Even Lord Hades was stunned. He suddenly turned to face Quinn Shepherd, his black cape rippling like waves in a phantom wind. "Youdu? You weren't born in Carefree Haven, but in the Netherworld?"
Quinn still couldn't see the face beneath the black robe. He nodded, "My parents set out from Carefree Haven for the Great Ruins, but were ambushed en route. Most aboard were killed or wounded; the survivors fled into the Netherworld, and that's where I was born."
He had uncovered his origins in Nethergloom Ravine, learning from the time-echoes on the ark that his mother was pregnant with him when the ship was attacked by gods and demons, driven beneath the ravine and wedged between the seals of two realms.
To escape the outer-realm gods and demons, his mother led the survivors into the Netherworld. Quinn was born there, but for reasons unknown, after his birth he was taken to the Great Ruins, drifting down the upper Yong River until he reached Oldridge Village.
Granny Si heard the infant's cries and brought him back to the village.
He was born in the Netherworld—of that, there was no doubt.
"You were born in the Netherworld..."
Lord Hades sounded disappointed: "I thought the old swallow had returned to lead us again, to finish what was left undone. But it turns out it's only a fledgling. Well, a fledgling is something, but in the end, I see it's not even that—just a hatchling. Heh, Pioneer Emperor, you really have found peace in Carefree Haven, forgetting your people who still wait for your return!"
His voice grew angry: "Carefree Haven is not a land of tenderness, nor of forgetfulness—it's your place to rise again, not a pit of decline! Here in the Great Ruins, countless gods and demons lie dormant, waiting for your return, waiting for your banner, ready to fight for you!"
His cape continued to ripple; it only flared so violently when his spirit was stirred or his battle intent surged.
Suddenly, his aura faded, and he sounded weary: "I can't believe the emperor who founded an era would resign himself to failure and fade into silence. But I've waited twenty thousand years—the stone statues in the Great Ruins and the ghosts of Nether City have waited twenty thousand years. Why haven't you returned...?"
Quinn watched him in silence, not knowing what to say.
Lord Hades must have been waiting for a visitor from Carefree Haven, hoping for word of the Pioneer Emperor. He had waited twenty thousand years for this.
But all he found was Quinn Shepherd—a youth of Carefree Haven lineage, but born in the Netherworld.
Quinn Shepherd was not the one he was waiting for. Even if Hansen Keane had come, he could have brought hope, or news from Carefree Haven.
But Quinn Shepherd, born in the Netherworld, knew nothing about Carefree Haven.
Being a descendant of the Pioneer Emperor could not soothe the hearts of loyal followers who had waited twenty thousand years.
After a long pause, Lord Hades steadied his breath. His eyes beneath the black robe fixed on Quinn: "You were born in the Netherworld. The Netherworld and Nether City are both realms of the dead—I've never heard of a human born among the dead. I want to see if there's anything unusual about you."
Quinn was momentarily startled, not understanding his meaning.
Suddenly, Lord Hades began to circle him, his voice low: "Few living beings are ever born in the Netherworld, though monsters can be. Those are formed from resentful souls and Netherworld demonic nature. You've seen the monsters beneath Naihe Bridge—they come from the Netherworld. But your birth was different: those monsters are born of the world's resentment and demonic nature, but you were born from the womb. Even so, you might still be tainted by Netherworld demonic nature."
"Tainted by Netherworld demonic nature?"
Quinn asked tentatively, "What do you mean?"
He was shaken—once, a demon god had told him they were alike, both demons. Was it true? Did he really carry demonic nature within him?
And had he carried that demonic nature since birth?
Lord Hades did not answer, but instead lifted the hood of his black robe, revealing his face beneath.
Quinn had no time to glimpse his features before his eyes—like swirling vortices—drew Quinn's spirit toward them.
"Don't be afraid. I'm just exploring your soul, to see if there's any difference from someone born in the normal world."
Quinn felt the world spin; he seemed to be caught between two enormous, blood-red eyes, one on his left, one on his right, spinning endlessly downward—as if he'd never reach the bottom.
He felt himself plunging into endless darkness, sinking ever deeper.
Lord Hades's voice echoed from afar, as if from the heavens: "No human has ever been born in the Netherworld. I don't know what changes that might bring, but I suspect something terrifying happened when you were born. The roaming demonic nature and stray souls of the Netherworld must have tried to invade your body. Your mother could block the wandering souls, but she might not have been able to stop the demonic nature. I want to see what effect the Netherworld has had on you..."
Quinn fought to steady his mind. Suddenly, the Jade Pendant at his neck rose, flaring with light as it struggled to resist the blood-red eyes of Lord Hades.
The blood-red eyes grew larger, and the Jade Pendant's light shone ever brighter—until at last, the eyes overwhelmed and suppressed its glow.
Quinn tried to struggle, but found himself powerless; he could only let the nightmare eyes continue to peer into him, pressing ever harder.
He felt his body grow weightless, as though his flesh was being stripped away from his soul.
It was like drowning—his breath vanished, and his soul floated away from his body.
Suddenly, Quinn stopped spinning. All around him, whispers rose, as if countless demons hid in the endless darkness, speaking in low voices.
The whispering grew closer, louder, more chaotic, until it became a cacophony of voices, each speaking different words and languages, so loud Quinn's head throbbed and his thoughts scattered.
At last, all the voices overlapped, merging into a single voice.
It was the Netherworld Tongue.
"Shut up!"