Limitless The Strongest Revenant-Chapter 987: World Serpent [2/2]

Nandi's voice was light, soft, and pleasant to the ear. And it was evident how gloomy the story made her. Her upbeat voice grew sad with a tint of loneliness as she recounted Bashir's actions.

"Why was he so convinced that someone would betray him? Did any of you give me reason to believe that?" Jo asked coldly.

"No. We did not. But the Sin of Envy did. The Sin of Envy did not defend herself even as the Successor killed her. But her last words were, "He comes," before dying with a smile on her face."

When Nandi shared the message, I felt my entire body shiver. Hellsgate matters have always been critical of names. And there was only one reason to come to mind.

"Limitless, the reason Hellsgate does not use distinct names is because of this being. Names are his power. Refer to him as he who slumbers."

'Fuck. I knew it had to go in that direction at some point. But hearing it from someone else terrifies me. This fucking snake bastard scared even Revenants into submission. And now I finally begin to see him in my own timeline. Not through ghouls but actual Reapers.'

Jo nodded and turned to the other woman, Zinhle. "And you?"

Zinhle cleared her throat before beginning her own recount. She had her hair in long African braids that suited her. It gave her an air of fierceness, contrasting with Nandhi's demure appearance. Her voice and face all showcased her passion as she spoke.

"My Successor was Zuri Kante from Sierra Leone. As he came 60 years after Bashir, by the time we met, I served as his mother figure of sorts. He held great affection for me as a parent and not a lover. I saw how the curse affected him firsthand.

"Of the legacies, the Legacy of Envy is without a doubt the hardest for a Successor. Zuri practically went insane from paranoia that something bad was about to happen. I was the only one he opened up to mere days after meeting the Sin of Envy."

At her words, I noticed Jo flinch and began to grip her hand into a fist. Her entire body slowly shivered. Even without words or her link, I knew my Darling was upset. Nandhi's words had stung her.

I reached out for her and allowed the warmth of my hand to soothe her. Jo then gazed into my eyes and slowly began to smile. I nodded while saying the words, "I am here." Liv, who loved our family dearly, took it as her cue to give way. Jo then scooted to my side.

When we finished rearranging seats, Zinhle continued her story.

"Afterwards, as if possessed, Zuri began researching. Hardly eating or sleeping, he no longer cared about anything else. Not the keys, nor the Apostates he had us search for before. When I tried to help him, he made a pained smile while saying he had to do it alone.

"Zuri had a noble and powerful soul. But the legacies slowly weighed on him. About three weeks after he began his research, he barged into my quarters at night. He kept repeating the same sentence as he cried in anguish."

I gulped awkwardly before steeling myself. I tried to keep my voice calm, but it may have sounded angry instead. "What did he say? And did you find out what he was researching?"

Zinhle bit her lip before she continued, "No, I did not. Zuri burned everything afterward. But that night he kept crying, 'He's already here!' again and again like a terrified child."

Despite not saying anything, I felt my whole body tense up. A cold chill slowly ran up my spine as if a blizzard was crawling up my back.

{Now bid upon mine name and end thy suffering. Reunite with those thou love and awake from this nightmare.}

{My child. Why must you suffer like this? Rest. I free you from your suffering. You have no need to endure any longer. Call my name, and you shall know peace.}

Two voices spoke out in my mind. One was from the dreams I had, one that was part of the legacy. And the other. Was one I heard fairly recently. It was during the Vampire conspiracy. A random ghoul we had Delroy investigate turned out to be originally a Reaper.

'FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.' Caught off guard, I could only curse in my mind.

Fear and terror began to wrap my entire body. I knew I would have to fight him eventually, but this was too soon! This fucking thing was something even Reapers could not kill! And it was already at my fucking doorstep!

Zanele said she met only five Successors before me in 300 years. Her childhood friend, Sibusiso Ncube, is from Zimbabwe. Luciano Nzinga, the one from Angola. Omar Farid of Egypt. Bashir Diallo, Nandhi's Successor from Mali. And finally, Zuri Kante, Zinhle's Successor from Sierra Leone.

"Very well. The worlds in the past did not end because Hell broke open. They ended because he who slumbers awoke and destroyed them."

[Yet, if the conditions for victory are to stop the snake, it is not possible at the moment. Thus, under the assumption that it will remain sealed, the next best thing is to delay its release as much as possible and prepare for it in the future.]

Even Maestro said the same thing. I wasn't sure when the vampire conspiracy began or when that Reaper was turned into a ghoul. But the timing was much closer than I thought.

'Exa, map out the timeline. When did Zuri operate if Sibu existed in the 1700s and Omar in the 1950s, providing 60 period cycles?'

[Under those time restraints, Sibu would have been from the 1720s; Luciano, the 1780s. This would place Omar's period during the 1840s. Bashir would have operated around the 1900s. Which would place Zuri Kante's period during the 1960s.]

The numbers didn't add up. There would have been another 60 years provided Zuri died within ten years of 1960. But then Zanele's words came back to me.

"That was the final key that allowed the Successor blood to become compatible. As John Smith eventually became Limitless, it seemed IRIS had succeeded in manufacturing its own Successors. No wonder you arrived extremely late. The bouts all but ended."

'The Successor for Africa for the current cycle must already be dead. Was that why IRIS tried to make their own Successors? Because something happened to the ones who should have been created?' I finally grasped.

The next 60-year period was in the year 2020. Today is 2023. So, the ones with me were survivors of the battles of the 2020 cycle. They have at least 3 years of experience over me.

"Zanele, something happened, right? IRIS tried to create Successors like me because the next cycle after Zuri didn't occur like normal."

At my words, Zanele made a surprised expression as she covered her mouth. She looked surprised but quickly regained her composure.

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"Yes. The Successor for Africa who should have ascended after Zuri was assassinated. We have no proof, but Blanche believes so. Along with him was the Successor from North America. We have yet to find the others. So, the fact that there is a second one here in Africa is a surprise."

Fuck. This thing just kept getting even more complicated. I needed to know what the other legacies did; only then could I prepare myself for what would come next. Zanele then took over and resumed her explanations.

"About the thing Zuri researched. It took time to decipher and recreate his notes. But, he was researching..."

"World serpents," I blurted out.

Although I wished to be wrong, Zanele made a surprised face before she nodded, "Yes, that is correct. He was researching snake deities."

'FUCK!'