Salvos (A Monster Evolution LitRPG)

588. Next Stage

“But… why?”

I asked the question as I stared at Haec. It had been so long. A long time had passed. But now, here he was— my first companion. He was… like my brother. He was the person I had been searching for for so long. He was the reason why I had returned to the Netherworld in the first place.

I had left the Mortal Realm to get back to him. I left behind all my friends and companions I had made to save him. But now, when I had given him a chance to escape this… hell, he rebuked me.

He refused to leave the Netherworld. He didn’t want to come with me to the Mortal Realm.

Haec shifted back uncomfortably as I just stared at him. I looked at him with wide eyes for a moment, trying to comprehend his words. And then my eyes flickered. I glanced to the side, looking at Taburas, Betrugil, and Aemula.

They were Haec’s friends. Maybe even his companions— I didn’t know who they were. I just met them. However, if they were important to him, then perhaps that was why he didn’t want to leave. Because he didn’t want to leave them behind.

So I shook my head as I turned back to him.

“If you want, we can bring your friends with us too!”

“That’s not it, Salvos.”

Haec replied simply, lowering his head. A dark shadow was cast over his face as he sighed. I stared at him, blinking as I glanced between him and his friends.

“If that’s not it, then what…?”

And I paused. My eyes narrowed as I caught sight of a silver glint— a metal collar clung tightly onto the necks of the three Archdemons. I knew what those metal collars were. They were summoning collars, given to Regnorex’s minions to cross the planes.

I frowned as I remembered what my dad— the Devil himself— had told me about Haec. That the Demon King had taken Haec under his wing.

The realization settled in, and I turned to Haec with round eyes.

“Wait, are you saying you don’t want to go to the Mortal Realm because you’re with Regnorex now?”

I took a step back, but Haec quickly shook his head.

“That’s not it, either. I am… free from the Demon King. For now.”

He raised a hand, flexing his fist. I eyed him quizzically— I didn’t know why he was staring so intently at his right hand. But he just sighed and took a step back.

“There’s another reason as to why I can’t leave, Salvos.”

“Is it because they can’t leave?”

I asked as I turned to his friends. I gestured at the three Archdemons. Each of them were wearing the summoning collars on their neck, while he was not.

“Because if those summoning collars are preventing them from leaving, I think I can get help from someone who can remove them.”

I raised my head, thinking about my dad. While he didn’t want to get too involved in my affairs, I was sure I could convince him to do something as simple as removing the summoning collars from Haec’s friends.

And while Haec nodded gratefully at me, he didn’t seem placated just yet.

“I would appreciate it a lot, Salvos. However… that’s not why I want to stay in the Netherworld.”

“If it’s not because of Regnorex, and if it’s not because of your friends, then why can’t you leave?”

I tilted my head. Now I was getting a little bit frustrated. Because it seemed ridiculous to me— I came all the way here for Haec. Sure, I knew he was safe. But I wasn’t going to be leaving the Netherworld without him.

My dad had already told me that Haec was fine a while back. However, I still sought him out. After all, he was my first companion. I made a promise to him. I wasn’t going to break it. Not back then, and not now.

Haec took in a deep breath as he lowered his head. I watched him carefully, and he slowly cast his gaze towards a corpse lying amongst the rubble behind me. His lips moved as he mustered the words up.

“It’s because… of her.”

He whispered softly. I blinked a few times, staring at the same body he was looking at. It looked like… a [Hellhound]. Except far larger. And like it had a skeletal frame around it, worn like armor.

I placed a hand on my chin as I wondered aloud.

“What’s wrong with that wild Demon?”

“She’s not a wild Demon.”

Haec replied simply. He raised his head to face me, shaking his head.

“Her name is Vianna, and she was no different from you and me.”

“Huh.”

I didn’t know that [Hellhounds]... or [Hellhound] evolutions could be intelligent. Well, I guess I had met a [Savage Agarat] that wasn’t wild before. And they were kind of adjacent to [Hellhounds], at least in terms of appearance.

…and also I was given the [Hellhound] evolution in the past.

But I never really pieced it together. I nodded along as Haec continued, explaining what happened.

“Her kin were slaughtered and captured by Regnorex. I made a promise to her— I am going to help save them. And I am not going to break this promise.”

I paused as I heard his words. I held Haec’s gaze, and I saw the resolution on his face. I thought about how stubbornly I had insisted on keeping my promise to see Haec again.

And I opened my mouth, before closing it. I just listened as he continued his explanation.

“But it’s not just her. It’s not just about her kin. It’s also about all those I had met in the Demon King’s Domain. Many of them will be sacrificed— whether it be willingly or unwillingly— and I can’t just let them die.”

Taburas blinked as Aemula and Bertrugil exchanged a glance. Haec raised his hand to the cracked sky of the Netherworld, before balling it into a fist.

“It’s… actually Taburas who made me realize this.”

He glanced back at the [Succubus] with a nod. She took a step back, trying to work her jaw.

“W-wait, what did I do?”

“I have been using others like a tool.”

Haec spoke simply as he strode forward towards her.

“I have never once thought about how they felt. I never thought about those who were left behind to die in the Expanse. I never thought about those I knew who were callously sacrificed to further Regnorex’s plans. They were there, then they were just gone. And I never thought about how they could have felt.”

Taburas shrank back, but Haec firmly placed his hands on her shoulders. She straightened as he touched her, before slowly relaxing as he held her gaze.

“I understood that it was wrong. I disagreed with it on principle. But… I never thought about all those I’d be leaving behind once I left the Demon King’s Domain.”

The [Succubus] was blushing. It was quite obvious on her blue face that she was blushing. I raised a brow at that, but before I could point it out, Haec turned back towards me. He wore a contemplative look on his face.

“I only ever thought about how you felt, Salvos. How you must have felt having been separated from me for so long. And while I do care for you, I really do— I can’t just selfishly ignore all those around me, can I? I’d be no different from Regnorex if that were the case.”

“You’d just be wild.”

I spoke simply, agreeing with Haec. He blinked as he stared at me. I shook my head as I placed a hand on my chest.

“I understand how you feel, Haec. I get what you’re saying.”

I gestured vaguely around me, closing my eyes as I remembered the time I spent in the Mortal Realm.

“I have a lot of friends in the Mortal Realm, Haec. And I promised I was going to return to see them again one day. I want you to meet them too. I want to go back soon. But…”

I raised my head, before holding Haec’s gaze. He stared at me with round eyes as I smiled.

“You’re my first companion Haec. And I said we would be together no matter what. So if you don’t want to go to the Mortal Realm just yet, then I’ll wait for you. I’ll help you.”

His eyes widened slowly as I brought a hand out, holding his hand tightly. He looked down at our held hands as I continued.

“Then when it’s all over, we can finally leave the Netherworld. Together.”

“You’re going to help me…?”

Haec whispered as he looked back up to me. I drew back, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Yep! Because I am your leader, after all!”

For a moment, the both of us shared a memory. A time long ago when it was just the two of us. When we were wandering the Netherworld alone. When we spoke to each other for the very first time.

“You are our leader, after all.”

Haec’s words echoed in my mind. And my own words never left my head. It was forever burned in my memory.

“We’ll be fine no matter what. I’m the leader, after all. I will protect you—”

And I nodded to myself. I beamed at Haec as I drew away from him, placing my hands behind my back.

“I told you— I will protect you, Haec. So if this is what you want to do, I will help you do this.”

Haec gaped at me. His lips twisted, hearing my words. And I watched as the expression on his face subtly changed. A small smile spread across his face as he laughed.

“You haven’t changed at all, have you, Salvos?”

“Of course! I am Salvos, after all!”

I grinned back at him. And he smiled. He closed his eyes, before taking a step back.

“You are. Thank you, Salvos.”

With that, we made our decision. First, we were going to return to the Demon King’s Domain to save those oppressed by Regnorex. And after that… I was going to bring Haec to the Mortal Realm.

Haec’s friends were going to follow us too, of course. Taburas seemed to ecstatically want to follow after him which was good. And while Bertrugil and Aemula were less enthused, they trailed after us anyway.

We began to crest up and out of the crevice as Haec turned to me curiously.

“How did you find me anyway?”

“Well…”

I started to explain, but then I paused. My eyes flickered as I looked up towards the cracked sky of Revelation.

“What’s going on?”

I asked as Haec furrowed his brows.

“What are you—”

He started. But before he could continue, he was interrupted by a loud crack. I watched as the hole in the sky began to ripple, before the ground shook. The earth began to tremble all around us as Taburas, Aemula, and Bertrugil stumbled back.

I spread my wings wide as my Divine Essence continued to wisp off me. I was about to fly to the sky, but Haec caught me. He whispered with a ghastly gaze.

“This is… the second stage of Revelation…”

He gritted his teeth as the ground continued to shake beneath him. I looked down, then back up towards the flashing sky. The crimson dome overhead began to shine with a scintillating iridescent light as he continued.

“The Unveiling has come to an end, and Reconstruction has begun.”

And I watched as the collapsed rubble around us began to bounce around, before the ground cracked open as another layer of earth shot up into the sky. My eyes went wide as Haec finished.

“That means that the second stage of Regnorex’s plan will start.”

I just looked on as the destruction of Revelation began to repair. And a single word left my mouth.

“...huh.”