Chapter 103 The Task
"I cannot provide an answer. Not at this time." The Ancestor turned his gaze to the area where the mist still lingered, the light unable to fully disperse its last remnants. He stepped closer to the spot where the mist hovered and opened his jaws wide, preparing to bite down.
As the Ancestor clamped his jaws down, the feeling of safety and calm Dahdin had been experiencing abruptly vanished, and his true emotions rushed to the surface, overpowering the previous eerie calm he had. He felt more vigilant and sensed great danger within himself. It felt as though something had been subtly manipulating his thoughts since the very beginning, ever since he entered this space, but then the transmission abruptly cut off, becoming inert.
In the meantime, the Ancestor swallowed down the invisible substance, recoiling in disgust at the sensation of what he had consumed. He briefly muttered something under his breath that Dahdin couldn't understand, perplexing him. Once he had finished, the Ancestor returned to Dahdin and repeated his question: "Will you accept my request?"
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Dahdin hesitated, his expression revealing his doubt as he confronted the unrest within himself caused by the Ancestor's actions. Sensing his distress, the Ancestor spoke up. "There was something subtly influencing your thoughts. I’ve temporarily suppressed whatever was controlling you but you need to face it to remove your unease fully." the Ancestor said hinting at an objective.
Dahdin felt puzzled by the Ancestor's ambiguous statement but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he pressed for clarification regarding the kind of assistance the Ancestor could provide, having doubts about his abilities. "Great Ancestor," he began, "given that you are dead, would your abilities not be significantly limited? From what I’ve gathered from the elders in my clan who have passed down their knowledge, I've learned about the ancestors. Considering you are in another realm, would it not be difficult for you to assist me in this situation?" Doubt was evident in Dahdin's voice, yet his words did not provoke anger from the Ancestor.
The Ancestor appeared troubled, struggling to convey the nature of his assistance. After some thought, he responded, "I am indeed on another plane, but I can offer you my power through a contract. But for now, you need to complete a small task, and once you do, you will receive this power outside of this space. For now, however, you can accept a portion of my power until you can leave this space."