MMORPG : Ancient WORLD

400 Promises

'I will kill that son of a bitch,' Alex thought, his surrounding a sight of devastation.

The floor was littered with the wreckage of robotic bodies, but the act of letting his fist loose, instead of aiding him to calm his emotions, only fueled his anger, pushing his rage to a new boiling point.

Alex's right arm was shattered in multiple places, the flesh on both knuckles gone, and his body adorned with numerous injuries, yet not an ounce of pain was visible in his eyes besides only the turbulent emotions and seething rage were evident.

Alex had often thought that the impending doom coming for the Human Continent was because of him, but confirming this knowledge made him sick to the core.

Alex couldn't find comfort in the truth that the cycle of destruction was going to begin sooner than later, and it would engulf the world no matter what he did, and there was nothing he or anyone could do to change that fate.

As for the message Ahrimon gave him about the system and the mysterious entity behind it, he could not care less about it.

Alex believed the third guardian more than he did Ahrimon simply because one was not responsible for plunging the world into chaos and causing an untold number of casualties, but that didn't mean he took any of their words at face value.

Alex would not leave his position as the Ruler because doing so would mean turning his back to the entirety of the Ancient world and letting it burn when he very well has a chance to rescue it.

As for what fate awaited him as a Ruler, he would deal with it when the time came.

'First, it was the champion of Greed, and now it was the Champion of Lust and both times, I suffered mockery all because I am weak,'

'I am too weak to even stand my ground against those puppets, but I promise I will hunt all of them in three years and do the same to their masters in the future,' Alex thought, his head raised toward the ceiling.

It was not an empty promise or one made in the influence of his emotional state, but one made with absolute clarity, as he understood that to make good on his promise, he needed to have strength similar to an Elemental Ruler.

Alex knew reaching the Elemental Ruler stage in three years, even if he did just the bare minimum to advance through the Ranks, was nearly impossible, but reaching Sixth Rank was possible if he did the work.

So, at that moment, Alex decided that besides the bare minimum of activities, he would only focus on improving his strength and nothing else.

After spending some time in silence to regain control over his emotions, Alex moved into the VR capsule to receive the life serum treatment.

As his flesh and bones were being healed, Alex began to examine the whole situation to see if Ahrimon had more to gain from this situation than meets the eyes.

Alex believed that Ahrimon wanted him to leave the Ruler position because he was a great threat to his plans, but this conclusion only raised further questions.

Despite having the means and intelligence to isolate Alex and create a prime opportunity for elimination, Ahrimon didn't even make an attempt on his life, only telling him to join his side.

First, Ahrimon used the Demon Invasion to create an opportunity to meet Alex, and he made the Human Emperor fall into slumber and had one of his subjects stand ready to deliver his message.

In both situations, Ahrimon showed his influence, yet more than that, he showed how he was capable of predicting and manipulating Alex's actions as he desired.

Alex believed that Ahrimon didn't make a move on his life because he was being protected by the mysterious entity, but this also meant while he was safe, the same was not true for the people around him.  

As much as Alex hated the fact, he feared Ahrimon even though he was caged on a continent and posed no threat to him, yet that cunning bastard was a monster with there being no line he would not cross to achieve his goals.

Alex did not even realize that by putting this fear in his mind, ultimately making him strive to become stronger, Ahrimon achieved his goal, and while his biggest enemy knew about his motives, she could do nothing but wait and hope for the best.

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(Four Hours Later)

Alex opened his eyes in the king's chamber, with Varon and his two guardians standing by his side with visibly worried expressions.

"Domain Ruler, I apologize for being incompetent," Elder Darrien said, his proud head bent down.

"Elders, Please don't blame yourself," Alex said, his voice panicking a bit as he realized that his absence had created a misunderstanding.

Alex began explaining what had happened and told them how Ahrimon was playing mind games with him, as he desired him to leave his position as Ruler just like last time, which he would not do, and they could be certain of it.

Alex further shared that the reason he went offline was because being helpless twice, and both times against opponents not truly stronger than him, didn't sit well with him, and he required some time alone.

"None of us could have foreseen what unfolded, and thankfully, nothing major transpired, so let's just forget it as a small bad event," Alex said, concluding the explanation.

'If I want to become stronger, then I need to grow out of the comfort of knowing that I am not in danger of true death,' Alex thought, keeping it himself.

Alex understood that, although the protection had a minor impact on his mentality, it functioned as a dependable safety net. However, after experiencing helplessness twice, he recognized that even the safety net had its limitations.

"I will not fail you or the Domain, whose survival depends upon you again," Elder Darrien said, his cold eyes reflecting unwavering determination.

'Even if it means I must cross the line,' Elder Darrien contemplated silently, keeping the thought to himself.

"What is the condition of the Human Emperor," Alex asked after a moment of silence.

"The Emperor has experienced a devastating injury to his soul, and while Elmara has begun the healing process and while he will recover with serenity, it will take a few months before he will be well enough to regain consciousness," Varon said, with an unusual calm to his voice.

"Can't we use the Nirvana Elixir?" Alex questioned, knowing the emperor was required to make any progress in interfering with Ahrimon's plans.

"She has utilized it, but even it could only heal the injury to his soul with time because it was truly a bad one, and if he was not given the Elixer, then he would have died in six to seven months at best," Varon said, making the words that bitch delivered ring in his mind.

"Do we not have any means to heal the Emperor in less time?" Alex questioned, not realizing that if there was a way, the guardians would have utilized it, knowing what was at stake.

"The soul is one's origin, and restoring damage to an intact soul is quick with the right cure, but restoring a soul that possessed become broken in any way is extremely challenging and is time-consuming,"

"The Emperor has a section of his soul deformed, and there is nothing we can do to heal it quicker," Varon said, making Alex want to curse out loud.