The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 130

"Why was he so weak?", the voice in her head filled with not praises but only doubt.

"I always knew thou to trust me.", she replied.

"Oh... sorry but he was way weaker than what I expected.", the Grandmaster continued his muse ignoring her plight.

"And mine heart is filled with gratitude for thy praise in me winning."

"Oh yeah, congratulations. I never once doubted you. I knew you would always succeed. You saw how I didn't even worry about you.", the Grandmaster started praising her with no shame.

She sighed to herself and put her hand to her forehead as she shook those words that slithered into her brain out of her head.

"Forget it, Grandmaster. Who shall be mine next opponent?"

"I don't know for sure. Death has yet to reveal it. But, I suspect it to be someone more powerful than Thanos."

She did not replied anything but she wanted to go wherever he was and go knock him on the head. Of course, it will be someone more powerful than Thanos.

"Grandmaster, how many people will I be fighting in this ring?"

"I don't know.", he stated plainly and simply.

"Is there anything thou dost know? I have yet to see Death. I even have feeling that I am fighting for no reason."

"You have no need to worry about that. All you have to do is listen to me.", he replied with no trace of seriousness in his tone.

She frowned at this sentence. She slowly let out flames wisp by wisp as they started melt the concrete around her.

"My dear Grandmaster, know that I am not thy little slave fighting for amusement."

"Of course of course. No need to flex, my dear keeper. I know very well.", he replied still completely unserious but it only serve to made it more ominous.

It was here and then that she realized that the Grandmaster was not merely an immortal who enjoyed games. He was an insane god obsessed with games.

Even gods have their own monsters yet he possess none. The future must be truly bleak for no one is left for her to trust but this insane man. She also realize that he seems to held almost no fear. It was not because he was strong or simply insane.

No, it was simply due to his long experience. He has seen so much nothing ever seems to faze him anymore. Once again, she realized that he was not merely some old man without help. He was an elder of the universe.

A being that has existed since the formation of the Universe itself. There exists almost nothing he has yet to experience and see for himself. He only gets himself intentionally addicted to games to stay sane. It did not seem to work very well. Or perhaps this was how he was since the beginning.

She did not say anything and waited for her next opponent to walk in. Still, nothing happened. What does she do now? Was there some problem up there? She did not like this.

She would prefer to face against something that was utterly out of her class than wait for something to happen like this.

"Okay, okay, I got it now!", the Grandmaster exclaimed in her head once again.

"So, who will I be facing?"

"Someone invisible."

"I do wonder what manner of name is 'someone invisible'.", she wondered out loud to Grandmaster in her head.

But, she has seen someone naming a car 'Lola' and she called herself, 'firekeeper', a name in which she was well aware that is more a role. Perhaps she shouldn't be complaining.

"Why, I expected more from you, keeper.", he sounded disappointed even, perhaps due to lack of knowledge on 'someone invisible'.

"So, who is this 'someone invisible'?"

"It's not a name. It's a term. All I know is you will be fighting someone invisible."

"What is thy matter, Grandmaster. Thou was well aware of who my first opponent was, what happened?"

"As I just said it is some invisible and I cannot see it either."

His voice still flat as if he held no concern over her well-being. She remember well how the Grandmaster told her final farewells.

She remembered it clear as day on the analogy between the Cosmic Horror he told her and the tree falling in a forest with no one nearby. She still remembered his awkward way of telling her to stay safe and his desire to share his eternal life with someone.

Where had that strangely compassionate Grandmaster gone? Where did that funny-looking yet wise Grandmaster gone? She sighed to herself. Even he cannot remain the same at the end of time.

A shock that rang throughout her body. There was a crack in her left ribcage out of nowhere. She had already been on full alert throughout yet she did not sense whatever cracked her ribcage. She healed herself straight away and flare her own flames around herself.

Another impact to her stomach once again. No matter who or what was causing this, has somehow bypassed all her flames and hit her once again. She could feel its intent too clearly in that blow. It was not trying to kill her. It was toying with her.

Who? She thought to herself. Who had the power to do all this. She could outline a number of individuals that she knew who could perform these acts. But they would all need a few moments of preparation for there was always a small delay in those blows.

And since when did her opponent arrived in this ring.

'Someone invisible? More like something invisible.'

Another blow to her neck again as she struggled to breathe. That blow reminded her of one thing so irrelevant yet as clear as day. Immortals do not change that easily. Someone like the Grandmaster was even less likely to change.

A being who do not long for her death. A being who showed her concern. He would certainly not be this disinterested in her bout

She said it out loud without even thinking.

"Who art thee? Show thyself. Thou art not the Grandmaster."

The Grandmaster's voice sounded in her head once more. But, this time it was more amused.

"Oh my. I got caught so quickly. What gives it away?"

.

.

.

.

.

This is Chapter 130.

Tell me what you think.