Chapter 69
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Lars shuddered under the suffocating pressure of his captor's aura.
He couldn't even move his lips or mouth to ask what was going on. Despite his real world might, the mystical illusion array exceeded his powers and bound both his body and soul. As a result, his willpower was flagging and mental agility began to grow wan. He felt like his mind was just a blur and began to grow faint.
'Boy! Hold on! Stay sharp!! Something's definitely fishy, but I don't care as long as we can survive!'
Whether it was truly a second chance at life or just a swan song before perishing, the resilient demon did not care a whit. He had survived for endless eras and weathered through ages untold; he would certainly grasp every last opportunity to live!
The ancient Demon-Hunter, soul fragment though he was, possessed comprehension of the laws that far exceeded Lars'. The drow's achievements of the Mythical stage (despite being now only at the Master realm) proved that he stood on a higher level than the boy before him even at his full power!
"Terlebih dahulu, patik harus membutakan mata yang mengintip dan telinga yang mencuri dengar..." (Before that, I need to blind any spying eyes or eavesdropping ears...)
The drow took one hand off Lars' shoulder and incanted a spell, manipulating the array to his will and whim.
At his command, a grand and opaque mist began to coil around the borders of the illusion field, blocking the sight of every watcher.
The audience groaned in frustration and disappointment at their viewing being blocked. Then a static white noise began to buzz from the screen, cutting off even the sense of sound.
However, while they were still complaining or murmuring in worry, this mist only lasted for about 10 seconds before it dissipated.
And as the mists cleared, it revealed only the barechested youth still standing, the line victor, no signs of his opponent being left.
Then a voice of neutral gender announced the result.
"Congratulations! Level 10 complete! Returning candidate's consciousness to corporeal realm..."
A stunned silence reigned once more, with the only voices heard being those of the frantic crew members still hard at work and the paramedics waiting for the moment the magic field dropped to provide emergency aid.
Then Natalie sighed a breath of relief but still could not understand what she had just seen.
And one voice pierced through the silence, parroting what had just been announced as if though the earlier voice had just been an illusion just like the illusory world the candidates had been in.
"C-completed?!!" Lina Sarouneh's face turned green from disturbance and envy. Her record was shattered today not once, but twice by wet nosed 15 year olds!
Then the disturbed drone of voices picked up a dozen notches just then, with but a few common questions on every tongue and mind:
What in the world had happened in those short 10 seconds? Where had the Demon-Hunter gone...?
And...
What would happen to the boy who had achieved an unprecedented record of completing not just Level 9 but the yet unseen before Level 10?
* * * * *
"Baik. Kita patut ada sekadar 5 minit untuk berbincang." (Alright, we should have about 5 minutes to discuss)
"Pertama, kamu ni siapa? Mengapa kamu ada tanda Pemburu Syaitan yang pertama di dadamu? Mengapa kamu sebagai ahli Pemburu Syaitan membentuk aqad dengan syaitan yang zalim? Di manakah kesemua alat persatuan kita yang kamu patut ada? Jawablah! Mengapa masih tercungap di sana!" (First off, who are you? Why do you have the symbol of the First Demon Hunter on your chest? Why would you as a member of the Demon Hunters form a contract with the cruel demons? Where are all the association tools that you should have? Answer me! Why are you still standing there agape!)
The sweating Lars' heart pounded as Marzinus began to interrogate him - but in a language he could not understand.
'Damn... If I can't understand him, even if he's no longer trying to kill me right now, there's no way to get out of this sticky situation...'
'Kizorik, do you know what language the drow is speaking? How can we communicate with him?'
'Hmm... Boy... This is just a wild try alright? But go ahead and try whatever language you know from your homeworld!'
Narrowing his eyes to try, Lars attempted to speak the languages he knew: French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic...[1]
But at each of his words, the Demon Hunter merely frowned and got angrier!
Finally he tried English.
And the Demon Hunter's jaw dropped open and stared at him as if he had seen a monster.
"The ancient tongue of the first Demon-Hunter... The founder's heir... The prophecy was really true..." The macho man began to grow teary-eyed as he was visibly moved by the sound of the words he had heard!
Abruptly, the aura binding Lars dissipated. As he was caught off guard by this, Lars fell to the ground painfully!
The Demon Hunter then hurried over to pick him up and dust him off, making Lars feel very uncomfortable as the brawny man over twice his size was touching his bare skin of his upper body and chest...
The Demon Hunter paid special attention, examining the birthmark engraved on his chest, the last remnant of the necklace from Earth.
Then to Lars' shock, the drow suddenly dropped to one knee before him then spoke in English.
"Heir of the first Demon Hunter from the Great Throne of Majesty, Planet Gaia... This lowly Demon Hunter apprentice, the last of the Demon Hunter's remaining, seeks your forgiveness!"
"...."
'....'
'WHAT DID HE JUST SAY???!!'
'I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE ASKING YOU!!! AREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO HAS ENDLESS EXPERIENCES??!! HOW CAN HE EVEN BE SPEAKING ENGLISH?!!'
'WHAT! DO YOU THINK I'M SOME SORT OF OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD OR SOMETHING!?!? I'M JUST A BIRD! A BLOODY FRICKIN' BIRD OKAY???'
"Lord, is something the matter...?" The drow Demon-Hunter before him looked up with an earnest expression, worried that the young mage had still not responded after awhile.
"N-no! No!" Lars' tried to play it cool but still stuttered as he spoke. But he quickly did his best to adapt and tried to understand further.
"S-sir Marzinus sir! Can I ask you a question...?"
"Definitely, my Lord. Just, you don't have to call me sir, as the heir to our founder's will and powers, you are the new generation's lord!" The drow spoke with fervency and worship in his eyes!
Lars gulped, then decided to take the risk and speak his mind, "Can you explain... What you're talking about? I... I have no idea what is going on."
"Lord...! My apologies once more! Yes, we have..." The panicked drow stood up quickly and then mentally calculated how much time they had left until the time acceleration ended.
"...4 minutes or so left. I will explain what I can in the time remaining, but Lord, there's only so much I can cover." His face was lined with worry and he bowed slightly to Lars.
"Is that ok, Lord...?"
"Erm... Yeah, yes, please, please proceed..."
The drow cleared his throat and began his explanation.
"What I know is based on the knowledge passed down from the first generation disciples until now." He sighed and looked up into the white misty skies as if thinking of a great and mystical history.
"This was back in the Primordial Era, when there was no knowledge or the concept of demons or devils or the such. The numerous but scattered Space Beasts who would later unite as the demon race were still all working completely independently as they were mighty and unthreatened. Our founder wrote that during those days, the demons, though not benevolent, were also not the bloodthirsty monsters that they are today. Partly because there was no organisation such as the Abyss yet nor the Devil Princes to oppose them. It is said that in those days, the races and species across the Endless Worlds lived at peace and in prosperity, though it was also a far simpler world than today."
"It was also around that time that the first Demon Hunter himself had just risen to his power as a regular cultivator and embarked on his journey to greatness."
"However, it was exactly then that a grave situation occurred."
Lars and Kizorik listened in rapt attention, as this was a mystery and secret of the universe's history that they might never have the opportunity to hear again!
"Despite the Space Beasts not having any form of government nor ruler over them, there was still one being that reigned as the mightiest, strongest among them all... And also the wisest and greatest in relationship with the other species."
At these words, even the Mythical realm drow showed a look of awe as he spoke.
"The Wyrm at the end of the far..."
"A mystical being whose true form until today is only alluded to in broken fragments of texts. Even we in our Demon Hunters' records know almost nothing about the Wyrm, even more so since we were all but wiped out, leaving me as the sole remaining survivor... Heh... Though some survivor I am... Just a piece of broken soul surviving by latching on to a demonic inheritance array... Just hoping beyond hope to meet someone to pass on the Demon Hunter's ways to!"
He shook his head in self-deprecation and had great sorrow in his eyes as he reached this point.
"My Lord... I realise I have digressed. Let me finish this quickly."
"In those ancient days, it was suddenly announced that the Core of a Space Beast could be used as the catalyst to transcend Divinity and exceed the Star level... You can imagine the chaos that broke out at just such a simple single sentence! Millions and billions of cultivators across the universe immediately began to frenziedly hunt down the innocent Space Beasts, just for the promise of exceeding the Ascendant level... Yet to this day, it is unknown just which party released such cataclysmic news...!"
The drow frowned and looked angry when saying this, then shook his head in pity.
"However, one thing was ascertained: the news was true!"
"No matter how mighty each individual Space Beast was, they had no chance against entire civilisations of enemies, civilisations that would stop at nothing under the direction of their rulers who hungered and thirsted for the promise of Transcendence... And immortality...!"
"Immortality..." Lars and Kizorik both gasped in shock at that one word which would resonate across the realms regardless of age or era. An elusive illusion of grandeur that had not once ever been found, that had always been like the pot of gold under the rainbow, never found!
"Merely a week after the chaos began, the Wyrm at the end of the Far convened every Space Beast together. At that time, they planned to unite under one flag, under the flag of the Space Beast alliance to wipe out every other race across the Endless Worlds who had dared to raise their hands against them...!"
"The tragedy happened then..."
"The Space Beasts were aided by the humans of the universe. However..."
Marzinus looked incredibly sad as he spoke, despite it being his enemies who were the victims...!
"The humans betrayed them...!"
"The moment when the Space Beasts surged forth like a flood across the universe... The humans gathered their mightiest combatants and ambushed the Wyrm at the end of the Far!"
"But the Emperor of the Space Beasts was not one to be easily felled. Even as it knew there would be no escaping this situation with its life, it made a cosmos-shaking decision that would change everything forever."
"The Wyrm sacrificed itself to slay every human cultivator who launched the despicable attack on them, shattering its own soul into countless pieces. However, if that were all, then there would be no reason for the rise of the Demon Hunters or my story!"
"The Wyrm, in order to protect all its kinsmen and members of its race... Opened the door to the Abyss, to forever corrupt the cores and souls of all Space Beasts to no longer be usable for the path to Transcendence... Turning the great beasts all across the universe into monsters..."
"Yes, the gentle and peace-loving Space Beasts were forced by the greed of the manifold races into becoming the scourge of the Endless Worlds!"
"The demon race!"
Marzinus' eyes turned red as he unveiled the history and the tragedy that shaped the universe as they knew it...!
*
*
*
[1] Screw it. I forgot that Lars is supposed to be Malaysian and understand Bahasa... I'm just going to have to continue as if though he doesn't understand the Demon Hunter...
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Lars shuddered under the suffocating pressure of his captor's aura.
He couldn't even move his lips or mouth to ask what was going on. Despite his real world might, the mystical illusion array exceeded his powers and bound both his body and soul. As a result, his willpower was flagging and mental agility began to grow wan. He felt like his mind was just a blur and began to grow faint.
'Boy! Hold on! Stay sharp!! Something's definitely fishy, but I don't care as long as we can survive!'
Whether it was truly a second chance at life or just a swan song before perishing, the resilient demon did not care a whit. He had survived for endless eras and weathered through ages untold; he would certainly grasp every last opportunity to live!
The ancient Demon-Hunter, soul fragment though he was, possessed comprehension of the laws that far exceeded Lars'. The drow's achievements of the Mythical stage (despite being now only at the Master realm) proved that he stood on a higher level than the boy before him even at his full power!
"Terlebih dahulu, patik harus membutakan mata yang mengintip dan telinga yang mencuri dengar..." (Before that, I need to blind any spying eyes or eavesdropping ears...)
The drow took one hand off Lars' shoulder and incanted a spell, manipulating the array to his will and whim.
At his command, a grand and opaque mist began to coil around the borders of the illusion field, blocking the sight of every watcher.
The audience groaned in frustration and disappointment at their viewing being blocked. Then a static white noise began to buzz from the screen, cutting off even the sense of sound.
However, while they were still complaining or murmuring in worry, this mist only lasted for about 10 seconds before it dissipated.
And as the mists cleared, it revealed only the barechested youth still standing, the line victor, no signs of his opponent being left.
Then a voice of neutral gender announced the result.
"Congratulations! Level 10 complete! Returning candidate's consciousness to corporeal realm..."
A stunned silence reigned once more, with the only voices heard being those of the frantic crew members still hard at work and the paramedics waiting for the moment the magic field dropped to provide emergency aid.
Then Natalie sighed a breath of relief but still could not understand what she had just seen.
And one voice pierced through the silence, parroting what had just been announced as if though the earlier voice had just been an illusion just like the illusory world the candidates had been in.
"C-completed?!!" Lina Sarouneh's face turned green from disturbance and envy. Her record was shattered today not once, but twice by wet nosed 15 year olds!
Then the disturbed drone of voices picked up a dozen notches just then, with but a few common questions on every tongue and mind:
What in the world had happened in those short 10 seconds? Where had the Demon-Hunter gone...?
And...
What would happen to the boy who had achieved an unprecedented record of completing not just Level 9 but the yet unseen before Level 10?
* * * * *
"Baik. Kita patut ada sekadar 5 minit untuk berbincang." (Alright, we should have about 5 minutes to discuss)
"Pertama, kamu ni siapa? Mengapa kamu ada tanda Pemburu Syaitan yang pertama di dadamu? Mengapa kamu sebagai ahli Pemburu Syaitan membentuk aqad dengan syaitan yang zalim? Di manakah kesemua alat persatuan kita yang kamu patut ada? Jawablah! Mengapa masih tercungap di sana!" (First off, who are you? Why do you have the symbol of the First Demon Hunter on your chest? Why would you as a member of the Demon Hunters form a contract with the cruel demons? Where are all the association tools that you should have? Answer me! Why are you still standing there agape!)
The sweating Lars' heart pounded as Marzinus began to interrogate him - but in a language he could not understand.
'Damn... If I can't understand him, even if he's no longer trying to kill me right now, there's no way to get out of this sticky situation...'
'Kizorik, do you know what language the drow is speaking? How can we communicate with him?'
'Hmm... Boy... This is just a wild try alright? But go ahead and try whatever language you know from your homeworld!'
Narrowing his eyes to try, Lars attempted to speak the languages he knew: French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic...[1]
But at each of his words, the Demon Hunter merely frowned and got angrier!
Finally he tried English.
And the Demon Hunter's jaw dropped open and stared at him as if he had seen a monster.
"The ancient tongue of the first Demon-Hunter... The founder's heir... The prophecy was really true..." The macho man began to grow teary-eyed as he was visibly moved by the sound of the words he had heard!
Abruptly, the aura binding Lars dissipated. As he was caught off guard by this, Lars fell to the ground painfully!
The Demon Hunter then hurried over to pick him up and dust him off, making Lars feel very uncomfortable as the brawny man over twice his size was touching his bare skin of his upper body and chest...
The Demon Hunter paid special attention, examining the birthmark engraved on his chest, the last remnant of the necklace from Earth.
Then to Lars' shock, the drow suddenly dropped to one knee before him then spoke in English.
"Heir of the first Demon Hunter from the Great Throne of Majesty, Planet Gaia... This lowly Demon Hunter apprentice, the last of the Demon Hunter's remaining, seeks your forgiveness!"
"...."
'....'
'WHAT DID HE JUST SAY???!!'
'I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE ASKING YOU!!! AREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO HAS ENDLESS EXPERIENCES??!! HOW CAN HE EVEN BE SPEAKING ENGLISH?!!'
'WHAT! DO YOU THINK I'M SOME SORT OF OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD OR SOMETHING!?!? I'M JUST A BIRD! A BLOODY FRICKIN' BIRD OKAY???'
"Lord, is something the matter...?" The drow Demon-Hunter before him looked up with an earnest expression, worried that the young mage had still not responded after awhile.
"N-no! No!" Lars' tried to play it cool but still stuttered as he spoke. But he quickly did his best to adapt and tried to understand further.
"S-sir Marzinus sir! Can I ask you a question...?"
"Definitely, my Lord. Just, you don't have to call me sir, as the heir to our founder's will and powers, you are the new generation's lord!" The drow spoke with fervency and worship in his eyes!
Lars gulped, then decided to take the risk and speak his mind, "Can you explain... What you're talking about? I... I have no idea what is going on."
"Lord...! My apologies once more! Yes, we have..." The panicked drow stood up quickly and then mentally calculated how much time they had left until the time acceleration ended.
"...4 minutes or so left. I will explain what I can in the time remaining, but Lord, there's only so much I can cover." His face was lined with worry and he bowed slightly to Lars.
"Is that ok, Lord...?"
"Erm... Yeah, yes, please, please proceed..."
The drow cleared his throat and began his explanation.
"What I know is based on the knowledge passed down from the first generation disciples until now." He sighed and looked up into the white misty skies as if thinking of a great and mystical history.
"This was back in the Primordial Era, when there was no knowledge or the concept of demons or devils or the such. The numerous but scattered Space Beasts who would later unite as the demon race were still all working completely independently as they were mighty and unthreatened. Our founder wrote that during those days, the demons, though not benevolent, were also not the bloodthirsty monsters that they are today. Partly because there was no organisation such as the Abyss yet nor the Devil Princes to oppose them. It is said that in those days, the races and species across the Endless Worlds lived at peace and in prosperity, though it was also a far simpler world than today."
"It was also around that time that the first Demon Hunter himself had just risen to his power as a regular cultivator and embarked on his journey to greatness."
"However, it was exactly then that a grave situation occurred."
Lars and Kizorik listened in rapt attention, as this was a mystery and secret of the universe's history that they might never have the opportunity to hear again!
"Despite the Space Beasts not having any form of government nor ruler over them, there was still one being that reigned as the mightiest, strongest among them all... And also the wisest and greatest in relationship with the other species."
At these words, even the Mythical realm drow showed a look of awe as he spoke.
"The Wyrm at the end of the far..."
"A mystical being whose true form until today is only alluded to in broken fragments of texts. Even we in our Demon Hunters' records know almost nothing about the Wyrm, even more so since we were all but wiped out, leaving me as the sole remaining survivor... Heh... Though some survivor I am... Just a piece of broken soul surviving by latching on to a demonic inheritance array... Just hoping beyond hope to meet someone to pass on the Demon Hunter's ways to!"
He shook his head in self-deprecation and had great sorrow in his eyes as he reached this point.
"My Lord... I realise I have digressed. Let me finish this quickly."
"In those ancient days, it was suddenly announced that the Core of a Space Beast could be used as the catalyst to transcend Divinity and exceed the Star level... You can imagine the chaos that broke out at just such a simple single sentence! Millions and billions of cultivators across the universe immediately began to frenziedly hunt down the innocent Space Beasts, just for the promise of exceeding the Ascendant level... Yet to this day, it is unknown just which party released such cataclysmic news...!"
The drow frowned and looked angry when saying this, then shook his head in pity.
"However, one thing was ascertained: the news was true!"
"No matter how mighty each individual Space Beast was, they had no chance against entire civilisations of enemies, civilisations that would stop at nothing under the direction of their rulers who hungered and thirsted for the promise of Transcendence... And immortality...!"
"Immortality..." Lars and Kizorik both gasped in shock at that one word which would resonate across the realms regardless of age or era. An elusive illusion of grandeur that had not once ever been found, that had always been like the pot of gold under the rainbow, never found!
"Merely a week after the chaos began, the Wyrm at the end of the Far convened every Space Beast together. At that time, they planned to unite under one flag, under the flag of the Space Beast alliance to wipe out every other race across the Endless Worlds who had dared to raise their hands against them...!"
"The tragedy happened then..."
"The Space Beasts were aided by the humans of the universe. However..."
Marzinus looked incredibly sad as he spoke, despite it being his enemies who were the victims...!
"The humans betrayed them...!"
"The moment when the Space Beasts surged forth like a flood across the universe... The humans gathered their mightiest combatants and ambushed the Wyrm at the end of the Far!"
"But the Emperor of the Space Beasts was not one to be easily felled. Even as it knew there would be no escaping this situation with its life, it made a cosmos-shaking decision that would change everything forever."
"The Wyrm sacrificed itself to slay every human cultivator who launched the despicable attack on them, shattering its own soul into countless pieces. However, if that were all, then there would be no reason for the rise of the Demon Hunters or my story!"
"The Wyrm, in order to protect all its kinsmen and members of its race... Opened the door to the Abyss, to forever corrupt the cores and souls of all Space Beasts to no longer be usable for the path to Transcendence... Turning the great beasts all across the universe into monsters..."
"Yes, the gentle and peace-loving Space Beasts were forced by the greed of the manifold races into becoming the scourge of the Endless Worlds!"
"The demon race!"
Marzinus' eyes turned red as he unveiled the history and the tragedy that shaped the universe as they knew it...!
*
*
*
[1] Screw it. I forgot that Lars is supposed to be Malaysian and understand Bahasa... I'm just going to have to continue as if though he doesn't understand the Demon Hunter...
Lars shuddered under the suffocating pressure of his captor's aura.He couldn't even move his lips or mouth to ask what was going on. Despite his real world might, the mystical illusion array exceeded his powers and bound both his body and soul. As a result, his willpower was flagging and mental agility began to grow wan. He felt like his mind was just a blur and began to grow faint.'Boy! Hold on! Stay sharp!! Something's definitely fishy, but I don't care as long as we can survive!'Whether it was truly a second chance at life or just a swan song before perishing, the resilient demon did not care a whit. He had survived for endless eras and weathered through ages untold; he would certainly grasp every last opportunity to live!The ancient Demon-Hunter, soul fragment though he was, possessed comprehension of the laws that far exceeded Lars'. The drow's achievements of the Mythical stage despite being now only at the Master realm proved that he stood on a higher level than the boy before him even at his full power!"Terlebih dahulu, patik harus membutakan mata yang mengintip dan telinga yang mencuri dengar..." Before that, I need to blind any spying eyes or eavesdropping ears...The drow took one hand off Lars' shoulder and incanted a spell, manipulating the array to his will and whim.At his command, a grand and opaque mist began to coil around the borders of the illusion field, blocking the sight of every watcher.The audience groaned in frustration and disappointment at their viewing being blocked. Then a static white noise began to buzz from the screen, cutting off even the sense of sound.However, while they were still complaining or murmuring in worry, this mist only lasted for about 10 seconds before it dissipated.And as the mists cleared, it revealed only the barechested youth still standing, the line victor, no signs of his opponent being left.Then a voice of neutral gender announced the result."Congratulations! Level 10 complete! Returning candidate's consciousness to corporeal realm..."A stunned silence reigned once more, with the only voices heard being those of the frantic crew members still hard at work and the paramedics waiting for the moment the magic field dropped to provide emergency aid.Then Natalie sighed a breath of relief but still could not understand what she had just seen.And one voice pierced through the silence, parroting what had just been announced as if though the earlier voice had just been an illusion just like the illusory world the candidates had been in."C-completed?!!" Lina Sarouneh's face turned green from disturbance and envy. Her record was shattered today not once, but twice by wet nosed 15 year olds!Then the disturbed drone of voices picked up a dozen notches just then, with but a few common questions on every tongue and mind:What in the world had happened in those short 10 seconds? Where had the Demon-Hunter gone...?And...What would happen to the boy who had achieved an unprecedented record of completing not just Level 9 but the yet unseen before Level 10?* * * * *"Baik. Kita patut ada sekadar 5 minit untuk berbincang." Alright, we should have about 5 minutes to discuss"Pertama, kamu ni siapa? Mengapa kamu ada tanda Pemburu Syaitan yang pertama di dadamu? Mengapa kamu sebagai ahli Pemburu Syaitan membentuk aqad dengan syaitan yang zalim? Di manakah kesemua alat persatuan kita yang kamu patut ada? Jawablah! Mengapa masih tercungap di sana!" First off, who are you? Why do you have the symbol of the First Demon Hunter on your chest? Why would you as a member of the Demon Hunters form a contract with the cruel demons? Where are all the association tools that you should have? Answer me! Why are you still standing there agape!The sweating Lars' heart pounded as Marzinus began to interrogate him - but in a language he could not understand.'Damn... If I can't understand him, even if he's no longer trying to kill me right now, there's no way to get out of this sticky situation...''Kizorik, do you know what language the drow is speaking? How can we communicate with him?''Hmm... Boy... This is just a wild try alright? But go ahead and try whatever language you know from your homeworld!'Narrowing his eyes to try, Lars attempted to speak the languages he knew: French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic...1But at each of his words, the Demon Hunter merely frowned and got angrier!Finally he tried English.And the Demon Hunter's jaw dropped open and stared at him as if he had seen a monster."The ancient tongue of the first Demon-Hunter... The founder's heir... The prophecy was really true..." The macho man began to grow teary-eyed as he was visibly moved by the sound of the words he had heard!Abruptly, the aura binding Lars dissipated. As he was caught off guard by this, Lars fell to the ground painfully!The Demon Hunter then hurried over to pick him up and dust him off, making Lars feel very uncomfortable as the brawny man over twice his size was touching his bare skin of his upper body and chest...The Demon Hunter paid special attention, examining the birthmark engraved on his chest, the last remnant of the necklace from Earth.Then to Lars' shock, the drow suddenly dropped to one knee before him then spoke in English."Heir of the first Demon Hunter from the Great Throne of Majesty, Planet Gaia... This lowly Demon Hunter apprentice, the last of the Demon Hunter's remaining, seeks your forgiveness!""...."'....''WHAT DID HE JUST SAY???!!''I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE ASKING YOU!!! AREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO HAS ENDLESS EXPERIENCES??!! HOW CAN HE EVEN BE SPEAKING ENGLISH?!!''WHAT! DO YOU THINK I'M SOME SORT OF OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD OR SOMETHING!?!? I'M JUST A BIRD! A BLOODY FRICKIN' BIRD OKAY???'"Lord, is something the matter...?" The drow Demon-Hunter before him looked up with an earnest expression, worried that the young mage had still not responded after awhile."N-no! No!" Lars' tried to play it cool but still stuttered as he spoke. But he quickly did his best to adapt and tried to understand further."S-sir Marzinus sir! Can I ask you a question...?""Definitely, my Lord. Just, you don't have to call me sir, as the heir to our founder's will and powers, you are the new generation's lord!" The drow spoke with fervency and worship in his eyes!Lars gulped, then decided to take the risk and speak his mind, "Can you explain... What you're talking about? I... I have no idea what is going on.""Lord...! My apologies once more! Yes, we have..." The panicked drow stood up quickly and then mentally calculated how much time they had left until the time acceleration ended."...4 minutes or so left. I will explain what I can in the time remaining, but Lord, there's only so much I can cover." His face was lined with worry and he bowed slightly to Lars."Is that ok, Lord...?""Erm... Yeah, yes, please, please proceed..."The drow cleared his throat and began his explanation."What I know is based on the knowledge passed down from the first generation disciples until now." He sighed and looked up into the white misty skies as if thinking of a great and mystical history."This was back in the Primordial Era, when there was no knowledge or the concept of demons or devils or the such. The numerous but scattered Space Beasts who would later unite as the demon race were still all working completely independently as they were mighty and unthreatened. Our founder wrote that during those days, the demons, though not benevolent, were also not the bloodthirsty monsters that they are today. Partly because there was no organisation such as the Abyss yet nor the Devil Princes to oppose them. It is said that in those days, the races and species across the Endless Worlds lived at peace and in prosperity, though it was also a far simpler world than today.""It was also around that time that the first Demon Hunter himself had just risen to his power as a regular cultivator and embarked on his journey to greatness.""However, it was exactly then that a grave situation occurred."Lars and Kizorik listened in rapt attention, as this was a mystery and secret of the universe's history that they might never have the opportunity to hear again!"Despite the Space Beasts not having any form of government nor ruler over them, there was still one being that reigned as the mightiest, strongest among them all... And also the wisest and greatest in relationship with the other species."At these words, even the Mythical realm drow showed a look of awe as he spoke."The Wyrm at the end of the far...""A mystical being whose true form until today is only alluded to in broken fragments of texts. Even we in our Demon Hunters' records know almost nothing about the Wyrm, even more so since we were all but wiped out, leaving me as the sole remaining survivor... Heh... Though some survivor I am... Just a piece of broken soul surviving by latching on to a demonic inheritance array... Just hoping beyond hope to meet someone to pass on the Demon Hunter's ways to!"He shook his head in self-deprecation and had great sorrow in his eyes as he reached this point."My Lord... I realise I have digressed. Let me finish this quickly.""In those ancient days, it was suddenly announced that the Core of a Space Beast could be used as the catalyst to transcend Divinity and exceed the Star level... You can imagine the chaos that broke out at just such a simple single sentence! Millions and billions of cultivators across the universe immediately began to frenziedly hunt down the innocent Space Beasts, just for the promise of exceeding the Ascendant level... Yet to this day, it is unknown just which party released such cataclysmic news...!"The drow frowned and looked angry when saying this, then shook his head in pity."However, one thing was ascertained: the news was true!""No matter how mighty each individual Space Beast was, they had no chance against entire civilisations of enemies, civilisations that would stop at nothing under the direction of their rulers who hungered and thirsted for the promise of Transcendence... And immortality...!""Immortality..." Lars and Kizorik both gasped in shock at that one word which would resonate across the realms regardless of age or era. An elusive illusion of grandeur that had not once ever been found, that had always been like the pot of gold under the rainbow, never found!"Merely a week after the chaos began, the Wyrm at the end of the Far convened every Space Beast together. At that time, they planned to unite under one flag, under the flag of the Space Beast alliance to wipe out every other race across the Endless Worlds who had dared to raise their hands against them...!""The tragedy happened then...""The Space Beasts were aided by the humans of the universe. However..."Marzinus looked incredibly sad as he spoke, despite it being his enemies who were the victims...!"The humans betrayed them...!""The moment when the Space Beasts surged forth like a flood across the universe... The humans gathered their mightiest combatants and ambushed the Wyrm at the end of the Far!""But the Emperor of the Space Beasts was not one to be easily felled. Even as it knew there would be no escaping this situation with its life, it made a cosmos-shaking decision that would change everything forever.""The Wyrm sacrificed itself to slay every human cultivator who launched the despicable attack on them, shattering its own soul into countless pieces. However, if that were all, then there would be no reason for the rise of the Demon Hunters or my story!""The Wyrm, in order to protect all its kinsmen and members of its race... Opened the door to the Abyss, to forever corrupt the cores and souls of all Space Beasts to no longer be usable for the path to Transcendence... Turning the great beasts all across the universe into monsters...""Yes, the gentle and peace-loving Space Beasts were forced by the greed of the manifold races into becoming the scourge of the Endless Worlds!""The demon race!"Marzinus' eyes turned red as he unveiled the history and the tragedy that shaped the universe as they knew it...!***1 Screw it. I forgot that Lars is supposed to be Malaysian and understand Bahasa... I'm just going to have to continue as if though he doesn't understand the Demon Hunter...
