They took the next several minutes summarizing their experiences, and Vir realized his own ordeal must’ve paled next to Cirayus’. To face down ghosts of his family who’d died? Who bore grudges against him? Vir had no confidence he could’ve made it out of that situation nearly as well as Cirayus.
Vir once again had Cirayus try to activate the communication orb, to no avail. Though the orb glowed with Cirayus’ prana, nothing else happened.
“You did well to deal with that situation, lad. I’m unsure if I could have opened a chakra in that state. Good that you heeded the lass’s advice.”
Vir knew Cirayus was saying these things half to comfort him, and he appreciated the words. Cirayus was genuinely proud of the way Vir acquitted himself. That counted for a lot.
“Reaper Ekanai was a formidable warrior,” Cirayus said. “Even with your newfound strength, with all of his Bloodline Arts and vast experience, it is difficult to say who would win.”
“Yeah, well… Let’s talk once I have a few of those tattoos myself.”
Cirayus laughed. “That’s the spirit, lad! Hmm, but yes, I see. You’ll be wanting to head to the Demon Realm as soon as possible, then? To see if your lover is safe?”
Vir nodded. “I’ve had quite enough of this place. Just… your Artifact was supposed to lead us to an Ash Gate. Not some bizarre life-or-death illusion. Where even are we? How do we get out of here?”
Cirayus held up a hand. “You needn’t worry about that, lad. I have already located the Gate. It certainly leads to the Demon Realm. As for where, your guess is as good as mine. Regardless, we should be able to use it to get through.”
“O-oh,” Vir said. All the plans he’d formulated for locating an Ash Gate went right out the window.
The Ash Gate floated just off the ground in the center of a nearby passage. As far as Vir could tell, they were now in the tunnel network he’d spotted from the surface with Prana Vision. An Imperium tunnel network, by its smooth rectangular construction. Why the gods built this system, Vir couldn’t say, though he’d felt the same about the great spires in Mahādi.
Vir and Cirayus took a few moments to explore the tunnels—it’d have been remiss of them not to search an ancient Imperium ruin for any Artifacts. Unfortunately, the passages either ended in cave-ins large enough that even Dance of the Shadow Demon couldn’t get through, or they simply dead-ended. It was almost as if the Imperium had been constructing this place when their society fell.
Peering through the Gate, Vir found caked red soil. Whether it was truly red, or simply dyed by the yellows, oranges, and reds of the setting sun, Vir couldn’t tell. He stood there for a moment, just taking it all in. This was his first glimpse of the Demon Realm. While he’d experienced it in some of his memory visions, seeing it second-hand wasn’t quite the same.
Cirayus stepped through the Gate first, crouching to fit. Shan bounded right after him.
“Well, lad? What are you waiting for?”
Vir couldn’t say. To think the Gate was finally here, before him, was unreal. Even disregarding the recent bizarre events, this moment was the culmination of almost two years of his life, though it’d be considerably shorter than that to denizens of the other realms.
During that time, Vir had witnessed the Imperium’s crown jewel city. He’d seen the very moment of their fall, millennia ago. He’d found a real, living goddess and experienced the Imperium’s vast magic. He’d met Saunak and Shan and fought endless hordes of Ash Beasts, penetrating deeper into the Ash than anyone.
He’d struggled through it all. He’d grown. Physically, he doubted many in either realm could pose him a genuine threat. With the powers he’d gained, to say nothing of his Artifact—he could now say with confidence that he was truly strong.
Yet despite this, his strength gains paled when compared to where he’d developed the most—as a person.
Vir entered the Ashen Realm as a boy. A demon raised in human lands, always ostracized, always wondering who he was and where he truly belonged.
He would leave the Ash a man. Forged not only through the endless hordes of beasts but by all the experiences he’d gained along the way. Tempered by the burden of his promise to Ashani, which rang like a bell in his mind each and every day. And, most of all, through Cirayus, Vir learned who he truly was. He’d struggled with, and finally embraced, his calling. Now, he was about to return to the land of his people.
Having vanquished the demon in his head, who’d tormented him for so long, he’d matured. But had he matured enough to face the countless trials he was about to endure? Only time would tell.
There was a new world on the other side, and he’d kept it waiting long enough.
Vir took a great breath, steeled his mind, and stepped through.
The story will continue in Ashborn Primordial 4!
Make sure to join our Discord
(https://discord.gg/5RccXhNgGb)
so you never miss a release!
THANK YOU FOR READING ASHBORN PRIMORDIAL 3
We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. We just wanted to take a moment to encourage you to review the book. Follow this link: Ashborn Primordial 3 to be directed to the book’s Amazon product page to leave your review.
Every review helps further the author’s reach and, ultimately, helps them continue writing fantastic books for us all to enjoy.
ALSO IN SERIES:
Want to discuss our books with other readers and even the authors?
You can also join our non-spam mailing list by visiting www.subscribepage.com/AethonReadersGroup and never miss out on future releases. You'll also receive three full books completely Free as our thanks to you.
Don’t forget to follow us on socials to never miss a new release!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
Looking for more great LitRPG and Progression Fantasy?
Some men are born heroes. Others have heroism thrust upon them… Sorry... Really? Thrust? Anyway, Danny Kendrick was a down-on-his luck performer who always struggled to find his place. He certainly never wanted to be a hero. He just hoped to earn a living doing what he loved. That all changes when he pisses off the wrong guy and gets sucked into a fantasy realm straight out of a Renaissance Fair. Getting used to a new world is tough. It’s even tougher when you’re surrounded by axe-wielding barbarians, super hot elf assassins, strange magic, and a System AI that seems as interested in causing trouble as helping... or maybe just wasn't interested in being assigned yet another companion in the first place. Danny must adapt fast, turn on the charm, and learn to emrace his given Class if he hopes to master it and survive this dangerous new place. But he has a knack for finding trouble. Gifted what seems like an innocent ancient lute after making a questionable deal with a Hag, Danny becomes the target of mysterious factions who seek to claim its power. It's up to him, Screenie, and his new barbaric friend, Curr, to uncover the truth and become the heroes nobody knew they needed. And maybe, just maybe, Danny will finally find a place where he belongs. Perhaps, even where he'll thrive. Jump into this fantasy isekai LitRPG Adventure filled with unforgettable characters, loveable companions, unlikely heroes, slow-build power progression, and plenty of comedy. It's perfect for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Scott Meyer's Off to be the Wizard, and This Trilogy is Broken! Come for the Adventure, stay for the Laughs!