Jessica plunged into the Rift. After recovering her senses, she saw a very simple manor. A few pieces of wood fenced off an area, with two dry, barren trees ahead. The Rift wasn't as bright as the outside; as Olarac's Rift, the environment inside was eternally sunless and gloomy. Sanctuary had always been this way.
Jessica was in the center of the manor. Turning back, she saw a solid-looking stone house, which looked somewhat cozy from the outside. However, the door was on the ground; it looked like Olarac had charged out of this very house. Further away were dense hordes of walking corpses, with occasional roars. The heavily rotten bodies of the walking corpses emitted a strong stench. They swayed aimlessly, and their movement seemed not very fast, at least slower than a healthy, normal person. Few corpses remained intact; to identify them, it was easier to see what parts they were missing rather than looking at their faces.
Although Jessica had an idea of the situation from Olarac, only encountering it truly revealed the inadequacy of words. Just as a simple text can easily lead to misunderstanding.
"This is astonishing," Jessica muttered, then picked up her battle-axe and attacked the nearest walking corpse. Only by killing all the corpses could the trial end. Knowing the goal, Jessica wielded the axe with ferocious courage.
Olarac's physical condition during his first battle wasn't much better than Jessica's. How strong could Olarac be as a new recruit? Their strength was roughly similar.
Although Jessica was swinging her weapon in the posture of a 'Smash,' she hadn't gained the Nephalem blood, so it was just a regular attack. Wrath (Fury) is not easily attained; at least not until after the first Rift is completed. Her stronger-than-average physical strength allowed Jessica to effortlessly cleave the walking corpse's head, the axe tearing the corpse into two pieces. A splash of highly putrid liquid sprayed her face and scattered messily across the ground.
The horde of corpses, as if startled awake, charged toward Jessica's position! Yes, they charged. Even if they stumbled due to their physical decay, their speed was no longer slow in that moment. These corpses, whose brains had rotted into sludge, did not move using their minds; they were husks controlled by the power of Hell. They lacked common senses like smell or hearing; they were driven only by Hell's power and the desire to destroy life. Olarac's first battle didn't involve the slow corpses of newly converted demons, but a horde corrupted over countless years. These foes were extraordinarily troublesome. Although the demons appearing in the Rift are dead, they are not easily handled.
"Let me see! Am I only destined to atone through death!" Jessica roared, charging toward the corpse horde. Even though she knew shouting wouldn't get a response, a roar could at least help her focus. Abandoning fear, Jessica displayed considerable fighting power. She swung her axe recklessly, ignoring the splashing pus and eliminating the disgusting things before they could scratch her. Fortunately, the demons in the Rift do not spread plague.
But this was only the start of the fight. The corpses' fearless approach would gradually compress Jessica's space to maneuver. If she couldn't break out of the encirclement before being completely overwhelmed, death was the inevitable outcome.
"Olarac, is that how you did it too?" Kanuk asked casually, watching the projection in the sky. Only Jessica was currently engaged in battle in her Rift, and compared to the other Rift projections, Olarac's Rift was clearly more interesting. Before today, no one but Bul-Kathos knew what Olarac's Rift looked like. Even though the Ancestors knew Olarac survived, they were curious about the specifics. After all, Olarac's legend was called the "Blade of the God of War," a truly great title.
"I found a labyrinthine cellar in that stone house. I only got out by digging my way past the corpses that blocked every passage." Olarac spoke quite easily, but the sheer volume of corpses that had filled the cellar due to constant slaughter showed how brutal the fight was. His gaze, watching the projection, carried a hint of recollection. "I almost suffocated back then."
"Did you tell her?" Kanuk was curious about Olarac's choice. Experience from a veteran always offered great help, and this piece of information could give Jessica a chance at life. Furthermore, this wasn't against the rules; giving a favoured candidate a more detailed account of the Rift situation was quite common.
"No, I don't particularly like this heir. Besides, even if I had found that cellar back then, I still almost died." Olarac sat directly on the ground, then pointed to the dense battle-marks covering his muscular torso. "These are the scars left by the corpses. I later asked the Elder to cover them with battle-marks."
"I always thought you were the kind who just kept killing, axe raised, until all the corpses were gone." Barnar ran over and sat down across from them, speaking in an odd tone that faintly suggested disappointment. Barnar was the Ancestor who most revered Olarac's title as God of War. They lived in successive eras; Barnar grew up hearing the legend of the God of War. Olarac only died after Barnar had earned the title of Berserker.
"What do you call 'turning the tide'? It was nothing more than surviving by luck, every single time." Olarac disliked recounting the past. His glory was too heavy, so heavy he himself was reluctant to bear it.
"That's the first time I've heard you say that." Kanuk took off his Foul Play shoulder guard again, continuously wiping it in his hands. As souls, they always needed something to do when they couldn't manifest physically. Kanuk loved his glory—Foul Play (All Evil Avoided)—demons would always steer clear of his charge route because it was unstoppable.
Meanwhile, Jessica inside the Rift began to show weakness. A single corpse might not be a huge threat to her, but when she lost even the space to swing her axe, her death was guaranteed. The walking corpses were the most fearless demons; acting on the instincts of Hell, they always managed to overwhelm their opponents.
(End of Chapter)
--------------------------------
I've uploaded the early access chapters to Patreon—about 30 to 40 more.
If you're curious to know what happens next, you can
read them here: [pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you for your support.