Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 290: Motivations

Seryn was in a state of shock. Never in her life did she expect that one of the elders would betray her like this.

Lorent had always been like an uncle to her, treating her with kindness and often spoiling her. Now, as he dangled from Leo’s grip, not even a shadow of who he once was remained.

"Unhand... me, you... vermin!"

Lorent tried to shout as he struggled to breathe. Leo merely tilted his head in response, a cold voice akin to a blizzard slipping from his lips.

"Why?"

It was but a single word, but held multiple questions.

Why had he lied to Seryn? Why did he betray his kin? Why did he want to kill everyone here?

Lorent, despite growing paler with each passing second, curled his lips into a smirk as he snarled back,

"I do what I do in the name of my patron. My god. My salvation from this miserable existence!"

Adam, sensing something was off, raised his voice in Leo’s direction.

"Leo, let him go!"

Trusting in Adam’s judgment, he released his grip on Lorent’s throat as the man began to talk as if he were reciting a prayer.

"It is in their name that I proclaim my failure to help their children and advance their just and holy cause. To return the world to the beginning, to return to the void."

Lorent fell to his knees as he looked skyward, his gaze unfocused as an ominous energy began to gather around him.

Leo frowned as the energy seemed quite familiar to him—yet it was far more twisted and perverted than the one he knew. Despite that, Lorent continued his eerie chant.

"I beg that they show my soul mercy and guide my misguided spirit back to their motherly embrace. It is in their name that I have sinned, and it is in their name which I pray."

Seryn finally clued in to what Lorent was doing as his gaze slowly lowered to meet Leo’s, his eyes hollow and lacking any form of vitality.

"Everybody! Run away! Now!"

Her desperate screams were immediately heeded by the elders as they rushed toward the exit, abandoning all dignity. Luna grabbed Leo’s wrist as if to drag him along, but he didn’t budge from the spot.

Something deep down was telling him that if he left now, he would be endangering everyone. He had to stay.

"Go." He whispered quietly, flashing her a brief but bright smile. "I’ll be right behind you!"

Luna’s breath hitched as she feared the worst, and she was about to refuse when Leo nodded.

"Please."

A strike to Luna’s neck caught her off guard, and she passed out, falling into Rachel’s arms. She gave Leo a dubious look and remarked,

"You better survive whatever is about to happen, or your sister is going to kill me too!"

Leo chuckled with a wry smile as Rachel ran for the exit with Luna in her arms. "Well, I now have another reason I can’t die."

The remaining members of his party were hesitant, but they decided to trust in Leo and left, leaving only the praying Lorent kneeling at Leo’s feet.

Lorent’s gaze finally locked onto Leo’s as he concluded his prayer.

"It is from this measly flesh that has sinned that I beg my soul be cleansed. Free me from my shackles... Discordia!"

As soon as the name was spoken, all of that ominous aura began to condense into a black and violet orb on top of Lorent’s tongue.

At first, the orb was still, but it began to spin, each revolution becoming faster and faster.

That was when Leo noticed what was happening.

Lorent began to scream as small pieces of his flesh were torn from his body and entered the orb as if it had some sort of gravitational pull.

At first, it was just the flesh, but as the orb grew in size and speed, it became more than that. Teeth quickly followed by the tongue, and then the other organs and bones, until nothing remained but Leo and the orb in the chamber.

The orb had grown nearly as big as Leo in size, and the air around him raged as if the orb was trying to swallow everything but it didn’t harm Leo.

It was as if it couldn’t. And Leo understood why. This orb was made from the power of the void, and since his element was a perfect match, he must be highly resistant, if not outright immune to it.

Testing his theory, he stuck his hand out to touch it. The result was the orb grew a tiny bit smaller as if it were being absorbed when the tip of Leo’s fingers touched it.

Seeing this, Leo took a step forward, shoving his hands deep into the orb.

What followed was a mournful shriek as the void energy from the orb began to be siphoned away into Leo’s body.

It was an uncomfortable feeling, but nevertheless, he continued. The orb seemed like it was trying to protest and escape from Leo, but it was ultimately unable to as it disappeared, leaving a page of a diary in its place.

Confusion crossed Leo’s face until he heard the chime of the system.

[System Notice: You have absorbed a High Purity Void Energy Source. Element Affinity +10%]

[System Notice: You have obtained a page of the Forgotten Goddess’ Diary]

A diary page?!

Looking at the page, it was filled with incomprehensible symbols and scribbles yet he could somehow understand it.

I can’t believe Sister says that she must do this in order to keep the peace and balance of the world. That is just too cruel and selfish! A world like that has no reason to exist! It would be better if everything went back to the way things were. Back to when it was just Sister and I!... No. I can make it happen. If Sister wishes to sacrifice herself for the world, I will erase the world so she no longer has to! Sis will understand eventually!

Leo didn’t know how to respond to this. Lorent had sacrificed his life because of a diary page of a pouting and angry goddess?!