Read Novel Full Chapter 261: Anticipation
Chapter 261: Anticipation
Sitting down in the wooden chair, Vale crossed his legs and leaned back, causing the chair’s front two legs to lift slightly.
As he settled into that precarious balance, to his left was Sivian with a pleasant smile adorning her face as her lower half swirled. Ximena was a little off to his right, decked out in crystal armor, trying her best to contain [Absolute Zero].
Mias was also nearby, invisible, updating Vale.
"There are fifty descending into the Scar. The rest are staying above."
Vale nodded in acknowledgement as he repeatedly drove his thumb under and around his pointer finger of his balled fist.
The prospect of negotiation with Akkuron was daunting.
He didn’t think all fifty would be entering. Hell, it was probably only five or six at most; however, the sizable group was obviously a threat to encourage compliance.
Not that Vale had any intent to ’comply.’
Instead, he vowed they would be the ones complying.
That was a bit of a pipedream, but as long as he aimed for that goal, he could stop himself from getting crushed under the world’s heel.
As Vale’s ticks increased in frequency, he began to study the status pages of the three new Emergent; from what he learned, Salome, Mias, and Ximena all got a new Trait.
First things first...
Vale summoned Salome’s page.
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Name: [Salome]
Title: [Succubi Queen]
Aspect: [Succubus]
Class: [Demon]
Core Rank: [Emergent] - (0/600)
Loyalty: [100/100]
Traits: [Charm] [Quillstorm] [Slight Masochist] [Rudimentary Shapeshifter] [Vitality Drain] [Vicious Allure]
♥︎♥︎♥︎
At the end of her already long list of Traits, a new one appeared.
[Vicious Allure] - [Your presence eclipses reason, reducing even the most disciplined minds to instinct and desire.]
Unlike when he read his own abilities, there were no additional nuances fed to his mind. Instead, he was left with his own interpretation.
Thankfully, this one was easy for him to understand, having gained a similar Trait.
’It’s like [Fatal Attraction] but instead of breathing it deteriorates one’s reasoning.’
Vale felt that interpretation had to be correct.
The question spawned from it was then: ’What exactly is "reason"?’
That wasn’t exactly something Vale could answer by theorizing and ruminating upon; he needed concrete examples.
Vale moved onto Mias, the specter who was still feeding him updates on the soldiers who were nearing the first landing on the far side of the Scar.
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Name: [Mias]
Title: [Reaper of Knowledge]
Aspect: [Miasmic Body]
Class: [Demon]
Core Rank: [Emergent] - (0/600)
Loyalty: [50/100]
Traits: [Vendetta] [Ashen Haze] [Nevermore] [Severance]
♥︎♥︎♥︎
’Still 50/100, huh...’
Vale’s eyes drifted to the bottom.
[Severance] - [Your existence hangs by fragile threads of a sewn soul. Momentarily cut them and grant a moment of silence.]
’Uh... oh!’
It was a bit odd of an ability, but as Vale came to understand it...
’He can sever his mind?’
Salome had previously stated that Mias could sever part of his own being, with that portion permanently lost. But, if Vale’s understanding was correct, this ability permitted Mias to reconstruct those severed fragments.
It didn’t seem like a strong ability at first — in fact, it appeared useless — but this meant Mias could perform at a much higher efficiency. If a part of him needed to fight, it could be severed, so it wasn’t distracted by the split perception. It could also deny Greed permanent eyes into Vale’s Dungeon.
With a satisfied smile, Vale dismissed the screen and summoned Ximena’s.
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Name: [Ximena]
Title: [Icebound Soul]
Aspect: [Permafrost]
Class: [Anathema]
Core Rank: [Emergent] - (0/500)
Loyalty: [100/100]
Traits: [Absolute Zero] [Fabric Weaver] [Frostbite] [Crystal Prison] [Crystal Chains]
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Vale squinted as he focused on the new Trait.
[Crystal Chains] - [Once bound in perpetual torment, you broke your chains only to find new ones in their place.]
’Uh...’
And there it was!
Vale had been on a streak of interpretive and understandable descriptions, but it was back to the usual obscurity.
While he could read it as literal chains, there seemed much more to it than that; the description less described an ability, more so something conceptual. On that note...
’Ximena, what chain binds you now?’
And what chains did she break from?
The obvious answer seemed to be [Crystal Prison], but Vale kept his mind open.
The only accurate way he’d be able to understand it was by asking Ximena directly...
’If she even understands it herself.’
Well, that was a problem begging for a solution on a different day. Because if what Mias just whispered in his ear were correct, the Akkuron forces had finished their descent into the gorge. All they had to do now was cross the river.
Meaning, there were about twenty minutes minimum until their ’guests’ arrived.
Vale addressed the two on either side of him, both who held stoic looks on their faces.
"Sivian, Ximena. Do try to appear friendly, but don’t appear weak."
Ximena gave a nod, though her gaze drifted, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Sivian turned her head to Vale and smirked.
"Of course, Master Vale. But if you need someone to melt..."
Sivian hissed and flicked her long tongue up and down.
Vale sighed.
"Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but be prepared if it does."
As Vale waited, he calmed himself down and tried his best to become aware of his micro-movements.
When the negotiation started, assuming it was a negotiation and not a raid, he had to quell all habits that would be indicative of his thought process or feelings. Then, he also needed to create false habits he could use to trick them.
He needed to be indiscernible and enigmatic like Greed.
Eventually, Mias whispered from behind him.
"They have crossed the river."
’Alright...’
"Be careful so you don’t get caught, but keep an eye on the situation. If it seems they’re not here to talk or if discussion falls through..."
"I understand."
With that, Mias’ voice faded, any hint of his presence vanishing.
Vale pulled a [Dawn’s Eye] out from [Nexus of Beginnings] and activated it. He slid the orb into the middle of the table, rolling into a divot where it nestled neatly.
As he looked at that particular orb, he thought to himself:
’It’s your choice, Valentin.’