Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 349: Jarring Truths

“And Zelsh?” Jarrit asked.

“Yes. In fact, Zelsh is even more cooperative than Rhyner.”

Astounded, Jarrit took in a deep breath and looked around the table. He noticed the surprise on Vloz’s and Ania’s faces as well, along with confusion filling Puula’s unusually expressive eyes.

The man added, “Either way, both men have decided to take part in my plans, each learning their share of what I intend to accomplish. How else do you think Rhyner learned about the treason King Portro was committing? And how would Oli’s sudden appearance work so coincidentally well with Rhyner’s own goals, such as hiding his son’s potential? There are too many coincidences to count in retrospect, but that’s because I’m doing my best to anticipate what comes next. So, you’re welcome.”

Jarrit was speechless. His inquisitive mind was too uncertain of what to ask next to even say a word.

“Zelsh! Oli’s training under Zelsh?!” Ania shouted. Her facial muscles tensed up with concern. “My son is training under Zelsh the Cruel?!!”

“Ania. You need to calm down, or I’ll rethink letting you see your son.”

.....

Instantly, Ania retracted her tongue, curling it into the top of her mouth in frustration.

Unfazed, the man continued, “My plans are already in motion and they can’t be stopped. Even in the worst-case scenario, they can only be delayed. But both Oli and I would prefer that things go as I’ve planned. If that occurs, then Dioro’s revival will be thoroughly researched and you won’t need to worry about anyone from Dominus standing in your son’s way. Is that clear?”

“... Yes. But why did Dioro have to die?” Ania questioned, catching Jarrit off-guard as the mage remembered Bradok’s relationship with the former mortal champion.

Lifting an eyebrow under his hood, the man let out a small sigh. “Tell me. Would there be any better motivation for you, Rathe, and Oli to get stronger?”

“That–”

“Was there any other way for Oli to gain the soul jade before forming his core?” the man stated, interrupting Ania without raising his voice.

“Soul jade!!” Jarrit exclaimed, nearly shooting back onto his feet from leaning too far forward.

“How else would Oli have gained favor from Trada?”

“TRADA?!!” Jarrit shouted again, feeling more and more mental pressure weighing down on him.

“There are far too many reasons to list right now. But everything makes sense when looking back, as do the results of any good plan,” continued the man, ignoring Jarrit’s inconsequential exclamations. “All you can do is trust me. That doesn’t mean you have to appreciate my presence or even like me. But you’ll have to trust me.

“... But I will add,” after a brief pause, the man smiled warmly once again, “without my help, Dioro would’ve never lived to enter Devil’s Canyon.”

Suddenly, the furious shock in Ania’s eyes faded into sorrowful astonishment. “That was YOU?!! You were that expert–”

“Yes. I’m the one who protected Dioro and gave him the precious soul art that Oli is now using, as well as the entire clan to a lesser extent.”

“...”

“Aren’t you going to ask about how Dioro silently exited Devil’s Canyon and snuck back into the West Quadrant?” the man asked with a friendly chime in his voice. “Or how he evaded every move of bounty hunters eager to track your clan after you all had exited Bore City?”

“... That was you?”

“Yes. That was all me.”

“Were you the reason Dioro found us?”

Chuckling, the man nodded at Vloz’s comment. “Yes, that’s also true.”

Nodding along, Vloz sighed, “That explains it...”

“Now you understand that I’ve been helping your family since before it existed, Ania,” the man continued, swirling the wine in his glass. “And while I did technically allow Dioro to die, it wasn’t without reason or cause. And yes, what you’re imagining is correct also. Dioro’s death was within my plans. I’ll accept that blame to an extent, though I think we all know Dioro would’ve done the same thing even if I had never been involved in your lives. Correct?”

Offering a begrudging nod, Ania agreed.

“Now that you and Vloz are on the same page, let’s bring the other two up to speed.” Laughing, the man glanced at Jarrit. “I’ll start with Puula, which will answer some of your questions as well. Is that alright?”

“Yes... I’ll be patient.” Jarrit held back some of the questions he so desperately wanted to ask.

Smiling again, the man gave his full attention to the silent fox. “I’ll start from the beginning, but I’ll be brief. Okay?”

Showing great composure, Puula nodded and eagerly awaited explanations she had long sought after.

“Before the arrival of the Iron-body Gorillas in Iron Territory, they were nomadic, as you would expect. But just before coming here, they encountered dueling dragons. One, whose health was compromised before the confrontation, was gravely injured to the point of imminent death. The victor ended up facing Ania’s husband, Dioro, in an attempt to kill Oli who had gotten on the dragon’s nerves. This led to Dioro sacrificing himself to force back that dragon, dealing heavy damage in the process.”

Pointing briefly at Jarrit, the man added, “Those dragons were an unhealthy couple. They were Brak and Trada, as you thought.

“Once Brak was repelled for good, Dioro died due to the repercussions of facing someone far stronger than himself. But this led to Trada helping Oli form his core and even offering some of her own blood, helping him successfully mutate his bloodline while also bonding his mortal core with Dioro’s soul jade, something he got from Devil’s Canyon.”

Seeing the baffled expressions of Jarrit and Puula, the man shrugged. “As for what happened after that, you already know, Puula. The gorillas arrived here and changed everything about this territory. And that’s also why I guided Oli toward Trighton Territory and Bore City, because he’s forever linked with the Toxic-shadow Dragons, Jarrit. That and having Zelsh, a mid-king Rot Wyrm, as a private instructor is perfect for Oli’s abilities, is it not?”

The room was silent. Everyone else was busy taking in what they had learned while the man began to fill his plate a third time.