New World - A New Beginning

Chapter 135: Two Lives

"!!"

An overwhelming aura engulfed the cave. I gritted my teeth, forcing my legs to keep functioning and not collapse under the pressure. The small hissing sound of a viper's tongue echoed throughout the cavern, but I was unable to locate the source of the noise.

An orchestra of hisses arose around me, slowly approaching as the dozens of vipers eyed their prey. I caught a glimpse of a giant moving body, realizing that these snakes were at least dozens of mels long.

These no longer felt like snakes. It felt like I was facing an army of basilisks who could kill me with a single glance. I remained calm, closing my eyes and focusing solely on the bind that flowed throughout the room.

I sent pulses of neutral energy around my body, feeling the narrow crevices and holes within the walls... but not picking up any form of a beast. I smiled, opening my eyes and coming face to face with a giant basilisk that glared at me with its potent yellow eyes.

I extended my arm, opening the palm of my hand and approaching the monster.

"You... you don't exist. None of you do," I muttered, my words causing the leader of the reptiles to smile briefly.

"Interesting," it hissed, backing away, "it has been a long time since someone like you has come down here."

The basilisks began crumbling to pieces, ultimately disappearing from my sight as the walls of the cave followed. My body shuddered upon feeling the familiar feeling of entering a new dimension, and I recognized the location immediately. This was the place Asthia and I had communicated with each other multiple times upon activating Integrate.

All that was left of the cave was a small stretch of earth that I stood on. I looked below and realized that I was located on a narrow cliff-top, the abyss below me neverending as my eyes were drawn to look ahead.

Standing before me in all its glory was none other than the Elder Wyvern.

"Welcome, Royal Knight," it boomed, the deep voice rumbling across the dimension as the swirling mass of dark clouds above erupted in flashes of violet lightning.

The beast was massive. Even saying that was an understatement. Its height was on par with some of the natural wonders back on Earth, the towering skyscrapers that dominated cities being the only things I could compare the size of this monstrosity to.

Its outstretched wings covered the horizon, the dark purple irises that viewed me with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance sending waves of glacial fear down my spine. Majestic white hair ran along the back of its long neck. Its jet black claws dug into the small mountain beside it, crushing the tip of the rock with ease. The monster approached me as it awaited an answer.

"I presume you know why I'm here?" I asked, not really knowing what to say when faced with what was most likely the most powerful being on this continent. I decided to get straight to the point of my presence.

The Elder Wyvern brought its head back, taking a dignified position as it looked down at me from its towering height.

"You wish to form a contract with me?"

"I do. The enemy is approaching Lares as we speak, and I need power if I am to stop them," I explained.

This thing before me didn't feel like a monster or a wyvern at all... this tingling feeling, this almost primal urge to bow down when faced with this power, this felt like I was face to face with a god.

"Do you think you can handle my power, half-breed?" asked the god, attempting to evaluate me. "My strength comes with its repercussions when utilized by a mortal such as yourself."

"I can handle it."

My answer was given with utmost confidence. My existence in this world had all led up to this moment. The warm memories, the painful experiences, the challenging struggles, all of it would be meaningless if I turned out to be too weak to handle this power. Whether I was half-Dragon or half-Human didn't matter to me; I'd control the Elder's power.

"Let us prove the certainty behind your answer, then," said the Wyvern, reaching out with his arm and touching my body with a single claw nail. A small flick would be enough to wipe me off the face of this reality, but the god seemed to possess a certain delicacy when it came to this process.

"!!"

I dropped to the floor immediately, feeling a wave of memories flooding out of my mind as my existence flashed before me. Howling laughter amidst the bloodshed of the arena, the wailing sirens of the brutal military as they encircled desperate deserters, the low whimpers of agony from the surrounding waiting rooms as each fighter awaited their demise... I gasped, feeling the numbing pain of the vibroblade implanted once again in my body.

Another pair of eyes were witnessing all of these memories alongside me. The presence of the Elder Wyvern was something that disgusted me; that life of mine was not for someone else to witness and judge.

A shockwave of pain washed over me as the reenactment of my life continued. I relived my birth, the warm embraces of my family, and the early years of training alongside my father. The white-haired girl in the forest looked up at me, nodding her head as two adventurers approached the area.

I found myself standing in Lares, accepting the welcome of the royal family, and beginning my training alongside Selena.

The vibrant scenes of Eloria flashed before me. A young girl stood at the side of a road, crying for her lost mother as she took my hand. Adventurers fought alongside me within a deep cave, a giant monstrosity screeching in pain as a small party eliminated it safely.

The image of a girl requesting to accompany me in my travels replaced over and over again, and I suddenly found myself in Orun enjoying a festival. I dueled a Fei, gaining his respect and learning a secret technique.

Reality slowed as a giant wooden palm slammed onto the beastman before me, my eyes making out the silhouette of the tank being crushing under the weight of the attack. My cries of pain were replaced with the cheerful screams of a kid's birthday. An elegant princess introduced herself to me, her ocean-blue eyes looking at the others around her with envy as she longed to be a normal individual.

I stood above the dying body of my friend, her final word echoing in my ears as I reached down and picked her up. I fought back against the overwhelming urge to breakdown and cry, heading outside and muttering a hushed farewell to those behind me.

My emotions flooded out from my body. I cried on her shoulder, experiencing this burst of sadness for the first time in my existence. The peaceful night was replaced with the bustling noises of peak hour within the Imanian capital. An individual with long pink hair eyed me cautiously, not knowing what to make of me.

On the first day of school, I began living the normal life I had longed for. An ice-cold girl dueled me, and our fight slowly blurred as I found myself beating up a boy.

A blonde warrior entered our class, introducing the concept of gravity. The blood on my hands and face had vanished, the brutal beatdown vanishing and being replaced with my meeting with One.

War began.

Flashes of blood and anguished screams filled my mind. I tried to close my eyes when faced with all the horrors, but I was unable to. I plugged my ears, but the sounds became clearer. Every death was depicted in detail, and I began to understand the number of lives I had taken.

I fought my rival, finally overcoming them and fulfilling my purpose from Earth.

Thousands of memories continued to overwhelm me. I remained on the floor in pain, suddenly being transported to Pandora where I met the Faros. They all kneeled before me, swearing allegiance to a leader whose only goal was to send them to their death.

I stood alongside Asthia on the wooden balcony of the hut a few thousand mels from Eloria. Her broken voice rang in my ears. Her expression suddenly began to change as I placed the necklace around her. Her cheeks became flushed in bright pink, accentuated by the amber rays that illuminated the scene.

My eyes were finally able to open and see reality. A single tear streaked down my face, but I ignored it. My legs struggled to bring me back up, but I pushed through and looked at the giant god once again.

"You," he growled, his voice deeper, "really are an interesting mortal, aren't you?"