Chapter 162: Davey Do and Ayane Ensemble; World’s Strongest

Ares waggled some sushi in front of a confused Veteran before laying down his terms of exchange. "You want sushi, I want info. Dealio?"

"... Depends what kind of information you're after. I have my own loyalties and won't leak anything important about people who've put their trust in me."

Ares rolled his eyes and handed the sushi over. "It's not that serious, don't be so on edge all the time. Anyway, I just wanted to know about the strongest people in the world. Well, not Astraeus, I already know all there is to know about him. Apparently there's some woman who lives in a mute society and a quirky goofball guy? Terros mentioned you probably know 'em so now I wanna know 'em!"

"That's not really an issue but why? What brought on this curiosity?"

"Hm, well I guess I've been meeting all sorts of people recently who live in the realm of the Gods or around it and it got me wondering who's at the tippity top of cultivator society. You, Caribou, Dominus, Terros, etc... I know I won't actually meet any of these people for real for a long time but that doesn't mean I can't learn a little more right? I also like to have a good idea of who'll be friend or foe so the more I know the more informed a decision I can make regarding how I handle these people."

"Well they really aren't people you'd want to make foes out of, I'll tell you that at least. Especially not Mettle Bats. That's the guy's nickname and for good reason. He's got mettle, he's bat shit insane sometimes, and he'll swing a metal bat at you if you get on his bad side for whatever reason. His real name is a bit more tame, Davey Do if I recall correctly. Not many people call him that anymore because his nickname sort of just stuck. He roams around and does basically whatever takes his fancy. He makes no effort in hiding himself so he's always easy to track down and if there's a disturbance he's usually in the middle of it, if he didn't outright start it. Don't ask me why but he travels around with a pretty powerful kangaroo that he's extremely protective of so don't attack it, or make it mad, 'cos then you'll have to deal with Davey. The kangaroo's pretty strong too, mind you, supposedly about as strong as me currently without my magic. Just like your mimic, his kangaroo has evolved and is quite the creature. I don't know anything specific about it, though, as I've never personally sparred with it. I've heard the rumours that it beat someone else who was roughly as strong as me so take that as you will. As for Davey himself, his magic is just really annoying. He gets stronger the longer he fights and his opponent gets weaker too. This effect just keeps going forever and, you might not know this, but fights in the upper realms can sometimes take thousands of years to conclude. It makes him a real menace to deal with if you can't beat him quick and, quite frankly, no one can. His single greatest trait is his toughness and spirit of will. He basically never gives up which lets his magic scale until he can beat you. Put simply, he's annoying. He puts you on a timer and then acts like your punching bag until you become his. Plus it's not just that you get weaker, you actually temporarily lose your cultivation base. You can regress and lose certain benefits certain realms provide you. For instance, he could fight you and take away your mental accumulation realm, stripping you of all your mental arts. He can even remove a God's status if he tangos with them for long enough. Anyway, point being, if you're going to fight him you'll want to make it a fast affair otherwise you won't win. Hell you might not even be able to run away depending on how much he weakens you with his magic. Of course his kangaroo will also join in the brawl as well so don't expect a fair fight. Still, he's an alright person once you get to know him. He's not quite a friend of mine, more so a close acquaintance, but even still I can tell he's not as crazy as his actions make him out to be.

As for the woman, everything I know is second-hand information from the mouth of Davey. Take it with a grain of salt but know that most of it is probably true even if a little exaggerated. Anyway, according to Davey, the woman's name is Ayane Ensemble. She's a bit of a tricky subject. If we're talking raw power, even without magic, she trumps Davey. She's a proficient sword wielder and practically unrivalled with the weapon. If she were to ever use her magic she may even rival Astraeus. There in lies the issue though, she has an astonishingly impressive affiliation for the sound pillar... You can imagine how much of a problem that caused in her mute homeland. She was born under unique circumstances as new-borns are typically birthed within a runic formation that culls sound. Unfortunately, her cries tore through the barrier and were heard around the world. Her hair colour changed with every passing moment and it was as though the very essence of her being shifted with the pitch of her wails.

The complication with her birth ended up in the death of all of her family in exchange for her life and eternal servitude to the rulers of her domain. The parents begged and pleaded before finally convincing the rulers to spare Ayane. It was obvious at a glance she was a prodigy, as her pillar affiliation was overwhelming, so she was kept alive under the condition she would forever remain silent and fight on behalf of her superiors. To this day she doesn't know what her magic is or does because she's forbidden from ever using it. Despite this she remains a powerhouse cultivator who is unrivalled in terms of technique. Visitors to the silent domain were permitted provided they obeyed the rules and were only there to challenge Ayane as they wanted to show off the power they wielded through her. She beat the sword exemplar, the God of the weapons pillar, Dominus, Davey, everyone who came her way. She was, and is, used as a subtle threat to leave the silent domain alone and not interfere with their politics lest they unleash her on the world.

As for Ayane herself, she's a poor girl who's been compelled to loyally do as commanded until the day she dies. She feels no desire to rebel because she was raised in an environment where she was blamed for everything, the death of her parents included. She was taught the values of silence the hard way and supposedly beaten until she could take the torture without making any noise. They didn't want a repeat of what happened during her birth, as that was an infamous incident in their world, so they were particularly heavy handed in their guidance with her. If she was ordered to do something, she was reprimanded and blamed for not being efficient in solving the issue even if she succeeded. in other words, she was subjected to gaslighting and indoctrination on a monumental scale since childhood. Nowadays she's just a silent puppet with no emotion or cares in the world. She strictly adheres to the beliefs of her home planet and never hesitates to do as she's told. Never questioning and never truly living either. Again, her magic remains untouched which is completely unfathomable. To become the strongest in the world without ever using magic is an extraordinary feat but it likely doesn't matter. She's not permitted to leave her domain and the rulers of it are reluctant to engage with the rest of the world so she never will either. The rulers are an incredibly shady bunch with their own demons in their closets according to various rumours. There have been talks of forming a coalition and invading the domain to sort out the uncooperative rulers as they make everyone else's lives harder constantly. They make unreasonable demands and threaten the Gods, and various other domains, with Ayane to get what they want, living like kings in a world full of obedient slaves. Still, Ayane is a very real threat and there are others in that domain that command their own brand of respect too. Gathering enough people who both care and are willing to potentially risk their lives to sort them out isn't easy. The way some Gods see it is that it's a potential death sentence for something that doesn't even affect them. Neither Ayane nor the common folk are worth saving in their eyes.

And that's roughly what I gathered from what Davey told me. There may some missing information but he swears on his life that Ayane woman is hideously strong. Of course I've been in here for a while so who knows if the general consensus on 'who's strongest' has changed in the mean time. There may even be new candidates I've never heard of. Anyway, knowing their names is good enough so you know who not to offend should it ever become relevant for whatever reason. Still, the only one you're ever likely to see is Davey and he's pretty easy to tell apart from everyone else thanks to his kangaroo if nothing else. It's quite the trademark. There aren't many people wielding a baseball bat strolling around cities with a bipedal animal by their side."

"I see. Thanks! That was incredibly helpful. Is there anything you want to know as payment for your information?"

"What percentage of pressure you can use for your enhancement..."

"Nope, anything other than that."

"... Be honest with me, can you help me? The real me with my curse, I mean?"

Ares raised an eyebrow but didn't answer just yet as he was curious. "What makes you think I can? Seems a little out of left field."

"I've been thinking about it. I didn't know much about the six fundamental pillars but I knew one of them was called 'destruction'. If a pillar called 'destruction' can't help me then there might not be any hope for me whatsoever. That's you, right? Destruction? That was definitely what the pressure bullet you lodged in my brain gave me to understand anyway. That boundless aura of ruination reminded of me of my time at war when everything came crumbling down around me. It was nostalgic and yet horrifying. If that is the essence of your magic then maybe you are what I've been looking for all this time."

"... What are you planning on doing if the answer is yes?"

"Given that you would have withheld the information from me I take it you want to do this trial the hard way for whatever reason. Should you have the means to free me from this curse I assure you I will keep trying my hardest to retain this position until you usurp it from me, I would owe you that at least."

"Then I guess my plans are changing. Yes, I can help you. It's also not a complicated matter and I can sever the lingering magic easily even as I am now. The problem is I can't reach you for a while because I have matters that need sorting out and I'm stuck within a sort of barrier anyway."

"I could break it."

"No, you really couldn't. Even the Gods struggled to get a weak clone past it. Breaking it is something only I can do unless you have the power to obliterate an entire dimension. My control over the source of the barrier is why I can remove it eventually. That being said, after I remove it, if you want to come to me then feel free. There is something I want of you though."

"As long as I can do it, I will do it as soon as I am able to. Even if I can't do it I will find a way to achieve it." Veteran's voice picked up in speed and tone. Some of the perpetual gloom tormenting his person seemed to have vanished and his faith in life was renewed somewhat. Just knowing the solution existed was good enough to keep him going for now. If Ares had said no earlier he would have just committed suicide when he got back outside. His missing magic weighed heavily on his heart and psyche and had taken its toll for far too long now. Either it needed to go or he did. Hearing Ares say he could do it was a relief to say the least. "Even if you asked me to go and fight to the death with Ayane I assure you I would do it."

"Nonono, nothing so drastic. I just want you to lend your name for a bit. You see..." Ares explained the Candy situation while also informing Veteran of the others that were aiding Ares in this cause. Really, Veteran was just the icing on the cake but his presence would also be reassuring to say the least. When Ares was done explaining the situation it was Veteran's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"That's an incredible list of supporters you know? You're going to become an incredibly important player in the highest tiers of cultivation society immediately. You'll also be painting a giant target on your back as everyone you listed has enemies..."

"So be it. Some things are more important. If you now had to rely on others to protect your magic affiliations would you not go to every length possible? utilise every tool at your disposal? I feel that way about Candy so making a few enemies is really nothing to me. Besides, considering the kind of person I am, I'd do that sooner or later anyway."

"Revenant personality, huh? Anyway, I have two questions. One, where are you in the world? I want to find you as soon as I get out. Even if I have to wait outside the barrier for a few hundred years it shouldn't pose any issues to me. And two, out of curiosity, why do you not want to just get this trial over and done with? Again I respect your decision but I do want to know. According to what you said the real Candy may be in danger, no? Are you willing to risk it for whatever your goal here is?"

"Yes and I have to be willing to. There are two reasons I'm not asking you to give me a free pass. First of all, you are invaluable to me. There is no better place in the world to learn how to control pressure than this pagoda and you were the challenge set for me by the Transmit boss for a good reason. If I half-ass things here and now there will plenty of holes in my enhancement that I may not fix until I get another chance to meet you. That's a huge risk. I don't know what awaits me here, where I am now, but I have a feeling I'm going to need all the strength I can get my hands on to protect what I care about. As for my other reason, I need my clone that takes over the overseer position on this floor to be immaculate. He needs to have fully maximised proficiency in pressure enhancement because I need it to be invincible. What it will do for my reputation in the wider world is important and if it were to lose immediately I would become a disgrace. I can't have people thinking my backing is the only threat I pose. I need to be an unknown variable that others shy away from to help protect my family. They need to understand that offending me is a grave risk and a fully developed clone, at max strength, is the way to do it. There can be no holes or flaws because it mustn't lose. To that end I need to keep training with you as I mentioned earlier. Even when I'm finally capable of beating you I need to train further so I apologise in advance but I am not leaving this pagoda until I can squeeze nothing else out of it. As for Candy... I'm playing the odds game here. After all these years what are the chances a few extra days makes much of a difference? It's a risk, I know it is, but it's one that's better taken than not. I have faith I'll make it in time... I need to believe that and not concern myself with unnecessary worry. So please, if I can muster such a steadfast determination I ask that you don't make me squander it all. Do not go easy on me or I will not forgive you. And I assure you I do not need you to ease up as I will overtake you in due time."

"I believe you. If you didn't have what it takes you would have accepted my suggestion then and there anyway. I don't think you're confidence is misplaced as you don't seem the arrogant type. I will honour my word, I'm not so pathetic as to break it. It's not even like doing so would benefit me anyway as I can't force you to use your magic. I've spent so many years looking for a way out, I can wait a few more days to feel the sweet release from an endless search back in reality."

"Right you are. As for your other question, I'm in Sheryashka currently, although I'll probably emerge from a higher domain when the barrier is removed. I take it you've heard of the place?"

"Mhm, back in my time it was famous as the birth place of Dominus. Never actually been there myself but I do know of it. I'll be sure to pay a visit as soon as I'm done here. Even if it's just one or two higher domains you poke your head out of I'll be sure keep an eye out."

"You could probably just follow the fundamental organisation as I imagine there will be talks with them about meeting up outside the barrier. Terros can set up a meeting, even though it will hassle him a bit, or maybe Transmit, so that'll likely be the case. Anyway none of that can happen until I kick your ass so let's get back to scrapping! I'm not done having you beat me to death just yet! My pressure enhancement is at 25% right now and still climbing so let's do this!"

"Seriously... How high is that number gonna go?..."

"... Ah fine, I'll tell ya. 100% BABY! WOOHOO! The Ares train has no brakes!"

"..." Veteran couldn't find the correct words to say in this situation. 100%... 100%... Clearly the world was changing and he needed to catch up... Maybe getting his magic back would allow him to fight on equal footing with some of these little monsters that were starting to spring up. He'd need to work and train hard to rebuild himself as the powerful cultivator he was once revered as but it was better than just letting everyone surpass him... Although there was clearly nothing he could do about Ares. Actually there was nothing anyone could do about him. The world's strongest pressure and the world's strongest magic? What was the answer to that exactly? Run and hide, that's what!

For the first time ever, Veteran was going to, eventually, experience pure hopelessness against a superior foe. According to his earlier calculations even if Ares only had 90% enhancement things would be rough for him, never mind 100%... And the worst part was that none of this took into consideration his bloodline ability to mix in his mana... This kid's growth was steady for now but the second he added annihilation into the mix it would become, ironically, explosive. Under the restraints of the pagoda weighing him down, Ares at 100% enhancement, with annihilation mixed in, might actually be twice as strong as Veteran at his peak... Veteran was rapidly realising the fundamentals were truly in a league of their own. Sure the noodle arms elf in the other instance of this floor wasn't doing too hot but even in pressure enhancement, clearly his weakest area of expertise, he'd still reached a higher percentage than Veteran himself. The fundamental champions were just on another level entirely so the whole 'who's strongest' question was probably irrelevant. Ares didn't need to ask because, in Veteran's eyes, he was and is the correct answer. Veteran had never seen anyone quite like this in all his time searching high and low throughout the dimension so he was fairly confident in his assumption. Plus he didn't even know everything there was to know about this kid, so his assumption was based on half-baked knowledge, and yet it was still such high praise... 100%... Veteran couldn't help but laugh at this number that seemed so far out of reach despite existing right in front of him. If he knew Ares had achieved this by cooking he might have actually gone insane and started laughing like a mad man.

"Ah, do you want your magic back now? It won't affect the real you but you can have it back here at least. Just as reassurance that I can actually do it and I'm not using you for my own benefit."

"I mean I trust you to uphold your end of the bargain but yes, I would like to experience that nirvana again. I won't be able to use any of it thanks to the pagoda but it will be comforting knowing it's there. Plus my real self will get to experience it again, even if only for a brief moment, when I return with memories of it and that ought to brighten up my day. So please do."

Ares walked on over to Veteran and placed his palm directly on the guy's back. He was pretty good at navigating inside people with mana thanks to all his pressure practice from earlier so he could get to where he needed to go in a snap. Ares' Omniscience was to thank for simplifying the process of locating the issue as Ares would have to do some serious digging otherwise. As for where the problem lay, it was in Veteran's meridians. They had been coated in curse aspect magic which effectively meant he was being plagued by a series of runes!

Curse aspect runes were devilish and specialised in long lasting negative effects that were hard to remove. They could induce comas, restrict magic, and force illnesses onto the victim until they were dispelled. Veteran's brother had been good with this type of magic even before he stole Veteran's affiliations. Afterwards he basically became unrivalled and so removing one of his specialised curses was nigh impossible because no one was good enough at runemancy to do it. Plus normal runemancy was a little different from dealing with cursed runes to begin with which only further complicated the issue. The number of people who were experts in this particular field was not high so Veteran had been deeply screwed. To some extent, curse aspect magic was frowned upon and considered taboo just because of how difficult it was to remove... And yet here was Ares, disintegrating the problem with minimal effort. Dabble had mentioned it once that people would pay a great deal of stardust for Ares' services in this regard as removing curses from loved ones was a talent people sought after desperately. This was a perfect example of how right Dabble had been. Ares' destruction magic was important on a large scale because there were plenty of annoying magics out there that were hard to deal with or remove and had no realistic solutions to escape from. Once word got out that Ares could cure Veteran the demand for his services would not be small. It was likely the fundamental organisation would pimp Ares out to these people and that was fine as the payment he received in return would be quite substantial.

As for the current moment in time, Ares was progressing quite nicely as he washed away the curse magic bit by bit. Because the curses were so high quality he couldn't do it instantaneously but the fact he could do it at all was mind blowing in and of itself. Even if an expert in curses could, theoretically, dismantle this, it would take them a few million years of working straight without breaks. Even then that was a low ball estimation and the more accurate guess would be tens of millions of years. So in that sense, so what if it took Ares five minutes?!

Veteran could feel it working. One by one his affiliations were returning to him and the spirit of life, as well as energy he didn't even know he had, were filling his veins. Colourful mana of all kinds washed away the impurities in his body like a liquid, cleansing rainbow that de-tainted him thoroughly. The air he breathed was cleaner, his skin was smoother, and his complexion instantly became that of a healthy man. A single tear was shed as he closed his eyes and stared at the ceiling while Ares worked away at his meridians. Life was finally worth living again.