Chapter 3: Act-1 Chapter-3 A Forgotten Tale Once Lost.

You found yourself standing on clear water, with trees as large as hills, and fish, as clean as glass. You stood over a hidden world above the old one, stars were above and below you. You could see through the trees, fish, and the small house right in front of you, which was clear like everything else. You looked around, an ocean of water as vast as the eye could see, cosmos all around you. "Hello there, you must be new around here right?" Said a young lady who suddenly appeared in front of you. She had pure white skin, black hair, red eyes, and red lips. She was in a red dress, not beautiful, but decent to look at. "We don't get a lot of visitors." She continued, brightly smiling like a newlywed bride.

"Oh! I nearly forgot! I am Kokua, I am this realm's keeper and only shrine maiden. What be your name stranger?" Kokua continued. Surely a strange name for a woman of a fantasy world. The way she introduced herself sounded like she was in some sort of paradise. Oddly enough, she remained patient despite you remaining silent for the past ten seconds of silence. "Oh, you must be famished... let me get you some tea, brother Axel has recently received a leg injury, so he couldn't come this afternoon. My apologies, please wait here." Kokua left to find something for you to drink, you remembered crushing a boar figurine a few seconds ago, it might have been a coincidence, perhaps this shrine maiden was one of the seven figurines on the altar, but you were unsure of which one. Nevertheless, trouble is to be expected.

You patiently waited for Kokua to return, however, after counting the seconds that passed, it has already been an hour, and she was still nowhere to be seen. You then walked into the small house, only to see Kokua waiting for you. Seated on the floor behind a low oval table, and atop that table were two cups, each filled with their own odd-colored tea. One blue. One red.

Before you could even kneel, you were suddenly transported atop a burning church made purely from wood. "Take your time to navigate the dream realm... so you may wake up to reality. I will be here, the next time darkness holds you." Those were the last words you heard before you could fully process the entire situation. The night was bright, the fires were raging, and the forest that surrounded you was in complete silence. You jumped down on the wet dirt, it appeared that a strong storm had just passed this area. You could hear the church slowly crumble away behind you, as you walked towards the dirt path ahead.

You marched deeper and deeper into the forest until you found what appeared to be a mining cave's entrance. By chance or by fate, you were certain that this led to the labyrinth below, and eagerly went inside without so much as giving a quick inspection.

You quickly marched into the depths of the cave, ores filled the walls, all from different shapes and origins. Large amounts of gold were scattered everywhere, left and right there was no end to the various raw materials abundant within until you arrived.

Within seconds, you sacked the entire cave of its valuable contents, shoving each mineral and ore into your infinitely depthless bag before quickly moving further and deeper into the darkness below. However, fate would have your head for your unjust behavior, as an unremarkable beast with two heads emerged from the shadows. And like the ores you now had in your possession, you quickly sacked the beast of its valuable contents, mainly, its two hearts and two brains. The beast fell not a moment too soon, while you made your way deeper and deeper into the cave's deeper parts. And after an hour of searching, you saw a wooden door at the end of a tunnel, you quickly kicked it down and entered. Unbelievably, you managed to find yourself in the same area where you first entered the massive false paradise of a fairytale. Although, the entrance was now blocked by thousands, if not millions of rocks. But then it hit you, if your allies managed to escape the same path you just entered, that meant they were already outside, and probably waiting.

During your travel back to the entrance, you managed to catch a glimpse of an old set of armor below you. You started digging with your hands, and after a minute and a few seconds, you found something that resembled that of an undead knight's armor. You carefully lifted its helmet while slowly standing up, its face resembled a skull, with angel wings as ears, a crooked crown at the top, as well as a real skull underneath, ravaged by time. It was only then you realized that there was something else on the ground, an obsidian sword that glowed bright red. You grabbed both the armor and the sword, before resuming your journey back toward the forest. Just as you left the entrance of the cave, heavy rain was already pouring down on you, odd how rain never stops whenever you are alone. Then amidst your idle standing, you felt the weight on your hands leave for some reason, and when you turned to your left, you saw a glimpse of a man fleeing into the woods in the armor you legally acquired. There was finally something interesting to do, apart from doing work equivalent to doing nothing. You aimed your right hand toward the trees. Before releasing a force so powerful, it engulfed everything in flames within your line of sight.

The flames were so violent, you could not see past them unless you actually tried. After a moment, you rushed forward into the fire, barely affected by its heat as you ran past ash and dust. But as the fires waned, you suddenly hear large footsteps approach you. It was far larger, larger than any form of creature in fantasy and books, larger than even a giant. Over a thousand feet tall, a golden mechanical clockwork titan stood a few hundred feet away from you. It had the face of a human inside the maw of a dragon's head, and the body of a knight's armor, somewhat identical to that of the contraption from the previous world. Though this one had only two arms, which resembled that of a muscular athlete, well-armored, its lower portion having just as much protection, though this time it looked like a humanoid version of a dragon's legs, straight and balanced. The golden titan had diamond eyes, which glowed like stars as it looked down on you, its unmoving face, lifeless like your bronze mask. You quickly realized that this bigger monstrosity wielded two massive golded swords, that looked longer than its height. You felt unnerved by this construct, which towered even the many hills that surrounded the forest. Face to face.

The rain had finally come to a stop, revealing the vast open landscape that would be perfect for an open battlefield, a massive arena for two powerful beings that could be considered gods to fight in, unhindered by anything else. The sun shined brightly despite slowly setting on the horizon, reflected by the titan's body. Should you have wished for combat, now was the time.

You decided to walk away. Not out of fear, but out of a desire for peace. The titan nodded even with your back turned and walked away as you did. You walked and walked until the titan was out of sight, but out of nowhere, you were thrown away by an unseen hand. Thrown for miles and miles on end, until you managed to land safely within a decent barn filled with hay.

You woke up for the fourth time once again. You still had everything on you, however, you were now lying down on a mattress on a smooth stone floor. Bright sunlight invaded the room you were in and judging by its intensity, it was early in the morning. Everything around you looked nothing like the average fantasy home. You remembered that you crossed nearly an entire ocean before landing where you were now. Everything looked poor, from the tables, and furniture, to the room itself. You slowly moved into a sitting position, alerting someone on the other side in the process after you accidentally spilled a wooden cup. "Father! father! I think the stranger's awake now!" A child called out. "Alright! I'll be down there in a minute!" A man answered from upstairs. Footsteps slowly moved from one place to another, until arriving on the level you were on. "Ah, awake now are we?" A man in a poor peasant's clothing opened the door to the room you were in, his face slightly bruised and aged, he approached you calmly, without fear even if you were armed. "Slowly there now. The goddess has favored you this day."

The man said as he knelt down on one knee before putting down a few medicinal herbs and bandages next to you. "A strong force prevented me from removing any of your belongings and armor, I saw you fall from the sky before landing in my barn. Gods have truly answered my prayers, to send a savior down from the heavens, albeit in a strange fashion." The man continued, mixing the herbs as he chuckled. "I used to believe that gods were not a thing you know? until the church of the goddess blessed my village, though, for a messenger of goodwill, you wear quite the odd attire... I guess poor is for the poor. But I believe in you regardless." You stared at the man while he finished mixing the herbs in a bowl, once finished, he gently handed the bowl to you. "Here. Drink this, it should heal your internal wounds..." You paused for a moment as you took the bowl from the man, you checked your body but felt no such injuries. You handed the bowl back to the man, and he sighed, nodding. "...Healed already eh? truly. We are blessed to have you here." That sounded more like a quote rather than praise.

"Ah, I almost forgot..." The man placed the bowl on the floor next to him before reaching out to you with his right hand. "My name is Remis, Remis Fisher, and this is my house, and like my name, I am a fisherman... a fisherman turned militiaman." You accepted his handshake. And despite his claims, his grip over your hand felt a little light. Must've been because he was married.

Once your hands separated, the militia soldier stood along with you, continuing his conversation with you, despite him making almost the entirety of it. You listened to his constant nonchalant talking as you walked into the living room of his house. "Oh, and if you ever think of repaying me... please don't. I've known about champions such as yourselves, your missions concern the entire realm, and I'd rather not take up most of your time." You took a glimpse of Remis's daughter and son, they hid behind a curtain that led to the kitchen while Remis escorted you outside his house, where thousands of townsfolk went about their daily lives. Despite their lack of wealth, they were rather content with it. Something that even the richest of the rich could never attain and will always envy. Through power, there is no true freedom.

You had a complete view of the village, hundreds of houses were within your sight, all filled with families you never knew. The bright sun shined on the horizon and on the town, lighting the ocean as it slowly rose at its own pace. Beautiful. As less decent and poor as this humble town was, it had its own beauty. Peaceful was more like it, and despite the lack of color, the diverse structure of each house and building was more than enough to make up for the lack of decoration. The scene felt like the start of a new adventure, one where you are the main character, and as if it was all scripted, a dove perched itself on your head. "I think it's best for you to explore for a while..." Remis said behind you as he leaned on the wall with his arms crossed. "Go on, start your adventure. Word of advice though, best visit the beach while you're at it... there's going to be a festival down there today." You nodded and proceeded to head down towards the shore, while the dove perched on your head flew away as you walked through the town road. It was lively, to say the least. A small paradise for the so-called lesser folk.

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How the birds flew freely, children played without worry, and armed men uplifted safety. A town by the ocean. You thought to yourself if this place was going to be raided soon enough. Nothing is ever this peaceful. Only a disaster will spring. And so it did.

A dozen small ships appeared over in the distance, bearing red flags and sails as you walked on the beach's edge. The fishermen immediately landed their boats before running for the town walls after shoring them. "Pirates!!!" The town's watch shouted. Town guards immediately manned the stone walls and prepared to rain arrows on the invaders, funny none of them tried to warn you of the incoming danger, despite you being the only one still on the beach. And everyone else had already fled.

The small ships neared, and not a moment too soon an arrow landed next to you. But what these pirates hadn't expected, was that you had the power to drown them in the very waters they conquered. You raised your right hand and reached for the sky, lightning fell from the sky and enveloped your arm, while another hundred annihilated the small fleet ahead of you. It was a spectacle to behold, one that will eternally burn into the townsfolk's minds for near-endless centuries soon to come.

As the lightning dissipated, you lowered your arm and proceeded to wait for more of those ships to appear. And as you waited, you caught a glimpse of Remis in a suit of chainmail and leather armor rushing past you along with other militiamen, wearing an iron helmet, armed with two iron swords and one wooden shield, one sheathed, while the other in his hand. You immediately made your way toward a nearby house at the edge of the beach, supported by pillars of stone that prevented the house from sinking into the waters below. When you arrived at the said house and entered inside, you were greeted by a young woman, beautiful and fair. Blond hair and brown skin, violet eyes, and a calming smile. She wore a simple dress, seated on a wooden chair, and beside her was a suit of armor, made of pure steel. You suddenly felt a burst of unknown power fill your body, but the only thing that truly changed was your mask and body. Which reformed into a titanium helmet that covered your entire neck and head, sleek and firm, although excessively reinforced, whilst your body became overwhelmingly potent.

As far as you could remember, this was probably the third time your appearance and body changed drastically. You were starting to think that you feed off of death or something similar, somehow identical to how players level up and get stronger.

You looked around, plenty of sturdy furniture stood in their place, lanterns lit hung on small metal chains attached to the roof. You approached the woman who sat on the chair, her locked eyes on you as you neared her. Your appearance changed slightly again, for the fourth time. Although still gone unnoticed, abyssal chains wrapped around your body, hidden beneath your leather armor, from the tips of your feet to the ends of your hands and neck, making you look more stoic and heavily armored.

You were starting to wonder how this all remained to not hinder you in your travels and during combat. With this many layers of protective gear, including the added weight, it was almost impossible not to struggle with such overwhelming burdens. But here you were. Still standing perfectly on dangerous and unbalanced floors. In front of a woman, who looked unimpressed.

"You should be doing your job Administrator, I don't think the goddess would like you squandering around like this. Especially when you compromise the entire system." The woman sighed and then stood up, almost matching your height as her gaze locked with yours. "Why don't we have a little spar? to get your head straight." Like similar outcomes, reality cracked like glass, before revealing a different landscape. One similar to that of when you first met Josh, only this time, this woman was hostile. "Let me show you the truth of my words, I am the goddess of fate, known as Unus Sine Amore. you would do well to keep your position... Administrator." You looked around, the place you found yourself in looked identical to Kokua's realm, but there was nothing else apart from the stars and water. Then you looked at the goddess, who looked even more beautiful, but her original features remained. Her skin shined bright like the sun, she wore a white long gown, with a golden crown above her head, as a golden halo that floated above, her left wrist, wrapped by a diamond bracelet, while her right hand carried a long golden and emerald spear twice her height. "Witness...! the end of times! for I, Csilla, shall bring about the spark of life!"

The goddess looked down on you from high above, her eyes almost piercing the mask of your helm. "Come! lord of the stars! creation! death! order, and chaos! I shall be your foe!" With that declared, she rushed towards you at blinding speeds, faster than Miku and Kage. Her spear grazed the tip of your hood, somehow sending you back with a force so strong, it could be compared to a raging storm. You flew through the air, but not a moment too soon, Csilla grabbed you by the neck before throwing you into the air. Csilla was quick, she raised her spear and flipped it upside down, calling forth a golden lighting that sent you falling back down onto the water as she tapped the air with her spear. 

You felt like you landed on a hard surface, but felt no physical damage in your body. You looked at your palms, they were shaking, you closed them slowly and took your time to get up. This goddess thing was really starting to get on your nerves, when you tried to do something good, you were met with disgrace and resentment. You pondered to yourself for a moment, and then slowly turned around to face Csilla who approached you with her spear pointed to her east. Kill. Destroy. Exterminate.

The feeling of anger felt like a distant memory, but in a sense, you felt lost, almost without a goal. Well almost. You turned to face Csilla, who stopped in her place. She felt something strange, a cold shiver went down her spine. She watched you approach her, slowly, the stars vanished behind you, and the water disappeared completely where you stepped. Her entire body froze as if bound by chains. You reached out to her face, and with a snap, you woke up. The fifth time already. You woke up in a different place five times. You were beginning to think you were being played, you looked around, only to find yourself in an open field. With no true objective in sight, you wandered the open field for days, and then years, constantly passing by entire forests, hills, and mountains, whilst killing any beasts, abominations, and creatures that tried to kill you along the way. Nine long years, nine long agonizing years. You walked endlessly without hunger or thirst. The pain of being lost in a world where you do not belong, fantasy was merely a hypnotic disguise to guide souls in the afterlife, but then again it came to you, it wouldn't hurt to become the villain for once. Always the hero. Unpraised and unwelcomed. But not anymore. Not this time.

If this world wanted you dead, then it would be sane for someone such as yourself to destroy it. You gathered every bit of power in your hand, lighting crackled, and in an instant, a storm so great formed above you, turning the landscape into a frozen wasteland within seconds. You were engulfed in fire, at the center of a winter storm, your hand glowed like a star, you raised it up gently and looked at the ground. You struggled for a moment, and millions upon millions of questions rushed through your mind, you were prepared to strike the ground, but something held you back, your heart, even if you didn't have one, felt cold, perhaps it was your chest or your very soul. You were about to damn the entire world to a permanent death. Depending on the numbers. But numbers are just numbers. Meant to be subtracted.

"...It feels painful doesn't it?" Csilla's calm voice reached you from behind. "All this time, you have hidden in the shadows, searching for a purpose, all for a path that would fill the void within your soul. I may be fate, but I cannot decide the outcome..."

"Is it not why you showed Artemis that sketch? just to confirm one small curiosity?" She paused for a moment before placing her hand on your shoulder. "Do not be afraid... I will not judge whatever path you take. All things must come to an end, even this realm must take." You could feel Csilla form a gentle smile on her face, you feel warmth indescribable, filling your whole body. "May you find your path... I surely hope your sixth journey may be pleasant..." And just like that. It all came to an end.