Chapter 160: Rings of Origin [1]
Chapter 159
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Episode 37 - Rings of Origin [1]
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’Well, this was unexpected in its own way, but it seems there’s still one requirement left.’
I think I already knew what that final requirement was. Fortunately, I could fulfill it right now if I wanted to.
However, before that, there was something I needed to check.
Rings of Origin.
There isn’t much information about them in my memories.
They are simply rings with a unique effect, yet one that is powerful against villains.
It was something similar to my Unique Trait: Annihilation.
Shortly afterward, one of the seven rings appeared in my hand.
However, the moment I held the ring for the first time...
A notification echoed in my mind.
〖You have fulfilled the second requirement of the Ring of ■■■■〗
Suddenly, the ring I was wearing seemed to react to the Rings of Origin.
Then...
〖■■■■ sent a message〗
〖Would you like to open the message?〗
〖Yes/No〗
"..."
’This again.’
Whoever sent me this notification, it wasn’t the first time they had done so.
Previously, I had obtained a fragment of the Memory Gate from the Lady of the Beast.
That was when the fragment reacted to me, and I entered the Memory Gate for a few minutes before leaving because it was only a fragment.
’But this time it’s reacting to the Rings of Origin.’
I wonder what will happen next.
However, considering that it is a Rings of Origin, and it just so happens to be related to the Progenitors...
That means the ring has something hidden within it.
Out of curiosity, I took out the other rings. Although there were originally eight, the eighth was never found, so now there are only seven.
In any case, after taking out the other rings, a new notification appeared.
〖The Rings of Origin are resonating with the player’s Soul〗
〖■■■■ sent a message〗
〖Would you like to open the message?〗
〖Yes/No〗
Even the same message notification was sent again.
I thought about it for a second and, using my mind, selected "Yes."
Then I felt a strange surge, as if memories were flooding my mind.
And out of nowhere, I lost consciousness.
***
"Mhm, this tastes good."
"Yeah, I think it’s strawberry with some kind of milk."
"Ugh, it was a little expensive anyway."
A man and a woman were drinking what appeared to be some kind of fruit beverage.
Both were seated inside a café.
Sunlight streamed through the large window beside them while a few vehicles traveled back and forth along the paved street.
Tall skyscrapers reflected the sunlight as the noise of a bustling modern city echoed everywhere.
For some reason, the couple’s faces were blurred. However, they were not the only ones.
The people inside the café also had blurred faces, just like the people outside.
As they drank their beverages, the sound of ambulances and police vehicles echoed in the distance.
The girl looked outside and noticed several police vehicles heading in a certain direction.
Along with firefighters, ambulances, and... military vehicles.
"How strange. Haven’t you noticed that since this morning, the police and the military have been showing up everywhere?"
"I don’t know. I normally don’t check the headlines on my phone."
"But seriously, look at the news. It seems like something is happening, and not just here, but everywhere."
"Mhm, let me take a look."
The man sitting across from the girl searched his right pocket and pulled out his phone.
He then opened social media, and shortly afterward, several posts appeared about police movements alongside military forces.
He tapped the screen on one of the nearby videos.
A reporter was secretly filming the direction in which so many patrol cars were heading.
Then he watched another video where citizens were recording military aircraft.
One after another, the young man even checked news from other countries.
It was all exactly the same.
Somehow, it seemed as though the militaries of every country were moving as if they were on high alert.
"Don’t tell me... a world war?"
"Oh, come on. How could that be? If it were, they’d naturally evacuate people, wouldn’t they?"
He then looked outside and noticed that pedestrians were walking around calmly.
The girl spoke while watching the street outside.
"See? No one seems alarmed. We shouldn’t worry. Besides, diplomatic relations between all countries have improved over the past year. It would be strange for a war to break out out of nowhere."
The boy let out a sigh as he put away his phone.
"I guess I’m being paranoid."
"Hehe. Anyway, older brother, you’re paying the bill, right?"
"Tsk, seriously, every time you call me that, it means you’re just looking to mess with me, right?"
The girl turned her head away and started humming as if she hadn’t said anything.
"Tsk, tsk, you’ve never changed that personality of yours since we left the orphanage."
"Come on, then you’ll pay for it, right?"
"Ugh, damn it, everyone pays for their own."
"N-no, wait, I barely have any money. At least let’s split it fifty-fifty, okay?"
The man sighed while shaking his head.
"Fine, but you owe me a favor, got it, idiot?"
"Haha, sure, sure, older brother."
"And there you go again."
A short while later, the duo left the café and walked through the streets until they finally arrived at a park.
The park was somewhat empty.
There were only a few children and elderly people around, and from time to time, some people were jogging and exercising while wearing earphones.
Probably listening to some inspirational music.
The duo sat down on a bench and then let out a sigh.
Then the girl said while looking up at the blue sky.
"Ugh, I don’t want to go to work tomorrow."
"But you have to. We agreed to split the apartment rent fifty-fifty. Don’t make me pay the whole thing just because you skipped work."
"Blah, blah. Says the full-time office slave."
"Do you want me to hit you?"
"Pfft, try it if you can... Ouch!"
The girl rubbed her head, feeling a slight pain, then turned toward the man and said:
"Why are you so mean to me, idiot?"
"Cut the nonsense. Who’s the one bothering whom here?"
The girl huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she complained for the next few seconds.
The minutes passed in silence while the sound of police sirens continued echoing loudly.
The girl stared at the blue sky, and then, as if remembering something, asked:
"By the way, did you see the red moon last night? I couldn’t see it, but supposedly people are saying the red moon looked drenched in blood. Isn’t that ridiculous and fascinating at the same time?"
"I don’t know, and besides, you can’t look it up on the internet anyway."
"I tried, but all the posts disappeared. Isn’t that strange?"
The man thought for a moment before saying:
"What are the neighbors saying?"
The girl answered immediately.
"Well, they said the moon was blood-red and that it looked like a red liquid was pouring down from both edges of the moon like a waterfall, and the sky turned crimson for a few seconds. Can you believe that?"
The man shrugged and dismissed it.
"They’re old people. They probably imagined the whole thing. Besides, the so-called blood moon happened in the middle of the night, around three in the morning, right?"
The girl nodded.
"And normally, only drunk people are awake at that hour. Who’s crazy enough to stay awake that late?"
The girl made an "Mhm" sound and then said:
"But the elderly people said something else. It was pretty curious, and since they’re religious, I guess it’s a normal thing for them to think."
The man tilted his head as if confused.
"What did they say?"
The girl, as if recalling something, spoke shortly afterward:
"They said that the blood moon and what’s about to happen in the coming weeks means the Apocalypse is just around the corner."
The man let out a sigh.
"Tsk, that’s why I don’t like believing in God or anything like that. You end up sounding like those cultists from web novels."
"Eh, you think so too. Wow, older brother, we have the same thoughts, haha... Ouch, what was that for?"
"You said the word."
"What word? Older brother? That word? Pfft, you’re even more childish... Ouch...!"
"Just shut up, idiot."
Somehow, the girl finally stopped talking, as if she had decided to stop bothering him.
Meanwhile, the gentle morning breeze swayed the leaves of the trees.
Even though the park was not very large, there was still a faint trace of nature in the air.
"Mhm, I feel a strange tingling sensation."
The man suddenly said while looking at the girl.
"Me too. That’s weird."
It was as if something invisible, some kind of energy, was entering their bodies without either of them being aware of it.
The minutes passed.
Then, as if remembering something, the girl said:
"Ah, that’s right."
She slapped her palm and turned toward the man.
"What is it now?"
"It’s about the elderly people. They said something pretty funny, although I kept a poker face at the time."
The man shook his head, disappointed to be around that girl.
"So, what did they say?"
"Mhm, they said that long after the Apocalypse, thousands of years in the future, you and I, along with six other people, would be called Progenitors. Haha, I don’t even know what that means."
"Progenitors...?"
The man shook his head, also chuckling softly as if it were amusing.
A short while later, both of them stood up from the bench.
"Well, let’s head home. I’m hungry, so let’s stop and buy something."
"Older brother, you’re paying for the groceries, right?"
"Maybe I just won’t buy anything at all."
The duo continued talking, and although the man kept getting annoyed by the girl,
he also seemed happy, as if he enjoyed being with her and never found her company boring.
Before long, they disappeared into the distance.
