A Minute Worth 10 Years - Part 4

Meanwhile, within the depths of the ancient city in a secret abode...

"Wake up kid! You've been acting dead long enough, any longer and I might have just fed you to my master's pet Osiris." Alister said as he lightly hit Rin. 

'Get up enough playing around, also, thanks for allowing me to borrow your body.' Pharoah said as he shook his head.

'No biggie, we're in this together remember.' Rin replied upon gaining back his body as he sat up, "No need to get hostile, but can I ask you a question?" 

"Sure, so what do you want to know?" Alister asked calmly as he gazed at Rin and wondered why his soul seemed so different from earlier, 'Hmm, is possible he was under the effects of a possession which is why his presence is so much lighter as compared to when I found him running away from a horde? But then again is it possible he has MSID (Multiple Soul Identity Disorder)?'

{Think of it as something like dissociative identity disorder which is when a person has multiple distinct personalities. Which tend to display themselves at varying times and can influence a person's behavior.}

"Okay, so not to be rude or anything, but what are you and where exactly am I?" Rin asked the faceless being sitting across from him who was wearing a gold monocle, with a brownish hat and a matching suit with black dress shoes. 

"Well, to be honest, I'm but a mannequin on duty tasked with the duty of guarding his deceased master's legacy. Also, you are currently a thousand feet below the city of my former master, so any more questions, or is that all?"

'Hmm, a broken mannequin on duty, huh? What a coincidence?' Pharoah chuckled with sarcasm.

"Sorry for your loss; but how did your master die if you do not mind me asking?" Rin asked curious as he looked at his surroundings, 'Hmm, for a place built underground the air is quite clean, also, why is the energy here so much purer than back home?'

'Well, for one you're in the higher realms idiot which has an energy purity that is 78 times greater than Earth.'

'Okay, I get that Pharoah but still, doesn't this shock you!?'

'Kid, just wait until you enter the God Realm and realize even the most common of citizens holds the strength of a Divine God.'

'What's a Divine God?'

'None of your business,' Pharoh replied just as Alister was about to begin telling Rin the story of how his master died.

"It's okay, it happened a long time ago but since we are going to be stuck here for a while, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you." Alister said after thinking about it, "However, is it possible you could tell me how exactly you ended up on this planet?"

'Rin remember, we have a tight schedule so tell him to tell you the speed-up versions as we don't have time for this.'

'But what if this was the narration of the Gatekeeper who died? Plus are you not a bit curious about the organization or person powerful enough to destroy a city in the higher realms?' Rin asked a bit flabbergasted at why Pharaoh was against hearing Alister's story.

'While there is a possibility this broken doll could be the guardian of a Gatekeeper's legacy, I would doubt for Gatekeepers are nothing but caged idiots. Who sold their souls for power and would never stoop so low as to work with others, but hey it's your choice at the end of the day so do you, man.' Pharoah said with disgust as he took this chance to wander Rin's Soul Palace.

"Sorry about but could you please repeat that as I didn't quite hear what you said?" Rin asked as he scratched his head with a weary smile.

"..." Alister, 'Truly, this must be a joke.

"Sorry, I was just reminded of something pretty significant," Rin added as Alister gazed at him before asking his question again. 

"Tsk, how did you end up on this planet, kid?"

"Um, I'm not exactly sure as I kind of lost consciousness, one moment, and then I was here," Rin answered with a poker face.

"Hmm, that is strange… but then again Master never attracted the simple, so maybe there is more to the kid's story. However, with the sacrifice about to commence and our past enemies getting wind of your death… he might just be our only shot at bringing your dream to reality, Master." Alister muttered before lifting his head and staring at Rin keenly. 

"So… um, Alister not to be rude but could you tell me the shortened version of your tale?"

"Sure, just don't interrupt me," exclaimed Alister as he got a hold of himself and stopped being a creep, "Ahem, so after returning from the War of the Divine, we took a short stop at a famous restaurant on Planet Nuke. Which was a poor decision on our part as it caused our adversaries to corner us, forcing my master to sacrifice himself to save my life and give me ample time to escape. But in the end, it was pointless as the God Poison had already taken effect, making his efforts pointless and stripping me of my chance to enter reincarnation and that's about it."

"Damn, well… um, at least you managed to survive and safeguard the remnant of your Master's legacy. I am sure he would be proud, um…"

"It's Alister, sorry for the late introduction."

"… Alister to have such a loyal subject."

"Thanks, kid it means a lot, however, I would rather you just be honest and say the story was boring because even I would say the same thing."

'At least he isn't blind and delusional…'

'Pharoah this is the narration of someone's death show some for sympathy for once, it might just save you, one day.'

'As if and why should I respect the dead? When the dead do not even respect me, also, I only respect those who have earned my respect, not the other way around.'

'Sigh, no wonder… you know what forget it, maybe I'm in the wrong for thinking such a powerful expert would care about others.'

'Rin, you may think I'm cold-hearted but unless you experience, what I went through to get here you'll never understand my pain or the sacrifices I made for us.' 

"I... I-I would not have said it like that, but yes it was kind of boring and less exciting than I initially thought it would be."

"And that is why it is better to hear the full tale than the summary, but anywho before you leave could you give me a few more minutes of your time? I promise it will be quick I just have to confirm something." Alister said as he retrieved a stone orb with intricate symbols drawn on it. 

"Sure, but seriously after this I got to go," Rin replied with a frown as he was starting to get impatient.

"Thank you, thank you; I just need you to place your hand on this and close your eyes," Alister said to Rin with a smile.

"Now before you panic in a short while you will feel something prick your finger, kid. I assure you there's no need to worry as it is just a safety mechanism implanted to make sure you are human and not a demon in disguise." Alster said as the stone orb began to glow after pricking Rin's palm.

"Oh, that's understandable… Wait, wait what do you mean by safety mechanism, Alister?!" Shouted Rin as he opened his eyes and glared at Alister who just stood there without a trace of concern as if everything were under his control.

While Rin tried to desperately remove his hand, however, it just would not budge as if some great power had locked his hand in place.

'Fuck! Just how could you be so stupid, Rin just close your eyes and trust a stranger?!' 

'Truly, this must be a joke… how I leave you alone for a couple of minutes and already you get yourself in a pickle. But then again maybe this is not so bad as you at least get to try your luck at a legacy trial.' Pharaoh said after taking a scroll through Rin's Soul Palace and returning to the command center. 

Only to see that Rin had been fooled by Alister and became a legacy contender for a deceased Divine Lord's legacy at the minimum. 

"Haha, no need to panic my friend, it's but a procedure you must go through before you will be eligible to earn my master's legacy. Which in your hands you might just be able to rewrite his wrongs and usher in a new era!" Alister said mysteriously with a laugh unaware of the changes his actions made to the future.