A secret passage reveals...
- Go in - 36
- Don't go - 0
AN: LOL, an overwhelming victory of votes XD
Chapter 22: Prophecy
After a brief moment of hesitation, Lucas walked inside and followed Agerad into the mysterious pathway behind the temple.
"Where are we headed?"
Suddenly, Agerad grinned and two fangs could be seen from his teeth.
"To your final resting place!"
!!!
There was a flash. Without knowing it, Lucas had already died.
[The end.]
...
AN: Okay, I'm just kidding! On with the chapter!
After a brief moment of hesitation, Lucas walked inside and followed Agerad into the mysterious pathway behind the temple.
"Where are we headed?"
Agerad smiled and said.
"Don't worry, I won't bite. There are simply too many eyes and ears back there so we need to move to a more secure location."
As they walked, Lucas noticed the walls in the hallway had murals in them which seemed to depict a story.
Agerad noticed his look and explained.
"The murals here pertain to an oracle made a long time ago."
"Oracle? Like a prophecy or something?"
Agerad nodded.
"A long time ago, the world was overtaken by demons and creatures from other worlds. They combed through the lands as if searching for something."
Lucas frowned.
He saw the murals indeed showed this.
There was a painting where creatures could be seen coming out of portals or something similar.
The story felt familiar to Lucas. It was the same as what Trask had told him would happen to Earth in the future.
Then...the thing they are searching...is it the World Key?
Agerad didn't notice his expression and continued the story.
"Back then, wars were fought day by day. Countless people died. And countless more suffered."
Lucas saw the painting seemingly coming alive as the creatures from the other world ravaged and killed the people of this world.
"Till one day, a certain God arrived."
On the wall, there was a silhouette of a man surrounded by light.
"A God?"
"Well, we only called him a God because his powers were too great for a mortal to have. This God intervened and divided the world with his power..."
Lucas saw an image of the planet showing the separated continents and the unknown central continent.
"He trapped all the invaders in the central continent where they are unable to leave for years to come. And so peace finally returned to the world."
Agerad smiled.
Lucas frowned and asked.
"Where's that God now? Why didn't he just smite all of those invaders? Why trap them?"
Agerad shook his head.
"Who knows. Some say that the separation of the lands and the seal in the central continent took a toll on his being and grew weak. Some say there may be natural laws preventing him from intervening more than he already has. There was a lot of discussion about it even now. As for the God himself, he had long since disappeared, never to show himself again after years had passed."
"...Then what about the oracle you mentioned?"
"Ah, I was just getting to that."
Agerad chuckled.
"They say that before that God disappeared, he left behind an oracle. A prophecy of the future."
Agerad paused and pointed at a part of the mural.
There, dozens of humans could be seen appeared in the world, seemingly the same way the invaders came in the past.
"One day, people from another world will come. These people, when killed, would simply come back alive. They were all unkillable...as if their souls and bodies aren't present in this world at all. And amongst those people...a Hero will emerge."
"...Hero?"
Lucas felt a bad feeling about the direction of this talk but he was still curious so he asked.
Agerad nodded.
"That's right. A Hero. The Hero who will one day end this world's suffering. That Hero is said to be amongst the people coming to this world."
"..."
"And so, all the world's leaders got together to discuss. Eventually, they all came to a consensus."
"A consensus?"
"Right. They all agreed that when the otherworlders arrive, everyone would do their best to assist them. Provide them with quests, give them skills, and classes."
Lucas' face twitched.
So that's why these so-called 'NPCs' are assisting them!?
Lucas thought it was weird before since he knew that this wasn't a game, yet why are these natives all acting like NPCs!?
Turns out...there was such a reason!
"...I'm surprised the world leaders were able to agree just like that."
"Haha! Well, you'll be surprised how everyone can get along for a common enemy. Besides, this didn't mean that they are all at peace with each other. There are still territories and kingdoms at odds with each other. It also didn't mean that everyone will be nice to you otherworlders. They simply didn't want to go through the trouble of repeatedly killing you people as you all come back alive anyway."
Agerad shrugged.
Lucas nodded.
Well, it does make sense...I guess...?
"So where's this Hero now?"
When Lucas asked, Agerad simply smiled and looked at him.
"...You've got to be shitting me..."
"Haha! Come in! Let's continue inside."
"..."
Agerad laughed and went inside the room at the end of the hallway.
Lucas sighed and followed him.
Inside the room, Lucas saw a small shrine placed in the middle of the room.
Agerad kneeled in front of the shrine and prayed silently for a moment.
Lucas felt awkward so he sat down at the side and just waited.
Agerad saw him and chuckled.
"Haha, aren't you going to pray to your Goddess, Mr. Apostle?"
"...I'd rather not pray to a Goddess I don't know anything about, can't even see, and someone who just forced this apostle thing on me..."
Lucas rolled his eyes as he said that.
Suddenly, a voice called out to him from behind.
"So it's fine if you can see me and get to know me then?"
"Woah!?"
Lucas was shocked as he knew the room was empty when they came in and no one was behind him just a second ago.
He turned around and saw a beautiful woman with long white hair smiling gently at him.
His eyes were naturally drawn into the two mounds in front of her which were covered with white robes.
"...Ghost?"
"I'm a Goddess! You're the ghost! Your whole family are ghosts!"
"...You see, when you say stuff like that, it just doesn't sound believable..."
"..."
The Goddess opened her mouth to refute but couldn't find any words to say.
Agerad laughed.
"Haha, your holiness, it seems you got quite the apostle this time."
"I regret it already..."
Lucas noticed their conversation and connected the dots in his head.
Is she Lieran? The Goddesss of Healing?
"That's right! I'm Lieran! The Goddess of Healing!"
Are you reading my mind? Don't read my mind!
"I'll read your mind since I'm a Goddess!"
In that case...
"Hm? What are yo-...Kyaaa! Pervert! Hentai! Scoundrel!"
Lucas sneered.
"That's what you get for reading my mind."
"Grr..."
Lieran glared at Lucas for a while before snorting cutely and turning her head away.
Lucas chuckled and stopped teasing the Goddess.
He didn't really know why he did that. It just felt...right? It's a weird feeling.
As if he had met her before somewhere already...but that's impossible, right?
...Although, there is this strange exciting feeling of teasing a Goddess...
He's the Thot Slayer! He'd be the one to get straight to the topic and ignore the Goddess!