Echoterra: Rise of the Verdant King-Chapter 98: Answers [3]

Clayton took a deep breath.

"You didn’t tell me what the Verdant Armistice Network is yet, but you can just answer it with my other questions".

"I just want to clarify what I think I know in my head".

"After the end of the world, and Behemorphs ravaged across the world, destroying entire cities and nations, the first Awakened returned from Trial 1 and led the first resistance against the rampaging Genesis corruption".

"Against Luminous Seed Behemorphs though, and the endless tide of Initiate Ember Behemorphs, the limited number of human Awakened stood no chance".

"So the world fractured, the old order broken".

"Nations stopped being nations, entire governments fragmented in a single day. Civilization turned to military rule to survive".

"A year later, the planet became divided into Nexal Zones, each ruled by different Awakened Verdant Lords and mutated ecosystems".

"Just to clarify, Verdant Lords are Awakened who survived the Genesis Trials and have claimed territories of their own, enjoying the favor and boost of the Genesis Protocols, making them far stronger than regular Awakened warriors, right?"

"Right". Torren nodded.

"Also, just to clarify, the leader of major clans like the Rootbound Clans, the Verdant Apostates, the Ironblood Remnants, and the Scorched Clans are all Verdant Lords right?"

"Except the leader of the Ironblood Remnants, yes, the others are all Verdant Warden rank Verdant Lords". Torren stared at Clayton.

Clayton nodded. "Right. Also, the biggest human enclaves live in Verdant Cities, once-human cities now ruled by Verdant Lords, right".

Torren nodded.

Clayton hesitated, but then, coughing slightly, he asked. "Is it true that in Verdant Cities, there are skyscrapers fused with trees, and roads pulsing like veins?"

Torren smiled. "Of course".

Clayton shuddered and gulped. "Creepy".

"Anyways, I still have a few questions". He took another deep breath. "What is the Earthcore Signal?"

"Also, the Verdant Armistice Network, what is it?"

A few seconds later, seeing that Clayton was not about to say more, Torren stretched lazily and asked. "That’s all?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Simple".

"Well, the Earthcore Signal is a deep, pulsing call from the planet’s core that most Awakened begin to hear after waking up".

"We believe its Earth trying to rally us to fight against the Genesis corruption".

"Afterall, in a sense, Earth is our mother. Humans are her children".

"As for the Verdant Armistice Network. It official books, it’s a mysterious rogue AI connected to the Genesis Protocols that guide Awakened warriors with cryptic messages".

"But you and I have another word for it".

"The system?" Clayton asked.

Torren nodded. "Yes, the system is the Verdant Armistice Network".

After that, Clayton just laid back down on the ground, looking at the sky as numerous thoughts flashed through his head.

After some time, he said. "Wow... what a crazy world we live in".

Torren chuckled. "I know, right?"

...

Still Day 62...

The team walked through the Scorchpaths Outskirts.

They stumbled on another Ashhut’s ruins with charred panels and faded graffiti. It was the graffiti that made Clayton pause, stirring memories.

He smiled instinctively.

He could see his teenage self racing bikes for food.

Flashback: Teenage Years, Age 16.

Clayton, lean and reckless, raced a jury-rigged bike on the track, winning salvage from black-market guilds.

He scorched ruins, dodging radiation bursts, and joined a caravan crew, learning combat.

Jessa’s betrayal years ago, selling his crew’s route to traders still stung, fresh in his little brain, hardening his resolve to survive alone.

Looking at the ruins in front of him, Clayton could almost see his teenage self, face stern in determination and stubbornness, feverishly cooking up a new plan to get food for the day.

’What a time it was...’ he thought.

But then, a growl snapped him back to reality.

Clayton sighed. ’Not again’.

Territorial Sentience already discovered them earlier, but too engrossed in his memories, he failed to pay attention to them or warn his teammates.

They didn’t need the warning though.

It was just six Initiate Ember Thorn Hounds (3-meter spiked canines, Ashfang Aspects) charged from an Ashhut ruin, drawn by Embers.

Torren’s Flamevine Wrath quickly erupted, binding a Hound.

WHOOSH!

From her standing position, Veyra already nocked and released arrows in less than a second as they pierced another, ending the canine immediately.

Lorn shielded Soren who exploded with his Emberblade, while Kaelin’s daggers struck precisely from the smoke.

Clayton? He felt reluctant at first.

Why won’t these mindless monsters let him enjoy his homecoming?

But in the end, spite made him materialize Regalia, quickly summoning and firing Regalia’s roots arrows, shredding two hounds with a sense of vindictive justice filling him with dark glee.

Sensing that glee, Torren shuddered. ’This guy...’

Clayton was not satisfied with just shooting arrows though.

He jumped in to get personal with these Behemorphs, Thornshade Dagger slashing with precision, venom neutralizing venom.

He kept Aphid Network hidden, commanding minimal hunts.

The team felled the Hounds, then the ruins grew quiet again.

DING!

~----~

[Behemorphs Slain: 6 Thorn Hounds (Initiate Ember)]

[Aphid Network Losses: 1 Initiate Ember Minion]

[Genesis Embers Acquired: 36 (Team Kills)]

[Genesis Embers Acquired: 7 (Random Network Hunts)]

[Genesis Embers Total: 4,496/6,000]

[Aspect Strain: Moderate]

~----~

Resting by the Ashhut, Clayton shared. "There was a time I lived right here". He smiled, memories fading. "I ran caravans, fought raiders, till the Genesis Trials scooped me away to some Verdant hell".

"Well, it changed my life in a way, so I guess it’s not all bad". He chuckled.

Kaelin grinned. "You’re a legend, Clayton. I mean, if I had a childhood and teenage years as exciting as yours, I’ll call myself a legend too".

Clayton laughed. "It sounds exciting till you’re the one living it".

Lorn nodded. "You’ve really gone through a lot. It explains your grit. But... Kaelin may not notice, but I do. If you were really born and grew up yet, how? It doesn’t add up".

"I mean, the Scorchpaths was lost to the Behemorphs long ago. There’s no enclave here, so how?"

Clayton paused.

At that moment, Torren looked at him and added in a soft voice.

"Clayton... how old are you?"

"..."

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