Chapter 1277  Like Father Like Son

Rain saw the black sword descend to strike her down, stealing light and sealing her fate. The humanoid creature that roamed the mountain was not something they could reason with, and might not be something they could handle.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the silver cloak appeared before Rain. She staggered backward, allowing her to see the man who protected her. Benjamin Silvera was steady like a mountain, holding the giant sword with one hand.

"Tell your masters that the hound wants an audience," said Benjamin Silvera with a grin as he pushed the black warrior back and sent a horizontal slash toward him.

s.p.a.ce split apart in a giant arc that severed the enemy in two. Benjamin sheathed his sword as the last of the metallic warriors fell to its demise.

"That should be the last of them for now," said Benjamin as his giant sword rested on his back. "Are you alright, little kiddo?"

"I"m probably older than you are," replied Rain as she stood with crossed arms. "How old are you, Ben?"

"Seventy-six, and I doubt you are older than that," replied Benjamin with a grin as he looked down on her. "If you are, you are not human."

"I am human, just one that doesn"t age," replied Rain with a smirk. "You should know that already, right? You looked into my mind and saw a lot."

Raheem and Sapphire were not with them. Against their wishes, the warriors seemed intelligent enough to separate the four into two groups. Once that was achieved, the mountain seemed to swallow Raheem and Sapphire.

"I saw just enough to trust you as one of our own," said Benjamin while staring at the path up the mountain. "You have the golden mana."

"Golden mana?" muttered Rain in confusion.

"If you spend a lot of time in the presence of golden mana, it resides in your body and helps you when needed," explained Benjamin as he began climbing again. Rain followed after him. "And judging by how pure your golden mana is, my grandson must be a monster."

"More than you think," replied Rain as she climbed the mountain with Arthur"s grandfather. "He is a wondrous human."

"If he can truly wield wrath as well, then I demand that the Netherborne clan give what is rightfully his," muttered Benjamin as he pulled the cloak to protect himself against the cold. "I never thought that my descendants would wield wrath."

"But you control runes too," noted Rain with a frown. "How could you have that as well?"

Benjamin did not answer her, and Rain was upset but could not force him. She saw with her own eyes that he used a rune to look into her mind and realize that she was telling the truth.

But if Rain had to guess, it would be that the Silvera Family had some affinity for runes, unlike the Netherborne Family and their affinity for wrath. What she couldn"t understand was how these two families were connected.

After a few minutes of walking, Benjamin was the one to ask questions again. Although Rain wanted to ignore him as he did, she knew that he was necessary to get her up the mountain and find Valeria Storm.

"How is my grandson"s relationship with his father?"

"Estranged, as far as I could tell," replied Rain, trying to recall if Arthur ever spoke about his father fondly. "I"ve known Arthur for a year now, and I don"t think he ever met his father during that year."

"A Silvera to the bone, I guess." Benjamin"s laugh boomed through the mountain, seemingly attracting more metallic creatures that patrolled Mount Ehler. "I would have suspected he wasn"t my blood if that wasn"t the case."

After he took care of them and destroyed them, Benjamin sat down to rest. Rain approached him, still intrigued by his earlier words.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Men in my family have always had opposing views on different matters, almost like they were each raised by themselves. Seref refused what I believed in, and he left to achieve his own thing. I guess his son is not that much different."

"Is that a unique trait in your family?" asked Rain with amus.e.m.e.nt. Although she never met Seref, she could tell that he was also an unorthodox character.

"Definitely," said Benjamin.

"Arthur has a brother too, and he is in Sourna looking for his origins," remembered Rain, prompting Benjamin to turn toward her. His eyes were wide, as if he couldn"t believe such a thing. "What?"

"Seref has two sons?" asked Benjamin with a frown, as if he couldn"t believe it. "Are you sure that they are both his?"

"I have no idea, but Arthur has a brother and we talked about him just a few days ago," explained Rain with an uneasy feeling in her heart. "What makes you doubt that?"

"No, nothing," Benjamin suddenly turned around and changed the subject. "We will be reaching the top of the mountain soon."

Rain turned to look at the path and found a white wall blocking their way. As she was considering how they would go beyond it, the wall suddenly began to shift, shaking the entire mountain.

"What is that?"

"That is Rageclaw, the dragon that destroyed your flying ship," explained Benjamin as he took out some food from his ring and offered some to Rain. "We reached the Netherborne territory."

"And how are we going to get past that dragon? What about Sapphire and Raheem?" asked Rain as she looked at the shifting bones with fear. She thought it was a wall but it turned out to be bone.

"We will wait for them here," said Benjamin as he scooted away to make some room for Rain. "Sit down and eat as well."

Rain and Benjamin sat in silence for a while, the cold wind of the mountain whipping around them. Benjamin gnawed on a piece of dried meat, lost in thought. Rain, still curious, broke the silence.

"Do you think Arthur"s relationship with his father will ever mend?"

Benjamin chewed thoughtfully before replying, "It"s hard to say. Seref has always been... difficult. He walked his own path, much like Arthur does now. But blood is blood. There"s always a chance."

"From what Arthur told me, his father was never there," Rain said quietly, her eyes scanning the horizon. "It"s like he"s a ghost in his own son"s life."

Benjamin nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Seref"s choices led him away from family. Maybe one day, Arthur will understand why."

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of stumbling footsteps. Rain and Benjamin turned to see Raheem and Sapphire emerging from the path, their clothes torn and faces streaked with dirt and exhaustion.

"Finally!" Raheem panted, glaring at Rain and Benjamin. "You left us on the mountain! We almost got killed!"

Sapphire nodded, too tired to speak. Her usually sharp eyes were dull with fatigue.

Benjamin laughed heartily, the sound echoing off the mountainside. "The mountain tests those who wish to ascend. Consider yourselves stronger for it."

Raheem scowled but said nothing, knowing that arguing with Benjamin was pointless.

As the group gathered their strength, Benjamin rose, his face set with determination. "It"s time," he said, striding toward Rageclaw. The dragon, sensing his approach, let out a low growl.

With a mighty roar, Benjamin swung his sword at Rageclaw, the blade glinting in the dim light. The dragon screamed, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the mountain. With another powerful strike, Benjamin forced Rageclaw to shift and move aside, clearing the path.

"Quickly!" he shouted, and the four of them rushed past the dragon, hearts pounding in their chests.

On the other side, a black fortress loomed atop the mountain. Its walls were made of a dark ore that seemed to absorb all light, giving it an eerie, otherworldly appearance.

As they approached the gate, they were confronted by guards with black hair and cracked skin, resembling lifelike dolls. The guards" eyes glinted with suspicion.

"What business do you have with the Netherborne?" one of them demanded, his voice as cold as the wind around them.

"I am Benjamin Silvera, protector of this mountain," he declared. "I seek an audience with your clan leader regarding a matter of great importance."

The guards exchanged glances, their hostility wavering. After a moment, they stepped aside, allowing the group to pa.s.s.

The group was escorted inside by the guards, their footsteps echoing on the cold, stone floor. Rain couldn"t help but gaze around in awe at the fortress"s imposing architecture. The walls were lined with torches that flickered with an eerie, dark flame, casting long shadows that danced across the room. The air was thick with the scent of metal and ozone.

Hundreds of men and women, all clad in black robes, moved about with purpose. Some were engaged in intense training sessions, their hands crackling with black lightning. Others were sparring, their movements swift and precise, each strike accompanied by a flash of dark energy. Rain"s eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of what she was witnessing.

"This is the fortress of wrath," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. "The Netherborne clan"s training ground."