CH.6 Forbidden Malum Fruits II

The rust-red soil of Kahaar crunched beneath Rex’s boots. Its high iron content, evident in the dry taste of dust in the air.

A vast, empty landscape stretched endlessly. Barren and lifeless, save for his lone silhouette cutting through the horizon. The wind howled.

Scene of desolation.

Reaching into his cloak, Rex retrieved the Oridex.

A tool of function. It was designed to locate and unlock the castle ‘Spire of Crimson Shadows’. The hidden fortress of Lord Croxeus.

It also served as a beacon, a call for aid if needed. An oversight had left it in Ronny’s hands during his pursuit of the bandits. Later, it had passed to Malti, and now, at last, back to him.

The needle quivered as he neared.

To normal eyes, Kahaar remained unchanging. A big monotonous expanse of dust and stone.

But as Rex stepped forward, an unseen threshold gave way. The illusion broke. Towering spires visible, their detailed black architecture contrast to the wasteland.

The heavy doors were before him. He pressed the Oridex against the mechanism. A click. A slow groan. The doors swing inward.

“Welcome back, Rex.”

A voice echoed from the hallway. Ronny stepped from the shadows.

“How’s the hero? Still breathing?”

“Fully healed.” Rex said in a casual manner. “Thanks for pulling me out of that mess.”

Ronny waved a hand. “No need for thanks. Ard was the one who insisted to keep an eye on you.”

Rex smirked. “Figured as much.”

Ronny gave him a once-over. “Not bad, not bad at all. The outfit suits you. Makes you look... important.”

“Got it from the village.” Rex glanced down at his cloak. “How have things been here? I gathered some useful intel. Some items too. Thought you guys might be interested.”

Ronny replied. “Oh, we’ve been busy too. Got something to show you. Come on.”

Their steps echoed through the corridors.

In the main hall, Ard and Tiya sat at the vast table. A chaos of notes, tools, and strange devices spread before them.

Ard glanced towards them.

“Good to see you still functional.”

“You too.” Rex nodded. “I appreciate the concern.”

Ard smirked. “Concern? Don’t flatter yourself. Just don’t make a habit of getting yourself killed. I won’t always be there to drag you out.”

Rex chuckled. “Noted. Anyway, I brought a few things.”

He laid out a bundle. Local attire, maps, gold, and a letter of introduction to a noble in Dum.

Ard sifted through the items, nodding. “This will make our movements easier. Good work.”

From the pile of papers beside him, he picked up a thin file and handed it to Rex.

The cover read: Magic in the New World and Its Cause: The Mana Particles.

Rex flipped through the pages. “You compiled all this in three days?”

Ronny leaned in. “What do you expect? You’re in the presence of a legend.”

“Spare me the flattery,” Ard said. “I simply adapted what we already knew. The surprising part is how seamlessly it fit.”

“Still,” Tiya said, “it is impressive. Acknowledge it.”

“Agreed.” Rex nodded. “This is serious work.”

He settled into a seat and scanned the text with deliberate focus. He wasn’t a scientist, but he wasn’t ignorant either.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have done it without Tiya and Ronny’s help.”

Ronny replied with a grin. “A compliment from your mouth feels unnatural. When a wolf calls a lamb beautiful, it is not admiration. It is hunger.”

Ard replied, looking at him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Will we let Rex read in silence or not?” Tiya asked.

The room stilled. Rex flipped the pages slowly, absorbing every detail.

Finally, he exhaled. “If this is true, then—"

Ronny cut in. “Not if. It is true.”

Rex glanced up. “Then, have you informed Lord Croxeus?”

Ard shook his head. “He hasn’t returned. But he will.”

Rex leaned back. “So, we have no clue and no solutions huh."

Tiya studied him. “You’re the only one among us who spent prolonged time outside. You are the most exposed.”

Rex shrugged. “Not worried. I feel fine.”

Ronny scoffed. “Sure, you feel fine, you suicidal maniac.”

Before Rex could respond, the spire trembled not in mere disturbance but in acknowledgement.

No, in submission.

With a sound like the groan of a dragon, the great doors began to move.

The gates did not open for him. They surrendered. The castle itself shivered in unknown ways, even the air began to feel heavy.

Ard turned towards the sound.

“It seems Lord Croxeus has returned.”

*

The throne room.

Long sculpted pillars lined the hall, each detailed with crimson and golden linings. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, almost vanishing.

The light in the room came from the enormous stained-glass window beyond. An infinite cosmic gulf.

At the far end, just beneath the window sat the throne. The backrest stretched high, almost reaching the window above. The throne was a mix of violet, black and white with golden and crimson design patterns.

Seated upon this throne was a being beyond mortal measure.

His golden eyes, bright and all knowing, seemed to see through everything. A man could go blind staring into them for too long, as if gazing upon the sun.

Expressionless, motionless face, so stiff, so fixed as if it were a statue. His whole body was a picture of indifference.

In his hand rested a trident, a weapon so beautiful that even the deities wished their end was brought upon by it.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Presence, so suffocating like time itself had stopped to kneel. In that moment, even silence dared not speak.

Before him, four souls knelt in deference, heads bowed.

Their postures reflected not only respect but also an implicit understanding. The acceptance of an order greater than themselves. Yet, the one who sat upon the throne felt no comfort in this moment.

“Ah—Ah, I think that's enough bowing for today… You may continue now.” Croxeus stuttered slightly.

As one, the four lifted their heads.

“You are far too humble, my lord,” Ard intoned.

Croxeus hesitated before speaking. “No—No, I am sorry to have left you on your own. Did you face any trouble in my absence?”

Ard answered first. “Rex had some trouble with bandits, but the rest was fine, my lord.”

Croxeus’s golden eyes turned to Rex. “Is this true?”

“Yes, my lord.” Rex replied. “I encountered difficulties, especially due to my unfamiliarity with magic. It... complicated things.”

“Then why did you not call for me?” Croxeus’s voice, though even, carried an undertone of concern.

“I had forgotten my Oridex,” Rex admitted. “Without it, I could not call for help. But Ard and Ronny saved me.”

“Is that so?” Croxeus’s grip on the trident tightened. “I must apologize for my failure. I should have ensured you had a better means to summon aid.”

A god apologizing. A contradiction in itself.

“You need not apologize, my lord,” Rex said.

Ard added, “We know you were busy with something far more important.”

Croxeus hesitated. “Yes… that is correct.”

Tiya, silent until now, stepped forward, extending a file. “While this may not be enough, my lord, we have tried to understand this world a little better.”

Croxeus instinctively moved as if to rise, to take the file himself, but at the last moment, he stopped. Instead, he shifted slightly upon the throne, composing himself. The hesitation was minute, perhaps unnoticed. Perhaps not.

He flipped through the pages, his expression unchanged. But internally, he thought,

Footnotes? Cross-referenced citations? Who even has time for this? Are they for real? I was expecting just vague observations, but these notes are so precise and detailed.

He turned another page.

Wait—is that a diagram? No, no, I definitely don’t know what that means. Should I nod? I should nod.

He nodded slowly.

This research is so thorough I can’t even understand half of it…

After scanning through the pages, he handed the file back to Tiya. “I am impressed. Even I would not have been able to do such a thorough job. Well done, all of you.”

Ard smirked. “You are far too kind, my lord. I’m sure you must have figured all of this out the moment you stepped into this world. That’s why you set up the second barrier outside.”

Croxeus thought, What the hell is that? Oh—that barrier? The Ekta-Plutonium barrier?

Confusion.

It was no intention, no foresight, no calculation.

Not in the way these mortals understood it.

The second barrier was nothing more than an idle precaution. A whim with no thought of weight. A meaningless act.

But the barrier was so strong it even stopped radiations and harmful particles. It severed the flow of mana particles, hence saving these mortals.

But these mortals didn’t know. They saw it as mastery, genius.

Luck and foresight were indistinguishable to those who didn’t know the difference.

A hasty nod followed. Croxeus still didn’t know what that meant. “Ah—Uah, I did not know you would catch on so quickly, Ard.”

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the tools you provided,” Ard admitted. “I am fully aware that whatever I have achieved is not my own doing. It is not even one percent of what is necessary to prove my capabilities. From now on, I wish to prove my worth independently."

He added, "You possess far vision, my lord. I am certain you already know what I will do before I act. But I still wish to prove myself.."

Far vision? When did I ever claim that? … I don’t even understand half of what’s going on…

He maintained his divine facade. “I… see. Very well, Ard. Proceed.”

A brief awkward silence... the weight of something, some expectation pressed upon Croxeus.

Why are they still kneeling? Did I forget something? Wait, am I supposed to give them some order? No, no, stay calm. Just... look composed. Think!

“Do you have anything else to report?” he finally asked.

Ard inclined his head. “No, my lord. We will take our leave now. You may rest.”

Croxeus nodded. “Yes. Just be sure not to overwork yourselves. Take breaks in between.”

They bowed as one and departed, their footsteps faded slowly into the grand hall’s silence.

Croxeus exhaled slowly, his grip on the trident loosening.

How difficult it is to pretend to be a god. Am I even doing it correctly? They look up to me. Their expectations are so much. If they ever realize the truth…

He clenched his jaw.

I must get my act together. There is no room for weakness. Not when I still don’t know what the hell is going on.

Ahhhhh.....

If only they could treat me as a friend. As an equal.

Yet, such a notion was impossible. He was bound to his role, a role he created himself. His very presence ensured that he would never again be seen as ordinary. A lonely height.

But then an idea arose.

My alias, Markus. I can use it to get close to them as an adventure.

The thought barely had time to take root before reality crushed it. The problem was not his disguise, it was them.

For this to work, he needed to push them into the world, force them to blend into society, and interact with people. But how?

They were outsiders, anomalies. They lacked what the people of this world had. Magic.

Magic huh?

Even I myself noticed it, the king completely fooled and tricked me. I had no idea that the old man was a king. This would pose a great deal of problem to them in blending into society if they don’t have magic.

This world was structured around magic. If they lacked magic, they lacked identity in the eyes of this world. That was a problem.

That reminds me….

There was a time in my brother’s story when the character Croxeus gave magical powers to the hollowborns (individuals born without magical powers).

And as far as my memory goes correctly, I think I recreated those items in the simulation in my free times.

What were they called…. What were they called?

Then, it clicked.

Aha

The forbidden fruits of malum

He used the spell to summon the items. [Forbidden fruits of Malum]

From nowhere it came to be. A basket declared into form. Strands of golden filigree coiled into perfection. Spiralled, folded, bonded with precision. The basket itself looked like something out of an eternal treasure.

Inside it were five apples. All differently coloured. They shone like gems and jewels straight from heaven.

Five?

Croxeus furrowed his brow. Did I program five?

Truth be told, he had never checked their full mechanics.

That day had been exhausting, and in his fatigue, he had simply directed Sylvia, the AI, to handle the details. He remembered only snippets. Random lines of code, vague details. He had barely skimmed the compiled result.

Uhhhh… I never bothered to see those codes properly. I mean it worked fine and compiled without any bugs. I just didn’t bother to check them carefully because they just seemed such a minor detail at the time.

But now? Now he held them in his hands, utterly uncertain of their effects. He recalled something about them generating a new field

I think eating the apple enabled the user to interact with some sort of field. Sylvia designed that field…

That field was supposed to interact with other fields giving birth to magic-like phenomena.

With the apples in his hands, he looked at them carefully.

Different colours... Do they give different powers?

He had no answer.

His grip on the basket tightened. He had to make a decision.

No need to overthink it. I will just give them to Ard.

Ard was sharp, smart. If anyone could analyse them properly, it was him.

Croxeus exhaled, reinforcing his mental façade. The uncertainty, the hesitations, he buried them.

A god did not doubt. A god commanded, bestowed, and remained absolute.

With that, he rose from his throne, his golden eyes cold, unreadable. The performance continued.

*

The hallway stretched endlessly. Each pillar bore engravings of warriors in triumph. Scholars in meditation. Kings in despair.

Light blue flames lit from the torches along the walls.

Their footsteps echoed against the cold marble.

Ard walked slightly ahead of them, without looking around. His mind elsewhere. Rex moved like a soldier, upright. Tiya’s gait was effortless. Softly, smoothly. Ronny lagged slightly behind, hands tucked in his pockets, humming some odd tune.

Breaking the silence, Rex spoke.

“You should have told Lord Croxeus about the radiation.”

Ard's eyes remained forward. He responded without hesitation. “Why didn’t you tell him yourself?”

Rex replied hesitantly. “I’m just not used to speaking in front of him. I mean… he is a God. How do you even talk to him like that?”

Ard exhaled through his nose. “You’ll get used to it once you understand how humble, polite, and calm he is.”

Ronny let out a low whistle. “That’s one way to put it. But still, shouldn’t you have at least mentioned the mana field to him?”

Ard’s lens gleamed under the dim light. “I think we’ve already concluded that he knows. Did you not notice how quickly he acknowledged the talk of the barrier? That wasn’t just a simple reaction. It means he’s aware. There must be a reason why he chose not to mention it. Perhaps there is something we have yet to realize, and he’s waiting for us to reach the answer on our own.”

Ronny scratched his head. “So, what? He’s giving us a test. Alright, but whatever it is, we need to work fast. We’ve all been directly or indirectly exposed to the mana field.”

“Agreed,” Rex said.

But as they moved, a faint noise came from their ORIDEX devices in unison.

Then came Croxeus' voice. Calm, commanding, soothing.

“Gather in the throne room in fifteen minutes.”

Silence fell upon them once more. Their Lord has called them.