Chapter 1127 Tribute of Memories

"With childish innocence and inability to know better, the creator jumped into its own world to experience the emotions it never had," said the Scholar Guardian with a smile as he looked at the sand blowing in the wind. "This is how creation started."

"And who created the creator?"

"How would we know such a thing?" shot back the guardian at him with a shrug. "Even this story could be a lie, as far as we car. The source of this story is the man I met a long time ago, King Arthur, and the one I admire more than any other."

"The man within my sea of consciousness," said Arthur with raised brows. "Is he the creator?"

"A king of a distant world that lost everything because of Nameless," said the scholar guardian as his eyes reminisced the past. "However, he is not the creator. He was blessed with the powers of creation when he met Gaia."

"Is Gaia the creator, then?"

"Gaia is the spirit that the creator entrusted before its descent," said the guardian with a smirk. "Before it jumped into existence, it knew that life would not be any different with omnipotent power. Thus, it entrusted Gaia with that knowledge and left."

"Then, why would Gaia take away the runes from me if I choose wrath?"

"Do you mean the alternate reality that I showed you in the Demonic Palace?" asked Jizo with a smile. "Gaia would take away the powers of creation from anyone that it does not deem as capable of handling them."

"The question is simple, then," said Arthur with a frown as his patience wore thin. "How am I related to all of this, as the Returning King?"

"A long time ago, a man mastered wrath and discovered its hidden power against the G.o.d before the creator even appeared," said the guardian as it poked a finger into the sand and swirled around, forming a perfect circle. "His name was Ragnar Netherborne, your ancestor."

"And he led the rebellion against the G.o.ds, but failed?"

"It was that failure that made the G.o.ds realize how powerful wrath can be if used against them, and cursed its users with madness. After Ragnar, many creatures carried Wrath, but none could master it again, including Eragon."

"How did I come to carry both creation and wrath, then?"

"This plan began the moment King Arthur told me the truth about Nameless, and how it was created by the G.o.ds," said Jizo as he lifted his finger from the sand and looked through the circle. "I realized that even if we stopped Nameless at that time, it would be a temporary solution, nothing more."

"And what was the plan?"

"I sought other astral beings in hopes to find a way to win, and I came across the legend of the Returning King," explained the guardian, his eyes turning toward Arthur. "I realized that if I give someone the ability to master wrath and creation, the Returning King will defeat the G.o.ds."

"You were the one to reincarnate both Eragon and King Arthur," said Arthur with realization as he looked at the man. "How could you deceive the man you admired?"

"I admired his knowledge, not his character," said Jizo as he shook his head and raised his voice. "Our world was a duty to him, nothing more. I admired him, but he was not our savior. He became nothing more than an empty sh.e.l.l after losing everything he had."

Arthur was quiet at this time, because he realized the truth in those words. Even if he wielded creation, King Arthur was not the man to save this world. He just wanted revenge on Nameless, but he lost as well.

"I had to reincarnate him to use his knowledge about runes, but I also had to choose the next king of wrath," said Jizo as he relaxed with defeat. "You are that person, the man destined to carry both creation and wrath."

"I know I am," said Arthur without any self-pity or anger. The reaction surprised the guardian, who expected Arthur to hate him. "Nothing will change who I am, and what I am destined to do."

"Would you forgive me one day?"

"Is forgiveness what you need?"

"In my pursuit and wait for your birth, I have grown to imagine how you would be," said Jizo in a sincere expression. "Seref was the man I chose for that job, and I named you after King Arthur in his memory. In a twisted way, I consider you to be my son too."

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur with confusion. "You named me because of King Arthur? I thought Arthur Silvera was the name Seref had before he immigrated to the Yalveran Union."

"Is that what he told you?" asked the guardian with a short laugh. "I don"t want to share things on his behalf, but that"s a lie. Seref always had that name. Arthur is the name of the friend I once admired and betrayed."

"…what is the reason behind his lies?"

"Am I the one who should answer that?"

"…I will ask him myself."

"I have now told you everything you need to know about your origins," said Jizo with a smile. "Would you spare me a few minutes to tell my story?"

Arthur wanted to refuse, but the guardian looked like nothing but a ghost now. After all, he has seen his earlier form, rotten and filled with worms. It might have been his disguise, but Arthur knew that this guardian spent a long time preparing for this moment. Thus, he nodded.

The scholar began telling his story. After he learned about wrath and its purpose in the world, he hatched a plan to betray the creator"s wishes for death. King Arthur wanted to die at that time and let someone else take the role, but the guardian betrayed him.

Jizo watched as his friend battled wrath and sacrificed his life to create two worlds, where none could touch the other. As for the rest, he entrusted them to the man betraying his trust.

King Arthur perished alongside Eragon, and the Scholar Guardian connected their souls through the legacy. He then ascended and became the Immortal Sage, who had a single goal: to create the Demon King.

Everything else fell into place. After gathering armies and astral beings, Jizo sought Azkahar, the most knowledgeable dragon. After rescuing him, he created the Red Tower, a place where he could hide the dragon.

Arthur asked him about the reason behind the tower"s existence, and the guardian explained that it was an incubation for Arthur"s awakening. Arthur would not have been able to access the kingdom of wrath in any other place because of the G.o.ds.

For that reason, Arthur no longer felt like the tower master was his enemy. The reason that he allowed no one to leave was because he feared the G.o.ds learning about what happens inside the tower.

This brought them to their final issue with the tower. After all, more than one G.o.d appeared inside the tower. Jizo explained that without offering the G.o.ds something, they would have never allowed this realm to exist.

Soul Fragments.

When someone dies inside the tower, they would be revived through the creational runes of the guardian. However, a fragment of their soul would be taken and paid to Devaheim as tribute. This resulted in a loss of memories.

To sustain this tower and allow it to exist, waiting for Arthur to enter it, Jizo has created an entire ecosystem. People would enter this tower, hoping to conquer it, before being trapped here and offering fragments of their souls.

"I targeted worlds that Nameless was destroying, in hopes to save as many people as possible from death," said Jizo with a sigh. "I do realize that many wish to go back to their world, but they would die without a doubt."

"I understand your reasons now, but there is something you forgot to tell me," said Arthur with a frown. "What is the purpose behind Nameless? Why does Devaheim want to destroy the lower worlds?"

"Are you sure that you want to know the truth?"

"If I don"t know it, then when?"

"That is true. In essence, the less worlds that exist, the more Devaheim obtains control over the runes of creation," explained the guardian with a sigh. "Devaheim is nothing but a realm where the powerful gathers. Then, they called themselves G.o.ds and began deciding what happens in the lower realms."

"And every G.o.d knows about Nameless?"

"No one knows who created that nothingness, but we know it"s a G.o.d. I don"t know what happens inside Devaheim, so I don"t have any answers to give you regarding this."

"But you can tell me what"s their goal is?" 

"The same as all creatures," the guardian shrugged. "Immortality, knowledge, power, and glory. Their reasons differ, but it doesn"t matter. At some point, Devaheim will break the wheel of creation and everything will collapse. Once that happens, no one will be there to recreate it."