Chapter 11: The Untouchable?
After successfully slaying the xenos lord Razal, Hades took a rare moment of respite, lying still, focusing on healing his wounds.
While some of the deeper cuts still showed signs of infection, turning greenish-yellow, most of his injuries had already scabbed over. The fractures in his arms, caused by the sheer force of blows, were also healing well.
Post-battle, Hades was practically incapacitated, incapable of even the simplest tasks. On the slopes of Mount Morava, it was Mortarion who carried him to safety.
He was then placed in a makeshift hospital within their territory. But calling it a hospital would be generous; it was more of a barn repurposed to house the injured. Villagers trained in basic medical care took shifts attending to the wounded after their daily chores.
Hades, due to his previous unpopularity, was tucked away in a corner. Even though people instinctively disliked him, the dedicated medical staff still treated him with care.
Herela, concerned that Hades might not receive proper attention, visited him several times, always bringing with her homemade "snacks".
Hades was curious. Resources on Barbarus were scarce, and the available ingredients were limited, mostly wheat and white corn. Yet, Herela managed to create diverse and exquisite dishes from such simple ingredients.
Once most of Hades' wounds had healed, Herela took him to her cottage, where she and her sister took turns caring for him.
Hades had almost fully recovered at the makeshift hospital, but the food at Herela's home was so good that he took a few more days to regain full consciousness.
Once his fractured arm and hand were nearly healed, he promptly left that place.
Before departing, Hades cooked a meal for Herela's family. Seeing Herela's sister almost moved to tears by the food, he thought, "Stop torturing your sister..."
Back at his remote cabin, Hades tidied up and sat at his desk, lost in thought.
He had speculated about his condition during his recovery, but due to his weakened state and later, food intoxication, he hadn't revisited his theories.
The battle with Lord Razal made Hades realize something.
Absentmindedly stroking his chin, Hades pondered if he had been overlooking his unique constitution, attributing his issues merely to a flawed personality.
Could it be possible that Hades was an Untouchable?
The most compelling evidence supporting this theory was the sudden weakening and backlash of psychic energy during his battle with the xenos lord Razal.
If he was an Untouchable, many things would make sense: the instinctive aversion people felt towards him, especially the evident disdain from the psyker Tifon, and his inexplicable ability to render complex machinery useless upon touch.
The answer seemed clear: he was an Untouchable.
But why hadn't this trait manifested when he was younger? Could this nature grow with him?
Hades closed his eyes, meticulously replaying the battle with Lord Razal in his mind. Every detail, every moment, every sensation.
The splattering blood, the crackling white psychic energy, the eerie glow of the stone.
Then, he "saw" it!
In his memory, the world around the strange stone began to fade, like an old photograph losing its color. Suddenly, he was back on the winding path of Mount Morava, with Lord Razal roaring at him. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, the world turning monochrome, except for the crackling psychic energy and the ominous green stone.
And beneath the stone, another flicker of flame appeared.
Eventually, all his senses vanished. Hades felt like he was floating in a void, drawn to something enticing.
He felt like a void himself, slowly and inexorably consuming all light.
He... he had disturbed ■■.
No, not when he consumed Lord Razal, but that stone! That stone was a gift from ■■ to Lord Razal!
Damn it!
Hades felt better now, wiping the sweat from his face and forcing himself to sit up.
He looked at his hand. After consuming the psychic energy from the stone, his once minuscule void had grown significantly. He could now feel it.
Before, this power was too weak for Hades to notice. But after absorbing the energy from the stone, it grew rapidly!
He could feel a part of him urging him to accept it.
He would... become whole.
But was all this a scheme of the sub-space?
Untouchables appear like black holes in sub-space.
The protagonist has traits similar to an Untouchable.
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