Chapter 393: A World Abandoned By Gods (2/2)
”A twisted bastard,” Arthur didn't hold back.
”Haha, he is, he truly is,” to Arthur's surprise, the Spirits Sovereign laughed easily. ”However, he is also useful because he keeps track of everyone who enters the realm, including their past.”
”The Archives of his Majesty,” Arthur looked at the long black hair of the spirit in front of him. ”Is that where you are taking me?”
”It's the only amusement I have in this world, so please forgive me for intruding on your race's privacy,”
Arthur was again surprised by the being's polite and friendly attitude. He imagined the Spirits Sovereign to be aloft, unbothered by earthly matters and humans. Yet, the being in front of him was as cheerful and as curious as a child.
”I think a background check is necessary to keep your realm in order,” Arthur shared his opinion. ”Humans might use spirits to harm others, so it's dangerous to allow everyone into the realm.”
”That's what he said too,”
”I'm guessing you are talking about the First Seeker,”
”You've guessed correctly,” the Spirits Sovereign laughed. ”How cheerful he was before I took his feelings. Now, I regret nothing more than doing so,”
”Because you hate feeling things?”
”It's the opposite. I only wanted feelings because of him, and he changed after I took them.” As he said so, they arrived at a clear basin of water. ”My Archives. Or, as you humans call it, this is my TV.”
”I see that you are keeping up with civilization,” Arthur was amazed as he tried looking into the basin of water. It was clear, but images soon appeared inside of it. The first image was of a forest and a child.
”Do you recognize this person?”
”Violet hair and eyes,” Arthur muttered as his heart felt a twinge of pain. ”Is this Gala as a child?”
”Bingo! These archives belong to the witch who frequented my realm. This is not the first memory she has, but it's the first of her most treasured memories.”
”And why are you showing me this?”
”Because you want to know about her past,” the Sovereign revealed what lay in Arthur's heart. ”And this is the first time that I had a visitor. Usually, I meet the other spirits in the five worlds.”
”And why me?”
”If I hadn't pulled you from the gap of space, your fate would have been no different from hers: unknown,” the Sovereign pointed at Gala's image as he said. ”Now, let's enjoy the show,”
Like a video, the image in the water began to move. Gala was handed a small crystal which she looked at with confusion. Her face was dusted, and there were wounds on different parts of her body.
”At that time, the witch hunt was at its peak. Humans thought that witches were shapeshifting monsters because of the gems in their foreheads. Instead, they were a Soul Crystal inherited from their families.”
As the Sovereign explained, Arthur saw another witch crouch in front of Gala and tighten the fist in her hand.
”Use this to grow stronger,” there were tears in the woman's eyes, and they were violet as well. ”I will try to hold them back. Take this and run away, and never look back. Do you understand, Gala?”
”Witches pass down their Soul Crystal to their descendants, and it's the only way for their linage to survive. The witch would then lose its powers while its child would become a witch themselves. A fascinating race, if you ask me.”
”If there was a witch hunt, isn't it dangerous to pass down the crystal to her child?” Arthur was confused, and the Sovereign was silent.
”There is always a sacrifice, always,” it sighed. ”This race turned their soul into a crystal, allowing them to absorb spiritual power from the physical world and grow stronger. However, it came at a cost. Their descendants are born without a soul, and they would die once they reach ten years of age unless they get the Soul Crystal.”
”A vicious cycle,” Arthur muttered as he looked at the face of young Gala full of tears. ”Why did they need to evolve in such a way?”
”Because they needed the power to survive,” the Sovereign waved its hand to show Arthur a different image. ”This was the world before Demis evolved their powers and humans got hold of artifacts.”
The images in the pond made Arthur sick. Countless monsters tore people apart, creating rivers of blood that filled the world. They ran through the Calamity Gates and struck terror in the hearts of the people.
”This is the world that your gods abandoned,” the being's rageful voice echoed. ”They chose to save half of the people and use the other as a shield.”