Vincent focused his full attention to her explanation, he wanted to know more about the premordial age.
"So, in the very beginning, the world was bigger and free, without the influence of any governing system ," he summarized her explanations.
She nodded, her expression serious and calm.
"That's correct. The world was free for all, and the people had the freedom to grow and develop their strength without restrictions."
"But that changed when they became too powerful?," Vincent interjected, trying to grasp the turning point in the story.
"Yes," she confirmed. "As the habitants in the world grew stronger and their abilities advanced, it created an imbalance. Some individuals became so formidable that they posed a threat to the stability of the world. During that time, gods, not the weak gods that you know, died all the time because of constant war. However, their numbers still increased because of the abundant energy."
"So, to counter this, a system called Fate emerged out of nowhere," Vincent deduced.
"Exactly. Fate was established as a way to regulate and maintain the balance. It intervened by dividing the realms and locking those powerful individuals into their own separate domains. This way, their influence and power were contained within this respective territory,"
Vincent frowned, absorbing the information.
"But what about those who were born later? Why were they forced to be linked with Fate?" he inquired.
She contemplated for a moment. She wasn't someone who usually talked a lot, but she made an exception for him because he was the most pivotal person in the plan.
"When Fate was implemented, it affected not just the existing powerful beings, but also the ones born afterward. Each new individual's destiny became intertwined with Fate, creating a connection that bound them to the system."
As he processed the information about Fate and its influence on the world , he couldn't help but draw connections to his past experiences.
'I get it now," he mused to himself. 'No wonder Fenrir was too weak in comparison to me, and even Diablo was quite weak for a demon lord. So this restriction had been implemented way before the holy war.'
If this was the case then the power level of this era was unreliable from the start.
"How strong are the people from back then compared to me ?" He asked.
Yuki thought for a moment, hesitating on how much to reveal. Then, an idea came to her mind.
"If what you showed me was your full power, then I guess you would be considered a Peak-Immortal."
"Peak Immortal?"
"Yeah, unlike the ranking system you know, the power system from back then was divided differently. It went from Mortal, Low Immortal, Mid Immortal, High Immortal, Peak Immortal, Half Step God, Low God, Mid God, High God, and Peak God. I'm a Half Step God, by the way."
"So someone like me who had already surpassed the rank SSS is only considered a peak Immortal back then?" Vincent was having a hard time believing her words. But he could tell that she was indeed stronger than him after their previous exchange.
"I was just talking about your battle powers and utilizations. In terms of energy level, we are almost on the same level.
And this is not a matter of talent or potential, this world's energy is just too low. It's even a miracle that you were able to get this strong," she explained.
"That's not the point. If those powerful individuals back then were not able to defeat Fate, then my chances are almost non-existent," he shook his head in disappointment.
He thought he had a fighting chance after defeating Diablo easily. It felt like his confidence had been shaken, and he couldn't help but wonder if Fate was an insurmountable obstacle he would never overcome.
Yuki noticed his expression and saw a chance. Her plan worked. She knew he would be shaken after revealing the power level of the past.
However, she omitted the fact that after the restrictions, the highest power level now was High God.
It's true that the underworld had more energy than Earth, but it's still limited . Even her Lord, Hades, was barely holding on to the High God Rank.
"That's why you need to cooperate with us. Lord Hades, together with the other surviving Peak Gods, has a plan to destroy Fate. " She insisted.
With a sly smile, she continued to spin her tale, hoping to keep Vincent intrigued and enticed enough to join their cause.
Of course, Vincent knew that most of it was bullshit. He was just playing along.
"In fact, they would be able to destroy the seal on their own, but it would take too much of their power away. If you break the seal from this side, they can come here with their full energy and aid you," Yuki started to tell him the plan.
Unfortunately, as she continued her attempt to persuade Vincent, he couldn't help but chuckle at her efforts.
He saw through her deception and knew she was trying to manipulate him, but he decided not to burst the bubble.
'I will play with you,' he strategized internally, 'If I play my cards right, then I think I can make this an opportunity to get that thing much earlier,'
"So what is your decision?" She asked.
Vincent wore a confident smile on his face, pretending to consider Yuki's proposition, while silently planning his next moves. He knew that in this game of manipulation and power, he had to stay one step ahead.
Passing the test of Fenrir's fragment had a deep effect on him. It made him realize that he needed to think for himself and become wiser to survive. No longer wanting to rely too heavily on Evangeline, he sought ways to stand on top and gain more control over his life.
"Alright , I will help you , but in return you will help me find something aside from the fragment " he spoke.
"No matter what it is, I will help you" she easily agreed.
"Good," a smile formed on his face. He had been contemplating obtaining that item after collecting all his fragments and breaking the limiter, but now, he realized he could hasten the process.
He remembered the item that Fenrir failed to fully take and realized its immense power.
Fenrir had only obtained a very small portion of its essence, yet that alone allowed him to outpower the demon lords. If he could obtain the entire item, he would become an unstoppable force.
However, the memory of how difficult it was for Fenrir to obtain even a fraction of the item lingered in his mind.
It seemed almost impossible to acquire the whole thing. Now, he began to consider another possibility—that the item was intentionally left behind, meant to be conquered by someone more powerful, like a low god.
"Everything will be sorted out if I become stronger. I need to become more powerful so I can speak on equal terms with those gods," he muttered to himself.
In this world, strength rules everything. He believed that overwhelming power would solve all this issues and doubts.
And for that to happen, he needed to grab all the opportunities he could get.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺