The Ancients World

~~~(Location: Campsite near Road to The Capital, Elven Kingdom)~~~

~~~(Time: 9:35 PM)~~~

We\'re all gathered around the campfire... Taking in the silence and doing our best to ignore the awkward tension between all of us... While we have been traveling together for some time now, very personal events have started to appear. Events only close people share, and this group that has been made isn\'t considered close... We\'re united by a goal, not a friendship.

I\'ve got some ideas that might pass the time of this silence. "How many of you know of The Crying Heavens Catastrophe?" My sudden and random question sparks the interest of many, and no one confirms knowing such a story. I know a lot about The Ancients World... Gaia... The knowledge I hold isn\'t known to many, and some will never know it due to my actions.

The curious stares from around the campfire tell me there is an interest in what I\'ve said. "It was long ago... Before the formations of Empires and Kingdoms... During the time of the Tribal wars... When the elven people were the only intelligent race on Gaia..." This was before the time of humanity and its massive takeover of Gaia...

This was during the time of the wars that elven armies waged against the monsters. Deeming them impure and evil, when they were nothing more than fellow creations themselves... This event... This catastrophe... That is what led to the monsters having hatred towards humanoid life... It wasn\'t named that before, but after humanity came around, it fits better.

More of them are on the edges of their current choices to sit. Even Helda and Melimora are interested. "The intelligent creatures known as elves waged a war against all creatures they thought impure... Most of all orcs and monsters..." To the elves, it is named The Great Purge, but it has other names depending on who you hear it from. The name I\'ve given it is my own choice.

Hailey looks at me in confusion and worry, and she seems like she wants to say something, but she keeps quiet. "During these wars, the bloodshed satisfied The Demon Lord of Pride, my uncle, Lucifer. Formally known as Samael. He saw the potential in the constant war and cursed the monsters. Making them what the elves wanted them to be..." Everyone has stopped breathing.

The light crackling of the fire is all that can hear. "Once this curse was cast, it was said Overworld wept for the now cursed monsters... Knowing they\'ve been twisted and had their destiny stolen... This is what sparked the birth of the human race and other humanoid life... Filling the gap the monsters left..." They weren\'t always called monsters, but their real names are lost to time.

I know this Lore is from a traveling player I met in my old life. Said he found the tale engraved on the walls of a dungeon somewhere on the Origin Continent. "The story ended with the suppression and near extinction of the now morphed monster kind... The bodies lost in that war is what was used to build the foundation in The Elven Kingdom..." Not bad, if I say so...

The looks I\'m getting tell me my story isn\'t that bad, and while it\'s based on Lore, I don\'t know how true it actually is... I\'m not the one to discover this after all, and I couldn\'t confirm its validity. "You paint the elven people in a light that suggests we\'ve always been this way..." Helda lowers her head, looks back into the fire and explains her protest to the story.

There was once a time that the elven race and Kingdom was considered benevolent and kind. Uncorrupted by the same cancerous things affecting it now. "In many ways, the elven people have always been true to a pattern..." She raises her head at me. "That\'s to bend history in their favor..." Hailey squints her eyes ever so slightly... Like she just figured something out.

The saying that history is written by the winners... It\'s more than applicable to the elven race... Sally leans her head on my shoulder and moves a tad bit closer. "Do you think that things will change if we really do try and make a difference?" Sally\'s question is probably on everyone\'s mind right now... When a villain is defeated, one will rise to take its place...

I have plenty more story\'s that I\'ve heard and discovered for myself over the years... Keeping the knowledge, I\'ve had of the future has greatly benefited me... At the cost of something that I don\'t like to think about... In the end, am I any better than the elves? I\'m bending history for my own gain... When I look at the elves... I see myself...

~~~(POV: Hailey Adamo)~~~

~~~(Location: Campsite near Road to The Capital, Elven Kingdom)

~~~(Time: 9:54 PM)~~~

This confirms it for me... Cera knows more than he should, and he\'s acquired knowledge he shouldn\'t have... A power that he shouldn\'t have... How he\'s done it... I don\'t know... He\'s my brother, but at the same time... He\'s not... After the release of The Ancients World, he changed... He acted so strange that day... Hugging mom, treating us differently for a while...

Made so much money using The Ancients World... Brought us out of our lifestyle of dirt poor... All using The Ancients World... It\'s like he\'s... Played the game before... Is that possible? There wasn\'t a bata from what I remember, and no one knew what The Ancients World had in store... Except him... What did he do... Something he did changed his life... Our lives...

He meets my gaze, and there isn\'t any nervousness or uncertainty... "Cera, I want to talk to you in private. Follow me." I stand up without any more explanation, and I head towards the treeline. Cera doesn\'t initially get up, but after seeing my serious look for him to follow, he decides to join me. We go deep into the woods and away from the others...

I don\'t want anyone hearing the conversation we\'re about to have. Once we\'re in deep enough, I turn around and see my little brother... I love him to death, but I have to be cautious... There is a chance he might not be who I think he is anymore... "How do you know all the things you know about The Ancients World... About Gaia... About this world..." He remains calm and folds his arms.

This is really coming out of nowhere for him... I gave no signs that I was looking and listening into things... "Why does that matter, Hailey? If I didn\'t know any better, I think you are suspecting me of something nefarious." We know each other too well, and this is to be expected... Especially him dodging the question with his own question...

My hand lands on the hilt of my sword, and his face gets serious. "Tell me how you know all this... Tell me why you have so much knowledge and power... It\'s like you\'ve had an advantage this whole time and used it for completely selfish reasons..." My action towards my sword has shown him how serious I am... If he\'s not my brother, I\'ll kill him... I\'ll try... It\'ll be hard killing someone with his face...

He takes on a solemn look, and I see streaks of sadness in his eyes... Steel yourself, Hailey... He might not be your brother... "I made a wish, Hailey... One that I didn\'t think through and it\'s changed everything... If I tell you the truth, will you be able to live with what I reveal?" His words are filled with pain and suffering, and I find my will crumbling... He really is my brother...

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A/N: Below this line, I\'ll be keeping Cera\'s player information. That way, I won\'t have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.

[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.196]

[Exp: 40/100%]

[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]

[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]

[Mana aura control: 6/100%]

[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]

[Stat Points: 50] [Armor rating: 500]

[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [Hardened Tree sap Armor (Very Rare)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir\'s Whistle (Divine)] [Sally\'s Dresses 5x] [Camping gear] [Food Rations 3x] [Dried meat 4x] [Fishing poles 2x] [Fish 8x] [Festival Garbs 2x]

[Passive Perks]

[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]

[Active Skills]

[Heavens light Lvl.59 325/5900] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.59 225/5900] [Slash Lvl..77 4600/130000] [Parry Lvl.53 80/5300] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controled Fun]