Chapter 575
Ajax can now feel the Ascended race, he has no idea how it has gotten so close to him without him being able to feel its presence but he now knows that as he turns this next corner he will be face to face with a hydra.
“I’m not here to hurt you!” Ajax called back while also pulling his Aura in as much as he could, now that the hydra was aware of him he didn’t want to seem arrogant by puffing out his Aura in their home.
“You hurt me?!” Ajax couldn’t help but wince as he heard the outrage in the words as a large serpentine head came from around the corner to look at him. “You think a mere whelp of a human like yourself could hurt me?”
Looking at the head and neck Ajax could compare the creature to a massive snake, he had no idea where the head connected to the body or how large that body would be, since he wasn’t using [Mana Syphon] his [Sense Mana] wasn’t strong enough to break through whatever passive obscuring Skills the hydra had.
“I was just making sure you knew I hadn’t come here with intentions to hurt you, you did call me invader.” Ajax tried to calm the situation down, if there was one one upside to all this it was that from the Aura he felt from the hydra he was pretty sure he might be able to get away if it decided to kill him.
“You’re right, invader is giving you too much credit.” The hydra hissed at him as Ajax backed away slowly looking to keep the distance the same as another head came around the corner and spoke. “Thief would be more accurate, my parents said humanoids are just endangered insects always grabbing whatever they can before scurrying back to their nest.”
The second head looked very similar to the first. Both were about the size of a rhino with fangs the size of long swords and scales like a snake. There were however a few differences between the two, while the necks were exactly the scales on the two heads were each a slightly different tone of green that was also distinct from the green of the scales on the neck.
“I’m…” Ajax stopped himself before he denied being here to steal. That wasn’t true, this was a ruin and he very much had come with the intention of getting something out of the ruin, claiming that he wasn’t here to steal now that he knew the hydra considered the area its home would be a lie.
“Odd little human aren’t you.” The third and final head of the hydra rounded the corner followed by a large body the size of a private boat. “Seems you came here all by yourself. More than that I sense no despair coming from you despite being so close to me without help. A healthy dose of fear but no despair at all.”
“Brave little bug, thinks itself above…” The first head cut off, its eyes narrowing and focusing on Ajax much closer than before. “You evolved, you are an Ascended human.”
The whole mood shifted, no longer was the hydra the cat playing with the mouse it caught, it was now looking at Ajax with curiosity, almost like it didn’t know what to make of him. Ajax felt [Enigma] blocked four different identification attempts from the hydra, he focused the skill on his privacy while also ensuring it didn’t cause any backlash for the hydra as he didn’t want to piss it off. He did feel the fifth attempt got a clear read on his level and name but even that was because Ajax deliberately let it, he was sure the hydra didn’t have a too powerful inspection Skill.
“So then why are you here, human?” Ajax could feel the change in its view of him as it no longer addressed him as little human or bug, it still saw itself as superior and Ajax couldn’t really fault it for that since it was stronger than him, but at least now they were at least on the same mountain if not on the same level.
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“Knowledge.” Ajax answered, taking a moment to think about how much he wanted to share. “It wasn’t long ago that I evolved, as far as I know I am the only Ascended humanoid alive. There is so much I do not know and that I can not learn in humanoid lands.”
Ajax was surprised to see the first and third heads turn towards the second, seemingly waiting for a verdict that it wasted no time delivering. “True, if incomplete.” The third head spoke. “Knowledge is not all that you seek, perhaps you are a thief yet.”
Ajax felt his legs tense, unsure of what his next move should be. He had to be careful, the hydra clearly had a strong enough social Skill to know when he was lying even if he did it in a clever way. There was a clear way for him to paint himself as something other than a thief yet he didn’t know if that path would piss off the hydra even worse.
After taking a moment and seeing that the hydra was waiting for an explanation Ajax decided to risk it. “I am also searching for a Bond.” Ajax could see all three pairs of eyes widen so large they were the size of his head. He decided to push forward with his explanation to add some context. “The System said that with my evolution I am now able to form an equal bond with other Ascended races, I’ve always wanted a Bond but I am now too strong for any of the creatures that live in human lands to bond with or they would be too young and never come even close to me in strength.”
“It’s the truth.” The second head said.
“I suppose I can see the logic.” The first head said. “To make it all the way here by yourself at your level, I suppose that is adequate for an Ascended race.”
Ajax’s pulse spike as [Basic Truth Detection] marked that last part as a lie. He couldn’t suppress the smirk that flashed on his face. Even with as strong as Ascended races were he knew that his power couldn’t be considered bad for his level even in comparison to them, since he wasn’t adequate that means he should be above that, he was strong.
“Why am I always running my mouth?” The third head said as it headbutted the first head. “Not surprising that a human would have a true Skill, my parents did say you love your social stratification, almost as much as the damn fey.”
Ajax was both incredibly interested in any information the hydra might be willing to share about another of the Ascended races while at the same time slightly revolted that it even insinuated that Ajax might like the politics he had been forced through.
“The question remains, what to do with you.” the second head stretched to close the distance to Ajax. “Even without invading you are still without your protections from the Agreement.”
“I say we let him leave, he doesn’t seem like a thief, even my parents said they felt sorry for some of the humanoids they killed when they chased after the thieves.” the first head said.
“We could always sell him to the fey, he would make for an exquisite showpiece in their courts, they would pay a lot.” Ajax could feel himself start to sweat and his legs tense a bit harder as the second head spoke. “The phoenixes would most certainly give something valuable to kill an Ascended human.”
“No.” The third head denied it. “We’ll be dead before we get to eat whatever they give us for the human.”
Ajax was surprised to see even the small hint of fear pass through the second head as it considered what the third head said.
“You’re right, this is the first Ascended human I have heard of in millenia. Best not get too involved with it.” the second head agreed.
“How does this work?” Ajax could help his curiosity any more, on top of the casual conversation that could decide his fate. “You’re all one but at the same time three distinctive minds.
“To think you know so little.” The second head focused on Ajax once more. “I can see why you ventured out for knowledge.
“Hydras like myself have the inborn ability to split our minds between our heads.” The first head said. “We all have access to the same memories but we form distinctive personalities.”
“You must have something like [Empowering Restriction]. A way to empower your Skills by limiting them to only one head. I’m guessing that however that works don’t limit the leveling of the Skill at all since it limits the Skill to a single mind and head.” Ajax was quick to theorise. “Is that unique to you or do all hydras have that?”
“You are clever, human.” The second head said. “Not all hydras have such an ability but many do as it is widely known among my race the benefits of getting something similar to what I have.
“Ajax.” Seeing that the hydra was no longer thinking about ending his and was willing to discuss things with him Ajax wanted to make the discussion more personal, to form a connection with the Ascended being even if he knew there was no chance the hydra would form a Bond with him. “My name is Ajax.”
“Ajax.” The third head hissed. “I shall remember that name. I am Hel”
“Sot” the second head continued where the third left off.
“Hein” the first head finished.