Chapter 232: The Old Tales
"By the way, before I explain the third theory..." she began, "have all of you heard the old tale about Vazrun Island supposedly being a place where Necraz once came and went?"
Shima nodded almost immediately.
"Yeah. It was mentioned in [The Chronicles of the First Wanderer] by Historian Edrin Galedor." She paused for a moment before adding, "I think [Fragments of the Necraz Testament], compiled by Scholar Cudien Yors, also referenced it."
Yerin smiled.
"Yes, those records."
The fire crackled softly between them as she rested her bowl on her lap.
"Most people only remember Necraz as the legendary hero who saved humanity from extinction — the one who convinced the scattered survivors to abandon the Golden City and lead them toward safer lands, allowing human civilization to begin anew."
"Honestly, that achievement alone would have been enough to immortalize his name. But according to the older records, his contribution went far beyond simply leading humanity to safety."
She raised a finger.
"After all, he was also the reason the Seven Virtuous Paragons ever came to exist."
Ruvian quietly listened, his bowl already empty. Although he had heard this tale before from the novel, he couldn’t be certain it told the whole story.
There might have been details being left out, so he chose to listen until the end.
Shima’s eyes brightened with recognition.
"Yeah, I remember hearing something about that."
She leaned forward slightly.
"My grandmother used to tell me that five of the Seven Virtuous Paragons had direct ties to Necraz. She said they were children he secretly discovered, trained, and guided long before they became the heroes recorded in history."
"As for the remaining two, historians later connected them to Necraz as well. Not directly, though. They were supposedly saved because of the expedition he made after humanity had already settled elsewhere."
Horren tilted his head.
"...Isn’t that the story where Necraz returned alone to the Dead Man Lands to find out what had become of the Golden City?"
Shima nodded.
"Yup. It was recorded in [The Journey to the West]."
"They say he could never let go of what happened to the Golden City... or to his little brother, who chose to stay behind and defend it."
Her expression became noticeably quieter.
"So he went back by himself."
"But when he eventually returned..."
She slowly shook her head.
"...the Golden City was gone."
"Apparently, it was literally gone. There were no survivors, even crumbling buildings. Just nothing. That... that was the report he brought back."
Silence lingered for several seconds before Shima blinked and looked back at Yerin.
"Anyway..."
She gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry. We got sidetracked. What did Necraz have to do with the third theory again?"
Yerin let out a small, cute chuckle.
"It’s fine."
She smiled warmly at Shima.
"There are countless tales surrounding Necraz Lox Mevilion. And almost every story from that era somehow leads back to him, so it’s only natural to get sidetracked."
She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before continuing.
"Anyway... yes, as for the third theory."
"The historians who support it point to records written after the Second Demon-Human War. Long before Vazrun Island became part of Velthia Academy, they claim this was one of the places Necraz visited from time to time."
She paused.
"As for why... there are two different interpretations."
Yerin raised a finger.
"The first is rather heartbreaking."
"Some historians believe Necraz eventually returned to the Golden City and discovered what had become of those who had remained behind during the Great Evacuation."
Her voice softened.
"They believe he found them — those people who stayed behind protecting the Golden City. His brother included. But when he returned, he reported that the Golden City had simply... disappeared."
She lowered her eyes toward the dancing flames.
"According to this interpretation, that wasn’t entirely true."
"They believed that Necraz deliberately concealed what he had found. He didn’t mean to deceive his people for personal gain, but to spare the survivors from carrying another unbearable burden."
"Many of those who escaped still had parents... children... spouses... and friends who had chosen to stay behind. If Necraz had returned with every tragic detail of how they died, countless families who had only just begun rebuilding their lives might have spent the rest of their days consumed by grief."
"So... he carried that sorrow alone."
Yerin looked toward the darkness beyond the shelter.
"The historians believe he brought their remains here. Buried every one of them on this island, giving them the peaceful resting place they never received in the Golden City. And because his own brother rested among them... Necraz continued returning here throughout his life to pay his respects."
The crackling fire suddenly sounded much louder.
"They even say that the island itself mourns with him. That every night, darkness quietly blankets the land, while even the wind falls silent... so the dead may sleep undisturbed."
No one spoke after that.
After several quiet seconds, Yerin slowly raised a second finger.
"The other interpretation—"
Her smile disappeared.
"—is far less comforting."
"They believe Necraz did return from the Dead Man Lands with a rather powerful demon."
Her voice unconsciously lowered.
"They claim he captured one alive. Perhaps to interrogate it, or perhaps because it is impossible to kill it."
The warmth inside the shelter seemed to diminish.
"Anyway, whatever the reason, the historians believe Necraz imprisoned that Demon somewhere beneath this island. Forever."
She looked toward the pitch-black entrance.
"And every night, its hatred awakens. They say the unnatural darkness on this island is not a natural phenomenon at all. But it is simply the prison answering the prisoner’s endless wrath."
And so, that was the end of Yerin’s explanation.
Arlok suddenly rubbed both of his arms.
"Uh... guys."
He slowly held one forearm toward the firelight, every hair on his arm stood perfectly upright.
"Tell me I’m not imagining this, but look at this. I got goosebumps. HAHAHA!"
Shima stared at Arlok for a long second before letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Haaa... this fool," she pinched the bridge of her nose. "For a moment, I thought you were actually about to say something serious."
She rolled her eyes.
"But it was just another stupid comment, as expected of a muscle head."
Arlok’s eyebrow twitched.
"The fuck you say?"
"Oh? Did I say something wrong?"
Before the two could continue bickering, Yerin simply shook her head in quiet disappointment.
"Anyway..."
She turned toward Ruvian instead.
"Which one do you think is the correct one, Ruvian?"
Ruvian blinked, then he pointed at himself.
"Me?"
Arlok snorted.
"Yeah, you. Who else?"
Ruvian fell silent for a brief moment, thoughtfully tapping the empty wooden bowl with his finger.
"Honestly... I think the third theory is the closest. Especially the part about the Demon." (+200PP)
Everyone looked at him.
Horren swallowed unconsciously.
"W-Why do you think so?"
Ruvian rested his bowl beside him.
"Because before Vazrun Island became the site of Velthia Academy’s examination... it actually belonged to the academy for research purposes. They investigated the island for years." (+100PP)
He shrugged.
"But in the end, they abandoned the project because they couldn’t find anything conclusive."
He paused before adding,
"And for another reason... I was also interested in the Dark Mana theory. So if I had to choose one, I’d lean toward the third." (+300PP)
Yerin studied him for a few moments.
"I see..."
A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"That’s... a reasonable conclusion."
’Huh, so he’s interested in the Dark Mana theory? I wonder why?’
Although she nodded, a trace of curiosity still lingered in her eyes, she couldn’t help wondering why Ruvian seemed oddly interested in the Dark Mana theory.
Before anyone could continue the discussion, the bracelets on all five of their wrists suddenly emitted a soft hum.
Bzzz!
A pale blue light spread across their surfaces before expanding into translucent holographic screens.
The projection hovered in the air for several seconds.
Across the very top, bold letters slowly appeared.
[Top 10 Current Squad Rankings — Day 1]
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[Chapter 232: The Old Tales]
Plot Points= 16,720
