Chapter 22: The End of Cycles

The end result of all of it.

Do you know how many times I've died?

How many times have I killed a loved one?

How many times have I seen someone I loved being killed and tortured?

124,658,517,927,636,863 lives.

124,658,517,927,636,863 deaths.

1,994,536,286,842,189,808 kills.

Did you even read that number?

Could you even read that number?

Why did I have to go through this shit?

That's a question I've been asking myself after every time I died. For training? I had to live through all those shitty lives and see each of those lives again more than a thousand times each. I don't know what to say anymore.

I guess I've seen it all.

I can't name everything that was wrong with all those lives because I still feel that if I try to remember any of those lives I would return to them.

I don't know what life has for me in the future but I hope it's bright. I hope that I don't have to experience all of that again.

All I can do is hope but I don't know if it is enough.

There's nothing I can even do in those lives.

Was this my training? This is what I had to go through to just be your fucking pawn?

Fuck all of that!

I'm not gonna fucking fight for those bastards! After all, they put me through do they think I'm gonna fight for them?

I'm gonna fight my way through.

But where do I go from there?

I've lost so many memories that I don't even remember my own parents or if I had any siblings. All I remember is that I was put in this chamber to "train" to fight for some war I was never part of until recently.

The only names I remember are mine, Socrates and Rena. Those are the only names I remember. I can't try to remember any other names or recall their faces.

Everything is gone.

If I train myself here and try to increase my magic and body then would it stay after the chamber is done?

I have to try to get stronger and this seems to be the only way. I don't want what happened in those lives to happen in my real life. I have to protect all of them or else it might happen again.

"Can you protect all of them?"

I heard a voice. It was loud and clear almost as if it was speaking directly to my brain.

"What? Who are you?' I yelled.

"Answer my question first, can you protect all of them?"

There was a long pause. I didn't want to answer because I didn't like the sound of being absolutely powerless. Although I had grown up as an extremely powerful being it was only in this "training" that I truly felt powerless.

"No."

"Do you crave power and strength?"

"Yes."

I was answering the voices questions without any hesitation.

"Then let me help you, Levantes Artrium Volomir."

The voice knew my name. It was obvious that a random voice would know my name because that's how these types of things work; they just somehow know your name.

"Who are you?"

The voice didn't reply instantly. I hoped they would answer because I needed to know the name of the voice who just randomly appeared.

"I am the first Archon King."

The first Archon King? What's an Archon King?

"By your expression, it seems that you have forgotten what the title of an 'Archon King' means."

"What's your name?"

"My name? When I reigned over my kingdom people called me the Archon King however a few generations after I passed they called me the King of Demons."

"King of Demons? Were you a demon?"

"I can see that you are curious, fortunately, I can answer your questions because I have nothing else to do." The voice said. "I am a pureblood Asura. I am the first Archon King, Levantes Artrium Laurier."

"Levantes? But that's—"

"Your name? The opposite actually; you were named after me. Your mother named you after me, the first Archon King. I ruled over all of the races of my era."

"What were the races of your era?"

"I'm sure there are more races in your era because they might have evolved however in my era there were only seven races and they were called the Primordial Races. The Primordial Races were the Asura, the Spirits, the Demons, the Elves, the Humans—"

"The humans?"

"Yes, they were also one of the most intelligent of the races after the Elves and Spirits. The last race was the Fairies. The Valkyrie soon developed from the Fairies nevertheless there were six Primordial Races whom which I ruled over for many eons."

"So how will you help me?"

"Levantes Artrium Volomir, you are currently speaking to the first Archon King, the only being in existence to ever reach and complete the Cosmic Stage."

"The Cosmic Stage?"

"Yes, the Cosmic Stage or commonly known as the unknown Fourth Stage. No one before me or after me has achieved it however with my help you might be able to."

"I can?"

"Yes, you can." The voice said. "Let's start your first lesson now then."

* * * * * *

I don't know how much time had passed however, the Archon King is working me to my limits and I know I have grown stronger.

My swordsmanship has improved and so has my magic. I don't know what Stage or Circle or Class I'm on but I am sure that I am improving.

The Archon King has shown me extinct sword techniques from his time and magic spells which he created. He also made me fight against people he defeated such as the Grand Emperors of the six races and their armies.

"Levantes." The voice called me. "You are now in the Stationary Class."

"How long has it been?"

"It has been a month."

In a month I had gone from the 10th Class to the Stationary Class in only a month. The Stationary Class is the stage after the last class and before the Circles.

"How long do you think it will take to reach the Circles?"

"I cannot tell you because it will ruin your growth."

"Fine then."

I was interested in what the Archon King thought of my potential but it did make sense to not tell me because I would either lose confidence or gain too much confidence thus resulting in a negative impact on my growth.

It is said that it takes many thousand years to reach the first Circle because the Stationary Class is extremely difficult to transcend.

"Levantes, once you transcend the Stationary Class it is an "advent horizon"."

"Advent horizon?"

I didn't know what it meant. It probably had the same meaning as the event horizon of a black hole but I couldn't think of something other than that with a logical perspective.

"Yes, an advent horizon is a place in time where there is no return. It is similar to the event horizon of a black hole however this is used when there is absolutely no return. A period in time which cannot be changed even with the use of magic."

It's because if I transcend the Stationary Class then I would transcend time. Anything to change my past will not work and the only person who can change it is me but there isn't any point because it isn't possible for me to forget. After all, I am the one changing it.

"That's alright. There's no point in forgetting all those lives because as much as I hated them there were still those that I loved and still hold close to my heart. I wouldn't want to lose all of that even if I still have to remember every moment of darkness."

"Alright then, you will train under me and you will become strong enough to protect all of them."

* * * * * *

How long has it been?

I'd lost track of time but I didn't mind because when I get out I'm going to find out everything about that world and try to recover all the memories that I lost.

"You are on par with the emperors of your time."

"I am? So that means that I'm currently in the Thallassas Stage."

"Yes."

"I remember someone who was in the last part of the Helios Stage but I can't remember who they were."

"The Helios Stage was the level of the average soldier in my times however now the world has grown weaker." The voice spoke. "We called the Stage of Classes the Ante Stages."

"What was the level of the average person in your era?"

"Class Six to Eight was the average person's level."

"They were extremely strong then."

* * * * * *

"Levantes, you are now ready to leave, you have reached the Sixth Circle."

"So I'm ready then."

"Yes, the Chamber will open in a few days."

"We have a lot of time then so while I wait to leave tell me, Levantes." I said as I stared blankly at the darkness surrounding me. "Why are you sealed in here?"

"You are extremely intelligent, Levantes. I am here of my own accord."

"Tell me then, the secret of this world, this chamber. I ask you, The First Archon King, Levantes Artrium Laurier, who created this place?"

"Hemera Alma Laurier, your mother."