Re: Timeless Apocalypse-Chapter 114: Hungry

Violence was always the sharpest intimidation tool.

After turning Malish Mo and his men into swords and shields using his spark, horrifying the entire camp, most others suddenly became much more talkative and friendly.

Unfortunately, none had any information about Uriel’s whereabouts, much to his chagrin.

Most of them, though, warned of the consequences of killing Malish and the future issues that would bring about, namely the Mountain King and his general’s wrath.

Enoch didn’t care, though. Not in the least.

...

SHAH!

Enoch found a small secluded corner and sat down, leaning against the rough onyx walls of the hall, sighing as his mind churned.

Chatter echoed loudly, fires lit all over the hall as hundreds of groups formed. From their abode marks, they brought out meat and ingredients and began to cook.

Others sold their services, offering to use their sparks to mend gear, heal bodies, provide medication, food, and much more.

As humanity always did, it adapted, and these warriors rapidly got used to their new circumstances.

None knew where they were, what they were here for, or what they’d face, but all they knew was that for now, there was no threat.

And that was more than enough to appreciate the present.

Enoch smiled.

"I guess you wouldn’t care if I died."

Ayah walked from the distance, stopping and sitting right beside him. She stared out, looking at the crowd as well.

She wore her usual veils of bright crimson colours, yet for some reason none had noticed her, her presence muted and impossible to perceive.

Enoch himself hadn’t even noticed her walking up to him until she spoke.

"It’d be hard to kill a woman as resourceful as you," he said, shaking his head.

With her summoning and contracting ability, Enoch doubted there was much she couldn’t survive.

Of them all, Ayah was definitely the most versatile.

"And yet you’re worried about the cute and sociable little sorcerer." She sneered, but as if she couldn’t keep the pretense for long, she then chuckled.

"I’m glad you’re alive," she suddenly said, turning to stare at him.

Enoch didn’t turn to look at her, but nodded, his smile widening. "So am I."

"But it’ll get harder from here on, so let’s stick together." He turned to her. "Alright?"

She nodded. "Mm."

At the same time, their gazes turned, staring at a duo that approached them from a faraway camp.

A smiling redhead with radiant green eyes and a short woman with blue hair and golden eyes, her fiery temper etched across her face.

Amon and Lady Emmet.

"Where exactly are we?" Ayah asked, her gaze narrowing as she scanned the approaching duo.

"What is this Legacy Event thing about?"

...

The ground was made of dark igneous rock that stretched for kilometres, the walls piercing high and curving inward to give the cave a dome-like structure.

The walls themselves were rough and jagged, yet veins swam across the surface, glowing with an intense scarlet light, illuminating the cave with an eerie glow.

All across the cave, tunnels could be seen, leading to a dark maze beyond, full of chaotic tides of aether.

The torches that had once been lit over them had melted, gone, and fused into the walls.

It was silent, and it was calm.

"..."

In the middle of the gigantic cave, a humongous cocoon of white silk could be seen, floating in the air by its own force and sucking in massive amounts of aether.

The cocoon pulsed and shook like a living, beating heart, inhaling pure aether and exhaling foul and chaotic aether.

It had been like that for days.

TOH!

Suddenly, the cocoon burst and its white filaments faded to oblivion, only leaving behind a body that gently fell from the sky, landing on the ground as if it were as light as a feather.

The moment his back touched the ground, Uriel opened his eyes, slowly.

WHOOOOSH!

His awakening sent a tremor through the ambient fabric of aether, and the cave shook. Milky white tendrils of aether reached out, wrapping around him and pulling him to his feet.

Uriel swayed on his feet for a few moments until suddenly he fell to his knees, keeling over as a massive headache slammed into his mind.

His eyes bulged and his throat expanded, and he began to vomit mouthfuls of toxic black liquid, so foul it corroded the ground he puked on.

The more of the liquid left his body, though, the better he began to feel as the headache slowly lessened until it became manageable. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Vomiting the last bits out of him, he shook and shivered, his body now soaked in sweat. He spat dollop after dollop, trying to rid himself of all residue.

"By the gods..." he whispered as he turned over and fell on his back, heaving for air and frowning at the foul aftertaste the impurities had left in his mouth.

His frown didn’t linger for long though.

As the seconds passed and he regained his breath, his headache dulling even more, a grin began to emerge across his divine face.

Suddenly, he laughed, uproariously.

"I’m alive!"

...

Minutes later, Uriel got to his feet, slicking his short hair back as he assessed his surroundings.

From his crystal-clear memories, he recognised that he was in the previous cave of cobblestone, but to say it had changed would be an understatement.

He looked around, almost amazed.

’I wonder how my evolution made the rock suddenly start glowing... red? Weird.’

He shook his head and, still naked, scouted the surroundings for a zone where he could lay camp.

He almost chuckled to himself, realising the cave was really nothing but igneous rock. Still, he walked over to the closest wall, deciding to make himself comfortable there.

Dropping down, back leaning against the rock, he exhaled a deep and heavy breath.

A lot of things had happened. And there was a lot on his mind.

But—

"I’m hungry," Uriel muttered aloud.

Standing back up, he flipped a palm over, his abode mark briefly gleaming before, from thin air, three large sacks appeared at his feet.

The first was filled with frozen meat, the second with raw and unpeeled potatoes, and the third with a blend of anything one would need to cook; from spices, to wood, to matches, to utensils, everything.

He smiled.

"Let’s get to work."