Chapter 1252: The Biggest Lore
First, it was the legendary figure named Bjorn Ragnarsson that Kahn had heard so much about in the Zivot Empire. The fact that the man who supposedly died from the injuries after the battle with the Demon God... actually killed himself and also wiped out his soul from existence, fully knowing that he would never be able to resurrect again, whether in Vantrea or any other world... simply shook Kahn to his core.
The Demon God, in those times, being able to attach itself to a Hero’s soul was also information well hidden from the world. If the 8th Hero of Darkness himself hadn’t told him, Kahn wouldn’t have taken it seriously.
But out of nowhere, he mentioned Miyamoto Musashi, another one of Kahn’s mentors, whom he wholeheartedly accepted as his master. And now, his name was also mentioned by his predecessor.
"Do you know why his soul still exists in the Erdve Empire, and even after 600 years, he still guides the Empire of Space?" asked Morpheus.
Kahn was shocked for a moment after he heard that question.
"Wait... as far as I remember, Musashi Sensei is also very renowned for ’killing’ the Demon God in his era.
He even told me how to kill him for once and for all when we fight. Even the Martial Emperor wanted me to meet him in this timeline.
Are you saying that he did not stay behind as a Remnant Soul for all these centuries by choice?" spoke Kahn with a curious tone.
"It’s not that he didn’t want to die... It’s just that he couldn’t." replied Morpheus.
"What? What do you mean by that?" asked Kahn, slightly suspicious.
"I was the one who told the Martial Emperor to meet Miyamoto Musashi once he returned to the past. Otherwise, he was to tell you about meeting the renowned 6th Hero of Space in case he chose to give up in the new timeline and let you shoulder the burden of saving the multiverse." revealed Morpheus Constantine.
"What?! You were the one who planned it all?" asked Kahn, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Morpheus replied with a stern tone...
"While it was indeed my plan. The fact that he chose to take you in as one of his disciples in this generation was beyond my expectations.
The timeline found its way to make you undergo his tutelage through the God of Space himself.
When Argos told me about the message he received from the Erdve Empire... I could see that there was a grand phenomenon placing its own bet on you as you met the 6th Hero of Space in this timeline." iterated Morpheus, as how there was a shift in his original arrangements.
"The main reason why he couldn’t die or even destroy his soul was similar to the 4th Hero of Life. He, too... was tainted by the mark from the Demon God." divulged Morpheus.
"What?! My master was also suffering from the Demon God’s hold on his soul?" asked Kahn as he stood shocked.
"Yes, it wasn’t until 100 years ago that the lingering hold on the soul finally left after sensing the shift in the timeline.
Miyamoto Musashi choosing to remain till now was also due to the will of God of Space, Raum. It was he who froze the demon god’s mark so your master’s soul couldn’t be taken over.
You could say that Raum also had a premonition about you even before he sensed the changes in the timeline." revealed Morpheus.
This made Kahn grab his head in disbelief. The way the timeline was convoluted simply shattered his sense of reality.
"Besides, there is another factor that I think you’re also aware of..." he spoke with an anticipatory tone.
Kahn quickly responded...
"Yes, both the 4th Hero of Life and the 6th Hero of Space are from Earth and the same timeline as me." replied Kahn.
This was an evident truth since, although their arrival in Vantrea happened at different times despite the gap in the years of all of their deaths on Earth... the fact remained that all of them belonged to the same variant of Earth.
Kahn hadn’t met anyone so far who had arrived from the future Earth, whether in this generation or the previous ones, when it came to the Chosen Heroes.
Morpheus, on the other side, nodded and spoke with conviction.
"Correct.
In the original timeline, neither the Martial Emperor nor I made this connection.
But the Demon God himself once told me that the injuries he suffered for the 6th Hero of Space were the most lethal ones after he died.
His next resurrection was during the 7th Hero of Darkness’ time.
Unfortunately, my predecessor didn’t even get a chance to fight the Demon God before he died at the hands of another Hero.
I’m told he died saving the lives of millions of people at one of the Abyss Empire’s borders. His ideals and morality wouldn’t let him abandon the weak and helpless.
That led to God of Darkness choosing me after I cleared the tower in Volos." revealed Morpheus.
While the order of revealing things was disjointed, it made the chronology very clear to Kahn.
Kahn was now listening to a lot of lore that he previously had no idea of.
"The connection... what was it?" he asked Morpheus.
"Why 3 people from Earth and the same timeline were summoned to Vantrea by different Gods?"
His question had a weight to it because throughout their entire conversation, Morpheus was giving information that seemed to lead to something conclusive that connected all these revelations together.
Morpheus took a deep breath and spoke in a stoic voice...
"It’s not just your world. In my discoveries, I found that some people from Volos had also been summoned by the Gods thousands of years ago as well.
There has been a recurring pattern about a particular world having summoned heroes chosen from it in the past 3000 years.
I could not find the reason... Until the day I killed the Demon God." revealed Morpheus.
"Because just like Bjorn Ragnarsson and Miyamoto Mushashi... I, too, had my soul marked by the Demon God.
That is why you now see my memories manifested in front of you and not my original body or soul." revealed Morpheus.
This was the main reason why the memories of Morpehus Constantine, the 8th Hero of Darkness, now stood in front of Kahn, manifested in the form of a phantom.
"And once the timeline itself was changed by the actions of Hero of Time and the Martial Emperor, I had to change a lot of strategies regarding my approach.
Unfortunately, I could do that only through Argos, as I’m sealed here forever and had to wait for you." he stated gently.
"So the Demon God takes over the souls of those who kill him, right?" asked Kahn.
"Not entirely. It’s just one of his powers to survive. He can do it to multiple heroes at same time, everyone who kills him gets marked even if those incidents centuries apart. However, there are still many more ways he has circumvented real death." responded Morpheus.
"So what was the reason? Why did you betray the world?
Why wait all these centuries just to tell me this secret?" asked Kahn.
"Because all the heroes and heroines, whether from the old generations or the current one, including you and me..." spoke Morpheus as he revealed the grand secret hidden from all the heroes that came before him, a secret that waited for 300 years to be revealed to Kahn.
"We are the Demon God."
