Lord's will that just so happened to involve these monsters.

Following his Lord's subtle instruction, Maveon found the suitable host. Sleeping in one of the sewer system's many central chambers, was a beast of light-blue and green, with many spikes running down its spine, was a colossal basilisk. In the darkness of the chamber, the oval-shaped red markings glowed, looking like multiple eyes watching him. The basilisk stirred at the intrusion. Its tail—which was split into three individual parts at the end—wagged and slammed into the ground.

Parts of the stone floor shattered, sending small fragments scattering around. The osciliopods at his back made chittering sounds, their anticipation at both a meal and vessel for reproduction exciting to the foul insects. Maveon had to admit that he was curious to see how this went. Basilisks didn't usually reach this size, but neither did osciliopods. If he hadn't been such a troubled soul in his last life, he thought that maybe he'd have enjoyed studying beasts like this.

"Go forth and feast," Maveon said, pointing towards the basilisk. The Baleful Matron shrieked and used its wings briefly to propel itself forward. The basilisk had woken up from the shriek and quickly readied itself. It was far too slow, though, and the matriarch bit with its mandibles right into the basilisk's side. The basilisk roared in rage at being hurt and flung its tail towards the matriarch.

The whole tail wrapped around the osciliopod's lower body, its individual tail appendages searching madly for any body part to grab, but failed as the Baleful Matron's legs sliced away in protest. The other osciliopods had arrived now and began to swarm all over the basilisk's body. One-by-one they bit into the hulking beasts flesh, causing it to free their matriarch. The basilisk slammed its body into the wall in hopes of smashing the juveniles off him. Maveon couldn't tell if any had died from where he was.

What he did know however was that it didn't matter. The matriarch had recovered and once more bit with her mandibles, but this time they had latched around the monster's neck. Blood began to trickle out from around the basilisk's neck, and the matriarch began to shake its head while still latched on. The basilisk's movements began to visibly slow down, until finally it looked to be hardly moving. In a last ditch effort, the basilisk flared out its frills, hoping that'd unlatch the matriarch.

Once more, the Baleful Matron violently shook, and this time… she snapped right through the basilisk's neck. The victims head crashed down, ripped away from its body. The juveniles tried to begin the process of implanting their larvae upon detecting their prey was culled. The Baleful Matron let out a piercing shriek in protest, causing them to detach themselves off the basilisk's corpse. She seemed to be saying that this body belonged to her and her alone.

Only once she was done would she allow the rest of her brood to dine and breed in the remnants of the basilisk's carcass. Maveon watched in horror as he observed the whole process. He knew that osciliopod larvae hatched quickly, but he hadn't expected it to be that quick. The corpse began to convulse, with gross squelching sounds emitting from within the basilisk. Maveon was no longer the man he used to be and was forced to look away from the sight.

He waited a good distance away and relayed to his Lord what had went down.

"The monsters have taken down the beast. I suspect the eggs will hatch soon," Maveon said.

"Good… cultivate as many as possible… Soon I will have use for them… and you as well, my pawn, will be crucial for my long-term ambitions…" His Lord said.

"I've slumbered for so long… waiting for this moment… For when the world would finally be ripe enough to harvest… My own rebirth awaits… It is so hard to be patient..." Maveon mulled on his Lord's words, unable to comprehend what his intentions were. He'd seen the other side during his death, and for the briefest of moments… he'd seen Him. Were it not for that brief sighting—in which it was impossible for him to truly discern any features—then he'd very well might believe himself to be insane.

If his Lord's wish was to unleash these beasts of terror onto Dynarus, then he'd oblige. Whatever it took to earn his Lord's favor, then it'd be done. The truth, however, was that while he believed in Him and the salvation he could bring… the real reason was far simpler. What really motivated him was the other souls he had seen there in the Abyss, as there were two in particular which spurred him on even now.

Maveon had attempted to call out to them, to make his presence known, but he had been ripped away and forced to return back to this world. His parents, Luca and Oria Reissi, had been right in front of him, and most surprisingly, his sister Sofia was there as well. If he had just been allowed a few more minutes in that realm, he could've been able to feel their love once again… and apologize for all the hardship he'd caused.

His Lord hadn't deemed him worthy of that reward just yet, and so, Maveon would do whatever was asked of him. He'd been a disappointment to them when they'd been alive, but now he had the opportunity to make things right. To return to them not as Maveon, the troubled child, but as Maveon Reissi—the one chosen to herald in their Lord's glorious return to the realm that he had created, and bring about a new age in which they could all live together once more as a family.