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Volume 6

Chapter 269: Celestine

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It is a really radical idea… a notion worthy of utter disdain and ridicule.

The game world of Terroa is just a lump of binary codes arranged in an array that tricks the mind to believing something artificial is definitely real.

And yet, as laughable and as ridiculous this notion was to everyone else, even to himself, Siva still felt that there was something more to this world of Terroa than what the real world knows.

Also, for some reason, there was a voice telling him in his mind that… Earth is not the only world out there, there was also Terroa.

This kind of bugging thought had been plaguing him ever since he was forcefully woken up from his trance-like state of meditation.

It was as if there was a second ‘self’ in his mind that kept on suggesting to ‘believing’ that Terroa was a real world as well.

Such notion was indeed worth ridicule.

But…

For someone who had no access to the real world people who could give him the answers to the questions that confuses him, particularly Pegasus, he had no choice but to hear an answer to a side that concerns one part of the matters that confuse him… the Terrans of Planet Terroa.

“I’ve called you here to ask you a few things.”

As far as he knows, in his memories, of the NPC people he could access right now that fits that description… Akhenaton was one of them while Immortal Emperor Gabriel Etrama De Raizel was the other being.

Of the two, he trusts that Akhenaton could at least give him answers that he could believe to a certain degree.

“If it is within this lowly one’s knowledge, I shall answer with all that I know.”

Not lifting his head, Akhenaton told him.

Siva was satisfied and motioned for the two of them to be teleported. When they appeared next, they were in the former throne room of the castle fortress Apus Epirus that is now the place where a stage with five steps was located.

BANG! BANG! BANG!...... BANG!

….BANG!!!

With a wave of a hand, the large palace doors behind Akhenaton closed with a loud noise, as well as the other doors that connected this palace hall to the other chambers.

This action… greatly surprised the NPC servants that roamed and maintained the cleanliness and state of the palaces. They didn’t know that their new Castle’s owner had already returned so there were reports made concerning this phenomenon.

Now that he knew no one will disturb them, Siva was more confident he could ask the questions and listen to the answers with more surety.

“I just want to know…” he begun after some short hesitation, “…what do you know about the First Born, Mefisto, and his connection to me, Siva.”

He first heard of the title “First Born” from Sefirah and this single title had somehow triggered a bit of recollection in his new sets of memory.

Siva wanted to know who he really was dealing with in here.

Akhenaton visibly trembled, albeit just a little. But this little bit didn’t escape Sivas eyes for he was looking at his retainer with focused sincerity.

It was a trembling that gave the notion of having to remember something or someone ‘fear’-inducing.

Siva wasn’t new to it. He himself had seen how his past enemies trembled like this when he pointed his guns on either their knees or their balls when he was in the process of interrogation.

“My Lord, Mefisto… the First Born… I am not that aware of the details of his existence but the Gods I’ve rejected before sentenced me for an eternity of darkness just by listening and being influenced by his voice to defame their integrity.”

Siva’s heart was pounding but nevertheless, he remained calm in the surface and controlled the agitated state of his mind.

“Were you corrupted back then?”

Siva felt incredulous by this question. He himself did not believe it but the new sets of memories in his mind ‘showed’ him a vision of the results of this so called soul corruption.

Akhenaton trembled before he answered with all his respect and reverence: “Almost.”

He further lowered his head and continued, “My Empire was built atop the bones of the corrupted army… I fought on the side of the Gods for many years until I have proven my path to the Heavenly Laws and was granted the right to ascend and become an Immortal. But as soon as I succeeded in my ascension, an Envoy of the First Born came into my abode and tried to corrupt me. I defeated The Envoy but was unable to resist the whispers of corruption. The next thing I know, Lord Janus and the Chaos Gods and Elder Gods have placed a sentence on me and I was unable to understand what had happened until I had already spent many years in the prison of eternal darkness.”

“Although I couldn’t control my body, I was still granted awareness of the world outside my prison and understood the vestiges in the passing time outside the darkness. Apparently, I have been sealed as this… object… and granted a chance to redeem myself only once in the remainder of my eternal life…”

As Akhenaton explained his stance and answer to his question, Siva was able to understand many implications on his words, and even felt grateful and apathetic to Akhenaton’s circumstances.

Thankfully, back then, Janus also understood that Akhenaton wasn’t himself and was only under the influence of the whispers of the devils.

Still, the fact that he was corrupted, albeit not in a total manner unlike the girl that eventually became Sefirah, is still a punishable crime as per the rules set by Court of the Gods at the time, which was, in accord to Siva’s new sets of memories, were still in the middle of the war.

In fact, as far as Siva’s new sets of memories are concerned…

“Akhenaton, you say that you founded an empire on your own and became an immortal after. May I ask where you founded your empire?”

As he digested the answer he received from Akhenaton, Siva also wanted to prove something that may lead to him unlocking a belief that he has in this world called Terroa…

…that this world is an independent artificial world created by humans and its NPCs are all intelligent life forms of another plane.

Such a notion was frightening if proven true but if it was not, then he can just dismiss these other sets of memories that regarded him living a life in this artificial world as just a fairytale implanted in some way or another by Augustus Laniary.

“My Lord…” Akhenaton still didn’t raise his head in fear of offending Siva, but his tone carried the reverence and lowly pittance of humility and servitude of someone who has once been convicted by a [God] on the same level as [Siva].

To him, to Akhenaton, Siva is a unique [God] that represents the two worlds that is currently in existence in this small world of Terroa.

...or at least on Akhenaton’s eyes….

“My Lord, if I may be honest, I really am not sure.”

“Not sure?”

“Yes, My Lord. In the darkness prison, ever since I was sealed, I cannot sleep nor am I allowed to go unconscious for even just a moment. I was forced to be awake and endure the eras, and wait for the one that could grant me one chance at freedom to see the light again. I cannot remember how long I was sealed for I have stopped paying attention to the flow of time and for what I could remember on those very few who managed to come across my moving prison, they all warred against each other to gain another’s territory that on the years that I have accompanied them in this prison, I never once heard of any familiar place’s name.”

Siva furrowed his brows and thought deeply. If Akhenaton had lived that long, then should he just dismiss ‘that’ notion then?

—that this world is an independent world?

Because according to the current time frame, if Terroa runs 3 times faster than the time on Earth, then even if this game had been in development for the past 100 years… it’s just 300 years if it’s multiplied by its time-skipping.

Could it be that RPG: Terroa can run faster than 3 times that it is now?

Rex had no proof of it but he had less than a 10% doubt that it might be possible if the Humans can create [NanoTech] —a technology that was deem to have been just scientific fantasy 100 years ago.

“But My Lord, my Imperial Domain… it had only been spoken once in my entire time in the Darkness Prison. If you can track the person who had spoken it, perhaps you may learn my Empire’s location…. if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Actually, Siva wasn’t interested in the location of Akhenaton‘s Empire.

The reason why he asked him that question is solely to test if there are indeed more than just Planet Terroa in this game world.

Truthfully, he just wished the there was only this planet and there was nothing else.

Rex wanted to prove that these visions in his mind regarding other worlds he had visited were merely just illusions.

He wanted to have a grasp at his own reality; that Earth on the other side of this world is his reality and that on that accident four years ago where Alfred Pegasus wanted to murder him that he was forced to enter the still under development game world of RPG: Terroa to recuperate from a tragic accident that had occurred… and if what he thinks of these unique memories being from that time…

…are all but illusions.

Siva wanted to deny the existence of a possibility: of him having lived another life in this world using another persona called [Siva]; and that all of these new sets of memories are but artificial memories brought forth by his time during the DNI-Therapy inside this world.

Because if Rex Kingsley, the supposed owner of Siva “the avatar”, were to believe otherwise, then it would only give him a bigger worry on the fact that Baron, right now, is experiencing something in the same danger as he did back then… perhaps even more dangerous because of the existence of the hungry and greedy players.

What If Baron was really pinned down in this war contrary to the feeling his heart was giving?

What if…

What if………

Siva shook his head. He forcefully denied the appalling ideas in his mind. If he would lose Baron as well, then he would rather he died alongside his brother so that the little guy wouldn’t be scared when crossing Acheron.

(Greek mythology: a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls)

If he could choose one thing: he’d choose to be the only one to experience all the hardships and suffering in this world than see his baby brother, a tiny 3-year old little guy who was not yet aware of the cruel colors of the world, lose his fragile mind to these confusing things and become unable to differentiate what is illusion and what was reality.

Such a possibility greatly breaks Siva’s heart.

“Tell me.” he commanded, preparing himself to be shocked by what Akhenaton was about to tell him.

What was there to be shocked for? To realize that there is a large possibility of him having two lives in two different worlds were shocking enough.

He was positive there was nothing that could be more of shocking news than that.

Akhenaton used his humblest tone and expressed with sincerity: “I don’t know how long in the past it has been but I remember the name of that person who once spoke of my Ahepton Dessert Empire… his name should be Clemente Celestine.”

“…..”

“…..”

“What?”

“M-My Lord…..?”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!”

“…!!”

“What did you say his name was?”

“Clemente… Clemente Celestine… My Lord…!”

“Clemente Celestine! Of all the names…” having murmured the name, another name popped up in his mind at this moment and he couldn’t help but whisper this name as well. “Dante.”

Siva did greatly think that there was nothing he’d be surprised for. But he was clearly shaken by the name that he heard Akhenaton say.

“My Lord?” having been yelled at by his prison’s jail keeper, a once prestigious and dignified name that can scare countries to submission with but a mention, Akhenaton, an almighty immortal that had established his own empire using his own strength, lowered his head in complete submission, trembling in fear, he didn’t even dare to raise his head to look at Siva who had become agitated when he heard the name he just said.

Akhenaton’s greatest fear is being unable to see the light of day again. This jail keeper can put him back inside the darkness prison on a whim if he wanted to… what more if it is out of anger? So he couldn’t provoke anything with his actions.

He wasn’t afraid of dying in battle since he can’t die, unless the black sphere in the crown which held his soul is to be broken thoroughly or utterly destroyed.

In a way, he was an unkillable killing machine that can repair and not care about injuries of his giant golden body, and will even continue slaughtering his way on a battlefield until he was ordered to stop or his golden idol body broke apart.

Heck, he can’t even feel pain nor he could even feel tired so there was no problem if Akhenaton was ordered to flatten the continents until his broke apart from stress.

But he was afraid right now… afraid of Siva.

It’s not that Siva was releasing bloodlust or anything, but it’s just that Siva is visibly angry right now for some unknown and odd reason regarding the name he had said.

Does he have a pie against Clemente? But he was just a mortal and he’s long since been dead.

Apparently, Akhenaton was treating Siva like an Immortal as well. He doesn’t know the distinction of an NPC from a player.

“Of all the names… No, more importantly, is there a connection between the book and the actual person himself? But I’ve read the novel in the national library and even the version we found in the floating lake-island and there was no mention of any warship or any kind of plot with Akhenaton on them. Maybe the book really has nothing to do with the person?”

As Siva came deep in his thought, Akhenaton who snuck a glance at him bowed again and continued.

“My Lord, if I may continue to speak.”

“Go on.” Siva urged. He needs more information.

“While Clemente Celestine had indeed spoken of my Empire once, he had never taken me to war or anything and only left me where he found me.”

Siva became curious, “Why is that?”

Akhenaton paused to concentrate his thoughts, seemingly trying his best to recall the memory of that time.

“My Lord, as I remember it, he once spoke of a war with the dragons. But whether he was with them or against them is a matter I was not made aware. He said that I shouldn’t be in this planet.”

“Ah…!!”

Sivas mouth fell open.

THUB! THUB!

Like a loud cry of lion, a loud beat of the heart, or a thundering roar of a descending lightning bolt, Akhenaton’s last line had hit a nail in Siva’s heart.

“My Lord?” afraid that he might have spoken what seemed to be a taboo, Akhenaton face was pale white but he can’t hide and he can’t run.

He could only wait what was going to happen to his fate now that he had spoken.

Akhenaton stiffened his resolve as he bore with the imposing feeling of heavy emotions coming on his liege’s body. He could feel the chaos in his breathing and as someone who had tasted battle more than he wanted to, Akhenaton also felt the confusion in Siva’s heart at his moment.

Still he didn’t dare to raise his head to look at him.

“What else?” Siva suddenly spoke, “What else do you know about Clemente and the Dragons? What else? Are they connected to Mefisto? Me! What about me?! Do you know anything about me?”

.

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The novel that holds dark and sinister secrets…

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