Chapter 185 - Two Persons (3)
Chapter 185 - Two Persons (3)
<I’m the one that eliminated your curse. Despite this fact, there are two reasons why you slept for a long time.>
First, Carlos eliminated the curse after Azell fell asleep for over 100 years. Until that moment, Azell had been using his hibernation to resist against the curse, and he had been persistent in hanging onto his life.
Secondly, the damage he had taken from the curse had put him close to death. It took a long time for Azell to recover from it.
“I woke up with my Rings of Life missing not because of the long sleep…...”
<The curse ate away at it. If it wasn’t for your Rings of Life, you would have died before I was able to circumvent the curse.>
“So that's how it was…….”
Azell was astonished. He knew something had gone awry, but he hadn’t expected this.
“What was the true identity of the curse?”
Albatan had revealed that Atein’s curse hadn’t been placed there only to kill Azell. Albatan had revealed that there was some profound intent behind the curse.
Carlos spoke.
<Dragon Demon General.>
“What are you saying?”
<Atein planned on making you the new Dragon Demon general, Azell.>
“What?”
Azell couldn’t hide the shock he was feeling.
What nonsense was he saying?
However, Carlos was serious.
<Let’s look at our current situation. All the Dragon weapons of the Dragon Demon generals had been preserved. Reygus’ corpse had been destroyed, yet he was brought back as a special breed of Undead. How was he revived as this special Undead? Moreover, Almarick was able to come fully back to life, because his corpse had been recovered. How was this all possible?>
“What’s worse is that Atein is trying to revive himself too. Laura surmised that this was all possible thanks to the Great Darkness…….”
<That i s correct. They stored their essence within the Great Darkness, and this allows them to be revived.>
“What is the Great Darkness? How can it bring about such miracles?”
<If I try to explain it in a concise manner….. Hmmm. Yes. Let us say there are beings that had gained transcendent power. It is the graveyard for those that had reached for immortality.>
“A graveyard?”
<There were beings that couldn’t die, and those that were dead that still wanted to live forever. It’s a graveyard that promised eternal sleep for these beings.>
“…you are explaining in a prose that magicians love to use. I have no idea what you are trying to say.”
<Ha ha ha. If I start getting into the specifics, the explanation will become endless. However, I’ll tell you about a figure you have to know. There was a being named Belrun from a long time ago.>
“What did he do?”
<He was called the King of Death. He was the original black magician.>
“That’s a very grandiose title. I don’t think I’ve heard about him before…...”
<He was a figure buried in legends. However, he once pushed the world to the brink of its demise. He was the first amongst the numerous creatures of this world to defy death. He became an Undead. He also used his experience of becoming an Undead to create summoning techniques that taunted death.>
It was the same story told by Reygus to Chanes.
‘A living being feels pain, because one is alive. That is why I will make everyone into an Undead. Everyone will transcend the cycle of life and death. This will free everyone from the the pain caused by the four phases of life!’
Belrun was a madman that had tried to bring his ambition into reality.
The problem was the fact that Belrun had the enough power to bring his ambition into fruition. He was the first to defy death, and he shook the foundation of the world by causing all kinds of disasters. He caused countless deaths.
<In the end, he was defeated at the hands of Atein, Almarick and Reygus.>
“So they were once heroes, who saved the world.”
<That isn’t the entire story, but it is part of it.>
However, even Atein was unable to kill Belrun. Belrun had transcended death, and it was more apt to say that he was a god-like figure.
<Atein put Belrun in a sleep that he couldn’t wake up from. Then Atein sealed him. The method he used to bring about this result was the Great Darkness.>
Belrun wasn’t the only one trapped within the Great Darkness. He wasn’t the first nor would he be the last.
There were beings that the world couldn’t handle. These transcendent beings threatened the balance of the world through their madness. Atein methodically defeated these beings, and he had sealed them within the Great Darkness.
It was odd. These were beings that transcended the mysteries of the world. They had become immortals, and every single one of them had gone mad.
They couldn’t accept the world that was in front of them, so they tried to change the world into their image. Every time such an event occurred, Atein and his comrades fought to defend the world.
<…moreover, the power of the sealed beings became the basis for creating the Great Darkness. This is my guess, but Atein probably hadn’t expected such a result to occur. Atein had realized that it was impossible to indefinitely seal the power of these near immortal beings. This was why he further developed the Great Darkness.>
These were beings that could not perish. How could one seal beings that continuously regenerated?
It was impossible.
Atein put them to sleep, and he created a method where their power was being continuously consumed.
Atein used the power generated by these beings as pillar to a feedback structure that encompassed the world. It was a system that continuously sealed them using their own power, and it continuously inflicted loss on their power.
The Great Darkness possessed immense possibility, and when the power of these beings mixed with the Great Darkness, the Great Darkness started to change.
<The Great Darkness was something that transcended magic. Atein had created it, but it had become part of the world. This caused a huge wound to be formed on this world.>
“So they were able to use the power of Belrun to revive themselves?”
<It is part of the reason. The power to make the Undead allowed him to make the special Undead. However, that power couldn’t wholly bring someone back to life. Reygus was a result that was achieved using Belrun’s power.>
“Hmm. It seems we’ve strayed off topic.… What about the part where he was trying to make me a Dragon General?”
<I need to tell you this story. If not, you won’t be able to understand the conclusion. Atein targeted you with the curse, because he wanted to make you part of the Great Darkness.>
“Mmm?”
<It means you would have been a subordinate to the Great Darkness like Almarick and Reygus.>
“That…….”
Azell stopped breathing for a moment.
If he had died by Atein’s curse, would he have been reborn in this era like Almarick?
<Yes, you would have become the new Dragon Demon general. You would have had to obey Atein.>
“…….”
Azell became chilled with fright. He never expected such a plot from Atein.
His attempt failed. I was barely able to find out the true nature of the curse, and I was able to eliminate it.>
“By this time, you’ve been asleep for well over 100 years…...”
Azell felt an ominous feeling as he queried Carlos.
“Were you in this state? Or were you still your former self?”
<No.>
“So how were you able to accomplish it?”
Carlos couldn’t exit this place. It had been the same at the time.
The Guardian Shadows were created at a later date. Basically, he didn’t have any subordinates that could have helped him take care of his business. That was what Azell surmised.
<As expected, you are quite sharp. I…..>
Carlos spoke with a bitterness in his voice.
<I became part of the Great Darkness.>
5
While Azell and Carlos were conversing, the other party members were walking down a tunnel created within the mountain peak of Laus. They felt a chill. Kairen spoke using the Whispering technique.
-It is creepy here. Is everyone an Undead here?
There were countless stone cases, clothes and armor filled with darkness lining the tunnel. It seemed they were all vessels containing an Undead.
Yuren spoke.
-I guess so. They are all very powerful Undead. They feel similar to the Guardian Shadows……..
They felt similar to the ‘Sleepless Guardians’, who had accompanied the Keepers of the Prophecy. They felt distinct from the normal Undead, and they seemed to possess more power.
Kairen posed a question.
-Why won’t they mobilize them onto the field? With this amount of troops, the ongoing fight would be resolved much easier……
The Sleepless Guardians were powerful beings. However, they had possessed a limitation. They had been tied to the Keepers of Prophecy. However, if there were more beings like them, they would be able to further restrict the activities of the Dragon Demon king worshippers.
‘It is an unsatisfying situation.’
The party reached their destination. There was a space along the tunnel that had been widened, and the items for the party had be readied there.
The Undead spoke.
<Please look on top of the stone altar engraved with your name.>
It was as he said. The space contained wide stone pillars that had the name of Kairen, Laura, Leticia and Yuren engraved on it. On top of these altars, there were items that were infused with powerful magic.
“It seems they really prepared items that are tailored to each of us.”
Kairen expressed his amazement. There was a sword that looked similar to his Dragon Sword, and there was a set of armor that looked similar to the one he wore in the past. These items didn’t contain any Dragon Demon magic, but one could tell that they were powerful magical weapons. Leticia received a new spear and armor. Laura received a magic tome that contained Carlos’ knowledge, and a coat that was infused with magic. They also received accessories that were complementary to the gears they received.
“Why do I only get this?”
Yuren sounded as if he was about to cry. It was to be expected…..
“You only received that?”
Kairen was taken aback.
Yuren was given an iron box that was the size of his fist. Yuren furrowed his brows.
“Wow. Since he is my ancestor, my hopes were high. How can this be?”
“It seems you just look like him. You might not be his descendant….”
“That’s not possible. You heard what Azell and Almarick said, right?”
Yuren grumbled as he looked over the box. It didn’t look special, but a change occurred when he inserted his magical energy into the box.
-To my descendant Yuren Rizester.
When he inserted his magical energy, he heard the voice of Carlos within his head.
-This is the Box of Hope.
‘Box of Hope?’
-If you open this box, you will be greeted by an irrevocable destruction.
The name and the description didn’t match up.
-I promise you this. In return, you will be able to overcome any danger using this.
‘It is used for suicide bombing.’
Yuren grumbled. Basically, he would have to sacrifice his life to obtain enormous power.
However, the explanation hadn’t ended yet.
-Then you will find out the truth.
‘Truth?’
-This is a truth you must know. The miracle is the price for this truth. The choice is up to you, my descendant.
Carlos’ explanation ended there. However, Yuren dumbfoundedly stared at the box for a long time.
‘Truth? What truth is he talking about? Is he perhaps talking about the identity of the Guide?’
He had a lot of guesses, but he was leery at the fact that he couldn’t pinpoint what Carlos was talking about. Yuren furrowed his brows.