[Salvos] 778. Where Is Salvos? (Patreon)

778. Where Is Salvos?

***

There was a question that was lingering on everyone’s mind.

The entirety of the rebellion was worried about it. Haec the former Heir of the Netherworld was cursing himself out about it. Manos the Executioner had set off because of it. Even Taburas was concerned because of this.

It was an army of Demons— an army that numbered over a million. And yet, there was dissent sowing all because of this. The rebellion was in jeopardy. What seemed like a force that could’ve brought an end to the Demon King’s long reign over the Netherworld had been thrown into disarray.

Why?

Because a single Demon had gone missing.

Salvos was missing.

Nobody knew where she went. She had gone off somewhere on her own, and nobody knew when she was going to return.

Or if Salvos was ever going to return.

Aemula couldn’t lie and say that she wasn’t worried either. Honestly, she was not even sure why she was still here. She was a free Demon now— she had been for a while.

But unlike Haec who had wanted to free the rest of Demonkind and overthrow Regnorex, or Taburas who was definitely in love with Haec, Aemula had no investment in this rebellion. Plus, she was weak. She was barely an Archdemon. She could not contribute to any battle in any significant way.

And yet, she had been here since the very beginning.

“Perhaps we should leave.”

Aemula glanced to the side, eyeing a Demon standing to the side. She vaguely knew his name— since she had mostly been going around and socializing with the rebellion. After all, she had nothing else better to do.

Especially during the last few battles.

Anyway, the point was that the Demon’s name was Temin, and he was talking to two other Demons who were with him— Ponti and Servi.

“Without Salvos here, this rebellion is truly over. It was fun while we lasted— honestly I almost even believed in it too. But it was all hopeless in the end.”

Temin continued. Ponti and Servi both exchanged a glance. The latter just bit his lips, not speaking. Meanwhile, the former hesitated, before speaking up.

“It’s not hopeless. Salvos… Salvos can still return.”

She said, but it was clear her resolve wasn’t exactly iron-clad. Temin noticed this too and scoffed.

“No, Salvos will not return. She left for a reason. Because she realized that this rebellion is hopeless. That we will all die.”

“I—”

Ponti started, but Temin spoke over her and pointed a glowing pillar in the distance.

“Look at that— the ritual has already begun. The Demon King has won. He’s going to take over the Mortal Realm and create his ‘paradise’ on the other side.”

Blinking, Ponti looked in the direction of the ritual. A scarlet fang pierced the lifeless sky like a [Hellhound] biting into the corpse of an Infant Demon. Eddying black clouds gathered around the indent in space above the ritual like pooling blood.

Ponti’s resolve waned as she saw that scene. But it wasn’t just her. 

Aemula caught herself staring too. And perhaps a few other nearby Demons who had been eavesdropping on the conversation looked on in both awe and trepidation as well.

“I…”

Ponti trailed off. 

Temin just crossed his arms as he spoke louder, clearly addressing all the staring Demons.

“Let’s just accept the facts: Salvos is not returning. And honestly? I think that’s quite smart of her. Because right now, we are all just heading to our deaths. So why don’t we accept this freedom that was given to us and just fuck off and survive?”

He paused as he looked down at himself. A wry smile crossed his face as he shook his head.

“I mean, we are Demons, are we not? That’s what we do— survive.”

And there was nothing Ponti could say in response to that. Even she seemed to accept this reality. As did the other listening Demons in the area. Everyone believed that it was over.

Except for Aemula.

She gritted her teeth as she lowered her head. A part of her wanted to agree with Temin. A voice in her head screamed at her to not be an idiot— to run and escape with her life instead of charging to her demise.

But something stopped her from agreeing with Temin.

There was something within her that made her stay.

It was why she had stayed since the very beginning, despite having no reason to be there.

And the reason was simple.

It was because Salvos was always there.

Whether it was against Jofis, the Great Agarus, or even the Beast. Salvos never ran away. She always smiled, like she believed that victory was certain.

And this belief spread into Aemula like fire, igniting the same belief in her heart.

So that was why Aemula truly believed in her heart of hearts that Salvos was going to return.

So that was why Aemula’s faith didn’t falter. 

That was why she knew Salvos hadn’t abandoned them.

…although she did still ask herself the same question everyone else was asking.

And that was—

Where is Salvos?

***

I continued forward.

My mind was in a daze.

My head spun. The world around me blurred. The ritual had begun in the distance. Regnorex was going to bring about the end of Genesis.

At least, for a while.

All of Demonkind was going to suffer. 

And that was not to mention the destruction that was going to be wrecked across the Mortal Realm.

But for some reason, at this moment, I didn’t care about any of that.

Or maybe, I didn’t care about it at all in the first place…

I closed my eyes as I shut out the world around me. The distant chittering that was the world tearing apart from the ritual. The shrieks of wild Demons in the distance. I shut it all off from my mind.

Every single stimulus that bothered me— I ignored it all. Whether it was the dried mixture of ash and blood staining parts of my skin, or the hot wind that was brushing past my body. I just flew on, trying to silence every single distraction until I could get my thoughts in order.

Even the voices in my head… the voices that came from my clones, telling me that they found what I was looking for. That they had finally found the Beast.

I ignored them.

Why?

I asked myself this simple question.

Why am I doing this?

Why am I running?

Why… do I feel so lost?

I opened my eyes as I posed the question to myself.

I came to a halt, no longer flying forwards in a trance. Behind me, the ritual continued to unfurl. And from the front, a shadow coated my body, revealing only my silhouette and nothing more.

For a moment, the world remained still, almost unchanging.

Manos had told me that I had forgotten what it meant to be a Demon. That after spending so much time in the Mortal Realm, I had become I wanted to dismiss his words— scoff at his remarks. These were questions that I had to ask myself— that I had to find the answers to, before I could return. I was aware of the consequences of my actions right now, but it didn’t matter.

Because I had to figure it out.

What did it mean to be a Demon?

And as the thought crossed my mind, all around me, rifts began to open up in the blood-stained sky of the Netherworld.

They weren’t portals that led to the Mortal Realm. No— they were like the rifts that littered the crimson dome overhead during the start of Revelation. But they weren’t just simple cracks in space that opened to the void.

Their edges were wisping with sparks of iridescent light.

They were pouring with corruption.

I stared at this scene as flakes of corruption slowly began to fill the Netherworld. The ritual must’ve violently reopened the rifts of Revelation, but this time, since it was not a natural phenomenon, the fabric of reality itself was now decaying.

And that was what was causing the corruption to form all around the Netherworld.

I ignored this scene as I continued to fly forward, trying my best to shrug off any and all responsibility I had for the moment. As I got my thoughts in order.

What does it mean to be a Demon?

I mean— I was just Salvos. That was my response to everything, usually. And that was because it was true.

I am Salvos.

But I was also a Demon. A Demon who had been born alone during the very end of Genesis. 

I had wandered for days… maybe months alone, before I met my first companion. Unfortunately, our time together had been cut short after our encounter with Lucerna, a devout follower of the Demon King, ended up with my accidentally finding myself in the Mortal Realm.

A lone Demon in a world that hated me. Where all that mattered to me was my survival.

And yet, I didn’t just go around killing anything and everyone I saw like some kind of a wild Demon.

I made new companions. Daniel, Edithe, Rachel, Saffron. And there were others I called friends, or maybe even just acquaintances like Orgaf or Clayton Skyshredder. 

In a world where survival was all that mattered, I didn’t just fight to get by. I made that world mine. 

I became an adventurer. I went to school. I fought in a war. I adopted monsters. I slew Demons. I was even adopted by the Devil himself!

And after everything I went through there, I became a hero by revealing myself to the world just to save it all. 

But why did I do that? Even though I was a Demon?

There was only one thing that was ingrained into my very being from the very moment I came into existence. 

And that was the necessity for survival.

To do everything I could possibly do to live.

But here I was, going headfirst to a battle that almost seemed unwinnable. 

I had… plans. Or a plan— one that I hoped would help us obtain victory.

To find the Beast and lead him to the battlefield.

But that was just it.

It was barely a plan.

And the chances of failure despite it all was quite high.

So why was I even doing this?

Just to help Haec? 

To follow along with his rebellion like I actually cared about any of this?

I…

I did care about it to some extent. To the extent that the success of this ritual would impact my companions and my friends. But beyond that…

I really don’t care about it, do I?

I swept my gaze across the changing landscape all around me. The ground was beginning to crack open again, just like at the start of Revelation. But instead of the earth pouring with lava as it did before, these crevices bled with the black pools of Advent.

Their dark surfaces swirled and rippled with the rumbling of the earth. But the shaking of the Netherworld wasn’t the only reason for the movement within these black pools. Bubbles slowly formed as steam began breathing off the crevices.

They were… evaporating?

That was right. These black pools were slowly evaporating as their essence rose back up where they formed a dark aura that blanketed the sky.

This was a part of the ritual. This dark mist would soon be drawn towards the ritual and be used to power the permanent hole that would be torn between the planes of the Nexeus. And I was turning back away from it.

I closed my eyes as I thought about all the suffering that would be inflicted upon the world. I thought about the millions of lives that would be lost. 

I mean, it was going to suck. But if I had to choose between all these random people dying, or me dying… well, the answer was obvious.

I thought about the rebellion. I thought about Haec— my first companion. Taburas, his closest ally. Aemula, one of the few friends I had made here in the Netherworld. Bertrugil. Hartia. Manos. 

All the Demons that had been rallied under Haec’s command too. 

If they lost the battle, they would probably all die.

I didn’t want Haec or Aemula to die. In fact, I even would be quite upset if Taburas or Hartia died now too.

But that was the thing— I couldn’t control them. I didn’t make their decisions for them. If they wanted to keep up with this rebellion, then they could do it. However, I highly doubted that without me there, they would have the will to continue.

And without his army, Haec would know better than to challenge Regnorex. So he would be fine.

I could also  always just return to the Mortal Realm with him amidst the chaos and find my other companions. So everything was going to be fine, right?

Again, many people were still going to die, probably. But as long as my companions survived… as long as I survived… there was no problem, right?

I slowly opened my eyes as I came to my conclusion. I was still flying. Slower now, but I was heading away from the ritual. I stared down at my clawed hand.

This… is this what it means to be a Demon?

I wondered as I stared at myself in a daze. I lowered my clawed hand, about to close my eyes once again. But then I caught a glimpse of something down beneath me. Amidst the evaporating sea of black. There was something squirming even amongst the bubbles and whirlpools.

I blinked, recognizing the form immediately.

It was an Infant Demon. 

It had white skin which helped it stand out amidst the black blood of the evaporating birthpool, and its slug-like form was writhing like it was in pain. Its eyes were tightly shut, and its little nub-like limbs were flailing in the air as it faced the sky.

But most of all… it was not alone.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that the black sea had shallowed out, there were dozens… no— hundreds of Infant Demons that had been hidden within the opaque surface of the black waters. 

They weren’t Infant Demons from a past cycle. These were newborns that had been born from this cycle before it was interrupted by the ritual. And I could tell because… because…

I bit my lower lip as the realization dawned on me.

Because these Infant Demons are half-born.

I stared at their malformed figures. Some of them were missing their nub-like limbs, while others were missing entire chunks of their bodies. A few of them didn’t even have a face.

They were not meant to be exposed to the outside world yet, and it was clear they were in pain. A few of them began to violently shake once the pool of black blood coating them had shrunk to less than half the height of their bodies.

They flopped on the ground like they were crying out for help for a moment. And then they suddenly stopped moving.

Dead.

Staring at this scene, I couldn’t help but feel bad for them. I saw a bit of myself in them. Back when I had first been born. They looked so helpless. But they were dying, and there was nothing I could do to help them.

It was almost like their very existence was to suffer and die. I slowly came to a halt as I lowered my head. This was all I could do. Give them my respects as they passed on one after another, turning into fuel for Regnorex’s ritual.

I closed my eyes for a moment, giving them a moment of silence.

And then I heard an explosion erupt behind me.

Spinning around, I watched as tendrils of iridescent light fall from the sky above, crashing into the dying Infant Demons below. I blinked, seeing… a smudge descending from the edges of the rifts. 

I rubbed my eyes, thinking it was dust or something impeding my vision. But no— it wasn’t that. It was… a piece of the sky that seemed to have peeled off the crimson dome overhead. However, its figure was warped and twisted.

It was wrong. Like someone kept redrawing it from memory and getting it a little more wrong each time. It had edges that didn't agree with each other, and colors flaking off it that I couldn’t name. Close to the iridescence of my divinity. Close, but wrong. Like a song sung half a note flat.

It was a—

[-̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ Nethersky - Lvl. -̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ ]

I stared at the Corrupted Nethersky as it descended upon the dying Infant Demons. It must have been born from the corruption that was filling the Netherworld. And it wasn’t alone.

[-̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ Nethersky - Lvl. -̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ ]

[-̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ Nethersky - Lvl. -̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ ]

[-̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ Nethersky - Lvl. -̸͙̍̀͠-̴̛̠͊̀͝-̵̪̱̼͑-̶̰͎͙̉̆͝ ]

…

Corrupted Netherskies came down one after another, unleashing their tendrils of corruption down onto the dying Infant Demons, sending pools of black blood erupting into the sky. They slaughtered the little malformed creatures like they were sent there to put them out of their misery.

I gritted my teeth as I watched what was unfolding before my eyes. I wanted to stop the Corrupted Netherskies. I wanted to attack them, even as they ignored me and targeted the dying Infant Demons.

But what would even be the point in that? These Infant Demons didn’t have long to live in this world. So intervening would’ve changed nothing.

Besides, I continued the thought, why does this matter? I’m a Demon, after all—

However, before I could even finish the thought, I heard a howl coming from the distance. I looked to the side, and so did the Corrupted Netherskies. I narrowed my eyes as I saw a figure standing atop one of the crevices.

Its figure was burning, but it stood there, unimpeded by the undying flames.

[Cerberus Of Hell - Lvl. 195]

I stared at the wild Primeval Demon that I had encountered way back in the battle to stop the ritual from happening back in the Mortal Realm. I recognized it because it was still burning from the [Sacred Hellfire] I had cast on it back then, when I was much weaker than right now.

It was as massive as ever, and its three heads were furiously eyeing the Corrupted Netherskies. One of the Corrupted Netherskies ignored it and chose to focus attacking the easier targets that were the dying Infant Demons, but it let out another howl, before leaping into the sky.

The [Cerberus Of Hell] intercepted the Corrupted Nethersky, the two of them tumbling through the air and crashing into the ground. I watched as the [Cerberus Of Hell] ripped apart the Corrupted Nethersky that was desperately trying to fight back. But it was no use. It was clear that the [Cerberus Of Hell] was much stronger than the Corrupted Nethersky.

The other Corrupted Netherskies turned their attention towards the [Cerberus Of Hell], but then I heard a cacophony of loud shrieks coming from the distance. Turning around, I watched as a swarm of winged Demons flocked towards the Corrupted Netherskies, attacking them en masse.

[Vampyr Bat - Lvl. 23]

[Vampyr Bat - Lvl. 20]

[Vampyr Bat - Lvl. 23]

[Vampyr Chiroptera - Lvl. 110]

…

They weren’t as powerful as the [Cerberus Of Hell], but they weren’t the only ones joining the battle either. The crevices ripped open as dozens of [Ouroboros] shot out, their serpentine figures swarming another Corrupted Nethersky.

[Hellhounds], [Hellbeasts], [Hellhorrors], and even a [Hellabomination] joined the fray. At some point, [Savage Agarats] by the dozens descended from far above, and a [Archarachne] appeared in the distance like a looming mountain, sending a swarm of thousands of tiny [Aranea] into the battlefield.

It was total and utter chaos. And yet, as I stared at this massive battle unfolding between wild Demons and the corruption from far above, I couldn’t help but wonder… why?

Why were the wild Demons doing this?

There were all kinds of wild Demons here— some I didn’t even recognize— fighting off the Corrupted Netherskies. Almost like they were banding together to protect the Infant Demons.

Is this really what it means to be a Demon? I wondered as I watched the [Hellabomination] crash into one of the Corrupted Netherskies, stopping it from slaughtering more of the dying Infant Demons. That even wild Demons would work together to ensure the survival of the next generation?

Was this why Regnorex was doing what he was doing? Because it was an imperative that was ingrained in his essence to ensure that Demonkind’s existence continued to sustain itself?

Am I really worse than a wild Demon? I began to wonder as I watched as the [Cerberus Of Hell] turned away from the remains of one of the Corrupted Netherskies it had taken down. It opened all three of its mouths, aiming at both the ground and the sky.

And then it unleashed a cone of black flames that engulfed everything it could see. I watched as the fire burned not just the Corrupted Netherskies away, but also the [Vampyr Bats], the [Hellhounds], and even the… Infant Demons.

Huh.

I stared as the Infant Demons that were lying in the now-nearly evaporated pools of black blood were instantly incinerated. The wild Demons and the Corrupted Netherskies that were fast enough managed to move out of the way. And then they continued fighting amongst each other.

But it wasn’t just wild Demon versus Corrupted Nethersky. The wild Demons were fighting amongst each other. The [Hellabomination] came crashing down at the [Archachne], massacring the [Aranea] protecting it. The [Savage Agarats] ripped apart the [Vampyr Bats] that were swarming the skies.

The [Ouroboros] were burrowing back into the ground, uncaring of the Infant Demons that were in their way. Meanwhile, the [Cerberus Of Hell] just trudged through the crevice painted in black blood, knocking aside an [Ouroboros] while stepping over the dying Infant Demons.

This was what it meant to be a Demon.

To be truly selfish. 

And it was not just because they were wild Demons either.

Regnorex’s plan… his quest for salvation— it didn’t do anything to help the future generations of the Netherworld. No, he was sacrificing the future generations of Demonkind for his own selfish reasons, even if he was framing it as for the greater good. 

And that was why Manos had said what he said. He was willing to betray the rebellion if it was necessary for his own survival. Because he was a Demon.

Meanwhile, I wasn’t acting like a Demon. I was just… going along with what others wanted.

I didn’t even know what I really wanted. Not since I reunited with Haec, at least.

Sure, I wanted to become the strongest in the Nexeus. I wanted to keep my companions and children safe. But I didn’t have a goal I wanted to accomplish right now.

For my own reasons.

Defeating Regnorex was one of Haec’s goals, not mine.

I clenched my clawed hands into fists as I watched a [Uroboros] shoot out from the ground. The wild Primeval Demon was much larger than its Archdemon counterparts, and it immediately set its gaze upon the most powerful Demon in the battlefield.

The [Cerberus Of Hell]. The two of them stared off at each other for a moment, before tendrils suddenly shot down from the sky and ripped apart the [Uroboros].

A Corrupted Nethersky— no, a Corrupted Hellsky descended from above. It was much larger than the Corrupted Netherskies, and it had far more tendrils of corruptions protruding from its figure. It just hovered there, amongst the corpse of the [Uroboros], almost like it was absorbing the dead wild Primeval Demon.

The [Cerberus Of Hell] howled and charged at the Corrupted Hellsky as I lowered my gaze once again.

So what do I want to do? I asked myself as I stared at my draconic scales— at the corruption that was wisping off my fingertips.

I am Salvos. I was a mother of Wyverns, the daughter of a Worldwalker. I had been corrupted, and my essence had changed since I had left the Netherworld.

But at the end of the day, I was a Demon.

And I needed to acknowledge that part of myself right now.

So what did I want to do?

I heard a crash as the [Cerberus Of Hell] was tossed into the bottom of one of the crevices. The birthpool erupted, all of its black water up like a geyser, before it slowly rained back down. The Corrupted Hellsky hovered there, staring down at its downed opponent.

But the [Cerberus Of Hell] wouldn’t be defeated so easily. It picked itself up as it opened its three mouths, ready to unleash its black flames once again. Meanwhile, the Corrupted Hellsky brought its tendrils together, preparing its own blast of corruption. However, my gaze was drawn away from the battle between the wild Primeval Demon and the Corrupted Hellsky.

Instead, I saw a figure lying amidst the bottom of the emptied out crevice.

A figure that I had barely seen earlier, but now could see clearly.

Fully exposed now was a white Infant Demon. 

Not just any Infant Demon though, but the very same Infant Demon I had seen first and foremost. 

It wasn’t alone, of course. It was surrounded by the dying bodies of its fellow brethren. But it still stood out amongst them because…

Because it was not dying.

Because it was lying there with its eyes wide open, looking around in fear.

And that was when I realized it was a fully born Infant Demon. The only one amongst the dying Infant Demons that was truly alive.

[Demon Larva - Lvl. 1]

I wanted to stare at it in shock and process what I was seeing. But it was lying in-between the [Cerberus Of Hell] and the Corrupted Hellsky, and it was going to get caught in the blast that was about to clash between the two powerful beings.

For an immortal moment, the world seemed to pause as I considered what to do.

I saw the Infant Demon lying there, lost and confused. Like I once was when I had encountered my first wild Demon. I could have ignored it— continued to mull over what it meant to be a Demon.

But I knew what it meant to be Demon.

It was to be selfish. To simply follow your desires.

And I knew there was only one thing I wanted to do at this moment.

So I moved on instinct, even without a second’s thought.

I descended like a shooting star as the [Cerberus Of Hell] and the Corrupted Hellsky both unleashed their attacks. But I moved even faster than either of them could, landing right between them— standing right above the Infant Demon as I picked it up and activated [My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends].

I just smiled at the Infant Demon as it blinked at me, extending my fiery coat of protection onto it.

“Hi, I’m Salvos. And don’t you worry about a thing, because I’m here now.”

And as I spoke, the black flames and the beam of corruption clashed, engulfing both the Infant Demon and I in the blast.

Author's Notes:

And I'm back.

Sorry for the 11 month hiatus. But I had to go through my own character arc for the last year and resolve a lot of the irl bullshit that has been plaguing my personal life for as long as I've been writing Salvos (since 2020).

There's a lot I want to say now that I'm back, but I'll save it for the end of Book 15. For now, Salvos is back, and I'm back. The story will go in a slightly different direction than I had originally planned, but I really like the direction I currently am going with the story. I also have reread quite a few bits of the story, and I really am trying to stick to the promise and premise of the story, especially at the start of Salvos. Even this chapter was partially inspired by Volume 1 Chapter 11.

Anyways, I've created a small backlog to help me keep up with a consistent schedule, and I will try to post 3 chapters a week from now on.

Patreon will remain paused until October 25th.

Read the next chapter here