Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!-Chapter 596: The Truth [2]

Ashren didn’t speak for a long moment.

Then, finally, he nodded.

"Yes," he whispered. "The Ninth Monarch... became the Scourge Alpha."

A silence heavier than any before settled in the chamber.

Celestis’s voice trembled as she whispered. "Then that means... the Alpha wasn’t born evil. It was made."

Ashren clenched his fists. "It tried to protect us. It created the locked dimension to spare the other races from corruption. But they didn’t care. They saw only the potential danger. So they attacked. All eight of them. Together."

Valkor’s jaw tightened. "And in doing so..."

"They broke him..." Ashren said darkly. "The fears of the Eight Monarchs became reality, and now the Alpha Scourge is hellbent on corrupting the entire realm."

"With his skill Infect, the Alpha Scourge was able to corrupt even the hearts of dragons," Ashren finished grimly. "The infection turned our greatest warriors into mad beasts who are forever trapped in their dragon form. It was no longer just a sickness—it became will. A hunger to devour."

Celestis went pale. "So this entire invasion... it’s not about conquest. It’s revenge."

Ashren nodded. "Yes. Something the Monarchs could have easily avoided. But now, it seems they have to pay the price."

Valkor turned away, fists trembling. "Is there even anything we can do to help? Most importantly, don’t you want to take revenge too? Why would you want us to help you?"

"My reason? It’s rather simple." Ashren stepped forward, his tone steady. "Although I’m pissed at the Monarchs for what they did, a part of me wants to see the Ninth Element return to its former glory... I want this kingdom to return to how it was. It’s the reason why we fight against the corruption."

...

"So it’s the fault of the Eight Monarchs?" Nyxirith asked in a somewhat confused voice. She and Raziel had just learned the tale of what happened from the old man who was called Voron.

For a full minute, both of them were silent and didn’t know what to say. Who would have thought this whole attack and invasion was the fault of the Eight—and all this while, they portrayed the Scourge as the villain, when in truth, it was the Monarchs that made them like this?

Voron nodded slowly at Nyxirith’s question.

"Yes. The Eight did what they thought was right, but it was still a choice born from fear... and pride."

Raziel didn’t look convinced. "You’re telling us that everything—the wars, the corruption, the deaths—started because the others didn’t want to share space with the Ninth?"

Voron didn’t deny it.

"They feared what they didn’t understand. The Ninth’s power didn’t obey their rules, and that scared them. They painted us as monsters long before the first drop of corruption ever spread."

Nyxirith folded her arms. "Then why are there only a few of you left? Why haven’t more resisted?"

Voron looked to the flames again. "Because the rest chose different paths. The survivors of this realm... we’ve fractured. There are three factions left in this dying city."

Nyxirith’s brows arched. "Three?"

Voron nodded.

"The first is Ashren’s group. They are called the Scavengers. They believe the corruption must be resisted, held back—that the Ninth can still be redeemed if guided. They hide in sanctuaries and protect the old shrines, hoping one day to purify the land."

Voron continued.

"The second is our faction—called the Remnant Eye. We observe. Record. Remember. We do not fight or resist, but we hold the truth. We believe the world deserves to know what really happened, whether it damns the Eight or not. We won’t interfere in the battle... but we will ensure no one rewrites history."

Nyxirith blinked. "And the third?"

"The third is the Broken Claw." Voron’s voice turned cold. "They’ve given up resisting the corruption. They see it as evolution—a new form of power. They want to complete what the Alpha started. They want to tear down the Eight Kingdoms and erase their bloodlines. At the same time, they don’t want to give in to the infection of the Scourge Alpha."

Raziel frowned. "So... they’re the real enemy?"

"No," Voron said softly. "They are what happens when you’re left in darkness too long. When even your memories get twisted."

Nyxirith sat back, her expression unreadable. She then spoke in a soft and quiet voice. "So all three of you are fighting different battles, with the same origin."

Voron nodded. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"That’s why we followed you and your friends. Because maybe, just maybe, outsiders can do what we never could—bring balance back. Or at the very least... choose a side before the war begins."

The room fell quiet.

Raziel glanced at Nyxirith.

"I’m not one for politics," he muttered, "but I can tell one thing. If the Broken Claw gets what they want, nobody’s walking away alive."

Nyxirith didn’t argue.

She just stared at the fire, eyes reflecting the flickering flame.

"...We need to get back to Drake."

Meanwhile, Zara and Elise stood motionless, watching the man who had declared himself the leader of a faction with skeptical eyes and a guarded stance.

Zara and Elise exchanged glances. That pressure... it hadn’t lifted. The flame dragon narrowed her eyes. "Faction? What do you mean?"

The man tilted his head, expression relaxed, almost amused. "It seems you haven’t met Ashren, have you? Heard his tale? Maybe even pitied him."

He took a step forward. His bare feet made no sound on the cracked stone. "And the other one led by that old bag of bones... well, that’s a good thing."

Zara’s instincts screamed at her, and she immediately flared a burst of frost energy around her fingers.

Elise also noticed that something was not right with the shirtless man, so she shifted into a partial transformation, her fingers crackling with flames.

Despite seeing their reaction, the man didn’t flinch. He raised his hand calmly, revealing an old brand burned into his shoulder—two fangs piercing a crown, surrounded by thorns.

"I am the leader of the Broken Claw. My name is Garren Hale. Now, we can make this hard or easy. What will you choose, ladies?" He smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming with mad delight.

***

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