I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

”For every question you refuse to answer, ten of your soldiers will die, and if you stay silent until all of them are dead, I will go after your people next.” He then said in a cold tone.

After the battle, he had realized that this former city lord truly cared about his people and was willing to put aside even his pride to protect them.

This was a weakness that could be used very well.

Maelor gave it a brief look.

He did not want to speak, he did not want to give them any information, but he had no choice...

”Five cities.” He then said.

Cassian immediately picked up a pen.

”The names and distances.”

Maelor looked at Rindo, when he realized that they really intended to record all the information, he slowly began to explain.

”Vhalaris is the governmental and military center of the western part of Emberroot.”

”We already know this.” Rindo said.

”Cinderhold is in the east, with fast forces, it is about two days away.”

”The largest military center?” Cassian marked it on the map.

”Most of the war Forges are there, armor, Ballista, Ember Weapons and army equipment are made there.” Maelor nodded.

”If they have already received the news of Vhalaris’s fall, how long will it take them to send forces?” Rindo asked.

”The main force will take two days, the advance groups will be faster.”

”How much faster?”

”If they use military Beasts, less than one day.”

The atmosphere in the room became heavier, they did not have much time.

”Emberwell is in the southeast, four days away, it is the center for storing water and food and breeding Beasts.”

”Ashenreach is the third city, and five days to the north, it is generally a common city and there is nothing special about it.”

”And the last city is Rootcrown, our oldest city, about seven days to the east and the closest city to the Forgotten Tree.” Maelor finished his explanation, even though he felt guilty for answering, he knew that if he stayed silent, the price would be the deaths of his people.

”Is it still inhabited?” Rindo asked with some curiosity, considering that the last city was close to the Forgotten Tree.

”Part of it, the western districts are still active, but the eastern part has been abandoned in recent years, the Death Zone gets closer every year.”

Cassian drew the approximate route on the map.

Five cities.

Vhalaris.

Cinderhold.

Emberwell.

Ashenreach.

And Rootcrown.

Vhalaris was now under the control of the humans, but the other four cities could still have armies and resources.

Cinderhold was the closest and most dangerous threat.

”How did your civilization form?” Lian then asked, this was what he was more curious about, especially because he still knew little about the history of this world.

”What does this question have to do with the current situation?” Maelor paused for a longer moment.

”Answer.”

The city lord stared at him, then after a few seconds, leaned back against the chair.

”Before the Cindari, there were other civilizations in this world, we do not know their exact number.”

”Our world was full of cities, Kingdoms and races, most of which did not even leave a name behind.”

”They faced something that was later called The Black Silence.”

Lian stayed silent, he already knew this much, but since it was new information for Cassian and Rindo, he let him continue.

”At first, the corruption only appeared in limited areas, then more creatures began to change.”

”The waters turned black, plants started eating living creatures, and in the end it spread across the entire world.” Maelor’s voice was calm, but even he felt sadness while saying it.

”The leaders of the old civilizations united, things happened that caused the world to split and become different, and in the end they tried to contain the Titan in the final battle and stop the Black Silence.”

”Did they succeed?” Cassian asked.

”If they had succeeded, the world would not be like this now.” Maelor gave a bitter smile and then continued.

”Almost all the leaders, commanders and warriors who took part in the final battle were killed, only one person returned, Cindar Vael.”

The name remained in the room for a moment.

”The founder of our civilization.”

”Was he a Cindari?” Rindo asked.

”No.” Maelor said and added.

”There was no race called Cindari at all.”

”Cindar Vael was one of the survivors of the old civilizations, when he returned from the final battle, he carried a piece of the First Root and an unending fire with him.”

”He gathered the scattered survivors, built Rootcrown, and taught them how to grow, use Mana and connect to the living roots.”

”The next generations called themselves Cindari in his honor.”

Lian said nothing, but Aurelia’s voice echoed in his mind again, the last words she whispered.

”One of us allowed The Black Silence to enter.”

That sentence pierced his mind again like a thorn.

He had guessed that one of the leaders of the old civilizations might have betrayed them, although he was not sure, but Aurelia’s words had created such a thought in his mind.

And the result of that battle also clearly showed that only one person had survived and managed to return.

Cindar Vael.

This did not prove anything, it was possible that he was simply the only person who survived by luck or power.

Maybe the others had sacrificed themselves to save him.

But for one person among all the surviving leaders to return alive, carrying a piece of the First Root and an eternal fire, and then build a new civilization on the ruins of the world, was too suspicious.

And there was still something else bothering him, what exactly did it mean that someone had allowed the Black Silence to enter?

Lian’s frown became deeper and Serafina noticed the change in his expression.

”What are you thinking about?”

Lian looked at her for a moment, he decided not to say all of his guesses yet.

”Why was he the only one who survived.”

”We do not know the answer either.” Maelor answered coldly.

”How can we learn more about him?” Vorhelm paused for a moment and then asked.

”Almost nowhere, a large part of the records from the first years of our civilization was destroyed.”

”The founder himself did not allow everything to be recorded, the only place where something might still remain is the First Archive under Rootcrown.”

”Of course, some of them were destroyed over time and some sections were forbidden for the next generations, even I was not allowed to see all of them.”

”Maybe that Archive can help with the mystery of the Forgotten Tree and help us understand exactly what is happening to it.” Lian looked at the others and made his point.

”So we have another Archive that we have to enter.” Cassian sighed.

Rindo looked at him but said nothing, since the person who was going there was a monster among humans, there was no need to give advice or warnings.

”Now my question.” Cassian got their attention again and looked directly at Maelor.

”Why did you frame us? You killed the Archivist, put my dagger inside his body and sent the guards exactly when we entered the room.”

Maelor did not deny it, his silence was enough to confirm it.

”Why?”

”We needed a reason, so we could keep you there for as long as necessary.”

”And then? Information, a way through the Rift, if we could not find a way into your world through the other Outsiders, we would interrogate those three separately, using whatever method was necessary.”

There was no need for him to explain what he meant, torture, months or years of imprisonment.

Using Pain, Mana Extraction or any other tool that the Cindari had inside Rootspire.

Rindo pressed his fist against the table.

If Lian had not attacked the prison, Marcus, Ethan and Cassian might have stayed there for an unknown amount of time.

The three-day period and then execution was only a lie, those three were only supposed to be a backup plan, of course, they had not been personally chosen and were mostly random.

It was their own stupidity that made them fall into the trap.

”Then why did you do nothing while we were in prison?” Cassian asked.

”I was waiting to see how the other humans would react, I wanted to understand how far you would go to save three people, and besides, our main focus was on that other human.” Maelor answered.

He meant Aren.

”Because he has been here for a long time, he knows more than you and unlike you, he cannot understand our language, that is why we needed to focus more on him.” Then curiosity appeared in his eyes.

”How can you speak our language from the moment you arrive? How can you read our writing? But after years, he still barely knows a few words?”

”That has nothing to do with you.” Lian simply answered.

Maelor stared at him for a few seconds, then understood that he would not get an answer.

”What do you know about why the Forgotten Tree dried up?” Lian changed the subject.

”If we knew, do you think we would be looking for a way to escape to your world?” The city lord gave a short and bitter laugh.

”The area around the Forgotten Tree is no longer a forest.”

”It is a killing ground, the waters have turned black, the rivers that used to come out of the roots of the tree now smell of death, the plants have either completely dried up or changed.”

”Some of them attack any living creature that comes close.”

”What about the monsters?” Serafina asked.

”Most of them have been corrupted, their power level gets higher every year, some of them no longer look like their original species.”

”Our last exploration group had seventy-three people and only three returned.”

The room became silent and Maelor continued.

”And all three died a few days later, one burned from the inside, one of their bodies turned into roots, the third tried to kill everyone in the medical center before dying, we do not know what happened to them.”

”So you did not send anyone else.” Serafina asked heavily.

”No, if getting close was possible, we would have found a way to heal the tree ourselves, no one dares to enter that area anymore.”

Lian looked at the map, there was no ready answer in Vhalaris.

Neither Maelor knew the reason why the tree was drying up, nor did the city’s Archives record a way to heal it.

And the Cindari groups had not been able to enter the Death Zone either.

There was no other way left, he had to reach the Forgotten Tree himself.