Chapter 89
The location of the fallen war forge was still fresh, as he discreetly emerged from a location away from prying eyes. The formless armor cast a magical wave frequency to temporarily disrupt any magical signal in the area with a 100-meter radius. It was always self-aware of its surroundings. And always constantly protecting the host, while the three familiars remained silent as they thought they displeased their master, as he walked toward the ruined war forge, he felt another emotion that was new to him. It was a deep lie. The idea that he told himself became a stain on Dane's conscience, one that he kept trying to scrub away with apologies, but it only seemed to set deeper into the fabric of who he was.
He knew that he was always cautious and never lost control over what needed to be done. The savant syndrome he had was already fading, and the emotions he should have felt when he was Damon Lazarus came crashing down at him from all directions. Dane just sat on the ground in his real form and went into a meditative state. It's happening again. This was his question until somebody tapped him on the shoulder.
It was Siglorr Bouldergrove after coming out from the bunker safely to meet him. The head dwarven forger sat beside him and shared his insight as if he knew what was happening to Dane.
Siglorr told Dane whatever he was feeling right now is a natural state that all sentient living beings encounter.
His personality is very complex and is now trying to merge back together again, but his psyche is all disoriented and can't find any connection. Siglorr told Dane that his mind is all jumbled together; the past and the present are colliding with each other. That is why he feels withdrawn but at the same time also feels overwhelmed. Siglorr assured Dane that with time and guidance, he would be able to navigate through this internal chaos and find clarity once again.
"Don't overthink the decisions you decide to take action from."
"There is no decision that has a perfect resolution; trust your instincts and move forward confidently." Siglorr emphasized the importance of staying grounded in the present moment and focusing on small steps towards regaining mental clarity.
He has been around for 350 years and saw and experienced many things that change a person. When he saw Dane for the first time, he had that look in his eyes; his personality is not whole but shattered into many pieces. He was withdrawn, but his mind was keeping him in check; whatever was holding him together was his core.
Siglorr Bouldergrove knew Dane was special, but not in a way most people would think. Siglorr's skill was element manipulation. This skill allows him to create and mold raw material into any shape and form he wants to. He can see the essence of the raw material, which is highly suitable to be made into.
Siglorr's skill has reached its highest level; because of what he personally has gone through in his own hard life, he now can see the core of any material and even living beings.
Many might assume so many things about Dane, as he always changed his own narrative instantly, as if nothing was fixed, constantly connecting a psychological reasoning that is based on his own experiences and struggles.
like his entire being was being reconnected from all directions, and these pieces don't seem to exactly fit. But Dane's mind was trying to fit these pieces together like building a complex puzzle, creating a masterpiece with an ever-changing form that will eventually crumble.
Siglorr, by far, is the only being that could see and understand why Dane randomly reacts to something but eventually questions his action as being wrong and unreasonable. Dane's emotional complexity is the perfect host to host chaos energy.
His actions were natural and didn't have any evil intention, as chaos is not evil; it is characterized by randomness, unpredictability, and a lack of structure. It represents a state of flux and uncertainty.
Dane asked him if everybody was safe. It was a normal question, but the tone was different, and Siglorr knew that Dane was emotionally in turmoil. The dwarven head forger laughed and smiled at him, saying, Master Dane has faced far worse things than this. Remember that what happened was meant to happen.
"It's not your fault."
When Wrenla Bouldergrove emerged, Elaria Syrune was asleep; she was carrying Elaria Syrune wrapped in a blanket. Dane snaps out of his meditation, as he does this to manage his mental state and control his emotions.
As he sees Wrenla with Elaria, Dane quickly recalls any spell that can correct this unforgiving error; a small energy-like symbol suddenly manifests on Dane's forehead. Dane wanted to fix and heal Elaria Syrune mentally and physically, but Wrenla was carrying the young sleeping elf. Wrenla gestured to Dane that this is something she needs to personally recover from.
Magically fixing problems might be fundamentally easy and practical, but the human mind is very complex, and even the strongest magic spell can never truly fix it. Dane understood Wrenla's gesture and respected her wishes, knowing that some wounds cannot be healed by magic alone. He decided to offer his support in any way he could, whether through magic or simply being there for Elaria during their time of need.
The young elf woke up and asked her adoptive mother to let her talk to Dane alone. She grabbed hold of the blanket covering his naked body and walked toward Dane. She knelt down and asked Dane if she could have more time to fix her mistake. Dane crouched down and gave a warm hug and spoke.
"I am happy that you are fine, and I am sorry for coming late."
Those words made Elaria cry, and she felt a sense of relief knowing that Dane was far more concerned with her safety than anything else; his warm embrace healed her broken heart, and she could now accept that the pain she experienced is a part of her now, and she needs to overcome it.
Dane's plan to establish a strong guild needs to be addressed quickly. Dane felt relieved seeing everybody safe as they all stood above the bunker. Wrenla Bouldergrove orders them to prepare to move, as they need to secure their safety. Dane tells the war forge personnel and the Bouldergrove clan that his plan to settle at a more suitable location still stands. He thanked Siglorr Bouldergrove and gave Elaria a kiss on the forehead, as it was a symbol of care toward the elven race. and tells everybody to prepare to move, as he mentions his mission will slightly change to accommodate the situation they are in.
Dane asked Wrenla Bouldergrove where Duchess Elleena Rothchester would be staying this night; she told Dane that she usually stays at her late husband's ancestral home, alone, leaving her current husband, Segast Vandro, with his four daughters at her private estate. As she never stayed at the same house with them. Dane said his goodbyes and awaits his message, but he promises his promise will bear fruit within a week starting tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, Melgil finally regained her senses after she blacked out when Dane was in a fit of rage. The grey ogre protected her until the grimoire activated a barrier to protect them from any possible attackers. Nukra received information about what just happened as he read the writing that suddenly manifested on the black pages of the book. They learned the reason why Dane of Netherborn got mad.
Nukra unconsciously asks a question out loud concerning Dane's background. Suddenly the book responded by sharing a mental projection of his past. They all stood silently as the creator of the codex book shared moments of Dane when he was younger. This information was personally shared by his own parents; this was something that even Dane didn't know about.
Their regular relationship began when the 11 game developers were hired to work with him more extensively. Like Damon, now known as Dane, they were all introverted and experts in their fields. They used computers to converse and communicate.
They saw a young talented man was leading the group of people using artifacts; they respected each other and understood their strong points and shortcomings. They never expected that their digital friendship would grow as they met once a week to interact with each other, being all socially awkward.
Despite their initial reluctance to engage in face-to-face interactions, they found comfort in each other's company and continued to build a strong bond both online and offline. Their digital friendship blossomed into a genuine connection that transcended the boundaries of their introverted personalities.
And because Edward Lazarus and Miyako Azai were silently watching their only son from a distance, they made sure they stayed close also with the eleven unlikely friends of their young son.
Being the youngest among the eleven, they saw Damon Lazarus to be their youngest sibling and made sure to safeguard his well-being. After they found out he was diagnosed with Savant syndrome and he doesn't know about it, his parents explained the reason.
The hardships he faced were not seen as something to dwell on negatively but as a problem needed to be solved in a reasonable and logical way. Milgil felt closer to him as she saw that he was vulnerable too and was also missing purpose because he was bound to his mental condition.
Having a prodigious savant condition possesses extraordinary skills that are exceptionally rare even in the general population, like creating and building complex mechanisms or formulating intricate systems. These individuals often display an intense focus and dedication to their areas of expertise, leading to remarkable achievements despite their social isolation and challenges in daily life, especially comprehending and understanding emotions on a deeper level like normal people.
Milgil and the others acknowledged that they were unable to fully comprehend the material since part of it was too complex for them to comprehend.
Being by yourself and feeling alone are two distinct things. Being alone denotes a more permanent or continuous circumstance, although feeling alone might be a transient state of being.
All of them were emotionally touched by what Dane had to face and even wondered why the grimoire shared a few details about his younger years with them. The book just responded in writing that as his friend, it was the right thing to do at that moment. The grimoire creature didn't have additional details about Dane, as she passed away after creating the codex in the game. Among the 12 main developers of the virtual game, Dane was the last to succumb to the hand of death. The information surrounding his revival and regeneration was unknown to all.
At the same time Dane moved and went directly toward the Rochester family estate; the plan to make the duchess make her first move and let her create a circumstance befitting what she thought was reasonable is no longer on the table. Dane has to change the way he proceeds with his plan. So he had to secure Duchess Elleena Rothchester's authority in the kingdom and not let her fall from madness. So Dane decides to directly approach her and just hope for a good outcome.
But somebody was already creating a situation that might become an issue. As a carriage was seen leaving the mansion in the dead of night, after everything that just happened, Dane could only assume, but seeing the carriage without any guards, it might be related to the Duchess. Dane activated his assessment skill and scanned the horse-driven carriage.
And as he guessed, there were two people inside; the names that came out were Duchess Elleena Rothchester and her Head Steward Custodia. And based on the path they were heading, they are going toward the decimated gate settlement where the war forge was located. Was this a stroke of luck?
Dane didn't expect that the Duchess was also watching a Netherborn wrath toward those who hurt his followers. Seeing the warforge crumble, the duchess was concerned about
Wrenla Bouldergrove, as she mentioned certain information in the letter and item she sent to her. The meeting was supposed to be the following morning, but seeing what just happened at the Gae settlement, they had to decide on what course of action to take.
Seeing that the netherborn vanished and a young man was seen seated on the ruined ground, a transinal insect that was outside the 100-meter magical barrier spell that the Duchess herself sent to watch over Wrenla Bouldergrove's current home many years after she received the letter from Wrenla herself, this transinal insect was enchanted to only observe the war forge from afar, as he doesn't want to disrespect the Bouldergrove clan's privacy and ruin the trust she built with them. The transmital insect was able to capture Dane looking sad and helpless. Before it was affected by the barrier, the formless armor was cast.
What the duchess saw was enough to make her heart skip a beat. This was the moment when Duchess Elleena Rothchester vaguely saw the young man's eyes were similar to hers. When the transmission was disconnected, that was the real reason why she secretly went out to see for herself if that person was real and not just an imagination..
As the carriage drove out of the city, Dane reported back to the war forge; he was away for only half an hour. The war forge personnel set up tents and made certain adjustments as they took out large carriages and used them as temporary shelters until the day they needed to finally leave the place. The personnel that helped in building the walls around the war forge started to work quickly and efficiently, knowing that time was of the essence before the sun rises and they are seen exposed. .
Siglorr wasn't about to let his guard down. Even if Dane was the reason that the war forge was left in ruins, he still needs the place to be protected. Olmar took out a few artifacts to provide them protection. When Dane came back, he told Olmar the plan that his mother started is about to unfold.
After a few hours Wrenla Bouldergrove was setting up a large tent to be their temporary gathering hall when a carriage came to the small forest clearing. Even if most of the large, thick trees were uprooted from the ground, the path going toward the ruined war forge can still be seen. The two women walked toward the path. As they reach the area, they are greeted by the staff, who are busy building a temporary wall.
The two women casually stroll over the broken remains of the forge; it was a familiar scene, as the two have seen many homes and structures in similar situations. Head Steward Custodia, even at her age, still carries a hidden weapon under her dress, while Duchess Elleena Rothchester wasn't a weak woman; she was known to have many hidden skills that many still don't know about.
The two saw that the Bouldergrove clan was now cautious, unlike before when the patriarch of the clan was still alive. Artifact disrupting magical spells to activate within the artifact radius and reach. The event that just happened has already alerted many organizations on the first floor.
One particular group of people that was still overly curious about the Warforged connection with the Netherborn was all the known mages in the east region.
They were really concerned with the fact that the Netherborn came out from the Warforge. Was the personnel at the place serving him? There are so many unanswered questions. It didn't take a day to let most of the reporters flock toward the devastated settlement as if the place were ravaged by a calamity.
It was a weird scene, as not-awakened people just entered the tower floor, and because they were allowed by the gatekeepers to conduct their own task, news about the Netherborn wrath reached those organizations based outside the tower. The player association sent their own investigation team; similarly, all of the different countries, as they see these drastic events, will bring either a blessing or a curse in their now unstable future.
The Netherborn appearance has already affected the people outside the tower; the monsters that were escaping the tower were getting smaller as if something changed within the tower structure, and because of a mistake of a power archmage named Sylveth Melriel, or the Crescent Magus, releasing millions of transmital insects without placing bound instruction, all those with access to any receiving mirror saw the events that just happened.
Sylveth Melriel could not help it; she was in pain when she opened the box. It was a mistake that opened more chaos inside the tower. Because, unknown to them, a player with the ability to cast holographic images by tapping into another being's mind was able to connect with the magical frequency of the transmital insects and used the holographic skill to watch whatever was happening inside the tower.
And because the transmital insect was open for all to see, the human realm finally saw a new being inside the tower. The issue now is whether this powerful being was a tower resident or a player.