Fallen Chronicles

Chapter 116 116: A Conversation Across Five Hundred Years (Part I)

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The power of the 'Old Alliance' originates from the ancient times.

The strength of the Forgotten comes from their ability to communicate with and summon the 'Forgotten Spirits'.

The so-called 'Forgotten Spirits' are those who lived, or rather, existed, five hundred years ago in the Old era. In that era, shrouded by Tainted Miasma, rampant with monsters, continuous natural disasters, and a world of utter devastation.

The Eclipse, now feared by all, was commonplace in that era. Even unborn babies could become one of them, as infection by Tainted Miasma was the norm.

After all, when even the sky was stained brown-red, how could the creatures on the ground escape?

However, there were those who hoped to see the sky blue again, who didn't want babies turning into monsters, mothers watching their flesh and blood tear open their bellies with claws.

So, they fought under the leadership of the 'Great Emperor Ashen' – against monsters, natural disasters, and the Tainted Miasma that eroded the world.

It is because of them that today's world exists.

They won.

But unfortunately, those remembered by the 'Great Emperor' and the world were 'them', not these fighters.

They became

The Forgotten Spirits.

But even the weakest of these Forgotten Spirits, if brought into today's world, where the Tainted Miasma is extremely diluted and people pursue comfort and pleasure, would still be described as strong.

This is the power Roca is crazily pursuing, the "higher level world" he speaks of in his fervent speech.

He not only wants to join the Olden Alliance.

He wants to climb higher.

In the Olden Alliance, the strength of its members is measured by the quality of the Forgotten Spirits they possess.

Roca is not a Forgotten with "bloodline inheritance".

Those are the real core figures of the Olden Alliance, who need no medium or sacrifice, as their inherited bloodline is the best medium. The Forgotten Spirits they communicate with and summon are their true ancestral relatives, ensuring high success rates and combat compatibility during possession.

So, Roca had to take another path, a method of promotion for many 'external' members like him in the Olden Alliance.

He uses summoning mediums like the bloody skull in his hand, granted by the Olden Alliance. He just needs to let the medium absorb as much Tainted Miasma as possible, create Miasma for the medium, and then the stronger and higher-quality the Forgotten Spirits it can summon for him.

Cries, panic, incessant explosions, blazing fires, and numerous hybrid soldiers rampaging through the streets under Roca's arrangement, all contributed to the backdrop of blood and fire in the city tonight. Most of the populace was engulfed in terror, and waves of negative emotions rapidly brewed and intensified throughout the city.

This was exactly what Roca wanted.

What is Tainted Miasma? It is madness, death, anger, hatred. And the city now, amidst chaos, whether it's the impoverished taking advantage of the disorder, the rampaging demi-human soldiers, the fearful and helpless civilians, or the nervous hiding nobles and rich merchants...

All of them became fodder, a breeding ground for Tainted Miasma, the perfect place to produce it.

….

....

Strands of dark red threads began to float out of this chaotic city, from the people themselves. These dark red threads, as if guided by some unseen force, started to converge towards Roca, into the bloody skull in the hands of the jackal-demi human.

As more and more of these dark red threads gathered, these seemingly weak strands of Tainted Miasma, multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of people in the city, became immensely powerful.

The bloody red glow from the skull in the hands of the hybrid grew from a faint red to a vibrant crimson and now, a deep, sinister red-brown.

This immense Tainted Miasma power seemed to reach its peak, and at that moment, the skull finally couldn't withstand it anymore and shattered completely.

At that instant, the entire city seemed to be enveloped by a bloody veil. Roca, with uncontainable anticipation on his jackal-like face, knew his blood sacrifice had succeeded.

'Hahhahaha~ My risky gamble paid off. now I encompassed the entire city within the range of his blood sacrifice'. 

And behind Roca...

A vague shadow began to solidify.

Typically, the summoning of a Forgotten Spirit should be immediate, manifesting right at the moment of a successful blood sacrifice.

But this gradual materialization from a blurred shadow to a solid form was extremely rare.

Initially, Roca was stunned, barely believing it, but soon his disbelief turned into ecstasy.

It was simple.

This meant the quality of the "Forgotten Spirit" he had summoned was beyond imagination, definitely surpassing Common, Danger, and even likely, a supreme Forgotten Spirit that reached 'Disaster Rank' upon its "birth"!

"Hahahaha~! I need more sacrifices!"

The Tainted Miasma of the entire city was being absorbed by the Forgotten Spirit behind Roca, but he was still not satisfied. He was impatient to hasten the appearance of the Forgotten Spirit. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and the next moment...

He roared out in excitement.

After his roar, Roca's body swelled, muscles bulging, fur replacing skin, and his head fully transforming into that of a jackal, entering a "beastified" state. Standing three to four meters tall, Roca grabbed Leng and Mayor Mario, the nearest to him, like they were little chickens. He didn't give them any chance to struggle and crushed their heads with a forceful squeeze.

The carnage didn't end there. Next were two relic wielders close to Mario, who couldn't escape the now immensely strengthened Roca either, and were brutally killed.

After slaying four people, including three Eclipse, and absorbing their Tainted Miasma, the Forgotten Spirit behind Roca, although still far from being fully materialized, was no longer as vague.

From its face to its entire outfit, the outline of the Forgotten Spirit was now clear.

The two ears standing up on its head and the fluffy tail at its back clearly indicated that this 'Forgotten Spirit' belonged to the demi-human race, seemingly a... Cat person? And apparently a male.

This was common. Although the summoning was random, it tended to reflect the summoner's own traits. As a male demo-human, Roca summoning a male demi-human Forgotten Spirit was almost inevitable.

However, from the attire of this cat-man Forgotten Spirit, he didn't seem to be a warrior.

On his noble nose, he wore scholarly glasses, and his clothing was a somewhat oversized coat with many pockets, seemingly designed for a person who always had too much to carry.

In his hands, he didn't wield a weapon but a cane... or a staff? It seemed to be a two-in-one object – used as a cane by a noble in normal times and transformed into a mage's staff in battle, giving off an ever-calm and elegant demeanor.

Contrary to his gentle and delicate appearance, the terrifying aura emanating from him was overwhelming.

86, the maid beside Renji, had her eyes flashing with red alarms. She had never been this tense, not even when facing Maria possessed by Suthia.

Even Eileen, who usually took things lightly, was now unable to utter a word, overwhelmed by the oppression. Being an Eclipse herself, she was acutely aware of the immense power of the spectral being behind the jackal-man. Despite reaching 'Danger Rank' herself, she felt like an ant in front of him, not at all on the same level.

If Eileen and 86 were so affected, the remaining members of the revolutionary army were even more overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure.

The weaker among them were literally pressed down by the intense concentration of Tainted Miasma emanating from the 'Forgotten Spirit'. Just glancing towards it felt like falling into an abyss. Even the strongest among them, the foxy lady Nozomi, lacked the strength to even look at the 'Forgotten Spirit'. She had to bow her head and close her eyes to resist the heavy powerful force of the Tainted Miasma.

Roca was very pleased with everyone's reaction.

Prostrating before the Forgotten Spirit.

Subdued under the might of the Old Alliance.

'This was power, the kind he truly sought – the power of an absolute ruler, drawn from a higher world... Wait!?'

"How…!"

"How can you still stand?"