Chapter 63. Destruction on All(2)

Ash was doing the best he could to heal up without anymore healing aids. The moment Helena left he broke his bond's chains and ordered Pocket to completely fill the hole as packed as he could once more. The injury sustained was going to take time to heal. 

Lifting his arm Ash frowned before balling up a fist on his injured arm. Rage seemed to bubble, his fist slamming into the ground. 

'Why am I powerless? God, is this your decree, is this what's supposed to happen when I do good? I don't understand.' Conflict boiled in the boy's soul at the questions plaguing the recent endeavors.

'Full alert for the next two days guys. I need rest. The two of you should focus on channeling your affinities as fast as you can in the mean time.' Taking out some food, Ash ate before focusing on breathing and falling into a meditative rhythm. 

Two days of meditation and minimal movement and his arm was in much better shape. The outside of the realm however was in a state of complete chaos. Slaughter of any and everything taking place. 

Ash stretched his arm with grit teeth. 'I can fight but it's weak. Damn her.' Thinking about the girl seemed to infuriate him as he started to pant. Grim flew on his shoulder pecking the side of his head.

'Thanks bud. Pocket come on, undo the hole, we're getting outta this place.'

'Come on Ash, think of something positive. Mom's stew is the best. I can't wait for Dad and mom to meet Grim.' Ash looked at Pocket thinking to which Pocket stared back. Exasperation filling him. 

'Wonder how 'happy' they would be to meet this guy.' Pocket felt the questioning feeling in Ash and through a gelatinous blob at his head.

Dodging, Ash sucked his teeth and shook his head before the three of them left the bunker. The very air reeked of violence. Crows, insects, and various beasts seemed to eat and fight with one another. Whether it be for a body, a plant, or to eat the competition, fighting was still taking place. Feeling the calling towards the middle of the realm, Ash knocked an arrow on his bow and set out to it. 

'Grim keep in proximity but stay in the air, Pocket, you're with me. Focus on using [shard toss] and [Soil toss].' 

The trio moved forward with Ash and Grim taking out stragglers on their steady journey. Noticing something Ash froze for a minute.

'It's been almost an hour and the artificial sun hasn't come up. The moon is still hanging in the air, just as blood red as ever. That's a sign of something, I'm sure of it.'

The closer to the realm middle the more battles the three got into. 'Only creatures so far, that's good. Wait, is it.' Thinking back on his memory Ash realized he'd not even seen the dead bodies of any humans. 'Naw they've probably been eaten by now.' 

Continuing on he heard a heated exchange. 

"We need to find the crown. No one can leave until the crown is found."

"No shit, but the coalition is mostly busy fighting the disasters."

"They send us out here because we're expendable. I heard there's a lake but it has a lot of poisonous type creatures there. The leader of my group said we'll be sent there next if we can't find the crown."

"My leader said we'd be sent to some valley if we can't find the damn thing. I'll trade you places if we get sent."

"Fuck off, I know you're saying that only because there is more information on the valley than the lake. That place is where one of the disasters came from."

Ash and trio lied quietly behind a tree not far from the two walking. 

'Based on their clothes, their in groups but probably lesser-known groups. They should be from schools, maybe? Whatever, maybe I can get some info out of em.'

Ash moved quickly slamming a fist over one boy's head while leg sweeping the other. Pocket moved in holding his clawed hands to the boy's eyes while flashing him a yellow but radiant smile. 

"You move, you do anything I don't like and I slit your throat. Got it?" Now with saber at hand, Ash pointed it at the boy with resolution in his eyes. A nervous nod for a reply, the boy swore internally but compiled.

"What coalition are you talking about?"

"Where the heck have you been? The entire place is covered in blood?" A sucker punch to the stomach and the boy's tune changed. 

"Sorry about that sir, haha.... Well the stronger groups have all gathered at the center where the statue is. However, the call from it is making the creatures go crazy. It was a free for all at first but the three disasters forced the groups to make a temporary truce." 

"Who are the strongest groups?"

"The Demon Lilies, The Taotie sect, The Lotus Sect, The Clown Gods, the Royal son, and the Rothson Merchants. The rest are secondary and smaller groups." 

"How many people?" 

"About a couple hundred."

"What are you guys looking for." Nervousness flushing the boy's face at the question. A poke from the saber loosened the boy up once more.

"Its... its' a crown of sorts. The statue has slots. There is a key, a chalice, and a crown. Those are the three slots. Everyone knows this."

"Mark where the coalition area is." Bringing forth his map, Ash had the boy stare directly at the spot the coalition would be. 

"What are the three disasters?" The boy's face seemed stricken with fear. This time he seemed too eager to answer. 

"Th-The-They're monsters. The asura, the goat demon, and the cyclops. All three have murdered hundreds at this point. Some of the strongest of in the realm fought the first two but they seem to be getting stronger as time passes. The cyclops... it just awoke after the second key was put in and it slaughtered more. We-I..." Fear seemed to shake the boy more than anything.

'His mental state is getting bad, what the hell did this guy see?' Taking all of the two boy's items, netted Ash some healing herbs and qi gathering pills but nothing else. Knocking the kid out, Ash brought both unconscious boys to a relatively safe area and proceeded to the coalition area. 

'Hope you're there Kaz.'

40 minutes of travel took the trio to the middle of the realm. Ash immediately looked for his friend amidst more than a hundred individuals. Though it wasn't hard to distinguish everyone because each person was with a group unless they simply didn't have one. 

Searching, Ash could hear some cheering as a crowd gathered.

"Geez this guy is at it again. "

"I know, he should just stop talking and maybe he wouldn't get his ass handed to him so much."

"I heard this is his third fight today, he's lucky Baika is cool with him. Bet he'd already be dead otherwise."

'It's just a gut feeling but, no... it has to be him.' Ash rushed forth and found a muscular girl beating the ever loving shit out of Kaz. 

"Uh, uhg, can you, ugh, just stop a minute." Red couldn't even describe the girl's current face as she looked venomously on Kaz. His pasty skin red but from his actual blood. 

Ash couldn't even be excited as he felt tired just looking at his friend. 'How is he this bad with women?'

"Say-IT, AGAIN." Each word spoken through grit teeth and spat out with more effort than it took for her to hold the fat boy in the air. 

"Um, you, um are beautiful?" Kaz said the words but he did so with such a lack of conviction that a toddler could tell he was lying.

"AND WHAT ELSE, what else am I?" Ash's eyes widened as he looked at his friend's face. He could tell based off of his current expression he was going to tell the truth and knowing Kaz, it wouldn't be nice. 

"Ka-" It was too late. 

"You have more muscles than a bison, and probably any man." 

'Fuck'

All Ash heard was a terrible smack as his body went flying in coincidently his direction. 

Kaz's nose looked like it'd seen better days but Ash couldn't help smile seeing his friend again. 

"Urghhhhhhh" Snapping his broken nose back into place, Kaz looked up to see his smiling friend. The two looked at each other before laughing but the muscular girl became even more infuriated. 

"And whole the hell is this string bean? YOU THINK THIS IS FUCKING FUNNY."

Ash could feel the power radiating off this girl. Qi shimmering as it covered her fist. 

"uh, no, no ma'am." Fortunately a taotie sect member called the girl as she left but not before staring at the duo. 

'Damn it, this is all too familiar. Another enemy made because of this fool.'

"Been awhile twig. What's new?" 

"I mean, new enemies, thanks to some fatass."

"Don't mind her, she's just sensitive.... anyway, I see the crow and that little, goblin?"

'Introduce yourself guys, this is my friend.'

Grim perched on his shoulder making introductory caw noises while Pocket looked at the chubby boy with an interrogative gaze.

'No pocket, he isn't rich. Both of us are poor.' Disdain visibly picked up by Kaz caused the fat boy to laugh. 

Slapping the bag at his waist, a black and gold beast jumped out. 

"Macko, say hi to my best friend." Ash looked on in wonder at the calf that had intricate markings across it's body. An illusory flame at the tip of it's tail. The calf looked at all three and sent a conveyed it's feelings to Kaz

"hahahaha, my bond says all three of you are too skinny. Hahahahah, I told you man, you should be eating more." A disgruntled sigh and the two boys started to walk together. 

"When are we getting outta here Kaz. I lost track of the days."

"Max you can stay is 30 days and we're at 23 already." Kaz lead the duo to a makeshift camping area.

"What group is this under?"

"The Buddhist group, the Orchard sect." 

"How'd you come to get in with them?"

"Haaaaaa, that is a long story. Hold off on that till you meet Baika."

"You're not joining the monks after we get outta here, right?" Kaz smiled but shook his head.

"Naw, they won't eat meat, they try and abstain from women, and I honestly think they just tolerate me."

Walking to a more guarded section, of the area. Ash found himself gazing at a young boy sitting cross legged with a strange doll like creature in his lap. The boy's expression was serene and filled with peace. 

Turning to look at his friend, Ash was once again too late to stop the obnoxious boy.

"HEY BAIKA, MY FRIEND IS HERE." 

"Baika's eyebrow twitched but he got up and greeted the two. 

"Hello there, my name is Baika, I am the leader of the Lotus sect. Whom might you be?"

"My name is Ashton, you can just call me Ash. That your bond, it seems very odd."

Baika smiled "It's a nature guardian. They're rare and not seen often. This realm really is an opportunity. "

"I have to ask, what are all of you guys waiting on? Also, how is it that you guys couldn't defeat the disastors."

"Haaaa, well, the first is easiest to answer. In order for us to unlock the realm coordinates for the other portion of this realm we need all three ornaments in order to do that. Each ornament put in the statue causes it to release a reward. The crown however, will also give the individual a coordinate for the sister realm to this one."

:"What do you mean sister realm?"

"Well, this realm only has monsters up to a certain level, blood line purity, and overall capability. This place was artificially created and monsters who reach the capacity and advance are immediately transported to that sister realm. This expedition was done in order for the various powers to find the new coordinates."

"Why hasn't it been discovered before now, it's not like we are the first group in this place." 

A look of exasperation on Baika's face he replied, "It has to do with the three disasters and being able to find the relics. Each time the monsters are different and the rewards are different. Usually the third item is the hardest to find, resulting in nothing being found. This time however, the realm has reacted as though the third item has been found by someone. The death rate is usually half but now, I think it'll be 70-80%. The cyclops was an unexpected development."

"How'd you meet Kaz?" 

Baika laughed as Kaz laughed as well. "He fell on top of me and tried to extort me but he became a friend after finding that I have a love for food though it's mainly vegetables. I gave him some of the kimchi that I had and he stuck with me."

"Yeah, this guy may be kinda annoying because he won't eat meat but he's solid when it comes to eating vegetables. What a shame I tell you. Odd how a guy got so muscular eating only veggies.... unlike somebody." Mako nasally chuckled while Baika's smile pulled in one direction with a now slanted eyebrow. 

"Shut up, lard for brains. I'm getting more muscular." 'Maybe' Ash examined his arms noticing they held a bit more muscle but nothing to write home about. 

The two other boy burst out laughing seeing Ash try to flex, the failure palpable.