Chapter 38

At the start of Yara’s story, Keith was immeasurably excited when he heard there were other dimensions out there, but his excitement didn’t last for long. By the time Yara finished, he was at a loss. There was so much information to take in he didn’t know what to make of it. Annallee and Elora had similar reactions. On the other hand, Mariane seemed unwilling to believe it.

Both Mariane and her sister had long harbored doubts towards their father and Yara, never fully believing in whatever they said. They held in their minds a warped version of Yara that didn’t reflect reality, thinking for sure she was up to no good. But now that Mariane had listened to Yara’s unbelievable story, everything seemed to make sense. The signs were always there: the hushed rumors and hidden meanings that spoke of something greater.

While Keith kept thinking about the relationship between Yara’s main body and her true clone, Mariane focused on something else. Crossing her arms, she looked Yara in the eye. “You spoke of different factions. What would happen to us if the demons encountered us first?”

Yara’s impression of Mariane rose since she easily deduced the key problem. “It depends on what sin. Gluttony would raise us like livestock to consume, Wrath would ignore us, Pride would subjugate us, Envy would assimilate those with special abilities, Greed would pillage our land dry, Lust would siphon our life away, and Sloth would find someplace to sleep.”

“That doesn’t sound very appealing,” Mariane replied while crossing her arms. “What of the other two dimensions? Are they the same?”

Yara shook her head. “The Elemental and Conceptual Dimensions have some degree of morals and principles. Once they see our population, they will force us to join their banner. But make no mistake: you won’t have the freedoms you enjoy now. Nepotism runs rampant at the top, and any rising talents will submit or perish.”

Yara turned to her grandson. “Keith, if you consider our society’s values, what would you say they are?”

It only took Keith a few moments to come up with an answer. “Unity, Compassion, and Self-Improvement.”

“Very good.” Yara gave a satisfied smile. “I spent a considerable amount of time to foster these core values, which allowed our people to enter a cycle of prosperity and growth.”

Mariane raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to appeal to me?”

“You can think of it that way,” Yara laughed. “Silly girl, do you think me and your father are oblivious? The only reason you haven’t heard the truth until now was because of your rebellious nature.”

“Then why now?”

Yara shrugged. “It matters little at this point. There are so many moving parts nowadays that you would’ve learned sooner or later.”

“What do you mean?” Mariane frowned.

Yara gave Mariane a sly smile. “How many people do you think are level 500?”

Mariane’s brow furrowed so hard she looked like she tasted crap. “Are you saying there’s a hidden force that I’m unaware of?”

Yara spread her hands instead of answering, causing Mariane to clench her teeth in annoyance. It almost seemed like Yara was intentionally trying to get on Mariane’s nerves.

“Ahem.” Keith faked a cough. “Grandma, I still don’t understand how I’m involved in all this. I’m not very strong. Why have me move in if things are so serious?”

Yara responded with a kind smile, “Of course, because I want to see my handsome grandson."

As Keith chuckled awkwardly, Markus suddenly looked directly at his son, “Don’t listen to her. She’s haughty and prideful. I’ll tell you the truth: she wants you to follow in my footsteps and strive for the peak of strength.”

Yara glared at Markus and snapped, “What are you doing?”

“I alone can pave the road forward.” Markus stared back and spoke with supreme confidence. “My son needs not to bear any responsibility.”

Yara fell silent when she saw the resolve in Markus’s eyes. It caught her off guard. Was her son finally taking a stand against her after all these years?

Markus looked at Keith. “Whether you like it or not, you stand at the center of a fierce storm. The things to come are uncertain; nobody knows what’s going to happen, not even your grandmother.” Markus’s expression hardened. “You have the choice to stand by my side and lead our civilization forward against the world. If you choose this path, we will do everything in our power to increase your strength. We will supply you with countless elixers, top equipment, legacy skills, and a yearly income in the billions. The best people in several fields will devote their full attention to teaching you everything from combat to survival. In other words, our civilization will pool its resources into making you a sharp sword with which to smite our enemies. In exchange, you must devote every second of your life to safeguarding our people. Whether it be a farmer, teacher, or engineer – they’ve all contributed to our great civilization. Everybody has desires, loved ones, and dreams, but all of that can vanish in the blink of an eye in this dangerous world. Someone needs to protect them.”

Markus paused for a moment. “I vowed long ago to take on this responsibility. Keith, if you want, you can follow in my footsteps.”

The room fell silent.

Just this brief exchange let Keith know his father was a great man. How glorious his mission was. However, Keith’s heartbeat was so fast it felt painful, and he struggled to breathe. Markus’s sudden proposal caught him off guard. It was too grand and noble. The thought of serving the people as a leader sounded very appealing, especially all the items and wealth, but for Keith to spend the rest of his life fighting against all threats was much too daunting.

Keith sneaked a peek at Markus’s expression, wondering if his father had any hopes or expectations. To Keith’s surprise, he couldn’t glean anything. It was as if Markus didn’t care what Keith chose.

After nearly a minute passed without Keith coming to a decision, Markus smiled, “To be honest, I’m just way too strong. It doesn’t matter if you help me or not.”

“Uh.” Keith was too stunned to respond.

Markus continued, “As my son, I want you to live a free and fulfilling life. That alone is enough to make me happy.”

Keith took a deep breath and answered, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m the type of person to take on such a big role. All I want is to grow strong enough to not burden my family.”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Markus laughed. “How about this? Let’s create a training program. You’ll get a set of rewards for every milestone you reach. What do you need? Money? Items? Equipment?”

“Gold coins.” Keith’s eyes shined like stars.

“Okay,” Markus leaned forward with enthusiasm. “Everyone needs a good training program. It has many benefits, like setting good habits an-”

“Enough, don’t get started,” Yara interrupted with a roll of her eyes. “I’m hungry. Is anyone else? Let’s have lunch then.”

When Yara left to find Tora, Keith finally relaxed. His first encounter with his Father and Grandmother wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.