All Chapters of THE GOD'S OF CHOSEN WARRIOR : Chapter 481
- Chapter 490
584 chapters
The Poisoning
The four warriors who had emerged from the tavern came to an abrupt halt when they saw that Aji and Ratih had not yet departed the establishment. Moving with deliberate care—as if treading through sacred ground where even the smallest misstep could shatter the peace—they advanced toward the couple, their eyes fixed on the pair with a mixture of respect and purpose.“Lord Aji …” one of them called out, his voice carrying clearly through the quiet afternoon air.Aji and Ratih turned as one, their gazes shifting to find the source of the greeting. When they saw that the speakers were the same four warriors who had shared the upper room with them at the tavern, they pivoted their bodies fully to face the approaching men, their postures relaxed but alert—habit forged by years of life on the road and in battle.Aji furrowed his brow in obvious confusion, his mind racing to place their faces or recall any meeting that might have passed between them. He was certain he had never laid eyes on t
The Case of Duke Ranamungkarna
Diandra and Ratih stood frozen in shock as tendrils of thick black smoke rose from Aji’s head, twisting and curling into the air like dark spirits dancing in the golden light of the room.Ratih knew well what her husband was doing—had witnessed this ancient art of healing only a handful of times before—but for Diandra, the sight was beyond comprehension. The seventeen-year-old girl stared wide-eyed, her heart racing with fear that the handsome warrior might be harming her mother rather than helping her, tears already beginning to well in her dark eyes.Seeing the terror etched across Diandra’s face, Ratih stepped forward and drew the younger woman into a gentle embrace, speaking softly against her ear. “Be calm—do not be afraid. My husband is healing your mother. The poison that has taken root in her blood is being drawn out through his own body.”“Truly?” Diandra pulled back slightly to look into Ratih’s eyes, her own glistening with a fragile hope she had not dared to feel in weeks.
The Search
“I have been thinking the very same,” Aji said, letting out a heavy sigh that carried the weight of his frustration. His mind felt like a labyrinth with no clear path forward—without more information, solving this case seemed an impossible task. “But who is this woman, and where in this village are we to find her? We have nothing to guide us but whispers and old memories.”“Has any one of you laid eyes on her before?” he asked, turning to the four warriors who stood ready before him.“I have, my lord,” spoke up one of the men—a tall, broad-shouldered warrior whose presence commanded respect even in his plain traveling clothes. “I saw her when she came before the king to file her complaint—she passed through the great hall as I stood guard at the entrance.”“Did you see her face clearly enough to recognize her again?”“Not every detail, my lord—but her bearing, her voice, the way she carried herself. I would know her if we should meet again—that I swear to you.”“What is your name?” Aj
The Unexpected Revelation
As they entered the room, Diandra’s mother was already sitting upright on the edge of her bed—her complexion clear and vibrant, a far cry from the frail figure they had tended to just hours before. A wide, warm smile spread across her lips as she saw Aji and Ratih approach, her eyes shining with gratitude and newfound strength.While they had been out walking through the village, Diandra had spoken at length to her mother about the couple who had come to their aid—telling her how Aji had willingly drawn the deadly poison from her body, how Ratih had comforted her when fear threatened to overwhelm her, and how both had shown them kindness without thought of reward.“You look well again, auntie,” Aji said gently as he crossed the room to stand beside her. “Let me examine you once more, just to be certain that no trace of the poison remains in your system. Would you be so kind as to extend your hand to me?”Without hesitation, she offered him her right hand—her fingers slender and delica
Aji’s Conviction
Could it be that his mother, Diandra, was the very figure being spoken of by the two individuals within that grand manor? The question clung fast to Aji’s thoughts, weaving through every corner of his mind like ivy creeping across ancient stone walls.If such a truth held firm, then his mother Diandra must be safeguarded with the utmost vigilance imaginable. It would be folly to dismiss the possibility that should they learn the woman now lived in peace and wholeness, paths of brutal violence might well be forged to preserve the standing of Duke Ranamungkarna.In a moment of unguarded movement, his sleeve caught against a heavy iron lantern, sending it tumbling from its perch high above. Aji reached out with swift intent, yet the weight of the fixture was too great to stay its fall—it crashed against the earth below with a resounding clang that shattered the night’s quiet, rousing the curiosity of the guards posted at the manor’s gates. Even several village elders, gathered nearby to
The Night Assault
“And what of it, Sumarta? Speak plainly—what do you see?” Aji’s voice held a note of quiet urgency, his eyes fixed intently on his trusted captain as they stood within the humble entryway of the house.“Y-Yes, Sir… It is her,” Sumarta stammered, his words catching in his throat as he struggled to reconcile the truth before him. Never in all his years of service had he imagined that the very woman they had been commanded to seek would be so close to their own liege—bound by ties of blood and love rather than duty alone.“Brother Aji, what is happening?” The question came in unison from Ratih and Diandra, their voices laced with confusion as they watched the exchange unfold. Ratih stepped forward, her brow furrowed with concern, while Diandra’s gaze flitted between the two men, her hands clasped tightly at her chest.Aji turned his attention toward the inner room where his mother lay sleeping, her breathing deep and steady beneath layers of woven cotton blankets. He knew that to disturb
Dread
The soldiers of Duke Ranamungkarna stood frozen, their mouths agape as they watched the four elite guards bow their heads in unwavering deference to Aji. In their minds, only one conclusion could be drawn: this strikingly handsome man must be a high-ranking noble of the royal court. For what other reason would warriors of such esteemed standing—members of the kingdom’s most revered guard—show such profound respect to a single individual?The bald mercenary leader fixed Aji with a glare as sharp as shards of obsidian. Then, without warning, he threw back his head and roared with laughter—so loud and boisterous that his thick, sweeping mustache (which curved across his lips like the great Bengawan Solo river winds through the land) bounced up and down with each heave of his broad shoulders.“Hahahaha! Those four whelps could not hope to stand against me, and you—you think you can fare any better?”Aji offered nothing more than a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the verbal assault. T
The Arrest
Neither the bald mercenary nor his four companions could have anticipated what happened next. As the massive blade came crashing down, Aji simply shifted his foot a single step to the side—moving with the fluid grace of a leaf dancing on the wind—and avoided the strike entirely. In the same instant, his hand shot forward, wrapping around the bald man’s throat with a grip like iron forged in the heart of a volcano. Again and again, the sound of cracking bone echoed through the night air—KREEK! KREEK!—as Aji’s fingers crushed through cartilage and sinew without effort.The sight of their leader felled in a single, brutal motion transformed the remaining mercenaries’ perception of the handsome warrior before them. Where once they had seen only a fair face and a gentle smile, now they beheld a ferocity so cold and unyielding it seemed to freeze the very air around them.Their knees trembled violently beneath them, their hearts hammering against their ribs like stallions racing across open
The Underground Chamber
As the group filed into the room, their eyes swept across the spacious chamber—but not a single soul could be seen within its walls.“Search every inch of this place—find them now!” Aji commanded, his gaze cutting through the shadows as he took in the room’s layout. Three massive wooden cabinets stood against the far wall, their doors carved with intricate patterns of vines and flowers. Near the center of the room sat a set of heavy chairs arranged around a round table, and beside it lay a neat stack of ancient books and palm-leaf manuscripts, their pages yellowed with age.One by one, the cabinets were thrown open, their contents revealed to the light. But instead of finding Duke Ranamungkarna and Village Chief Surananta, the searchers discovered piles upon piles of treasure—gold coins glinting like captured sunlight, gemstones of every color winking from velvet cushions, and chests filled with silk fabrics and precious metals beyond counting.“It seems they have fled, Sir,” one of t
The Trial
Aji offered a faint, knowing smile as he took in the look of stunned disbelief on Duke Ranamungkarna’s face. “Why such surprise at seeing me? Had I known the full extent of your crimes back when we crossed paths at the village eatery, I would have ended your reign of terror then and there!”“What crime have I committed? I am innocent of all accusations!” the Duke protested, his voice rising with desperation as he struggled against his bonds.“Your words are meaningless—all evidence has been gathered and laid bare,” Aji replied, his tone cold and unyielding. “Tomorrow, you will stand trial before every man, woman, and child in this village. The truth of what you have done will be heard by all.” His gaze then shifted to Village Chief Surananta, his eyes burning with righteous anger.“And you—you who were meant to lead and protect these people as their chief. Instead, you chose to conspire in murder, trading the trust of your community for gold and empty promises!”Surananta could do not