Chapter 5: The Betrayer and the Hive

Damian had watched the final moments of 'Humanities army' fall, with emotionless eyes betraying no hint of satisfaction or remorse.

He had observed the battle unfold from start to finish, so imagine his surprise when Elijah, one of his 'Master's' key targets, marked for early elimination and who was meant to be incinerated, was now once again moving about, his body unscathed of any injuries yet devoid of any equipment.

"Master… it seems we have a problem," Damian spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.

He was also known by his title 'Blood Lord,' and delivered the news to his 'Master' with chilling detachment.

"Explain." The single, stone-like word reverberated in Damian's mind through the patronage connection he had with his 'Master'.

The voice that he heard was a cacophony of noise, as if many people were speaking simultaneously, their tones layered over one another. Nevertheless, upon receiving his master's order, Damian quickly and concisely summarised what he had witnessed.

"Elijah Thompson is alive…" Damian paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"Hm… interesting." His master's voice returned, laced with intrigue, but he added nothing more.

The apostles were players who pledged allegiance to each of the Seven Supremes of this world, and Damian similarly served a denizen of this world. However, unlike the apostles, his master was not a Supreme. Unlike those transcendent beings, his master was merely an ascended.

Where the Supremes wielded power and ruled with tyrannical force, Damian's master was insidious and cunning. This entire plan, this elaborate scheme, had come to fruition due to his master's meticulous planning.

Though his master might not possess overwhelming strength, he was devilishly cunning and had cultivated a loyal network of minions within all the major organisations.

Even if Damian had not been aware of the current forces at play, his master had orchestrated his placement here with calculated precision.

His master appeared to be a begrudging servant of the Supremes, bound not by authority but by a servitude rooted in power. Disobedience meant destruction, and thus, the Supremes had decreed that the humans must be stopped here, in this layer of hell.

Damian had long ago made a deal with the literal devil, seeking vengeance against the humans who had killed his sister. In exchange for his soul, he had become an instrument of his master's will, and within him resided one of his master's 'parasitic pieces'.

Even if a flicker of humanity attempted to resurface within him, that piece swiftly suppressed it, ensuring he remained an emotionless piece, an ideal tool for his master's nefarious plans.

Damian had been ordered to infiltrate 'Humanities army' and work alongside 'Humanities Sword' until this inevitable betrayal.

His master had secured aid from the Supremes of this world, leading to the deployment of two apostles to this battlefield.

His master's strategy was also straightforward.

Observe and sacrifice his minions as necessary but refrain from directly engaging in the battle.

Instead, Damian was to deal with any stragglers or any survivor who tried to break free and escape. 'Humanities Sword' made commendable efforts to assist a unit of his comrades in breaking free, but Damian had already handled them.

After the death of 'The Gourmet', Francois, and the chaotic departure of 'The Apocalypse', Liament, the mentally broken apostle of Satan who was now looking for the next thing to blow up, Damian was left with the spoils of this battle, free to claim any remaining loot and items for himself and, of course, his master.

Damian's 'master's' plan was clear and insidious.

Sacrifice others and then reap the rewards.

It was expected from such a cunning demon. After this ordeal, Damian would return to Earth, under the guise of a pained leader who had lost many of his own underlings and tried his best to aid 'Humanities army' all before preparing for another of his master's schemes.

"Should I strike?" Damian asked, his voice steady and emotionless.

"No. As mentioned before, a wounded beast is dangerous, especially if it's a player. Wait and watch for now. Afterall… Nobody is coming to this battlefield now."

"Understood!" Damian replied, his voice steady as he resumed his watch over Elijah.

Every subtle movement of the wounded hero was meticulously observed, each flicker of emotion or shift in posture relayed back to his master in vivid detail.

Every ounce of information was invaluable, feeding into his master's grand scheme. The blood-red landscape, littered with the remnants of battle, became a canvas upon which Damian painted his observations, ensuring that nothing escaped his notice.

Elijah gazed upon the lifeless body of his dear friend, a profound sense of self-doubt gnawing at him.

"If only I had been stronger," he whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

Elijah could not escape the bitter regret that clung to him.

He had been part of a tightly knit party led by his best friend Kenji, and Elijah had the role of a tank. Elijah's purpose was to shield those behind him and be the unyielding bulwark that stood between his friends and danger, providing them with those precious moments they needed in the heat of battle.

Yet, at the very beginning of their last battle. No, not a battle. A well-planned ambush!

Elijah had been caught in a trap, an explosive assault of such ferocity that it eviscerated him before the battle truly began. Sure, it wasn't his fault, and there was nothing he could do, but still, he wished if only he could have been there to help his comrades fight; maybe then Kenji would have survived.

Surveying the battlefield, Elijah's gaze fell upon the fallen forms of his comrades. They had fought valiantly, and their loss weighed heavily on his chest. Over the many years, he had grown accustomed to death's grim presence, having seen friends, family, and loved ones perish in the unforgiving Ascension Trails.

However, Elijah knew he could not waver now. His mind had been forged in the crucible of countless perilous battles, and he could not afford to let his emotions consume him. The promises he had made and the responsibilities he bore demanded that he carry on. If he faltered, if he allowed his raging emotions to take control, what hope remained for the surviving humans in this merciless new world?

No! Elijah would regroup and regather those who had survived, even if it granted humanity but a fleeting respite. Despite the looming futility, he refused to yield, to kneel and allow everything to crumble into oblivion.

"Damn it, Kenji! You've left me here with all this mess!"

With a resigned sigh, Elijah shifted his attention to the enigmatic, egg-shaped object. His only functioning hand cradled the object, drawing it closer for careful examination. Kenji, his closest friend and his brother had left it behind for a reason, and Elijah was determined to uncover its purpose.

Unable to channel enough mana to use a skill. Instead, Elijah took a deep breath and carefully retrieved the 'spatial ring' from Kenji's finger and sent a small sliver of his mana into the item 'mana binding' the epic ranked 'spatial ring'.

As he searched through the ring's contents, he swiftly found a one-time-use scroll, a rare rank 'Analyse Scroll', and without hesitation, he tore the scroll apart, activating it.

Scrolls weren't particularly expensive, and they did not take mana to use as a one-time use item. Instead, they contained stored mana that simply needed to be ripped open to function.

As he tore the scroll, an azure, ethereal screen materialised before his eyes, revealing the item's information.

Item: Unknown

Rank: Unknown

Enchantments: Unknown

Description:

In the realm where time drifts like an ethereal river, a relentless undertow forever beckons the chance of reversal. A titan, driven to madness by the insatiable hunger to devour his own progeny, sought to alter that river's course, to defy the inevitable. Yet, his ambition met its end, and his dominion over time was severed. His potency, once two, where separated. One cast away to the far reaches of space whilst the other remained.

Elijah, though momentarily vexed by the lack of information, resigned himself to the fact that the mere 'rare' rank 'Analyse scroll' had its limits, especially when confronting more formidable items. If anything, the mysterious nature of the egg-shaped item only deepened his intrigue.

"How am I supposed to use this? Damn it, Kenji, you could have given me a clue," Elijah grumbled.

In response to Elijah's frustration, another ethereal screen materialised before him.

System Notification:

Would you like to use this Item?

Y/N

Warning! If used, this item will have a significant impact on time. Time will be reversed. Mortals will forget, but the Ascended will always remember.

Warning! ...

As the system notification cascaded down, a flood of cautionary notifications followed. However, Elijah's focus remained fixated on a particular segment.

"Time will be reversed. Unbelievable!"

Elijah's gaze shifted back to his fallen friend, his eyes ablaze with anger before he sighed, his tone sombre.

"Kenji, you stubborn fool. Why didn't you use it?"

After a moment of contemplation, Elijah's eyes took on a resolute gleam as he regarded Kenji's lifeless form.

"If you had this much faith in me, I'll go back! I'll do it again, and this time, I'll save everyone!"

With fervour fuelled by his emotions, Elijah's eyes returned to the ethereal screen, and he firmly pressed the 'Yes' button.

And with that declaration, the Ascension Trial came to a standstill. The entire third dimension plunged into darkness as the threads of fate reversed their course, winding back further and further in time.