Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 279: Guardian Ranking

After standing in line for an hour for a ration of stale slop, Vir and the others were shepherded outside the walls.

Ash rained from the sky, and distant rumbling of thunder kept the landscape from ever becoming truly quiet. Dark clouds replaced the perpetual sunset of the demon realm, making for a depressing twilight.

Now, Im sure youre wondering why Ive brought you all the way out here, the Chitran Overseer barked, his raspy voice amplified by a magical tablet. The demon stood on a wooden platform hed forced the Gargan prisoners to haul.

Indeed, several of the prisoners had been glancing around skittishly, eyeing the dark forms of Ash Beasts that loomed in the distance. Outside the confines of the wall, the monsters were ubiquitous, the danger ever-present.

Are we to fight Ash Beasts, then? someone muttered, prompting a round of hushed murmuring.

Nonsense. They wouldnt be that crazy. Would they?

What are you scared of? See those guards? Theres nothing to worry about.

Balagra snorted. The guards arent there to protect you. He motioned with his chin to the thirty-odd Chitran who ringed the group. Theyre there to keep you from acting up.

The Overseer allowed the whispers to continue for a moment. The grin on his face told Vir that the scarred Kothi relished every moment.

Expecting organized duels, were you? the Overseer thundered. Perhaps single-elimination tournaments? As if wed waste precious time and resources overseeing you sorry excuses. No, what we do here is far more efficient.

At least hes having fun, Balagra muttered.

Vir wondered if the Overseer added those barbs just to watch the prisoners squirm.

You will participate in a free-for-all! the Overseer cried. Fists, magicanything goes. We have temporarily reduced your prana collars restrictions. Your prana will be available, but limited. Use whatever means you have at your disposal. There is only one rule. You kill someone, you die too. And dont even think of harming a guard. Those collars do more than merely suppress your prana. A single command from us, and youll be missing a head. Got it? Good.

Vir wondered if that was true, or just a tactic to scare the prisoners. He also wondered how quickly the collars must activate to give the guards such a sense of confidence. There were far more prisoners than guards, and with the number of tattoos Vir spied, he was sure his fellow inmates could wreak some mayhem, even prana-restricted as they were.

The Overseer continued before any objections could be raised. Now, we arent cruel here. As I said beforeperform well, and you will be rewarded. Armor, weapons, shelter. And yes, even the protection of our garrisons walls. There is something else, however. Something all of you will benefit from. Guardian ranking.

The murmurs hushed, and Vir furrowed his brow.

Guardian rank? It was the first hed heard of such a thing.

Yes, yes, I know what youre thinking. Guardian ranks are only bestowed to Warrior Callings. Out here, everyone is a Warrior. At least, while youre on the wall. We use it to gauge your potential, which in turn determines what roles youll take. Should you ever earn your freedom, that rank will persist. I dont need to tell you how beneficial that is, do I?

The Overseer looked around. Thought so. Those still standing after a half hour will automatically earn the rank of Porcelain. Fight well, and you might even make Bronze or Steel. Porcelain gets you an iron weapon of your choice. Bronze gets you armor, and Steel? Well, steel gets you better of both, and a tent to put over your head while you sleep. Hows that for a reward, eh?

The murmurs erupted again, and this time, there was excitement in their voices.

Balagra, however, was not among them.

Theyre corrupting the bloody system, he spat. Guardians are so named because they protect the realm. They fight Ash Beasts, their ranks determined by the tier of beast killed. To earn a rank by fighting ourselves Make no mistake. This is nothing short of blasphemy.

While this Guardian system resembled the Balar Ranks of the Human Realm, Vir questioned how similar the two truly were, and whether this system suffered the same issues that plagued the Balar Scale.

Both attempted to quantify the caliber of a Warrior, though if Balagra was right, the Guardian Scale ranked Ash Beasts, and determined the level of a Warrior based on that. It sounded more robust to Vir than the number-based system the Humans used, though while he wanted to know more, he couldnt simply ask about a system everyone knew about without raising suspicion.

I take it youre a ranked Guardian, as well? Vir asked.

Balagra grunted. Steel.

My apologies for the obvious question, but Im not a Warrior Calling, Vir said, sensing his opportunity. What tier of beast does that correspond to?

If Balagra thought the question odd, he didnt show it. Tier Four. Ive taken down an Ash Wolf on my own, though I admit it was a close thing. Still, there is a vast chasm between myself and someone of Silver rank. Let alone Gold and Seric. Those might as well be living legends.

Vir cocked a brow. Downing an Ash Wolf was no mean feat. They were fast, vicious, and intelligent. A lethal combination that made them far more dangerous than other physically superior beasts. Especially within the Ash, where their capabilities were multiplied several-fold.

Thats quite impressive, Vir said, genuinely meaning it. He wondered where hed rank, were he allowed to go all out. Balagra, however, took his words another way.

Stay close, and Ill protect you as best I can.

Thanks, Vir said, deciding not to correct the misunderstanding. Balagra would find out soon enough, anyway. I wonder how many Gold and Seric demons there are?

Fewer than youd think, Balagra replied. Even Cirayus the Ravagar was said to only rank Gold, and I know of only a handful who boast that rank, though none are his equal in strength.

That came as a surprise to Vir. Hed thought Cirayus would undoubtedly be at the top. Balagras next words clarified that, though.

I doubt there will ever be a Seric-ranked Guardian. Not until the Akh Nara returns, and even then Not all of his incarnations attained that rank. After all, there are few demons who could put down a Wyrm.

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The Akh Nara, huh? Vir said wistfully. I wonder if hell ever return.

I wouldnt hold your breath, Balagra said, before turning away. Whether because he tired of the conversation or for some other reason, Vir wasnt able to ascertain.

I guess that makes me Gold, Vir thought. While he technically had defeated a Wyrm, it was weakened, and even then, only with Ashanis help.

Typical Cirayus, Vir thought. The demon had never once informed him about this Guardian System, nor of his own high rank in it. Cirayus cared little for designationshed even forgotten his own Balar Rank. No, Cirayus only cared about combat and improvement. Titles served him no purpose.

Vir looked around at his fellow demons. Truthfully, hed hoped for more time to come up with a plan of action. His goal in infiltrating the Boundary Warriors was to lay the groundwork for an eventual overthrow of the Chitran Garrisons in preparation for a rebellion.

With the garrisons out of commission, the Gargan Warriors in uprising, and the rebels of Samar Patag sewing chaos, the Chitran would have their hands full dealing with fires on multiple fronts.

Vir would then lead the Boundary Warriors back to Samar Patag, lay siege, and infiltrate the city alone, disposing of its leadership in whathe hopedwould be a bloodless coup.

At least, that was the plan, and Vir knew well that plans rarely ever went the way he wanted.

To that end, he needed to make an impression with the Gargans here, but the challenge was far greater than the one he faced in Samar Patag. He couldnt simply don a mask and masquerade with impunity. The Warriors here were both more numerous and more capable than those at Samar Patag. The Garrison was much smaller, and too much moving around would invariably attract unwanted attention.

No, Vir had to rouse the Gargans, building their spirit and gaining their loyalty all while avoiding the notice of the Chitran.

With all that said! the Overseer shouted. Should you perform poorly, or, Vera-forbid, if youre among the earliest to get knocked out, you will be punished. Mark my words. You do not want to be punished. So youd better give it your all! The fight begins now! You have half an hour. May the best among you win.

Vir pursed his lips. This would be bloody, brutal, and exceedingly tricky.

Mayhem broke out in an instant.

Vir wasnt sure what hed expected. That the prisoners would collectively revolt against the guards, that theyd refuse to fight one another, or that theyd organize matches of their own.

Reality was far more grim. Magic of all affinities flew in every direction, and demons sank into each other like packs of rabid wolves, hurling kicks and punches, and even biting each other.

A dozen fights among pairs or groups of three or four broke out, devolving into what Vir imagined a battlefield must look like. At least on a battlefield, there was some sense of directionsome sense of purpose. Here, there was only chaos.

Some fought bravely, while others scampered away. Yet others preyed on those who couldnt fight, avoiding the stronger combatants.

Vir saw a demon fallunconsciousonly to have his head trampled by another, shattering his nose.

Stray magic hit unsuspecting demons, who were in turn taken down by others. A few strayed Virs way, but Prana Armor kept him safe, allowing him to ignore it. Since no one present could actually see prana, he succeeded in avoiding any attention.

That was, up until a blow came his way. Almost subconsciously, Vir grabbed the arm, tripped his assailant, and sent him to the ground.

Alone, such an attack posed no threat to him anymore. When combined with the Warrior Chakra, however, it became an attack he could no longer ignore.

Without Chakra, Vir doubted there was a single demon present who could pose him any real harm. Yet again, reality was not so kind, and Chakra-laden mind attacks and physical strikes filled the battlefield, turning it very lethal for Vir.

An icicle hurled for Vir, but he dodged, taking down another demon.

Thought you werent a Warrior? Balagra huffed, having just driven away a group of nearby demons. He was in his half-naga form, and a cloud of silver prana hung about him. His legs had disappeared, replaced by a serpents tail, which he used to strangle and whack his opponentsoften sending them flying. Even if it didnt, the chakra he imbued in them forced them to defend.

Does one need to be a Warrior Calling if they wish to protect themselves? Vir shot back.

Balagra grunted and cracked a smile. Fair enough. What do you say we watch each others backs? I could use someone capable beside me.

Vir returned the Nagas smile. Hed been planning to ask the same, after all. Fine by me. But only if you can control your magic so it doesnt harm me.

Vir had been observing the demon fight, and what hed seen had left him confused. Balagras tattoo functioned quite differently than anything hed envisioned.

That, at least, is no issue, Balagra chuckled as he pummeled another demon nearby. The demon tripped and fell and then his skin started to bubble. The demon screamed and ran.

I thought the Panav specialized in the healing arts? Vir asked. Balagras magic had created something of a moat around himself, with demons quickly attacking before retreating around whatever it was that burned off their skin.

Im unsurprised you havent heard of Corruption, Balagra said casually, even while he fought. Among the Panav Bloodline Arts, it is by far the rarest. And not looked upon with any fondness by my people, Im afraid.

Vir wanted nothing more than to ask Balagra all about what led him to choose such a tattoo, but it would have to wait until later. Unlike Balagra, Vir possessed no physical Chakra defenses, and even the mental ones required him to open his Foundation Chakra to counter.

The issue was that no Chakra could be left open indefinitely, and Vir had only recently opened his. He had to exercise extreme caution about when and how long he left it open. Too late, and hed succumb to an illusion, leaving him vulnerable. Too early, and he may not have enough concentration left to defend against the next attack.

This was combat on another level than what he was used to. There was the physical plane, with strikes, dodges, and parries. The prana plane, with bloodline arts and prana-infused attacks, and finally the Chakra plane, with its metaphysical elements.

Combat in the demon realmtrue combat, among mastersseemed to be in another league when compared to human fighting.

Making matters worse, the weaklings had all been weeded out. Either from being knocked unconscious or by pretending they were.

Those that remained were strong, and Vir was elated to count the gray demon and the kothi hed scouted among their number. Either they were proficient at combat, or they were extremely good at running away from danger. Both were valuable traits in their own right.

Lets avoid those two if we can, Vir said, pointing to each in turn.

Balagra shrugged his agreement, and they continued to fight, quickly falling into a rhythm. Balagras Corruption field kept enemies at bay, moving as they did. The courageous ones who attempted to penetrate were met with Virs grappling techniques, which had them pinned and writhing on the ground.

Luckily, there seemed to be none among them who could imbue their ranged prana attacks with chakra.

Together, they proved to be a near-unstoppable force. Teamwork, it seemed, was the last thing on most prisoners minds, and with Balagras training, they brought demons down wherever they went.

True to his word, Balagra ensured Vir was never harmed, and Vir couldnt help but be amazed by the demons level of control.

The free-for-all had gone surprisingly well, and only five minutes remained. Vir was starting to suspect theyd all make it out of this unscathed when the inevitable happened.

Vir scanned the battlefield, his eyes coming to rest on the gray demon hed scoutedthe one whod visibly reacted to the family the slavers had nearly turned into slavesfighting some fifty paces away. He watched as the four-armed red demon behind him flared his tattooprana building.

It built and it kept on building. Worsethe red demons expression was warped into a mask of rage so fierce it was almost feral.

Vir knew then that there would be no escape from such a blow. Whatever grudge this demon held was personal, and whatever magic he was about to unleash would be lethal.

With that realization came anotherthat there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Vir would have to Blink there to make it in time. A movement art so powerful that itd ordinarily be impossible here in the demon realm would raise questions. Questions Vir would be entirely incapable of answering.

And yet, he couldnt let that demon die. It may only have been a hunch. He might very well be wrong. But Vir didnt believe that the gray demon was a bad person.

And so, he disappeared. Carrying the momentum of Blink, he smashed his elbow into the four-armed demons back.

The poor fool didnt even realize what had hit him. His target spun, but he saw nothing. Vir Blinked back to Balagras side. Hoping the demon wouldnt have noticed his absence.

Balagras eyes narrowed, and Vir silently cursed.

It seems youve been holding out, Balagra said softly.

And that concludes our combat evaluation! the Overseers cheery voice boomed. Those of you conscious enough to hear my words, good work! As for the rest of you, well Not so much, I suppose.

The magic that had been hurling back and forth halted abruptly, and Chitran guards flooded in to break up any lingering fights.

Return to your berths, the Overseer said. Well have your results tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your free time.

The Chitran leveled his gaze on Vir and smiled, but it failed to reach his eyes.

No, not you. You are coming with us.