Chapter 297
I searched every likely hiding spot I passed, finding that almost all of them were occupied by one or more former slaves. At this rate, we’ll have to go door to door for weeks to find everyone. Most of the residents, both Titan and otherwise are terrified after the destruction. The only saving grace is that the undead died peacefully after the initial effects of the energy surge though the collars wore off, I could feel them passing through the Soul Shrine.
There’s something odd about that underworld realm though. I look in from time to time during cultivation to better understand death and how the souls adapt to it, but lately the plain gray purgatory has been changing, gaining details. It’s still a bleak and colorless place, but instead of a foggy void, it now has some trees and a bench. Not much, but not something I expected.
I think about it all through that day and the following night as I hunt for more survivors to send to the staging areas. When the entrance through the shrine first opened, it was an empty limitless space. Now there are souls there to observe, though the space is so vast it still feels sparse. The possibility that the afterlife is a very different experience depending who you’re collected by occurs to me, but exploring that will have to wait until I can properly cultivate.
By morning search parties with bullhorns are going around calling everyone out into the open and most of the Titans have been evacuated. As the former rulers of this place, they felt much less need to hide than most.
As for my bet with the Lycans, we realized almost immediately after starting that we had no way to communicate. Without a way to communicate, there was no way to determine who won. But the game was far too fun to end, and I can say for certain that if any Bunnies remain in this city they are very, very good at hiding.
The armies cleared out the training centres in the surrounding wilderness late last night, finding even more damning evidence in the form of Nephilim slaves still unaware of the events in the city. It’s a good thing for the Titans that they struck the deal, because many of the Nephilim that were recovered were travelers that were kidnapped in the Immortal Planes, and the Nephilim Councils of their home Planes are feeling particularly murderous.
The councils present on this planet intend to keep the gateways open for another month, in case some were still hiding throughout the city, but by the end of today we should be almost done. Once the evacuation is done, the planet will be mostly empty, as there are no other major cities here, only a few cultivation sects full of Titans, which have been thoroughly searched and do not keep any slaves.
That brings me to the next problem. Where is Karl? He’s not here, that’s for certain. Wherever he is feels like it has people and he’s not feeling threatened, but I don’t even know how to start looking for him. I’ve contacted Elder Song and Lelou, who are going to go together to look for him, but they haven’t located him yet either.
"Would you like to accompany us to the wedding while your friends search for your mate? It’s still a few weeks away, but you can come back and visit the Divine Planes for a while first." Beta John suggests at the end of the second day.
"You know what? Sure. I’ll let my Companions know where to find me and I’ll head back with you. I could use some time to relax and work on my Alchemy anyhow, and the distraction might help. I know a really great pill that I’d love to give to the Titan Royals as a wedding gift."