Chapter 144: What ordeal?

As Crule began to climb the stairs, step by step he felt his knees buckle. It seems as if the gravity increases as he takes each step.

[Crule]: This pressure…Where have I felt this before…

An hour later, he could no longer rely on only his brute physical capabilities to climb on. He started to channel minute amounts of energy into his legs. It was like cold water hitting a slab of red hot iron. Steam rose from his legs as the sweat immediately evaporated.

A feeling of comfort washed over Crule as he continued on. The pressure remains ever increasing though…

Having lost count of how many steps he had climb, Crule decided to let his mind wander…

The gates within his body…they are only channels. What will he do afterwards? His master never explained beyond that…perhaps she assumed Crule may never reach past that stage in his life time, after all…he didn’t inherit the gift of immortality yet. His lifespan is still limited to a few hundred years at best.

His pool of energy was as rich as the energy in the atmosphere on Noxia. He had a very large reserve of it. What he discovered was some of the energy in him had been touched by the primordial event horizon. It changed it…but Crule couldn’t tell the difference. He couldn’t use it either…

The changed energy lie deep within his pool. He would have to exhaust all the energy he had up to that point in order to tap into changed energy.

But like a carbonated drink, a bubble of it rises up every so often. Crule always had it ready for the most worst of situation. Once when he fought Hanuman, once when he fought the wolfspider queen, once when he fired his cannon toward the drake, and most recently when he killed the Queen Bee.

Every time the tiny sliver of energy was surrounded by the normal kind so Crule couldn’t examine the changes directly.

Suddenly, his mind stopped wandering as he finally arrived at a door. The pressure currently was tenfold the normal gravity on the ark.

Crule lifted his hand and placed it on the door. It had a cold feeling to it but soon a change occurred.

Since the pressure was so great, Crule had to channel energy into his arms. The door sensed it and absorbed some of the energy. It didn’t take much but was enough for Crule to feel a suctioning force. The door slowly opened.

[Crule]: I really want to meet who ever made these contraptions.

Crule mused as he walked into the now opened door.

______

Far away in a treehouse within the main park of the ark, a person stirred awake.

[Person]: Hmm…He finally showed up.

The person looked toward the towering structure in the distance.

[Person]: If he pass my tests then I might finally get the chance to tell him…

If Crule could see this person he would be shocked speechless…

______

Behind the door was a single black obelisk. Engraved on the smooth marble-like stone was the ancient language of humanity. Crule couldn’t read it but soon a monotone electronic voice started speaking.

[Voice]: Long ago, mankind lived under one single language. The language brought them together, and they became arrogant. They decided to reach the heavens through a tower. Thus Babel was born. But as if it was an act against the gods themselves, the tower was destroyed and mankind was once again divided by language.

Crule listened on with intrigue. Why did it suddenly start a history lesson?

[Voice]: But Mankind was not deterred by the wrath of gods. Over eons, they once again united under a language. Learning from their past mistakes, they did not build a single tower. No, they built an entire series of towers. Each tower houses all the knowledge mankind had gathered.

Crule was amazed. All the knowledge? It was an enormous task that seemed impossible…The voice continued.

[Voice]: But as if the wrath of gods could never be prevented, our world was destroyed. But the towers continue on, humanity continued on. We left our battered world on an Ark with the tower which hold all of what defines humanity. The Ark with its towers of babel shall travel to a new world. Perhaps one day, with the knowledge we own, combined with new knowledge, we may challenge the heavens on equal grounds.

The heavens…Crule never understood that. Even with the horseman of death, Crule never knew what happens after life. It was something he never had to ask before.

The voice continued with a few final words that shocked Crule.

[Voice]: For entering one of the towers, you have proven yourself worthy to take upon the ordeal of mankind. If you succeed, perhaps even the heavens shall bow before you. If you should fail…

The voice staggered.

[Voice]: If you should fail, you will join the billions who have fallen before you.

The voice suddenly became more emotional.

Crule hesitated. He never knew about this. The sage, his master, any of the other horsemen, none of them told him about this. He didn’t know how it would affect his plans as well. But soon his arrogance took hold of him. The same arrogance that was always hidden deep within him due to his aura will now embark him on a twisted path.

[Crule]: I accept.

The room shuttered.

[Voice]: Good. Child of man, accept your destiny as a human and strive to conquer the heavens. If the stone accepts you, the burden of mankind shall fall on your shoulder.

The voice faded out and the stone obelisk collapsed into a piled of rubble. Within the rubble was a marble. It looked extremely similar to the marble the Sage gave Crule to preserve his soul for time travel.

Crule held the marble carefully and stared at it.

[Crule]: The burden of mankind huh? Just another thing to add on my long list of things to do…

The usual evil-looking smirk plastered his face. Then he opened his mouth wide and swallowed it.

______

Back in the treehouse far away from the tower.

[Person]: The kid took the challenge…guess he’s more courageous than I thought…that or far more idiotic than I remember him to be.

With a smile and with a wave of its hand, the person vanished.