Lucivar POV

  The long trek back towards Mount Boom was dead silent. Even the forest itself dared not make a sound.

  But my mind was not.

  What the hell is that guy doing here? In fact, how the fuck did he even get to the mortal realm in the first place? Isn't it impossible unless that god king guy sends them?

  [Perhaps he was lying.]

  I doubt it, considering that even Luminarch and Lunarius are incapable of traveling between realms without that gate thing.

  [OK, then Isarion must’ve been sent by the angel dad or whatever.] Joshua replied impatiently.

  But why? Is he the one responsible for the elves' aggression? And if he is, why would he have given Finnlen to us?

  [Ooh, I know. The spear is a spy. Can I kill him?]

  No.

  [Fuck you, Carter.]

  I laughed despite myself, drawing a few worried glances from my companions. Even though I knew Joshua’s motivations were rooted in a deep hatred for the talking glaive, I couldn’t discount his instincts altogether. Finnlen really could have been a spy, or at least had some sort of spell similar to Shadow Mark cast on him.

  Don’t kill him, but be careful.

  [I’ll get him killed somehow, just you wait.]

  “Did… did you know that guy?” Cedric questioned quietly, almost jogging to keep up with my pace.

  I slowed down, not realizing I had been gradually gaining in speed as we walked back towards Mount Boom. Then, I nodded my head grimly. “I met him when I accidentally went to heaven, and he’s the one who gave me one of Luminarch’s relics.”

  Viressa’s eyes bulged at the statement. “If he gave you the relic, then why is he working with the elves?” She sputtered in confusion.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied slowly. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s more to the story than what's on the surface.”

  Viressa visibly calmed down, gripping her staff closer to her body. “You’re right, I guess. But how are we supposed to figure out what to do now? Are we fighting against Luminarch, that angel, or the elves?”

  “We could just kill them all,” Zorrack said casually, then he seemed to wince at his own words. “Or… make friends?”

  Friends? I guess a peace treaty wouldn’t be the worst, although it’s gonna be hard to convince everyone involved to agree to something like that…

  [This is the lamest idea you’ve ever had.]

  Shut up.

  “It’s a possibility, thank you, Zorrack,” I commended the large demon, who was typically quick to resort to violence. He smiled to himself at my words, and it brought my heart a quickly fleeting moment of joy.

  We still had work to do.

  “Azazel! You’re back!” I shouted in surprise, spotting the dragon casually sitting beside the warg den at the center of Mount Boom.

  “Brother,” he greeted with a wide smile.

  “Where have you been?” Viressa asked as we made our way towards the dragon.

  Azazel seemed to contemplate his response for a few moments, then finally answered. “They took me to the home of the dragons, and after a bit of talking… Well, I feel like I know what I want to do now.”

  “Home of the dragons?” Cedric wondered aloud.

  I ignored the small demon's question for a moment, instead shooting my own towards Azazel. “That being…?”

  Did they convince him to leave for good?

  “I want to stay with you, brother, and find out what this life has in store for us.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief, then the dragon continued.

  “Also, if you can help it, I’d rather you not ask anyone about the past reincarnations of me. Or at least, don’t tell me anything you find out about them.”

  “Why?” I asked in confusion.

  “I want to find my own path,” he replied with determination.

  “Sounds good to me! Anyway, have you seen Kril, Lioren, or Atea around?”

  The dragon shook his head, and I could see Sylva slowly making her way towards us. “They have yet to return,” the dryad answered. “But great progress has been made towards the creation of new dryads.”

  I glanced around, taking in the field of tiny heartwood tree saplings. They sprouted from the ground like hundreds of tiny fence poles, each one peeking over the tall grass by only a hair.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “When will the newborns be… born?” I asked.

  “It takes roughly a month between the formation of the tree and the first signs of life. Once that happens, we dryads will need to stay to nurture our young and ensure they have the nutrients they need.”

  “Of course,” I nodded respectfully. “Your people have already given more than you should’ve ever had to.”

  “We are not just our people, Lucivar. Without your kindness, we would’ve long been dead. Please allow us to show our gratitude towards you,” the dryad bowed low, then uttered a final request. “Will you become the new ruler of the forest, Lucivar?”

  I reeled in shock, as did my fellow companions beside me. I hadn’t expected such a heavy burden to be placed on me so suddenly. I sat in thought for a moment, thinking about everything that had transpired so far, and came to a sudden realization.

  We never even had a proper funeral for Ossara… I was so caught up in getting revenge on the elves and stuff.

  [Maybe you’re just an asshole.]

  “It is an honor to be bestowed with such a title, Sylva. I accept, however, there is something we must do first.”

  Since taking Mount Boom back from the elves, we had been unable to locate the remains of Ossara’s body. A part of me wondered if she had disappeared into the glowing orbs that appear whenever a monster is killed, but another part of me wondered if that even applied to people like Ossara or the dryads.

  I let the thought fade away as I refocused my attention on the procession occurring before me. The sun was low on the horizon, nearly disappearing altogether, and the gorgeous backdrop of vibrant oranges and reds was the perfect setting for the remembrance of the forest ruler. In the absence of a casket, the dryads had constructed a life-size statue made entirely of wood in the centaur’s honor, and the proud figure of the forest ruler now overlooked the miniature lake in the center of my territory.

  “Ossara was always kind to me. I still remember how she would tell us treants about the first treant she ever created. His name was Druval. My friend. My brother. And… and I wish he were still here to see this,” Thuldur sobbed, gesturing with a heavy arm towards the statue of Ossara. Another treant stood up, patting his friend gently on the back. I could see tears welling up in his wooden eyes as well.

  Sylva went next, seemingly the spokesperson for the dryads. “The first dryad was born in the forest long before I, or any of you, came into existence. Ossara was but a young centaur back then, and together, they created the great forest, creating a safe haven for all the creatures who resided within. It was their will for us to live on in peace and harmony, and we shall do just that. For them.”

  There was a light smattering of applause at the words as each of the gathered individuals stared teary-eyed at the statue of the centaur. Finally, a dryad pushed their way to my side, whispering softly in my ear. “You are next.”

  Huh? I have to give a speech?!

  [Good luck, buddy.]

  I gingerly made my way towards the front, feeling insignificant as the crowd of demons, beasts, and forest creatures gazed at me expectantly.

  I can’t give a speech. I hardly even raised my hand in class!

  I sighed heavily, then began to let the thoughts roll from my tongue. “Hello, everyone. I… I may not have known Ossara, and by extension, all of you, for very long, but I can say one thing. I would not be here without her sacrifice. Some of you may resent me for that, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. There are so many things that I wish I could change, or that I wish I could’ve done differently,” I paused, locking eyes with Cedric, who stared at me with a somber expression. “Unfortunately, we cannot change the past. Ossara gave her life for mine, and I will not allow that sacrifice to be in vain. Please place your trust in me, and I swear on my life that I will place my trust in all of you.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling embarrassed at the rant, but they didn’t laugh.

  Instead, I heard a clap. Then a cheer. Then, cries of encouragement.

  “Thank you, Lucivar,” Thuldur whispered from beside me, and I caught a thin smile from Sylva as I walked back towards my companions.

  [I’m gonna barf.] Joshua complained, but I elected to ignore the parasite.

  A number of roaring fires were lit surrounding the small body of water, each one with chunks of meat and vegetables roasting over them. A long banquet table had been forged from wood by the dryads, as well as several seats, wooden cutlery, and silverware.

  It was the first feast of Mount Boom.

  I saw Zorrack tearing into a massive drumstick from some sort of animal, laughing loudly beside the smiling, but clearly still sniffling Thuldur. Cedric nibbled at his own portion of meat, talking quietly to the dragon beside him, while Sylva and Viressa were deep in conversation, giggling to themselves like a pair of schoolgirls.

  It’s… peaceful.

  Ever since arriving in this new world, I had been mainly focused on becoming stronger, if only because it felt like a video game, and that’s what you were meant to do in a video game. But life wasn’t just about getting stronger, I had realized. Short, meaningless conversations, sharing food with a friend or loved one, and simply being content were all aspects of life that I had forgotten about back in the real world.

  This is what I want. Peace.

  [This is fucking pathetic. Let’s go kill something, please.]

  [Parasitic Nemesis]

  Joshua suddenly appeared in front of me, to the parasite's surprise. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He demanded.

  Finnlen appeared shortly after with a flash of golden light. “Hey!” He greeted me cheerfully.

  “I want you to learn how to have fun,” I said.

  “I know how to have fun, by killing—”

  “Not that kind of fun,” I reprimanded sternly. “Ignatius, can you hear me?”

  “Carter, you fucking—”

  The parasite was cut off as his eyes began to glow intensely, suddenly transforming into his Spirit Unity form. “I can.”

  “If he starts doing anything violent, could you stop him for me? You too, Finnlen.”

  “Aye aye, captain!” Finnlen shouted, and Joshua, now possessed by Ignatius, dipped his head downwards respectively.

  The possession faded away, leaving the parasite behind, still in his fused form, who gritted his teeth in anger. “I’ll kill them all!”

  “Have fun, you two,” I laughed, but I didn’t dare walk away. I trusted Finnlen and the mysterious spirit king to keep Joshua in check, but I still knew that one wrong slip would lead to disaster. The parasite glared at me for a second, then was suddenly dragged along by the glaive at his side.

  “Let go of me, you piece of shit!”

  “Not until you make a new friend with me! C’mon, there are all these people to get to know!” Finnlen replied happily. I watched Joshua’s face contort into rage, but he suddenly went silent, then crossed his arms like a little toddler.

  Ignatius must’ve said something to him.

  I observed the unlikely duo for a few moments, seeing Finnlen flitting from conversation to conversation while Joshua angrily stomped behind him. The residents of Mount Boom were initially confused by my evil twin, especially when he began to swear at them, but Finnlen was charismatic enough to explain the situation in mere moments.

  I smiled softly, not quite sure if the whole ordeal would get me anywhere, but I enjoyed putting the parasite through some pain for once.

  Then, a chilling message shocked my entire body.

  [Kril, the Imp Duke, has activated Shadow Mark.]

  [Would you like to cancel this skill?]

  [Warning, a powerful enemy has been sensed nearby!]