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Chapter 355: Just His Name
🕑 Added 2021-10-01 16:11:41 +0000 UTCTESSIA ERALITH
Lifting my hand, I reveled in the response of the mana. The red particles jumped and danced, full of energy. The yellow hovered low to the ground, rolling and tumbling like tiny stones. The blue mana washed over me like the incoming tide and clung to my skin like dew. The green ones were my favorite, though. They had a cutting quality, like a sharp blade, whipping and snapping like the wind they represented, but there was also something cool and clean about them. The wind mana was both hard and soft at the same time.
I was standing on a nameless plateau, high in the Basilisk Fang Mountains. Not far from Taegrin Caelum. There was nothing around for miles that I could accidentally destroy…but I wasn’t out here because Agrona feared I might lose control. Rather, he knew the extent of my power, and he wanted me to let loose.
Reaching into the sky, I focused on the mana, pulling it to a specific point high above. Water and wind condensed, smashing into each other to build into a huge, black storm cloud that darkened the mountains for miles all around us.
My small audience watched in silence. Nico was there, of course, along with three of the other Scythes. Draneeve, Nico’s attendant and a few other ranking figures from the fortress had come as well. Agrona hadn’t, but I’d never seen him leave the castle before.
Fire mana drifted up from the sun-warm stones and fused into white, hot bolts of lightning that crashed back down to shatter boulders and cast shrapnel across my training ground. Water condensed into ice, which began to fall like catapult stones to smash craters into the hard mountain soil.
Even at the height of my strength on Earth, I’d never been able to do anything like this with ki.
My memories had been much more stable in the weeks since Agrona promised I could leave his fortress. He said that I would begin to feel more like myself the longer I was in this body. The runes covering my flesh helped hold me together, helped keep the other voice quiet.
Wind mana coalesced into wide, cutting streams that wove around me like a dragon, separating me from the others. Wind, both soft and hard…
My life—my previous life—had required me to harden myself to endure the constant and torturous training I had received. But there had always been a piece of myself that I kept in my heart, that piece where I had felt loving warmth for the first time in my life, and it was that warmth that maintained me until…
I refocused on the mana, recoiling from the shattered remnants of those memories. I still couldn’t remember my death, and Nico had only said I would learn about it in time.
Nico…
I glanced at where he stood, watching me cast spells, his dark hair lashing his face. I couldn’t help but notice how he stood well away from the others. Poor Nico, an outsider even here.
Draneeve clapped his hands and shouted into the wind, his mask giving his voice a grating quality that I found uncomfortable to listen to. Nico motioned for Draneeve’s silence, and the masked man stopped shouting, though he continued with a slow, inconsistent applause.
Reaching out, I tugged at the corners of the huge storm and drew it inward and downward until it hovered just above me, hardly the size of an apple tree. The creation, moments ago a deadly manifestation of raw power, was now something entirely different. Tiny winged creatures made of air wheeled within the clouds, while little watery dolphins jumped and splashed below them.
It was beautiful. Mana was beautiful. Ki had been energy, capable of being gathered and unleashed but never really formed, not in the same way mana could take shape. This was real magic.
My attention twitched nervously over to the three who stood apart from the rest: the Scythes. Technically, Nico was one of them, but they held him apart, or he kept his distance. Or both.
Their varying shades of gray skin, black horns, and red eyes all served to define them as something firmly other. Their gazes held both curiosity and unease, like an audience watching a lion tamer at a circus. It made me believe what Nico kept telling me: they knew I’d be stronger than them eventually.
“Very, very well done!” Draneeve piped up in his purposefully grating voice. “You’ve grown so much more quickly than Lord Nico. Barely weeks in the skinny elf girl’s body and you’re—”
There was a loud crack.
Draneeve straightened his mask—a plain white thing with small holes for eyes and a crudely drawn smile—and rubbed the side of his head where Nico had backhanded him. I frowned at Nico, who had the good grace to at least look embarrassed. He hated Draneeve, I knew, but he wouldn’t tell me why.
Cadell and Dragoth were watching Nico.
Dragoth was enormous, as large as any man I’d ever seen, but he was otherwise cut from a familiar cloth. When I was rising through the ranks in the King’s Crown tournament, there were many like him. Cocky, self-absorbed warriors. Quick to laugh at their own jokes, and quick to fight at any perceived insult.
Cadell was stranger, scarier. He had a cold and cruel face, like the sharp side of an axe, but was businesslike in his manners. I didn’t like him.
But it was the third Scythe who I found most interesting. I’d only met her once before, and that was brief. Although she looked young—twenty at the most—there was a deep, curious wisdom in her eyes, and a worldly intelligence. I felt like she was dissecting me with her dark eyes, both then and now. Unlike her counterparts, she was still watching me. Not my spell, with it’s silly wind-gulls and water-dolphins, but me.
Looking into her eyes, it was almost like I could see the gears behind them turning, trying to figure me out. Did she see me as a threat? A tool? I wasn’t sure.
“Nico,” Cadell said, his tone full of frost and fire, “be nice to your pet. After all, it is Draneeve who returned you from that awful continent.” Draneeve fidgeted, his attitude unreadable behind his ugly mask.. “He’d be a general now, perhaps even a retainer, if he hadn’t retreated from Dicathen to save your ungrateful hide.”
My spell faded away, the cloud dissolving to mist and then to nothing as I waited for Nico to respond. He clenched his fists and took a step away from Draneeve. “Don’t speak to me like I’m your lesser, Cadell. I’m a Scythe too, remember?”
Dragoth grinned, his teeth shining white as moonlight through his beard. “You are right, little Nico. You are a Scythe. And the name Scythe meant a little less the day we counted you among our number.” He laughed loudly at his own joke, but didn’t stop there. “Perhaps Bivrae should be a Scythe, or even Draneeve!” he said, practically shouting, his grin turning predatory.
Nico sneered. “And where was the mighty Dragoth during the war? Tell me, Titan of Vechor, why was it your retainer went to Dicathen and died while you stayed safe and—”
“Be careful what you say next,” Dragoth growled, his smile dropping quickly. He took a step toward Nico, his huge muscles bulging.
The ground swelled as a twisting, thorn-covered vine erupted between them, quickly expanding into a wicked briar fence. I hadn’t meant to cast a spell at all, but I was agitated by their fighting. My defensive instinct always veered toward plant magic, even when other elements would make more sense.
Dragoth leaned forward, resting both arms on the thorn-covered vines. “You are young and little, yet already at the peak of your power, reincarnate.”
Nico’s head tilted to the side. His eyes were cold as dead coals. “Everyone who might hope to challenge me is already here,” he said softly before turning to me. “It’s clear that you are ready to go. We’ve waited long enough—at Lord Agrona’s insistence, of course,” he added quickly, shooting a sour look at Cadell.
“Your ability to mold mana is impressive,” Scythe Seris said, her razorblade gaze cutting me apart bit by bit, “but don’t be clouded by what's in front of you. Keep your eyes and ears open and do not reach beyond your grasp.”
“She is the Legacy,” Nico countered darkly. “The stars themselves are not beyond her grasp.”
***
My first experience of this world was the forest homeland of the elven people. Its strangeness was lost on me. I was too confused and astonished by my own reincarnation to pay much attention to their enchanted forest. Even the appearance of the three-eyed giant—an asura, I reminded myself—had failed to impress upon me the otherworldliness of my new home.
It was in Taegrin Caelum when I began to understand how different this place really was from Earth. But there, everything I learned was filtered by Agrona. It wasn’t until Nico led me into the Relictombs that I appreciated the full depth of the strange and wonderful differences between the two worlds.
Agrona’s private portal could connect to any other in Alacrya, allowing us to teleport much too close to our destination. I would have liked to explore, to spend time taking it all in as we meandered across the second level of the Relictombs. The sky alone nearly took my breath away as I gazed up into the vast blue expanse. I thought my storm had been an impressive piece of magic, but this…
I knew logically that the sky itself was a magical construct, but I couldn’t understand it. It seemed incomprehensible that anyone could create such a thing. When I shared this thought with Nico, he ignored me, focused instead on bullying his way through the crowds of armored men and women around us.
“Are you entirely immune to the wonders of this world?” I asked, keeping pace beside him. “You might’ve gotten accustomed to all of this, but I’ve only recently arrived here.”
“We have someplace to be,” he snapped. He must have seen me frown from the corner of his eye, because he slowed down a little. “I’m sorry, Cecil. I’m…a bit agitated. Lord Agrona hinted that what we’ll find here might be important to me, but he’s left out any sort of details and…” He trailed off, wincing. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. I’m just impatient to speak to these judges.”
“No, I’m sorry,” I said, feeling immediately guilty for my choice of words. He’d told me at length about his lives, both what it was like for him after my involuntary induction into the King’s Crown tournament and his divided life here. “I didn’t mean to make light of what you’ve been through.”
“I know,” was all he said.
I followed along silently as Nico led us straight as an arrow toward a large, intimidating building of dark stone and black spines. It looked a little like a huge porcupine with an army of gargoyles clinging to its back.
A woman with a head of hair like a beacon fire was waiting for us in front of the building. She was wrapped in dark robes embroidered with a golden sword and scales. Her eyes stayed on her shoes as we approached, and even when she began to speak, she did not look up.
“It is a great honor to welcome a representative of the High Sovereign.” Her tone was authoritative, even when she tried to be subservient. “Although, I must admit, we expected you sooner.”
Nico marched past her, and she spun around to follow, keeping just slightly farther back from him than I was. “The High Sovereign has little time for such trifling things as a few corrupt judges. I’m still not sure why a Scythe was needed at all,” Nico said briskly.
I wanted to look around, but we were walking too quickly for me to really take the place in. I nearly laughed when I saw a giant fresco of a man I assumed was supposed to be Agrona. It seemed like the artists had never even seen him, but I realized quickly that was a possibility. Then we were past it, with neither Nico nor the red-haired woman taking any notice.
Nico stopped at a black iron door, tapping his fingers impatiently while waiting for the high justice to open it. Waving her mana-swathed hand in front of the door, she motioned us toward a dimly lit stairway made of dark stone and gray tiles. Nico took the lead again, descending the stairs rapidly. By the time we reached the bottom, he was marching at an uncomfortable speed, forcing the high justice and I to practically jog to keep up with him.
A maze of narrow tunnels opened up to our left and right, lined with barred cell doors. In the closest cell to the stairs, a raggedy woman leaned forward into the torchlight, saw Nico, and immediately ducked back into the shadows, her face twisting as if she’d just seen a demon.
Nico ignored the branching tunnels as he led us straight down the middle path.
Then, something clicked.
His standoffishness, the way he was practically ignoring me after spending the last three weeks working tirelessly to prove to Agrona that I was ready, his ill temper…Nico was anxious about this interrogation.
It was hardly a stretch to say that my once-fiance was always anxious, but he had gone rigid, every movement stiff and awkward, and he wouldn’t even look at me. He wasn’t merely anxious; he was dreading whatever was to come.
The hallway ended in a pair of wide iron doors, black as night and entirely covered in silvered runes. They looked like they could keep a rampaging rhinoceros inside. Despite their size, though, they swung open all by themselves as the high justice approached, revealing a large, circular room on the other side.
My stomach did a flip.
“What did these people do to deserve this?” I asked, averting my eyes.
Inside the cell, five figures hung spread-eagle from the ceiling by their wrists and ankles. Bronze bands covered their mouths. Although there was mana in the chains and gags, I couldn’t sense anything from the prisoners. Either their mana was being suppressed or—I swallowed hard—their mana cores had been destroyed.
“They colluded with a noble house to convict an innocent man of a crime he didn’t commit,” the high justice said firmly. “Their blatant abuse of authority for their own personal gain deserves this and worse.”
I stepped toward the cell, despite not being entirely sure I even wanted to, but Nico stopped me. He reached out to touch my arm, but stopped. “I think it would be better if you waited out here.”
I was almost relieved. Taking a step back, I nodded. Once he and the high justice were inside, the doors began to close. At the last moment, as his eyes turned away from mine, his face changed, hardening like it was carved out of pale marble. Then he was gone, and I watched as yellow mana particles raced along the grooves between the doors, ceiling, and floor.
There was a wooden stool next to the doors, so I sat down. My mind kept fluttering back to the manaless figures in the room. I’d had my own mana core for such a short period of time, but still the idea of losing it terrified me beyond words. To discover that mana exists—and learn how to restructure the physical world with a thought—only to lose that power…
The Alacryans couldn’t have understood. Even Agrona, even Nico…
On Earth, I had learned early on that, although I had a relatively large ki center, that power would never be mine to wield. I was the weapon. That’s what they thought the Legacy was.
Agrona is no different.
I dug a palm into my eye socket, pushing away the irritating thought. Maybe it was true that Agrona hoped I would use my strength for him, but he had reincarnated me knowing it would be my power. He knew what I really was. And he wanted to show me what I was capable of.
They’re constantly hiding things. Like right now. What is Nico doing that he doesn’t want you to see?
Once this thought had invaded my brain, I couldn’t escape it. I was just as curious to know what was happening inside that room as I had been hesitant to enter it. I listened closely, but there was a layer of deviant wind mana creating a sound barrier around the cell.
As I focused on the mana, it rippled, and the sound of muffled conversation reached my ears. I remembered swimming at the academy, learning to focus my ki in different environments, and how the water distorted the voices of those outside the pool. It sounded exactly like that. I swam close to the metaphorical surface, and the voice became even clearer. I pushed through the barrier of sound, and suddenly I could hear Nico as if he were standing right next to me.
“—tell me every single damned thing you remember about him. Don’t leave out the smallest detail.” Nico’s voice was deep and hollow, like he was speaking from the bottom of a canyon.
A chorus of croaking voices answered, each one more desperate to be heard than the last.
“—cruel cleverness in his eyes as he—”
“—sat like a statue, like he never feared for a—”
“—might be an unadorned, ‘cause we never did sense his mana or—”
“—exuded such a terrible pressure—”
“Stop. Stop!” Nico snarled. The cell went quiet. “If you keep shouting over each other, I’ll burn out your tongues so only one may speak.” I recoiled from his gruesome threat, but told myself he was only doing what he had to do. “You, tell me how this ascender came to your attention.”
There was some moaning and clearing of throats before a thin, nasally voice answered. “A servant of the Granbehl Blood brought us a strange story…of an ascender without any blood ties, who seemed unaccountably powerful, and who projected no mana signature.” The speaker paused, breathing heavily. “They suspected that Ascender Grey had smuggled a relic—”
The voice choked off as stone and bones both cracked. I could feel the weight of Nico’s rage through the warded doors.
When Nico spoke again, his voice was strained. “Why was I not informed of this ascender’s name?”
“I-it was in the report we sent to Taegrin Caelum,” the high justice said swiftly, her voice shaking.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Nico snarled under his breath, and I heard soft steps as he began to pace.
Standing, I moved tentatively toward the doors. The steel bolts retracted as I approached, and the doors swung open. Inside, the high justice had shrank back against the curved wall, her head down. Nico paced back and forth in front of the four remaining prisoners. The fifth, a man with a goatee, had been impaled by three black spikes. His blood ran in dark streams down the spikes before seeping into cracks in the floor.
“He’s dead,” Nico said firmly. He spun on his heel, pacing back the other way. “But he’s like a freaking cockroach. If anyone could survive…” He spun again. “Even if he survived, he couldn’t have come to Alacrya without us seeing.”
“Nico, what—”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at me before continuing to speak to himself. “He could have found an ancient portal, still active…but even he wouldn’t be self-absorbed enough to use that name…like lighting a signal fire in the dark…”
Is this the man you love?
I trembled as the vertigo surged through my body, beginning behind my eyes, then jolting down into my guts. I grabbed his wrist with a shaky hand. “Nico, what did you do?”
He wrenched his arm free of my grasp, baring his teeth at me like an animal. “Shut up!”
A monster roared to life inside me. The elderwood guardian’s will was all twisted, boiling rage. It was the trapped beast screaming against the chains that bound it, but it was also the grass and vines and trees that retake the world when humans abandon it. It frightened me, this wild thing sleeping inside me. It was too much like my ki in my last life: uncontrollable, explosive, relentless…
I had learned to touch every kind of mana. Even the so-called deviants, the use of which seemed simple as snowballs in winter…but Agrona had warned me away from the beast will. Perhaps some day I could tame it, but for now…
The light in the room took on the dappled green of the forest beneath a thick canopy, and a single emerald vine curled around my arm, reaching toward Nico.
The fury melted off his face, leaving him pale and green-tinged. He recoiled from me as if he’d been burned.
“Cecil, are you okay? I’m sorry, I’m…” Trailing off, he ran both hands through his limp hair.
The tendril receded, and the light returned to normal. But I could still feel the beast will vibrating with rage. “I’m fine.”
Nico cleared his throat and faced the four prisoners. The old woman had fainted, and the fat man had thrown up on the floor. They had been caught unprotected between the sudden surge of force from Nico and me.
He’ll hurt you.
That didn’t matter. Nico’s spirit was shattered. He wasn’t himself. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be healed with time.
“What did this ascender look like?” Nico asked, addressing the central prisoner, a frail old man.
“Pale blond hair…” the old man rasped. “Golden eyes, more feline than man. Twenty years of age, perhaps, with sharp and proud features…”
Nico frowned, his eyes losing focus as he tried to picture the mysterious ascender.
“And regal,” the old man added. “He held himself like royalty…like a king.”
Nico scoffed, a vicious sound that clawed the air. “Like a king, you say?” Nico’s body erupted, his sudden swelling rage no longer able to be contained by mere flesh and bone. Black flames engulfed him, leaping from his body like hot ash.
“Who is a king!” he roared. “We have only Sovereigns here!”
I could see the mana, blackened by the basilisks’ decay influence, working itself into a frenzy inside the prisoners’ flesh. All of them were burning on the inside. On the outside, they writhed in silent torment, the pain too great to even scream.
Nico was panting heavily, and with every exhalation, the air around him seemed to distort. The high justice had already scrambled backwards out of the cell to avoid the black fire. She could only watch, unable to speak out in defense of the justice she claimed to represent.
“Useless old fools!” Nico shouted, his voice cracking. The old man’s flesh began to blister and crack, and little black flames leapt out of the wounds as the soulfire devoured them.
It did not take long.
“That wasn’t necessary,” I said, soft but firm. I didn’t want to draw Nico’s fury, but I wasn’t afraid, either. “They didn’t deserve to be burned away by your fear and rage.”
Nico closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and the flames outlining him like a deadly halo receded back into his flesh and faded. “They are nobody. They are entirely insignificant.” His voice was utterly devoid of emotion.
“Grey again…” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Why does this man have such a hold over you that just his name can cause such a strong reaction? Who is Grey?”
Nico, his back to me, seemed to shrink in on himself. “He was our friend…”
He turned, and for just a moment I didn’t see the stranger’s face that Nico wore. I only saw his eyes, red-rimmed and glistening with tears. I knew the sadness in them. He was looking at me now the same way he used to look at me, helpless. Desperate.
“And he was the one that murdered you, Cecilia.”
Comments
Did you read the Grey backstory stuff? Cecilia is not just a "prodigy" as in peak human performance or something. She had more innate power than anyone else (WAY more if memory serves) she was so powerful in their old world that they said if they had control over her("the legacy" was the name for her power) they could take over the world. Now that ridiculous power is being translated into magic power in this world. So yeah, not just some prodigy from the old world but a ridiculous powerhouse. Also Grey was a well trained but weaker than average ki user in the old world he was only king through skill not sheer power.
i am just curious how a mere elf will eventually become stronger than Vritra Blooded sythes. like even if she is reincarnated and was a prodigy in her past life it's still make 0 sense to be honest. it is like arthur when he was using mana, he trained all his freaking life + he was a quadra elemental with 2 deviants magic,+ trained how to fight with asuras and of course his strongest card his dragon will but, it was all futile when facing the mighty vritra blooded sythes. and now you are you are telling me that a mere so called prodigy in her past life will be stronger than elite Vritra-Blooded Human that trained their whole life ? cmon man.
Damn I hate nico he’s so annoying 🤦🏾♂️
Manfatten
Arther is the real weapon. Argona knew he would become what he is and nico is a stepping stone for him to rise. I predict argona predicted all of this and more in order to shape a true weapon to destroy idra.
Yozora
Strange, nico have such eager to turn tess in cecil n' now hes looking at her like a object or a weapon named legacy, i think that hes in fear of lose her but stills not like grey would murder her, I think that he knew that she liked grey and with tess feelings for arthur this may be more strong than ever, because don't make sense brainwash her n' he knows that art wins nothing killing her.
When Cecilia recovers her memories about Grey and why and how she died, everything will clear up
He already doesn't need his mana anymore. He has aether which will be better for him.
Kevin Catambay
You know, if Arthur and Cecilia were to team up, Arthur wouldn’t even need to get his mana back. What an invincible duo they would be
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
To be honest Nico is my favorite character he is so unique and relatable but he is blinded bye rage from Cecils death so he wanted to blame someone so he blamed Art but we all know he liked Art its just that Art was stubborn and after all these fights they had. Nico is committed to killing Art
I'm starting to get slight berserk feels from this. I feel like all the misunderstandings the characters have about each other will be buried under acts of extreme betrayal, until everyone is dead :(
Relaxel
Not much she can do about it at the moment, besides Agrona has her completely brainwashed.
Fr
Starting to wonder how Cecil is okay with taking over someone else's body and life when she clearly has a good heart. She even waa disturbed at prisoners tortured. So how come she accepts the fact that she is killing an innocent so she can live again. Not to mention that she already sees the comparison of being controlled in her previous life, you think she would not want that again.
While I really love that Cecil has been brought to this world, I do feel as if the memory manipulation/loss is a bit...cliche? While it definitely fits narratively, (the desire to control the Legacy, or Argona probably could handle it even if she had full memories, but doesn't want to be bothered by the hassle of dealing with it, etc) to me lacks a bit of flavor, it's as if I can almost see what's going to happen next because while it fits, it's not new. I think it would have been much more interesting if she had remembered everything, and tried to convince Nico that Grey wasn't actually the enemy, but the formula was switched so it turned out that it was Nicos memories that have been manipulated. That way it could have ended up as Nico convincing Cecil (kinda gaslighting) that Grey had turned evil in this life and she chooses to believe him. And we could watch the pieces be put together and the truth being uncovered through a fully aware Cecil. But those are just my selfish wishes, either way, it was another amazing chapter thank you for all the work you've put into making this!!!
Rucket
I’m curious how they’ll twist the memory of her assisted suicide if they give her access to it at all
Nico Carter
nico a bitch fr i want art to run his fade already
If he did that then there's no way she would hate grey. She loved him first, and used him as a tool for her own suicide, she has no reason to go against grey, and that doesn't work for Nico or agrona
Man nico is mad fucked up. At least let her have her actual memories and not the manipulated fucked memories
Bernardo De Cabrio
Both?
Tim
I think its pretty interesting that her chapters are still entitled Tessia Eralith when Cecilia is in the driver's seat. Foreshadowing, or convenience? Lol.
Yeah but I were Agrona I'd be surprised by hin not quitting the class.
Bernardo De Cabrio
I really am curious how Turtle will implement Mordain into the story and I can't wait. I mean he has to be either in Alacrya (which opens a connection with Seris) or in Dicathen (which is very unlikely but still possible given some people already speculate that the Glayder family has some connections to him because they had many phoenix wyrm cores)
So Agrona knew about grey already... bet ya that his class being selected for the tournament was no coincidence
He gets exposed at the tournament thing… Grey and Caera get swooped up by the Phoenixes (see what i did there?) and they dip out
Breamson 𒉭
nah, Caera even said that she doesn't have romantic feelings. ArthurxTess all the way
Chad
Yes. I agree zeid but only as a friend. Arthur x caera
Pete Linux
I doubt Arthur will ever get the full time rune, he had his chance to obtain that power and missed it. Also, his mom's reaction makes perfect sense, to me. It's not like you can expect people to be 100% rational all the time, that ruins immersion for me and makes it seem like the characters are not people, but just robots. The loss of his dad was a great conflict, and it allowed for some exceptional character development imo.
I whis he just bet shit out all the scythe but what you are saying or something similar sound more likely to me it to early for him revile his true power just one thing Niko knows Gray are alive so maybe he will reveal Gray identity at tournament
Happy ending arthur with tesse his mom and ellie plz!!! All i want
I think cecilia is going to the tournament to establish herself as a scythe or retainer n grey(Arthur) is gonna try to measure up his power in the tournament in comparison to how he was before n then purposely lose
To me fate will be the ability to create certain situations that will influence someone without his knowledge in following a predetermined path selected by the wielder.
Carth
Nico is about to leave quite a few details out of the story 🧐
Possible theory: Agrona is dabbling in fate and knows the truth that Cecilia died and Grey became King. What if Agrona is pulling them together to repeat what happened before as it “is their fate.” Either he is able to bring Cecilia to his side and thus she won’t kill herself meaning he won the legacy or he creates a King Grey who is detached from the world and would solely focus on getting revenge - against the Asuras. While the latter is kind of a nuclear option (as he would likely die) either way he gets what he wants - ending the reign of Indrath. Like that lady (idk her name) from his past that set up Grey to lose. To be clear, I don’t think Grey would play ball if it came to such a fight - but may need to understand the power of Fate better to avoid repeating the past.
What do u mean wakes up in us old body. King grey died and he was reincarnated into Arthur. Then later in the story he “dies” but not really then is teleported to a relic tomb in a different country where he just calls himself grey because he thinks people would know the name of the enemy countries general.
chris allen
i have a question i am reading the book from the beginning well waiting for new chapters and does anyone know when he wakes up back in is old body (king grey) what is happening i never understood it
Doug Wills
Because Nico obviously doesn't know she threw herself on the sword. How could he?
Player4u
You know murder is a strong word for "you threw youself into his sword strike during a fair duel". The fight was probably even unfair in her favour. And now Nico blames Grey for something Cecilia decided. AND they deleted / locked her memories, that would confirm the story Grey will tell (if they ever actually talk about it).
Breamson 𒉭
If I think about it, Nico in this chapter has such a „she knows“ vibe😭(like from the song that’s currently trending on Tiktok)
he will end up with tesse.. im sure .. guys so we expect 1 issue every Friday right?
Chad
See i didn't like that side of him. Him growing very attached to his family i understand because he didn't let himself do that as a king. However, the war arc to me didn't make sense. Granted it was stated he left strategy and planning to his minions he didn't have the strategic knowledge of a king and made stupid mistakes that ultimately cost them the war. Or at least expedited their loss and got his dad killed. I feel like his dad's reaction to finding out about him was normal but his mom before and after that was/is psychotic. I can see how his parents got messed up after they thought he died in the beginning, but his mom is a complete nut job. Unstable. If she died instead of his dad that would have been better in my opinion his dad was badass. Im imagining at some point turtle has plans for mc to develop his runes so much he can rewind any time not just the time of relics. Very cliché nowadays though especially in very good series like solo Lvling. If turtle has him rewind time like all the way back to his childhood or something I'm gonna ask for a refund lol. Solo Lvling spoiler********** Like in this series at the end literally everything that happened he reversed but kept his memories. It wasn't his call to literally bring people back to life and to get rid of all magic/players. People like me would kill for that life. I'd do anything even sell my soul to live in a world like solo leveling or martial peak. Strong conquers the weak. Survival of the fittest. You could literally do almost anything even live for thousands of years if you had the aptitude and put in the effort. My point being if I had that and someone selfishly took it away I wouldn't forgive them. The director for example gave up his life to save the mc and the world. An honorable death. For what mc to rewind time to before he was a hunter/player and he was still old? Dude was the 2nd strongest man in the world. Widely respected and powerful. Turned into a brittle old man that had what maybe another 10years to live without any purpose
xroninx
I found the war arc to be the best so far (even though my favorite character is Regis), the war arc just brought so much more character to Art than just his usual cocky attitude, he was scared, depressed, angry, fearful. He grew stronger but even that wasn't enough after he fought his first retainer and he knew it, the wall sub-arc, his family issues and them reacting to how a real family would react to learning their son had the soul of an adult man the entire time, it was just perfect overall imo. I can agree though that Caera and Grey's relationship feels a lot more natural then his relationship with Tess did even though I do prefer Tess more, I find Caera to be an overall better match to him.
Chad
Could have been a natural reincarnation, sylvia (which would make sense as she would likely know how having been argonas wife), or maybe the ancient mages that created the relicombs in order to combat all the asuras that were out of control
Chad
I'm shaking with excitement for what's to come, but honestly him and caera make such a good couple. It was the same with the og school arc they were rushed. Arguably the best parts of the series and now it seems his current school life will quickly come to an end again. Argona I feel like can't leave his castle. Maybe because he's injured or fears the other asuras coming after him or maybe it's just because of the agreement they have not to interfere and he doesn't find his intervention necessary. I feel like this is developing to fast. I hope we at least get another idk...100 novel chapters before he has to confront nico
Aaron
Who reincarnated grey? If agrona did Cecile and Niko, it seems the only person who could or would have, would be agrona or the djinn.
Soundd Wavess
God i fucking hate nico with a burning white hot passion. I literally would pay to have a chapter where a predator shows up and spine rips his ass for a trophy.
I hope this does not end in a arthur having to choose to kill off tess/cecilia as for now we dont have any indication that this reincarnation technique could be reversed or stopped. Also i really really do hope arthur ends up with tess not simply cuz of all thats happened but because of how since the day he saved her life she has commited and gave her heart to him totally and completely without ever thinking of not being his no matter ... I really hope that atleast arthur after all the suffering and loss and torture and pain gets the 1 wish he has wanted in both his lifetimes.. To spend the rest of his life in a house with his mom and sister and tess and kids.. If anything turtle give this man a happy ending after 2 lifetimes.. plz plz plz dont do that whole someone dies at the end... after 350 chapters we all want to see half human half elf tess arthuer babies :)
It’s appearing as if Nico is losing his mind. Him snapping on the very person he “loves”. That and the fake memories implanted trying to paint Nico in a good light won’t end well 😬
Kyle Loomis
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, then merciful death via Arthur while regretting his life’s choices
i wonder what nico will think when cecil tells him that she made grey kill her on purpose
Ezekiel2517
Yes, same guy.
Is Draneeve the guy from the manga chapter 122? The one with the orange hair and mask because the line in this chapter (Draneeve straightened his mask—a plain white thing with small holes for eyes and a crudely drawn smile) makes me think that's him.
Kyle Loomis
The mystery of what’s actually going on in Nico’s head (are his memories being manipulated) is still a major point of intrigue so I don’t think the readers will be inside Nico’s POV until (or after) he has a conversation with Grey
27 ooze
the sudden thoughts that keep speaking in cecilia’s head is definitely tessia leaking through
27 ooze
my heart was racing this whole chapter. bravo turtle 👏🏻🎉🎊
Bernardo De Cabrio
In the end there really are only three options on how Grey will handle Agrona: 1. Grey kills Agrona despite input from both Sylvia and Sylvie (who hopefully gets a say in this) 2. Grey doesn't kill Agrona but instead imprisons him so he can experience what he did to Sylvia or Grey destroys his mana core which will sooner or later lead to Agrona's death (since Asura apparently can't survive without one or at least not for long) while he watches Grey take over and witness him destroy everything he has worked for before his eyes without being able to do anything. 3. Agrona doesn't get killed/incapacitated by Arthur (because of reasons mentioned already) but instead gets killed by Kezess Indrath. In conclusion: He will either suffer or die for all he has done. Letting him off the hook easily is not really an option at this point. Neither is it for Kezess Indrath.
Once Cecilia remembers she’s gonna be on grey side,
carson
The description of what Tessia/Cecilia was seeing when forming that storm sounds A LOT like Realmheart, does she have that power now? If so How? Is this what Agrona was aiming for, stealing the powers of the Asura? She can't see Aether yet, but to my knowledge normal mages can't just *see* mana particles like that, plus she has runes running down her arms like Arthur did when in full Realmheart mode. She thinks they're there to keep her together but could they also be part of a forced Realmheart transformation?
Bernardo De Cabrio
*9
xroninx
I kinda feel like agrona’s real target for a weapon is grey, he doesn’t seem like he wants to really kill him and everything that he has done has basically just lured grey into finding the truth about the asuras and the djinn and getting stronger. I feel like he also brought Cecilia in tess’s body back specifically for grey. In the end I think Agrona wants grey to kill the asuras for him and then play the “I’m sylvie’s dad and can bring her back” card, after all Agrona is known for playing people, I don’t think this would be any different.
Mandalomaster
So we can assume that every reincarnated being is a quadra elemental mage thank to their former ki affinities. Yes even Nico who is able to use the Basilisk/decay version of the elements.
Mandalomaster
This is for sure, Nico have been brainwashed and manipulated. I'm sure Agrona knew for Arthur being still alive and he sent Nico et Cécilia for that purpose. After all even Agrona knows the name of Grey but he didn't tell Nico for him being mad when he discovers that.
hellothere
I suspect Nico, being presented here as a real hypocrite here, isn't really himself. Agrona may have something to do with his now one-sided state of mind. Since Agrona can brainwash people. Nico still remembers the friendship with Grey, so this might save him in the end.
Kyle Loomis
I can see Cecilia being capable of wielding aether eventually like the djinn but Arthur/Grey is still unique in that his body is asuran (or partially so) and he has an aether core while Cecilia/Tess does not. I think we are still many chapters and multiple arcs from that happening but it would be interesting
Nico keeps making the same mistakes as in his previous life .. it's sad
She already suspicious of Nico cause every thing he’s doing is making her just a bit uneasy. The way he snapped his fingers at her and said to shut up is a tell right there
Kyle Loomis
Yes, so much to digest indeed. Agrona’s motives right now have me confused. He seems to know Grey’s identity and wants Nico to know this too. Is Agrona manipulating events to ensure Nico and Grey fight soon? Is he that confident that Cecilia’s memories are properly manipulated, enough to encounter Grey without the spell being broken? Is he severely underestimating Arthur/Grey’s combat abilities? Regarding Seris, I still believe she is the one responsible for Grey’s class being chosen for Victoriad. She said earlier that Grey needs to make moves and stop wasting time in relictombs and at school. What is her plan? Who does she want Arthur/Grey to fight?
ariel lima
Can we get a new goal? Like 6 or 8k? (depending if you want goals to double or simply increase by 2k every time)
ariel lima
It’s a one time thing
Kyle Loomis
Agreed with all your points. Furthermore, I like how we are reminded via Cecilia’s thoughts this chapter that she remembers Nico in the previous life as a loner, looking at her with a helpless, desperate look. No love or fondness, just familiarity and pity. Doubts are creeping in regarding his (and the other Alacrayans) sense of justice and morality. It’s really building up to a big revelation moment when the true memories and feelings resurface and everything blows up in Nico’s face.
I'm really excited to see Arthur kick Nico's ass lol. Also, to see the reaction of Cecilia when she meets him, I wonder if Tess will somehow have a reaction after meeting Arth.
Niko is really insane. He was possessed by Cecilia, but after her death, this obsession with her turned into an obsession to take revenge on Gray. I don't think he really thought Gray was a friend, though. One way or another he envied him, his skills and talents, his character .. I think at the moment in the whole history of Niko the most dangerous evil and tough character in relation to anyone. He completely denies any value in the lives of people around him, for him it is literally "nothing". And most importantly, he is driven only by evil, selfishness and a thirst for revenge. And his love for Cecilia has long been burned out in the flames of hatred for Gray.
I love how Tess is trying to warn Cecilia of Agrona’s and Nico’s lies, and how she’s trying to figure things out “is this the man you love?”. If she knew about Arthur’s past life, I think she would’ve been able to clear things between art and nico ( for Cecilia too ). But then again agrona and his brainwashing 😵💫😵💫
ExtraSwivy
Welp this was the best chapter of book 8 so far good shit
Kyle Loomis
Will Cecilia attend Victoriad or will Agrona keep her away? I think Nico will do his best to keep her away from the risk of meeting Grey. I think Agrona will not be at Victoriad but Seris and the scythes will be there. It’s too early to fight Cadell, while Dragoth was conveniently introduced a while ago, I think for the purpose of confirming Arthur’s ability to fight scythes on at least equal standing. My prediction is Art fights and defeats Dragoth, perhaps in order to determine the fate of a Dicathian POW, Varay or other (not Ellie). I’m not sure if Nico will fight Grey since I’m convinced that Grey would win easily. What would happen then? It’s too early for Nico to die.
Yessssss, the pieces are coming together! I like this very much. I love seeing other people's perspectives (mainly these major characters). It's great, and hearing the internal struggle of Tess/Cecilia and even seeing Nico's manic behaviour is all awesome!
Kyle Loomis
Judging from the conversation in this chapter between scythes, there is a noted gap in abilities between Nico and the others. Plus there’s mention that Nico’s ability has reached its peak. We’re also inferring from previous chapters that Art/Regis are accurately judging that he could fight and defeat a scythe like Dragoth. Now Nico is aware of Grey and is mentally unraveling. Speculation regarding Victoriad gets clearer. Who will Grey fight? Easy win vs Nico who might eagerly give into his rage? Dragoth as well? Will Victoriad mark the end of Art’s professor arc now that he has portable Relictomb access?
We will have a nico pov soon I think
👌👌👌 can't wait to see how this turns out😁
Love this chapter so much!! The fact that Cecilia is so self-aware even with everyone lying to her and manipulating her memories; Tessia's beastwill was so cool; getting to know Nico's mindset was also dope; and the Scythes interacting with one another - loving all their distinct personalities!!! So much damn hype!!!
AntiMatterDynamite
it's scythe killing time woooo
Like how TurtleMe is building up it will happen
Breamson 𒉭
1. that was a great Chapter as always, TurtleMe. Like really most of your chapters are 10/10 for me and to consistently deliver with such good chapters, the world Building and connecting dots (like Draneeve being back) is so good. 2. Please TurtleMe don’t do this to Arthur. He suffered enough at this point and just imagining that Cecilia believes what Nico says would be really sad for Arthur. Like when they encounter each other and Cecilia says to Arthur that he killed her, how would Arthur be able to bear that? Like hearing Cecilia say that while he sees Tess‘ body……. I don’t know how he would be able to bear that, like he had a mental breakdown when he realized Nico was reincarnated and heard him say that he killed Cecilia, but hearing that from Cecilia while she uses Tess‘ body? That would actually break him. I just hope that they will encounter each other in the next chapters and Arthur’s appearance and name will trigger her real memory, like she already is suspicious of Nico and Agrona so please just let her regain her memory rather fast and don’t make her fight Arthur. Probably when she encounters Arthur Tess will regain her consciousness a little bit?
Leadslinger2019
I thought we were going to get two chapters a week now ?
That is why I said it will be ugly
Breamson 𒉭
I really don’t even know if they would fight. Like Arthur would’ve to fight Cecilia (the woman he had feelings for in his old life and unintentionally killed), in the body of Tess (the woman who he loves more than everything in this world). He would break mentally if he had to fight Cecilia in Tess‘ body
i don't mean use aether now but in the future
art can solo every scythe but I think that Tess can now use all 4 elements and most likely will use aether, if they fight it will be bad and ugly to watch!
And the manipulation continues
one chapter is not enough...
Just hope shell come to with her memories n take greys side
Calle
Pretty Sure He doesn't know she chose to die
I can’t wait for the moment Grey will destroy Nico. One of the best days of my life
i believe that nico was in a fit of rage after cecilia died and lost all judgement, got himself imprisoned / killed. He was then reincarnated after that and Agrona (once he got his hands on him) decided to manipulate his memories and rage.
Keanu King
He ain't telling the truth either.
TreQuan Cunningham
I'm sure once she remembers all her memories it'll be fine she chose😔
jake
Telling Cecilia that Grey killed her was a bit of a misleading thing to say, even though he kinda did.
Pretty sure and I think she can control all the deviants too
Correct me if i’m wrong but is she quadra elemental??
Jon Chefitz
Damn that chapter was insane, I am so excited for Nico to see Arthur its gonna be awesome. Also I loved how the judges said Art held himself like a king, I just love that. So excited for next week thanks Turtle!
This was a great chapter. I am so hyped for next week
“And he was the one that murdered you, Cecilia.” I mean for once he isn't lying.
I really like this idea
Luis Apolinario
So many plot lines merging that the anticipation is killing me
Axel Karlsson
Dont think they would Meet each other in the relictombs now when grey have the portal ball or what ever I think they will Meet at the tournament and grey would either challenge nico or Cecilia or he would save either a Lance or his sister (who would have had to been captured) but hey maybe he would let them execute a Lance to keep his cover
Didn’t expect this so soon. Hyped
Ezekiel2517
Damn....so much to digest. Most critically I expect that Seris is going to need to warn Art ASAP directly or through Caera. Also, Agrona apparently already knew that Grey was back and given his conditioning of Nico knows intimately all that implies. Bloody great chapter. Cannot wait until Tess/Cecilia see Art again. Also love that the perspective and name of chapter is still Tessia
Rocco Mangiaterra
Oh boy all this lying to Cecilia is really gonna bite them in the ass the moment all her memories come back and flood her mind she is going to absolutely lose it! Can’t wait to see where all this leads Thanks Turtle
Keaton
Another amazing chapter turtle
OMG this is getting Hot, cant wait for them to meet in the relictombs!! Thanks for the chapter turtle!!!
🤥 more like she wanted to be murdered
Radzi Hamzah
Stupid nico. Cant wait to see his inferiority complex ass get owned by Grey.
NeatOburrito
Peak fiction right here
Brokynski
Nico really does piss me off. Grey never murdered Cecil. Nico barged into his life demanded the he give up everything without properly explaining anything, and now blames Grey for murder. Of course the countless people he murders, aren't an evil act at all. Nor was taking Grey's woman to use to reincarnate Cecil. Nope. Totally justified. Truly, a lost and pathetic soul.
David
This anticipation is going to kill me.
Wow
Jackson Vitorovich
It’s going down soon
hellothere
2nd post!
SouperRiskyyy
Interesting
