Chapter 524: Story Behind All

The power to wield runes was given by this creature, Gaia, which represents the consciousness of this world. As the core shone with golden lights, the gentle voice spoke to him, teaching him the ways of the world.

Initially, Arthur did not want to listen because he realized that for him to return to Earth means taking away what kept Diana safe. However, the knowledge did not need his consent to transmit into his mind.

Time here was elastic, expanding beyond measure as he wished for it. Arthur could feel the seconds tick by, or he could let them become years, diluting his consciousness until it experienced every moment for a long time.

This was what Arthur did to reach a decision. However, the choice never changed, and he was not his father. Arthur wanted to find a different way to return without taking back what was his.

The unbridled time allowed him to think about everything, slowly, as he revised everything that his father did, and he went through. His father came to this world long before he did, and he planted the seeds of Arthur"s ascension until this moment.

It did not take a genius to realize that Diana was, among many others, another part of his father"s seeds for Arthur to return to Alka. Maybe it was more than that because his father wanted him to fight against the calamities as a hero.

Arthur, in many instances, listened to teenagers complain about their fathers influencing their career choices. His father disappeared before the decision came, and the disappearance was decided for Arthur.

However, it always filled him with an outsider"s envy because he thought these people had it easy. That their fathers might be hurting them, but at least, they were there.

Arthur now wished that his father was never there.

Because now, his father was everywhere, controlling every piece of his life without him knowing. Seref Silvera took the role a notch higher and decided that his son would have no choice but to follow his will.

He was unsure of what to feel about his father, whether it was hate, disappointment, or simply indifference. However, he was sure that his father was glad for himself, thinking he did this world a favor by creating a hero.

Arthur never wanted anything from this world ever since he was born. Others wanted to create guilds, rule kingdoms, kill dragons, or steal kisses under the moonlight from their sweethearts.

His father liked to read him stories of heroes. And now that he tried to remember, it was always of tragic heroes who sacrificed themselves without a second of hesitation. Arthur always reread the books because he wanted a different ending. He wanted the hero to rest and realize that the world would continue existing.

Maybe it was all to remember him for this moment, Arthur thought. The moment where he needs to sacrifice the one person who cared more about protecting him when his father did not.

"I want to know about how everything started."

"...existence?"

"Not interested with that, just how this power came to my hands. I want to know how my father was involved in that."

"I understand," Gaia paused before agreeing. "Let me tell you a tale when the world needed you the most. I needed you the most."

"I am all ears."

"Those times were crueler than now, and how heartbroken I am for it, but the world was dangerous. A creature came to this world, who would later be called Nameless. Then, you shortly arrived after to warn me about it."

"Where did I come from?"

"A different world, one far from ours. It was destroyed by Nameless, who took away everything you have. You found a way to find its next target and sought to stop it. I believe you were its protector, its king, and its ruler."

"I was a lot of things."

"You were, and the warning was enough for me to trust you. I decided to allow you to use the runes of the world, the strongest resource in existence. However, the world already had beings as powerful as you are, and not all of them agreed to your demands."

"What did I demand?"

"Nameless was a powerful creature, almost the strongest one calamity to be born. It attracted all the other calamities under its cause, promising them worlds that they could rule. It did the same with the guardians."

"It gave them an offer?"

"It did, and the offer was to abandon this world in exchange for one of their own, where no one can stand against them. Nameless only wanted to devour the core, and it did not care about anything."

"And there was no reason for the guardians to refuse."

"However, you knew better than that. Without the core, this world will fall apart, life will never sprout from it, and the people will be struck with famine. There will be no magic, no life, and no existence anymore."

"Then, did the Nameless promise them destroyed worlds?"

"It promised them worlds that were far smaller, not big enough to make him stronger, so everyone wins. However, there is always a price."

"The weaker humans."

"The guardians were allowed to take a few people with them, but not even comparable to the lives that they were going to leave behind."

"And why did they not fight against it?"

"That is also what you wanted to do, to fight for this world because Nameless was not going to stop after it devours this world. You were the only one who knew what was going to happen after this world"s core gets devoured, but you were an outsider."

"An outsider," laughed Arthur. "I guess some things never change."

"Sadly," the voice was heartbroken. "You tried to warn them, to make them see reason, but what was the alternative? A long, almost never-ending war that can even kill the G.o.ds. The G.o.ds of this world were selfish, and no sane person would sacrifice themselves."

"There were exceptions, though."

"You have already heard about them: G.o.d of s.p.a.ce, Wanderer Guardian and G.o.d of Artifacts, Scholar Guardian. The first agreed because it has already visited destroyed worlds, and the second trusted the runes who listened to your every command."

"However, it wasn"t enough to fight against the Nameless."

"It is hard to say what would be enough to defeat it, but five of the guardians agreed to its offer, and two did not plan on fighting it, choosing to protect their lands from the upcoming calamity. There were only three of you."

"Then, what happened?"

"The day arrived when the five guardians met and wanted to offer the core to Nameless. However, you had a plan. Nameless did not devour smaller worlds because they could not make him stronger, and for one other reason."

"The reason that this world became two..."

"Nameless could not descend to this world if the dimension were split into two. This was the plan that you had, and you wanted to hide the core between the two worlds, untouched for eternity."

"The other guardians should agree once they listen to this plan," Arthur was confused, but Gaia was silent. "However," he realized, "there is a reason that they are not here."

"The two worlds were unstable, unable to sustain their existence. This plan would be akin to imprisoning them for eternity in the void, unable to reclaim their powers. You knew that of them would agree, but you tried, and the answer was the same."

"How did we do it?"

"The s.p.a.ce Guardian used its knowledge, and you used the authority of the Creator for this world to become two. There was no harm to befall the natural life inside it, and the people will be alive afterward. However, the plan was too reckless because your human body could not handle that much Mana of Creation."

"I died."

"Indeed, but the plan was a success, and you saved the people from their imminent deaths. The Calamities were isolated inside a barrier in Alka, and all of the guardians were sealed within the void along with Nameless."

"However, there is still one guardian left."

"The Scholar Guardian was tasked matters of the future. You knew that the solution was temporary and that every seal would fade over time. Then, the Scholar Guardian created three artifacts. The Holy Crown, Isotox, and Legacy."

"Why would he create the Isotox?"

"Out of necessity. The two worlds demand harmony, to merge, and there was a need to prevent that. The Isotox was not meant to merge the two worlds, but to lessen the incidents where it happens."

"The fissures are what the Isotox could not prevent."

"It has a margin of error, for nothing is perfect. The Holy Crown was created to change the guardians" descendants, choose someone among the next generations who would lead the new world after it returns, and be its king. This was to ensure that the chaos will not destroy the world once it merges."

"And then there is the Legacy."

"A plan for you to return in another body, a different person, but with the same powers. The last artifact was something that the Scholar Guardian kept hidden from you because he knew that you would never agree."

"Then, how is my father related to all of this?"

"Your father is who the Scholar Guardian chose as his vessel."