Chapter 71
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"Sir Marzinus, I--" Lars began to speak, but was quickly cut off by the drow hunter.
"Please, just call me Marzinus, my Lord." The last Demon Hunter raised up his hand, frowning at the boy and protesting.
Lars hesitated but quickly nodded - he didn't have much of the 5 minutes time left.
"Marzinus, how can I - can we know this for sure...? What you've told me is indeed a compelling tale, but how can I be sure...?" Despite Lars' continued scepticism and feeling of "What does all of this have to to do with me?", he also was wary about one thing.
He also did need to satisfy his curiosity - since Kizorik was already cursing non-stop and blabbering about how it was impossible for it to be the same Razku'rak Kizorik mentioned in the drow's stories! And if Lars ended up being a Demon Hunter, how would that change his relationship with the penguin? With the Abyss and the exchanges and the entire system built around the Abyss...? Was it truly all so sinister with a dark hand working behind the scenes to enslave and rule the entire Endless Worlds...?
After all, he wouldn't turn down an opportunity for new power, but he was curious and needed to be sure about how all these things mentioned linked together. The necklace, Kizorik, his own mysterious background as an orphan, the planet and how countless myths and legends existed in the annals of the Earth while no trace could be found in the current age!
Also, whoever or whichever enemies of the sect who were responsible for reducing Marzinus and his compatriots to this state could very well end up targeting him too! So it was better to find out early and understand the situation, to prepare well beforehand for what he might be facing.
That is, if he could establish one important fact before any other - whether all that he was told was truly real!
"My Lord... I... Very well. Perhaps if I tell you about a few facts, you'll find it more believable. We have roughly 1 and a half minutes left, even if you don't believe me, I can only give you this exhortation before I impart to you the fragments of Demon Hunting Arts I have. After which..."
The drow Myth looked grave as he spoke.
"This soul remnant and the last traces of my consciousness still remaining will be gone forever..."
"Alright, no more delays. My Lord, more than a thousand years ago, the Demon Hunting sect was at the height of its glory! We had suppressed all devil and demonic activity to the lowest it had ever been since the day the great rift was formed, and a grand celebration was planned in our headquarters in the All-Heaven Divine Empire."
'What? That name again? I have a bad feeling about this...' Lars thought as he nodded for Marzinus to continue.
"We had setup a great party, one unprecedented in all ages before it and one surely to be difficult to surpass even in generations to come. There was no concern of infiltration by the devil or demon races - we had every confidence that no being or individual with demonic energy could penetrate our defences... But we were wrong. So very wrong."
"It was true, no demon or one with demonic energy could enter unbidden. But they did not need to do so... Not when the ruler of the Empire himself had allied with the devils and demons, just without receiving any demonic powers!"
Lars frowned. So the dastardly Empire was truly involved in all this!
"It goes without saying that the "historic" day truly would go down forever in history... As the day the Demon Hunters were wiped out. But what was recorded was not the great massacre nor the tragic betrayal, no. What was recorded was that the Demon Hunter sect turned on itself due to internal conflict and the greed of the human race..."
He sighed.
"Which is also, in some ways, more true than any other statement..."
"At that time, I was still here on planet Yiluo. By the time I heard of our enemies eliminating the Demon Hunting sect, they were already en route to invade the home planet of Aloin, discovered by pure chance! Unfortunately for me, I was already rather famous in this part of the universe, and was hunted down like a dog! Hahaha! I had no chance against those combatants at the Divine level... I was forced to rupture my soul and hide a fragment here in the demons' own inheritance array! Hahaha! Such is fate, such is fate..."
He laughed mockingly at himself as well as his opponents who never thought to search for their target in their own backyard.
"My Lord, here is where it should tie in to your history. But first off... Tell me, have you always grown and learned faster than your peers, absorbing in a few years what others may take a lifetime to gain? And is your soul-imprint something like mental celerity? Alacrity of the senses? Insight?"
Lars was stunned. Those words were spot on... Though he was half-convinced just by those words, he was also slightly suspicious. Was this bloke some sort of fortune-telling scammer?
The only thing he could discern wrong about what Marzinus had said was that he had not only the soul-imprint of mental agility and increased learning, Insight, but also the soul-imprint of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed!
What did that mean...?
Taking Lars' shocked expression as confirmation, the drow continued.
"Yes, the soul-imprint of Insight was something well known about our founder. He came from an illustrious family whose bloodline was so mighty that their soul-imprint would override any other, even if the practitioner intentionally tried to change it! Nonetheless, every single owner of such a grand soul-imprint rose to illustrious heights thanks to the all-round power and growth potential of the concept!"
"One more thing. As was common with all other supreme bloodlines, this concept of Insight and learning prevailed over every other soul-imprint, proving that the bloodline of our founder was among the greatest ever known in the cosmos! And... This bloodline and soul-imprint had never and would never appear in any other family - except... His descendants!"
Lars was stunned at this second revelation. First, at the fact that this explained why his soul-imprint had formed as such a strange and odd ability instead of the usual Laws or concepts.
As he grew in confidence in his deductions and hypotheses, Marzinus continued on like a bullet train.
"And tell me, were there once legends of great heroes, mighty gods and divine warriors? Legends, myths and tales that lasted until roughly a thousand years ago before abruptly vanishing?" Marzinus did not speak provocatively, but his question that was accompanied by his raised brows shook Lars' heart deeply.
These words struck a chord with his soul and thoughts, revealing a shocking answer to the questions he had buried deep inside since discovering the existence of other worlds: Where had their gods and heroes of old disappeared to?
Slowly, he nodded, at first hesitantly then more vigorously as he continued to nod.
"Then... Little is known of how the battle turned out. But seeing that you are here, it looks like the rumours were true... It was said that the puissant and almighty All-Heaven Divine Empire failed to capture the Earth! In fact, they were beaten back so badly, they fell out of the top 100 civilisations and, if what I hear while spying from this array is true, they are not even a household name anymore among the universe powers! However, the cost was the Earth disappearing from the view of everyone as their champions once again had to trade their lives for the peace and protection of the world..."
Lars' heart beat rapidly. If what the man said was true... Then wouldn't that explain why no one had heard of Earth before in this part of the universe? And why the All-Heaven Divine Empire was targeting his tiny and weak planet? And why the tales of heroes faded away so suddenly merely a thousand years ago? And this even explained the silent period of history where advancement and growth suddenly seemed to stagnate, the Dark Ages!
It was... Too uncanny!
While Lars and also Kizorik were still struggling to come to terms with the massive information dump and knowledge bomb they had just been thrown, the drow Demon Hunter smiled sadly and closed off his first and last conversation with his new sect leader.
"My Lord... It's time to go. This inheritance array... I don't know what the demons stored at the end of it. In truth, the unique personality of the drow death-dancer and myself being here in Level 10 only triggers when a demon or contractor enters this array... From now on, it'll just be a regular and far easier Level 9 and 10..."
"My Lord... May I have the honour of kneeling before you once more? Before I pass on what's left of this laughable soul and skills to you..."
Lars grew even more solemn, and due to the short amount of time they had left, he nodded and spoke sparsely.
"Marzinus... I can't say I'm completely convinced. But I can promise you this. I'll not rest until I find out the truth behind it all and... I will see to it the All-Heaven Divine Empire is uprooted and wiped out!" His eyes flashed with unbridled vengeance as he spoke these words, emotions roused by the sincere and dignified Demon Hunter who had bared his heart to Lars.
Marzinus nodded as his eyes began to grow misty. Then he kneeled and took Lars hand, placing it on his heart which, due to his looming frame, was still level with Lars' waist.
Then he said, "All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down unto you, o my Lord..."
Then the drow Demon Hunter began to dissipate into specks of light, quietly, without the slightest hint of sounds.
It was as if a patch of dandelion flowers were blown by a great gust of wind, scattering the endless petals to the four winds. Only, what was blown away was the great Mythical realm hero's soul, and it was not scattered but gathered together to be absorbed into Lars' mind and soul.
Slowly, the hints of memories and Demon Hunting Arts began to meld into his consciousness, but it felt like a far-off recollection instead of something fresh.
As Lars looked at his hands and feet, wondering if everything that he had just seen and heard was a dream, he realised that the senior Demon Hunter had been left with only the last dregs of life force, form or mana. It was but a whisper in the winds of time, a sigh before the turning of the wheels of fate and history.
'Kiddo... You... You don't believe him, do you...?' Kizorik asked, heart heavy with doubt even about his own self.
Lars pondered the question raised by his contracted demon, but before he could answer, Kizorik spoke once more.
'Because... Y'know... Kiddo... I actually..." Kizorik was not his usual firebrand and chipper self. At this moment, he seemed a different person completely.
'I don't even know my own past... There's no memory of being born or of the ancient, primordial era, unlike the other demons... I... I don't have a past... And I wonder...'
Kizorik looked up in his mental world at that moment, eyes limpid but also distracted, troubled by the heavy revelations laid on both their souls.
'...Am I really who I am...? Or am I just a shadow of another self, waiting to be devoured by old memories, waiting to be wiped away by millennia of power... Just a piece of dust on the mantelpiece of my true self...'
Kizorik sighed, and so did Lars.
Despite such a great exposition and so much information being told, there were only more questions and not enough answers.
He clenched his fist and determined within himself to get to the bottom of these matters, and to find out just what had gone on all those years ago and was still going on today.
And he quietly assured Kizorik.
'Buddy... No matter what, we're sticking together, alright...? I won't abandon you and, you don't abandon me, okay...?'
The penguin who had been in a glum and gloomy mood looked up at Lars' slowly, breathing in and trying to assess whether his words were sincere or not.
'Kiddo... Are you... Sure about that...? You still want to stick with me even after all those atrocities that drow told you we demons have committed...? After you've become some Demon Hunter sh*t sect leader and all...?'
Lars smiled in return and, in his mental world, patted his little critter friend on the head.
'My best buddy... Whether it's true that I'm some sort of Demon Hunter or not, we signed a contract. And I plan to uphold my part of it! And that means, to death do us part! Or, at least, 120 years right...? Heh...'
Kizorik smiled wryly at those words, chuckling himself at the touching words and the comforting joke added on at the end. For now... He would choose to walk with his contractor and see how far their rise to greatness would take them!
And hopefully they wouldn't face any more such life and death situations such as what had occurred today out of the blue!
And Lars pursed his lips in determination, regulating his breathing to maintain his injured body's condition. For now, he could only continue on, receive whatever was left behind in this completed inheritance array...
And claim his money from that Natalie girl! His eyes literally turned into platinum coins at that thought!
He grinned despite his wounds and whistled in pleasure. Then he listened to the array announcement declare the completion of the tests and his prize.
"Congratulations, the inheritance received is..."
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"Sir Marzinus, I--" Lars began to speak, but was quickly cut off by the drow hunter.
"Please, just call me Marzinus, my Lord." The last Demon Hunter raised up his hand, frowning at the boy and protesting.
Lars hesitated but quickly nodded - he didn't have much of the 5 minutes time left.
"Marzinus, how can I - can we know this for sure...? What you've told me is indeed a compelling tale, but how can I be sure...?" Despite Lars' continued scepticism and feeling of "What does all of this have to to do with me?", he also was wary about one thing.
He also did need to satisfy his curiosity - since Kizorik was already cursing non-stop and blabbering about how it was impossible for it to be the same Razku'rak Kizorik mentioned in the drow's stories! And if Lars ended up being a Demon Hunter, how would that change his relationship with the penguin? With the Abyss and the exchanges and the entire system built around the Abyss...? Was it truly all so sinister with a dark hand working behind the scenes to enslave and rule the entire Endless Worlds...?
After all, he wouldn't turn down an opportunity for new power, but he was curious and needed to be sure about how all these things mentioned linked together. The necklace, Kizorik, his own mysterious background as an orphan, the planet and how countless myths and legends existed in the annals of the Earth while no trace could be found in the current age!
Also, whoever or whichever enemies of the sect who were responsible for reducing Marzinus and his compatriots to this state could very well end up targeting him too! So it was better to find out early and understand the situation, to prepare well beforehand for what he might be facing.
That is, if he could establish one important fact before any other - whether all that he was told was truly real!
"My Lord... I... Very well. Perhaps if I tell you about a few facts, you'll find it more believable. We have roughly 1 and a half minutes left, even if you don't believe me, I can only give you this exhortation before I impart to you the fragments of Demon Hunting Arts I have. After which..."
The drow Myth looked grave as he spoke.
"This soul remnant and the last traces of my consciousness still remaining will be gone forever..."
"Alright, no more delays. My Lord, more than a thousand years ago, the Demon Hunting sect was at the height of its glory! We had suppressed all devil and demonic activity to the lowest it had ever been since the day the great rift was formed, and a grand celebration was planned in our headquarters in the All-Heaven Divine Empire."
'What? That name again? I have a bad feeling about this...' Lars thought as he nodded for Marzinus to continue.
"We had setup a great party, one unprecedented in all ages before it and one surely to be difficult to surpass even in generations to come. There was no concern of infiltration by the devil or demon races - we had every confidence that no being or individual with demonic energy could penetrate our defences... But we were wrong. So very wrong."
"It was true, no demon or one with demonic energy could enter unbidden. But they did not need to do so... Not when the ruler of the Empire himself had allied with the devils and demons, just without receiving any demonic powers!"
Lars frowned. So the dastardly Empire was truly involved in all this!
"It goes without saying that the "historic" day truly would go down forever in history... As the day the Demon Hunters were wiped out. But what was recorded was not the great massacre nor the tragic betrayal, no. What was recorded was that the Demon Hunter sect turned on itself due to internal conflict and the greed of the human race..."
He sighed.
"Which is also, in some ways, more true than any other statement..."
"At that time, I was still here on planet Yiluo. By the time I heard of our enemies eliminating the Demon Hunting sect, they were already en route to invade the home planet of Aloin, discovered by pure chance! Unfortunately for me, I was already rather famous in this part of the universe, and was hunted down like a dog! Hahaha! I had no chance against those combatants at the Divine level... I was forced to rupture my soul and hide a fragment here in the demons' own inheritance array! Hahaha! Such is fate, such is fate..."
He laughed mockingly at himself as well as his opponents who never thought to search for their target in their own backyard.
"My Lord, here is where it should tie in to your history. But first off... Tell me, have you always grown and learned faster than your peers, absorbing in a few years what others may take a lifetime to gain? And is your soul-imprint something like mental celerity? Alacrity of the senses? Insight?"
Lars was stunned. Those words were spot on... Though he was half-convinced just by those words, he was also slightly suspicious. Was this bloke some sort of fortune-telling scammer?
The only thing he could discern wrong about what Marzinus had said was that he had not only the soul-imprint of mental agility and increased learning, Insight, but also the soul-imprint of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed!
What did that mean...?
Taking Lars' shocked expression as confirmation, the drow continued.
"Yes, the soul-imprint of Insight was something well known about our founder. He came from an illustrious family whose bloodline was so mighty that their soul-imprint would override any other, even if the practitioner intentionally tried to change it! Nonetheless, every single owner of such a grand soul-imprint rose to illustrious heights thanks to the all-round power and growth potential of the concept!"
"One more thing. As was common with all other supreme bloodlines, this concept of Insight and learning prevailed over every other soul-imprint, proving that the bloodline of our founder was among the greatest ever known in the cosmos! And... This bloodline and soul-imprint had never and would never appear in any other family - except... His descendants!"
Lars was stunned at this second revelation. First, at the fact that this explained why his soul-imprint had formed as such a strange and odd ability instead of the usual Laws or concepts.
As he grew in confidence in his deductions and hypotheses, Marzinus continued on like a bullet train.
"And tell me, were there once legends of great heroes, mighty gods and divine warriors? Legends, myths and tales that lasted until roughly a thousand years ago before abruptly vanishing?" Marzinus did not speak provocatively, but his question that was accompanied by his raised brows shook Lars' heart deeply.
These words struck a chord with his soul and thoughts, revealing a shocking answer to the questions he had buried deep inside since discovering the existence of other worlds: Where had their gods and heroes of old disappeared to?
Slowly, he nodded, at first hesitantly then more vigorously as he continued to nod.
"Then... Little is known of how the battle turned out. But seeing that you are here, it looks like the rumours were true... It was said that the puissant and almighty All-Heaven Divine Empire failed to capture the Earth! In fact, they were beaten back so badly, they fell out of the top 100 civilisations and, if what I hear while spying from this array is true, they are not even a household name anymore among the universe powers! However, the cost was the Earth disappearing from the view of everyone as their champions once again had to trade their lives for the peace and protection of the world..."
Lars' heart beat rapidly. If what the man said was true... Then wouldn't that explain why no one had heard of Earth before in this part of the universe? And why the All-Heaven Divine Empire was targeting his tiny and weak planet? And why the tales of heroes faded away so suddenly merely a thousand years ago? And this even explained the silent period of history where advancement and growth suddenly seemed to stagnate, the Dark Ages!
It was... Too uncanny!
While Lars and also Kizorik were still struggling to come to terms with the massive information dump and knowledge bomb they had just been thrown, the drow Demon Hunter smiled sadly and closed off his first and last conversation with his new sect leader.
"My Lord... It's time to go. This inheritance array... I don't know what the demons stored at the end of it. In truth, the unique personality of the drow death-dancer and myself being here in Level 10 only triggers when a demon or contractor enters this array... From now on, it'll just be a regular and far easier Level 9 and 10..."
"My Lord... May I have the honour of kneeling before you once more? Before I pass on what's left of this laughable soul and skills to you..."
Lars grew even more solemn, and due to the short amount of time they had left, he nodded and spoke sparsely.
"Marzinus... I can't say I'm completely convinced. But I can promise you this. I'll not rest until I find out the truth behind it all and... I will see to it the All-Heaven Divine Empire is uprooted and wiped out!" His eyes flashed with unbridled vengeance as he spoke these words, emotions roused by the sincere and dignified Demon Hunter who had bared his heart to Lars.
Marzinus nodded as his eyes began to grow misty. Then he kneeled and took Lars hand, placing it on his heart which, due to his looming frame, was still level with Lars' waist.
Then he said, "All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down unto you, o my Lord..."
Then the drow Demon Hunter began to dissipate into specks of light, quietly, without the slightest hint of sounds.
It was as if a patch of dandelion flowers were blown by a great gust of wind, scattering the endless petals to the four winds. Only, what was blown away was the great Mythical realm hero's soul, and it was not scattered but gathered together to be absorbed into Lars' mind and soul.
Slowly, the hints of memories and Demon Hunting Arts began to meld into his consciousness, but it felt like a far-off recollection instead of something fresh.
As Lars looked at his hands and feet, wondering if everything that he had just seen and heard was a dream, he realised that the senior Demon Hunter had been left with only the last dregs of life force, form or mana. It was but a whisper in the winds of time, a sigh before the turning of the wheels of fate and history.
'Kiddo... You... You don't believe him, do you...?' Kizorik asked, heart heavy with doubt even about his own self.
Lars pondered the question raised by his contracted demon, but before he could answer, Kizorik spoke once more.
'Because... Y'know... Kiddo... I actually..." Kizorik was not his usual firebrand and chipper self. At this moment, he seemed a different person completely.
'I don't even know my own past... There's no memory of being born or of the ancient, primordial era, unlike the other demons... I... I don't have a past... And I wonder...'
Kizorik looked up in his mental world at that moment, eyes limpid but also distracted, troubled by the heavy revelations laid on both their souls.
'...Am I really who I am...? Or am I just a shadow of another self, waiting to be devoured by old memories, waiting to be wiped away by millennia of power... Just a piece of dust on the mantelpiece of my true self...'
Kizorik sighed, and so did Lars.
Despite such a great exposition and so much information being told, there were only more questions and not enough answers.
He clenched his fist and determined within himself to get to the bottom of these matters, and to find out just what had gone on all those years ago and was still going on today.
And he quietly assured Kizorik.
'Buddy... No matter what, we're sticking together, alright...? I won't abandon you and, you don't abandon me, okay...?'
The penguin who had been in a glum and gloomy mood looked up at Lars' slowly, breathing in and trying to assess whether his words were sincere or not.
'Kiddo... Are you... Sure about that...? You still want to stick with me even after all those atrocities that drow told you we demons have committed...? After you've become some Demon Hunter sh*t sect leader and all...?'
Lars smiled in return and, in his mental world, patted his little critter friend on the head.
'My best buddy... Whether it's true that I'm some sort of Demon Hunter or not, we signed a contract. And I plan to uphold my part of it! And that means, to death do us part! Or, at least, 120 years right...? Heh...'
Kizorik smiled wryly at those words, chuckling himself at the touching words and the comforting joke added on at the end. For now... He would choose to walk with his contractor and see how far their rise to greatness would take them!
And hopefully they wouldn't face any more such life and death situations such as what had occurred today out of the blue!
And Lars pursed his lips in determination, regulating his breathing to maintain his injured body's condition. For now, he could only continue on, receive whatever was left behind in this completed inheritance array...
And claim his money from that Natalie girl! His eyes literally turned into platinum coins at that thought!
He grinned despite his wounds and whistled in pleasure. Then he listened to the array announcement declare the completion of the tests and his prize.
"Congratulations, the inheritance received is..."
"Sir Marzinus, I--" Lars began to speak, but was quickly cut off by the drow hunter."Please, just call me Marzinus, my Lord." The last Demon Hunter raised up his hand, frowning at the boy and protesting.Lars hesitated but quickly nodded - he didn't have much of the 5 minutes time left."Marzinus, how can I - can we know this for sure...? What you've told me is indeed a compelling tale, but how can I be sure...?" Despite Lars' continued scepticism and feeling of "What does all of this have to to do with me?", he also was wary about one thing.He also did need to satisfy his curiosity - since Kizorik was already cursing non-stop and blabbering about how it was impossible for it to be the same Razku'rak Kizorik mentioned in the drow's stories! And if Lars ended up being a Demon Hunter, how would that change his relationship with the penguin? With the Abyss and the exchanges and the entire system built around the Abyss...? Was it truly all so sinister with a dark hand working behind the scenes to enslave and rule the entire Endless Worlds...?After all, he wouldn't turn down an opportunity for new power, but he was curious and needed to be sure about how all these things mentioned linked together. The necklace, Kizorik, his own mysterious background as an orphan, the planet and how countless myths and legends existed in the annals of the Earth while no trace could be found in the current age!Also, whoever or whichever enemies of the sect who were responsible for reducing Marzinus and his compatriots to this state could very well end up targeting him too! So it was better to find out early and understand the situation, to prepare well beforehand for what he might be facing.That is, if he could establish one important fact before any other - whether all that he was told was truly real!"My Lord... I... Very well. Perhaps if I tell you about a few facts, you'll find it more believable. We have roughly 1 and a half minutes left, even if you don't believe me, I can only give you this exhortation before I impart to you the fragments of Demon Hunting Arts I have. After which..."The drow Myth looked grave as he spoke."This soul remnant and the last traces of my consciousness still remaining will be gone forever...""Alright, no more delays. My Lord, more than a thousand years ago, the Demon Hunting sect was at the height of its glory! We had suppressed all devil and demonic activity to the lowest it had ever been since the day the great rift was formed, and a grand celebration was planned in our headquarters in the All-Heaven Divine Empire."'What? That name again? I have a bad feeling about this...' Lars thought as he nodded for Marzinus to continue."We had setup a great party, one unprecedented in all ages before it and one surely to be difficult to surpass even in generations to come. There was no concern of infiltration by the devil or demon races - we had every confidence that no being or individual with demonic energy could penetrate our defences... But we were wrong. So very wrong.""It was true, no demon or one with demonic energy could enter unbidden. But they did not need to do so... Not when the ruler of the Empire himself had allied with the devils and demons, just without receiving any demonic powers!"Lars frowned. So the dastardly Empire was truly involved in all this!"It goes without saying that the "historic" day truly would go down forever in history... As the day the Demon Hunters were wiped out. But what was recorded was not the great massacre nor the tragic betrayal, no. What was recorded was that the Demon Hunter sect turned on itself due to internal conflict and the greed of the human race..."He sighed."Which is also, in some ways, more true than any other statement...""At that time, I was still here on planet Yiluo. By the time I heard of our enemies eliminating the Demon Hunting sect, they were already en route to invade the home planet of Aloin, discovered by pure chance! Unfortunately for me, I was already rather famous in this part of the universe, and was hunted down like a dog! Hahaha! I had no chance against those combatants at the Divine level... I was forced to rupture my soul and hide a fragment here in the demons' own inheritance array! Hahaha! Such is fate, such is fate..."He laughed mockingly at himself as well as his opponents who never thought to search for their target in their own backyard."My Lord, here is where it should tie in to your history. But first off... Tell me, have you always grown and learned faster than your peers, absorbing in a few years what others may take a lifetime to gain? And is your soul-imprint something like mental celerity? Alacrity of the senses? Insight?"Lars was stunned. Those words were spot on... Though he was half-convinced just by those words, he was also slightly suspicious. Was this bloke some sort of fortune-telling scammer?The only thing he could discern wrong about what Marzinus had said was that he had not only the soul-imprint of mental agility and increased learning, Insight, but also the soul-imprint of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed!What did that mean...?Taking Lars' shocked expression as confirmation, the drow continued."Yes, the soul-imprint of Insight was something well known about our founder. He came from an illustrious family whose bloodline was so mighty that their soul-imprint would override any other, even if the practitioner intentionally tried to change it! Nonetheless, every single owner of such a grand soul-imprint rose to illustrious heights thanks to the all-round power and growth potential of the concept!""One more thing. As was common with all other supreme bloodlines, this concept of Insight and learning prevailed over every other soul-imprint, proving that the bloodline of our founder was among the greatest ever known in the cosmos! And... This bloodline and soul-imprint had never and would never appear in any other family - except... His descendants!"Lars was stunned at this second revelation. First, at the fact that this explained why his soul-imprint had formed as such a strange and odd ability instead of the usual Laws or concepts.As he grew in confidence in his deductions and hypotheses, Marzinus continued on like a bullet train."And tell me, were there once legends of great heroes, mighty gods and divine warriors? Legends, myths and tales that lasted until roughly a thousand years ago before abruptly vanishing?" Marzinus did not speak provocatively, but his question that was accompanied by his raised brows shook Lars' heart deeply.These words struck a chord with his soul and thoughts, revealing a shocking answer to the questions he had buried deep inside since discovering the existence of other worlds: Where had their gods and heroes of old disappeared to?Slowly, he nodded, at first hesitantly then more vigorously as he continued to nod."Then... Little is known of how the battle turned out. But seeing that you are here, it looks like the rumours were true... It was said that the puissant and almighty All-Heaven Divine Empire failed to capture the Earth! In fact, they were beaten back so badly, they fell out of the top 100 civilisations and, if what I hear while spying from this array is true, they are not even a household name anymore among the universe powers! However, the cost was the Earth disappearing from the view of everyone as their champions once again had to trade their lives for the peace and protection of the world..."Lars' heart beat rapidly. If what the man said was true... Then wouldn't that explain why no one had heard of Earth before in this part of the universe? And why the All-Heaven Divine Empire was targeting his tiny and weak planet? And why the tales of heroes faded away so suddenly merely a thousand years ago? And this even explained the silent period of history where advancement and growth suddenly seemed to stagnate, the Dark Ages!It was... Too uncanny!While Lars and also Kizorik were still struggling to come to terms with the massive information dump and knowledge bomb they had just been thrown, the drow Demon Hunter smiled sadly and closed off his first and last conversation with his new sect leader."My Lord... It's time to go. This inheritance array... I don't know what the demons stored at the end of it. In truth, the unique personality of the drow death-dancer and myself being here in Level 10 only triggers when a demon or contractor enters this array... From now on, it'll just be a regular and far easier Level 9 and 10...""My Lord... May I have the honour of kneeling before you once more? Before I pass on what's left of this laughable soul and skills to you..."Lars grew even more solemn, and due to the short amount of time they had left, he nodded and spoke sparsely."Marzinus... I can't say I'm completely convinced. But I can promise you this. I'll not rest until I find out the truth behind it all and... I will see to it the All-Heaven Divine Empire is uprooted and wiped out!" His eyes flashed with unbridled vengeance as he spoke these words, emotions roused by the sincere and dignified Demon Hunter who had bared his heart to Lars.Marzinus nodded as his eyes began to grow misty. Then he kneeled and took Lars hand, placing it on his heart which, due to his looming frame, was still level with Lars' waist.Then he said, "All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down unto you, o my Lord..."Then the drow Demon Hunter began to dissipate into specks of light, quietly, without the slightest hint of sounds.It was as if a patch of dandelion flowers were blown by a great gust of wind, scattering the endless petals to the four winds. Only, what was blown away was the great Mythical realm hero's soul, and it was not scattered but gathered together to be absorbed into Lars' mind and soul.Slowly, the hints of memories and Demon Hunting Arts began to meld into his consciousness, but it felt like a far-off recollection instead of something fresh.As Lars looked at his hands and feet, wondering if everything that he had just seen and heard was a dream, he realised that the senior Demon Hunter had been left with only the last dregs of life force, form or mana. It was but a whisper in the winds of time, a sigh before the turning of the wheels of fate and history.'Kiddo... You... You don't believe him, do you...?' Kizorik asked, heart heavy with doubt even about his own self.Lars pondered the question raised by his contracted demon, but before he could answer, Kizorik spoke once more.'Because... Y'know... Kiddo... I actually..." Kizorik was not his usual firebrand and chipper self. At this moment, he seemed a different person completely.'I don't even know my own past... There's no memory of being born or of the ancient, primordial era, unlike the other demons... I... I don't have a past... And I wonder...'Kizorik looked up in his mental world at that moment, eyes limpid but also distracted, troubled by the heavy revelations laid on both their souls.'...Am I really who I am...? Or am I just a shadow of another self, waiting to be devoured by old memories, waiting to be wiped away by millennia of power... Just a piece of dust on the mantelpiece of my true self...'Kizorik sighed, and so did Lars.Despite such a great exposition and so much information being told, there were only more questions and not enough answers.He clenched his fist and determined within himself to get to the bottom of these matters, and to find out just what had gone on all those years ago and was still going on today.And he quietly assured Kizorik.'Buddy... No matter what, we're sticking together, alright...? I won't abandon you and, you don't abandon me, okay...?'The penguin who had been in a glum and gloomy mood looked up at Lars' slowly, breathing in and trying to assess whether his words were sincere or not.'Kiddo... Are you... Sure about that...? You still want to stick with me even after all those atrocities that drow told you we demons have committed...? After you've become some Demon Hunter sh*t sect leader and all...?'Lars smiled in return and, in his mental world, patted his little critter friend on the head.'My best buddy... Whether it's true that I'm some sort of Demon Hunter or not, we signed a contract. And I plan to uphold my part of it! And that means, to death do us part! Or, at least, 120 years right...? Heh...'Kizorik smiled wryly at those words, chuckling himself at the touching words and the comforting joke added on at the end. For now... He would choose to walk with his contractor and see how far their rise to greatness would take them!And hopefully they wouldn't face any more such life and death situations such as what had occurred today out of the blue!And Lars pursed his lips in determination, regulating his breathing to maintain his injured body's condition. For now, he could only continue on, receive whatever was left behind in this completed inheritance array...And claim his money from that Natalie girl! His eyes literally turned into platinum coins at that thought!He grinned despite his wounds and whistled in pleasure. Then he listened to the array announcement declare the completion of the tests and his prize."Congratulations, the inheritance received is..."
