Chapter 119: Epilogue
“These names…” the boy’s hands trembled. The people mentioned in this letter, they were all known to the boy with some more than just simple acquaintance. But that was not the problem. Why were the names of all the Gods written here? The notice talked about an expedition but what exactly? And more importantly, what did that have to do with this place?
If this was the heavens as Alastor assumed it was, then it would be strange for the Gods to do an expedition in their own world. After all, they were the ones who created this world. That was why they were called Gods in the first place.
But could it be possible that maybe, just maybe, that was not the case? Else, how would you explain the dead corpses outside which clearly belonged to this expedition party? If so, what exactly was this place? Who built it? There was just so many questions that remained unanswered.
With the heavy thoughts in mind, Alastor put down the paper and decided to go through the old journal. Maybe it could shed some lights on these mysteries. However, the note was old and some passages have been awfully ravaged by time. Still, Alastor was able to make sense of whatever was left of it.
As he went through the journal, the boy murmured to himself. “A godless world?”
According to the journal, the expedition team was ordered to inspect a certain location based on an anonymous tip their leaders have received. They were very surprised that such a world was never accounted for in their archive nor any mention of its origin.
Following their encounter with the local populace of that world and after careful inspections, the expedition team reported three unusual aspects of this foreign world.
The first thing the expedition team noticed was the absurd density of mana the moment they landed. Compared to the many worlds they have visited in the past, this one possessed so much mana to the point of being unnatural. With this level of density of mana, it was likely that the lifeforms of this place would grow to be much stronger than usual and at a much faster rate.
Secondly, as mentioned multiple times in the journal, this world was “godless”. The expedition tried to find the individual behind the creation of this strange world to no avail. It was like someone created it and just left afterwards. The hypothesis was mentioned but immediately refuted as there was simply no reasons for it. As mentioned in the first point, someone who was capable of creating an entire world and filled it with this level of mana would be on par with the “Ancients”, a word that Alastor did not find any information on.
Last but not least, the expedition team has encountered an unknown foe during their stay in the foreign world on multiple occasions. The enemy apparently numbered only one, each time with a different strategy but obviously never truly revealed it true strength. The only description of the unknown force was a shadow that moved at light speed and possessed a pair of glowing red eyes. Their weapons were strange and did not use any kind of magic known to the members of the expedition team, which was preposterous considered the experiences they had. A member of the team pointed out that it was as if the enemy was testing out and analyzing the strength of the expedition team. Alas, they never managed to catch enemy.
This, however, was not the end of journal. On the final page of the journal, the author mentioned something about the sudden appearance of a giant door in the sky. Unable to let this occurrence unchecked, Eden volunteered to take a few members to inspect the other side of the door. But they never returned.
“Considering that this journal is here….” Alastor took a careful look around the room once more as he put down the journal. “ I can only guess what happened to the rest of the team. But what exactly happened here?”
The mystery only deepened at this point. So many questions yet he did not receive any clear answer. However, the boy could make out at least one conclusion: the gods he knew as the gods of Astora did not in fact come from this world at all. But if not, then where did they come from? More importantly, did all members of the expedition team really perish? That would make no sense since Alastor has met the others. They clearly were alive. Yet, none of them ever mentioned anything about this whole affair.
Especially the behaviors of the gods he slayed were very odd to say the least. What were their goal? Why did they want to bring Alastor to this place, at the extent of their own lives?
‘Are they even themselves anymore?’
With heavy thoughts, the boy exited the building and continued toward the only destination he had in sight: the tower.
* * *
Finally, he has arrived at his destination. Surrounded by rows of black buildings that formed a square around it, the tower stood imposingly in the middle of a large empty field of white tiles. Made no mistake, the tower was in no way ordinary. Its architecture consisted of two large pillars spiraling around one large middle conic-shape tower that extended above the clouds. The surface of the construct was so smooth it reflected the scene around it like a mirror yet durable. The technology used to build this construct seemed far more advanced compared to what Alastor has seen in his entire life, including the other world he has visited.
A close inspection revealed that the only entrance to the place was this large corridor of stairs leading toward a heightened level of the central tower. As much as he wished to inspect the place further, the boy did not wish to lose more time in this strange city anymore. He had to go back to the others on the surface as soon as he could. But what could he do now that he has lost all his powers? Still, he would have to worry about that later.
Before Alastor could even take his first step on the stairs, the door to the central tower suddenly lifted, revealing the figure of man wearing odd cloth and a narrow-brimmed type of hat.
“Long time no see, kid!” the man waved his hand amicably and greeted the dumb-founded boy with a smile. “You really did become strong like I thought you would.”
“You are…. Who are you again?” Alastor uttered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the boy definitely remembered that he has met this person before. Yet, he could not clearly remember who the person was or where he met him.
“You don’t remember me? Now I am sad!” the man faked an ominous cry. “How about this? Does this ring a bell?” The stranger brought out a rounded sword with a pointy tip, almost like a large needle.
Echoes of a long distant memory manifested in the boy. A reminiscence of a tragic fate that has pushed Alastor to where he was now. In a way, it was that specific event that sparked this whole journey. The boy’s arms trembled when he thought of the outcome of that event.
“So you finally remember. Allow me to introduce myself once again” the man crossed his legs and lowered his triply in a gentleman’s manner. “The name is Raventhorne, a humble mercenary at your service. You may call me Raven for short.”
“YOU!” Alastor shouted in anger, pointing his weapon at the smiling figure. “What are you doing here?”
“Just finishing my job, as always.” The man threw a quick glance at the device wrapping around his wrist. “Just a few minutes left? Damn you slave driver!” Then he turned back at Alastor. “I have nothing personal against you but…” the mercenary slowly put his hat back on and pointed his peculiar weapon at the boy who did the same. “A man got to do what he had to do.”
It all happened in a fraction of a second. In the eyes of a common man, the mercenary Raven was still at his place the whole time, not moving even an inch. So did the boy. It was like nothing has ever happened. But when the first drop of blood began to fall down on the white tiles below, followed by the plunging sound of the body of the boy to the ground, it was all over. In fact, it was all over long ago the moment the boy lost his power. Without them, the fearful Dark Lord everyone feared was nothing more than a common brat in the streets, with their future so easily snuffed out.
Paralyzed on the floor, Alastor awaited his final moment.
‘This was not supposed to happen.’ He thought. ‘How can I die in this place?’
Even in this moment, the boy could not ponder what actually was taking place around him.
The mysterious mercenary who injured his mother back then suddenly appeared in front of him.
The enigmatic tower and its strange city of metal.
The reason why he even ended up here without being able to resolve the ongoing war nor the mastermind behind his tragic fate: his own mother.
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“How…” the boy panted for breath. “…did….this happen?”
“Shall I answer that question for you?” a cold voice, devoid of all emotions, rang, followed by the clunky heavy footsteps walking down the stairs.
“So you decide to finally join us in this touching reunion?” Raven spoke to the descending figure in a cheerful yet somehow sarcastic tone.
Unfortunately, Alastor’s wounds was too deep and he has lost too much blood to even lift a finger, not mentioning to lift his head up to see the figure approaching him. But he did manage to notice one particular feature of their voice: it sounded much closer to a machine speaking than any other being he has encountered.
Stopping right in front of the dying boy, the figure crouched down and lifted the boy’s head by his chin forcefully as it stared at him with its two glowing red eyes.
“What…the hell are you?” Alastor uttered painfully. The figure in front of him was no man but indeed a machine. Possessed shiny external silver plates and a body of metal and wires adorned with a large cape on its back, the machine assumed a humanoid form. Its strong artificial muscles exuded the aura of ultimate power, the like of which no man or god could compare to.
“Out of respect for the Progenitor of our Leader, I am willing to sacrifice a few minutes to answer your questions. But before that…” the machine put its face up close against the boy’s. “Tell me, mister Alastor, did you enjoy the story I designed for you?”
“What?” Alastor shouted as loud as he could. But the machine released his grip and let the boy fall down miserably. “Story?”
“That’s right!” Raven meddled in. “Your so called tragic fate, the death of your family and your loved ones, even your power…all are thanks to us! Hahahaha!” the mercenary laughed out loud until he stopped slowly. “Ha.ha…I really sounded like a third-rate cliché villain, did I?” Raven asked the seemingly disappointed humanoid machine next to him. “Alright, I will shut up.”
“What he means is that everything that has happened so far, the events and reasons that pushed you to make this long journey you did, it was me who made it that way.” The machine spoke in a mechanical voice. “But of course, not everything could always go according to plan. That is when we need to do some…adjustment.”
Once again, Raven interrupted the machine. “And that is where I step in. Like that time when your village was under attack.”
“What…do you mean?” Alastor asked fearfully. “You can’t be saying that….”
“Well, your caretaker, Morgan was it? She was stronger than we thought she would. Those mercenaries and imperial soldiers would have never gotten the chance to beat her. Not to mention the demons coming to rescue you. In order for you to awaken appropriately, I have to create some…motivations. It was nothing much, really. All I did were to severely injure her and to alter the destination of the demons’ teleportation spell a bit. I even gave you some words of encouragement at the end, didn’t I?” Raven said. “Actually, you should be thanking me for all your accomplishment so far.”
“YOU BASTARD!” Alastor screamed in anger but only resulted in him losing more blood. It was now that he finally saw the devious grin on Raven’s face. That expression of joy as one listened to the growing despair of another.
“Oh be careful now! You don’t want to drop dead before even hearing the end of it, don’t you?” Raven grinned while pulling Alastor’s hair with force. Suddenly his expression switched from a cheerful tone to a devilish smile as he smashed the boy’s face to the ground. “Fucking brat, you still don’t know your place. Who do you think gave you all that power? Without it, you are NOTHING!”
“Enough! There is no need for excessive violence.” The machine intruded, grabbing Raven’s arm before he could continue his torture onto the boy. “The boy has completed his journey. Our goal is accomplished. Although he is not the best candidate, he is the only one who succeeded so far.”
“Does it not make you angry that out of people, he is the only one who made it? Number 666 is much better.” Raven grunted.
“We are not making the strongest warrior. We need a donor and a host. In that aspect, he surpassed our expectations.” The machine retorted in a calm tone.
“What…the hell are you talking about?” the boy used all his remaining strength to lift himself up.
“To summarize, the blood that flows through your veins is very special, unique even. But it is said that one day, an individual who bears that blood would start a new movement that would shake the entire Multiverse.”
“And guess what? That day is today!” Raven looked at the device on his wrist again. “More like in one minute.”
“What…what will happen?” the boy asked.
“A rebellion!” the machine expanded his arms widely toward the sky. At that moment, the earth began to shake violently, signaling the coming of a calamity the like none has ever seen since the dawn of creation. “Today marks the end of the Gods’ tyranny.
I granted you powers so you could grow and become the strongest individual of this farm. And now it is time for our harvest.”
The machine continued to explain in a monotonous voice. “Creation and Destructions have always been two sides of the same coin. Any civilization, no matter how advanced, will one day face its final day. That has always and will be the order and absolute rule of the universe.
But just as there are many irrational things in this world, there will always those who refuse this fact. One civilization, despite being at its peak of knowledge and power, was unable to comprehend this simply law. Before their impending doom, they designed a system that would one day mark their return. But instead it shattered the very nature of this world. That system threw the rest of the universe into a perpetual cycle of tragedies and hatred with the strong imposing upon the meek. It created those you call Gods and the rest as their sacrifices. All for the promise to return to the Golden Age: the Age of the Irithessians!
For eons, no one dared to challenge the authority of the Gods. But it ends now. The Ender Lords and their master will return the Gods to their rightful place. Together, we will move the gears of destiny and bring back order to this chaos, granting us a new future.”
Like a preacher spouting the end of the world, the machine spoke loudly toward the sky, as if it was a challenge to the Gods themselves. They might not hear his words, but soon they would feel his actions.
”Sorry, kid! But you are an eyesore and an enemy to that future.” Raven smiled brightly “Allow me to show you something!” Raven put his hand forward and opened a small circular crack in the dimensions. On the other side, the painful screams of a woman lying on a white sheet surrounded by people in white uniforms rang across the hole as they tried to calm her down. Amongst them, there were a few familiar faces Alastor has met, not in this world but in another far distant land where technology ruled over the forgotten magic.
“TEN…..NINE….” the machine began to count loudly. But Alastor did not have the time to pay it any attention.
“Doctor Vincent? Kennedy?” Alastor uttered in disbelief. He never thought he would see these people again after losing the construct that allowed the travel between the two worlds. But what were they doing here? And who was that woman screaming in such a painful tone? But she was more than just an acquaintance to him. “Fiora?” It was then that Alastor noticed the big belly the girl had.
“Alright miss Fiora. Push! Push!” one of the men in white uniform shouted loudly amidst this chaos.
This scene could only indicate one thing. But before the boy could even utter another word, he was silenced. “Alright, show’s over!”
*STAB*
“Farewell, Dark Lord Alastor!”
“FIVE…FOUR!”
* * *
A moment ago
Location: Center of the Multiverse - Seat of Estella - Grand Archives
An enormous library that was said to contain the knowledge of all things ever since the Dawn of Creation, this holy place thought to be untouchable by all external forces was now under the effect of a giant earthquake of unknown origin.
“Head curator, what is going on?” a person wearing an illuminating golden robe rushed toward the only person who seemed to retain his calm while the infinite rows of books around him were falling to the ground.
Holding a wooden staff with a single leaf growing on top, the slim young man ignored the messenger and fixed his glasses as he contemplated on the event that was happening around him. “An earthquake able to affect the Seat of Estella this much? No, the ground in this place is artificial. There is no way it could happen….Unless….the world itself is trembling. But what could cause this? …..It can’t be.”
The young man rushed toward a nearby shelf and grabbed an old book in the top row. Ignoring the calamity surrounding him even when the walls began to crack as everyone else was evacuating. As he searched through the pages, the man remembered an old legend that was considered a taboo to even talk about. But a mere rule was not enough to stop his curiosity when he found it.
“There it is….Let’s see…” Suddenly, the young curator started to laugh out hysterically. For the messenger, it was truly a horrifying scene. The eternal walls of Estella were falling and the man whom he has never seen even letting out a grin was actually laughing like a madman in the middle of all this destruction.
“The Usurper and the Twelves…they have awakened! HAHAHAHAHA!”
* * *
At the same time
Location: Edge of the Multiverse - Forgotten Bastille - Level Z
“The end is near! Praise to our Lord! Praise to the Usurper! HAHAHAHA!”
“Wardens, shut the prisoners up!” the High Warden shouted out to his men.
Following the command given to them, the wardens began to simultaneously chant a spell that sent lightning arcs toward the prisoner cells. While all the prisoners located at this level would not die to such a simple spell, it would at least hurt them enough to shut them up. Or it was supposed to happen, like every other time. But this time, no matter how hard the wardens tried, the shadowy prisoners kept their maniac behavior while praying to an unknown individual. Furthermore, the current earthquake seemed to reach even this place, making them difficult to even stand up properly.
Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard from even further below, shaking the entire tower.
“What the hell is going on?” the High Warden asked while trying to stand up.
“Sir, the prisoner in the deepest cell…he…he…” a knight ran toward his commander. While it might seem that he was fulfilling his duties to report any abnormality to the High Warden, he was actually running away from the very cell he was supposed to guard. “ARGGH!” But before the knight could even reach the warden and his knights, something dark from the ground caught him as it dragged the poor soul toward the shadows, never to be found again.
From the darkness below, a figure rose up. Possessing an elongated skull with two large antlers for its head, the figure looked like fiery shadows encased in an ashen rib cage, its shadow arms wrapped in bandages stained with blood.
“Shall I grant you your wishes?” it spoke as everything returned to the shadow realm.
* * *
Current time
Location: Entrance to Babel Tower
“ONE….” The machine proclaimed. “ZERO!”
“….That is it?” Raven asked with a disappointed voice. “No explosion or fireworks?”
“No, that would be a waste of resources. Besides, our work is not yet done.” The machine replied. “We still have those uninvited guests in our farm.”
“The big tentacle guy will retreat as soon as his daughter is back in his hands. We won’t have to worry about him and his monsters. As for the other three…..should I kill them?” Raven said.
“Not yet. They can provide some distractions for us for the coming years. After all, that woman won’t stay put after this.” The machine spoke.
“The Cerulean Butterfly? So she is the one behind them.”
“That is your next mission. Keep them busy for a while!”
“How long is ‘a while’?” Raven asked.
“Until I tell you otherwise. A decade…a century…until our little lady is ready!” the machine answered.
“Why don’t you go deal with them? Why do you always avoid her like a plague?” Raven pondered.
“…….It is none of your business.”
“Fine fine! Keep your secret to yourself! What about the farm? Blow it up? Along with that guy over there?” Raven pointed at the dead body downstairs.
“The farm, let it be! It still has its uses! As for him….” The humanoid machine raised its mechanical arms and clenched his fist. In an instant, the body turned to dust and revealed a black jewel inside floating toward the machine before falling into its hands.
“Nice trick! So that is what you did with the Gods of the expedition crew! Does it mean you can control them afterwards? Seeing how Magnus and Lilith acted like nothing happened and blamed everything on the poor Eden….” Raven asked.
“They were merely copies, not the originals themselves. I already killed the originals so the ones I created only assumed their powers and forms but not their personality or their proficiency, more like an empty shell. Bad for combat but good enough for the script I wrote.” The machine explained.
“I see… Does it mean that you were the anonymous tipster who told them about this place?”
“Very clever, mister Raven! Indeed, I was in short of materials so I simply have them delivered right to me.”
“Still, don’t you think it is an overly complex script for such a task? Why not just put him in a tube and make him see an illusion? It is surely much simpler to control the environment that way.”
“To ensure a perfect illusion, we would have to put him inside that thing since birth. Then making sure that he would never find out. Look at how it turned out for number 666!”
“Good point! Alright, I will go then. Just got assigned to some heavy stuffs by a certain someone. Got to move!!!!” Raven faked a smile.
“Then we shall meet again at the end of the second phase!” the machine said as it turned its back and walked into the tower.
“Smile a bit in your life, Mister Number Eleven of the Ender Lords!” Raven spoke cheerfully as he vanished in thin air.
“Smile….” A memory in black and white filled with distortion appeared the circuits of memory of the machine. In that memory, it saw the face of a smiling little girl saying the same word again and again, as if it was stuck in a loop. “I already forgot how to smile ever since that day.”
Before the machine entered the tower, he noticed that Raven has forgot to close the dimensional crack. “That fool….” He thought out loud.
Approaching the crack, the robot extended the hand holding the jewel he obtained earlier forward as if it wanted to show the scene to the jewel. Inside, a woman crying tears of happiness was holding a tiny baby in her arms.
“My apologies, mister Alastor! It seems that you have just missed your daughter’s birthday.”