Chapter 21: Human combustion

Words : 1025 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 21: Human combustion"....human combustion!" Boom! The Knights were still looking clueless when the humans, the candidates, exploded in a shower of bright blue light and rippling heat. Blue light cracked in the air like lightning. The ground shook, and debris mixed with flesh bits and blood erupted into the air. The heat and the shockwave slammed into Vacuse as he was running and threw him forward, ramming into the ground in a skidding motion. And just like that, silence descended into the clearing. Even the animals and insects stopped their noises. Vacuse groaned and pulled himself up. His back was scorched, and one stray splinter the size of a finger was lodged into his back, slowly dripping blood. He sucked in a sharp breath. The pain on his back was less than the one he was feeling on his head, where his head was forced into the ground. He touched his tender nose and winced at the pain, but his red eyes were narrowed in concentration, and his other hand did not leave his sword. "Are they... all dead?" He stayed where he was for a while and let his Force energy calculate and begin healing. Then he walked to where the explosion took place. The explosion that he caused. Where the group was standing was now a small blackened pit. Charred flesh littered the ground, and the smell of overcooked meat filled his nose. "Great, now I can’t tell where the Knights are from. There’s nothing to investigate." Vacuse’s voice was colder than usual as he surveyed the ground. Human combustion is a forbidden technique. The actual name wasn’t that; it was something that Vacuse gave it. It was one of the forbidden techniques that was found together with others and the one to forcibly call a Dragon. It’s a powerful technique that involves intertwining one’s energy together with that of others and then destroying their core of energy from the inside. And it’s not something easy to pull off. The stronger the people, the more difficult it will be to do it. Meaning, it’s easier to pull off among Force users rank. And the reason it was effective against the Soulbearers was because they were weak to begin with, and they were so close to the source of the explosion. "Now I have to think of how to get to the city." Vacuse turned to where the horses were, but they were caught in it as well, their bodies more intact than the humans who are now bits on the ground. "It’ll take me at least seven days on foot. I’m not going to make it, and my body isn’t fully healed to start running. Fuck," Vacuse gave a tight smile. "I’m really interested in who really sent those bastards and forced me to kill my subjects." Vacuse isn’t one to lie to himself. That was the only way he could think of getting out of the situation, and no way he was just going to die because he didn’t want others to die. He’s absolutely selfish when it comes to his own life. And interest. Haven’t he already spent his life for others before? How did that end? In this new life, it would only be him. And what he wanted. He deserves and owes that to himself. Vacuse bowed stiffly to the ashes on the ground. "If you get regress, then you can try for my head." Then he walked over the ashes and body parts. If fire burns one and one’s relative, one dusts himself first. He began to walk back down the way that the carriage passed earlier. He had memorized bits, and as he proceeded, he used the tracks on the ground to locate the main road. He took a deep breath and began to walk down the road. The road was one of Vacuse’s grandfather’s legacies. Before, the wilderness between the Vorrakyn and the barbarians was mostly just left alone, and during war battle times, the barbarians would just pour out of the wilderness to attack. But during Milixa Vorrakyn’s time, he used the resources of the family to absolutely map out the wilderness, clear out troublesome dungeons, and then build different outposts right there to check against the barbarians. He also built a road that led straight through. The road was meant for the soldiers and as a way for the family to slowly develop the wilderness and allow the merchants of the West to pass safely. Things didn’t go as planned though, because it was also during Milixa’s time that the High Chief of the barbarians died, and the Clans fell into disorder. The war spilled into the wilderness, and bandits looking for monsters to eat filled the forest, making it highly dangerous. Most of the outposts had to be pulled back. "What Lyra said about the barbarians and our constant wars and little squabbles with them... I would need to develop this place in the future. Drenvar is already laying the foundation now... wait, that’s right. Doesn’t something happen to the barbarians during the second rite?" Vacuse had been walking the road the whole day. He stuck close to the edge with his hand on his sword, and the small rat monster he killed had to be eaten raw because he didn’t want to miss his chance at the second rite. Suddenly, he heard the sound of several feet on the ground. And most of them were not that of humans. "Is that claws?" Vacuse frowned. The sound was familiar to his ears, and it took time for him to place it. "Bavarians!" He looked at the sky. "It’s almost night. Don’t tell me we are at war again?" Vacuse disappeared into the forest. He crouched down among the bushes and watched the road intently. Before long, they came into view. The bone riders led. They rode hyena monsters that were bigger than any horses that Vacuse had ever seen, and the riders themselves wore only trousers and animal fur with skull-splitting weapons on their backs. About ten of them led. Vacuse narrowed his eyes. "The elite of the Warbines Clans?"

Chapter 21: Human combustion

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