CH 73

After finally calming the young boy down, the lingering consciousness left behind by the Zel of the dismal future and the nine-year-old Zel of the present had ultimately come to a mutual understanding. The notable two sat in the middle of an immaculate white room, as the remnant Zel left behind using the mana core told to his younger self the futures he had went through. Though only the most important details were shared.

The remnant soul of a battered man and a pure and innocent boy resolutely faced each other as they talked earnestly. One told the story while the other merely listened, rarely commented about it. There were naturally no instances where the curious boy became bored, even on intricate details that shouldn't have made him enthusiastic.

After all, who wouldn't be interested in knowing how their future could possibly turn out. Much less having someone who had seen not only one, but hundreds of such futures.

"So? What did you do next?" The energetic boy was already holding on to the deformed arms of his comfortable seat in justified anger. How could a dignified man take those direct provocations lying down?

"You know, I just..." Zel thought about how he objectively acted in the final days he had in the last time he used his foresight. He was genuinely concerned about his image to the awaiting boy as he didn't want him to think he was a man that only thought with his fists. Though he did do exactly that.

The furious Zel instinctively took a mighty deep breathe to inadvertently help keep a calm facade.

"I killed them all." After a short period of time, he spoke grimly in a toneless voice that would solemnly make anyone experience a nervous chill in their understanding hearts.

"Good! I would have massacred them with you if I could!" The burning red faced nine-year-old Zel punched the air aggressively.

His youthful body was bursting with boundless energy as he had released the created tension from hearing about his possible future go off in one full steam. Though he started with just listening, he had actually started seeing a few glimpses of that future. Like he was actually there, but only as an impartial spectator. Something that the remnant wasn't expecting to happen, or didn't even consider to happen.

"Huh? That's a little too violent for a kid to say." Nearly falling out of his chair, the preserved remnant was genuinely shocked to receive such an uncompromising answer. Notably when he remarked the sharp glint in the boy's eyes.

"But they slaughtered my family! They mercilessly killed my girlfriend too! I won't even care about anything else!" The headstrong boy stood up, shadow boxing the air beside him with so much force that he looked grave.

" Bang. Thud. Ow!"

But when a blue light suddenly appeared when he impulsively threw one strong punch, he weightlessly flew back a few meters before landing on his butt.

" Sigh . I guess I was screwed in the head so early in life, eh?" The older Zel sat back on his chair, wondering uneasily what exactly made the past him this aggressive. He wasn't very sure of his memories from when he was at this age, but he was sure of one thing. He wasn't like this when he was at this age. He's changed too much, perhaps that's what he needed.

It is possible those impassioned dreams he sent out earlier were actually affecting him more than he would have thought. Good thing he didn't convey him anything sexual, or he might suffer with a more critical problem in his hands.

The innocent boy was still only nine years old after all. If he was to act like him when he basically lived for hundreds of years, then that would be strange. That's why he needed to leave something behind, to guide the boy. If he just gave him the power, the abilities, then he wouldn't know what to expect from the future. 

"Eh? But what else were you supposed to do? Forgive them?" The careless boy gently kneaded his hurting bottom while weakly trying to go back to his seat. He is still unlearned when it comes to the handling of mana. The time for that will come, but it wasn't right now.

"Hell no! I'd rather die! Whoosh. " The miserable remnant's glowing eyes suddenly grew much brighter as a sacred wall of indigo flames came from behind him. Though the young boy didn't feel an ounce of heat. He was getting used to the overwhelming mana displayed by his future self. If it was like before, he'd be losing breath while clutching his chest in pain.

The display, however, made the remnant perceive his body getting weaker. Though only slight, it was something that he can neglect. It was because he couldn't refill his mana storage. Making it a senseless mistake that he could have avoided.

He heaved a deep sigh before confronting the now awestruck boy. " Sigh. But that was then, this is right now. Even if I failed over and over again in the future, the matters of this past wouldn't be affected. When I decided to go back, those realities have all turned to nothing."

Bobbing his head, the boy gave out his thoughts on the matter. "So, you're saying you came back to this time because you, or was it me? Fucked up?"

A bewildered look was already forming on his youthful face as he reflected on what was true and what was not? It is not as if he could completely take this all in stride. But it was his heart, his very soul that made him trust this man. This would be future that he does not want to happen, at least not all of it.

"All things considered, the earth itself would be fine. It's solely you, or me, that's fucked by everyone else." The remnant thrust his fists in the air in evident frustration. Instantly producing an identical type of projectile as the young boy had shown earlier. Though this one appeared considerably smaller, the concentrated indigo light created a much denser spectacle.

Even though the spectacle wasn't as grand as the boy's earlier, it was much more intimidating. The projectile went much faster than what the previous one had been. It was only when an explosion rang out from behind the young Zel that he realized he had a lot to learn.

The remnant was somehow aware of his thoughts, as they merely looked each other in the eyes after the fact. For just a few seconds, the man and the boy identified a connection between them. As a few more slips in the remnants memories was eagerly absorbed by the young boy.

Memories that only sped up the process of synchronization. 

" Sigh. Sigh. " Both Zel's sighed in gradual exhaustion. Though having someone to talk intimately about it has undoubtedly helped the older Zel in carefully clearing his chaotic thoughts, reasonably making him more confident in the probable success of his next move.

"So? Do you now understand what I'm requesting of you?"

The remnant stood up, gently stretching his brawny arms and nimble legs. His chiseled body was already encased in a loose robe that obscured everything that needs to be hidden. Yet there was no way to completely block the man's physique.

He walked leisurely towards a prominent corner of the luxurious room where a small indigo sphere hovered and daintily picked it up, preparing himself for his functional integration.

He was just about to initiate the process when he noticed the boy not moving or responding affirmatively to him. He was merely staring at him pitifully.

"But wouldn't it be unfair for you? Why can't you just go back to the future when you accomplish what you said you'd do? We owe these wicked people nothing! Why not just save ourselves?"

It wasn't reasonable, none of it was. Why does a magnanimous man who merely wants to defend his loved ones have to suffer just for the sake of everyone else? Why can't he just, not help? Or even if he wanted to help, why does it have to benefit anyone he doesn't care about?

"If you don't do this, then there won't be anything left to love. I know, because I tried."

Playing around with the glowing sphere as if it was an ordinary ball, the remnant courteously gave his young self a gentle smile. "On top of that, there is no more future for me to go back to. I'm nothing but a dream now, just like the ones I had in the past."

"But the future can still be altered, why don't you just go back now and fix it with your time energy? Sniff. Sniff. " The boy went closer, holding on to the remnant's magnificent robe. His upturned eyes had already started tearing up. His fate wasn't bound to anything, which meant the remnant should be the same.

If he was as powerful as he assuredly said he was, then why can't he just solve the problems with it?

" Sigh. It's not a simple problem kid. When you try to push people away with force, they merely discover a hole to break inside anyway. That's the critical problem with my timeline. There are too many rats. But this one, the one we're going to properly build, it will be one where we won't give those rats any chance."

The remnant squatted down, wiping away the compassionate boy's sentimental tears. He could grasp his thoughts, and the intentions he expressed were real. Perhaps that's what he required to be a better man, a more legitimate king.

"Besides, aren't you me anyway? As long as you do what it tells you to do, then that's essentially doing me a favor. Haha." Delivering the boy a light punch in the chest, he laughed the tense atmosphere off. He didn't immediately start, sincerely wanting to hear from the boy a key promise. One that will forge the path for a more promising future.

"... Nod ." The young Zel looked at the capable man's gentle smile and merely nodded. He wiped away the rest of the emotional tears, revealing eyes that were now much more focused. He had knowingly made up his mind. "Fine! But I'm not going to be like you! I'll be a true king!"

"Haha! Good! Just remember to do everything with all your heart, that's enough for me." The remnant once again stood up and placed the indigo sphere right before his forehead. The divine flames that typically surrounded him then burned more brightly, ostensibly creating a gilded cage around the young boy.

The young Zel watched all this with unwavering eyes, wiping away the snot he had made earlier until he thought of something. " Sniff . But, what about your girlfriend?"

"It's alright now, kid. Everything is all up to you, now. I believe in you."

As the flames burned bright, the walls around them collapsed. Revealing the beautiful landscape that had always been behind it.