Chapter 333: Failed, Not Defeated

The atmosphere was silent. Even though the hall was well-illuminated, there was a palpable tension in the room.

Then, a series of footsteps could be heard from the direction of the door and few heads turned to look who it was. Finding the orc walking in leisurely, a few of them turned back.

"Mighty Yava, I have bought the man."

Before the orc finished, Lee Shen's upper torso was launched into the air. The helpless torso of the alive ragdoll skimmed through the air silently. The force with which the orc threw him was enough to make him reach the centre of the hall.

Slowly descending, Lee Shen was expecting to touch down on the floor with a thud. He mentally prepared for the possible avalanche of pain. He shut his eyes in expectation.

But...

There was no pain. To be precise, Lee was not feeling anything. For a second he thought that he had died from the throw.

Opening his eyes, Lee saw the floor tiles in front of him. His face was only inches away from the floor as he was suspended in midair.

Lee had his senses scrambled and could not figure what was happening. That is because there was a superior being inside the council who was powerful enough to lead the Tubian race unanimously.

The Mighty Yava, or Yava for short, was that person. He had the appearance of a male but was neither man nor woman. That was because he had discarded his physical shell to embrace the affinity.

But he became the fluke among Fallen Tubians and retained his sanity. His affinity 'Sentience' was literally the most powerful attribute one could have.

If we think about 'Sentience' as an affinity, we would be disappointed by the limits of implementations. But Yava continuously pushed his limits to new heights and became a self-invented entity after discarding his shell.

This gave him the power of the final say. Whether it is despite or debate, he can singlehandedly beat all the Tubians to submission.

It is most important to know that he gained the power to control every sentient being on the planet, including the sleeping legends!

Using his ability, Yava levitated Lee and raised him up. Bringing his body upright, Lee saw the unusual figure of the mighty from the memories.

The male outline was evident. But the flawless pitch-black complexion of his skin that enabled Yava to be one with the darkness creeped out Lee. He felt his heart's rhythm wavering beyond his control.

Lee was raised to a height of 10 metres and then he was suspended there. With no way to move or escape, Lee, scanned the surroundings.

And when he was surveying, he came across a familiar face.

Correction, an unforgettable face!

How could Lee Shen forget the dark elf's face? How could he forget the name 'Hegerus'?

The anger began to well up Lee's heart but it was then he felt pressure squeezing him from all sides.

"AARGGHHH....!!"

The pain was too much to handle and Lee failed in successfully tolerating it. He screamed out at the top of his lungs and the cry resonated inside the walls of the council hall.

The pressure then began to subside and Lee felt the levitation disappearing. The next second, he fell on the floor.

Falling headfirst, his lower jaw was dislocated. This disabled him from opening his mouth as that would give him more agony to suffer.

"You are like us, but not like us."

The Mighty Yava spoke, but his voice was gentle. There was a heart-soothing sensation brimming in it. But Lee Shen felt his heartbeat quickening.

"I saw your memories. I read them all. You have nothing to hide anymore."

Struck by the disclosure of his deepest secret, Lee Shen stared at the pitch-black face devoid of facial features. At a glance, he looked like D, but more cruel and powerful and overwhelming.

Yava turned his head to look at one of the Tubians seated on the chairs and gave a nod. The Dwarf Tubian stood up and raised his hand and gave a gentle snap!

A circular portal appeared in the air horizontally and something fell from it.

The sight of a lifeless body with a familiar face crumbled his heart.

"Ru...ella...?"

The empty pair of eyes were staring at the ceiling. The cold body of the True Druid oozed out red blood that slowly spread around her. Her clothes and skin were smeared with blood.

The long metal rod that pierced her heart caught his sight. Apart from that rod, there were multiple pierce wounds on her chest and her stomach, each one crueller than the previous.

When Lee saw his sword broken in half and damaged beyond repair, the face of an old man came rushing into his mind. The weapon he treasured was lying next to her with no presence of D emitting from it.

Then he noticed her finger twitching ever so slightly. It was faint and Lee almost missed it.

"Ruella!!"

Screaming out loud, Lee Shen opened the wound in his throat. This made a mouthful of blood to block the inside of his neck. Lee tried to cough the blood but it instead gifted him crushing pain!

Ruella's pupils slowly moved and her head barely turned. She was now looking at Lee Shen while witnessing death right before her. Her eyes did not display surprise or wonder, as if she was expecting it.

Even though it was faint, a smile bloomed on her face. Two drops of tears rolled down from her cheeks as she mumbled-

"I'm glad that you are alive."

Slowly, her hand began to move toward the sword lying next to her. With visible struggle, she slid it towards him. A trail of blood originated from her mouth and signalled her nearing her end.

"D would be happy to see you alive. He always wanted to tell you something."

When Lee was wondering what she implied, Ruella spoke her last words-

"We might have failed. But we were not defeated."