Chapter 8 - 8: A Tragic Legacy

Inside a dimly lit dinning hall, Aron and Argos were seated on a fine brown table on opposite sides of each other partaking in a meal. The table was filled with many assorted foods that looked nothing like anything Aron had seen before.

"Is it to your liking?..." Argos looked to Aron and asked while wearing a small yet weak smile. Aron who had gotten himself cleaned up and changed into a robe simply gave a nod before raising his head.

"It tastes good but feels unnecessary...Despite being in that state all those years, I feel no hunger and no exhaustion. What have I become?" Aron's unfeeling eyes were directed at Argos as he asked this.

Argos showed a complex look on his face before releasing a sigh. He then raised his hand and made a waving and soom a few metallic golem's appeared and began clearing the table.

"You are...something I've spent the last 500 years trying to become. When I failed to become a beast monger I created that technique to use on myself, with it I would have obtained a body unlike any other." Argos replied in a regretful tone but Aron wasn't moved.

"That still does not answer my questions. What is so special about my body now? What is your true Legacy? And why are you willing to just give it away, what are your real intentions Argos?" Aron's questions were blunt and direct but were something he could no longer pass off.

"Before I answer that I must know, you must've been curious about why I was willing to give away my legacy from the start, so what made you choose to ask me now?" Argos never once lost his weak smile as he spoke.

"At the time you took me in, you seemed protective of this place. You claimed to be a tier 3 so what could I, who was a child at the time do? Although I was curious at the time, I withheld asking because you could kill me if you so wished..." Aron explained before trailing off.

"And now?" Argos asked before giving his beard a short stroke.

"Now you are on deaths door, no...it's more accurate to say you're already dead. Those new tattoos covering your skin are the only thing feeding mana into your body...I can see the flow and the longer I observe...the weaker that flow is becoming. I want answers." Aron replied honestly causing Argos to burst into laughter before coughing.

"*ahem* Truly incredible...you can even see the flow of my mana? I couldn't perform such a feat till I was a tier 5. You were right to be cautious Aron and you are right to also seek answers. In this world...you can never really trust anyone..."

"The technique I used on you specifically is a combination of a various others. In truth you are only the second person to ever survive it. I never used it on myself because I was scared I wouldn't survive...yes I was scared. My only real fear in the past years has been dying before I could pass on my legacy. As for why it's so important...it's simply to make sure the knowledge she amassed is never forgotten..." Argos began to cough more frequently as he explained but still never lost his smile, despite the sorrow that filled his eyes as he spoke.

"Who is "she" ?" Aron asked without any shift in his expression. Argos was a hard man to read. Never giving any hints as to wether he was lying or not which made Aron all the more cautious.

"Follow me Aron. I think it's time you finally know this pitiful old man's story..." Argos spoke weakly before standing from his seat and gesturing Aron to follow. Argos was only getting weaker and weaker so Aron nodded at his words without asking any more questions.

"*sigh* I wasn't born in Limbo Aron. Like many people in Limbo, I too have an Origin world. It was one where the concept of mana was but a myth. We instead thrived on what we called science. So you can imagine such a person coming to Limbo would struggle yes? But that wasn't a case."

"When I found myself in this world, I had an incredible talent for magecraft. I'll spare you the mundane details of my journey and just say I had it easy. Everything was presented to me and that had me grow foolish. I spent most of my free time seeking trouble, usually for the sake of some woman. By the time I became a tier 3 mage, I had travelled to countless worlds, obtained legendary treasures, unmatched beauties as my lovers. I had it all."

"But I lost everything just as quickly. My treasures stolen, my lovers killed and me abandoned by those I trusted most. For the first time I truly tasted the cruelty of the world. But even in the darkest of times there is always a light. That light was a woman who stood by me for so long. Sacrificing her life to save mine. At first I sought vengeance but soon realized I couldn't do so. The only thing I could do was pass on the knowledge she treasured so much." As Argos shared his story, Aron simply looked on without commenting.

The pair continued to walk until they approached a passage way. Argos was the first to walk through but when Aron attempted to do the same he couldn't walk through which immediately made him furrow his eyes.

"What's the meaning of this?" Aron asked while still composed on the surface but in truth he had already began running multiple scenarios in his mind.

"This...is the last selfish act of an old foolish mage. I didn't lie when I said I would make you a frightening existence Aron and something tells me you'll become just that. I only ask you make sure this knowledge is never forgotten. This is where my journey ends and yours begins...." With those last words, Argos turned his back to Aron and walked further into the room until his figure could no longer be seen.

*szmmm*

A strange humming noise resonated from the room for a split second. After the noise stopped, the invisible barrier keeping Aron out was no longer there as his hand managed to slip through.

Aron put his thoughts to a halt and rushed into the room. The room was completely dark when he entered but after taking a few steps, bright balls of light appeared on the rooms ceiling and revealed the contents present.

'What is this place, where did he go.....' Aron's thoughts trailed off as his gaze met a large glowing door at the end of the room. The rest of the room had many empty shelves, racks and cases with few occupied ones.

'....' Aron didn't know what to think of the matter as his eyes scanned the room. His gaze stopped at the center of the room were a pedestal stood.

On the pedestal laid a silver ring with many intricate carvings. It's design was nothing extraordinary or glamorous but it was what was next to it that had Aron's interest. A small piece of paper.

Aron casually picked up the paper and immediately read what was on it.

<If you're reading this Aron, then I've already returned to my origin world to breath my last breath. Take whatever you can from this room and use the travel gate to leave. It will return you to your origin world as well> The letter's contents were short and never really answered the questions Aron had in mind.

'Why would I want to go to my Origin world? Isn't there another way out of here?...' Aron questioned himself but before he could contemplate further, the paper in his hands caught on fire.

*wossssshh*

Soon after the letter caught fire, a gust of wind blew violently into the room causing Aron to quickly turn around.

What he saw was a green mist violently rushing into the room and flowing into the ring on the pedestal.

'What is goi-'

*rumble*

Aron wasn't even given a chance to comprehend the situation as the entire room began to shake violently. Parts of the ceiling began to crumble causing Aron to act in the moment.

"Tsk..." He expressed in an irritated tone before rushing to the few cases that had items.

As Aron got the few things that caught his eye, the green mist continued to violently rush into the ring while more and more pieces of the ceiling began to crumble.

'This is the best set of clothing here...the sword isn't anything special but these...Arcane guns, the strange weapon Argos designed...' Aron quickly assessed the two strange weapons he held before placing them on top of clothing set he picked.

With that done Aron got ready to rush out through the glowing door at the far end of the room. As he approached it, the green mist that was violently rushing in suddenly stopped.

The ring that laid on the pedestal now began to glow at intervals and vibrate vigorously. Aron paused for a moment and looked at it with narrowed eyes. All of a sudden the ring rose from the pedestal and rushed towards Aron before setting itself on the index finger of his left hand.

All this occurred in a less than a second and left Aron no room to intervene. He quickly looked at the ring with some caution but wasn't overly concerned.. As the building continued to rumble and fall apart more Aron glanced back one last time before releasing a sigh and rushing through the glowing door.