The Dawn of the New World

In a bid to keep from screaming Dima bit his tongue while slamming his shoulder onto the marble floor. With a loud pop it fit back into the socket just in time for him to look up and see a figure approaching from the entrance.

It was a girl in a pure white lace dress. She walked up to him with steady steps while holding a glass of wine.

"Oof, that looks like it might hurt," she commented before taking a sip.

Dima rolled over on his back and took a few deep breaths before responding.

"Just...a little bit."

The girl walked around him in a circle examing every part of him.

"14 fractures, two broken bones and almost every bone is dislocated to an extent. Still think it was worth using that stupid thing?" she said looking up at the Budha statue.

Dima tried to nod but only a weak hum came out in response.

"Mhm, I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for that 'stupid thing'. But Lady Natalia..." he didn't need to finish the sentence.

"Isn't that good though? You never wanted to marry her anyway."

"That doesn't mean she...deserved to die."

"Eh, whatever, she knew the risks," the girl rolled her eyes and changed the topic, "What happened anyway? Did you find the artifact?"

"Yeah but...there was someone else already there. We fell...right into his trap."

Her ears perked up as she sat down on the bed to listen in more detail.

"Who was it?"

"I'm not sure. I thought he was a Caedith at first but...it didn't look that way. Maybe a freelancer."

"Was he strong?"

"Strong enough to render us helpless with a snap of his fingers. He was using some odd spells."

"Oh, a magician?"

"Maybe, but...I don't know, there was so much happening."

"So how did you get out?"

"He wanted information...about the 'Son of Chaos' so I...told him a few things..." he looked over to meet her gaze which had turned deadly serious.

"How much did you tell him?"

"Most of it."

"What about the other little detail? The main reason why we are here? Did you tell him about that?"

Dima closed his eyes and shook his head gently, "No, of course not. And that's not why I am here. My only goal is to stop the Son from coming into being."

She visibly relaxed upon hearing that. With a flip of her hair, the girl's attitude became nonchalant again. She took a sip and then another, finishing the contents of the glass.

"Hah, sure, you will. And when he is born, I will be there to welcome the chosen one."

Dima couldn't help but chuckle at her naivety which sent waves of pain cascading throughout his wreck of a body.

*Cough*Cough*

"The chosen one. Please, we don't even know if that's real or not."

The girl stood up, threw the empty wine glass onto the bed and began to make her way out of the room.

"The chosen one is real if the Son of Chaos is. There must always be a balance between the great forces. If he becomes the Champion of chaos it is only natural to expect a counterpart to his existence. The universe will find 'order' by giving birth to a champion of light, one whose sole purpose is to stand against him."

"I just hope we can find him in time."

Dima could say nothing to counter her points. They were as valid as any of their beliefs. As Republicans, they believed in the principle of balance. That every action must have an equal and opposite reaction to even things out.

If the Son of Chaos was to be birthed, then by his own doing the Child of Light will come into being.

By the time Dima came to, the girl was already long gone.

"Hey! At least fix my legs before you go! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" he shouted but got no response.

**

Meanwhile down at the city of Argham, the battle against the corruption was in full swing.

The cultivators formed three main lines of defense. The best and the strongest hand-to-hand and melee combat experts were at the forefront, standing just outside the barrier.

Even among them, Rhisiat was further than everyone else standing alone several tens of meters ahead.

There were two beasts accompanying him by his side.

One was a pitch-black centipede with moving white patterns that was coiled around his right arm going all the way down to the abdomen. Its face stopped just over Rhisiat's fist, acting both as an armguard and a weapon with blade-like clamps jetting from its carapace.

It spilled waves of tar-like substance that slowed everything that touched it even lightly.

And then there was the great four-legged beast to his left. It looked like a Tibetan Mastiff with bright orange fur and tongues of the same colored flame coming off of its body.

It towered over everything at 5 meters in height.