Ordinary fantasy adventure in Faerûn

Chapter 497 Repent and then atone

Asdalen's staggering steps stopped in front of the prison. His pupils shrank suddenly and his heartbeat quickened. He stared at the figure squatting in the corner of the cage. He was wearing blood-stained and tattered aristocratic clothes, with deep knife marks on his chin and throat. He looked so unbelievable.

The figure seemed to have heard Asdelon's voice. His eyes, which had been lifeless and staring at the ground, suddenly turned, then his head, then his body, and finally he staggered to his feet, walked step by step to the front of the cage, staring at Asdelon's voice.

"You... I remember this voice, I remember you..."

Sebastian's eyes widened and turned red.

A trace of struggle also flashed across Astelan's face.

"Yes, I remember you too..."

Sebastian's mouth curled up into an almost ferocious, barely perceptible smile.

"You... have called me many sweet names. My name, spoken from your tongue, sounds as beautiful as a poem..."

"Sebastian, I..."

"I still remember... I still remember the smile on your face at that time. Back then, in the tavern, you came to me with a charming smile and got me drunk just for fun... You taught me a lot of things..."

"..."

Astellon remained silent.

"And then... you destroyed me with your own hands! Ugh-Ah!!!"

Sebastian suddenly went crazy! At that moment, he seemed to get rid of all his weakness, burst out with all his strength, and instantly crashed into the solid prison door! Then, like an enraged beast! He stretched out his sharp claws from the cage with all his strength! He wanted to tear apart the despicable villain in front of him!

Astelan subconsciously took a few steps back, but soon realized that even if he didn't step back, Sebastian would not be able to catch him. This prison firmly locked up his freedom. He could even smell the stench of corruption emanating from Sebastian's weak body. Due to long-term pain and neglect, the attack just now had already exhausted all the strength he had left.

Sebastian couldn't possibly hurt himself, this thought popped up in Astelan's mind, but this thought did not bring him any comfort. On the contrary, he felt heartbroken. It was the conscience that he thought had long been dead that was stinging him faintly in his chest.

Even the dumbest people would realize what Kazador had done to them after seeing this scene. No matter how much they denied it, it would be useless, because the truth was that everyone here... everyone! They were all the spoils and food captured by Kazador for more than 160 years, along with their six other brothers and sisters.

Asdalen had never doubted the final destination of these spoils in the past. They had already died a long time ago, and he didn't even need to think about it actively, because at that time, they believed that as long as they fell into Kazador's hands, death would definitely be their only destination. But that bastard obviously deceived him and all his derivative brothers, and these poor people are still alive...

Living a life worse than death.

"How long has it been..."

Sebastian exhausted his last bit of strength and knelt down on the hard and cold iron plate in a mess.

"Wha...what?"

Astelan was stunned for a moment.

"How long has it been..."

Sebastian said again.

"I have been here... for how long..."

Astelan clenched his fists unnaturally, but looking at Sebastian's eyes full of pleading and despair, he loosened his hands, slowly and lightly sighed his last breath, and then as if giving up on himself, he said the painful number.

"...168 years."

Astelan spoke with difficulty. He had said before that he could instinctively forget all the prey he had killed. This was not an arrogant lie. This was true. He could indeed do this...

Until these people he thought were dead appeared before him again.

Sebastian... He was different from the others. When Astellon was just starting out, the first prey he met was Sebastian. He was the first person to drag himself into this abyss. The time he spent with Sebastian and his subsequent betrayal had deeply cut out a large piece of flesh from his heart called conscience.

"100..."

Sebastian's eyes were filled with even more pain. He wanted to squeeze out a tear from the corner of his eye, but he couldn't even do that, because even the blood in his body was slowly evaporating with the passage of time. His eyes could no longer shed a single tear...

"My family...my friends...they're all gone, and you...you took them away from me."

Sebastian curled up on the ground in agony. The continuous bad news almost broke him down completely. Astelan wanted to reach out to comfort him, but stopped halfway because he realized that among all the people here, he was the only one who was least qualified to say words of comfort to others.

But after a moment's silence, he finally spoke.

"You...you don't have to do this anymore. Let me tell you some good news! Cazador! That damn old monster, the mastermind behind all these tragedies, has been defeated now! We saw it with our own eyes! It was so satisfying! He was beaten half to death! He was torn to pieces! He was only one step away from going to hell. As long as he dies, you can get true freedom!"

"Freedom... No, there will be no freedom."

Sebastian interrupted Asdeln's words, and then continued to stay where he was, curled up in silence.

Darkness and loneliness are a painful pair that can bring them long-lasting torture, but on the other hand, these pains have also trained him. In the 168 years of loneliness, the only thing Sebastian can do is to keep thinking.

So when he saw Asdalen in the underground prison but didn't find Kazador, he guessed that Kazador might have been in trouble, and Asdalen's words could only be regarded as confirming this guess. But even if this guess has been verified, it has no meaning for the current situation they are facing. After all, no matter who the person who rescued them is, as long as he is not completely crazy, he will never let more than 7000 hungry and crazy derivatives rush out of the cage at will.

Think about it, if this really happens, what will it be like? The hungry spawn will rush straight into the city, rush into the fat feast closest to them, feast on it, drink blood, and no one will be able to stop them from doing so, not even death.

For today's derivatives, there is no difference between dying before being full and dying before being full, because they can accept either outcome.

Whether to satisfy one's appetite as much as possible before death, or to enjoy a sweet death in the process of pursuing this desire, it is a sure win for the derivatives.

Astellan fell silent again. He was not stupid and realized this possibility, but his desire to survive tried his best to stop his thoughts from sliding in this terrible direction. However, Sebastian had already broken this window paper, forcing Astellan to consider this situation and possibility, but in the end...

"…Perhaps you are right, Sebastian. Perhaps for monsters like us, death is the only ending that matches our dark identities."

Asdalen said this silently. He had given up. If Noshir really wanted to kill them, Asdalen could not think of any way to stop him. But Sebastian did not pay attention to the despair in these words. On the contrary, after hearing these words, Sebastian showed only surprising anger.

"Don't! Put me! With a scum like you! Together! Compare them! You!... Who do you think caused me to end up like this!"

Astellan was silent again for a moment, then shook his head.

"I will no longer deny the mistakes I made, Sebastian... I'm sorry. I was helpless at that time. I really want to say this, but I know you will never accept this level of apology..."

Sebastian didn't say anything, but just continued to curl up. Astelan's mouth opened and closed slightly, and finally, after a brief silence, he continued to speak.

"I... I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'm really sorry, not only to you, but also to everyone in the prison who came here because of me. I have committed unforgivable sins against you. I know this better than anyone else."

"If it is possible, I really want to atone for everyone's sins. I really want to do my best to save all of you, but I can't do it. We are all going to die because I have no way to convince the man who defeated Kazador."

"I can't imagine the possibility that he would let us go. That's too unrealistic. So maybe in the next second, all of us will explode into a pool of blood. But before I die... I want to confess to you..."

"Are you really willing to do your utmost to help these people who have fallen into such a pitiful state because of your complicity in the evil?"

"what!!!"

Asdalen jumped up instantly like a cat with its fur standing on end, and dodged far away from Noshir who had quietly run to his side from nowhere.

"You...how did you...you heard everything?"

Noshir nodded and continued.

"You haven't answered my question, Asdelan. Are you really willing to do your best, along with your other six brothers and sisters, to help them survive in this difficult world?"

Astelan's throat gurgled, and then he asked cautiously.

"If I say yes...what will happen?"

The corners of Noshir's mouth twitched, revealing a fairly friendly smile.

When he took the elevator down here, he had taken the time to use a cleaning scroll to clean the blood and flesh off his body. Now, only a faint smell of blood remained on his body.

Although he still needed to take a good shower to remove the smell, at least he felt less oppressed and more intimate, so that the communication between them was no longer impossible to carry out due to the inequality between the two sides.

"What will happen? At least it won't be like what you just said, that I can just wave my staff and make all the derivatives here explode. After all the things I have done, don't you realize how kind I am?"

Kindness... does it mean beating Kazador into a deformed state and then hanging his half-dead body on his former staff?
Astelan secretly felt angry in his heart. Although he could not deny that this guy did save them from the dire situation, the extraordinary performance that happened half an hour ago did shock his heart. Astelan really didn't know how to face this guy in front of him, who could break bones like a stick as thick as a little finger.

but……

"You... are right, you know? Even though you don't match the image of a hero that I had in mind, like the wings and horns, and the thing hanging on your hand, at least in my eyes, what you have done is indeed worthy of the title of a hero."

"You helped us get revenge, saved our lives, and revealed the darkness buried beneath the ground. I think... we can trust you. If you are really willing to let us go, then I am willing to assure you that I will definitely do my best to help my colleagues survive to the best of my ability."

Asdalen's words were very serious, and Noshir could tell that, at least at this moment, his words were absolutely serious and solemn.

"Very good, I'm very satisfied."

Noshier nodded with some relief, then continued.

"I can let you go. Yes, you heard me right. I said everyone. All of you can leave this damn, godforsaken place as long as you agree to two conditions."

"What...what conditions?"

"It's a very simple, yet also very difficult condition. I ask you to restrain the blood-sucking desire of these derivatives, but it doesn't mean you can completely restrain them. You can still suck the blood of some animals to satisfy your hunger."

"I also ask you to take these nearly 7000 spawn away from Baldur's Gate and head to the dark and deep Underdark, where you can temporarily settle down in the endless darkness."

"As long as you agree to my two requests, I will release you. At the same time, I personally promise that I will play the role of protector in this large-scale relocation and do my best to help you complete the migration as quickly as possible."

(End of this chapter)