It made sense that this guy was in here. This vertical prison seemed to represent Ares'' revenant bloodline and it was basically impossible to peek at it without finding Dominus buried somewhere in it. Ares, or more specifically the Ares clone in the pagoda, hadn''t considered the fact that this guy might have also been cloned. In fact, he probably could have been speaking to him this whole time if he''d let him it''s just that real Ares had the guy on mute when the clone was made so he''d had that same setting on by default. If he''d turned it off there was no doubt in his head Dominus would have been endlessly whining like a bitch at him so, in a way, he was kinda grateful for that small accident. Still, it seemed like he was going to come face to face with him now... As for how that would go exactly, that was anyone''s guess. Would he be annoyed this was just a bunch of clones having a meaningless meeting? Would he be happy to be freer than prior even if he couldn''t outright escape? Who knows!? Regardless of his opinion on this situation there was no reason for Ares not to at least take a peek inside and see what was going on in the cell.


    Ares put his hand on the bar jutting out amongst the others and grabbed hold before pulling it towards him... And nothing happened... It wasn''t stuck, it was just a push door and not a pull door... Ignoring his disheartening failure, which was made slightly easier by the excuse he''d just come up with about the door not being properly labelled... Ares attempted to enter the room again, this time pushing the door inwards. As the door opened up and revealed the interior of this specific cell, the first thing Ares noticed were the collection of dusty chains all stretching across the cell to the far end of it. Only when Ares swung the door wide and opened it in full could he see where they were going and to what they were connected.


    Give or take twenty chains were all binding a strange, dull red suit of armour that was blatantly that of a samurai''s. Given Dominus'' propensity to explore all sorts of combat types and cultures, him having armour that was out of the norm was to be expected. Why he''d picked this specific set armour Ares didn''t know but the guy probably had his reasons. As for the armour in question, it was a bit of a mish mash. Various shades of dark red were the primary colour but there were a few small splashes of brighter reds here and there at specific points, namely two small horns protruding from a greyish Oni mask, shaped like a buffalo skull, that resided underneath a heavily dented kabuto. The eye sockets of the mask also had a spark of bright red in them that darted around the place with self-evident keenness and awareness. The ō-yoroi was bulky towards the top but slimmed down nearer to the waist and there was an incredibly small, patterned, white scarf wrapped around the neck area between the chest piece and the mask. On each of the shoulders were multiple, thin, sode that were layered on top of one another with the bottom-most ones adorned with a pure white buffalo skull that was similar in nature to the mask. These skulls also had small spikes perforating the eye sockets which was how they were attached to the armour. A rope belt was attached to the armours midsection and kept everything firmly in place. Red, claw shaped, scratched, metallic gauntlets covered his hands and looked sharp enough to pierce any and all obstacles. Last but not least was a dirty, tattered white flag, the colour of which had entirely faded and was now effectively a dark and muddy grey, hanging off his back that went down to around the back of his midsection. It was horizontally draped down from his shoulders and the wear and tear on it was visible no matter the angle it was looked at. Although Ares couldn''t see the man behind the armour he knew that this was Dominus because, despite being pegged to the wall and incarcerated in such strict fashion, he still oozed confidence, charisma, and most importantly, unmatchable skill. The way the sharpened tips of the claw gauntlets subtly raised and lowered, like they were itching to wield a weapon, his steady and consistent, almost rhythmic breathing, and his sharp aura all gave to understand as such.


    The red eyes stopped dead on Ares and the masked head lifted ever so slightly. A loud sigh reverberated through the room before Dominus cleared his raspy throat a few times. He''d only ever communicated with Ares via telepathy so he technically hadn''t actually spoken in over 18 years at this point. His throat was parched and his lungs sore but eventually he did manage to wet both to the point his voice could function. As for the voice in question, he sounded completely normal, much like the kind of voice you hear in your head when you speak. Plain, not even remotely tonal, not deep nor high, no inflection, and no accent. Just straight down the middle. Plain jane. Vanilla as can be. "You''re a right bastard."


    Ares kissed his teeth. "Well nice to finally meet you too."


    "Oh don''t get pissy with me, I''m not in the mood for it right now. Do you have any idea what you''ve done?! Actually, don''t even answer that, I can see that trademark hint of dumb confusion in your eye. You''ve trapped me! I am now a trapped clone, of a trapped man, inside a clone trapped inside a pagoda!"


    "Uh, can you say that again? Maybe a little slower?"


    "You fucking dunderhead. How am I ever supposed to escape your body and feel the fresh air ever again?! The real me still has a chance but this me? I''m gonna be trapped inside you for-fucking-ever! Didn''t even throw me a speck of consideration when you were producing that clone? I flip between thinking of you as a genius and an idiot but this? This is idiot territory!"


    "..." Ares had actually been a bit airheaded on this one as he completely forgot about Dominus at the time so he wasn''t wrong. Still, if clone Ares was going to be trapped in here for all eternity then it''s not like Dominus had any right to complain as they were in the same boat! "If you stop being a whiny man-child I''ll let you out every now and then. I''m guessing we can still swap, right?"


    "Now? Yes. Whenever you want. My usage of your magic won''t be anything special compared to yours, my pressure mastery will be lower than yours but not terrible, and I can''t access the revenant form, but who cares? I''m me, that''s all the reason you need to swap out with me. Knock knock, who''s there? The best God damn weapons master this universe has ever seen, that''s who. Not that any of that''s relevant ''cos you and I are trapped in this stupid pagoda until the heat death of the universe... Maybe even beyond that what with the whole revenant thing... God this is so stupid. Never tasting freedom ever again... Of all the imbeciles I had to get trapped inside, it just had to be you?!... Whatever, just get me out of here and I can worry about this conundrum some other time..."


    Ares looked at all the chains and raised an eyebrow. "First of all, I have no issues with getting you out but why does that even matter? Where are you going to go? Secondly, how do I even remove all these chains anyway. And lastly, what is this place? I''ve just been aimlessly descending down the stairs outside with no clue what this place is exactly but I''m guessing you can fill me in?"


    "Questions a-galore, answering them is a chore, and you are a bore. How''s that? Has the haiku from yours truly enlightened you?"


    "Can it mutt. Besides, I can''t even set you free if you don''t answer me."


    "Whoa whoa whoa, the disrespect is off the charts. That''s king of mutts to you, pup. I''ll have you know I started this whole race! If it were anyone other than you I wouldn''t speak to them unless they grovelled, you hear me? I''m a big deal to people who are a big deal, capiche? You are gazing upon the toppest of all top dogs... And that includes that stupid bitch Trixie..."


    "Trixie?"


    Dominus let out a half-sigh, half-bleurgh noise and rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry about it. You''re a revenant with a reputation so you''ll run into her outside the Primordial barrier at some point... Maybe even sooner if she catches wind of you... Stupid space dog. Whatever. Let''s stop getting distracted. First, to get me out of this mess, pour a bit of your blood on each of these chains and they ought to unfurl and recede back into the walls like a bunch of recoiling snakes."


    "And what about my other two questions?"


    "Kid, we got a lot of walking ahead of us. let''s save the conversation for the road ''cos if I have to walk down this place in silence I might choose to jump down that there pit and just end my suffering prematurely."


    "No company is better than bad company. Jump at your leisure." Ares made a small incision on his thumb and walked over to the nearest chain. He let a single drop fall on the rusty metal and it caused an instant reaction. Kachink. The chain slunk around Dominus to unwrap itself before slithering along the floor and retreating to the walls from which it spawned. After disappearing into the holes in the wall they were seemingly gone for good and Ares couldn''t hear them rattling about anymore. "So what''s up with the armour? A lot of fanciful vomit you got going on there." Ares made small talk as he went about removing all the chains.


    "Meh, we can discuss that another time. Also, again with the disrespect! I tolerated it when it was just towards me, I''m used to it, but don''t insult this armour! It means a lot to me as it''s an heirloom from a group of people that lost their lives in tragic circumstances. We''ve got an eternity to talk about it so just get me out already and worry about the small details later. Also, I don''t wanna hear it from a guy wearing a feathered cape. Look I held my tongue up until now but I''m gonna say, that thing is cringe. I don''t know why no one else seems to mind but I do!"


    Ares shrugged. "I don''t have a preference for it nor do I dislike it. I don''t think it''s as bad as you''re making it out to be. Besides, it''s a personal treasure and that''s all I need to know. Not wearing such a powerful treasure despite having it in your possession just seems stupid to me."


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Heh, there are some people who would disagree with you. There''ve been plenty of cultivators with powerful gear they refuse to use ''cos they don''t want to look stupid. Even I''ve had to pass up on some before. Not like I need a crutch anyway. Of course the reverse is also true. There''s this one guy that wears a tutu... Very serious guy too. When he showed up to this fancy shindig in his tutu I nearly fucking fainted laughing. Everyone else was looking at me like I was the problem! They were calling me rude but that guy was wearing a tutu and a suit! How could I not laugh at such an idiot?! Anyway, I was never invited to their crappy parties ever again so woe is me I guess. Larsh and Dago, a dragon friend of mine, are also like that. You know, the fart during mass. The nose blower at a wedding. The guy who needs to take a piss during a funeral etc... All three of us became outcasts because our personalities weren''t up to code. We hate each other but not more than everyone else hates us so that fact is like the glue that keeps us bashing our heads against one another''s. Would be nice to piss them off again but that''s never gonna happen thanks to a CERTAIN SOMEONE!"


    Ares undid the last chain and flipped the bird. "Get used to it. You and me are here to stay... Although Ares, the real one, might attempt to get at least you out if the real you complains for long enough. Count your blessings ''cos I may be an imbecile but I like to think I''m a good person."


    "Not with those secrets you''re hiding you aren''t..." Dominus fell to the floor as his restraints were finally removed. He struggled to stand as he kept chatting away. "... At least not according to whatever the common consensus would be. But you already know that. No point hammering it home to someone who''s already made their choice... Not that you had much of one to begin with..." Dominus eventually rose to his feet and stretched his back while cricking his neck. "... Look. I''m ok with you. An imbecile you may be... Correction, and imbecile you are, but you''re alright in my book. The kind of person I don''t mind passing on the mantle to."


    "Mantle?"


    "Nothing official, just the next revenant lord. There''s no shot you aren''t of that tier, not with what I''ve heard and seen of your God given body and traits. I would be willing to bet you''re also a lord like me. To that end, if I can''t exist in the wider world then someone has to take up that position and be a beacon for the revenants. We all bow to the revenant at the top of the pecking order so it''s going to be you without a shadow of a doubt in the coming years. Of course when I make my glorious return I can take the position back if you aren''t too keen on it but that''s a matter for a later date. Much later at that because I haven''t the foggiest how to escape this body. What I''m saying is that you''ll do the revenants proud, that much even I can see. Or maybe I can see it because I''m stuck inside you 24/7? Maybe. Just make sure to treat the position with care. We all may be invincible and immortal but just because you can throw people to their demise without any repercussions, that doesn''t mean you should. I don''t want to see my progeny slaughtered for no good reason even if they can walk it off. If I''m going to entrust all of my kin to anyone then I think you''re the best bet. That''s all... Not that I even know why I''m having this damn conversation with the clone version of you! Fuck''s sake... Whatever, let''s get moving and go see how ridiculous you truly are. Up until now I''ve been the only revenant lord so I want to experience that awe for myself. As we go down, I''ll answer your other two questions from before."


    Ares left the room with Dominus in tow and they started going down the steps to... Wherever it was Dominus was leading Ares. "Alright, spill the beans, what did removing those chains accomplish? I had you on silent mode but, if I didn''t, you would have been able to converse freely anyway. What benefit have I just unlocked, figuratively and literally?"


    "''A benefit'' he says..." Dominus kissed his teeth. "... I''m a lot more than some measly ''benefit''. First of all, like I said, we can swap positions anytime and handing me control of your body is basically a switch with unlimited uses. You''re strong enough now though that it''s a situational tool rather than something you should always be relying on though. I have technique, your revenant form has power, and base you has speed and magic. You''ll need to juggle all three effectively. Now that being said, needing to call upon me will be rarer and rarer as time goes on because you''ll learn everything I was capable of via osmosis in due time. That''s where the ''benefit'' comes in. I don''t know the specifics, because we haven''t exactly experimented with it yet, but you can ''summon'' me. I''m joined at the hip with your soul and it''s not dissimilar to something you can do with pets and normal summons. It''s a high level technique so I won''t get it into it right now but, long story short, you can ''summon'' me. I won''t be a separate entity to you though because, again, we''re conjoined. I don''t know what form I''ll take when you summon me but I''ll likely just be some kind of extension of you. Think of me like that one art you''ve seen twice now, Embodiment. You know how it creates a see through copy of the last attack and redoes it? I''ll be like that, a dark red shadow looming over you that copies your movements on a larger scale. I don''t know the intricacies of it, or what else you can do with me, but you''ll have plenty of time to figure that out. As I''ll be considered a summon, however, you can have me learn arts and become my own, free-willed entity. Again, complicated, but you''ll come to understand it in due time when you familiarise yourself with it as it happens. It''s also not something pagoda you has to worry about because you can''t cast arts in this cursed place... Actually, that means you might not be able to summon me? We''ll have to check. Either summoning me will count as an art, as per usual, or maybe because of our unique situation it won''t... Hopefully... We can test it later after you leave this place."


    "So... You''re like an incarnation of me that aids me in combat, basically?"


    "Yes... Although I''m an incarnation of me, not you. I''ll show up in this form with my armour on. Or more like the top half of me will hover behind you, if that makes sense."


    "I guess. It''ll probably be easier to just see it in motion like you said so I''ll reserve judgement until then. Anyway, the more important question of the three I asked... What is this place and what am I doing here?"


    "That''s two questions but you''re stupid so I''ll forgive you. Not like I expected better anyway... You''ve had your human body compared to a container for your wolf form before, right? By that Sadie woman when you first met her, if I remember correctly. Anyway, this place is your container and what you''re doing here is colloquially know to the revenants as ''the unchaining''. As you go down, you''ll find different tiered versions of your revenant form chained to the walls as I was. The first one down will be the zeta form of your revenant form. The one after will be the epsilon form. Then delta, gamma, beta, alpha, and lord etc... The further down this place goes, the better it is for you as it means you have a higher tier revenant form awaiting you. Long story short, you go into the room with your revenant form chained to the wall, you unchain them, and they eat you to deepen the bond between you and your revenant form. You''ll be booted out of here after and have to come back. The point is that you''ll have to overcome the mental adversity of subjecting yourself to being torn to shreds and eaten by gradually more and more powerful monsters. It''s usually quite violent but, at the very least, you only have to ever do it once. As long as you can bring yourself to come back here after being eaten you should be golden. As you already subjected yourself to hell back in the pagoda when you were learning annihilation enhancement, I''m going to assume this process won''t be much of a challenge. As an aside, if you give up you won''t be able to access your higher tiered form. You''ll just be stuck on whatever level you last succeeded on. There are some revenants with potential that just don''t want to be eaten alive which... I mean is kinda fair but also extremely cowardly. We die a lot as revenants and this is essentially just training for that. Revenants that can achieve better but choose not to are usually frowned upon heavily and I agree with that sentiment."


    "I see. So go down, find the revenant, unchain it, and die? That''s it?"


    "Yep. Very simple. Learning to transform back outside the confines of your brain is typically the actually difficult part in all this so you might as well save all your brain power for that after. This is a necessary pre-requisite but not something many people struggle with. The thought of it is unpleasant, and lying there while a monster eats out of your ripped open chest isn''t exactly fun, but it could be a lot worse than it is."


    "I see. What about you? What will happen to you when I''m eaten?"


    "Nothing. I don''t have to reside in this prison anymore and I can roam your body freely now. I''ll be restrained here again though when your cultivation returns to normal once Calla leaves but that''s whatever. There isn''t much for me to do or many places for me to go though so, at the very least, when you aren''t doing anything private, can you let me see the outside world? This dank place isn''t exactly on my top ten list of favourite views you know?"


    "Right, I can see why..." The monotony of the surroundings almost Ares feel dizzy on occasion so he could understand Dominus'' hesitancy to remain here and be stuck with this repetitive pattern when it wasn''t absolutely necessary. "By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask. As I''ve gained the benefits of all the cultivation realms I''ve skipped, that means everything that should happen at those realms should already be occurring, right?"


    "For the most part, yes. Some of the realms you''ve skipped require extra steps you haven''t taken so they won''t activate. For instance learning divine sense isn''t an instantaneous thing and you have to put in effort which is why you can''t use it right now. It is easy to learn, and can be done quickly, but the minimum effort is still required. Same goes for flying in the transition realm but I can tell you already know all this so why are you asking?"


    "Well, before I tell you, let me ask you something else. What part of your human body morphed into that of a werewolf when you reached bloodline awakening? You''re wearing armour so I can''t exactly tell. Calla''s tail is obvious but, being a lord, your mutation must be hardly noticeable right? The stronger your revenant form is, and the higher its tier, the less noticeable the change..."


    "Hm? Yeah, it''s my longer nails. The gauntlets were tailor made to fit them, snug as a rug. Don''t get me wrong though, I can retract them at will and have them be almost completely undetectable as far as humanoid revenants'' mutations go. The nails are definitely still long even retracted but nothing so outlandish that anyone would pay them attention. Being a lord means my changes are so minor they can be ignored entirely. It''s also useful for hiding my race if ever I need to but, now, everyone knows my name and face in the upper realms so that''s irrelevant. Plus the armour is usually a dead give away as it became somewhat iconic back when I was alive and making a mess of things. Even when statues were made of me they resorted to the armoured version of me despite knowing full well what I looked like, that was just how synonymous it was with my image. But I''m getting side-tracked... My human mutation is my nails. What''s yours? I can''t see it so it must be small like mine?"


    "Actually, that was what I''ve been meaning to ask you..." Ares gave Dominus a wry smile and chuckled sheepishly before pausing briefly and figuring out the best way to word this bombshell.


    ...


    "What does it mean if I don''t have any changes?"