Most of the new generation here got raised in very luxurious and comfortable situations. And that made them not even understand what true danger and hardships the spirit master world was facing at the moment.
The old folks up there were still holding everything tight and strictly ruling the place. But everyone was whispering in fear and doubt about the future of this place once this round of leaders would get replaced by the new ones.
No one had any confidence at all about the new generation. William started to slowly see the reasons behind the fall of such a place. He felt a bit weird about how the sons and grandsons of such formidable and well-respected spirit masters would end up getting such a bad reputation.
He didn't know what reasons these people had to release such bold accusations. But when he recalled Rick, the headmaster's grandson, the one who he identified as a traitor and an enemy, he couldn't help but sigh.
"It seems rotten apples are everywhere," he thought to himself, while not caring that much about such a situation.
He still got a long path ahead of him, and he never intended to be the hero to save this tiny world here. In his eyes, this tiny world was one of many others, tons of others, and these tiny worlds would never be like the vast outer world at all.
He wanted to get stronger, build up his personal force here. And then he'd migrate to the outer world with everyone he fostered.
If he got a chance and a way to save this tiny world, then he'd gladly do it. But he'd never drop his plans, step aside his path, to help those living in this world, on the cost of foiling and ruining his future plans.
Especially when the disaster that would befall this world came originally from the people living in it. Who told these kids to go astray, follow the dark path, and not do like their parents and grandparents? Not doing like their mighty ancestors?
William kept walking in silence, listening to different tales and talks that made the journey towards the top quite enjoyable.
And just in half an hour, he felt something was amiss. "Excuse me, why does it feel like we are taking forever to arrive at the top?" And when he found it weird enough, he turned towards one of the caravans' guards and asked him about this.
To the guards, the moment they stepped on this path, heading towards the fort high up there, they knew things were almost over for the tasks they got hired for. The place here was quite safe, and their service in protecting the caravans was close from being over.
They acted carefree and looked quite easy to approach. And that appeared clearly by the wide smile over that spirit master, who was at least in his early thirtieth, and perhaps was a gold or even one step away from the dark gold grade rank.
"It seems this is your first time coming here, kid," he paused before laughing, even patting on William's petit shoulders, "don't panic. It's all normal. It's thanks to the arrays established in this path. Whoever walks here will feel like walking on flat land, but that will take more time to cross this distance."
"That's a really nice array," William recognised the general concept of this array. It was using gravity to affect anyone or anything moving over this road. And that would negatively affect the speed of those passing on it.
The marvellous part about this array was that no one noticed the change in gravity, nor the effort they'd spend in crossing this path would increase or anything.
"You are still a kid, what brought you over this insane place?" that dude looked at William up and down, sizing him while feeling weird of his presence here, "did you come with your family or clan?"
"No sir, I'm here to do a mission."
"Alone? A mission here? Don't tell me you are one of those unlucky kids who got born here, tsk!"
"No sir, I came here from far to do a mission."
"You… You aren't pulling a prank on me or something, right?" that dude raised an eyebrow before adding when William shook his head firmly, "tell me, what mission brought a kid like you here?"
"I'm going to fight the dark spirit masters!" William said it, while clenching his fist as if he was having a game or a fun time.
"Hahahahaha! Did you hear that, folks? We got someone who wants to see his dreams fulfilled, hahahaha!" One of the friends of that guard couldn't help but laugh when he heard William's words.
"Let the kid have his dreams," another said, with a big smile on his face, "I remember I was like him when I was his age. It's still remarkable that he managed to come here all alone, without getting hurt or scared by what he saw."
"You should get back," that guard who spoke with William first said in a serious tone, "you shouldn't be here."
"But I want to kill villains!" William knew if he acted serious, out of his age, then no one would ever take him seriously anyway. So, he decided to have little fun while getting to know more of those going into the fort.
As they were laughing at his words and pure and naive ideals, he also was laughing at them in his heart.
"Don't be stubborn, kid," another guard couldn't stand William's words, "I don't know what your parents said or how they raised you all this time, but real world isn't anything like what you have in there," he pointed towards his head before adding, "just take the advice of those older than you, old enough to see the world and know better than you."
"Sir… My parents… They already died…" William pulled a long and sad face, added a touch of one tear falling from his eye, the only tear he managed to bring out in such a situation.
It was either his tears or laughs anyway, and he chose the former.
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