The Undeniable Truth

"If this information is valid, then I am f*cked up big time."

Jack started to panic. He tries to read three more scrolls written by a different person, but what he finds is the same old story. That only means one thing. The information recorded in it is indeed correct.

He simply could not believe his eyes after reading the third scroll. His back is rubbing hard against the wall when his body slowly goes down to a sitting position. His eyes opened wide, staring at something that cannot be seen.

'Damn! I was too naive! I am wrong to think of this world as a fantasy world or a game world because it is not. This world is real. As real as Earth! And history has proven it.'

All history scrolls that Jack read always started with an introduction of an ancient war. A war that turned Terrenia into its current state.

History said that a hundred thousand years ago, an army of devils invaded Terrenia through a portal that was accidentally created in a magical experiment. They wage war against humanity, declare that Terrenia now belongs to them, and mankind should bow down to its new ruler as its slave.

The six races of Terrenia refused to submit and formed an alliance to defend their home. Their resistance lit the flames of war that burned for five thousand years. But with their superior physique and overwhelming numbers, the devil's army pushes humanity to the brink of extinction.

The continent of Palonia is the last continent in Terrenia that still stands after that period. The last bastion of humanity.

Running out of options, Terrenia Federation chose to avoid the war and create a barrier around the continent to stop the devil's army from approaching. Sadly that barrier also prevented them from roaming outside Palonia.

For a period of time, they finally regained their peace. Each of the six races rebuilt their home in a specific area that they have agreed upon before.

But to be greedy is human nature. As humanity grows in number, their hunger for power and land becomes uncontrollable, and war between humans is unavoidable.

In their pursuit of power, monsters are mercilessly hunted until they don't have room to reproduce. The hunted become the hunter. In the end, their greed resulted in a constant decline in humanity's overall power.

The next generation became weaker than the former. This process repeated and repeated again as the war between people kept occurring from time to time.

The war is not like a war described in a novel or story. Each side has no time to fool around with internal conflict or even have time to improve military powers.

The real war is 'do or die' and no do-over with thousands or even million lives at stake. The victor will rule over the losing party, enslave them when the loser only could grit their teeth or bite their lip and blame their inferior self.

Even at peaceful times like today, every kingdom still harbors their ancestor hatred and distrust against other empires. Silently accumulating power and waiting patiently for a chance to strike.

Now, monsters are like a needle with Palonia as the haystack. They still exist, but very hard to find, hiding in the corner of the continent, behind the shadow of oblivion.

'Sh*t! That means acquiring experience will be like getting meat in winter. Everybody has it, but they didn't want to share it. Maybe the aristocrats or the government already have their own monster breeding facility.

'Damn! I come at the wrong time!'

Jack became even more desperate when finding out that blacksmithing and other skills also require years of training to master. Instead of just building up the skill meter and upgrading it through his system.

This also applies in other activities such as fighting and learning. Everything must be done in an old-school way, by doing it repeatedly until you are proficient in it.

Jack is like a marionette that loses its string, sitting limply in the middle of the library while holding a yellowish-brown scroll in his hands. All his expectations dissipate while his perfect grand plan crumbles like a sandcastle hit by sea waves.

All the excitement that had piled up inside becomes a poison mud that entangles his legs and drags them to an abyss called desperation.

When Jack was feeling lost, an old man's voice suddenly stimulated his auditory nerve. It jolted him awake. Suddenly he feels like the main character of a movie.

"Failure is not the end. It's just a thorn that stabbed your feet. Whether it is on purpose or accidentally, you are the one who moves those legs toward it. All you need to do is pull out the thorn and keep walking. As easy as that.

"When I see your eyes for the first time, I see something that I haven't seen for a very long time. A pair of eyes that thirst for knowledge. And the pure curiosity of a young man looking for an answer.

"Be strong, young lad. You still have a very long way to walk to.

"Believe in Knowledge! If you lost, there are millions of books to guide your way in this library. Remember, 'Falling crumb one must be content with crust,' so use what you have wisely, and you will be amazed by what you are capable of."

Those words opened Jack's eyes. Literally and figuratively. Like a dry tree doused with rainwater, Jack suddenly finds hope!

He was not yet aware that some of those words would become a reality. But that's a story for another time.

He bows and says thank you to the old librarian before asking, "Where can I find books about Mana and Monsters, Sir?"

The old librarian smiled after seeing that the light in Jack's eyes had returned before answering, "Unfortunately, all combat-related books are in the next room. You need an adventurer badge to read it. Be content with the book here for now and come to me after the interview. I will take you to the books personally."