Chapter 9: Finding Out

“No wonder this man was the first to awake from his batch, despite being there others in a higher realm”. Head Guard Umber remarked. “However, you can see from his disposition that his soul, if not weaker, then for now at least is in a weakened state. Mark with the leftover thongs”.

“You can’t kill him or anyone we brought”. Sergeant Heyxin could not prevent the intensifying cruelty in punishment; securing Zax’s life was the utmost her role as an absorber permitted her to do. Besides, she was piqued by his spikes in strength whenever his mood changed and was curious to test his limit, if it can eliminate him as the Infernal Immortal’s prospect.

“Begin!” Head Guard Umber ignored Sergeant Heyxin and ordered.

Guard Chou Ferk waved his arm, redirecting the alignment of the thongs with the metallic, which also experienced a change in coloration, from orange to blue.

A blue thong landed directly on Zax’s head. Instead of dispersing, it entered his sea of consciousness, traversed the void and lashed on the only entity existing in it, a giant black pearl, the veil God Demirva and God Bimentia used to shroud and constrain his Heavenly Infernal soul.

His body and dantian had their own seals and the Infernal aura and spirit shared the same bars.

THSSH!

The thong dispersed only after leaving its searing mark on the soul and this time ... the pain was not something Zax could write off.

‘Zax-’

Her voice reverberated in his sea of consciousness, triggered, along all the sights and sounds that depraved him of his sanity, by the shimmering blue mark.

“A...” He gaped, narrowing his pupils.

THSSH!

‘Zax-’

Her voice grew louder as the scenario bit by bit became similar to what happen in the Soul Scrying formation.

THSSH!

Silence.

“Niel, Jingrow, Liz...” He saw in his mind. “ANET!”

A cold, tumultuous wave of unresolved emotions burst from its bars by a wisp of the Infernal.

Gratified by finally having him wallowing in torment, Guard Chou Ferk swung his arm with ecstasy and vigor.

THSSH!

THSSH!

THSSH!

“AAHHH!” Zax’s head snapped back, as first his eyes then his whole being turned black and he let out a thundering roar.

...

“Those names!”

Yimin, Zechariah, Linor, Giant Havreim, Varinka, Lenrah and a selected few familiar, ever so slightly, with Zax’s household, squinted in absolute shock.

Even though they suspected it and despite the probable evidences, till this very moment the skepticism in their hearts still dominated.

“It’s...” Zechariah’s throat dried before he could finish.

“ ... Zax!” His better half, Linor, continued.

...

“AAHHH!”

The shout blasted his ears, as he both was the closest to him and it was directed at him.

The handle slipped from Guard Chou Ferk’s hand. He tried to grasp it, but the sound wave disoriented his senses and his fingers clenched an instant too late.

“No! No! No! No! How can it be... ? He is in the Mortal Enlightenment state!”

He could not accept it. The ego of no conceited Guard in the Rakmon Penitentiary would accept a prisoner surpassing him or her!

And what it meant to be in the Mortal Enlightenment State? The culmination of the Martial path and the induction of Evolutionary Ascension ... at the appointed time, should he pass it, a new Heavenly Immortal would be born!

“I- I-” Guard Chou Ferk stammered, wanting to say he will not let him but if he cannot kill him, how and what is there for him to do.

THSSH!

THSSH!

THSSH!

To vent was the only little thing that came to mind, to trample Zax now before he will never be able to.

...

“You brought me an inmate in the Mortal Enlightenment state?” Head Guard Umber asked, not really fishing for an answer, for it was plainly presented to her, tied to the pole in the Punishment Platform.

‘Is it ... the Mortal Enlightenment state?’ Sergeant Heyxin wondered.

To be honest, there were eighteen major suspects with the possible identity of the Infernal Immortal. The Lunar Second Brigade’s Inspector could not determine who is the most likely to be the human or beast and considering the intervention of the two Gods, even assessing his appearance and gender, taken from the Immortals’ accounts in Ercas Mir, was pointless.

Currently, Sergeant Heyxin scrutinized Zax, peering to his soul.

‘The date of an Evolutionary Ascension can be somewhat deduce when reaching the Mortal Enlightenment State. At the latest, it can arrive before the end of a moral’s maximum lifespan, which is fifteen thousand years’.

Giving Zax’s age the benefit of the doubt, to eliminate him as a suspect she only has to wait between fourteen and fifteen thousand years. If an Evolutionary Ascension will arrive, it means he is not the Infernal Immortal, if it does not, then she has him and can transfer the other one hundredth and forty nine to hospitable planets they can start their lives anew in.

But there was one flaw in this plan...

‘Culmination achieved through the understanding of an attribute, which pushes the main aspect for cultivation to the Peak of mortality, and cultivating the soul is essential to improve perception. He is merely in the second realm as a bodily cultivator, his soul should be at the Peaks – been, if he is the Infernal Immortal. Treated as just an extremely talented cultivator ... being generous, I can say that he comprehended five bottlenecks of insight and therefore five feet past the Mortal Enlightenment state’s threshold. However ... he keeps getting stronger!’