novelraw Chapter 270: Avalon
Chapter 270: Avalon
Chapter 270: Avalon Walking through an eerily dark passage, Julie ran a hand through her raven-black hair—the awkward motion doing little to quell her trembling.
In front of her, the entire squadron of PTF-0 The Black Watchmen as well Dr. Miguel walked in tandem. No one said a single word as their steps echoed across the cobblestone walls, adding to her already frayed nerves.
“How are you feeling?” A soft whisper reached her from behind, causing her to flinch. She turned back to see a familiar face.
“Eve, what did I tell you about scaring me like that?!” The dim light on the woman’s face had no effect on her beauty, adding to Julie’s frustration.
Eve brushed her blonde hair behind her ear and chuckled softly. “Doesn’t your Soul Weapon warn you of danger? And here I thought becoming a Sentinel will make you mentally stronger…”
“Shut up!”
Suddenly, the PTF-0 agents and Dr. Miguel froze, turning to face Julie who had just inadvertently shouted. Her face flushed red.
“A-apologies…”
Seeing them turn back around and walk forward again, Julie immediately returned to glaring at her coworker. An annoying grin masked Eve’s expression.
“Have you calmed down now?” She whispered. It was only then that Julie understood her intentions.
She sighed. “Yes… Thanks, I guess.”
“No worries. Feeling nervous is normal. After all, this could either make or break our entire operation. Though, it does make me wonder sometimes… How on earth did someone like you survive that scouting mission?”
She furrowed her brows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a full-blown Sentinel now. And yet, your demeanor hasn’t changed in the slightest. You’re a very hard person to read, Julie.” She shook her head.
Investigative Agent B34 met her gaze—her lips curling into a cocky grin. “You simply underestimate me.”
“Perhaps,” she shrugged. “You did manage to learn CQC through the AGI Network relatively quickly. It took me more than a year to finally reach high mastery. You’re pretty talented in comparison.”
Talented… Her smile widened. In actuality, her mastery in Close Quarters Combat was due to the trials she was subjected to in this dungeon… Solomon had simply exploited the heightened senses [Arachnid Wisdom] provided in order to harden her experiences in the martial art.
Of course, that meant that every training session was one mistake away from death. She had been close-to-fatally injured countless times when fighting against the monsters roaming these darkened halls. If not for Solomon’s healing, she likely would have perished by now.
They don’t need to know that thought!
Her coworkers and the other PTF agents have slowly come to respect her more and more over the past few weeks. The attention was truly an addictive drug…
I wonder if this is how Soren felt all the time? Will I also find it annoying in the future? She pictured an aloof version of herself, sitting cozily behind the same desk Director 004 would usually sit in. All of her coworkers would pass by and bow in respect—their eyes quivering with fear and admiration.
Hehehe…
“Julie? Your smile is kinda creepy…” Eve’s words shattered her delusions instantly. Coughing, she decided to change the subject:
“I find it crazy it took us around two months to fully excavate the Memoria Regis Occulti… The summer heat is already killing me.”
After her scouting mission had completed, the rest of HPP teams were allowed to re-enter the dungeon. The remaining rooms at the lower floors were cleared fairly easily, since anti-divination techniques were not utilized at all. This prompted the completion of Phase 2.
At the time, Julie had thought that her vacation would finally begin. That was until Dr. Miguel informed her of her participation in Phase 3 of the mission as well. This came as a total surprise, since the information regarding this stage of the operation was completely redacted for her.
I wonder what he wants to show us… Adding to her fears, Solomon had also suddenly stopped conversing with her. Ever since they entered this floor of the dungeon, He had not yet said a single thing.
All of this led her to believe that an incredible danger was awaiting her at the very end. Deatheye’s expression had remained steady, as if anticipating an attack at any moment.
“Of course, that was all largely due to your contributions.” A voice reached the two from behind, prompting them to glance in that direction. They spotted a taller woman with curly crimson hair and amber colored eyes.
“Lumie,” Julie said quietly, recognizing her signature lip piercing. This was another coworker of hers that was under the Scroll Manifester division. They were responsible for deciphering ancient texts and other information.
The crimson haired woman straightened her collar and flashed a smile as she approached the two. “When I heard the reports back in May, I was honestly shocked. How did you manage to navigate such a treacherous dungeon alone?”
I wasn’t alone… But she couldn’t exactly say that.
“Stop it, Lumie… You’re just feeding her ego at this point.” Eve shook her head. “How were the investigations going at the language club?” This was the nickname for those in Lumie’s division. “Those idiots looked really grim before the AGI Network summoned us for this operation.”
Glancing at the distant figure of Dr. Miguel, Lumie couldn’t help but sigh.
“Rough. A lot of the texts seem to predate Latin. The script doesn’t follow any linguistic pattern that matches it to any known indo-european roots. Though, we already expected that—this dungeon has clear ties to before the Age of Regression.
“So far, we have only managed to uncover one of the texts from the excavated tablets—it says the following:
“The whispers of history cling to the shadows, yet seek the light of remembrance.”
Julie’s lips twitched slightly. Again with that phrase…
Before they could discuss any further, Dr. Miguel froze. “Stop.” His orders echoed across the narrow tunnel. It was only then that they realized why.
Just a few meters ahead of their cohort, Julie spotted the passage opening into a colossal subterranean chamber. The walls leading up to it on either side were etched with bands of murals—each depicting divine figures above the clouds that possessed heavenly martial weapons. The very sight of them left her stunned.
Beneath the horrifying figures sprawled a vast cityscape—tower-like structures rising through to pierce the heavens. A cataclysm seemed to have consumed the entire metropolis, banishing it in flames and falling stars.
Julie’s heart raced. For whatever reason, she couldn’t help but come to a single conclusion…
“These buildings… Aren’t they skyscrapers?...”
“No way…” Lumie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The others in the group also showed similar reactions, except for Dr. Miguel. He calmly glanced at the leader of the Black Watchmen and nodded.
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Deatheye understood the orders and walked forward. From his trenchcoat’s inner pocket, he pulled out two metallic cubes that unfolded on their own, transforming into miniature drones.
After a few seconds of fiddling, the pair of remote-controlled devices flew forwards into the passage. Only after conducting a safety scan and illuminating the entire chamber were they allowed to head deeper inside.
That’s it? After seeing the safety scans flashing green, Julie was a little surprised. She had been expecting a lot of danger. She dropped her hesitation and followed her coworkers who had walked ahead.
On the other side of the underground chamber, Julie spotted something that left her frozen in awe. A colossal stone gate, decorated in numerous carvings and murals—its height was enough to make the small group of humans seem no different from insects.
At the center of the gate, two massive indentations could be seen—a strange tablet with unknown writings was fitted into it.
“Wh-what is this…” Someone in the crowd finally had the guts to speak up. Dr. Miguel simply glanced at him then walked forward. The group of researchers and PTF agents decided to simply follow along.
Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice stirred in the furthest recesses of her mind:
“It is no use. Your organization will have no way of prying that gate open.”
Solomon! You’re back?... She asked inwardly.
“Only my Lord may have the right to open it. The prophesied opportunity has yet to arrive…” He sighed.
“Lord…” She whispered to herself. But then, she noticed something strange.
Dr. Miguel…
He was staring at her…
A chill ran down her spine. “Is… is there something wrong?” Her two coworkers also sensed the commotion and glanced toward her.
Eventually, the middle-aged man smiled and shook his head. “Nothing. Let us set up a communications channel here. We’ll secure the perimeter and allow more researchers from the Hand of Relics division to arrive.” He then glanced at Lumie, “I expect your team to decipher that tablet for me by the end of this year. If you can’t do it, you better have an excuse prepared.”
The frown on her face was palpable, but she still uttered the usual response, “Yes sir!”
Seeing all the other members getting orders, Julie continued to stare at Dr. Miguel, awaiting her turn. Eventually, the old researcher glanced her way and smiled. “You can do whatever you want. Treat this like the vacation Eve promised you.”
Huh? Her brows furrowed. This was not a response she was expecting.
Eve who overheard the whole thing, chuckled softly. “You deserved it. Your achievements as a scout already warrant a promotion, in my opinion!”
Dr. Miguel simply smiled. “I’ll be sure to inform Director 004 personally.”
Although she smiled back, Julie’s attention was more focused on Solomon’s words:
“It seems they understand to a certain degree about my connection to this place.”
Julie’s frown deepened. So they wish to observe me?
“Correct. But there isn’t any need to worry. Nothing will happen even if they wrack their brains for a century. That gate… It leads to my Lord’s Divine Kingdom.
“However, I also sense a bridge or connection to this world’s lost past…
“A past that existed before the Fracturing.”
As Soren stared blankly at the colossal round table, his vision continued to blur and unblur. His emotions had never been that unstable since his arrival in this world.
The maps spread wide across its wooden surface depicted Yarian’s geography, with lines dividing the borders of each region—labeled in ancient Dulvali:
Runic Mountains, Endless Moor, Feylith, High Plains, Hedra, Mount Tolarion…
Then another, smaller map was showcased next to it, depicting several continents that all seemed familiar. Arrows depicting their movements were shown—hinting at knowledge regarding tectonic plates and the shifting of landmasses…
“Did you really think you escaped into some fantasy?” Merlin’s voice beamed from above—layered thick in mockery. “That this is just another one of those fictional stories you’ve read about, and now you get to become the main character?
“Tell me Soren, how can you both be a passive observer and an active participant at the same time? Do you not see your own hypocrisy?
“Even your role as a scribe… How can one hoard knowledge without an ounce of desire to share it? An archive that no one could use might as well not exist at all.”
He continued to stare in silence. Strings of thoughts were weaving into conclusions he never expected to make. His nausea was growing—a part of him wanted to throw up.
“A witness you say… And yet your very actions of manipulating fate altered your most trusted friend’s trajectory.
“Not to mention the Mirror Game—if not for you leading the Petalsword Sovereign all the way to Statue Town, She might not have suffered those injuries against the Vynasians.
“Even something as simple as stealing that Heartdrinker Sigil destroyed one of the only safe regions in that dungeon…
“Face it, Soren. You have never been a witness. You were always the perpetrator! And yet you continue to delude yourself with meaningless goals. But do not worry,” his wide grin couldn’t be erased from his mind, “I will be sure to erase them for you!”
Merlin’s nebulous hand pointed toward the colossal maps. “Haven’t you already come to the first conclusion? Indeed, it is just as you have guessed.
“This world… Is simply Earth from the past. Reading your memories, the historians called it what again? Ah yes…
“The supercontinent Pangaea.”
Although he had already formed similar suspicions after seeing the maps, hearing the confirmation left his mind spiraling. He… He should have seen it coming. The fact that the two realms were connected to the same gateway in [The Faerie Court] should have been more than enough to warrant an investigation.
But his mind simply glossed over it. He didn’t want to destroy his own illusion…
In the end, all Soren could do was resort to laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed… Even after his throat gave up, he continued laughing in his own mind.
Laughing at the world. Laughing at the absurdity of it all. And most of all, laughing at himself.
“The lands of Fantasia… A fantasia that could be whatever you wanted it to be!”
In that moment, a sudden spark of thought emerged. He instinctively felt his Worldsong Embodiment reaching more than 80%. Merlin also couldn’t contain his smile as he watched the last seams of his sanity wither away:
“Do you get it now, Mr. Traveler? You have never even left your homeworld to begin with! Your great escape… It was never real!”
After a while, the Sleepless Guide sighed and shook his head.
“The Age of Regression—I’m sure you heard of this term from that Solomon fellow you spoke with, didn’t you? They say a time period had existed prior to the current history humanity knows of. That a great cleansing occurred that reset the world back to zero.
“A lot of the organizations on Earth are aware of this. They believe a great flood or cataclysm caused it. But what they don’t know is that there was something else behind it all.
“Something the Empyreans called, The Fracturing.”
He paused for a moment, watching Soren continue to smile crazily while staring into the distant scene. “The Fracturing is what we call the shattering of this universe. For whatever reason, space itself split after that damned event. That is what those Echoes of the Rift speak of whenever they corrupt you. In fact, the Rift itself is simply a scar left behind from that dreaded curse.”
The Whispering Dream crossed his arms, “When the Fracturing reached Earth, something even stranger happened. Rather than splitting the space itself, it somehow also split time with it! The Earth from the past fractured into its own parallel realm, creating what you now know as Yarian.
“What’s more, the Age of Mythologies that came before the current one was also consumed by this shattering of the realm. Time itself reset, causing humanity’s progress to return to zero. Even its Universal Law had been whisked away to this parallel realm! The magi on Earth have spent thousands of years trying their hardest to discover it without any luck…” He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Who would ever think that it actually exists in another dimension entirely?! Any self-respecting scholar who hears that will say it's utterly absurd!”
“.....” Soren had nothing to say at all.
“It was the same for me, you know?” Merlin continued, his smile growing wider and wider. “I too once believed it was impossible to find the Universal Law, until I arrived in this world that is.”
It was only then that Soren decided to speak again, “What?!” His eyes widened.
“Oh, you weren’t aware?” Merlin chuckled. “You should have guessed by now that my origins trace back to the First Age of Fantasia. Indeed, I have been around for a very long time…
“Back then, the instability caused by the Fracturing made the passage of time between Earth and this world stray further and further apart. A single day there became several years here, then the opposite happened, costing me the ability to return to my original era…”
“No, no, no,” Soren shook his head back and forth. “Go back a bit—are you implying that you’re also a transmigrator? Just like Astrea?!”
The Sleepless Guide looked into his demanding eyes and chuckled. “After Astrea enacted Her Divine Accord, the Greenfather who was tasked with revitalizing the devastated lands, took it upon Himself to name the planet after His own name. So that surely begs the question—what was this world’s name before Yarian?”
After a brief pause, he answered with a wide grin, “Avalon. The people of this world called it Avalon!
“Haven’t you found it odd that this word also originates from Earth? There is a celtic myth about a mysterious hidden island called Avalon—a paradise of fairies and myths! The me from back then truly believed it…”
It was only then that Soren began to connect the dots. He stared deeply into the scene below—the round table aligned with thirteen swords became even more mythic in his eyes.
“Arthur and his Twelve Knights of the Round Table… You were with them?!” It sounded insane just saying it, but If Astrea could make it to this world, then what was stopping the other old myths from doing the same?...
Meeting his gaze, The Whispering Dream bowed gracefully in his direction. “Indeed, for I am Merlin the Magician. King Arthur’s one and only Sleepless Guide.”