The Devourer remained beside Traveler.
Its gaze moved to the three blades buried in his back.
For several seconds—
it said nothing.
Then one enormous tentacle reached down.
Its tip wrapped around the first blade.
Clink.
The Devourer pulled.
The blade came free.
Traveler's body did not move.
But something else did.
From the wound—
a thin strand of black smoke escaped.
The Devourer stopped.
It watched.
The smoke wasn't ordinary smoke.
It twisted through the air like something alive.
Then—
a tiny black flame appeared inside the wound.
Nihilfire.
The Devourer stared at it.
"So..."
Another tentacle removed the second blade.
Clink.
More black flame leaked from the wound.
The third blade came out.
Clink.
This time—
the Nihilfire burst outward.
Not violently.
Slowly.
Black flames crawled across Traveler's back like cracks spreading through darkness.
The Devourer watched with ancient familiarity.
"Even unconscious..."
A pause.
"...you are leaking destruction."
The Nihilfire slowly sank back into the wounds.
The flesh began closing.
The Devourer tilted its head.
"Pathetic."
It reached toward Traveler.
A strange energy passed through its tentacle.
The wounds began healing.
The damage to Traveler's back disappeared.
The wound on the right side of his head slowly closed as well.
The blood beneath him faded.
The Devourer continued healing him until there was almost no sign of the mountain fall.
Traveler remained unconscious.
The creature stared down at him.
"You were once capable of erasing gods."
Silence.
"Now three pieces of metal put you on the ground."
It paused.
"How embarrassing."
Traveler didn't respond.
The Devourer's voice became colder.
"You have fallen far."
A faint black flame escaped from Traveler's shoulder.
The Devourer noticed.
"Still..."
It stared at the flame.
"...the fire remains."
The Nihilfire disappeared beneath Traveler's skin.
The Devourer slowly withdrew its tentacles.
"I will not carry you."
It turned away.
"I will not wake you."
The creature began disappearing into the forest.
Then it stopped.
Without looking back—
it spoke.
"Get up yourself, Lord Arafial."
Silence.
"You always hated being helped."
The Devourer vanished beneath the earth.
The forest became still again.
Traveler remained alone.
Seris was still unconscious nearby.
The moonlight fell across Traveler's face.
His eyes remained closed.
His breathing was faint.
Then—
one tiny black flame appeared from the place where the first blade had entered.
It crawled across his skin.
Stopped.
And disappeared.
Traveler did not wake.
But deep beneath his unconscious mind—
something had begun burning.