"Haaaah..."
An involuntary exhale escaped his dried lips as he felt his body reactivate.
While buried under that pile of corpses, he'd used Somatic Autonomy to put his and Alice's bodies in a hibernation-like state.
That decision saved him from starving and made the skill focus entirely on countering the poison… or rather, the cocktail of poisons.
SA had cracked it methodically: isolating each toxin by its symptoms and biological pathway. Internal bleeding came from anticoagulants attacking clotting factors; SA redirected platelet production and enhanced vascular repair.
Paralysis came from neurotoxins blocking nerve signals; SA synthesized counteragents that competed for the same receptors. Vomiting and seizures came from cytotoxins damaging cellular membranes; SA reinforced cell walls and purged damaged tissue.
And so on and so on… Each poison was separated, identified, and finally neutralized by his immune system until effective antibodies were produced and the toxins metabolized into harmless compounds.
Ashen and Alice had been none the wiser since they were hibernating, leaving their faith in SA and the last bits of mana her ninth tail had held.
Even still, he knew his body wouldn't last long without real food and drink since they were both out of mana now, and the vitality from Vital Drift couldn't be redirected to satisfy his body's basic needs without SA.
Crunch—scrape—thud.
Ashen hauled the still-comatose Alice onto his back, found his spear among the corpses, and started slowly marching toward the human siege.
It was his only choice for sustenance and shelter despite the danger. And he doubted he'd find a route that wasn't barricaded already, so it wasn't really a choice in the end, but the only path for survival.
Ashen was only worried about their possible reactions to his survival under these circumstances, especially with him hauling back the queen of fox folk herself.
'I'll cross that bridge when it comes...' He shrugged and kept walking.
As he walked, he was once again reminded of the poison's lethality as he witnessed its consequences on the Narkals, on their corpses, and even on the earth itself.
Everything was dead and decaying.
Grass had turned black and brittle, crumbling to ash at the slightest touch. Trees stood as skeletal husks, bark sloughing off in wet chunks that revealed wood rotted to the consistency of wet paper.
The ground itself had taken on a sickly gray-green hue, soil corrupted into something that felt more like diseased flesh than earth.
Narkal corpses lay in stages of decomposition that should have taken months but had occurred in days. Some were bloated and split, leaking fluids that hissed when they touched the ground. Others had collapsed inward, skin and muscle liquefied until only bones remained, and even those looked porous and weak, as if the poison had eaten them from the inside out.
The air itself was thick with the smell of rot and something chemical that burned the back of his throat even through his adapted immune system.
It seemed the poison reacted differently depending on what it touched, warping each target in its own twisted way. Nothing it grazed ever stayed whole.
And what was more frightening was that nothing stayed ungrazed.
Finally, after hours of walking on decaying corpses and corrupted earth, the barricade stood merely a hundred meters away.
But what greeted him was worse than the weariness and suspicion he'd predicted and was even ready for.
He was greeted by a volley of arrows.
TANG—CLANG—TINK—TANG—
Ashen raised his spear and deflected the arrows threatening to turn him into a pincushion, metal ringing against metal as he batted them aside, all while realizing they hadn't even recognized his humanity.
And it wasn't far-fetched—from such a distance, he only looked like a weird Narkal, what with all the gore and blood coating him and the nine tails hanging from his back.
Not to mention where he'd come from.
"Stop...! STOP!! You BLIND FOOLS!! THAT'S A HUMAN!!!"
Thankfully, the one in charge had a good set of eyes and was able to see that what they were shooting at was actually a fellow human.
The arrows ceased.
A company of soldiers approached cautiously, weapons ready, eyes wide as they took in the sight: a man drenched in filth and blood, carrying what appeared to be a fox woman on his back, standing in the middle of a poison zone that should have killed him ten times over.
Ashen didn't wait for them to get closer. The moment they were in earshot, he shifted Alice's weight, drew his right hand from his heart up to his jawline, fingers tight together, palm inward, and held it there for a heartbeat.
What begins as belief ends as action.
Then, with a sharp exhale, his hand snapped diagonally down and out, palm slicing the air toward his left hip in one decisive motion.
The Iron Oath salute. Even one-handed, even half-dead, he performed it with precision.
"Scout Ashen Hart from the Pride army, reporting!"
The soldiers froze at the formal announcement, then scrambled into motion. Two moved forward while others maintained defensive positions, clearly unsure whether this was legitimate or some bizarre Narkal trick.
"Sir, we need to—" One soldier reached for Alice.
Ashen's spear was at his throat before the man could finish the sentence.
The soldier stumbled back. Three more raised their weapons.
"Don't," Ashen said quietly. "Touch. Her."
"Sir, we have protocols—"
"I don't care about your protocols." Ashen's voice stayed level, but his eyes were bloodshot, and his grip on the spear didn't waver. "You will not separate us. I will fight until death if you press the matter. And despite how I look, I'm still plenty deadly."
To prove his point, he moved.
Not far—just a single flowing motion that ended with two soldiers on the ground, unconscious, and his spear back in guard position before anyone could react.
The company commander swore, hand on his sword. "Stand down, or—"
"Or what?" Ashen's stance shifted slightly. "You'll kill me? You'll kill the only survivor of the Pride army who has intelligence on the Narkal force and the only person who can control the fox queen you're all so terrified of?"
"Control?" The commander's eyes narrowed, only now catching the nine tails. "That's the—"
"Queen Alice of the Tailed Fox Clan, yes. And she's entirely harmless as long as she stays with me. Separate us, and I can't guarantee what happens when she wakes." Ashen met the man's gaze steadily. "Give us food, water, and shelter to clean ourselves. Let us stay together. And I'll cooperate with any questioning you want. I'll answer everything honestly, including how and why the queen is here."
The commander's jaw worked as he clearly struggled with the decision. Protocol versus pragmatism, orders versus the reality of a man who'd just knocked out two soldiers while half-starved and carrying someone on his back.
"That won't be necessary."
Every head turned.
Cornelia Arde walked through the company with lazy confidence, eyes sweeping over the scene with barely concealed boredom.
Behind her, towering and silent, came Edward James.
Ashen's breath caught.
He knew that face. Knew it from two hundred years in the future, barely aged, still wearing that same stoic expression. He was his own trainer in the tutorial phase, after all.
And Cornelia, younger here, yes, but unmistakably the same woman who would one day stand as one of humanity's pillars in the wars to come.
For a moment, he felt like he'd been pulled back to his own time, disoriented by faces that shouldn't have been born, yet, standing right in front of him.
Then Alice shifted on his back, tails brushing his arm, and reality snapped back into place.
He kept his expression neutral, but Cornelia's eyes narrowed slightly, and Edward's gaze sharpened.
They'd noticed something.
"Do as he says," Cornelia ordered, waving dismissively at the soldiers. "Food, water, bath, clean clothes. And someone find a medic to check them over." She turned back to Ashen. "You'll answer our questions after. Honestly, as you said. Clear?"
"Crystal," Ashen managed.
Edward said nothing, but his eyes stayed intensely locked on Ashen.
⛧
⛧
⛧
Ashen ate like a starved man because he was one.
The soldiers had provided simple fare—bread, stew, water—and he devoured it without tasting, body screaming for sustenance after days of hibernation.
He didn't wake Alice yet. Even unconscious, her presence intimidated the humans. Such was the prestige and power of the fox queen that her mere sleeping form commanded fear and respect.
So he fed her himself, liquidating portions of the stew and carefully feeding it to her drop by drop, making sure her body accepted it before continuing.
Then he bathed her, washing away the gore and filth with methodical care, ignoring the guards stationed outside who looked anywhere but at him.
He clothed her in simple linens they'd provided, braided her hair to keep it from tangling, and finally settled her in his arms like a small doll before heading out and nodding to the guards.
"I'm ready."
They led him to the interrogation room, where he found Cornelia and Edward waiting inside.
Cornelia was lounging in a chair with casualness, while Edward stood rigid against the wall, arms crossed.
Ashen sat down with Alice still on his lap, arranged so her head rested against his shoulder, and met Cornelia's gaze steadily.
"Let's begin," she said. "First question: the Pride army. Any survivors besides you?"
"No." Ashen's voice stayed level. "I witnessed every last one of them die under the Narkals."
Edward's hands clenched into fists.
"General Rowan Vance and Morikawa Shun," Cornelia continued, tone carefully neutral. "Their fates?"
Ashen told them.
He described Rowan's strategy, the Riven Formation, the executioner tactics. Described how they'd held for two days, killed dozens of Great Beasts, bought time for the retreat and siege preparation.
He told them about the Demon's intervention, the deforestation, the Great Beast convergence.
He told them about the poisoned arrow, the soldier shield-wall of bodies, Rowan dying while channeling every soldier's mana into Morikawa.
He told them about Morikawa's rampage—fifty Great Beasts fallen, a kilometer cleared, and the standing death that ended it.
Edward's knuckles went white. His eyes turned bloodshot. Teeth ground audibly.
But he didn't interrupt.
When Ashen finished, silence filled the room like a weight.
Finally, Edward spoke, voice rough. "He died well?"
"He died a hero," Ashen said simply. "They both did. We all kept fighting because of what they showed us."
Edward nodded once, jaw working, and looked away.
Cornelia gave him a moment before continuing. "Next question, and I want details: How did you survive?" Her eyes narrowed. "Because from where I'm sitting, a scout with no special training shouldn't have lasted five minutes in that hell, let alone days."
Ashen took a breath. "The system awakened during the battle. It granted me my pathway: Sloth, sixth step, Idle Chronicler, and activated skills that allowed me to survive."
He described Lucid Dreamweaving, the Daydream state, the Conversationalist, Trance. Explained how they functioned and how they synergized.
Then he described Somatic Autonomy and Vital Drift, how they'd kept him alive through constant adaptation and healing.
Cornelia's eyes went sharp. "Those skills sound... convenient. Almost too convenient."
"They're effective," Ashen corrected. "And they came with costs. I'll show you."
He pulled up his status screen and projected it so they could see.
Pathway, step, skills… Everything laid bare except the name, his innate skills, and, of course… the arrival date, which he'd also edited out since they'd be asking another type of questions when they see the year 2025 plastered there.
Cornelia leaned forward, reading carefully. Edward stepped closer, eyes scanning the skill descriptions.
"Somatic Autonomy," Cornelia read aloud. "'The body adjusts to intentions, environment, and actions...' That's how you adapted to the poison."
"Yes. It took days, but it eventually synthesized the antibodies I needed."
"And this?" She pointed at Vital Drift. "Passive healing that scales with inactivity?"
"Combined with Daydream, putting my body at rest while fighting, the healing efficiency tripled. That's how I lasted so long."
Edward stated, his eyes suddenly leveling on Ashen. "You're showing us everything."
It wasn't a question, but Ashen answered anyway. "Yes."
"Why?" Cornelia's tone turned provocative. "These are powerful skills. Showing them to your superiors puts you at risk of being used, controlled, or worse. So why volunteer information that could make you a target?"
Ashen met her gaze steadily. "What else am I supposed to do? Lie? Will you believe me if I showed anything less than this, after I survived that?"
Of course not, but the true reason why he laid almost everything bare was something else entirely… Beholder's Eyes.
He could feel it stirring in his mana coils… A day, or maybe even hours, away from yanking him away from this unreal realm. By then, none of this would matter… Aside from Alice, none were real after all.
Cornelia studied him for a long moment, then leaned back. "Fine. Last question: the elephant on your lap."
She gestured at Alice. "How did the queen of the fox folk end up in your arms, and why should I believe she's not a threat?"
Ashen had also prepared for this. "General Rowan assigned me as a spy before the Narkal invasion happened. My mission was to infiltrate the demi-human camp, gather intelligence, and relay it back."
"That explains how you got close. Not why you're carrying her like a lover."
"Because we fell in love."
Cornelia's expression flatlined. "...You're joking."
"I'm not."
"A human scout," she said slowly, "seduced the queen of an entire race. In the middle of a war. And she just... fell for you."
"Yes."
"That's the stupidest lie I've ever heard."
"It's the truth." Ashen's tone didn't change. "I was ordered to get close to her. I succeeded. But in the process, we both..." He paused, choosing words carefully. "Found something unexpected."
Edward snorted. Cornelia pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You expect me to believe that?" she demanded.
"Check her yourself if you want," Ashen said. "Should I wake her up so you could ask?"
Cornelia's eyes gleamed with something like amusement. "Oh, I will ask, alright. Because either you're telling the truth, or you're delusional, and I need to know which."
She leaned forward. "Wake her. Now. And prove it."
Ashen shrugged and activated Somatic Autonomy, gently nudging Alice's system out of hibernation.
Her breathing shifted, her eyelids fluttered.
Then her golden eyes snapped open, clarity returning in an instant as she processed that she was indeed alive, sitting on Ashen's lap, surrounded by humans—
"Ash!!"
She launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, and kissed him with desperate enthusiasm, as if confirming he was real, here, alive.
Ashen answered just as enthusiastically, one hand tangling in her hair while the other kept her steady on his lap.
Behind them, Cornelia and Edward stood frozen in various stages of disbelief.
Ashen's eyes found Cornelia over Alice's shoulder, silently conveying: Does that clear your doubts?
Cornelia let out a long, resigned sigh and nodded slowly, one hand covering her face.
Edward turned away, muttering something that sounded like "...students would find this hilarious."
Alice finally pulled back, breathless and grinning, then noticed the audience and froze.
Her tails flared defensively. "Ash, who are they—"
"It's fine," he murmured. "We're safe. I'll explain everything."
She searched his face, found whatever she was looking for, and relaxed slightly, though her tails stayed wrapped around him possessively.
Cornelia cleared her throat. "Well. That's... certainly conclusive."
"Told you," Ashen said mildly.
"Shut up." But there was no heat in it, just exhausted resignation. "Fine. You're both confined to quarters under guard until we figure out what to do with you. But..." She fixed Alice with a hard stare. "Any sign of betrayal, any hint of threat, and I don't care how much he loves you—you'll die. Clear?"
Alice met her gaze steadily. "Crystal."
"Good." Cornelia stood. "Get them out of here. I need to tell the council we have a situation."
As guards moved to escort them out, Edward finally spoke, voice quiet but carrying. "Harth."
Ashen turned.
"The way you spoke…" Edward said slowly. "There was some familiarity… As if you knew us."
Ashen's heart skipped, but he kept his expression neutral. "I only knew of you through your actions, sir. And those actions speak clearly enough."
Edward studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Dismissed."
Ashen left with Alice still clinging to him, feeling Edward's eyes on his back the entire way.