Chương 291: Long time no See

The onyx-black raven stared in silence at the two newcomers Vale had brought into the depths beneath the coliseum. The chamber was vast, built more like a buried fortress than a cellar, its ceiling lost in darkness while torchlight crawled weakly across stone walls stained by age, dust, and old blood. Illu remained motionless at first, crouched within the center of the chamber like some ancient calamity slumbering beneath the earth.

His bladed feathers rested against the floor in overlapping layers, each one as dark as polished obsidian and sharp enough to split steel. Six pale ivory eyes glowed faintly through the dimness. Drago regarded the creature with calm, almost clinical curiosity. There was no fear in the old man's gaze, only interest, calculation, and the quiet caution of someone who had seen monsters long before this one existed. Shade, however, reacted differently.

The living shadow narrowed his crimson eyes beneath the darkness that formed his body, his posture subtly shifting as he studied the raven with measured vigilance. He did not draw his blade, nor did he move aggressively, yet every part of him looked prepared to erupt into violence if necessary. Illu noticed both reactions immediately. The raven's massive beak slowly parted, revealing the writhing tentacle-like tongues hidden within its maw.

Wet clicking noises echoed softly through the chamber as the appendages coiled and twisted over one another. For several long seconds the creature simply observed them, saying nothing, before at last it began to move. Its enormous body dragged across the stone with a low scraping sound, its clawed wings pulling its weight forward while feathers carved shallow lines into the floor beneath it. The sheer scale of the creature became more apparent with every movement.

Even crouched low, Illu towered over them, his silhouette swallowing the torchlight whenever he passed before it. Yet despite his monstrous appearance, there was hesitation in the way he approached, almost cautious curiosity rather than hostility. He stopped only a few meters away. Then he sat back onto his haunches and stared at the two guests in silence. For a long while nobody spoke. Finally, Illu's pale eyes settled directly upon Drago.

"Dragon." The voice that emerged from the raven was horrifying. It sounded less like speech and more like several distorted voices forced together through a throat never meant to produce human language. Even Drago looked mildly surprised. His brows rose faintly before a quiet chuckle escaped him.

"So you can still smell the bloodscale on me," he murmured, folding his arms behind his back.

"Interesting." Vale glanced awkwardly between the two. Hearing Illu speak to someone other than him still felt surreal. Every time Illu spoke, Vale was reminded all over again that his raven had become something far beyond what they were originally meant to be. Before another word could be exchanged, Shade moved. The shadow stepped forward soundlessly until he stood roughly two meters from the raven.

The dark mist composing his body drifted slowly around him while the oversized greatsword upon his back radiated oppressive weight. Though his stance appeared relaxed, Vale could immediately tell Shade was fully prepared for violence if things turned bad. Yet Shade was not challenging Illu. He was studying him.

The shadow's crimson gaze traveled across the raven's body carefully, examining the structure of his wings, the exposed bone-like protrusions beneath his feathers, the unnatural movements of the tentacles within his beak. It was the look of a predator trying to understand another predator. Illu tilted his massive head in confusion, almost birdlike despite his monstrous appearance. Then one of the tentacles slowly extended outward toward Shade.

The appendage moved carefully, swaying through the air before stopping just before the shadow's chest. Shade glanced at it once. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Then, without resistance, he allowed it to touch him. Vale let out a quiet grin at the sight.

"Well," he muttered, "that's going better than expected." The tentacle lightly pressed against Shade's body as if inspecting him through touch alone. Illu's pale eyes narrowed thoughtfully while the shadow remained completely still, tolerating the inspection with surprising patience. After several seconds the raven slowly retracted the appendage again. Drago finally spoke, his tone thoughtful.

"It recognizes him as kin." Vale looked over.

"Kin?"

"The raven sees him as another creature born between categories," Drago explained calmly.

"Neither fully human nor fully beast. Creatures like this are instinctive. They understand things most people never will." Vale glanced back toward Illu thoughtfully before turning once more to the old man.

"So," he asked quietly, "what exactly do you think of him?" Drago remained silent for several moments, his eyes studying the raven carefully.

"He evolves far too quickly," he finally said.

"Far beyond what should be naturally possible." Vale waited for more. When none came, he sighed.

"That's it?" Drago shot him an annoyed look.

"What more do you want? A scientific thesis?" Vale rolled his eyes slightly before gesturing toward Illu.

"Why do they evolve like this in the first place?" That question had lingered in his mind for months now. Every raven he had released had likely changed over time, but Illu's evolution bordered on absurdity. Category Four in mere months. At this pace, Vale feared what the raven might eventually become. Drago exhaled impatiently.

"Their bodies are behaving like spawn while maintaining their visorian foundation." Vale blinked.

"Meaning?" The old man sighed harder this time, clearly irritated he had to explain it.

"The Atum in this world is stagnant. Chaotic forces and harmonic forces are imbalanced. Spawn adapt through endless mutation. Visorians stabilize through structure and power. Your ravens are doing both simultaneously." Vale's eyes widened slightly.

"So they're basically infinitely evolving beings."

"Essentially." Vale stared at Illu in stunned silence for a moment before rubbing his face.

"I really should've realized that sooner." Drago muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like idiot, though Vale chose to ignore it. Instead, his attention shifted elsewhere.

"Hey," Vale said suddenly, brightening a little, "help me inspect his feathers for a moment." Drago looked at him strangely.

"You're asking me to study a living razor blade."

"Exactly." The old man sighed in resignation.

"Fine." Together they approached the raven while Shade remained nearby. Illu watched them carefully, though there was no hostility in his gaze. If anything, the creature looked oddly content simply having them close. Still, before Vale could touch him, Illu spoke a warning.

"Feathers… sharp." Vale smiled faintly.

"We know." The raven relaxed again after hearing that. For nearly an hour the two examined Illu's feathers in detail. Vale carefully tested their flexibility and density while Drago observed the strange energy flowing beneath them. The feathers were unlike anything either of them had encountered before. Each one possessed the hardness of tempered metal while remaining light enough for flight. Worse still, the edges were absurdly sharp, as though every feather had evolved specifically for slaughter.

Any normal person would have been shredded apart merely touching them. Eventually Vale leaned back, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"So?" he asked. Drago crossed his arms.

"I think any ordinary man would die approaching this thing." Vale groaned.

"That's not what I meant." The old man smirked slightly.

"I know." Vale pointed toward Illu excitedly.

"Do you think I could ride him during the prison break?" Drago raised a brow before slowly standing upright.

"With the armor you wear? Yes. Though you'll require specialized gloves unless you want your hands flayed apart." Vale's eyes lit up immediately.

"That's perfect." He turned toward the stairs with renewed energy.

"Alright, then I should probably head to that café the vice commander mentioned before she decides to murder me." Drago looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"You really are a strange child." Vale waved dismissively while already walking away.

"Yeah, yeah, save the lecture for later." Illu watched him leave. The raven's enormous ivory eyes followed Vale all the way to the staircase. Vale, meanwhile, continued upward through the winding halls of the coliseum, muttering complaints beneath his breath. He exited through the front gates and crossed the bustling streets until he finally spotted the café the vice commander had mentioned earlier. It looked wildly out of place beside the brutal stone structure of the arena.

The building was elegant and bright, decorated with flowering vines and shaded tables beneath pale summer umbrellas. Warm sunlight reflected against polished glass windows while soft music drifted lazily from inside. It felt more suited to a coastal vacation town than a district built around gladiatorial bloodshed. Vale stared at it skeptically.

"Quite the place," he muttered. He eventually sat alone at one of the outdoor tables, allowing the sunlight to settle across his shoulders while he searched the area for the vice commander. Nothing. No crimson wyvern. No white uniform. No masked woman. Vale leaned back in his chair with an exhausted sigh, letting his head tilt backward.

"Seriously?" he grumbled.

"She threatened me into coming here and didn't even show up?" He closed his eyes for only a moment. Then the sunlight vanished. A shadow fell over him. Vale frowned slightly before opening his eyes, expecting clouds. Instead, emerald eyes stared down into his own. Dark black hair fell around her shoulders, swaying gently in the warm breeze. Nym stood there awkwardly, one hand resting against the back of a empty chair. For a moment neither of them spoke. Months of silence hung between them, awkward and unresolved.

Vale simply stared. Nym looked equally uncertain. Then, finally, she gave a small smile.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Long time no see."