Destiny or fate? (1)

Clash of the World, also known as the World Clash, was considered to be the deadliest confrontation in history. Tales of famous warriors and villains were extracted from records of the World Clash.

General Kurl, for instance, was a powerful player in the war. Mighty as a dragon, he conquered enemies for his people, shattering every last opponent that dared to cross over the border. Before this, he declared a warning that would be one of the most famous sayings until the rising generation.

'High as mountains, strong as diamond. Let this border divide us, to save my dearest land. Provoke my statements, and you shall meet your end.'

Another famous hero was Ewis Mado, a figure famed for his exceptional talents. But the reason for his popularity was because of some well-known story of his incredible luck. He had frequent brushes with unavoidable death, yet was able to avoid it.

Where there is a hero, there is a villain.

The most famous of them all was a dictator called Lord Zuopi, the emperor of Qiang, whom the famous warriors recognize as the prime antagonist.

However, there was one that people could not distinguish as a hero or a villain.

The atypical twin.

Their topic was the most controversial to be discussed. Some claimed that they were the greatest among the warriors, but some argued that they were worse than Lord Zuopi.

When one studies the archives of documents, one could spot the same names involved on both sides. They were mentioned in every process of the event.

To avoid any further disagreements, everyone agreed to label the twins as neutrals in the war.

Nevertheless, if one stays neutral in situations of injustice, one has chosen the side of the oppressors. Therefore, they became somewhat infamous, regardless of how much they contributed to the winning side.

After the war ended, the land of bloodshed remained deserted. Great years passed and new eras began, subsequently, an organization built a memorial park, dedicated to being a landmark to honor those who fought valiantly. Memorial stones of innumerable warriors assembled there, often visited by people from across the world.

There includes a division called 'The Cursed Zone'. People could never understand why it was created in the first place. Within the area, a large engraved rock stood with the names of foes carved.

Some of whom were brave enough to stop by near the entrance of the zone would spit on the ground. But many would not dare to approach the territory. Only researchers had a reason to force themselves to enter the dark area.

According to those who have investigated the park, only the names of the infamous twin were not carved, which enhanced more confusion.

Many wanted to seek the truth, yet none could find a single lead. Some suggested locating the descendants, but unfortunately, no records of their clan names were noted down. It made everything even more complicated.

Any documentary analysis about the topic proved to be vain, hence people began to give up to find the end of a dark road.

Levinte mumbled, "Since the mystery remained unsolved for years, memories of the atypical twin faded into obscurity. Today's generation won't know anything about it." He scratched his head. With a frowning face, he resumed looking through the documents.

"This thing confuses me even more." His hand dropped and closed the book, eyes casting on the scene before him. Levinte crossed his arms together, a finger tapping his body as he lingered on the same spot for a long time. He kept sighing while seriously considering his life decisions.

During his adolescent stage of life, he loved reading books, especially favoring history books. The topic of the prominent war intrigued him the most. It was his biggest dream to visit the land where the memorial park exists. At this moment, his desire received fulfillment. He traveled a long distance from his homeland and now, before his very eyes, stood the entrance to the cemetery of proud champions.

He was not stuck in a situation where he was reluctant to enter, but the problem was in fact that he had already finished his journey, yet was left dumbfounded after doing so.

While looking at each stone monument, the boy detected some incorrect inscriptions of their heroic deeds. "Wait a damn minute," he paused. "This isn't right. He was a lieutenant, not a regular soldier!"

Unsatisfied, Levinte asked other visitors about it. Unfortunately, he neither found an educated person nor did he find people who even cared about the details. He even gained weird glances, as if he was the bad one here.

Levinte muttered, rolling his eyes. "All of you went here for nothing. Nobody would go somewhere if they weren't interested in the first place. How could they miss such little details! This is beyond ignorant."

It was a horrible experience, so disastrous that a part of him regretted everything he had done just for this moment. He wondered if he was truly the wrong one or the documents he collected for years were false. With nothing much to do about it, Levinte could only let it go and move on to his next destination.

"Hmm..." His eyes scrutinized the words in front. From top to bottom, from left to right, not a single name was missing. He looked around and spotted no one. "This place truly lives up to its name."

With his current mood, it was perfect to be alone in such a place. Since Levinte had been standing for as long as he could remember, his legs could feel slight pain. If he kept on going without rest, the discomfort would worsen. Therefore, without any hesitation, he walked toward a tree and sat down, leaning against it.

Then, he took out some food from his bag, uttering a standard phrase before consuming it. The food tasted so good that his face instantly brightened up. Levinte's body wiggled while enjoying the food, improving his mood at once.

"You seem to be very delighted, young man."

Shocked by the voice, he screamed and covered his stuffed mouth. Levinte blurted with his mouth full, "What the hell?!"

The man laughed and approached him. "Mind if I join you?"

Levinte's wide eyes stared at him for a long time. He had an alluring blend of pretty features and indisputable handsomeness, but Levinte was more focused on the rectangle object wrapped in a cloth carried behind the man.

The man displayed a confident smile that lit up his entire face, his medium-length hair dropping on one side as he tilted his head, awaiting his response. Levinte looked doubtful but gave a nod.

With a smile, the man settled beside him. Observing his moves, Levinte's eyes carried suspicion. When they made eye contact, sheer stillness greeted their gaze.

Levinte could not hold it anymore, "Do you need anything?"

The man blinked, "No?"

His brows furrowed, "Then why are you here?"

"Because this is The Cursed Zone, and here you are having a picnic."

After the man said that, Levinte stared at his food. He clicked his tongue. "What's wrong with eating when I'm hungry?" The man smiled, "Of course, there's nothing wrong with it."

Then Levinte had a perception. "So you want food? You could've told me! I'm not that greedy."

"Eh?" The man paused.

Levinte extended his arm out and shared a snack, "Eat up."

The man glanced at Levinte. Watching the boy's innocent face, he chuckled and nodded. It would be a waste to refuse such an offer. While eating, the man asked, "Young man, what brings you here? I thought people were scared to even step in here. Are you a researcher?"

Levinte shook his head, "Nope. I'm just a librarian who reads a lot of books. I was just interested."

The man raised his brow with interest, "I see."

"What about you?" The boy looked at him.

Something about his smile seemed peculiar. "I came here to wander around."

In novels, people like him are usually geniuses who prefer to not show it. Such a boy like Levinte could sense it. Narrowing his eyes, Levinte brought up a question. "When I was scanning through the stone monuments, I found faults in the inscriptions. If I'm not mistaken, a man named Nanda was a lieutenant, not a regular soldier. Do you agree with me?"

The man seemed surprised, "Certainly, he was a lieutenant."

"I knew it!" Levinte slammed his fist onto the ground. "Although those documents didn't note it directly, there are records in history texts that he commanded a platoon during the war." He got excited and continued asking a lot of questions. As expected, the man was indeed well-versed. He confidently answered every question correctly.

Lastly, Levinte asked about the topic of the infamous twin. "What is your opinion regarding them?"

The man became speechless for a moment. Then, he smiled. "Before I give my explanation, I want to ask you the same question."

Levinte crossed his arms, "Well, I don't like to judge if I don't know the details. Neither do I have an opinion about it, nor do I want to make an opinion about it. I don't entirely trust those documents I've read, they could be twisted or made up."

The man smiled, "Truly, there are some that are falsified."

Levinte gasped, shocked, "Really? How do you know?"

"You asked my opinion about the twins."

"So you're saying that the records about them are false? So are they good or bad? But what about modern evidence?"

"They say seeing is believing, but what you see right now is not the current situation of the past. You can take a rock that had been dwelling for centuries and make stories about it, but you'll never know how the rock was there in the first place. Different people in this world can think of endless possibilities. I think they're greatly misunderstood by society, although some of their actions are worthy of harsh criticism. I can't exactly say that they're good, because they interacted with the bad side, but I can't say they're bad, because they could be misled to do something bad, plus they helped to defeat Lord Zuopi."

It hit Levinte to the core because everything the man uttered was valid. He could not move for a moment because a lot of thoughts crossed his mind, imagining that everything could be a lie.

All of a sudden, Levinte stood erect, standing in a posture of absolute respect. It was unexpected when he properly introduced himself. "My name is Levinte, you can call me Levi."

The man tilted his head, "Oh? Why the sudden introduction?"

Levinte said, "I feel like you know interesting stuff, so from now on I'll follow you."

Dumbfounded, the man stared at him and blinked rapidly. He wanted to calm him down, but the boy's eyes twinkled with excitement. His young spirit flared to the point where the man could not bear to turn him down.

The man gave in to the boy's perseverance and chuckled, "Alright alright, the name's Acre."

Levinte reached out his arm for a handshake and greeted him properly. "It's nice to meet you, mister Acre."