Ashton had a similar realization like this not too long ago. It was something that haunted him for weeks, making him unable to sleep properly.
To think that he'd meet someone who discovered this too and probably knows more than him...Ashton felt some kind of dreaded anticipation bubbling in his chest.
It's not a pleasant feeling, he'd say that much...
"...we have centuries of history. Centuries of experience under the relentless oppression of the Celestials and Hypogeans. Yet somehow, even though we survived that long under their harassment, why have we not made a lot of progress?"
"Why is that we're still limited to the Last Bastion? Why is it that we still haven't figured out ways to better protect ourselves instead of relying on that bubble alone? Why is it that our technology is still limited within that bubble too? Why can't it work outside?"
"Why do our experts only reach the Sorcerer Rank? There are Ranks above that too, why is it that only a handful of people go past the Sorcerer Rank?"
"Is it because our inheritance is lacking? Is it because we don't have enough resources? Are our knowledge about the Martial Path and Magical Studies lacking? It can't be, right? After all, we have hundreds, if not, thousands of years of history! How come we're still lacking?"
The barrage of questions left Ashton reeling. Again, this is all so familiar. This was his line of thought once upon a time too.
That dreaded anticipation is now getting unbearable. It's like a barrel of gunpowder that only needs the tiniest spark to explode. Ashton's just waiting for the big reveal. It'll be anytime soon now.
"At this point, you should be questioning a lot of things about Human Society. Not even the dumbest person I know would just ignore everything that I just said right now."
"But I digress. You must want to know the reason behind all of this, no? If you're still listening to me, then that's the sign. Very well, I shall tell you."
"Once upon a time, a pact was made." The silhouette stated. "During this time, the skirmishes between three races are escalating beyond control."
"These races are Celestial Race - the wings and eyes galore race, the Hypogeans - creatures with horns and serious anger-management issues, and us, the Human Race."
"The oh-so-frail and weak and helpless race. The race is so fragile that even a stronger breeze of air could knock them over to their feet. Yes, that's us." The silhouette's voice sounded bitter at this point.
"Out of the three races, we were the most miserable ones." They said, "Unlike the Hypogeans, our bodies aren't that strong. And unlike the Celestials, we cannot draw power from the Heavenly Bodies above us."
"Even though we were the first one to appear in the world, even though this world should technically belong to us, we weren't able to do anything to protect our territory."
"None of our weapons worked against them, our technology betrayed us and stopped working. The worst part is that the other two races that invaded this planet don't even treat us seriously."
The silhouette then turned his head and looked at Ashton's eyes with uncanny accuracy; "To them, we're nothing but a local cuisine. Delicacies that came with their new battlefield."
"To them...we're just food. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just that. Plain and simple."
Ashton chilled. He sucked a cold air of breath and felt the dreaded dawning upon him.
It turns out that it was real. He had discovered this fact on his own previously and now, someone said it directly to his face. At this point, he could no longer deny it no matter how much he wants to.
This is the chilling truth of this world. It's something he abhors but cannot get rid of that easily.
"It's funny. I said that our races are at war but if you ask me? Those two races are at war, we're not included in that. We're just the bystanders that happen to suffer from their reckless actions."
"Extras. That's all we are in a story that revolves around them." The silhouette's voice was flat but Ashton could tell that there was a raging storm of emotions hidden beneath all of that.
He'd know. Cause that's what he feels too.
"The world had seen our sufferings. It heard all the grievances that we forcibly swallowed. And it granted the deepest wishes that we all had."
"A chance. That's what we received. A chance to push back the aggressors and a chance to carve a piece of this world for us."
"Spiritual Root, Martial Spirit, and Providence. That's the gift that Gaia gave to Humanity. Since you're a modern person, this would be your Physique/Mageroot, Battle Spirit/Magical Artifact, and Providence/Destiny's Qi."
"With these gifts, we were able to fight back. It was the First Hero who mastered these gifts and was able to carve a piece of the world to shelter us. It's also because of his sacrifice that we managed to buy time for the next generations of Heroes to rise and improve our living conditions."
"Gaia and the First Hero, brought us hope. And it's because of this that we were able to improve and become participants in this war."
"We took that chance and wielded it so that we can protect our home."
"Sadly, this isn't enough...it has never been enough."
Still staring straight at Ashton's eyes, the silhouette said: "Compared to the Celestial Race and the Hypogean Race, our foundations are far too weak."
"It is rumored that these two races have been at odds against each other for millions of years. Additionally, those that are in this world aren't their main army. At most, they're foot soldiers. Cannon fodders sent by both races to prime the battlefield for the big war."
Ashton's eyes constricted.
"It's a hopeless battle." The silhouette shook his head. "Even with these gifts, we're just prolonging the agony and delaying the inevitable. It's no uphill battle, it's losing one right from the very beginning."
"...at least, that's what everybody thought when they heard the same rumors too."
The silhouette laughed mirthlessly. Ashton clutched his chest and glared at the form before him.
"But see, one thing that Humans are famous for aside from our progress-obsession is our stubbornness."
"It's the 'Never say never' attitude. And the 'You'll never know until you try' outlook in life. For mad scientists, it's the 'Failure is the mother of invention!'"
"Whatever it is, the point still stands. Impossible odds never really stopped us from trying. Not once and never did. That kind of stubbornness is why there's still hope for us. No matter how bleak the future might seem."
"But you see...what I said just now is good and all but not everyone shares the same thought." They stated, "While there are people who are willing to work hard for the sake of progress and to carve out a path for our survival, there are also people who had already given up just because they heard a rumor."
"You know, internal strife isn't really a good thing when you're in the middle of an existential crisis." The figure said with a wry tone. "And I'm not just saying that. There's proof behind that claim. Why else am I here then?"
"There were groups who united under the same banner, sharing the ideals of never giving up until Humanity rises up and becomes strong enough to push back the invaders. These people are the Dawn of Hope Federation."
"As for those who gave up, well we call them losers." The silhouette laughed. "They became the regular civilians that we all know now."
"The Dawn of Hope Federation raised an army. It was a glorious era where there'd be expeditions left and right. There were many casualties but the resources we accumulated rose to an all-time high. This group was the one responsible for building the foundations of modern human society."
"But remember what I said about internal strife?"
"The Dawn of Hope Federation had a lasting history and a glorious streak of achievements, but like they said: One bad apple is enough to spoil the entire harvest."
"The fault lies in the number of casualties we suffered under the hands of the Celestials and Hypogeans. As the bodies piled up, the mentality of the battle-hardened warriors was getting worse and worst as time passed."
"Eventually, the whole purpose of the Dawn of Hope Federation was tinted. 'Working hard for the sake of a brighter tomorrow' became 'a battle of attrition'. Eventually, it turned into simple 'Endurance'."
"As their eyes became clouded by too much bloodshed, they were unable to see the faint rays of hope that are finally appearing on the horizon."
"It only became worst when a group of strong Celestials 'and' Hypogeans gave Humanity an Ultimatum."
"Hope was dashed as soon as it appeared. The Dawn of Hope's purpose crumbled beneath their feat and a pact was made."
"Humans are to raise fat, fat sheep for the Celestials and Hypogeans to enjoy. In exchange, Humans can enjoy their peace in this little bubble they have for themselves."
"Who are these fat sheep you ask? Well...turn to your History Books. Count until you reach the 101st Hero you see recorded in there..."
"Starting from that person until the very recent one, those are the sheep that I'm talking about."
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