Chapter 21: The Wheel of Fate...

Elina recounted the initial period when she first arrived here.

-Initially, he and I, Alexia, were also healing priests, but he was stronger than me, a King-rank, and also a captain of the Order. We both received a mission from the Holy Nation to prevent the resurrection of the Moon God. The entire Order consisted of over 400 people... including the holy knight Crambell...

Lyne was astonished by this information.

-Was it that man?

Kaega didn't know Crambell as he had never met him.

-Yes, it was him. Initially, he was also a rigid and decisive person, but not like he is now...

-What the hell happened that only you are left here now?

-Of course, finding and eliminating all the followers of the Moon God was very difficult because at that time they were scattered all over Braum looking for someone.

Elina recounted with a sad face.

-Being in this place, Braum, also gradually affected the minds of some people. Even with purification, losing control was only a matter of time...

Kaega began to find the problem Elina was talking about hard to understand.

-So what really corroded them?

-The Moon God, the Wrath God, the Void God, and the Colossal God, also known as Karizanis by the followers of the Silver Masks.

This was also the first time Lyne had heard this information. Initially, she just thought they were heretical beliefs made up by the Silver Masks. Kaega, however, did not think so; having witnessed one of them, he knew they truly existed.

-So what are these so-called gods really?

Elina was now quite flustered, not knowing how to explain.

-This concept is a bit difficult to explain, but to put it simply, they are beings who have traded their humanity and mortal bodies to ascend, breaking through the peak of power to become gods and achieving near-immortality.... but in return, they live off the chaos, fear, and worship of madmen.

Kaega remembered Morveth, but he was sure it wasn't enough to make someone like him so powerful.

-Impossible. If one only needs to abandon humanity to gain power, wouldn't that be too easy?

-Of course, you can't just become a god by wanting it. You also have to reach the peak of the Emperor-rank...

-What's Emperor-rank?

Kaega was not aware of the power levels of this world. People like him, although they had encountered monstrous beings like the Head Measurer or powerful individuals like Elina, were very few.

-Let me explain it simply. On the Ragak continent, the power levels are divided as follows:

-Novice-rank.

-Intermediate-rank.

-Advanced-rank.

-Master-rank.

-Grandmaster-rank.

-Supreme Master-rank.

-Saint-rank.

-King-rank.

-Emperor-rank.

-God-rank.

...The Emperor-rank is the near-absolute level in this world.

Kaega now understood the power division of this world. Lyne, however, had a question.

-Wait, if that being is at God-rank, much stronger than Emperor-rank, then why were there only two legions when you and Alexia went to stop it?

-As I said at the beginning, the Moon God and most of the other ascended beings' mortal bodies had already perished on their path to power. But in return, the mana they dispersed drove some people mad and made them worship them, so their existence did not completely disappear. Our mission was simply to prevent his resurrection.

Elina also said with pride.

-Although Saint-rank is not the strongest, we had a will strong enough to resist the maddening infection of that being. It's just a pity...

Kaega and Lyne realized Elina was regretting something.

-The campaign lasted too long. The corruption seeped deeper and deeper into the Order. Alexia and I decided to split up to hunt them down, but we still couldn't completely eliminate the Blood Cult. And as people went mad one by one, Crambell and I had to personally kill those who were once under our command. And when we arrived in Aquila, Alexia and I met again.

Kaega didn't need Elina to continue; he could already guess part of it.

-It seems... Alexia wasn't well either, was he?

-Yes, he was no longer the bright, confident, and compassionate person he once was. He was dark and reeked of blood. According to him, he had killed all the members of his own contingent before they went mad. He gave me a map marking the secret paths he had created and said.

Elina recalled Alexia's image at that time.

< His body had almost transformed after 6 years. He had grown raven feathers, his body was thin and gaunt. But his eyes still held a sharp fire.

-Elina, this is all I can do before I completely transform....

-What is this?

-You must find that child... the child who carries the blood of the Moon God.... it is here... the main ingredient for his resurrection....

-What do you mean, Alexia? Are you okay now?

-Elina, watch out, he has almost completely transformed.

Crambell drew his sword, but his mouth was smiling.

-He is now a heretic, let me kill him!

-What are you saying, Crambell? That's your captain!!

Alexia didn't say much, he rushed forward and used a holy art to restrain Crambell, then struck him, sending him flying eastward.

-Crambell! Alexia, why did you do that?

-He... is also close... to madness.

-Impossible....

It wasn't that Elina didn't know; it was that she couldn't accept this truth...

-Elina, you are the only one... you carry the blood of a saint in you, you can resist the corruption of this place... you must help us complete our mission.

-Alexia, are you okay?

-I think that although I won't lose my mind and go mad, I will no longer be myself, and you can't kill me either. So I will leave now. I hope this map can help you....

Alexia gave Elina the map of inner Aquila.

-Be careful...

With that, Alexia also disappeared. Elina stood still, not knowing what to do. That day, Aquila was submerged in a heavy rain, and the only one still sane enough to carry out the final mission was Elina. >

After hearing the story, Kaega asked Elina to let him see the map. Elina took it out and gave it to him.

Kaega recognized a spot on the map....

-So it was true....

Although Kaega's face showed no emotion, his eyes and voice held a hint of bitterness.

-It's truly ironic, isn't it.... Lira...

Kaega returned the map.

-If the story is as you and he said, then Lira was the child who carried the bloodline of the Moon God, and while he was resurrecting, you sabotaged that ritual...

-And now I meet you, someone who once had the same purpose....

When one person's failure becomes another's accidental success. The space between Kaega and Elina seemed to freeze. Lyne, who felt her past had no connection to this, didn't say another word. In the end, unable to maintain such an atmosphere forever, Kaega took the initiative to break it.

-So the person you said would help me resolve the curse is Alexia, right...

Time seemed to flow again, and Elina immediately replied.

-Yes... although I don't know what has become of him now, I am certain that if you can find him, your curse will be resolved.

Lyne realized the importance of this person called Alexia to Kaega. If Kaega could be cured, he would at least have a combat potential close to hers.

-That's right, Lyne... what combat rank do you think you are?

-I'm not sure... I've never been tested at the Hunters' Guild before...

-Lyne, you're probably above Advanced-rank... based on your performance in the battle during the conflict between the Faith Guild and the Silver Masks... perhaps you're approaching Master-rank....

-So, according to Miss Elina, what was the Head Measurer's combat rank?

-I'm not sure, I've never directly confronted him. But he's probably at least a high Master-rank or above. But there's something I don't understand.

Elina looked at Kaega with a question.

-Even with only half a soul, given your condition, a blow like that from him should have killed you.

If it were before, Kaega wouldn't have known the reason. But now, after many speculations and connecting many clues, he had realized the reason.

-I don't know either.

Kaega feigned confusion and said he didn't know to avoid revealing information. Lyne and Elina believed his words without a doubt.

-You were probably lucky that he didn't hit you in a vital spot.

-That could be it.

-So, have you decided what to do tomorrow?

-I know what I need to do tomorrow. Lyne, you just need to survive until the end of the Blood Feast and meet me at the end.

-Alright. I just hope you don't die first.

-So, do you have any more questions, Kaega?

-No... but I want to ask you for one last favor.

-What is it... if I can, I'll help.

-Thank you, it's just....

The conversation quickly ended, and each person went about their own business. As night fell, Kaega was still not asleep.

Kaega was sitting on the roof, gazing at the moon tonight. The full moon illuminated the entire night sky, as if wanting to comfort the sorrow and suffering of the city of Aquila, which was slowly dying in despair.

-Hey, you're not sleeping tonight?

Lyne appeared behind him out of nowhere, speaking from behind.

-It's not that. It's just.... I have too many thoughts, so it's a bit hard to sleep.

-Is it about the little girl named Lira?

Kaega didn't answer. Lyne didn't sit down either, just stood there, looking at Kaega's expression at that moment. It wasn't sad, angry, or happy. It was just his normal face.

Lyne asked again.

-So that was your first failure.... do you regret it...?

-What about you... do you regret it?

When asked in return, Lyne, though not angry, had a complex expression that was hard to describe.

-I... don't know either.... I followed the guild's rules... followed what others told me to do... even when I was suspicious, I only dared to investigate secretly... but in the end, I still don't know why she betrayed them.

-I... also once asked myself if I had made a mistake or if I regretted it... should I turn back... or should I free myself from this hell... does humanity still exist in this Braum... but when I met that little girl, I realized I wasn't alone...

-What about me...?

-Perhaps one day you will also realize who you are and what you should do.

-What I should do... who I am...

Kaega said no more, letting Lyne mumble to herself... Kaega just looked at the full moon shining down on him.

"The world is sometimes so round, isn't it?... Lira..."