Reborn as the Last van Ambrose
Chapter 191: Conversation

Chapter 191: Conversation

Gongfu led Grim through a series of passages that wound deeper into the East Sea realm, away from the grand amphitheater and the other Dragon Kings.

The corridors here were different—older, carved from natural rock rather than shaped coral. Bioluminescent organisms provided dim lighting, creating an atmosphere that felt both ancient and intimate.

They walked silently for several minutes, the only sounds being the distant movement of water and the soft echo of their footsteps.

Finally, they reached a circular chamber with walls covered in intricate carvings. At the center sat a simple stone table with two chairs carved from what appeared to be a single piece of jade.

"Please, sit," Gongfu said, settling into one of the chairs.

Grim took the opposite seat.

"You have questions," Gongfu began without preamble. "About me, about what happened during my awakening, about the changes you’ve observed."

"Among other things," Grim replied carefully. "You seem... different. More than just physically."

Gongfu nodded slowly. "The awakening process does more than just reveal our true forms."

He leaned forward slightly, his golden eyes intense. "I remember now why I chose to remain in human form for so long. Why I resisted the awakening when my brothers underwent theirs."

"And why was that?"

"Because I had visions fill my mind," Gongfu said quietly. "The truth about Axem."

Grim felt his pulse quicken. "You knew my ancestor personally?"

"No, I only saw him when I was younger," Gongfu confirmed. "More than that—I was there when he made the choice that changed everything. I watched him make the decision that branded him a traitor in the eyes of my family."

"Your ancestor wasn’t a traitor, Grim. He was trying to save everyone, including the Dragon Emperor. But the method he chose... it required sacrifices that no one else was willing to make."

"What kind of sacrifices?"

Gongfu turned back to face him. "Axem discovered that the corruption threatening the realms wasn’t random."

"Malaxis," Grim said, the name escaping his lips before he could stop it.

"Yes," Gongfu said with evident surprise. "You know that name. How?"

"He’s the one who destroyed my family," Grim replied grimly. "The shadow overlord who possessed my father and tried to kill me twelve years ago. He’s the reason I bear this scar."

Gongfu’s expression grew dark. "Then you understand the scope of what we’re dealing with. Malaxis isn’t just a powerful enemy—he’s a force of corruption that has been working to undermine the stability of multiple realms for millennia."

"And Axem knew this?"

"Axem was the first to recognize the true threat," Gongfu confirmed. "While the rest of us were focused on immediate dangers—the corruption spreading through the sea realms, the political instability among the dragon courts—Axem was looking at the larger pattern."

Gongfu returned to his seat, his expression heavy with old grief. "He came to my father with a plan. A way to not just seal away the corruption, but to create a permanent barrier that would prevent Malaxis from ever accessing the sea realms again."

"The four keys," Grim said, understanding beginning to dawn.

"Exactly. But the plan required more than just the Emperor’s power. It required a sacrifice from the human side as well—someone willing to bind their bloodline permanently to the defense of the realms."

"Axem volunteered his family line."

"He did more than volunteer," Gongfu said solemnly. "He insisted on it. Despite knowing what it would cost his descendants, despite understanding that it would make his family targets for Malaxis’s revenge, he bound your bloodline to the protection of the sea realms."

Grim absorbed this information, feeling the weight of ancestral responsibility settling on his shoulders. "But something went wrong."

"The binding worked too well," Gongfu explained. "The connection between your family and the Dragon Emperor became so strong that it began to affect Axem’s judgment. He started making decisions based on what he believed was best for the realms, not what was best for humanity."

"What kind of decisions?"

Gongfu hesitated, clearly struggling with the memory. "He advocated for the complete separation of the human and dragon realms. Permanently. He argued that humans were too weak, too corruptible, to ever be trusted with knowledge of our existence."

"And the Dragon Emperor disagreed?"

"My father believed in cooperation," Gongfu said. "He saw the potential for mutual benefit, for shared strength. But Axem... the binding had changed him. Made him think more like a dragon than a human."

"So what happened?"

"They fought," Gongfu said simply. "Not physically—my father would never have harmed Axem directly. But they had a fundamental disagreement about the future of both realms. In the end, Axem left. He took the knowledge of the keys’ locations and disappeared."

"And he was branded a traitor for abandoning his post?"

"For abandoning his family," Gongfu corrected. "The binding meant that his descendants would still be connected to the sea realms, still be called upon when the need arose. But without Axem to guide them, to teach them their heritage, they would be unprepared for what was to come."

Grim felt a chill run down his spine. "Unprepared for Malaxis’s revenge."

"Exactly. Every attack on your family line, every attempt to corrupt or destroy your bloodline, has been part of Malaxis’s long-term strategy. He knows that as long as Axem’s descendants exist, the seals binding him remain strong."

"But if he eliminates us entirely..."

"The seals weaken," Gongfu confirmed. "Not immediately, but over time. Eventually, they would fail completely, and Malaxis would be free to corrupt not just the sea realms, but all connected dimensions."

The implications were staggering. Grim’s entire life, his family’s destruction, his own struggles—all of it had been part of a conflict that had been raging for centuries.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Grim asked. "Why not let me learn it gradually, like the others seem to want?"

Gongfu’s expression grew earnest. "Because you’re about to be offered more contracts, more power, more responsibility. And before you accept any of it, you need to understand what you’re truly agreeing to."

"Which is?"

"To become what Axem was supposed to be," Gongfu said. "The bridge between our realms. The guardian of the seals. The one who stands against Malaxis when he finally makes his move."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then we find another way," Gongfu said without hesitation. "My father may believe in destiny, but I believe in choice. You have the right to walk away from this responsibility, to live your own life without the burden of your ancestors’ decisions."

"But the seals would still weaken."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps we would find another solution. The point is, you shouldn’t accept this burden out of guilt or obligation. If you choose to stand with us, it should be because you believe it’s the right thing to do."

Grim sat in silence for several minutes, processing everything Gongfu had revealed. The dragon remained patient, giving him time to think.

"There’s something else," Grim said finally. "The Dragon Emperor asked me to kill Axem if I encounter him. But if what you’re saying is true..."

"His memories regarding Axem are fragmented," Gongfu said carefully. "He remembers the betrayal, the abandonment, but not the reasons behind it. His request comes from a place of old pain."

"So Axem might still be alive?"

"The binding that connected him was never properly severed," Gongfu explained. "It’s possible that some part of him persists, perhaps in the same way that Caius guides you in moments of crisis."

"And if I meet him?"

"Listen to what he has to say," Gongfu advised. "Judge him by his actions and intentions, not by the legend of his supposed betrayal. The truth is often more complex than the stories we tell ourselves."

Grongfu stood, indicating that their private conversation was drawing to a close. "My uncles are waiting to offer you contracts, to bind you more closely to our realm. But remember—every contract is a choice, and every choice has consequences."

"What would you do, in my position?"

Gongfu smiled, the first genuine expression of warmth Grim had seen from him since his transformation. "I would make the choice that allows me to sleep peacefully, knowing that I acted according to my own principles rather than others’ expectations."

"Even if those principles conflict with family loyalty?"

"Especially then," Gongfu replied. "True loyalty isn’t blind obedience. It’s making the hard decisions that serve the greater good, even when those decisions are painful."

As they prepared to return to the amphitheater, Gongfu placed a hand on Grim’s shoulder. "Whatever you decide, know that you have at least one ally among the dragon courts. I will support your choices, even if they conflict with my father’s wishes."

"Thank you," Grim said, genuinely moved by the gesture. "That means more than you know."

"Just remember," Gongfu said as they began walking back through the passages, "power without wisdom is destruction, but wisdom without power is impotence. You’ll need both if you’re going to succeed where Axem failed."

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