Chapter 3111: History

They gave Emery a quarter to rest in, but Ivaris had no intention of actually letting him use it.

The moment Emery stepped through the door, the alchemist followed him inside and immediately began talking. He spoke almost without pause, jumping from one event to another as years of memories and accumulated news came pouring out.

It was exhausting, but Emery welcomed it.

At this point, reliable and up-to-date information was far more valuable than a few hours of rest. He needed to understand what had happened in Tartarus during the twenty-five years he had been gone, and Ivaris was perhaps the most convenient source he could have hoped for.

The story began only a few weeks after Emery had left North Star Stronghold.

Another massive assault descended upon the fortress.

The Scourge had understood from the beginning just how valuable the Star Gate was, making the stronghold an obvious target. Despite reinforcements pouring in from both the Pardera Kingdom and the Fey race, the fortress eventually proved impossible to hold.

Ivaris had been among the fortunate few who managed to escape before the final collapse.

Commander Jhett had not been so lucky.

Still recovering from the mental toll of the earlier battle, Jhett had chosen to remain behind as part of the rearguard. He stayed at the fortress while the others withdrew, holding the line against the advancing Scourge until the very end.

The powerfull commander met with an honorable death.

Weeks later, after returning to the Pardera capital with the improved detection formula they had developed, Ivaris was immediately drawn into the kingdom’s primary research efforts against the Scourge. His work had proven valuable enough to attract the attention of Skyroot Palace itself, and before long, the alchemist was recruited and formally welcomed as an honorable member of their order.

"My clan was so proud of me then," Ivaris said, a faint smile appearing on his face as he recalled the moment.

The expression lasted only briefly.

"Then came the months after that..." His voice gradually became heavier. "The entire northern territory was sealed off. They declared it a restricted zone."

What followed was one of the largest coordinated extermination campaigns Tartarus had ever witnessed.

Eight races joined forces in an unprecedented effort to wipe out the Scourge completely: humans, dwarves, Fey, fairies, giants, and the three elven races, all setting aside their differences to form a massive coalition.

Armies poured into the northern territory from every direction, determined to eradicate every trace of the Scourge and reclaim the land they had lost.

The war dragged on for years, with the coalition steadily losing ground. Territory was taken back miles by miles, only to be lost again beneath the relentless advance of the Scourge. Every defeat seemed to make the situation worse, as each fallen warrior and corrupted region gave rise to even more infected creatures.

"Being part of Skyroot earned me some privileges," Ivaris said, his voice dropping lower. "My clan wasn’t so lucky."

The faint smile that had appeared earlier disappeared completely.

"Most of my people became victims of the Scourge. Only a handful managed to escape. They eventually migrated to the High Elf home world"

Emery listened quietly, absorbing each word.

It hadn’t been Pardera alone that suffered.

Of the twelve planets that had once been habitable across Tartarus, only three remained. The others had either fallen to the Scourge or become so thoroughly corrupted that no ordinary life could survive there anymore.

Most of the surviving humans, elves, and dwarves had been forced to abandon their home worlds and relocate to Sylmareth. Protected behind the immense formations of the High Elves, it had become one of the last remaining sanctuaries for the races that had lost their own worlds.

The Fairies had withdrawn to the Fey territory, relying on the natural defenses of their homeland to keep the Scourge at bay.

The giants were the only major race that had managed to hold onto their original world. Their powerful physiques and natural resistance to the Scourge had allowed them to endure where others had been overwhelmed.

"Last I heard," Ivaris continued quietly, "less than a quarter of our original population remains."

Emery let out a slow breath.

He had expected something close to this. Hearing the numbers spoken aloud was different, however.

There was something brutally final about reducing the fate of an entire civilization to a fraction of what it had once been.

Emery was silent for a moment before another thought came to him.

"What of Skyroot Palace? Grand Master Caliborne—what happened to him?"

Ivaris’s expression sank even further.

"Only about a third of our members made it out."

He paused, his gaze dropping toward the floor.

"As for the Grand Master..."

His voice became quieter as he explained what he had heard. Several years ago, a mission had been organized in connection with the search for some kind of cure, and Caliborne, along with several of the palace’s senior elders, had returned to the capital to pursue it.

None of them had ever come back.

Emery exhaled again, heavier this time. A Supreme as formidable as Caliborne had been lost, and whatever had actually happened to him, his disappearance was a devastating loss for the realm.

"A cure?" Emery asked. "What kind of cure?"

Ivaris’s composure finally cracked.

"There isn’t one. No one’s ever managed it. But... but..." His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Our king insisted. ....So many lives. So many Supreme elders, gone chasing it."

What followed was a rough outline of Tartarus’s current political situation. Ivaris admitted that his position within Skyroot Palace gave him only limited access to the deeper details, but after more than two decades of isolation, even fragments of reliable information were valuable to Emery.

King Valder Pardera had apparently spent years pushing for the recapture of the capital itself. He had even sworn that he would never leave the planet until the capital was reclaimed, which explained why he still personally commanded South Star Fortress rather than relocating with the rest of the surviving population.

The fortress itself had only managed to survive for so long mainly because of the protection of the Sea Tide Emperor, the sovereign who ruled over the countless sea creatures inhabiting the southern ocean. His domain over the waters had turned the Southern Isles into the last remaining strongholds against the Scourge.

Ivaris lowered his voice further.

"There are actually rumors that the eight races are discussing another invasion force. They want to retake the capital."

He hesitated before continuing.

"But.. I heard the king met with massive opposition this time. Some no longer believe reclaiming the capital is worth the cos"

Ivaris slowly shook his head, his expression filled with exhaustion.

"Honestly... I think our realm is finished."

He looked toward Emery, and for the first time, there was something close to desperation in his eyes.

"When you go back to your own realm..." He swallowed. "Can you take me with you?"

Emery gave him no real answer.

Later that day, Emery withdrew into the Khaos Domain and sent a message to Veyarel, intended for the Supremes commanding the armada.

He needed advice on how to proceed.