Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 487: I am fire

Chapter 487: I am fire

"Do you really want me to be the one to give you a name?" Vlad asked. Although intangible, his eyes held a solemn sharpness. He recognized this wasn’t just a name; it would be the first genuine choice the newborn Depravita made, a choice that would shape its future identity.

"My soul was born thanks to yours," the new being replied, voice calm yet firm. "That makes you my progenitor. And in most civilizations, it is the progenitor who chooses the name."

A subtle hush spread in the dimension as Vlad studied the entity’s "expression." He could sense no hesitation in its words. Only a sober resolution was evident. Slowly, a small smile crossed Vlad’s lips.

"All right, then. Believe it or not, you’re in luck. Everyone always told me I’m really good at coming up with names," Vlad said with a hint of wry amusement. In that instant, he felt an odd itch where his nose should have been, a reflex that made no sense given he no longer possessed a physical form. He suppressed the bizarre moment of near-laughter and focused on the task at hand.

"First," he continued, "I want to know: how do you envision your body?" To craft a fitting name, he needed to understand the shape or essence this new Depravita wished to assume. "If I’m to create a name that suits you, I must understand what you see yourself becoming."

The Depravita paused in contemplative silence as though sifting through the raw impulses and knowledge gleaned from merging Leviathan remnants with Vlad’s own spirit. Eventually, it offered an answer.

"I see myself as fire. A force capable of consuming everything and using it for fuel." Its words brimmed with somber resolve, but moments later, a kind of fervor overtook its tone.

"A force that can raze entire forests, yet also give birth to even greater wonders. A power of destruction leading to new creation. A being that soars to the highest heaven and splits the sky in two!"

Vlad’s grin widened in response. He heard in those words the essence of a true Depravita: a creature many might dismiss as pure destruction but one that could be more nuanced, even a potential harbinger of renewal.

"Excellent," he said, his voice warm with approval. "I’ve got all I need. While I think of a name, you should start constructing your body. This obelisk shape isn’t exactly ideal for us, Depravitas. We must travel the world, face wonders, and refine our minds and wills to advance in our path."

A quiet, wistful moment passed before Vlad continued, eyes gleaming with a subdued longing. "You could also help me reconstruct my body at the same time."

The entity promptly replied, "I will begin immediately." It set about molding the raw energies swirling in this cryptic dimension, intending to form a body for itself and one for Vlad. But then, a wave of astonishment coursed through its spirit, making it pause. "Incredible. My ability to create is growing especially fast, thanks to the A.I. Chip!"

A spark of delight flickered in Vlad’s phantom eyes. The A.I. Chip, his always faithful servant, was now aiding this new Depravita. That synergy would accelerate its learning curve and refine its power, fueling both its own corporeal manifestation and, with luck, Vlad’s rebirth. He felt a stirring of hope that he might regain his physical form sooner than expected.

---

Outside, however, the human army maintained a drastically different stance. Tension and anxiety cloaked the entire battlefield. Soldiers had witnessed an immense torrent of negative emotion and psychic energy funneling into the obsidian spire. They glimpsed an unfamiliar soul aura blossoming afterward, and then a deathly silence fell. Confusion reigned among the ranks, each soldier grappling with a thousand unanswered questions.

In the hush that settled, a grim atmosphere threatened to smother all. Yet Jormgundr and Ouroborus sensed something decisive had transpired within the obelisk. They detected a brand-new Depravita!

That gave them hope, but the trouble was, neither of them could communicate with it nor confirm if Vlad’s spirit lingered inside. They paced restlessly on the blood-soaked ground, eyeing the obsidian obelisk’s surface for any sign of life.

Half an hour crawled by in this uneasy limbo. Then, the obelisk’s maw yawned open, altering the battlefield once more. Dozens, then hundreds, of tendrils of oily black plasma snaked out at chilling speed. Startled gasps rose from the army, and every soldier brought their weapon to bear on the monolith. But the plasma streams ignored human targets, instead latching onto the innumerable Leviathan bodies across the war-ravaged plain—be they dead or merely unconscious. One by one, these corpses vanished into the obsidian tower’s dark aperture.

Grand Marshal Anglius, whose once-pristine golden armor was now stained with gore and battered from uncountable clashes, frowned deeply at the sight. All that biomass was returning to the core of the Leviathan Race. Casting a silent question toward Jormgundr and Ouroborus, Anglius wondered if they should intervene. The cat and the werewolf looked equally uncertain, sharing glances that betrayed their indecision.

Sensing the flux of eyes upon him, Overlord broke his own silence. Scanning the writhing whips of plasma, he spoke in a solemn register. "Let it happen. If my calculations are correct, this is the right path forward."

His statement yielded no immediate comfort to the watchers but offered something akin to resolution. Jormgundr, Ouroborus, Freya, and Anglius reluctantly bowed to Overlord’s logic. They were all keenly aware that if Vlad stood any chance of returning from his fatal wounds, it might hinge on the forces at work within that black spire. Hence, they stepped aside and allowed the horrifying process to continue unopposed.

No soldier intervened as the nightmarish plasma streams collected every single Leviathan. From the smallest drones to the most formidable Lords, even the scattered remains of the Leviathan King, all were drawn into the obelisk’s maw. The entire operation lasted less than three hours. By its end, a monumental mass of life force had converged behind the obsidian walls. The humans could practically feel the power compressing on the other side, forging an unguessable outcome.