Chapter 106 - 105 – The Fool Who Thought He Could
My body froze.
"I want you to become something…" "Something that will make that Lord… regret killing your friends."
My breathing rose.
Slowly…
Their images began to return.
Monali… smiling.
Louis… laughing.
Joe… standing like an unbreakable wall.
Soman… the leader… everyone…
Then—
Their image… as they fell.
Under the hands of that entity.
Under… helplessness.
I closed my eyes.
I clenched my fist tightly.
Until my body trembled.
"Do you want to turn me into a monster?" I whispered…
"A monster to fight monsters… a monster that leads monsters… a monster that stands against monsters."
I closed my eyes for a moment… then opened them.
I looked toward the sky… there was an ugly feeling inside me.
It wasn't anger… nor fear… nor anxiety…
It was indifference…
"I refuse…" I said. "Where were you when we were attacked? I helped you get out of your prison… my black flower freed you… and you repay me with betrayal? You can take your proposal to hell."
"So… you still use your mind even under these conditions… but you are still agitated… your emotions control you… anger makes you see everything against you… that is why I will tell you a number of secrets…"
"It doesn't matter… I'm not interested in your attempt to build a bridge of trust."
"First…" the monster said,
"You were not supposed to be transferred to another world."
"What?" I shouted. "What are you saying?"
"Second… the entity that attacked you was not a Lord, but an ancient monster… (Null Erasure)."
"Haa… all that power? It wasn't a Lord but a… monster… ancient? Is it of the same rank as you?"
Again, the monster did not answer… he continued:
"Third… the ancient monster that attacked you… serves a Seventh-Rank Lord."
"Seventh?" I barely swallowed. "A Seventh-Rank Lord is interested in me?"
"Fourth… what saved your life… was an error."
"An error?"
"Are you interested in knowing every secret among these?" the monster's voice rose.
My eyes held countless astonishment… I was barely beginning to comprehend what he said…
But I wanted knowledge… absolute knowledge.
"Tell me… the truth… and I will help you."
A loud laugh came out after silence from the monster's wide mouth…
Even now, whenever I looked at him, his form seemed very strange… his aura was concentrated and immense…
It was clear that the Deception Beast was deliberately suppressing his power in front of me… if that monster was an ancient beast of the same rank as the Deception Beast… then it meant he possessed terrifying power…
But…
For some reason…
The Deception Beast carried a level of cunning that could not be measured… no matter what he did… I still felt there was a hidden scheme behind every word…
Even so… if I was seeking knowledge… I needed him.
Knowledge?
Why did I want knowledge? Just moments ago I wanted death.
Now I want knowledge… what will knowledge help me with… I didn't want it…
"Tell me… just that," I said. "What do you mean I wasn't supposed to move to another world?"
"Listen, you egg," the monster said.
"Every world has its laws that cannot be broken… whoever tries to break them will be punished… even high-ranked Lords cannot defy that… do you know what fixed system this world operates on?"
"What?"
"Summoning… the transfer of Lords from another world to here… all the Lords here possess strong spiritual potential… but that doesn't mean everyone with such potential transfers… millions remained in their world…"
"You, boy… were supposed to be among those (the Remainers… the Balancers)… those who balance energy between the two worlds… if all the talented ones with high spiritual energy transfer… imbalance will occur… and catastrophe will happen…"
"So you're saying I wasn't supposed to transfer… but I did anyway? How did that happen?" I asked.
"There was… a Seventh-Rank Lord… who confronted me before… then imprisoned me within a certain dimension… after a thousand years… from the leakage of my power… the space you transferred into was formed…"
"At that time… the heavens balanced the existence of a space without a Lord… and created a trait… granting summoning ability to someone from another world… can you guess who obtained that trait?"
"The Seventh-Rank Lord?" I whispered.
"Yes… but there was a flaw.
The transferred Lords are controlled by the heavens in everything related to their transfer and placement into specific spaces… if the Seventh-Rank Lord were to use his ability, he would have to confront the heavens and become its enemy…
He did not… at first.
But he did later… why? Well… for… spiritual energy."
"Spiritual energy?" I said.
"I will tell you a secret… if I tell it to you… your decision to help me will have no turning back," the monster said.
I went silent for a moment…
"I will help you… in my way, not yours… but I will."
"Do not deceive, egg… but we will reach an agreement… for now I will tell you the secret… and you will not tell anyone… or I will place myself as your enemy… understood?"
"Yes."
"For every rank ascension… there are conditions… every Lord seeks to ascend… for a First-Rank Lord, his goal is to reach Second Rank… and for a Seventh-Rank Lord, his goal is the same… to ascend to Eighth Rank…
Ascending to Eighth Rank requires two conditions… only.
First… spiritual energy… in an extremely large amount.
Second… we will return to it later… because it is tied… to your fate."
"Haaa…"
"Boy… did you notice that you had no spiritual energy in the space? That is because all your energy was going to that Lord… how?
Because… when he learned there was no way to ascend to Eighth Rank except by obtaining spiritual energy… he decided to confront the heavens…
But instead of confronting it directly and stealing a summoned Lord during summoning and placing him in a hidden space to harvest his energy gradually…
He decided instead…
To steal one of the Balancers… the Lords who are not meant to transfer and remain balancing the worlds…"
"What kind of madness is this?" I could barely understand what he was saying… of course he wasn't lying… everything was logical…
The hidden space full of resources…
My zero spiritual energy…
All the cryptic words of the Lords… everything became clear…
But…
"There's something unclear?" I said.
"What?"
"If the Lord benefits from my spiritual energy… then he wouldn't kill me this quickly… I didn't even complete one year inside the space?"
"Good," the monster interrupted. "That takes us to the second condition for ascending to Eighth Rank… the thing that changed everything…
The Supreme Title—"
"What?!" I shouted…
Suddenly, the feeling of that ancient temple returned… the four traits… and the title…
"You, boy… fate and luck made you possess four traits of the same path… which means you need the fifth and final trait of that same path… to obtain a Supreme Title… that title… is what the Lord needs to ascend to Eighth Rank…
Do you know how many Lords have obtained a Supreme Title?
I will answer you… among those you've heard of?
No one.
That is why… the Fourth-Rank Lord was eager to obtain your traits."
"Do you mean he is the one who sent those Lords to steal?"
"It could be true… but I don't think so… do you believe a Seventh-Rank Lord lacks the ability to steal traits?"
"But…" I whispered, "there is something completely illogical… if he has the ability… why didn't he let me continue until I obtained the fifth trait… then steal the title from me?"
"Nothing is logical, boy… whether he can steal the title or not… no one knows… but most likely… the Lord has nothing to do with the invasion…
The closest analysis is… when the Lord learned of the invasion… he sent his pet monster… to eliminate everyone including you and steal the traits before the invading Lords do… but what he did not expect…
Is that you would survive… not just survive… but that the heavens would treat you as a newly summoned one and transfer you to a new space here…"
"That explains a lot…" I whispered… anger suddenly took over me.
"I was a pawn all along… I was nothing but a fool. I was manipulated by another Lord…"
I closed my eyes…
It seems I decided.
"Tell me… how did I survive?"
"I told you… through the error… what is the error that saved your life…" the monster paused, then added:
"It is… the title (Stubborn)… which you gained through a system error."
"Stubborn?" I whispered. "That title I didn't understand at all? How could it have saved me from the grasp of an ancient monster?"
"The world, boy," the monster answered, "is wider than your imagination can comprehend… all we know about it… is little… what you need to deal with now… is how you will take revenge on that Lord… in return… I have a gift for you if you agree."
"Do you mean I become a catastrophe and help you in your goal… which is also revenge?"
"Yes… but," the monster said, "you have time to think… you won't be able to transform until you reach Sixth Rank… you have time… and I will not see you again before that."
"Then you—"
Aaaaah!
Damn it!
A severe headache struck me suddenly.
My body fell.
It began curling and rolling on the ground.
The pain was worse than before.
My mouth filled with blood.
My nose—
My ears—
Aaaah!
.
.
Haa…
I slowly opened my eyes.
There was a blue light in front of me.
"I'm still here…" I said… the words barely came out… I tried to stand.
I couldn't.
My body felt like it came out of a crushing battle.
"You woke up, egg," the monster replied.
"What happened?" I asked.
"A very good thing."
"You call this good?" I tried to stand.
Aaaah—
"Of course it is good… boy, all your traits and your rank have returned."
"Haaa…" I exhaled.
I quickly focused inward… ignoring the pain.
Indeed…
It happened.
My traits… the Flame Art… and I was still at Fourth Rank…
But—
All my resources… gone.
My other powerful weapons… gone.
All I have now is one mastered weapon.
A sudden feeling of loss struck me.
If I still have the weapon furnace, then it's fine…
But…
It seems all resources are gone.
Only the traits and my contracted weapon remain.
"How did that happen?" I whispered to the Deception Beast.
"It can be said there are many factors… perhaps the Stubborn title resisted the theft of your life and traits…
Perhaps your not dying canceled the theft…
Perhaps your transfer to another space did that…
The truth is vague… but the success happened."
A loud laugh echoed from the monster's mouth.
"Now… that bastard will be very angry… hahaha… he deserves it."
"Does that mean he failed to steal my traits?" I said.
The monster went silent for a moment… his aura fluctuated slightly… then he smiled.
"Bring out your system screen, egg… tell me if something changed."
I didn't answer… I raised my hand…
Then my lips stopped.
"Is what I imagine true, boy?" the monster asked with a disturbed voice.
"It is… different…" I said. "Look for yourself, I'm not hiding it."
"No… I cannot see it if it is as I imagine… tell me what you see," the monster whispered.
I focused my eyes on the screen… then said:
"Everything is the same, but… the screen is half blue… and the other half is black… the black half contains nothing."
"Egg…" the monster said… then laughed.
His laughter shook the entire forest… his aura raged violently… exploding in all directions…
Then—
Suddenly—
Everything calmed.
The monster returned to normal… controlling his power.
"What is going on… what happened to my screen?" I asked… my eyes searched for answers, my ears listened carefully.
"My explanation won't matter… you will discover it yourself… even I might be surprised by what will appear in that screen."
"Don't be damn annoying," I said. "This is not the time for this… tell me exactly what it means."
The monster did not answer… instead, he extended his hand… it was long… with three black claws… sharp… their color devoured light from how dark they were.
"Every summoned Lord has a blue screen… and every balancing Lord has a black screen… you have both… this means?"
"What?!" I shouted.
"I don't know…" the monster said.
"You were not supposed to have either… when unplanned summoning occurs…
The roaming Balancers are sent… they ensure removing impurities… restoring balance… they should have been sent after you… but… you now have their screen… or half of it… this makes you…"
"What?"
"Perhaps one of them… or… perhaps you belong to neither."
I fell silent.
Minutes passed.
I sat motionless… thinking about every word… the amount of information I just received equals a hundred times what I knew before…
I looked at the Deception Beast… he stood still.
"Are you telling me," I said, "that I am now… targeted by both sides? The summoned Lords… and the Balancers as well?"
"Yes… that could be the case… or both sides might consider you with them… but I lean toward the first option," the monster said briefly and mockingly.
"Why do you lean toward it?" I whispered.
"Think a little, egg… everyone here fights everyone… even among themselves… do you think anyone will care about someone tied to the other side? Both sides… will seek your elimination."
"Fine…" I said.
That actually comforted me.
Since my transfer, I have been facing Lords trying to kill me…
Adding more under another name…
Fine.
They're welcome.
"It's time for me to leave, boy," the Deception Beast said.
"Before that… you gave me the black flower to lift the curse and free me… I will reward you for it."
He raised his claws again… pointing them at my head.
"Close your eyes," he said.
I did.
His claw struck my head.
"Open your eyes," the monster said.
I opened them.
I was on the ground… lying down.
"What happened?" I said in shock.
"You were asleep… until I finished your gift."
"What gift—"
{ Ding… Ding… Ding }
{ You have obtained the Cave of Shining Flowers }
"Haaaaa—"
{ Ding… Ding… Ding }
{ You have obtained a specific trait }
{ Selective Time Acceleration }
"Did you receive the gift?" the monster asked.
"You gave me your cave?" I said in astonishment.
That can't be real.
"Only a small part of it… you can benefit from it… you already know everything about it and how to use it… and also…"
Suddenly—
A feeling of imbalance hit me.
Then—
I was somewhere else.
Inside the cave.
The glowing white flowers gave off a strong, pleasant scent… and light that illuminated the entire cave.
Suddenly… the monster appeared inside the cave.
Then… he raised his claw…
Pointed to one side.
My eyes turned there.
Then we began moving.
While moving—
"Where are we going?" I asked.
He didn't answer… as if saying: just walk and you'll see.
After a while—
We stood before a white door.
Similar to those leading to the training gate.
"Go ahead," the monster said.
I stepped inside.
"Haaaa—" my lips parted in surprise.
Unconsciously… I was about to smile.
In front of me…
There was… the Weapon Furnace.
"Are you happy now? The furnace is fine… it was originally transferred inside the cave," the monster said.
"Happy? No… but I'm reassured my progress will be faster… I already have plans for the furnace," I said.
"Come… we have something else to see," the voice whispered.
After a while—
We stood before another door.
I stepped in.
Again… there was something beautiful.
The Tree of Recovery was there as well.
I had forgotten about it.
I had transferred it along with the furnace… that's why it's safe too.
The presence of the tree… and the furnace…
Is an almost overwhelming support.
All I have to do now is go out into the world… and truly understand it…
Then walk the path of my revenge.
I approached the flower… extended my hand.
Then whispered—
"Selective Time Acceleration."
Suddenly—
My mind became like a calculator.
I could determine the time I wanted the flower to pass within this dimension at my will.
"Stop that," the monster's voice echoed.
I stopped the acceleration.
"Listen, boy… this cave is now yours… but it is not yours… and that means you have a unique advantage… but it is temporary."
"What do you mean?" I said.
"The cave originally belongs to me… which means you can now use it at its maximum capacity because it still retains my power…
Over time… and each time you use it… the time will slow down… and the cave will begin to shift to your ownership… at that point, acceleration will be determined by your rank and abilities…
During that period… before that happens…
You can enter the training dimension and train at whatever speed you want…
And also accelerate the furnace… and speed up the growth of flowers from the Tree of Recovery…
But… don't forget… every use of anything accelerates the process of the cave recognizing you as its master… and its properties will adjust compared to you."
"I understand," I said.
"So… it's a matter of balance… between gains and losses… determining value and priority."
"That's what I expected from you, egg… smart and perceptive… now it's time for me to leave… and remember—"
"What?" I said.
The monster's aura calmed… he turned, then whispered:
"You have no friend… if you walk with that principle, you will thrive… if you think otherwise… you are wrong… and next time… I don't think your enemy will let you escape… don't be a fool."
Suddenly—
The surroundings twisted…
Then the monster turned into a shadow and vanished into the air.
I smiled calmly.
"No… I won't be that person again… I won't be… the fool who thought he could."
.
( End of Volume One )
( The Fool Who Thought He Could )