Chapter 259: Demigods

Chapter 259: Demigods

I can't! I just cant! Maiya guffawed. Her face, while not perfectly projected through the communication orb, was more than sufficient to convey her emotions. I mean, Demon God Vaak!? Seriously?

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Vir replied. Blessed Prophet.

Maiyas mirth disappeared instantly. Ugh. Did you have to bring that up?

Hey, fairs fair! Vir said with a satisfied smirk. And your titles much more meaningful. Youve got a whole cult worshiping you, now!

Really wish I didnt, Maiya said. Still, Im glad were able to talk like this. Was worried youd have a hard time trusting anyone to charge it.

You and me both. I found someone, though. It shouldnt be an issue from now on. At least, while Im at Samar Patag.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Glad you did, Maiya replied. Janani, right? That was really nice of her.

Yeah, it was. Didnt even ask any questions, he replied, looking off into the distance. Of course, returning with a haul like that didnt hurt.

Itd been a week since Virs run-in with the Chitran ambush, and since then, hed gone on another two raids without issues. There wasnt any amount of gold in the world that could buy the look on Janani and the orphans faces.

The children werent back to being healthy, but if Vir wasnt mistaken, he thought he saw a bit more flesh on their bony bodies these days.

What are you thinking about? Maiya asked.

Oh, nothing, Vir said distractedly. You wont believe the sky here. Perpetual sunset. Its really something else. Like its always on fire.

Wish I could see it, Maiya said wistfully. Still, I suppose I should be grateful I can even see your face. Speaking of Wheres the face I wanna see?

Maiya made a show of scanning the horizon.

Hes right here, Vir said, rolling his eyes. Shan? Cmon, dont be shy. Introduce yourself.

The black wolf sauntered up to the orb, eyeing Maiya suspiciously.

Maiya drew in a sharp breath. Hes beautiful!

Shan gruffed, obviously pleased with her response.

Count on you to befriend an Ash Wolf, she said. Can you imagine how much of a stir hed cause here in the Human Realm?

Oh, believe me, Vir said, he causes plenty here in the Demon Realm, too. Hes mainly kept himself out of sight until now, lest he terrorize the city.

Smart.

Shan strutted in front of the orb for a few more minutes, thoroughly appreciating Maiyas oohs and aahs.

That reminds me. Just a few days until youre back at Sonam, right? Vir asked.

Yup! You cant know how much Im looking forward to it. And dont worry, I know you wanna see Neel. I feel so bad for the poor guy. I have people looking after him, but he misses me. And He misses you.

That makes two of us. I cant wait, Vir said with genuine excitement. Itd been ages since hed seen the bandy. As impressive as Shan was, he simply wasnt the same as his old friend. No one would be.

So howd Bolins run go? Maiya asked.

Well. No issues at all.

Still, I cant believe you got him to wear that mask, Maiya said.

It wasnt even my idea, Vir said, shaking his head.

You think that bully Svar spread the word?

Vir shrugged. Either him or those guards. Had to be.

Now, half the orphans were running around with black masks, ranging a gamut of materials and designs.

It wasnt just them, either. News had spread faster than Vir couldve hoped, and the masks had started popping up all over the city. Evento his surpriseamong the Chits.

Theyd kept most of the food from their raids at Greeshas place as a precaution. There wasnt any telling when Chitran guards would come to investigate the orphanage, after all.



Maiya had cut the call.

Grakking chal. Shes gonna be mad about that one, isnt she?



As he often did these days, Vir took a stroll through the city wearing his Outcast Calling badge. While no Gargan Callings technically existed, it was only the Gargans who bore that unsightly mark. They, and certain criminals.

Itd been eye-opening just how poorly the Calling was treated, especially when donning the Outcast badge after wearing a Chitran Warrior badge. In a matter of moments, Vir went from living well to not living at all.

Someone spit at Virs sandals, which he, of course, dodged.

Tch. This citys gone to Ash, the Chitran woman said, giving Vir a look of utter disgust.

Such encounters were entirely commonplace. Vir had initially been at a loss for how to react. Now he just bowed, avoided eye contact, and moved on.

Any other reaction generally resulted in a beating.

His destination was a spot hed grown fond ofthe summit of Greeshas temple.

The tiered four-story stone steeple was tall enough to avoid the eyes of those below yet low enough to be close to the traffic of the city square.

A requirement for training the Life Chakra.

Vir had often come here during his free time. It was usually full of people and thus made for an ideal practice environment.

Sitting cross-legged, Vir settled into his meditation. Shutting off Prana Vision, he closed his eyes and attempted to sense the life that thronged around him.

As usual, after an hour of concentration, he felt the faintest thread of something, drifting far away.

Attempting to pull the thread was of no use; it just wiggled away from his grasp. Focusing too hard on it caused it to dissipate entirely.

This time, Vir opted to simply stare at it. To try to understand what it represented. Was this life force itself? Was it the power of the soul?

Thin and wispy as it was, it was difficult to say.

Eventually, Virs concentration broke, and the wisp dissipated.

Opening his eyes, Vir ground his teeth. This wasnt working.

Right now, he was at an incredible disadvantage, lacking the Shield and Warrior Chakras.

Even forgetting the ability to dish out Chakra-infused attacks, which would make his existing attacks far deadlier, the Shield Chakra was what Vir was really after.

His inability to defend against them meant he had to avoid them entirely. Prana Armor had protected him thus far, but it had its limits. Its capacity was finite, and it only protected him from the physical medium carrying the Chakra-laden attack. If a Chakra attack even grazed his skin, hed be crippled.

Thus far, he hadnt faced a single warrior capable of launching Chakra attacks independently of their weapons. While rare, Cirayus could, which meant others could as well. Those, Vir would have to dodge entirely. No amount of Prana Armor would help him then.

The Shield Chakra negated that weakness, giving him a true Chakra-based defense.

The Life Chakra was, in many ways, a necessary stepping stone to the higher Chakras. Its utility in battle was negated by the Foundation Chakra, which protected against it. Much in the way the Warrior Chakra was negated by the Shield.

Still, it could be a potent weapon if used properly. Chakras could not be held open indefinitely, and so tactical applications became incredibly important. As Vir had learned firsthand, a successful Life Chakra attack was as good as incapacitating ones opponent.

Vir fully understood that Chakras were supposed to take years and decades to master. Except he didnt have decades.

Besides, it all felt wrong to him. Ever since hed learned about Chakras, it felt like such a waste that he had to relearn it. Ekanai had mastered them, and Vir was pretty sure all of his prior incarnations had as well.

Why did he have to start from nothing every time? It wasnt just unfair; it was wrong.

Except there was a solution to this problem, wasnt there? A solution Vir had considered and rejected several times.

But perhaps

Vir drew in several deep breaths and closed his eyes again. If this worked, itd be a windfall. If it didnt Well, Vir was about to have an incredibly hard fight on his hands.

Calming himself, Vir entered his mindscape.

Suddenly, he was no longer in Samar Patag. He was in the center of a circular meadow in the Godshollow, where gargantuan trees soared to the sky.

This had better work.

Vir opened his Foundation Chakra and summoned Ekanai.