Chapter 56
Graveyard of Swords (IV)
Standing on the edge of the blade, even Cain felt jitters in his stomach, to say nothing of the four surrounding him who were all pale-faced and faintly shaking. The wind whistled by continuously, ringing the bells of fear in their hearts. It was difficult to ‘let go’ -- the mind was a pre-programmed machine in many ways, and it was difficult to change the underlying framework, especially when that framework included ‘if you jump from high up, you’ll die’.
In reality, a great deal of succeeding as a Conqueror was breaking that framework and reconstructing it anew. The most successful superstars in Cain’s previous life were those who embraced the terror rather than let it dictate their actions. Today, it was jumping from high up -- tomorrow, it would be tossing yourself into the fire even with the fear of being burned.
The brain itself was incapable of undergoing these changes quickly, but that didn’t mean it was impossible. Adaptability remained perhaps the most important factor when it came to the survival in the Towers, and humans were really good at it, all things considered. In time, heights would cease to matter, as would the flames, the really cold climates, and even facing the creatures akin to Lovecraftian horrors. Some of it would be molded entirely on arrogance, but a great deal of it would just be based on sheer confidence that comes with essentially becoming a demigod.
“Who wants to go first?” Cain asked with a faint grin, startling the four others who immediately shot him a look of disdain.
“Go ahead. Ladies first.” Emma said.
"Well, I do have ladylike class," Cain said, stroking his chin. "And the grace that comes with being the fairer sex."
“Ugh, just jump, dude...” Jamal grumbled.
"Alright," Cain chuckled, walking right up to the tip, hovering one leg off the edge while the others stared at him in abated fear. "See ya' on the other said."
With a chuckle, he tossed himself back and felt his entire body stiffen for a moment before relaxing. The shocked faces of horror soon began to fade as he found himself dropping down, gaining speed with each passing moment. His heartbeat quickened, but it was not due to fear -- but due to excitement.
Though he never made this jump in his previous life, he’d made plenty of similar ones. While his body may not be entirely prepared for it, his mind was calm, even slightly expectant.
He felt somewhat chilly droplets of water brush against his cheeks as he spun forward and entered a free fall through the clouds. The journey through wasn't long, merely a few seconds before he was ejected from the white mass and into the open world.
Scorching light flamed across the world, the rays of skylight brushing over everything. He was a tiny dot in an immeasurable world, his eyes widening in shock and awe as he stared at everything beneath him.
Swords heaved up into the sky like mountains, some straight and some bent, with blade-strike-shaped ravines splintering in-between, rivers occasionally flooding from their crevices. The whole landscape spread out so far he was unable to see its edge, with a mixture of flatland and hilltops and mountains forming a breathtaking biome.
The coral-red light of the sky bounced off of the swords’ metallic surfaces, bleeding over into the surroundings, coating everything in the faint sheen of fire. His lips gaped in awe, curling up into a smile. He continued to fall, the cold wind cradling his body, yet he didn’t feel that chill.
Glancing to the side, he saw the ‘underbelly’ of the Divine Blade, the massive behemoth slanting into the sky above a myriad of sword-cased cliffs and wooded areas. The massive sword itself was framed within two almost identical cliffs that ran halfway up its length before dipping abruptly down, acting almost like two guardians to the entrance.
He then looked up where he just saw four silhouettes emerge from the clouds, their screaming reaching his ears right after. Lips curling up in a smile, he charged Body into his throat, giving weight to his voice as he shouted:
“Open your eyes!! Look around!!”
His roar seemed to dispel the veil of terror surrounding the fours’ hearts as they stiffened for a moment before opening their eyes. The screams halted abruptly, the speechless four dragged into the magic of the colors, shapes, and bends. The massive world was opened right in front of their eyes, widely exposed for their consumption.
A strange feeling surged within their souls, a juxtaposition of feeling grand yet tiny at the same time. Grand for being able to see such a sight without the comfort of a one-hundred-thousand pounds of metals encasing them, one that defied description, and tiny because they were a kindling dot within the world at large. A spec that seemed to hold no significance in the big picture.
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Their free-fall continued as Cain purposefully used Wind to slow his descent and wait for the four others to catch up. Though their faces were still pale-white and his slightly blue, the horror in their eyes had greatly diminished. Nobody spoke, largely because they didn't know quite how under these circumstances, but they needn't share words for him to understand what they were feeling.
It wasn’t just the exterior structure of the mankind that the Towers would change, the orders, laws, and rules that orbited the civilizations. It was also the mankind itself -- quite akin to a forced, abrupt evolution that would take many years to get accustomed to fully.
“We’re almost there,” Cain exclaimed as they neared the bottom. “Don’t be afraid. Everything’s gonna be fine.”
The trust they held in him, he realized, was immense. Even Senna, who’d just joined them a week ago, seemed to trust him. He didn’t know why, as most of what he knew of the human nature was within the framework of twenty-five years into the future, where those who didn’t trust or care for others thrived. Those feelings he could rationalize, explain, and understand. They made sense. These? They didn’t.
Their speed suddenly began to decline as most of the world began vanishing while they dipped down beneath the sky-piercing blades. The wooded areas grew more lustrous, the strange formations of blades and earth mixing to create paths, the world itself growing tinier. Bit by bit, they were no longer ‘flying’ down, but were merely floating, almost like leaves.
“See?” Cain grinned at them, appearing relaxed. “Nothing to be scared of.”
The ground beneath them became visible within the next few moments, and their journey came to an end within a minute as they landed on a circular clearing as though they’d taken the stairs from the top of the blade rather than having jumped.
The circle had strange, concentric markings, ones that lit up one by one as the party landed squarely on top of it. Their hearts still continued to beat maniacally, the feeling of uncertainty still present. Cain chuckled at their shocked expressions of confusion and awe as he glanced up. It was impossible to see the tip of the blade from this far down -- rather, it was even impossible to see the platform atop of which the little town was built. Even the blade’s body was blocked due to their proximity to it and the number of other, smaller swords crossing into the sky to form cliff-like and mountain-like structures.
“... mate,” Jamal mumbled, his expression darkening. “I’ve pissed myself.”
“Yup...” Emma nodded.
“M-me... me too...” Diya mumbled, her cheeks reddening.
“...” though Senna said nothing, her beet-red cheeks spoke volumes in and of themselves.
"Then go and change?" Cain replied nonchalantly. He wouldn't have been surprised even if four of them collectively passed out, let alone dripped slightly into their underwear. "What? Are you waiting for me to make fun of you for it? Have you become addicted to it?" Jamal flipped him off as he hurriedly ducked into the nearby bushes, rapidly followed by the other three while Cain waited within the circle, smiling gently.
The more he lived this life, he realized, the more the previous one seemed like a distant dream, something he made up. Even if it meant that his instincts for danger would take a blow, and even if it meant that he’d likely forget some things... he was more than happy to. While he knew he’d never be able to escape the demons he’d festered for twenty years, dulling them until they didn’t hurt as much was good enough of an alternative for him.
One by one, the four returned to the circle, appearing somewhat awkward. Chuckling, Cain shook his head, feeling that the whole experience was, indeed, somewhat funny.
“Don’t be embarrassed guys,” Cain said. “You can see it as us growing closer as a party.”
“You’re really high on the whole ‘growing closer as a party’ bullshit,” Senna grumbled. “If you were that into it, you’d have pissed yourself as well!”
"Ah, sorry, I have very good control of my bladder," Cain quickly made something up. "Ask Em'. Don't I, Em'?"
“... y-yeah,” Emma gritted her teeth and replied, angrily glaring at him for dragging her into it. “He does...”
"This one time, when we were coming back from a date, a guy with a gun robbed us, yet I controlled my bladder perfectly!"
“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Jamal rolled his eyes and interrupted, turning around and examining their surroundings. “Where the hell are we anyway? Right below that big-ass sword?”
“Yup,” Cain nodded. “Anyway, I’m kinda hungry. Why don’t we eat first before moving on?”
“... didn’t we eat before jumping?” Senna grumbled. “Why are we wasting time?”
“I’m just buying enough time for you to warm up to us,” Cain looked at her and grinned. “If you give us a chance, you’ll realize that we’re really good people!”
“You’re really fucking dysfunctional is what you are,” Senna grumbled, her cheeks reddening slightly. “And, as I said, I will never join you after this!”
“Ouch...” Cain mumbled with a saddened expression. “Em’, you gotta up your game.”
“Huh? What about me?”
“Show at least a bit of that motherly side of you,” Cain said. “Have her warm up to you and such.”
“I am right here,” Senna said. “If you’re gonna concoct some scheme, can you at least be smart enough to do it without me present?!”
“G-give him a chance,” Diya said suddenly, walking up to Senna and patting the young girl’s shoulder. “He... he may seem mean, but... he’s really kind. And cool.”
“... wait-- are you in love with him too?” Senna asked, frowning.
"W-what? N-no! Of course not! I... I just respect him..." Diya fumbled, flustered, while Cain and Emma held back their laughter. Jamal, on the other hand, had begun to slightly agree with Senna's assessment of their group.
“Come on, let’s eat.” Cain said as he took out a cigarette to light it up.
“Ah, I didn’t realize smoking is considered eating now...” Emma said.
“... khm,” Cain coughed awkwardly as he put the cigarette away. “You’re right, it’s not. Good eye.” Emma rolled her eyes at him, as did everyone except Diya right after. The small group slowly moved from the circle and into the nearby forest as Cain led them to a nearby river that he’d spotted during the fall. Losing Senna would be a shame... he mused in silence on their way over. She’s not the same, crazy bitch that I remember her as... but she’s still just as talented. She’s just sixteen, though... I’m sure I can manipulate--I did not just think that, I did not just think that, I did not just think that... aaah, let’s just hope things work out...