Raydon started to read very carefully after opening the file that contained information about his past, which he probably didn't even know about himself.
<Hello, there. >
<I don't know if anyone will ever get this file on their hand, but first of all, I'm sorry this isn't a video recording as every item and the technology we created during the history of our civilization are destroyed at this point, and I want you to bear with my bad handwriting. >
'So this is a diary, huh? ' After reading the first sentence that greeted him, Raydon thought for a moment before continuing to read.
<First of all, I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is…
Oh well, never mind, it seems that ever since that horrendous eye appeared in the sky, I've completely lost all of my self-consciousness along with my item holder system. However, fortunately, my memory is still intact, so you can call me professor, as everyone does. >
"The horrendous eye he's referring to... could it be the Observer?" As Zephyr read the file over Raydon's shoulder, his voice filled with astonishment.
''Yeah, probably. '' Arden uttered those words while maintaining a terrified expression on his face. Even though he did not yet know who had written this diary, the fact that the person mentioned that he had lost his system after the Observer came into the world was enough to fill him with dread and cause him to tremble in fear.
Raydon, who had noticed this particular fact, grimaced as well and continued to read in a more inquisitive manner.
<As the only person left alive in this world, I can't help but wonder why the Observer hasn't yet put an end to my existence as well. However, I feel compelled to record every event that has taken place in this doomed realm because I am the leader of the project that is responsible for that eye's descent into this world.
With utmost sincerity, I hold a fervent wish that my written account, amidst the impending doom that engulfs my world, will find its way into the hands of another individual. I hope that it will serve as a testament, enlightening the reader about the profound events that unfolded within this crumbling realm. May my words stand as a poignant reminder of the happenings that took place in this fading world.
Oh, wait... Maybe it wants me to write down all this for the person who will find it, who knows? If that's the case, I can prolong my own existence by deliberately writing at a slow pace, right? Hahaha. >
"Looks like this guy is actually having fun, being the last person standing in his world," Zephyr commented with a chuckle.
"Ehm... Guess I better get back to reading," he said, noticing the looks he was getting for breaking the silence and interrupting their reading.
<To provide a clearer explanation of the situation, I'll have to take you back a long time ago. The primary motivation behind our decision to begin work on this project.
Everything began precisely one hundred years after the first person in our world achieved the S-Rank.
At first, the announcement that someone had attained the S-Rank for the very first time caused many of us to feel an overwhelming sense of joy. As you might have guessed, a lot of us were also jealous of this person's success.
Of course, I was delighted to hear this news as an A-Rank at the time.
Ah… Okay, I'll admit that I may have felt a tiny bit jealous, but that didn't stop me from being happy because this news gave us all hope, as up until that point, we had all given up hope that we would ever be able to achieve S-Rank. On the other hand, we finally have reason to believe that we can achieve this goal.
After a while, though, we understood that the happiness or envy we had been feeling was merely a meaningless emotion, and these feelings were quickly replaced by the urgency for all item holders.
Within a mere 100 years since the birth of the first S-Rank, we have observed a staggering rise in the number of portals and rifts opening in our world. The frequency of these interdimensional gateways surged, unleashing hordes of increasingly powerful monsters upon us with each passing day.
As time went on, the situation grew increasingly dire, leading to the loss of millions of lives, both among ordinary people and item holders, due to the relentless monster invasions. The scale of devastation was unimaginable, resulting in the loss of three-fifths of our world. In order to ensure our survival, we were forced to establish smaller settlements where we could gather and fortify ourselves against the ongoing threat.
The monsters that emerged from the rifts and portals gradually became more powerful over time, eventually reaching a point where A-Rank item holders were no longer able to keep up with them. However, with the assistance of our lone S-Rank item holder, we were able to defend the small amount of ground that was still in our possession.
But as more time passed, it became more and more obvious to us that relying on a single S-Rank item holder would not be enough to protect our world from the impending threat.
And in a relatively short period of 100 years, it became abundantly clear to us that achieving S-Rank was no longer a mere aspiration, but an absolute necessity for our very survival. >
"Holy... Father, are all of these things true?" Arden exclaimed, unable to believe what he was reading.
"Apparently so," Samuen replied after a moment of contemplation.
"How long has it been since the Emperor attained S-Rank?" Seren asked with a grave tone.
"If the dates are correct, there's less than a year left until it reaches exactly 100," Thalia replied.
"And even if our situation isn't as dire as the one depicted in this diary, our world is already beginning to experience these problems," Samuen stated with a grave expression, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
It was evident that their current world didn't have much time left either.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l