Chapter 308: The Sacred and Profane Graves

Slimo continued walking closer to the mountainous man in glimmering armor.

"How could I forget? With the end of the world about, I’m surprised that you aren’t more shocked to see me."

The man dropped his tool and stood up before turning around and taking off his helmet.

"People like you aren’t the kind to let something like this break their spirits. You’re like bugs who refuse to die even after getting swatted multiple times."

The Traveler’s face was God-like. Every part of his face was perfect. His green, enchanted eyes shimmered from the dim light in the sky, his face was perfectly symmetrical, and his bone structure was very masculine. His appearance alone made Slimo feel inferior, but the strength emanating from his being made him truly weak.

He reached out his hand to address Slimo properly for the first time.

"My real name is Cane. You may know me as one of the Sacred Trio. It is a pleasure see you, Slimo."

Slimo almost dropped to his knees. One of the strongest soldiers humanity had to offer was standing before him, holding out his hand. Hearing his true title and name answered many questions in his mind that he had been wrestling with.

"The Sacred Trio. You’re all real?"

Cane’s expression faltered.

"Indeed. Both the Sacred and Profane Trio were people just like me."

Slimo noticed something strange about his word choice. He said that they ’were’ people just like him.

"What do you mean ’were’ people just like you? Aren’t they still here?"

Cane sighed and turned around to the graves next to him.

"In a sense. You’re looking at them right now."

Slimo’s heart dropped. He fell to his knees from the shock of the reveal.

"They’re... dead? But... how? How did they die? Did Zalo kill them? Was it another strong beast? How is this possible?"

Slimo walked up to each pillar individually, reading the name and small description that came with it.

Lorvaria: A woman whose kindness was just as great as her wrath. She blessed many with power. You will be missed, friend.

Xieno: A man who brought destiny to its knees. His knowledge benefited humanity for decades. Enjoy your eternal rest.

Garno: Out of all the others, Garno was the scariest of them all. Strangely, there were limits to even his power and mentality. For being so scary, he truly cared about us, his opposites.

Annis: The Witch of Destiny herself, the mind behind the curse mark, and Zalo’s favorite disciple. Corruption consumed her will, leading to this unavoidable outcome.

Ferro: My friend, my opposite, yet also my enemy. May the thing you once controlled embrace you gently.

There was one last pillar to read. It was the one that Cane was currently fixing up. Slimo read the description to himself. He gasped and held his mouth.

"I-Impossible..."

Heroes of Humanity: General Stone, Avala Kin, and Gabriel Katra. Each one of these humans were truly exceptional in their own way. All of them were heroes of their homeland, constantly saving hundreds of people while putting their life at risk. Unfortunately, Zalo got to them before I could. Rest in peace.

Slimo grabbed Cane’s leg, tears filling his eyes.

"How do you know these people?! What happened to them?! TELL ME!!"

Cane didn’t move a muscle as Slimo angrily grabbed hold of him.

"I killed them. All of them."

Slimo felt like vomiting hearing the words leave Cane’s mouth.

"You... you did what?!"

Cane grabbed Slimo’s hand and removed it from his leg.

"I killed them. Both the Sacred and Profane Trio as well as your friends. They all died by my hand."

Anger started roaring through Slimo’s veins.

"Why?! WHY WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?! THEY WERE OUR ONLY HOPE TO DEFEAT ZALO YOU BASTARD!! THAT WAS MY SISTER YOU KILLED!!"

"They were corrupted."

Slimo hesitated, steam coming from his mouth as he tried to hold back his anger.

"Zalo has grown too powerful for you all in the last nine months. Your sister and friends were helping him lead his expedition to increase his power. However, in doing so, they became conduits for his power. Both the Trio’s were already conduits for his crazy strength, but your friends were simply unlucky to choose to join them."

"You’re lying. My sister would never join those freaks! You have to be lying!"

"I imagen they gave them the choice to kill them or join their group. There was most likely no other way."

"You didn’t have to kill them. They could have survived. YOU decided to kill them!!"

"You’re right. I did decide that, but killing them was the only way to stunt Zalo’s power. Besides..."

Cane walked over to a hole in the ground that was hiding closer towards the edge of the cliff.

"It’s not like I didn’t make a grave for myself."

Slimo felt like screaming. He wanted to tear this person to shreds, cry his eyes out, or curl up in a ball and groan.

"Why you? How the hell did you defeat everyone else and you don’t even have a scratch on you? Why are you the only one who gets to live?! Don’t you have an opposite who can kill you?!"

Cane shook his head before sitting down and looking out at the view over the frozen ocean before him.

"You people call my kind of power a ’curse’ for a reason, right? Well, my curse happened to be pure immortality, something that even Zalo can’t seem to take away from me. When I tell you I can’t die in any sort of way, I truly mean it."

He sighed deeply.

"Trust me. I’ve tried. I really did try."

"What about that death fellow? You couldn’t just touch him or something?!"

"Were you not listening to me? I told you I’ve tried everything. Everything you can possibly think of. Garno couldn’t take my power, Ferro couldn’t end my life or weaken me, and Xieno couldn’t manipulate a destiny to where I pass away. I am stuck in this existence forever, cursed to stare at a grave I will never fill."

Slimo tried his best to stay angry, but it was really hard to stay mad at someone who’s existence was so miserable.

"Hey. These graves look familiar to ones my group has seen before. Months ago, we stumbled upon similar pillars inside of a forest with a guardian defending them. Do you know anything about that?"

Cane shook his head.

"It’s possible those are from me. I probably just haven’t built them yet is all."

Slimo’s anger was being drained by the second, slowly being replaced with burning curiosity.

"What do you mean you haven’t built them yet? How can they be there if you haven’t built them?"

"Well, these statues are imbued with a special enchantment to transcend time just like me. That means they were here before you were alive, they are here with you right now, and they will be here for the eternity after you are gone."

Slimo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Something that insane had to be made up.

"Y-You’re lying! You have to be lying to me!"

"It doesn’t matter to me if you believe me or not. You are just another blip in time. But I must admit something."

Cane stood up and looked back at Slimo.

"Out of all the humans I have seen come and go from this world, you appear to be the most stubborn. I believe Lorvaria was right to not bless you with a power."

Slimo’s eyes widened.

"What are you-"

"Your drive, your grit, your intelligence, do you have any concept of how powerful you are for being a mere human? You are battling most beasts that could kill entire continents of humans for breakfast. Imagine someone like you possessing a power."

"Wouldn’t you want someone like that to be made so I can kill you?"

Cane laughed.

"Actually, it would make Zalo drool over you. You would be enslaved and under his command before you could even blink. It’s sad to see that even with those preventative efforts, Zalo still became as powerful as he currently is, leading to this outcome."

He waved his hand over the graves next to him.

"So, you made the journey all the way out here. What power is it you seek to gain from me? Do you wish me as an ally?"

Slimo spat on the ground.

"I wish I could rip your face off a hundred times over is what I really want right now, but we need strong people. We need you to help us take Zalo down for good."

Cane nodded his head gently.

"I see. I refuse."

Slimo couldn’t believe his ears.

"What? What did you say?"

"I said I refuse."

Slimo walked up to him, rubbing his hands through his white hair like a madman.

"Have you actually gone insane?! You killed all your buddies and my family all for ’ending Zalo’ and here I offer you a chance to get back at the big bastard and you refuse?! Unbelievable!!"

Cane shook his head.

"I can’t tell you everything, or it won’t happen. Trust me, I really want to help you. More than anything in the world. However, something is screaming at me to not go, and I have a feeling I know why. My presence will bring things back to the way they are supposed to be, and that would mean everything you and your group is working towards would be for nothing."

"What are you talking about?! What exactly are we working towards if not Zalo’s downfall?!"

"I can’t tell you!! It won’t happen if I tell you!"

"You expect me to really take your word for anything? After everything you have revealed to me?"

After a long moment of hesitation, Cane stood up and walked over to Slimo. He grabbed his head with his massive hands and stared into his golden eyes.

"You better hope this doesn’t change anything. I won’t give you much, but this will be plenty."

Cane pushed his head against Slimo’s.

Suddenly, a picture of something appeared in Slimo’s brain vividly.

A man in a suit covered in bandages.

Slimo gasped and pushed himself away, sweating profusely. The presence he felt from gazing upon the man sent a fear into his heart like no other.

"Who... who the hell was that? What was that thing?"

Cane sighed and walked back next to his empty grave, staring at it wistfully.

"Your true enemy."