Face your own Fate

Young lad. I thank you for your help but...

This old man doesn't have any pocket money on him or anywhere else that's enough to pay you back, even the booze I am lusting 'un still remains unpaid! Ha ha ha, don't worry Barkeep. I'll pay you whenever I can, maybe in the future.

Oh, what is it, young lad?

You don't mind me not paying you for your help? Ah, that's good. I love your attitude but you ought to change that if you want to live in this cruel world. Alright, young lad. Before you go. Let this old one tell you a story as a return for your good will. A story of a certain monster that nearly led our end at our jaw's skin.

The monster which possessed the ability to defy the gods with his sheer power and strength that even the heroes had found themselves struggling, yes, the monster brought upon a devastating disaster that would've been termed the destruction of our world.

You must've heard of the Tale of the Damned Sixteen Demon Kings that existed erstwhile, right? From the mouths of your parents in the past, from the songs of the bards that they sing even today, and the ridiculous cackling of the deadmen. The fall of the mighty and stalwart Demon Monarchs that ruled over the north and the east of our continent.

The god-like kings that ordered their dreadful underlings to cause havoc and thwart the development of the human territory. The almost immortal beings that cannot be slain with conventional means, until the Six Heroes were summoned by the Church and came, revolutionized the human armies with their knowledge and led the terrorized humanity off their hook- crushing these sovereigns in return after their years of struggling against the ever-powerful Heroes of Humanity.

But upon their death, that didn't mean the world entered a loving grace, except for the fact that the common folk enjoyed their festivals which the tale ended at. There was actually a continuation that has long been lost in time, the aftermath of slaying the demon monarchs; The heroes remained unhappy and grim of their findings inside the castes of the Demon Kings.

I'm a rawgabbit? That's funny. Cause, if you ever met this monster in the future, Friedrick. I'll laugh at your own coffin if ever it grants you one.

Ahem, now then. Let me continue without the haphazard mockery of these fools, Barkeep, mind if you silence these fools or thither them away from me for a while?

Thanks, I owe you 'un.

Inside the castle of the First Demon King, the heroes found a relic of the primordial past. A demonic archive that was stored a secret, a magnificent yet antagonizing secret that unfolds an upsurging fearsome calamity beneath their noses. The unexpected enemy of all kind, the main enemy of our world, be it the demons or the ever peaceful half-people. The being will kill all for his thirst for power and blood of his enemies that will strengthen his wretched character.

With the unlocking of the archives, the being's savage scent and aura were unearthed from within its hidings of this vast world, its sheer power and aura upsurge up into the air and displaying his position. And yes, young lad, you acknowledge the Mana's behavior, right? If there is too much of it in a single area, it will either go berserk and summon hideous monsters from the realm of mind or destroy the habitat.

And that's what happened.

Its power was so immense that even his surroundings withered into bags of dust. Countless flourishing green lands were transformed into barren wastes upon his wake, poor creatures and unfortunate villages that come in contact with his dreadful appearance had their cruel fate of becoming but a simple deep crater without remains carved into stone. The remaining Mana that lingered in the wastes materialized dreadful monsters that terrorized everything in the area. Anything that comes and follows his path- turns into nothing but ashes. It's victim's myriad of souls that lest contained the utmost joy of their lives were trapped within its swelling sunburst chest, altogether with the people it killed in the past.

The heroes, even with their unbelievable weaponry and strength, never had any chance against the being to begin with. Their strength was far-fetched and illusory. It was so powerful, nothing could stop it. Even with their holy weaponry, they couldn't scratch its skin that looked like an exquisitely crafted transparent gem. His arms which, at a glance are nothing more than a fragile church chapels glass window, had the power of a thousand men. Or in fact...

Power equal to that of three heroes.

All were losing faith in their power and despair nearly engulfed their morale in front of absolute power. The heroes, even with their full strength and empowered Holy weapons, their slashes couldn't even bring about the tiniest cut in its profound body.

But all hope was not lost, everything wasn't for naught. The heroes aren't idiotic enough to be willing to fight a nearly unbeatable boss without secret weapons that would gain them leverage over its power. Remember the archives, kid? The Demonic Archives that unsealed its existence out of the blue? Yes. To be precise, it was storage. Magic storage that belonged to the Ancient Era when Gods and Demon Gods are still walking in the face of this world.

They had gotten themselves a powerful Primordial Era magic spell capable of leveling a whole city in one go, twisting the natural law with just one flick, creating a fortune out of nowhere, and creating a new whole island with just a raise of a palm.

But that wasn't the use of the magic spell.

It was made to be used at this very moment- against the unfathomable immortal beast. The magic spell made by the Gods just to seal this maniac of a being.

You heard that right, kid. Seal. Not kill.

Ha ha ha. How did I know? Well, stuff happens and it revolves around the world. No need to ask any further.

The monster was powerful enough to defy the power of the Deities and the grasp of Death. Ha ha ha. To be honest, when I heard this story or crap of a rumor, I didn't believe it at first. But, whenever you think of the cause of the Twelve Heroes' death that The Church keeps giving us vague answers of, You could piece together everything in this story and their end. After all, some of the old heroes' preserved bodies in the Holy Cathedral of Babylunium did not contain in the least a fragment of their soul.

Since the monster feeds on the strength of its victim's souls... It 'imprisons' the poor souls inside it and uses their gathered power as its own.

With the incantation and casting of the legendary magic spell, the being's stardust exploded from the inside of its glass body after making contact with the spell, turning into myriad of wonderful glittering stars before rising up into the air and releasing every soul it held within its figure, the deadmen are cackling their thanks to their saviors after being released from their torment and the once green lands that turned into wastes from its aura were returned to their former appearance. Happy ending no?

That's where you're wrong again.

The remaining six heroes out of twelve in order to cast and release such tremendous magic power were required to use all of their Mana, their Mana Pool's cultivation, and Lifeforce. Mana Pool and Life Force are things that a person requires to live in this world and determine their fate. Without these things, the outcome of their stature after they cast such a magnificent magic spell is very obvious.

They departed while the monster they cast the powerful magic spell upon did not least die. The illusion of it falling apart only foretold the releasing of its victims but not the end of its over-all existence, the magic spell materialized into chains and entangled the unconscious, pristine, empty glass body of the being before it was pulled down to the ground and put it into everlasting rest.

Upon the enshrouding of the damned immortal being comes the end of the Twelve Heroes that saved the world from its destruction twice in a row. The world finally tasted its wonderful peace for the longest time, near a million years, before another Thirteen Demon Kings rose up in power, which is today- Days of Light 20, 3005- the coronation of these damned vile creatures.

Now get your ass out of the bar's vomitorium and accomplish what you need to young lad- Hm? Wait. From what I could see from your appearance, I suppose you are an adventurer. Correct? Ha ha ha. Ahh, young people now days risking their lives for a living... Damn Guilds, they are still accepting bright young people like you into their wretched company ey? That's not good... Haah, whatever. It's not this old man's business anymore.

… Hold on a minute young lad, take this. It'll be useful for your upcoming fate. Or perhaps the item that will decide your life.

Remember the part when I said the powers of the monster? Good, you remember. Take this stone as it'll help you uncover the identity of the monster beneath its veil since the monster also takes the form of the appearance of its victims. Although it eats away a portion of your Mana every time you use it, it'll be an item that you'll be regarding much more important than your own life and needing it the most when the time comes.

You can keep it, this old man doesn't need it anymore. I've long retired ever since I lost a limb and an eye from searching the remains of that monster beneath the Grimayus Valley, the final resting place of the Twelve Heroes of the Past...

Oh? You're asking what..? My name? Ha ha ha! Alright, I'll tell you what but you don't need to bother remembering about it. After all, dead men tell no tale. You'll know after you left the town.

"Joaquim Charvy." That is this old man's name, you don't recognize it? Aight, that's good. It's a name that isn't supposed to be known by ordinary people after all.

Oh, young lad. There's one more thing I need to warn you about.

I sensed a powerful magic presence and activity beneath the Grimayus Valley when I was passing through there. It is the signature Magic power of the Ancient Magic spell of the archives... I had a bad feeling the moment I felt the upsurging remnants of its character. It was as if it brought about the reminiscence of the dreadful monster that defied God's laws... If, if ever you're going to cross through the Grimayus Valley to the Kingdom of Alglorius. Remember this.

The rule you mustn't forget and the stone that I gave you. Take this stone and use it for every breath you take, for every step you make above the Valley of Grimayus, even if it costs you a fortune of devouring on Mana potions due to the Mana consumption of this Stone... It is always better to be safe than being sorry, young lad.

And maybe up the consumption the moment you don't sense the Magic Spell activity underneath the Valley.

From many years from now, young lad. Never forget the rule that you must follow, even it causes your life to end for naught. Warn people about its return, prevent everything from coming in contact with the monster for it grows stronger every time it slays a living being... And most importantly... Don't trust anyone and anybody you are acquainted with except yourself. Let me repeat myself, young lad. Do not ever trust anyone the moment the shackles were broken. Even The Church that patrols the Valley of Grimayus and even your Parents or Wife if ever you're taking them with you... Never give faith in anyone, young lad. Never do.

And never stay for long in a village and come back to the same village once you left it... It'll leave a bad taste in your mouth if you know what kind of disaster will follow if you come back and your very own eyes witness the calamity that monster brought upon the world.

Now keep going! This old man's taken much of your time.

...