Chapter 521 - Knight And God

"You can truly revive the dead?" asked Hurst with a hint of unease as he stared at the back of his hands, clenched into a fist. "This is beyond the realm of humans."

"Indeed," replied Abe as he stared out of the window, his green eyes half crescents. "I left the realm of humans eons ago. I am an immortal, as you know."

His words had a hint of teasing, and Hurst sighed in response. The friend that was nothing but a hate-it-all was now an ancient character with a history as deep as the ocean. It made him a bit uneasy, because how could he trust him like before?

"I want to know why you chose Abe."

"We two are alike, and he was going to die, so I signed a deal with him. Do not misunderstand. Your brother's death was the reason that I managed to save his friend."

"How is a lazy person with no ambitions can be the same as an immortal?" asked Hurst with confusion. Abe turned toward him and grinned, revealing an intrigued expression.

"Are you jealous because you want to be an immortal yourself?" asked the Healer Guardian as he walked back toward the knight. "Tell me, do you want to replace Abraham yourself?"

"I would never," shrugged the knight without a hint of deceit. "I am merely curious about what you two have in common. It would help me trust you more. After all, you seemed to be the friend of that vampire."

"Allies do not have to be friends," answered Abe coldly before he turned back toward the window. "Your friend shared a similar mindset to mine. I do not want trouble, and I have no energy for it. All I want is to rebuild my kingdom, surrounded by my sanctuary."

"Then, tell me what happened to it?"

His question went unanswered for a while. Hurst could see the man's reflection in the window as it grew dark outside. The green eyes looked downward, twinkling sad lights flashing through them.

"I was betrayed by the one person who loved life as much as I did. I allowed them into my sanctuary and gave them one of my beloved trees to live on. When the time came, they chose to forsake what we have for the greater good, and they thought of themselves as a hero."

"You sound like a maiden in love," Hurst leaned back after digesting the information. "However, can't you forgive them for doing the right thing?"

His words were the spark that ignited barrels of rage in the ancient guardian. Hurst could not breathe, and the room started shaking because of Abe's anger as he turned. The carefree eyes were gone, replaced by the wrathful lights of hell.

"His actions were not right towards me," the guardian gnashed his teeth. "I wanted nothing but to live inside my kingdom, away from humans. However, he punished me as well, despite everything I did for him."

Hurst found himself unable to say anything toward the demon from hell. This rage made him realize that the person in front of him was indeed an ancient god, but the aura soon disappeared.

"I apologize," said Abe as he covered his eyes. "Love, huh?"

Hurst could not process what he meant, but a knock interrupted their conversations. The door was pushed open to reveal the vampire from before, also known as the ancient one.

"Rage does not suit you well, Healer Guardian," said the Ancient One while walking inside. "The preparations are ready. I need your help for the revival."

"I want to warn the king first," Abe replied with a frown. The Ancient One paused, and a breeze made his hair dance lightly. Hurst could see that he did not like this but agreed nonetheless.

"You can find him in the throne room," said the vessel before leaving the room. Abe sighed as he walked toward the door, and Hurst jumped to stop him.

"I thought we are going to stop this madness, not enable it," shouted the knight lightly. Abe stopped walking, and it was his chance to convince him. "I know I am too weak to demand anything, but we had a promise."

"I know, Hurst," muttered Abraham. "However, if I stop him now, then that man will not appear. I need to meet him again for revenge and to warn him."

"This sentiment... you are talking about the same person from earlier, right? The one who betrayed you for the greater good? And you want to sacrifice all these people just to meet him?"

"You met the king, and he is unfit to rule this kingdom. This is a chance to save this nation at the expense of a few lives. Furthermore, some of the knights have already turned against the king."

Hurst knew that his friend's words were true. The king was an ill choice to rule, which was the sole reason Hurst wanted to follow his friend. There was no crown to save because the crown was the culprit.

"I bet you are feeling lost because the one thing you served is now the one you need to kill," smiled Abe as he turned around. "However, don't worry. I will help you to find the right path again."

***

Solomon stared at the empty throne room, filled with plants that the Healer Guardian wielded. It never occurred to him that to revive his beloved would require the aid of another vessel.

The sound of footsteps pulled him out of his reverie and compelled him to look at the knight and god. It made him filled with envy to stare at Abraham, who was chosen as the vessel.

"I want to know why you didn't choose me," muttered Solomon from his throne. "None of this would have happened if I had your power."

"I will never choose someone tainted with the powers of creation," spat Abe as he walked to stand in front of the throne. "You are a Seika, too."

"How is that related?"

"You cannot possibly understand," smiled the guardian. "This ability of yours is not the world loving you, but loving a certain man, a man I loathe."

"A certain man?" repeated the king with confusion. "Are you saying that a certain man bestows these powers?"

"It is not bestowed but planted," grinned Abe as he pointed the finger at the king. "You are nothing but a seed that is waiting to be harvested. He shall return and take away what is his."

The king chuckled, unable to care any less about the threat. It seems the Healer Guardian knew that much, and he lowered his finger, a sigh escaping his mouth.

"You remind me of corpses," said the guardian. "Are you sure you want to do this revival? I have a few warnings to say about this."

"Enlighten me, God of Life."

"First, this is an act of disharmony. The world will reject the revived person, cursing it with anguish. Second, the memories and the soul will be brought back, but a different body will be used."

"A different body?" frowned the king.

"The powers of the Ancient One aren't suitable for revival or the matter of souls. He will use the powers of a different calamity to tear a hole into the void and steal the soul of your beloved. However, it will be akin to a summoning of a monster."

"Then, the person will have the body of a monster..." muttered Hurst with dread.

"Are you still willing to take this risk?"

"Is there another method to bring a person back? The Seika of Living Beings brought a girl back to life, the one downstairs," the king spread his arms with desperation.

"I believe that her death was recent, and maybe only that man can truly bring a soul back without the curse. Unfortunately, however, the body cannot be regenerated after all this time."

'...why?'

This was the thought that filled the king's mind. His life was miserable ever since he was born in this world as if someone was guiding him by the hand from one misfortune to another.

He wanted to know why he had to be cursed with this fate. There were millions of people out there, so why didn't he get to live a simple life?

"There is no reason," the guardian muttered. "I know that look on your face. You want to know why this happened, how it could have been prevented, but there is truly no reason."

"Am I supposed to live on knowing that?"

"That is the true challenge of life. So, I advise you against doing this revival, and you can always find someone new."

"And how can you understand? There can't be a new person, because there is only one for me. These memories haunt me, and I can't let go."

"I understand," nodded Abraham. "I wanted to warn you, nothing else. However, please listen to the third warning. If you want to bring someone back, you have to give something in return. After that, you will have her back."