Chapter 1033 Legendary Item
"Who is the Immortal Sage and the Strings of Fate?" asked Arthur instead of lashing out. Although Yuvan was still someone he wanted to kill, he had to control his anger to understand what was about to happen in Runera.
"The Immortal Sage is the master of this tower, and the Strings of Fate is the cult created for the sole purpose of finding candidates for the demon king. Whenever one appears, the Red Tower descends and lures them in."
"What purpose does the demon king hold?" asked Arthur with a frown. "And I'm a human, how would I be a candidate for the demon king?"
"The word demon means evil deity," answered Yuvan with a frown. "It is a word created by the gods labeling any race that rebels against them. Demons are just races that have refused to bow down to Devaheim. A Demon King is the one who lead the war against the celestial realm."
"Is that who I am?" asked Arthur with a smirk. "A candidate to do something that you fail to do yourselves?"
"No one hates the gods as much as you do," said Yuvan while spreading his arms. "Ever since you were born, you had the primal hate toward the beings dictating your fate. You were born to rebel, Arthur Silvera. That is who you are, a rebel against everything."
"I have no reason to pick a fight with Devaheim," answered Arthur with a shake of his head. "I can just take care of my world until the end of my days."
"Nameless was created by the gods," revealed Yuvan, making Arthur freeze in place. He turned toward him with visible shock. "Although considered the enemy of creation, Nameless is nothing but a tool created by the gods. This is the real reason the guardians decided to side with it and abandon Earth."
"How can the gods create something that would destroy their universe?" muttered Arthur while unconvinced of the notion. After all, Nameless was hellbent on swallowing everything, a disease Gaia suffers from.
"You should have wondered too about its origins," pushed Yuvan further. "Would a creature that is almost indestructible appear out of thin air? What does it desire and why is it attacking certain worlds instead of others?"
"It cannot attack everywhere at the same time," said Arthur with a frown. "There is a sequence of worlds that it travels through."
"Is that sequence a random order? How does the Nameless choose the next world to strike if it does not have an order to carry out its executions? This is what it is, Arthur Silvera. Nameless is nothing but an executioner."
Arthur was silent because although he did not want to admit it, this psychopathic man was making sense. Although he wished to tear him apart for what he did to Julia, he still felt like his words made sense. It bugged him and even made him feel guilty.
"Nameless was created by a certain god to prevent the appearance of the Demon King, the man capable of wielding the power against them. The injustice the countless worlds suffered from the gods is embodied by one man: the Sin of Wrath."
"If your words are true, why did the Sin of Wrath fight against the outsider? Why did it align itself with the gods' scheme?" said Arthur, raising an inconsistency in Yuvan's little story.
"Sin of Wrath is just a name given by Earthlings to the man who cannot control his anger and power," said Yuvan with a shake of his head. "Eragon was not a stable entity to lead the countless suffering races in war. He was nothing but another candidate for the powers to break the chains."
"And what makes me different than him?"
"You are the First Seeker," said Yuvan with a smile. "You are the sole person who managed to make a deal with the spirits to lose his feelings. Although it sounds like a curse, it makes you the sole man capable of handling the wrath."
"As you have shown me on the ninth floor, it turns out that I cannot control wrath very well," said Arthur with a shake of his head. "I plan on listening to what my brother said. This wrath is a curse, not a power."
"Finish your journey in this tower and decide what you want to do," said Yuvan with a smile. "I believe that you would choose the right thing."
After saying that, Yuvan disappeared. Arthur was enraged that he was acting like a wise teacher after his betrayal to Julia. He had yet to understand what made him take such a route just in order to lure him into the Red Tower.
The wasteland was empty now, just a desert with the occasional wind. Arthur watched a portal appear in front of him, but he had no heart to exit this dungeon. The information the former runes grandmaster revealed was too shocking.
Can the gods be the ones who created Nameless to fulfill their agenda? Is it possible that this entire madness, the seven families, Isotox, and even his father's schemes, are just side products of a much more selfish choice made by an entity?
The gods know about his existence now and should make their moves soon before he conquers the Red Tower. As long as he goes forward, then he will find out the truth for himself.
"If you are going through hell, then keep going," repeated Arthur the words Diana told him. They became his source of strength and guidance. The answer to all his problems was simple: keep going. Arthur tightened his fist as he stared at the portal. "From this day forward, I will not hesitate to move forward. I will discover every secret in the universe and punish every culprit until this hell is over."
[You have finished the dungeon Demonic Palace.]
[Your reward points have been doubled.]
[You can now choose another skill.]
[You obtained the legendary item Interdimensional Pocketwatch, a tool used by the lesser god Watchman.]
The tower celebrated his victory over the dungeon with bountiful rewards. Arthur stood outside the Dark Cave with red alerts flashing in front of him and three people standing in front of him.
"Where are the twin sisters?" asked Arthur of the three men, who looked at each other with uncomfortable expressions. Seeing their reactions, Arthur expected the worst. "Are they dead?"
"Nixie died on the ninth floor, but Fae should still be undergoing her final trial," said Dal from the ground. "I am happy to see you here, my lord."
"Same goes for me, teacher," said Koby as he bowed as well. "You were the reason that I passed the tenth trial. I knew that being a mage in my village was my greatest dream, but it would not be as glorious as following you."
"Then follow me," said Arthur with an approving nod, making Koby light up with joy. Then, he turned toward Joey, who seemed to be in a different world than the rest. "You look like a man who realized what he wants."
"And not something I was happy with," said Joey while still staring at the ground. Then, he raised his eyes to study Arthur well. "I'm glad to see that you are still alive. The demonic creatures have disappeared, and I shall go back to Xeloria now."
"Suit yourself," said Arthur with a nod and watched him leave the forest. "I wonder what he saw that changed him so much?"
"A man who sees their dreams come true can never go back to normal," said Dal as he rose from the ground. "I too wanted to live that happiness for all eternity. But I remembered my vow."
"You are a good man, Dal," said Arthur as he offered a handshake. "Follow me, and you shall never lose purpose again."
"That is my greatest desire," said Dal as he shook his hand. "There is still a minute before the dungeon closes. If Fae does not appear now, she never will."
"Let's wait for her," said Arthur as he let go of the man and turned toward the Dark Cave. It has turned into a black whirlpool, which was the portal connecting to the final trial. After a minute of waiting, the whirlpool disappeared, and no one came out.
Arthur gave a sigh and turned around. The two followed after him, returning to the carriage they parked atop the hill. It now carried three people instead of five, marking their loss. Dal volunteered to drive the carriage, and Arthur had to guide him.
"What happened to your arm?" asked Arthur once the mage sat in front of him. Although he noticed it as soon as they appeared, it did not seem to be a recent matter.
"I gave it up for freedom," said Koby with a smile. "In return, I stopped being a prisoner of fear. That's thanks to your guidance, teacher."
"One-armed Mage is a fine title," said Arthur with a smile. "Follow me, and I shall make you the strongest mage the world has ever seen, Koby."
"I have no doubts," nodded the thin mage as he held the end of his severed arm as the carriage took them back toward Xeloria. Arthur gazed out of the window, happy that this ordeal was over. However, more questions filled his mind now.