[Long chapter]
The Greater World of Boraldo was a massive planet. Most Greater Worlds were of such size and scale that it was mind-boggling. When compared to the Earth that Dorian was familiar with, the Greater World of Boraldo was 20 times larger.
Despite its massive size, the gravity on this planet functioned the same as it did on every other planet, almost identical to Earth's. This was a function of the unique Laws of the Universe, mystical rules that made this reality possible.
On this planet, more than 800 billion beings existed. 90% of them were human, with the other percentages split up between Aeth, Vampire, Shade, and other races. It was a diverse world with a thriving populace, largely in part because of its nearness to both the Graal Alliance and the Borrel Autarchy.
Despite being set between rival powers, the land here instead acted as a buffer zone. It was a world that neither side controlled.
For, the Greater World of Boraldo was overseen by 2 extremely powerful forces, both ones that dated back with a history more than a thousand years old.
The Golden Kingdom and the Elector Empire.
"I finally made it here…" Will spoke quietly to himself as he looked down at the mug of beer he held in his hand,
"And yet I am useless."
Will raised the mug up to his face and took a long draw from it, feeling the rough liquor slide into his stomach. It had a strong taste, similar to the drinks he'd had back when he still lived with his family.
The moment the alcohol entered his system, his body automatically purged it, treating it like a poison. His body was miraculous and powerful, possessing unique Abilities that were inborn and innate.
As a result of that… he could never get drunk.
He sighed.
Around Will, a grungy, dismal-looking inn common room spread out. The mid-afternoon light shined brightly outside, mostly blocked by the shuttered windows. The common room was made of wood, with two dozen brown wooden tables and chairs, a couple of long tables, and a large fireplace that currently had nothing in it. The floor was covered in dirt, over a layer of rough wood.
A doorway off to the left opened up into the main lobby of the inn, while a doorway off to his right was one of several entrances to a closed off stable.
Only about a fifth of the tables around Will were occupied, with several other humans nursing drinks, wasting away as the day slipped past.
"Why is it that every time I grow stronger… all of my enemies all of a sudden seem to be one step above me." Will took another swig of the useless alcohol, sighing again.
"I suppose it's just that any enemies on my level have already been defeated, leaving me to deal with threats that I can't already deal with." He nodded as he reached the conclusion.
He had worked so hard to make it this far. He'd travelled across numerous Worlds, bringing along several comrades and allies.
And, after all of that…
He realized the enormity of his mission and his own mistake.
The man he was looking for, to pass on the Elder Mage's last words, the Holy Duke Archel of the Elector Empire…
The powerful, Pseudo-Angelic Class expert wasn't even here.
From the rumors he'd managed to find, the powerful warrior had gone out to train in seclusion and hadn't been heard from in years, though it was a fact that he was still alive.
Even worse, the enemy that was behind the Elder Mage's death, going by the memories he had been given, was the 'Great Pariah' of the Golden Kingdom, Bruiner Gammal.
A Pseudo-Angelic Class expert.
And not only was he a Pseudo-Angelic Class expert, but he was one that was ranked on the Recording of Might, indicating he was an extremely powerful expert among experts.
"I can't find the one person I need to meet, and my enemy is much stronger than me, with a literal army of experts at his beck and call…" Will's face scrunched up as he sighed, feeling exhausted.
He looked at the empty seats at his table with another sigh.
All of the Anomalies that had accompanied him had decided to go off on a touring adventure of the city they were in, a decent sized place that held around 1 million people. It was a unique looking city called Bapbo, built into the middle of a thriving forest, with a huge stream running through part of it.
That left him alone, drowning in his misery as he tried to figure out a way to find the Holy Duke, or defeat the Great Pariah.
"Maybe one of the Holy Duke's descendants would be able to pass along a message?" He mused quietly to himself, lost in thought.
Several minutes passed as Will sat, thinking about his future. He had put all of his energy into everything that led up to this moment. After coming back to life, this had become something he lived as a mission.
He would repay what he owed the elderly Wizard that had helped change his life forever.
Faintly, Will heard someone open the door to the common room and slip inside. He ignored that at first, focused on inner reflection.
His thoughts were scattered, however, as a woman appeared and sat down at his table, right in front of him.
He blinked and looked up at the woman, his mouth falling open at her abrupt entrance.
"Err… can I help you?" He stared at her in confusion.
The woman was gorgeous. She wore a semi-translucent gown, with her long brown hair wrapped up in a braid. Her face was dotted with small, jade-colored scales and she had an ethereal quality about her, something that felt otherworldly.
The moment he realized this, Will instantly went on guard.
The woman looked incredibly out of place in this dingy inn's common room.
She studied Will for a moment, her lips pursing. The two simply looked at each other for a few seconds in silence.
Finally, she spoke aloud,
"I need your help." Her voice was cool and refreshing, but carried with it a hint of urgency.
"You need my help?" Will stuttered back, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes. Your name is Will, right?" The woman gave him a small nod.
"Yes…" Will muttered slowly. As he spoke, he leaned back slightly, his hand going to his Spatial Ring, just in case.
"Please help me! I must find Lady Ausra's Successor! He is our last hope!" The woman stood up from where she'd sat and then knelt down on the floor of the inn, bowing her head. She leaned over so low her face was mere inches above the ground.
"Wo-woah, hold on now. Lady, I don't even know who you are." Will took a few steps forward, bending over and helping the woman to her feet. Her dress didn't grow stained from the dirt that cluttered the wooden floor, magically preventing it from sticking.
"Who are you?" He continued, staying on alert the entire time.
"My name is Mira. I am a member of the Wise Jade Tribe. And I need to contact a friend of yours." She slowly began to explain herself, her eyes welling up as she spoke, as if she was struggling with something.
"You need to- who do you need to talk to?" Will replied slowly.
"Lady Ausra's Successor. Ah, his given name is… Dorian." Mira quickly replied, nodding her head.
When he heard that, he frowned internally.
'Dorian? What does she want with him?' That Anomaly was a being he considered a friend for life. He would never rat him out, not in a million years.
"How do you even know I know this Dorian? How did you even find me?" Will was full of questions as he stared at Mira, processing everything she had told him.
'The Wise Jade Tribe? Wait… isn't that a Tribe of Dragons?!' Just as he realized that, another voice broke into the conversation.
The speaker came seemingly out of nowhere, the man's words echoing in the air just a few meters behind Mira as he walked forward. Will blinked when he saw this, wondering if his eyes had betrayed him, something that was quite unusual for his powerful body.
"That would be because of me, young Will."
The new speaker was a black-skinned human wearing a set of loose, open vest and pants that were stained grey. He had shoulder-length dreadlocks and a variety of facial paint on, giving him a rather odd appearance.
His force of presence seemed to be incredibly… lacking, Will noticed. It was almost like he wasn't here at all. Despite that, he could feel a subtle sense of danger coming off this figure.
The man in front of him was a powerful expert.
"And you are?" Will crossed his arms as he slowly sat back down. He didn't waver or fumble, but kept a cool head, something that came from his newfound confidence in himself. The power he had gained, under Sun Wukong's tutelage, his own growth, and the Inheritance he'd gained, all helped contribute to that.
"I am known to some as the Nameless Monk, a member of the Free School of Thunder. You and I haven't ever properly met." The monk held out a hand, sitting down at the table across from Will. Mira sat down again, this time next to the monk.
Will gingerly took his hand and shook it. The monk had a strong handshake.
When he heard that the monk was from the Free School of Thunder, his heart began to pound.
The Free School of Thunder was one of the most mysterious and powerful organizations in all of the 30,000 Worlds. They were famed for the Virtuous Laws many of them studied, or had records of, as well their charitable work. They had a considerable amount of influence, but never seemed to use that influence except to enact minor changes.
"I was there the day you came back to life, on Magmor." The monk dropped this bombshell remark as he let go of Will's shocked hand, smiling slightly.
"We at the Free School of Thunder have a simple mantra. Lightning strikes at the beck and call of nature. One must live freely and unfettered if one wishes to survive in this world. We do not seek to control reality, but rather… guide it, in times of need." His voice was deep and contained only a hint of emotion, buried far within his words.
"You… I don't understand. What are you trying to say? What does your group want with me or Dorian?" Will stared at the monk, his voice containing a faint hint of irritation as he pushed past his shock at the monk's knowledge of his resurrection.
"The tyranny of virtue is as unbearable as the stranglehold of vice. Alas, our passivity seems to have led us into a quandary. And that is what draws me here to you." The Nameless Monk sighed.
Will didn't bother trying to decipher the man's cryptic words. Instead, he simply waved for him to continue.
"You see, young Will. Everything ties back to you. You were at the start of all of this, and you will be at the end of all of this as well. It is your destiny, should you choose to accept it. You are the key to the survival of this reality." The monk waved back at him.
"And that is why I am here." The monk finished.
"I'm the key to the survival of this reality? What?" Will stuttered out a response, taken aback. Everything the man said had come off so abrupt, their meeting something that happened out of nowhere.
"Do you think everything in your life has been for nothing? The magical Inheritance you obtained, your return to life by your friend Dorian, your presence here, greeting me." The Nameless Monk began.
"All of this has happened for a reason.
"Everything in life has purpose. You may choose to step away from that purpose if you wish. That is your right, as a free being." The Nameless Monk paused for a moment, as if to catch his breath.
Will jumped into that moment to reply.
"Look. I can tell that you are strong and likely pretty important, somewhere. But I'm not here to do whatever it is you want me to do. I am here to fulfill my mission, and I'm not going to give you any info about my friend." Will laid it all out.
The Nameless Monk seemed slightly taken aback as Will continued,
"You are part of the Free School of Thunder, right? If your group is so powerful, why don't you all solve whatever problem you have yourselves? Who are you to demand I do anything at all?" Will's voice shook the air as particles of light fluctuated around him, a pure, blinding Aura of Light forming around him.
He wasn't going to do anyone's bidding, even if they asked nicely.
There were a few moments of tense silence as both sides stared at each other. The other people in the common room had long since frozen, the powerful Auras Will and Mira alone had given off enough to send many unconscious.
"Let me explain by telling you this, first. Are you aware of who the Head Monk of the Free School of Thunder is?" The Nameless Monk took up a different approach.
"Yes… It's Homa Whistleberry, the Thunder Prophet." Will replied slowly.
"Yes. And the Head Monk sent me here to find you, and her. He sent me here bearing a prophecy, one that concerns your purpose in this reality, should you accept it." The monk returned, equally slowly.
Will slowed down, his expression dimming as he heard this.
If what the man said was true… His current physique and understanding of it, as well as his Magic, gave him the ability to tell whether someone was lying to him, up to some degree. And, right now, he could tell that the monk in front of him was telling the truth.
"What did the Head Monk's prophecy read?" Will queried, a frown on his face. He gradually began to treat the two in front of him like guests instead of possible enemies. He could feel that they lacked any bad intentions.
If there really was a prophecy made about him, it would be wise to at least hear this duo out.
The Head Monk of the Free School of Thunder was an eccentric, rarely heard from figure, but he was also a true-blue Angelic Class expert. He was famed for the magical prophecies he left, ones that often, but not always, came true.
Will had learned all of this from both Sun Wukong and from his own personal research and exploration into the mighty powers of the 30,000 Worlds.
"His prophecy for you is short, only two sentences." The monk's voice took on a mystical echo as he gazed at Will. Will gazed back, taking a deep breath as he felt tension rise in his heart.
"Listen well, young Will, for:
"The weight of reality shall rest upon your shoulders. To save it, you must lose everything, but give up nothing."
Will's mouth fell open as he heard the monk's words.
"What?!"
.. .. .. .. .. ..
The Lesser World of Toraph was a very normal planet. It had no special features and was a rather boring place. The size of its oceans were average, and the number of mountains or other unique natural creations were minimal. The planet was dominated mostly by large, sloping plains and hills.
In terms of populace, this particular world had only around 10 million people living on it, quite small for any planet. The inhabitants of Toraph were nomadic in nature and, as one of the worlds of lesser importance to the Borrel Autarchy, this planet was allowed to maintain its unique culture.
Not only did the Autarchy allow it, they even supported it, providing funding and guards to keep the planet in its natural state.
Right now, however…
The nomads of Toraph had fled away to the farthest corners of the planet, moving away from one specific area.
A place where one World Bridge connected.
A World Bridge that led to the Lesser World of Nugdol. A planet controlled by the Borrel Autarchy, one that was right next to a world that bordered the Draconic Tribes, Aingdo.
Both Aingdo and Nugdol had fallen.
The resistance offered in either World had been minimal. After all…
What can anyone really do against an army of dragons? For regular beings, resistance was a sheer impossibility. Even the Borrel Autarchy hadn't seemed interested in combat, pulling back all of their troops before the Draconic Tribes even invaded.
The sun gleamed overhead as the daylight on Toraph as a single man appeared on the World Bridge from Nugdol, heading towards Toraph.
The man wore a simple set of black pants and no shirt. He was muscular, with a handsome face and piercing blue eyes, his blue eyes flashing with energy that complimented his strong chin. He wielded no weapon and didn't seem to have any Artifacts on him, beyond a Spatial Ring.
Abruptly, this man smiled.
His body blurred.
An instant later, it reappeared, a full 15 miles away from the World Bridge, in the lowest part of a large, sloping hill. He was in a sort of valley-like depression between a set of hills.
He stood in this valley, looking up at the horizon, the smile still present on his face.
In the background, what sounded like rumbling thunder began to echo.
This rumble grew louder and louder until it reached a crescendo, shaking the air itself.
Throughout all of this, the lone man waited patiently.
Finally, as the rumble hit that peak…
People began to emerge over the top of the hilly slope to the west.
First it was just a handful of armored warriors. Then a dozen. Then a hundred. Then thousands. Then tens of thousands.
A virtual sea of muscle and metal appeared, powerful currents of energy rippling in the air as a massive army of warriors formed up into position on the large, hilly slope, all facing towards the lone man at the center.
Hundreds of Wizards began to float up into the air, using magical Artifacts in coordination to stand above the warriors, prepared to provide support. The crackles of fire, the twirls of wind, large chunks of rock, frozen spears of water, a myriad of energy and magical creations slowly began to form.
At the very front of this army, a woman walked about a dozen meters out. She had long, lustrous black hair and eyes. She wore a full set of tight, rust-colored armor that was covered in ornately carved skulls.
She gazed out at the lone man, an orange gleam of energy appearing in her eyes.
A moment later, a blistering, orange Halo appeared around her head, proclaiming her presence for all the world to see.
She was Cynthia Gudet, the Death Wall.
Head of the Borrel Autarchy's Annihilation Department.
Ranked 7th on the Recording of Might… in the Angelic Class section.
An Angelic Class expert.
Behind her stood 2 other figures.
One was a small man that stood well below the average height of a man. He was balding, with greying hair and a lined face. He wore a set of black robes and held a long, black staff in his hands.
He was Heptorel Entei, the World Wall.
Head of the Borrel Autarchy's Gravity Department.
Ranked 9th on the Recording of Might, in the Pseudo-Angelic Class section.
The other figure was a middle-aged man wearing a tight, bright pink robe, with a large gourd strapped to his back. The air around this man was pure and almost crystalline, carrying with it a calm, but powerful, Aura.
He was Jiro Korc, the Diamond Wall.
Head of the Borrel Autarchy's Diamond Department.
And an extremely powerful Wizard that, while not at the Pseudo-Angelic Class, was renowned for his great might.
All three of these figures were some of the true elites of reality, some of the most powerful beings in existence.
They all watched silently, in front of an army composed of tens of thousands of powerful Lord and King experts.
The 2nd Main Division of the Borrel Autarchy, a force built up over years and years of recruitment and effort, one of the oldest branches of the Autarchy military.
All of this prepared for a single man, and whatever he may bring.
All of this prepared for the lone man that stood before them.
"To stop me from saving reality, they could only muster this much, huh?" Yukeli muttered, frowning slightly as he gazed out upon the sea of enemies.
"Has the 30,000 Worlds forgotten who I am?" He shook his head.
And then… slowly… he began to walk forward.
"Steady! Hold!"
"Wait! Hold the lines!"
"Stand at the ready!"
A burst of yell boomed in the air as hundreds of Captains and Commanders ordered their men and women to prepare for battle. The sounds of tens of thousands of warriors shifting, of Wizards clapping their hands together and preparing to cast new Spells. The air became even more electric, energy vibrating as the world itself seemed to distort due to the huge concentration of power.
Back at the front of the towering, elite force of humanity…
"Alright, Cynthia, what do we do?" Jiro's voice was soft, but his words carried a huge amount of energy and weight as he stared at the slowly approaching man. He reached onto his back and took a long gulp of alcohol from his gourd, his body taking on a shiny gleam.
Cynthia glanced back at him dispassionately.
"We do as His Majesty said." Her voice was cold,
"We stop him."
.
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