The Outergod's Avatar-Chapter 78: Underlying Revelation (4)

There were eight Tree Keepers following Markis, one of them currently leading Izikel with his hands still tied behind his back, while Markis carried his daughter in his arms.

They walked through the forest quietly, their footsteps muffled by moss and leaves. Birds that had been chirping moments ago now fell silent, as if the forest itself held its breath.

When they reached the Old Tree, its ancient bark looming like the face of a god, they approached the wide opening that led down to the roots. But before they could descend, they were met with a surprise.

Standing just outside the hole, dust rising at his feet, was none other than the Legion Commander himself.

They had arrived just in time to see Flavius step out of the tree’s depths. His usually composed face was twisted in horror.

The chief and Flavius locked eyes for a moment.

"What are you doing here, Flavius?" Markis asked, his voice tight, teeth gritted.

Flavius’ face reflected the dread of whatever he had just seen inside the hole. He turned to Markis, voice laced with accusation. "What have you done?"

Izikel, meanwhile, was just as surprised to see Flavius—but for an entirely different reason.

’He actually came?’

During the journey here, Izikel had spent every waking second brainstorming a way to escape. In the end, he’d come up with a plan—a risky one, but it was the only real shot he had.

The core idea was simple: get the message to the Legion Commander. If he could just let Flavius know what was going on, then maybe—just maybe—he could intervene.

And for that, Izikel would have to use his Dream-Walking abilities.

But that came with problems. Big ones.

First, Dream-Walking required a massive amount of soul energy. From what he’d experienced with Markis, the drain was even worse when the target was awake. He was way too far from his Altar so whatever he was doing he had only one shot at it.

Second, there was always the chance the commander would notice his presence—just like Markis had. That would open a whole new box of problems he couldn’t afford.

Third, and perhaps most dangerous, was the fact that his physical body would be vulnerable during the process. His captors would notice instantly if he spaced out or collapsed.

So, he needed a method that wouldn’t reveal anything. A way to send the message to Flavius without his captors noticing—and without the commander realizing who it came from.

By now, Izikel had gained a solid understanding of how his ability worked. When Dream-Walking, his consciousness wasn’t in his body, but he could still feel his body—as if on some subconscious level, he was still tethered to it. In fact, he believed he could continue doing simple tasks, like walking, without breaking the illusion.

That solved one problem.

But the other remained: How do I send him a message?

’What if I altered his dream to show him something?’ he thought.

That might’ve worked—if Flavius had been asleep. But he wasn’t.

That raised another question: What happens if I alter someone’s dream while they’re awake?

From past experience, Izikel knew that if he entered the mind of someone who was awake, he would see what they were seeing at that exact moment.

So what if—at that moment—he tried to change it?

If he could do that, he could potentially alter the vision of a waking person—force them to see something that wasn’t there, like a vivid hallucination.

It would definitely take a lot of soul energy to pull off, he thought. But it seems doable.

He just needed the right message. Something powerful. Something that would instantly compel the commander to act—because a few seconds was all he’d get before the feedback risked killing him.

After a few seconds of consideration, the answer became clear.

’The best way is to show him what I saw’

So Izikel gave it a shot. Even if he could only alter Flavius’s perception for a moment—just long enough to show him the scene in the depths of the Old Tree, the dead bodies piled high, the corruption staining the roots like blood—it would be enough.

Apparently, it was enough. Because now Flavius was here.

It made sense. Imagine sitting in your office, only to suddenly be transported—if only in your mind—to a vision of mass death and desecration. It would shake anyone.

’At first I was worried he might not recognize the place’ Izikel thought. ’But it seems like there was no issue’.

"I asked you a question, Markis!" Flavius roared, his voice echoing off the trees. "What have you done?!"

Markis didn’t flinch. His voice was calm—eerily so. "I did what I had to."

Flavius stared at him, stunned. "You... you’re mad. You have gone insane!"

Markis took a step forward. "I’m sure you don’t mind," he said quietly, "seeing as you were prepared to kill every single druid if they mutated."

"I am a Saint," Flavius said, fists clenched, "and it is my duty to protect this kingdom. This... this is..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

He turned, gaze falling on Izikel. His expression shifted, confusion mixing with tension.

"Why are you with Lord Izikel?" he asked, voice low.

"I wasn’t going to hurt him," Markis replied. "He found out what he shouldn’t have. I couldn’t just let him go."

Flavius narrowed his eyes. "Okay."

Silence followed. Thick and oppressive. Even the forest seemed to brace itself.

"Markis..." Flavius began, his voice slow and heavy with meaning. "Do you understand the weight of your actions? By corrupting this altar, you’ve left me with only two choices. One is to burn it to the ground. The other..."

He paused. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"...is to kill the Anchor."

"I understand," Markis said, giving a slight nod. "And I hope you understand that just as you must protect your kingdom... I must protect my people."

With a swift gesture, a massive vine erupted from the earth and slammed Flavius into the Old Tree.

He hit it hard. Bark cracked behind him.

But he stood again almost instantly, blood trickling from his lip. Not defeated. Not even angry.

He charged forward, hands folded to a fist—but another vine shot out, slamming him into the ground.

Still, he rose. Determined.

"So this is why you did it," Flavius muttered, eyes narrowing. "So you could wield violence?"

Markis didn’t answer.

"I never would have imagined..." He looked up, toward the sky. The last rays of sunlight slipped below the horizon.

"It seems night is finally here," Flavius said with a grim resolve as he slowly unsheathed his silver blade.