Myths Reawakened

Wayne and Planck continued down. The underground seventh floor of the Red Leaf castle was all black, resembling a dark domain that a Gold-ranked mage forged with their thoughts.

“On the sixth floor, we allow Wanderers to devour each other to study their changes, thus confirming the validity of the evolution path,” Planck explained. “The seventh floor is empty, existing for the sole purpose of separating the upper sixth floors from the eighth floor.”

Planck raised an eyebrow with arrogance. “Outside of me, the director, no one can access the eighth floor. I may be employed by the Ministry of Magic, but I’m also connected to the Papal State, receiving regular payment from them.”

“Because the Church of Heavenly Father built the asylum, and the underground eighth floor houses their great secret?”

“It’s complicated. While the Church of Heavenly Father built it, the faith magics of several churches were incorporated. It’s not just the Church of Heavenly Father’s secrets.”

Once they reached the underground eighth floor, Planck stopped talking in riddles and said bluntly, “The Church of Heavenly Father owns several Inquisitions across the Chosen Land, like the Red Leaf Asylum. Each site is guarded by a legendary mage—not to keep watch of the Forgotten Ones, but the gate at each site. There’s one on this floor, for example.”

Planck pointed forward, revealing the great secret of the eighth floor to Wayne. It was a gate standing about a thousand meters tall, lodged in the dark domain with no seams or visible opening mechanisms.

Around the gate, ink-like viscous darkness devoured all light and sounds. In the unending darkness, the gate appeared particularly massive and heavy, covered in scrapes, rust, and traces left from gnawing. It looked like a rotten leaf that would allow wind to pass through, as if it would shatter from a flying kick.

Wayne found it hard to look at it with his obsessive-compulsive tendency. It would be better for it to either shatter or stand firm. This precarious state was grating.

Just shatter!

“What’s behind the door, Planck?”

“The Forbidden Zone of Remains!” Planck said solemnly. “It’s the land of the Forgotten Ones, also known as the Great Prison of the Forgotten!”

Wayne raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have heard the name before. If his memory served him right, Auston had said that during Obed’s revolt, he had created a projected domain to lock down the Ministry of Magic, which turned out to be the Great Prison of the Forgotten.

Wayne had encountered quite a few projected spaces, including the inner world of the mirrored space and the ancient god’s Vassal Realm. A legendary mage’s vitality field could be considered the partial projection of the Astral Plane. Each of the projected spaces was incredibly dangerous in its own way.

The ancient god’s Vassal Realm, especially, would kill anyone without divine power that rivaled a chosen knight, no matter how many flooded into it.

In other words, only a dimension with strong enough power and foundation was even worthy of being projected to the Chosen Land.

Planck looked at the gate with certainty. This was the reason he and Bourne believed that the evolution path from Forgotten Ones to Wanderers and then to Astral Beasts was the correct one. The Forbidden Zone of Remains was strong enough to support the path.

“Planck, does the Great Prison of the Forgotten house Forgotten Ones?”

“Yes, it’s the land of the fugitive where those who have lost their sanity beyond saving are locked up. It’s also a sanctuary for the mad mages to give them time to recover. Perhaps given enough time, they would just become normal again.”

Planck stroked his clumped-up beard. “That is what the Church of Heavenly Father’s records say. The land of the Forgotten Ones was created by several demigods or even more powerful angels out of pity, providing the homeless Forgotten Ones a shelter.”

“Based on my study, however, it’s all lies. The Church of Heavenly Father twisted the truth. The prison is clearly Heaven’s research base, where they researched Astral beings!”

Wayne paused, recalling the strangely shaped angels and their great number. That hypothesis had merits.

“How’s that? Isn’t it an incredible secret?” Planck waggled his eyebrows. “Heaven covets the power of the Void, too, and the true eternal and great life exists in the Astral Plane. The angels that the Church of Heavenly Father boasts of aren’t that.”

...That’s not much of a secret. Wayne had known for a long time that only the ancient god or ancient gods existed at the top of the pyramid of evolution. It would be more accurate to say that Heaven coveted the ancient god rather than the Astral being!

That disproved his earlier speculation that the Heavenly Father was the ancient god. Were the Heavenly Father the ancient god, Heaven wouldn’t have to study the Forgotten Ones; they only had to turn to the Heavenly Father.

The Heavenly Father had created the Great Prison of the Forgotten. The church sent people in regularly, allowing His angels to conduct research.

He wasn’t the ancient god; he coveted the ancient god, too!

Of course, there was another possibility: the Heavenly Father was the ancient god, but the angels didn’t dare to study Him even if He lay down for them. Thus, the Heavenly Father looked for an alternative, accumulating data through experiments to test what knowledge faith could grant and the many possibilities of the process.

Wayne perked up with excitement. He had been conducting research recently. His belief that research was equivalent to evolution seemed valid.

The more secrets he learned, the more he realized he didn’t know the world. His broadened horizon gave him a new understanding of the vast world, and he couldn’t wait to look down at the grand scenery amid the mist.

The struggle, the desire, the confusion... Individuals ventured into the countless streams of evolution without knowing where they were going or where they had come from. Only by praying and receiving a response could they reach the other end.

“Huh?!”

Wayne suddenly calmed down, breaking into a cold sweat.

Uh oh. The side effects of his aggressive verbal debate with Thoggua were showing. His thoughts had become so inhuman that he resembled the ancient god who had handed out candies to those lucky enough to encounter Them.

Thoggua would’ve protested that it had nothing to do with their influence.

Planck stared at Wayne with anticipation. He had shared all the secrets he could share. It was time for Wayne to show what he had learned.

Wayne transformed into a perfect elf without hesitation. His flawless balance, fully integrated with nature, captivated Planck, but...

Something was missing. This was too rudimentary to be the answer he had been seeking.

“This is only the start, Planck. The five faiths constitute the skeleton of life, but the flesh, blood, and skin are still missing, so is the energy that will make the heart beat.”

Wayne said bluntly, “Life is too vast. There were more than five gods in the original Life Alliance. Those gods met their end during the war of faiths, stripped of their names and becoming forgotten in history as losers. We have to find them.”

Here’s your share of empty promises!

Wayne didn’t lack the four elements after reaching Gold rank. He decided to go for the faith of Storm and Lightning stored in the obelisks. That was too taxing a task for him alone, so he wanted Planck to start moving as well.

“True life...”

Planck’s scalp tingled. Wayne’s encouragement sounded wrong, and the empty promises seemed rotten. There were too many components for true life. Even if he could find them all, he couldn’t handle them all. Rather than putting in the effort and risking losing his balance, it would be better to hand over what he had found to Wayne. Then...

Wait, is this brat using me as a tool?

They stared at each other. Planck was so vexed that his beard curled up.

In the darkness, the tattered gate wobbled from a breeze. The cold pale wind remained in the Land of the Forgotten and didn’t reach the Chosen Land.

In the wind, a figure riding on a white horse looked blurry like mist.

“Life...”

“It’s fragile...”

***

That night, at the royal family’s villa in suburban Londan.

A figure in a black robe looked into the distance with conflicted emotions glinting in her cold eyes. She wanted to get closer, but feared getting too intimate. She wanted to run away, but had to get close.

“Holy Maiden, sorry to ask for a late-night visit and disturb your rest.”

Douglas arrived five minutes early, punctual.

Anastasia shook her head, dispersing the resignation in her heart. “Baron Kilmer, I remember you once said that we should avoid meeting in the near future. What couldn’t you tell me through the phone?”

“It concerns the future of the Church of Darkness, so Her Majesty believes it prudent to have the conversation in person,” Douglas explained the risk. “Her Majesty will allow the Church of Darkness to develop in Londan, but in exchange, she hopes that the church will act against the Life Alliance.”

“That’s what we agreed on in the beginning. Why are you bringing it up again? Is there a difficult enemy?”

“Not an enemy, but a disobedient official,” said Douglas. “Among the Tulip Families is the Lando family. The head, Auston, and the heir, Wayne, have formed a relationship with the High Reverends of the Church of Nature and the Church of Moonlight, respectively. To maintain balance, Her Majesty hopes that you will take a stand, Lady Holy Maiden.”

“...”

“Lady Holy Maiden?”

“I understand. It won’t be a problem.” Anastasia looked at Douglas in resignation. He had come to the right person. “Baron Kilmer, is the Lando family difficult to deal with?”

“Not difficult, but Her Majesty is merciful and does not wish to subjugate the Tulip Families with the harshest method.”

Douglas hid his grievances and explained their advantages to Anastasia. “Some time ago, Her Majesty formed an alliance with the Death Knight. She hopes that you’ll find the Darkness Knight in Londan to gather both chosen knights, which will lessen the pressure of confronting the Life Alliance.”

Then, even the Pope would have to salute the Queen at banquets if and when he came to Londan, let alone the Life Alliance. It would be their victory!

“...”

“Holy Maiden?”

“I’ll try my best. I’m only a follower of Darkness, my status far below that of the chosen knight. Even if I find him, I won’t be able to order him around.”

Anastasia sighed. The Queen had a good eye for allies! Anastasia would like to give her some friendly advice. Rather than continuing this dance, it would be better to skip to the ending and send the crown to the Lando family.

There were so many chosen knights on their end that one couldn’t even count all of them with one hand.