(Very) Tiny rant:*Warning/mild spoiler: This chapter may contain difficult language. Please comment if there are things you wish for me to explain.*

I will stop talking and let you continue reading now –chuckles-.

-Hikaru Seishin, 2/19/2015-

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Magic.

Even Serenia, a person with limited knowledge of the mage class, knew. Lux had used some sort of incantation on the fox.

Was he...a mage?

The fox roared in fury, releasing a blast of fire at Lux. He dodged, landing back on his feet lightly. Restricted by the spell, the guardian trashed about, shooting its flames in all directions.

As it struggled, the incantation began to fade away.

“Not strong enough...” Lux commented nonchalantly to no one in particular, as the final wisp of magic vanished, “should I use that instead?”

He ducked while still in thought, untouched as the fox whipped its tails at him.

“But the moves take a long time to complete. It will be bothersome to prolong this fight.”

He jumped to the side without looking, as the creature swung its massive claws at him.

“I wonder if there is one that requires fewer than three moves...”

The Guardian of the Sacred Artifact hissed at him, and then raised one paw. A shining, dark red magic circle appeared. From sky came down large arrows, all lit with radiant white flames.

Lux zigzagged away from the new attack, dashing back toward the fox.

“Well, no time. I will just fight the normal way.”

He cast one arm to the side, holding it there as a sapphire-blue sword materialized. Crouching down slightly, he leaned forward, grabbing the blade by the handle and launching toward the monster’s legs. He slashed at them numerous times before the fox could respond, landing on its back as its legs gave away. It gave a high-pitched cry as it attempted to catch Lux with its tails, the sound climbing an octave higher as he sliced all of them off in one, fluid motion.

[Flaming Nine-tails]

HP: 6, 012

MP: 7, 148

Lux hacked at its body in a crisscross formation, leaving deep wounds stitched across its back. The fox began to release all its spells at once, blinded by the pain. The bridge began to crumple once more, the stone foundations falling down into the darkness, where no sound of them hitting the ground was heard.

HP: 2, 519

MP: 4, 148

He swiped his blade elegantly across the neck of the fox, cutting it off in mid-howl. With its last bit of strength, it became ablaze with flames of every color, threatening to burn him alive.

HP: 1, 024

MP: 0

One strike there.

Another to the right.

A heavy blow to the left.

Again and again, Lux charged at the monster. He moved at such a speed that it was impossible to keep track of him. More wounds appeared on the fox, almost as if they created themselves.

Its HP dropped into the danger zone.

He stood suspended in the air in front of its face for the smallest fraction of a second, peering into the monster’s enormous, blood-red eyes.

“My condolences.”

With a tremendous leap into the air, he brought his sword back over his head, and down the length of its body. It fell to its side heavily as a sudden, blinding glow erupted from its form.

A few moments later, it began to disintegrate into fine, white dust, fading away into the shadows.

As Lux strode away from the battle area, he opened the system clock with a casual swipe of a finger.

“Three minutes and forty-one seconds.” he noted indifferently, “I need to polish my skills again.”

The damaged bridge became unable to support itself. As it dropped into the void below, one piece at a time, Lux proceeded to rejoin Serenia, calmly banishing his weapon on the way.

The great, immortal Nine-tails was defeated, in a matter of minutes.

System Prompt: Player [Lux] and player [Serene] have defeated chamber guardian [Flaming Nine-tails]. They have each received 30, 000 experience. One [Unknown Egg] has been obtained.

The system finished its announcement. The echoes of the sound of Lux’s footsteps were the only things that interrupted the deep silence that followed.

He passed by Serenia, preparing to head into the compartment ahead.

She spoke.

“Stop right there.”

He stopped, but did not turn around.

“...What did you do back there.” she inquired steadily, her hair hanging low over her eyes and her expression unreadable.

“Get rid of the creature that was blocking my way.”

Serenia lifted her head up. “Let me rephrase.” she said coldly, her eyes reflecting her caution, “Who, are you?”

He gave her a side-ways glance. “I thought you knew my name.”

His words left her speechless for a moment. Then, she took a small step forward.

“Let me say that again. What exactly are you? There is no way you are a mere level 10.”

“It says I am level 10, right here. Would you like to check again?”

Serenia narrowed her eyes. Her patience was running short.

“Alright, since you refuse to answer my questions properly, let me tell you what I think instead.” she paused, drawing in a long breath before continuing, “You, a level 10, somehow discovered the trigger mission to the Continental Boss, when so many high level teams and players had searched day and night for it. I will count that as pure luck and question you no further. But, this same level 10 disregarded warnings of death from his escort, and went on to start the mission as if it was a simple walk in the park. You also claimed to have completed a quest many times your level, a quest that only a few top players have managed to succeed in. And it gets more unbelievable from there. You, just around one-sixth of the guardian’s level, managed to clear the field within minutes. The most surprising thing is that you defeated the immortal Nine-tails without using any noticeable system commands. It almost seemed as if you defeated it through pure, physical ability.”

There she paused again, letting her words sink in.

“After all this, do you still expect me to think of you as a normal low-level player?”

She waited for his reply, but he remained silent.

“So, let me ask once again. What exactly are you hiding?”

What followed was the longest period of silence that Serenia had ever experienced in her life. For the first time since she had entered, the space around them seemed to be laden with negative energy. Anxious feelings. As if the fate of the universe was to be revealed through his next words. And beneath all that, was a feeling of unnerving anticipation. Dread, yet curiosity.

Finally, he replied.

“I was never supposed to be part of this world.”

His words sent a chill down Serenia’s back. Time seemed to have stopped altogether in this grave stillness.

“What...do you mean?” she asked. She was becoming more and more disturbed by this situation.

“The choices in the beginning. Do you remember?”

Serenia had a flashback of the scene of her character creation. The first question reappeared vividly in her mind.

[Do you wish to continue living?]

She nodded in response to Lux.

“Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you chose [No]?”

The unsettling feeling was beginning to surface within Serenia again.

“Death. You would die automatically, whether you were serious or not.”

Was that...the reason why only less than half of the world managed to reach Dark Eden?

Something was not adding up.

“There were two options shown. The people who chose [Yes], survived, and those that chose [No], did not.”

There he hesitated.

“But, there was a third group. Those that did not have a choice. Those that were banished from God’s kingdom in the very beginning.”

At that, he turned around, looking directly into Serenia’s eyes.

“I was one of them. I was never supposed to have arrived in this world. My existence was never the intention of God.”

His eyes darkened, as if a shadow had passed over them. What he said next made Serenia catch her breath.

“God, the creator of life, had intended for me the path of death.”

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Wh-what is this man saying...?

“I do not have a ‘class’. I cannot level up further either. This is the most I can do in a world that I do not belong in.” Lux finished.

Serenia stood in shocked silence. Not in a million years could she have ever guessed what he had just told her.

Not everyone had the choice to enter this world…because “God” had decided for them instead? In other words, they were prohibited from entering Dark Eden? But...why?

The whole concept of God striping the players of their freedom, and their lives, alarmed Serenia. She was beginning to doubt the very nature of this world and its creator.

Did “God” have a reason for doing that, or was it completely up to chance? If it was the latter, then what does that make “God”? Were we all just his toys in the end, things that he can dispose of without regard? A living drama for him to watch; a human-amusement park in which he could do whatever he wants?

Yet, the whole story seemed to be lacking too much in details. Not only was the motive behind God’s actions unknown, there was no mention of how Lux escaped his judgment either. It was hard to imagine him, no matter how powerful he might be, rebelling against the ultimate ruler in his own realm...

Then, she remembered something important. There was no need to question further. As a temporary escort, it was not her right to dig into his past.

Serenia shook her head to clear her thoughts, before speaking.

“Enough. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask you in the first place. I had stepped outside of my duties. Your background and your identity; they are not things I should be concerned with. Please forgive me.”

Whatever secrets he may be hiding, whatever he may be; human, beast or even a deity, none of it was relevant. She had to do her job regardless. His safety was her priority. That was all.

Lux held her gaze for a few more moments. Then, he turned his back to her once more.

“Let’s continue.”

She followed him without another word. However, a final, strange notion was forming in her head.

If by the smallest one percent chance, that what he said was true...then what kind of person was he in the previous world? He who has survived until now, all on his own. The only “true” swordsman, whose existence itself defies God?

Serenia quickened her footsteps.

Whatever it may be...this escorting business may have become something way more interesting than I’d originally thought.

At that, she couldn’t help but let out the faintest of smiles.

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Drip, drip.

The sound of gently trickling water greeted them as they entered the final compartment.

Navy blue cave walls surrounded them in a circle, extending high up into the air where a single ray of sunlight could be seen. As the sunlight danced on the walls, they reflected off the tranquil streams of water flowing down on its surface, illuminating the room in an almost unearthly glow. In the middle, bordered by the small pool of water beneath the walls, was a single platform. On that platform, there was a snow- white statue.

Lux advanced toward the center, followed closely by Serenia. They approached the luminous, crystal figure.

“It’s...beautiful.”

Serenia gazed at the statue in awe. The statue was of a lady dressed in a long, flowing dress, with her fine hair trailing gently behind her. Her arms were open wide, as if she was waiting to embrace someone. On top of her head rested a delicate, jade green circlet, as if woven by real leaves. The amount of detail was astonishing. It almost seemed surreal.

She walked closer, and placed her hand carefully on the hem of its dress.

There was a gentle humming sound. Then, the statue began to light up.

Serenia pulled back in shock, as the monument in front of her became almost blinding with its radiance. Shining green light erupted from its base, traveling up the body of the statue at an amazing speed. As it reached her circlet, it burst into a storm of colors. They began to spread from the curve of her back, stretching out widely on both sides. Wings. Shimmering golden-green wings. They twitched once, and then began to beat with a rhythmic pattern.

Right before their sight, the statue was becoming alive.

The angelic lady opened her ivy-green eyes.

“Art thou humans the ones that hast awaken me from mine eternal slumber?” The lady said in a melodious voice.

Her delicate face bloomed with a gentle smile.

“It may be so, it may be not.” Lux answered simply.

“Thou hast defeat'd the cubiculo* guardian, Flaming Nine-tails?”

“Yes.”

The lady’s eyes brightened with a new kind of vivacity.

“Mine name is Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and all things in nature. I am the guardian of this continent, Nature's Cradle. I hast been waiting for thou for a long time.”

There she offered a hand to them. Hesitating slightly, they both placed their hands on the tip of her finger.

“Brave adventurers, what art thy names?”

Lux observed her quietly before replying.

“[Lux].” he said simply.

Serenia did not reply. After all, she was not the one who defeated the guardian.

The goddess turned her gaze toward her.

“And thou? Companion of he who is hither but not hither.”

“[Serene].” she eventually said.

Artemis withdrew her hand, standing back tall and grand once again.

“The land of nature's cradle hath been in turmoil since the arrival of the Trickster God, Loki. He and his minions had long brought disorder to this continent, terrorizing its inhabitants day and night. I, who hast been seal'd by him centuries ago, hast since then been waiting for the chosen ones' arrival. Thou, players [Lux] and [Serene], art the ones that pass'd the first trial. The constellations of fate hast once again begin to move. Thou will journey across the land, meeting new people, losing others. Obtaining great riches, at the cost of thy sanity. Facing unprecedent'd hardships, and at the same time, learning about what is truly important to thou. That, is thy destiny. As a gift from me to thou, I shall present thou with the sacr'd artifact, of Nature's Beginning.”

As she spoke, the circlet on top of her head began to elevate into the air. It shone under the sunlight, rising higher and higher until it merged together with the radiance. A gentle wind caressed their faces, surrounding their bodies with pleasant warmth. Something was singing, whispering to their very souls.

“It will save thou when thou ne'd it most. Let it protect thou in mine place, and guide thou on thy journey.”

With that, the glowing green light began to fade from her. She was slowly returning to a statue once again.

“Thy legend, the legend of Dark Eden, had just begun!”

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-Inside of God’s Palace, the floating castle of Eternal Eden-

In the Grand Chamber of the residence of God, a man sat alone, on an elaborately decorated golden throne. In front of him was a small, crystal-clear pond. He gazed at the moving images reflected on its surface, smiling as he did so. He had just seen something interesting.

“So, the prophecy has been delivered.” he said, getting up from his seat, “I am excited to see what will happen next.”

He waved his hand across the pond’s exterior, and the images disappeared.

“What will you show me next, dear Chosen Ones. Will you be successful in your expeditions, or will you fail in misery?”

He walked over to the tiny table beside his throne, pouring himself a glass of wine.

“Hurry and come to me. Show me your best. Because it wouldn’t be interesting otherwise.” he paused, taking a sip of the dark-red liquid, “The expressions on your faces as you realize that all your attempts have been in vain...I am quite eager to see. Show me, and the world, what you can do...Luxius Di Parabellum!”

He looked at the glass in his hand lovingly, before crushing it into tiny pieces.

To be continued...

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* cubiculo: Shakespearean for “chamber”

Advance to Update 7: In the Relay Race…a wild direction idiot appeared >