บท 24: Leaving the Dark Continent [1]
'Those eyes boost their affinity for Nen? How useful.'
"So what went wrong?" Netero asked, to which Monet took a deep breath.
"Givor Gordon, King of Solaris. A ruthless tyrant who cared for nothing but power. On the outside, he presented himself as an empathetic and outgoing character, however, in reality, he ruled his nation with an iron fist as a merciless dictator."
"His act was so perfect, he was able to fool the world at the time. No one knew of his true nature or aim. No one thought to question his peculiar rules, like the fact he was greatly against outsiders visiting his nation."
'Hiding such a big secret like that? I find it hard to believe he got away with that for long.'
Isaac thought, however, he didn't interrupt and listened closely.
"Among the 7 strongest Nations at the time, Givor set his sights on 4. Firstly, he brought the Valdemar Nation to his side by exploiting the King's thirst for wealth and riches."
"He then set his sights on two powerful rival nations. Aionthos and Etheria. With Aionthos who prided themselves on their military power, and Etheria who were a more tame nation, known for their healing and medical prowess, the two mixed like oil and water."
"It didn't help that the Aionthos people were akin to barbarians, while Etheria were the exact opposite, but were shrouded by pride that made them think as though they were better than others."
'Idiots. No wonder it was so easy to manipulate them.' Isaac scowled. Listening to this only frustrated him more and more.
"Because the two nations were constantly at each other's necks, there was a constant threat of war between the two. And although it wasn't obvious, Givor was able to determine which Nations had taken sides."
"However, the last Nation Givor had closely paid attention to was the Kurta Kingdom. Although the other nations had mixed feelings on them, no one could deny they were a force to be reckoned with."
"But that wasn't why Givor paid attention to them. It was because of how much they resembled him. Or, his facade to be more exact. The Kurtas were truly empathetic and outgoing. They didn't need to fake their character, which infuriated Givor."
Monet explained as she straightened her back and raised her chin high.
Meanwhile, Isaac wore a defeated demeanour.
'I'll just choose to ignore the clear bias.'
"The Kurta also acted as a sort of peacemaker between nations, frequently preventing wars and conflicts, whether it were with words or by force. This made Givor's goal harder. Therefore, he decided to take a more forceful approach."
"He killed Fetoh of Aionthos."
Both Isaac and Netero raised their eyebrows at these words.
"He killed Fetoh?" Isaac muttered, though, Monet still heard.
"Well, a spy planted in Aionthos did. But yes, he gave the command. Additionally, he framed Etheria for the crime."
'So Fetoh was wrong. It wasn't Aionthos that killed her, but another nation completely.'
"This acted as a catalyst. Without wasting time, no words were spoken. Aionthos launched an operation, and in a matter of weeks, the Prince of Etheria was challenged to a duel by the commanding Knight of Aionthos."
'I can guess where this is going.'
"In reality, the duel was a mask to hide Aionthos' true intentions. To kill the Prince. The Commander was strong, and the Prince knew this, but his pride didn't allow him to back down. And it was because of this pride he died, sparking the beginning of the end."
"That's how the war started?"
"Yes. Soon, the rest of the Nations joined in. Some joined because they were allied with either Etheria or Aionthos, others because their politicians or royalty died under mysterious circumstances, and they blamed the opposing nations."
The more Monet recounted history, the more Isaac couldn't help but be more glad this wasn't his world.
He couldn't bare to think of living in a nation that didn't wait to think outside the box or ask questions.
'Pitiful.' Isaac spat inwardly.
'Maybe this Givor wasn't anything special after all. Any thug could do what he did.'
"As the emotions of all nations were at an all time high and countless individuals lost their lives, it wasn't long until Post Mortem Nen kicked in and everyone was forced to flee." Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"That's it? What happened to Givor? Where were the Kurtas during all of this?" Netero nodded his head, he too wondering this.
After a slight pause, Monet answered.
"Well, have you seen that enormous gaping hole in the ground near where we first met?" Monet asked, to which Isaac pondered.
He then shot his eyes open, remembering the never-ending dark void, whose he compared to Aionthos.
Seeing his eyes sparkle, Monet continued.
"That was once Solaris. It was the Kurta Clan's Chief at the time that was responsible for this, making sure Gildor never harmed anyone else again."
Isaac and Netero stayed quiet upon hearing this.
"One man…was capable of that?" Netero muttered as he smiled while a drop of sweat dripped down the side of his face.
He didn't know whether to be saddened or glad someone as powerful as that was no longer living.
'So that's what the Scarlet Eyes are capable of? Godlike power.'
Isaac couldn't fathom someone being capable of such destruction, so to him, it was indeed godlike.
"After fleeing, while everyone else was scurrying for thier pitiful lives, the Kurtas took it upon themselves to separate the Dark Continent and the new world with a large Gate, which can only be opened with the Scarley Eyes."
"Upon arriving to the new world, we Kurtas, despite knowing we could take over after seeing the sorry state of the nations, with some even being completely wiped out, decided to separate ourselves, living in seclusion while cultivating the next generations of the Gatekeepers, teaching us various different techniques. Its how I'm able to turn into a cat and use Nen as much as i can without alerting ghe monsters."
"Additionally, Nen had become a heavily guarded topic, soon being forgotten so history would never repeat itself."
Isaac didn't know what to think after hearing the story. If he had to put it into one word, it would be disappointment.
To think all of humanity was brought to near extinction because a thug exploited the emotions of a few emotional nobles.
Isaac could have lived without learning of the history.
Meanwhile, Netero seemed to have a difference in opinion.
"So the Kurta Clan are the Gatekeeper. Who could've guessed." He laughed heartily.
"We had a deal. Give me the book." Monet glared at Isaac, to which he nodded and complied.
Meanwhile, Netero stood before Monet, making sure she didn't hold any grudges.
However, as Isaac was about to hand over the book, something he'd missed caught his eye.
On the last page he's thought to be blank, he didn't realise there was something written on the opposite side.
At first glance, it seemed like mindless scribble, however, with what he knew, he didn't take Don Freecs to be the procrastinating scribbler type.
Therefore, as Monet and Netero were distracted, he ripped the page and stuffed it in his pocket, handing over the book shortly after.
A silence then enveloped the room.
"Anyway, let's continue onto the second book." Netero said with a clap and smile.
***
"A Travelers Journal: East."
Isaac spoke as he closed the book.
He and Netero sat opposite each other as Monet slept in the corner in her cat form. She'd long since lost interest after obtaining the Diary.
Isaac couldn't blame her. After all, the book they had just finished gave detailed descriptions on creatures of the Dark Continent, the most prominent being called the 5 Calamities, something she already most likely knew.
Despite finding the topic on certain area and plants interesting, Isaac doubted Monet would have the same enthusiasm.
Speaking of the 5 calamities, Isaac was surprised to find the Cranium, or as Don called them, the Brion.
There was also a detailed description on "The Labyrinth City" obviously being Aionthos.
However, Isaac couldn't find anything on Fetoh or the Aroze.
Because of this, Isaac could deduce Don only had vague knowledge on the calamities.
Despite this, Isaac still found it interesting.
Like the chapter on the Zobae Disease.
A disease of immortality at the cost of your sanity? This could bring about a real life apocalypse.
Although, it wasn't stated how one would contract this disease.
But by far, what Isaac found interesting was…
"Nitro Rice, huh?" Isaac held four grains in his hand.
They had found these inside the book.
Either Don left these for whoever found his journal, knowing they wouldn't help them, or he simply forgot them there, which he doubted.
Don made sure to mention Nitro Rice in the journal, and to think this small grain could extend one's life by two times was something Isaac had trouble believing.
"Are you ready?" Netero asked, taking one from Isaac's hand.
Whether it was forgotten or meant for them, Netero and Isaac had already made their choice.
"Yes."
As Isaac said this, they both tossed the grain into their mouth, swallowing instantly.
As they did, they could feel a rush of vitality course through their being, rejuvenating them, not only physically, but mentally too.
But other than this, Isaac couldn't feel anything else.
"Did we just get ripped off? This feels no different than the Aroze." Isaac spoke.
However, upon glancing at Netero, he could only widen his eyes.
What was once an old man, was now a considerably younger male with fewer wrinkles and longer and more vibrant hair.
"Woah, you looked 20 years younger!" Isaac yelled in surprise.
"Oh? I guess the effects are less prominent on you because you're still a youth." Despite the validity of this comment, Isaac was too engrossed in the changes.
Netero was no longer the old man he knew, but now be considered middle aged.
"Anyway, onto the last book." Netero said with a childlike smile. Isaac never thought he'd be the bookworm type.
However, Isaac too felt excited to continue. He was having a better experience than he thought.
However, Isaac snapped out of his trance as he noticed Netero's hand heading for the book Don was writing.
Soon, a thought passed through Isaac's mind.
"Netero, wait!"
But it was too late.
Netero grabbed the book from under Don, prompting the green haired male to pause for a second.
As if he were frozen, Don refused to move.
After a few seconds, a vibrating sensation erupted from within him. He started to aggressively shake as if he were having a seizure.
Simultaneously, his skin had started to melt. From the hair to the eyeballs and even the blue Gi he was wearing. Everything had become a puddle under him.
In the blink of an eye, what replaced the human male was a black boned skeleton with red eyes and surrounded by flames.
Or perhaps it was Aura exuding from it. Isaac couldn't tell. To him, due to the intensity that made a cold drop of sweat run down his back, the first thing he thought was fire.
And immediately after that, his second thought was, 'Shit!'
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Hey, if you're enjoying I'd appreciate the Powerstones. They help a ton.
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