Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Monsters [1]

Chapter 68 – Monsters [1]

Morning came with the yellow sun shining brightly across the horizon, its light falling on the whole world like a blanket, giving back life and renewed purpose to those who still found meaning in it.

Inside the Desdemona Mansion, Cassius was already up. His purple training suit, the Snake Eating symbol etched on both chest and back, framed his body completely.

He stood inside a special training ground, one hidden in a realm created by his two parents, built from shadows and blood.

Yet it looked nothing like something made of those two dreadful things.

The ground was wide, the size of a moderate football field, made of condensed shadow. The sky was a deep crimson, with a black sun that sent down, somehow, calm and soft white light across the realm.

Far ahead of him stood numerous prisons. Each one holding captured monsters, sealed inside, growling and snarling and hissing, wishing nothing more than to tear free and devour him.

Cassius snickered, entirely unimpressed.

”Are you sure about this, my baby?” Sefira asked softly from his right, wearing her own crimson training suit, arms folded under her chest, a crimson eyebrow arching.

”Yes, mother.” He nodded, eyes serious. ”I’ve gotten used to fighting people thanks to the twins. But not monsters. Not yet.”

He shook his head, displeased with himself. ”I can’t walk into the Academy without that experience.” He turned and gave her a reassuring smile. ”So I’ll train against the captured monsters here, and after the Royal Meeting I’ll push through Fractured Lands and get properly familiar with them.”

At his measured, thoughtful words, Sefira’s eyes shimmered. She moved, fast enough that Cassius caught no blur, and enveloped him in a hug of overwhelming tenderness.

”Oh my sweet little baby!” She squealed, rubbing her cheek against his with pure joy. ”You are so cute when you are serious! I am so proud of you!”

”Hahah.” Cassius laughed, slightly caught off guard, but hugged her back with equal warmth. ”I just want to be Palatine of my Year, mother.”

At that, Sefira paused for a fraction of a second, then faced him fully, eyebrows knitting slightly. ”Palatine?” She echoed. ”That will be genuinely difficult, you know.” She said it honestly, knowing well the talent concentrated in this particular year.

”I know, mother.” He said, still smiling with confidence.

’Oh, mother, I know exactly how talented these people are. This is the generation they’ll compare to the Old Conquerors. That alone says everything.’

”But I am Cassius Desdemona.” He said, taking her hand tightly. ”The Last Born of this house. I cannot fail you. Especially knowing every sibling I have was Palatine of their own year.”

Sefira laughed. ”Pah! My baby, they were against weaker generations. They were lucky. But regardless, my baby, I trust you.”

She leaned forward and planted an affectionate kiss on his right cheek, caressed it, her smile widening. ”I know you can do it.”

Cassius smiled at the faith she offered so freely. Faith he knew his entire family shared in him.

It seemed obvious, almost mundane. But he knew how rare it was to have parents, to have a family, who supported your ambitions sincerely and didn’t condemn you when you fell short. Who instead reached a hand down, pulled you out before you drowned in guilt, and gave you more reason to do better.

He knew, right then, that he had to be worthy of it.

’Train until fighting monsters is as natural as breathing. In this realm, I can fail as many times as I need...as long as I learn from every failure.’

But on the day that mattered, failure would not be an option.

”Then I’ll leave you to it, my baby.” Sefira said. ”I have a short meeting with Sophia Amaris.”

”Oh.” Cassius smiled at the name, eyebrows lifting. ”Well, mother, you can return the Fractured Land we so generously borrowed from them.”

Sefira tilted her head. ”Are you sure?”

”Yes.”

’Ananke has already drained its power regardless. Now it’s simply a Tier Six Fractured Land. Nothing particularly special.’

[And returning it,] Ananke added, [shows sincerity to the Amaris.]

’Exactly, Queen.’

”As you wish.” Sefira shrugged, unbothered. ”Anything else?”

”Those Blood Ravagers you purchased, mother.” Cassius said, his tone going oddly serious. ”Don’t kill them. But it might be very — and I emphasise the very — wise to move them somewhere you can easily access them, and position them in a way you would to keep an eye inside other people’s houses.”

Sefira went completely still, her eyes widened slightly. ”The reason?” Her voice tightened, though somehow she already knew.

”Because you bought them, mother.” He replied. ”Nowadays one must be careful about things acquired outside. They can be quite harmful sometimes.”

”Oh my.” She smiled coldly, understanding exactly why a strange, slithering sensation had always followed her whenever she was near those monsters.

She shook her head wryly, wondering how she had never considered that possibility herself.

’Too long without a real battle and already being tricked by something like this.’ She thought, with dry self-deprecation. ’Should I just find Seraphim, curse that useless bitch for failing to take the throne, and make her fight me?’

[She will ignore you. You know that.] Red Queen chimed in.

’A useless sister indeed.’

”I see.” Sefira said at last. ”But how do you know?”

Without hesitation, Cassius played his ultimate card, the one that worked every single time this question came up.

”I am the Blessed of Ananke, owner of the Gate of Fate and Secrecy.” He smiled mischievously. ”Secrets tend to whisper to me sometimes in my dreams. Isn’t my goddess quite wonderful?”

[...stop.] Ananke whispered, faintly embarrassed, her face going slightly red; she could not stop it, not with him saying that in front of another goddess and his own mother.

Sefira and Red Queen were both deeply amused.

[You should learn from him.] Red Queen said, with undisguised jealousy.

’In your damned dreams.’ Sefira snorted internally, then ”Well,” she said aloud, ”she is my son’s goddess. She can be nothing but wonderful.”

Her crimson eyes narrowed. ”Hopefully she remains as such.”

Cassius laughed awkwardly. Red Queen shook her head wryly. Ananke heard the edge beneath the words clearly but said nothing for Cassius’s sake.

Afterwards, Sefira kissed her son one final time on the cheek and left the training realm in a splatter of blood.

Cassius was now alone. He didn’t waste a second. He pivoted and faced the prisons ahead.

’Before I begin...’ He summoned his attributes.

[STR: 46 (+4); AGL: 40 (+5); CONS: 70 (+10); PER: 36 (+6); CHA: 62 (+2); Essence: 65 (+5)]

’Just as I expected.’

His Constitution had jumped to seventy from the recent ordeal. Only thirty more to reach a hundred.

’And if two or more stats hit a hundred, I can rank up with an Aspect Crystallisation Stone.’

But Cassius had no intention of stopping at two or three.

’All of them.’ He cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders. ’All of them must hit a hundred before I rank up. And with the monsters here and my Innate and the Saturday’s Origin Store...’

It would happen faster than it ever could under normal circumstances.

’I genuinely cannot wait for tomorrow.’ He thought, giddy, then used his authority over the realm to release one monster from the prisons.

A Ravager type.

He took his stance. His cane appeared in his right hand, its tip pressed elegantly against the ground.

’Shall we?’

—End of Chapter 68—