Chapter 426: A Peaceful Empire (1/2)

The man knew nothing about the visitor and couldn't possibly know why a younger Ori was in this place. So even though Arthur left the cabinet with a heavy heart and a valuable book, he was still confused about the person he met in this place.

'Can it be a coincidence that a youth looking like Ori came to the house of an otherworldly man?' Arthur pondered as he walked back home, carrying the dreams of a lonely man from Earth.

It was a warning for Arthur, as he might end up like this. This old man was changed by this world, becoming a part of it. However, Arthur couldn't blame him for giving up because the man's words rang deeply within his heart.

'I have but one life.'

Arthur stared at the night's sky, and he remembered the figure of a cold girl that he felt 'something' toward her. He chose to give up whatever they had because he planned on returning to Earth. At that time, if Diana came with him, she would be the outsider. If he stayed here, he would be the outsider.

”What a cruel fate,”

Arthur returned to the mansion and teleported to his desk. He sat in the empty chair as he took out the book and began to read. The first page was written like a diary and an introduction.

”When I came to this world,” the man wrote. ”I almost died at the hands of a monster. However, I was saved by a merchant and his daughter, who has now become my dearest wife.”

Arthur read the beginning of the man's journey in Alka, and it was better than Arthur's in comparison. The stakes were lower, and there were no dukes or cities, but the man faced his fair share of difficulties. The man told his story because he wanted someone to listen, and Arthur related to that sentiment.

”I have left behind my family and my children on Earth, but I want to be happy here too. I still remember them and miss them dearly, but I don't think I can resist the temptations of happiness. However, this book is to summarize my findings for anyone who needs them.”

The man's words made Arthur feel choked. Did his father suffer from the same fate? An otherworldly outsider who had to choose between reuniting with his family and happier life? If he chose the latter, could Arthur forgive him for leaving them?

The man's words grew more objective, and he avoided mentioning anything personal except his experiences in the various sites he visited. He lived in Aquamia because ships visited and left it daily, and it was safer than any other city that linked him to the outside world.

For the first time, there was mention of the empire bordering Alva and Freda, Yozia Empire. The man outlined the empire's map relative to Alva and Freda as if he knew that whoever reads this book had little knowledge about this world.

'The empire is huge,' Arthur was shocked by this giant entity. However, Arthur was relieved when he learned that the empire's ruler was a peaceful one who chose to maintain a neutral position in the conflict beside them.

The Yozia Empire's great expanse of land meant that it had many sites that man could visit for research. But, unfortunately, there was no shortage of fissures in this world, as if the line separating the two worlds was crumbling.

The man wrote about visiting the sites of fissures, but most of them were fraught with dangers, and he had to ask around them. The common factor in creating fissures was the calamities or their gates and the sites of a calamity's descent.

As Arthur read further, he began to link the dots with the Split that Miko's ancestor had enforced to separate the two worlds. It seems the calamities and the Enders are trying to negate that, meaning they might be on the same side.

The artifact that can merge the two worlds should still be in Jerano, as long as Arthur returns to Earth on time. The artifact should be a bypass for the usual process of fissures, and it might also work on the calamity gates.

'That means that their plan involves obtaining that artifact and coming to Alka? This way, they will take down the walls that the split has built and ensure that humanity suffers the wrath of calamities.'

Arthur still had no idea what happened before the split, as if everything from that time was erased from history. However, the guardians were still known in this world, even though it was a secret back on Earth.

”Maybe that's because the guardians' descendants rule Earth, while Alka has turned into the first defense line against the calamities.”