JUDICATOR JANE 6 - CHAPTER 12 (Patreon)

Cataclysm’s Maw

Drifting out of the darkness, Taltorius narrowed his single eye as blinding light assaulted him. The shadowed void he’d floated through, riddled with branching paths and half-hearted traps, had left him unimpressed. After a cursory exploration, he’d concluded there was nothing of value and simply followed the trail of demons to the exit.

What kind of world is this?

The ever-present purple haze of the Netherrealm was gone, replaced by a strange, overwhelming green. Green mountains. Green fields. Even tall, swaying green boulders—or were they the fabled trees, perhaps? Only the sky defied the theme, stretching above in a soft, alien blue. It was, if nothing else, interesting. The long, drifting memories of countless aeons spent in near-hibernation inside his construct, the Mountain of Endings, began to fade. His senses sharpened. His pulse quickened.

A world ripe for domination.

He descended along a winding path toward a cluster of unfamiliar structures—reminiscent of those in Jaridume, but different in material and design. In the back of his mind, he felt the Soul Binding tether pulling faintly. The human woman was here. Somewhere. He couldn’t locate her precisely—his pathetic Dominance stat wasn’t high enough for that—but the connection was unmistakable.

The sounds of battle tugged at him, drawing him deeper between the buildings. He emerged into a clearing beside a grove of towering green spires—yes, these were trees. In their shade, several humans clashed in brutal combat.

Taltorius activated Omniscient Vision, locking onto one of the fighters.

Diwa Monlyre (Level 4)

Human

Class: None

Strength: 7

Agility: 3

Constitution: 5

Intelligence: 4

Luck: 7

Wisdom: 1

Virtue: 97

Regeneration: 0

Obsession: None

Blood Type: AB

Ancestral Class: Farmer

Modifiers: None

Affinity: War

[ EXPAND ]

Health: 45/50

Mana: 10/10

Skills

Alur Language Comprehension (Common)

General Identification (Common)

Mana Awareness (Rare)

Hmm, a human youngling. This place must serve as their proving grounds. Below, a scrawny girl stood at bay, outnumbered three to one. Yet she faced her foes with a surprising tenacity that stirred the faintest flicker of interest in him. Her dark hair was tangled, her lip already bloodied, but her fists remained clenched.

“Stay away from us, Diwa,” one of the others snarled, shoving her roughly to the ground. “You stink, and your face looks like a rotten potato.” The taunt drew a chorus of laughter from the others, high-pitched and cruel.

Diwa scrambled upright, rage flashing in her eyes. She lashed out with a wild swing, but her fist met only air. The others pounced without hesitation, fists and feet flying in a brutal, merciless assault. They shouted over each other, jeering and striking with glee. Taltorius watched it all in silence. When the dust settled and the victors sauntered off, proud and laughing, the girl remained behind. Battered, bruised—but alive.

He descended slowly, the air silent, only the echoes of the battle remained. As he hovered beside her crumpled form, she stirred and blinked up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

“YOU FOUGHT BRAVELY, BUT YOUR SKILLS ARE LACKING,” Taltorius intoned, his voice echoing with power. “GIVE THANKS THAT YOU STILL DRAW BREATH.”

The girl froze, her eyes locking onto the fleshy orb above her. Her lips trembled. “W-What are you?” she whispered, voice hoarse.

“SOMEONE WHO HAS KNOWN THE STING OF DEFEAT, JUST AS YOU HAVE,” he answered, turning slightly, his gaze sweeping across the battleground. “BUT YOUR FOES HAVE MADE A GRAVE ERROR. LEAVING YOU ALIVE GIVES YOU SOMETHING PRECIOUS: THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THE TIDES. BOLSTER YOUR RESOLVE… THEN STRIKE WHILE THEIR GUARD IS LOWERED.”

Diwa pushed herself onto shaky legs, her small frame swaying. She glanced away, shame dimming the fire in her eyes. “No… I can’t do that. I’m not strong enough—I don’t have any friends.”

Taltorius spun, assailed with the visions of the past. “THOSE WHO WALK ALONE,” he said, “HAVE NO CHAINS TO HOLD THEM BACK.”

His mind drifted to the memory of ancient battles, conquering the Netherrealm, then when no other path remained, turning on his own kind. He shrugged the memories away—the ghosts of the past had no place in this new world. The dishonorable brawl he had just witnessed—three against one, no challenge, no honor. It left a sour taste in his mouth. He floated closer, until he was eye level with the girl. “EACH BATTLE FOUGHT LENDS EXPERIENCE. EACH SCAR A LESSON. AND WITH EXPERIENCE, THE ODDS TILT IN YOUR FAVOR. WHAT SAY YOU, HUMAN? WILL YOU WASTE AWAY IN DESPAIR… OR ARISE, AND CLAIM EITHER DEATH OR GLORY?”

She stared at him, trembling. For a heartbeat, he thought she might collapse again. But then her jaw clenched, and her fists slowly curled at her sides. “I’m not afraid,” she whispered.

A smile, sharp and rare, touched the edge of Taltorius’s voice. “GOOD. THEN RETURN TO THE FRAY AND LET NOTHING STOP YOU FROM SEIZING YOUR VENGEANCE.”

Diwa turned and began walking, shoulders squared, each step steadier than the last. Taltorius floated silently behind her, curiosity rising within him. The girl had spirit—there was no denying that. He would watch. And if the others dared to strike in such a dishonorable fashion again... perhaps he would even the odds.

***

Jane skipped down the worn stone path, humming a cheerful tune, her heart light with anticipation. The time to leave the valley had nearly come, and a thrill danced in her chest at the thought of what lay beyond its mountainous ridges. Veralaktus had confirmed that the final demons had emerged safely from the labyrinth, and now the valley was chock full to the brim. She could see the organized lines of Balostroze’s forces near the valley’s outer entrances—rows of eager demons awaiting the command to march. Their readiness only added to the electrifying energy in the air, like the last breath before a storm.

The previous day had been long and meticulous. She’d finished inspecting every one of the shape-shifted Infiltrators, passing the information to Melindra and the other Velnatari. The classes were vague and sometimes poetic—Wyrmguard, Sky Striker, Sootscraper, Forcemender—names that offered little real insight to what they might actually do.

I hope I meet one in the wild, she mused, brushing a lock of hair from her face as she passed past a gurgling wooden aqueduct. Maybe they know something about the origins of the System like the Menadeen did. She wasn't holding her breath. Even the oldest temple records here were pretty vague.

Her thoughts were cut short by a chorus of high-pitched screams.

She stopped mid-step, her pulse spiking. The cries came from nearby—sharp, frightened, and definitely human. Spinning toward the sound, she broke into a sprint, cutting through rows of manicured flower gardens and across narrow wooden walkways.

The path opened into a wide dirt clearing, and there she saw them: a gaggle of children, no older than eight or nine, scrambling in every direction, pursued by rolling miniature clouds that spat bolts of red lightning. The arcs hissed and cracked as they hit the children, forcing them into a frenzy of ducking and shrieking.

“GYA HA HA! FLEE, COWARDS! ARE NONE OF YOU WORTHY TO FACE COMBAT WITH HONOR? THEN FACE YOUR RECKONING!”

Jane’s eyes widened. Taltorius.

“Hey! Stop that!” she shouted, vaulting over a low wooden fence and sprinting between the kids and the hovering, cackling demon. Her gaze flicked across the children’s Health—they were mostly untouched, just missing one or two points. Still, it was enough to make her fume.

Only one child hadn’t fled. A small girl stood perfectly still, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Her eyes stared ahead, unfocused, as if she had already left her body behind.

Jane stepped protectively in front of her and pointed a firm finger at Taltorius. “Come away from there—right now. What do you think you’re doing? Those are just kids!”

Taltorius paused, suddenly disinterested. “HMPH. THE YOUNGLINGS OF THIS WORLD HAVE MUCH TO LEARN. AT LEAST THAT ONE HAS THE AFFINITY FOR WAR. SHE WILL BE A MIGHTY WARRIOR.”

Jane exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. “No, she does not have an affinity for war! She’s just a child! The people in this valley are farmers, not warriors.”

Guiding him gently away from the stunned girl, Jane glanced back briefly and saw she had a faint smile on her lips. At least she’s coping well enough, these people are resilient as heck. Then she turned to Taltorius fully, hands planted on her hips. “Where have you even been, anyway? Were you the last demon out or something? Don’t tell me you got lost in the labyrinth.”

“THERE WAS NOTHING OF INTEREST WITHIN,” he replied dismissively, voice reverberating loudly.

Jane shook her head with a weary sigh. Wouldn’t surprise me if he did spend the last few days wandering around in there just for the heck of it. She gave him a sidelong glance. “Well, we’re safe here in this valley for now. There’s more than enough food, and the other humans here seem to have adapted pretty decently to the demon’s arrival.”

She straightened, brushing dust from her pants. “I’ll be leaving the valley for a few days at least, so don’t cause trouble while I’m gone.”

“I WILL ACCOMPANY YOU.”

Jane stopped mid-step and blinked. “What? No—absolutely not. You’re staying here.” She gestured sharply behind her. “I can’t go around talking to people with a thousand-level ball of demon flesh floating next to me. Just hang out here and get acclimated to Alur or something.”

“NO.”
 Taltorius hovered beside her, bobbing in the air like a particularly smug storm cloud. He seemed perfectly content to ignore her entirely, as if the decision had already been made.

Jane groaned, dragging a hand down her face. I do not need this right now.

She glanced up and spotted Veralaktus waiting patiently near a fork in the road, her tall figure casting a long shadow over the path.

“Hey,” Jane called out, walking toward her and letting the Taltorius situation drop for now. “Do you know where Gral’gor is?”

Veralaktus inclined her head slightly. “Gral’gor is in the fields. It appears he is... testing his skills. Several villagers have reported rather significant disturbances.”

Jane winced. “Right. That sounds like him.” She motioned for Veralaktus to follow and set off down the dusty road leading out of the village. “Let’s go see what he’s managed to find out.”

The fields beyond the village's edge stretched endlessly in soft golds and greens, brushed by the wind and dappled in early afternoon light. It reminded her of the farms she had once looked down upon from her tower back in the wastelands. These were lush, vibrant, and strangely peaceful. A flicker of nostalgia passed through her. I wonder if those mercenaries I changed into Farmers are still out there chugging away.

Most of the plots were filled with workers tilling soil, harvesting crops, or performing other menial tasks. But one field stood out: completely barren. Not a single stalk grew there, nor did anyone work its borders. Something about it made the air feel... thinner, more dangerous.

At the center of the desolate field sat Gral’gor, cross-legged and utterly still, as though he were meditating at the eye of a storm. A faint shimmer of light reflected through him, almost as though he had veins of steel. Off to the side, near the edge of the field, stood another figure—Ur, the young demon. He watched from a distance, his expression unreadable.

As Jane approached, she noticed Gral’gor’s posture hadn’t shifted. He remained bare chested, skin completely unblemished, and his long violet hair danced lightly in the breeze. Her steps faltered for just a moment, cheeks warming despite herself. With his new appearance, he looked like a hunky guy pulled straight off a trashy romance novel cover.

Though his eyes were closed, Gral’gor turned as she approached, opening them with slow precision. A faint gleam shimmered within their violet depths, calm and watchful. “Ah, Jane King,” he said, his voice low and measured. “I see you’ve found my training grounds.”

Jane hesitated, looking around at the field’s unnatural symmetry. The crops had been sheared away in a flawless circle, as if erased by an unseen blade. “Uh, yeah… I guess I have,” she said awkwardly. The hairs on her arms prickled. There was an aura of danger that hung omnipresent, as though the air itself was… sharp.

She cleared her throat. “I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but we’ll be pushing out of the valley soon. I’m heading east for a few days on a scouting mission. Can you… still fly?”

Gral’gor’s expression softened, and he turned away slightly. “I’m afraid flight is one skill I no longer possess.”

Her heart sank. “You can’t?” She’d suspected it might be the case, given his altered class, but part of her had hoped—just maybe—he’d gained something like her Drawn Veil skill. Something that would let him take to the skies again.

“I have acquired one movement skill,” he said, his tone even, “but it’s short-ranged and intended for close combat. Nothing like the wings or shifting skills I once had.” He glanced at her, something unreadable in his gaze. “But, there are other skills that remain dormant. I have been unable to activate them. Perhaps they require a trigger… or a moment I’ve yet to encounter.”

Jane nodded slowly, absorbing his words. He wasn’t bitter—at least not outwardly—but she could feel the weight of it, the unspoken loss. Gral’gor had always been at home in the sky, slicing through the void like a blade. Now that part of him was simply… gone.

“I heard you can fly now,” he said with a faint smile. “So, for your journey east, I’ll have to remain behind.”

“Oh… I see.” The words felt small in her mouth. She looked at him, really looked at him—the way he stood rooted to the ground, the way his gaze flicked briefly toward the horizon as if testing its distance. Would he adapt to this new life? 

Her attention shifted toward the edge of the field, where the young demon, Ur, still stood. Silent. Watching. The promise she had made to him… she hadn’t forgotten.

Jane took a breath. “Well… I have a favor to ask.”

She gestured toward the demon. “I think you’ve already figured it out—that’s not the same Ur you fought all those years ago. He’s been reborn. As a Voidwalker. I was hoping…” Her voice wavered for just a beat. “Could you teach him? The ways of the void?”

Gral’gor’s lips curled in the faintest of chuckles. “So, that is why he lingers and watches. I admit… that face has haunted my nightmares for many years.” He crossed his thick arms and fixed a piercing gaze on the demon. “I suppose the Qurl’a Kai must possess a twisted sense of humor—granting the Voidwalker class to the very demon that once fought so relentlessly to destroy it.”

He let the words settle before nodding once. “For you, and for my fallen brothers… I will teach him.”

Jane stepped forward and placed a hand gently on his arm, meeting his eyes. “Thank you, Gral’gor. I… I’m just so glad you’re okay. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I had to take your class away.”

“Think nothing of it,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Life is nothing if not a series of transitions. This class… it was gifted through your Judicator skills. I believe—no, I know—that it will allow me to serve you in ways I never could before. Not as a Voidwalker. But as something new.”

Jane didn’t answer right away. A swell of emotion rose in her chest, thick and quiet. Of all her demons, Gral’gor had given the most—sacrificed without complaint, endured without flinching. He might believe it was his duty to follow her. But deep down, Jane knew the truth.

She was the one who owed him.