In this book, there would be things Baraquiel and Shuri wouldn't know. This book would cover history from the Great Flood to the war. He wanted—no, needed to know it all.
.
..
…
|DxD|- Chapter 23- Marcei's Call
…
..
.
Time stretched into minutes, then hours. Igor learned many things, many…complicated things. He didn't know how to make sense of most of them.
The world was living in the second era, the period after the Great Flood. After the flood, humanity had their lifespan cut to barely five hundred years as a punishment from God. A few hundred years after, all the clans that existed then came together to build the tower of Babel. In it, research was done to seek ways to regain the power they once had and the thousand years of life their forefathers enjoyed.
"The All-Father, seeing their intentions for world domination, struck down their lifespan and scattered their language. Only one clan was spared for they refused to take part. And that clan was led by our ancestor, Ariya of Kur."
A new sphere of Tallus's mana had formed the moment he opened the first page of the book. Once in a while, it would offer context for what might be difficult to understand.
Time moved without pause. Igor was too engrossed to feel it. Every moment was spent reading. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if with every page, the words would turn into images in his mind. He could see history with each turn and how the world changed.
"Our ancestor had the foresight to escape the world, to create a realm where we would all live without fear. The world was recovering after the flood. We were small in number compared to the multitude of races. It was without question that in due time, we would be set upon. Two centuries after that fateful day, our ancestors were able to create that realm. The Principality of Ariya. Rather than call it a kingdom, our people saw themselves as children of the All-Father, for his Heaven was the one true Kingdom."
The Principality was created and sightings of Ariyans became so rare they were considered legend. After Ariya died, the Ariyans remained secluded. Their innovations never ceased. Their realm turned into a thriving world none could ever access. Thousands of years of prosperity was enjoyed. One mistake was all it took to unravel it all.
"Even after sixty years, we still do not know how the rumours spread."
After over four thousand years of seclusion, their clan was considered a legend . Most of the supernatural world was unaware of them for they never caused any ripples.
"We believe it to be the work of a god. They could possess the power to peer into our world."
Given the absurdity of the time chamber, most would dismiss it as hogwash unless a believable source verified it. Given the defences of their realm, only gods with their divination magic could potentially glimpse within.
"In ten years, our reputation was smeared and the world united against us. We were defeated in two decades. Perhaps the best outcome of this…war was the death of Ares."
.
..
…
|DxD|
…
..
.
The time chamber was the culmination of Ariyan ingenuity. Work on it began in the late 15th century, ending just at the dawn of the 20th century. Five centuries of work had been done to create a world where time differed from reality.
For it to remain stable, it operated on a strict time ratio. From the moment of entry to exit, a year would pass in the real world, regardless of whether a decade or a century had been spent inside. However, exceptions existed.
"In 1944, seven of us went to capture the war god Ares, hoping to force the Greeks to the table. We succeeded, but the cost was beyond what we could bear."
Of the seven, only Marcei and Tallus survived. The Greeks were more prideful than expected. Instead of agreeing to the peace talks, they redoubled their efforts with some gods personally getting involved.
"Overwhelmed, we made the decision to sacrifice Ares to the time chamber, unaware of the consequences it would bring."
Gods were not mortals. They were concepts given form and sentience. The time chamber had been made with mortals in mind. When confronted with Ares, it could not digest him immediately.
"The chamber could no longer be accessed. We lost our only weapon that created the fighters needed to keep the enemy at bay. In the years to come, Marcei and myself sacrificed ourselves to the chamber in the midst of our defeat."
Igor barely started to process the tragedy. Perhaps Marcei and Tallus did it deliberately, but scenes of the war were absent. The people he saw with each flip of the page were his parents amongst others.
"It took thirty years for the time chamber to digest Ares, leaving nothing of him but his divinity that was divided among other gods of war. The energy of a god —combined with ours—would have given you over five hundred years of training. Instead, we were forced to divert that energy so only minutes would pass in the real world. The wasted energy from adjusting the ratio left just barely enough to give you five years of training."
"..."
Igor mechanically closed the book and put it back on the shelf. From cover to cover, he'd read it without rest. He stood in place trying to recall what he read, yet it was more as if he suddenly forgot everything.
"Gods, huh…"
The small clan that numbered in the hundreds grew to have millions of descendants in four thousand years. Their world was beautiful, an endless paradise where everyone lived together in harmony and understanding.
All of that was taken away. And what could he do? Gods could destroy mountains and level cities. Compared to them, he was nothing but dust.
His mouth spread in a sad grin. His eyes held no hope in them. He now understood why Tallus and Marcei advised him to live a quiet life. Gods were monsters who could and would erase his existence without a thought. He barely survived against a stray devil.
"Forget it."
A helpless chuckle escaped him. He shook his head as he walked towards the stairs. There was no point in all of this. It'd be good enough if he got strong enough to protect his new family. Revenge? Forget it.
Without mana, he couldn't use Ariyan magic. It was pointless from the start.
"Igor. This is Marcei. I apologize, but this message was made in haste."
Igor froze in surprise at the sudden voice. To his right, there was a small mana ball hovering above a stack of books. This Marcei was vastly different from the other recordings he was aware of. He sounded…anxious.
"I pray this is true for this changes everything. I do not know how this happened. The time chamber should have eroded the last of my will and consciousness. Perhaps my clone is what allowed me to regain conscious thought. However, if what I sensed in my final moments is true, then you have awakened vital energy."
Marcei's words were quick with trembling breaths. He spoke no different from someone under duress.
"Igor. Your awakening of vitality changes everything. EVERYTHING. We had prepared for a you who would use mana, not vitality. Most of the books prepared for you are useless. This stack before you offers my limited insight into vital energy. I was never a wielder of it, but I was fortunate to be born during the last generation of users. Igor—there is one thing that sets you apart from them. You…you are the youngest user in history! No Ariyan has ever awoken vitality in under a century. You and you alone have the highest chance of wielding the might of our forefathers!!"
A leg rose. One step led to two, then three. His hands fell on the shelf in need of support. His breaths were heavy, but light glinted in his eyes. Marcei's words clawed deep into his ocean of acceptance and reclaimed what he had lost—hope.
"I want you to retain one thing, Igor. It is said with vitality, one cannot use mana or any magic techniques. However, do not let that stop you from innovation. You have set a new precedent. It is unknown how vitality will flow within you. Inspiration can come from any source, Igor. ANY…source. Never limit yourself and always maintain the spirit of being a student. Remember that always and you can do the unthinkable."
Igor shakily took the first book. It was a worn diary bound with leather. An old pen was clipped to it. To him, this old book held more value than precious metal.
"My window draws narrow. Please hold this in your heart, Igor. You hear me? I want you to remember my next words deeply within you, alright? This world is horrid and ruthless. In this world, only power matters. It is an unforgiving truth we learned too late. You awakening vitality may be the last blessing the All-Father gave us. With vital energy, you have a very strong potential for combat and that is exactly what you need. Use it well, Igor. Never grow complacent like we did. And please…live your life to its natural conclusion. Us old ones have passed the torch to you. Our Eden has fallen, but you and your descendants may make it rise once again."
.
AN: Marcei came in with the clutch. With a new lifeline, Igor will hopefully follow the old man's words and grow stronger. Just curious about the 'kid' stuff though. It's like they forgot he's ten—it ain't working yet.
Chapter 23
END