Although she tried asking the World's Will to confirm that it wasn't just a myth, she couldn't get an answer. In fact, Alwyn believed that the World's Will decided to give its denizens a silent treatment. For who knows how long, it never appeared before its denizens.
When she said that, I kept to myself how I was summoned by the World's Will. Perhaps it's also part of their set-up not to divulge the connection between the World's Will and Illiana so I stopped myself from commenting, especially about Remilia, and just continued listening to her about the Dark World's history.
As an Exalted, she probably doesn't have the necessary clearance to more important information. Even in this Dafirae tribe, she's not the Tribe Sovereign but just one of its Exalted Champions.
Illiana ordered her personally without telling much about me except my identity as a Mortal World Transcendent and her task to send me back to a Mortal World. Alwyn didn't even have any idea who brought me in that Irreverent Dungeon.
Also, even though she's curious, she's neither asking me about my connection to Illiana nor planning to do so.
Being personally given a task by her was most likely considered the highest honor for her that she would follow it unquestioningly. It's even a secret that she couldn't tell her Tribal Sovereign.
Halfway through her educating me about the history of the Dark World, she suddenly stood up from in front of me to pick up a telepathic message from someone.
For that telepathic message to pass through despite the layer of screens she put up… I guess the Formation she activated isn't that strong. Also, this is just one of the common rooms given to the Rank 1 Transcendents to rest in. The Formation was only up to that level.
Alwyn looked at me apologetically before replying to whoever sent that message. A few minutes later, she released a sigh before sitting back in front of me, telling me the gist of that conversation she just had.
"The three irreverent from the same Dungeon as you will be monitored closely while you're in this world, especially Klement. You don't have to worry about them suspecting your identity and divulging it to someone else."
I see. Although she said that she was personally tasked to help me, there's someone else tasked by Illiana to make sure that nothing will go wrong. And that someone will neither appear before me nor meddle with Alwyn's task.
"I understand. Do what you think is best."
The two already sent me the vague message not to worry. However, verbal assurance like that wouldn't really hold so I didn't comment about Alwyn and whoever's working with her to watch over them.
With a confident smile on her, Alwyn nodded vigorously.
After that brief pause, she continued about telling me the rest of the Dark World's history.
Because there were no clear records, they could only estimate when the World's Will left hibernation. Their best estimate was between 2000 years or 1500 years ago.
And because of that, the limit of the Dark World denizens' Pathways to stop at Mortal Pathway was removed. They called that period of time as the Myriad Doors Era which pertained to how the denizens living at that time go about their day with a lot of Doors of Transcendence hanging above the sky almost everyday…
Although there were a lot who failed their Transcendent Trials, with how big the Dark World is, it's still enough to produce a lot of Transcendents who became the strongest entities at that time.
As more and more Mortal Ranks completed their Transcendent Trials, a new period began along with the lessening of the Door of Transcendence hanging above the sky.
At that time, they started fighting to see who's strongest among the Transcendents. And so, after the Myriad Doors Era, the era where Transcendents kept on dying from their duels came to be known as the Transcendent Fall Era.
During that era, the 30 tribes of today came to be established. It started with one Transcendent who looked for allies to befriend and fight with. Although there were already those instances before, it was between close family or friends they already had before reaching Transcendent Rank. Following his example, the others soon started forming groups as well, even former enemies joined hands to take down a much stronger Transcendent.
Instead of a one on one duel to see who the stronger one was, the norm became group battles where it seldom ended with a death anymore.
With a lower death rate, the groups started to swell in numbers. They started claiming territories for themselves that were previously held by the Mortal Ranks who came into power during the Mortal Gate Era, the era after the Transcendent's Disappearance.
With Transcendents settling down in town, cities or any other form of large societies, it became somewhat peaceful. However, it didn't last that long. Some Transcendents used the premise of claiming the other group's territory much like what's happening at the World of Barbarians, with their tribes and chieftains.
From a myriad of groups, it soon dwindled down to 30 main tribes where the Great Ones of the present day would hail from, centuries in the future.
Although the 30 tribes continued their war with one another, none of them managed to eliminate one. That resulted in a long status quo wherein the Transcendents continued to advance in their Transcendent Pathways and eventually reached the point that the Great Ones started appearing one by one.
With the Great Ones' appearance, the other tribes who failed to produce one started rallying behind one of them in fear to be eliminated and maybe to bide their time to produce another one for themselves which resulted in the distribution of 5 Tribes for every Great One.
At that time, the Great Ones most likely didn't pertain to someone who reached the last stage of the Transcendent Pathway. Who knows? But as years continued to pass, the Great Ones continued to grow stronger that only among each other will they find a match.
However, after the Great Ones Era where they became the prominent figures for every denizen, unbeknownst to most of them, some of the Great Ones wanted to look for greener pastures. Right, new land and new challenges to overcome in hopes of furthering their Pathways or even better, reach the stage after Transcendent Realm.
According to history, it was the Great Ones Zaraya, Rhellor and someone named Onimbus who left in search of a higher world. They actually tried consulting the World's Will first but it continued in its silence after going out of hibernation, preventing them from knowing that their world is a Created World.
Around 100 years after their departure, the three Great Ones came back, most probably from a higher world. A year after that, a huge war broke out among the Great Ones.
The details about that war; the reason and the true outcome were kept a secret. However, that became the start of redistribution of the tribes. The three Great Ones who stayed had one of their tribes changing sides, and another one of Illiana's five Tribes going under Zaraya. Although that didn't revoke her status as a Great One it became a stain on her name. With only three tribes left under her authority, most denizens believed that they became the weakest faction.
It appears that the Principal's information about this world was outdated or he simply told us the outdated one as we're still far from reaching the faint footsteps of the Great Ones.
"I guess it has been hard for the Great One… Two tribes leaving her authority…"
I silently muttered when Alwyn paused for a while.
Although some of the details were not made public, I guess something happened during that war, or the three Great Ones who came back brought something which changed the situation.
One thing I noticed was at that point, this Dark World was still not an Invasive World.
"It was truly hard. Even so, that did not dishearten the tribes who loyally stayed under her."
Alwyn nodded before handing me a glass filled with some kind of drink. Well, she paused telling me the history due to her dry throat after talking for too long.
"When did this world start assimilating Mortal Worlds?" I asked after gulping that drink down.
"I guess that's important for you…"
She stared at me and seemingly stopped herself from asking me about something. From her expression, it's probably about confirming that my world is currently being attacked by their forces.
"It is. You won't ask me but I feel like it is fine to tell you about this. After coming to this world, my previous understanding of your world experienced an upheaval. It appears that I'm only looking at the surface of what's really happening."
With the information I got from my short time here, the assimilation of the Mortal Worlds appeared to be not that important. Even Klement somehow looked down on it when he told Irja that she will only be good at that stage.
"Yes, the assimilation of the Mortal Worlds is just a means to strengthen our world. The priority put into it isn't that high. It was relegated to Mortal Ranks and Rank 1 Transcendents. Sometimes a Rank 2 will be involved. It's because of how long a Portal can be widened and the limitations to it. Although sometimes our Incarnations will be sent down through the use of Sacrificial Orbs to aid them in conquering a Mortal World, as an Exalted, my eyes were looking at a bigger picture."
Alwyn looked at the opened window and stared somewhere beyond our eyes could reach.
Hearing her say this, it appears that she's also unaware about the unawakened Earth.
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