Senseofbeing
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Chapter 64 - Anu-Khepra-Ra
🕑 Added 2025-02-18 16:30:52 +0000 UTC“You have my full attention, your highness,” said Alaric as he leaned in, signaling his interest. The king took his sweet time revealing more information. He knew he had Alaric hooked and felt no urgency to reveal his bargaining chip.
“Two millennia ago, I was known as the Wise King. The search for power and knowledge led me to the distant corners of the world, and I accumulated everything in due time—knowledge, wealth, power, fame, women, you name it.” He drained his drink.
Of course, you did. There was no way to verify the king's story, so Alaric chose to humor him by staying silent.
The king cast him a sharp glance before continuing, “The only thing I pursued after that was immortality. Heh, what was the point of treasures if you couldn’t keep what you had amassed during your lifetime?” Alaric nodded to appease the king.
Anu-Khepra-Ra went on, “In the end, I discovered what I was seeking with the help of the system — a treasure that granted me eternal life,” he locked eyes with Alaric.
“Only, it wasn’t at all as I expected. In exchange for immortality, the system stripped me of everything — my wealth, power, fame, glory, riches—everything,” he snarled, his chest heaving as he exhaled sharply through his nostrils.
In the next breath, the king regained his composure and fixed his face with that same knowing smile. Wow! Somebody is bitter at the system. Alaric smiled.
It was clear to him that the king was mocking him because of his connection to the system.
I know the system can betray me whenever it pleases, just as it did to you. You don’t need to worry about me.
“Now, I’m trapped in this godforsaken place for all eternity with no way to escape.” He rose and strode to the window, staring outside as if lost in old memories.
After a moment, he shook his head and faced Alaric, “I can sense that you were once a powerful cultivator; now reduced to this pitiful state.” He smirked. “You can surely understand my plight, can you not?”
Alaric chuckled inwardly. The ancient ghost thought it could wound him by bringing up such a sensitive topic. Having all this intimate knowledge about him certainly gave the ghost an edge, but it failed to unsettle Alaric.
Alaric and this ancient ghost were nothing alike. He hadn’t pursued knowledge, power, and wealth for their own sake. His ultimate goal was to help humanity. I’m perfectly content with my new life, greedy old man.
By now, Alaric had realized that the ghost couldn’t truly read his mind. It likely possessed a powerful skill that exposed extensive information about its enemies — even concealed details.
If others could easily uncover such restricted information about him, it would spell disaster. He resolved to address this vulnerability in the future.
For now, he feigned that the king had struck a nerve and responded with a grimace. He even pretended to look surprised.
Satisfied, the king returned to his seat and continued, “I just want freedom from this cursed existence. Won’t you help me?” he implored, his voice heavy with solemnity.
Alaric nodded, fully aware that the king was merely trying to manipulate him. There was no doubt in his mind that while the king certainly longed for freedom, it wasn’t his only desire.
Anu-Khepra-Ra flicked his wrist, and a scroll materialized in his hand. “All my treasures are sealed within this very pyramid,” he admitted with a scowl. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the key. But,” he unfurled the scroll on the table, revealing a crude map of the five sections of the Howling Expanse.
The king jabbed his finger at the center of the map, marking the location of the black pyramid — their current position. He explained that each of the four outer zones concealed a fragment of the key needed to unlock the treasury within the pyramid.
“Find and collect the four parts of the key for me, and I’ll share half of the treasure stored in this pyramid with you,” Anu-Khepra-Ra promised.
Truthfully, it was a lot to digest. Fortunately, the king allowed him some time to think. Alaric picked up a glass of red wine and stared at it. The illusion crafted by this powerful being was remarkably convincing.
He debated whether to drink it. Would it disintegrate once it reached his stomach? Would it intoxicate him? Should he even drink it, given that he was in a child’s body? He shook his head, realizing he was merely stalling for time.
Alaric recognized that much of what the king had shared was a blend of lies and half-truths. The king had boasted of immense wealth, power, and knowledge, yet somehow remained trapped by the system in this forsaken place.
Did he fail to uphold his end of the contract with the system? Was it possible that the king had once been like him — an ally of the system? Was that why he was mocking Alaric? Alaric set the wine glass back on the table.
Getting intoxicated during a negotiation would be foolish. Besides, there would be no point in drinking wine if it didn’t affect him.
Everything about this situation felt off. Did the king invite every cultivator who ventured into the Howling Expanse, or was this scenario custom-tailored by the system?
He had many questions but no answers. Yet he was certain of one thing: the king genuinely intended to share half of his treasure if Alaric agreed to help him. Of course, he couldn’t be sure of the king’s true agenda, but for now, he projected an air of sincerity.
So, you want me to be your hound, to sniff out the four key fragments in exchange for half of your treasure.
That seemed unusually generous to Alaric. Too generous. But then again, the king was confined to this pyramid and couldn’t search for the keys himself.
But sharing half of his treasure? Alaric narrowed his eyes. It couldn’t be mere gold.
If that were the case, anyone who ventured into the Howling Expanse and encountered the king would have the opportunity to become immensely rich — assuming the king made them the same offer.
Even now, Alaric wasn’t sure whether the king invited him because of his connection to the system and his secret past life, or if this was merely an event designed by the system. But if it were the latter, why would the system go to such lengths to erase his memory?
Alaric sensed a genuine longing in the king’s voice when he spoke of freedom. That begged the question - would freeing him merely end his suffering, or would it also unleash him into the real world?
And what does any of it have to do with the system?
As if he could read Alaric’s mind, the king broke his train of thought. “You know very well I cannot directly disclose restricted information about the system. It would simply be censored.”
He popped a grape into his mouth. “However, I can point you to where you might uncover such information on your own. Retrieve the keys for me, and I’ll lead you to it.”
That was a satisfactory answer. Of course, there was no guarantee that the king would honor his word when the time came. There was one way to ensure his cooperation—by forming a contract.
However, that would also bind Alaric to the king’s demands. He noticed that the king hadn’t once suggested forming a contract. That alone revealed how deeply the ancient spirit distrusted the system.
But Alaric was just as wary. There could be loopholes the king might exploit, and Alaric had no intention of falling into such a trap.
Still, Alaric was too intrigued to walk away from the negotiation. He had already decided to accept the king’s proposal, but there was one thing he wanted to test.
“You’ve already revealed enough,” Alaric grinned. “What’s stopping me from killing you right here and now, then claiming all the treasure for myself? I’m sure I can figure out the secret information on my own.”
The king burst into laughter, wiping a tear from his eye. His guard soldiers unleashed a murderous aura, ready to strike Alaric down, but the king stopped them with a raised arm. Not a flicker of hostility crossed his face.
“Yes, you’re welcome to try,” he chuckled. “I would expect nothing less.” He spread his arms in mock surrender.
The king’s unshakable confidence unnerved Alaric. He knew his current power was no match for the king, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t defeat the ancient creature once he became stronger.
The only reason the king remained completely unfazed was that he genuinely believed Alaric could never harm him — not now, not ever.
A smile spread across his cheek. Alaric wasn’t one to let go of such a good opportunity. Even if I can’t defeat this ghost now, I can uncover its weakness and prepare for the future.
Anu-Khepra-Ra rose leisurely and snapped his fingers. A wave of gray energy rippled outward, accompanied by sinister laughter, instantly shattering the illusion around him. His once flawless skin withered, cracking like ancient parchment to reveal a black, sandy texture beneath.
His face crumbled in sections, flakes of cursed sand peeling away and disintegrating before they touched the ground. Empty eye sockets glowed with a sickly green light, and his lips receded to reveal jagged teeth that clung to thin, dry gums.
Alaric channeled his mana and fired mana bullets at him. Anu-Khepra-Ra made no move to dodge as the projectiles tore through his tattered regal robes, which barely clung to his skeletal frame.
He charged at the ancient creature and slammed his fist into its face, sending the golden crown —now tarnished— clattering to the floor. This isn’t working.
Alaric ravaged the king, hammering his gaunt body wrapped in loose, yellowed bandages. With every strike, the ancient creature released a rasping wail of agony. Yet, each blow felt hollow to Alaric, as if they did no real damage.
He leaped back and unleashed a fully powered mana blast at him. But even before the blast connected, Alaric knew it would be ineffective. He quickly redirected two other mana blasts at the guards —now skeletal soldiers— and watched them explode into bone fragments.
A satisfied smile crept up his face as he confirmed that his mana blasts could still obliterate the soldiers. But his satisfaction was wiped off the moment he glanced back at the ancient mummy.
A gaping hole marred its chest, but bandages slithered over the wound, slowly knitting it back together. Anu-Khepra-Ra cackled like a mad beast. “Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got.”
He waved a skeletal hand, and the fallen guards reassembled, returning to attention as if nothing had happened.
Alaric grimaced. His attacks weren’t having any effect on this creature. He could destroy the soldiers, but the king could simply reanimate them. Essentially, unless he found a way to injure their master, they were technically immortal too.
There must be a way to harm the king. Maybe the secret lies within the pyramid itself. Alaric was almost sure of it.
“When your arrogance grows too strong, you can always return to this exercise in futility,” the king’s hollow laughter echoed through the decaying chamber. “It will remind you of your place.”
The king flicked a bony finger, and countless yellow bandages slithered toward Alaric. “Now, it’s my turn.” He reinforced his layered mana shield, but the bandages coiled around it, tightening until they shattered his defense. How are they this strong?
As they constricted around his body, a searing pain surged through him. His breath caught in his throat, and his mind slowed to a crawl. Festering wounds erupted across his skin, oozing with decay.
Alaric activated [Vital Mana Flow], [Zen Flow], and [Mana Strengthening] to their limits. He circulated a drop of root chakra and sacral chakra to empower himself and regain his composure.
His body deteriorated faster than Alaric could regenerate it. His heartbeat faltered, growing weaker with each passing second as the icy grip of death crawled up his spine.
No... I have to... focus.
His vision dimmed at the edges, but Alaric clenched his teeth and concentrated solely on healing his heart. If he couldn’t mend his entire body, he could at least attempt to restore his heart by channeling all his healing power there.
Alaric considered releasing a drop of heart chakra to amplify his healing abilities but resisted the urge, realizing he was gaining valuable insight from this ordeal. The bandages gnawed at his flesh, leaving it rancid and decaying.
Yet, as he funneled all his healing energy into his heart, he managed to repel the accursed power. Gradually, but steadily, his heart mended, pumping fresh blood through his veins once more.
“Aargh...” Alaric condensed every ounce of energy he could muster and unleashed a potent mana-scrambling wave. The bandages coiled around his bones convulsed before detaching from his body and disintegrating into dust.
Fighting through the excruciating pain, he hurled himself at the ancient mummy and discharged another mana-scrambling wave. The bandages enveloping the mummy unraveled and crumbled, reducing the creature’s body to dust that dispersed into the air.
Alaric collapsed onto the floor, utterly drained of energy. He focused solely on healing his ravaged body.
“Marvelous,” Anu-Khepra-Ra sneered, his slow slaps echoing through the chamber, laced with hollow laughter.
With a snap of his fingers, the illusion of grandeur reestablished itself. Everything and everyone—except Alaric—was restored to their former splendor and pristine state.
It was as though the battle that had just unfolded was nothing more than a fleeting dream. Alaric heaved in lungful of breaths and got up. Yet, there was no bitterness in his eyes. In fact, he felt exhilarated by the challenge.
“I didn’t anticipate you would put up such a spirited fight,” the king admitted. “You’ll still need time to conquer all the creatures of the outer wilds, but I feel I can trust your strength now.”
The king pretended to think before adding. “Let me sweeten the deal for you. As long as we’re partners, I’ll grant you permission to train with my soldiers.”
Comments
Stephen Pearson
Great chapter, thanks! :-)
