Chapter 96 Rast: I Have Few Friends (Two-in-One)
Headquarters of the Guardians, Watchtower.
Waves crashed onto the shore, bringing layers of overlapping and faintly audible sounds of the tide.
Rast listened to what the Guardian leader Cecil was saying, only to feel that the amount of information provided was overly complicated.
Let me… lead the Guardians to overturn that so-called “Paradise,” or say the Netherworld.
And act as an insider, infiltrating the Gravekeepers?
“Destruction of that rumored ‘Paradise,’ that’s something I can somewhat understand…”
“Because the so-called pure land that can isolate all disasters sounds like an unrealistic fantasy.”
After all, according to Rast’s past experiences, if someone suddenly told him there was a high-paying job abroad with no overtime and two days off every week… then the probability was that the person had his kidney in mind.
If he really went, he couldn’t blame them for being heartless.
“But—”
Rast looked at Cecil before him.
“What does it mean to become a spy infiltrating the ‘Gravekeepers’?”
This was the first time he had heard the name “Gravekeepers.”
But—
For a legend to speak about it with such caution, it meant that there must be great secrets involved.
In fact, as soon as he heard this word, Rast felt the “Chariot·Instinct” card he was equipped with faintly flickering.
He had a vague premonition that the name “Gravekeepers”…
Might be related to the history of the Sixth Epoch, even the truth about Canaan that he had been continuously exploring, or even the entire Night World.
As Rast’s question hung in the air,
Cecil’s gaze suddenly became serious.
He shifted his sight away from the azure sea surface in front of him.
The next moment, a pale golden light quietly expanded around Cecil as its center.
It turned into an invisible field of pale golden light, enveloping the ground that he and Rast stood upon.
“The ‘Gravekeepers.'”
“This is the name of a secret organization.”
“And also the greatest hypothetical enemy that generations of Guardians… have constantly sought and vigilantly watched day and night.”
Cecil’s voice echoed in the room, but the sound waves silently dissipated as they reached the boundaries of the pale golden field.
All discussions and information between the two were constrained within that invisible barrier, with not even a hint of a leak possible.
This is some kind of confidentiality soundproof barrier?
Rast looked at the pale golden silence barrier, feeling a slight stir in his heart.
Of the seventeen known sequence tiers in the current world, there was no record of a similar sequence ability, and it seemed that Cecil had not activated an extraordinary item just now.
In other words, this was Cecil’s Night Blade, or in today’s terms, his supernatural ability?
But Cecil had clearly mentioned before that he had also used prophetic abilities to discern Rast’s past, which was suspected to be that of an immortal.
The same person’s Night Blade could exert two radically different, unconnected abilities…
Such familiarity brought about some associations in Rast.
“All of this was told to me by my teacher after I was chosen as the next leader of the Guardians.”
“Apparently, the first generation that created the Guardians was once among them…”
“However, because they did not agree with the ideology of the Gravekeepers, the first generation chose to rebel and established the later Guardians.”
“And everything about the Gravekeepers became the biggest secret within the organization, only circulated among a very few past leaders.”
Cecil’s words were calm.
On the other hand, Rast’s expression remained unchanged, yet he listened intently.
This was quite the explosive revelation.
Even the organization founded by someone who had rebelled from the Gravekeepers had become the light of human civilization today, the final defense line with legends stationed.
So what kind of existence was the core of the Gravekeepers?
However, from Cecil’s words, it was clear that the stance of the Gravekeepers was not on the same side as the Guardians.
“Since I became the leader of the Guardians… many years have passed.”
“Over the years, I have been searching for the whereabouts of the Gravekeepers, yet I have found nothing.”
“But I know, they are right there.”
Cecil’s words carried a sense of weariness that did not match his appearance: “From the dawn of the epoch, when the flames of civilization first ignited, to the golden age of flourishing civilization, and then to the catastrophic period when civilization declined, turning tumultuous and chaotic.”
“From the sprouting of stories to the final curtain of epics… they lie dormant in the shadows of history, ever-present.”
“And the previous silence of the Gravekeepers was merely because their time had not yet come.”
Mister—
As the leader of the Guardians, is it really okay to exalt the other party’s prestige like this?
Aren’t you afraid that I will lose confidence in the organization?
However, looking at Cecil before him, Rast still spoke up.
In this world, knowledge equated to power, and the more secretive the knowledge, the more it was in the hands of the strong.
An opportunity like the current one, to converse freely with a legend, was rare indeed.
After all, in the current world, it wasn’t even certain if there were any legends still alive.
Moreover, Cecil didn’t seem to be the type that spoke in riddles; he had to seize the opportunity to clarify some things.
“So, leader…”
Rast carefully weighed his words: “Do you have a grudge against them?”
“It is not I who have a grudge against them, but the Guardians and the Gravekeepers are at odds.”
A smile appeared on Cecil’s aged face.
“The Guardians, ‘the Watchers of the Shore.'”
“Regardless of the cost, we must keep all pollution and enemies at bay beyond the Broken Coast… watching over the last pathway to let the sparks of civilization survive; this is the meaning of the Guardians’ existence.”
“And the ‘Gravekeepers,’ as the name implies, are the ones who guard the tombs.”
“The so-called tombs… are the graves that bury civilization.”
Cecil’s words echoed: “If there are no tombstones to guard, then naturally, the Gravekeepers will also cease to exist.”
“If we say that the Guardians are the sustainers of epochs and civilizations.”
“Then the Gravekeepers are the ones who draw the curtain on all stories, on all grand chapters and magnificent epics.”
“Thus, this hatred is not dependent on any individual’s will; it is unending and inextinguishable.”
“And now.”
“In their eyes, the end of the epoch, the node of civilization’s curtain call… is probably near.”
“The Gravekeepers have long been lurking for countless years, knowing our every move, while we know nothing about them.”
“If this continues…”
“When the end of the epoch truly arrives, and the final chapter of civilization unfolds, we will find ourselves in an extremely disadvantageous position.”
Cecil’s gaze fell upon Rast, his expression profound.
“Destroying Paradise and overturning the Netherworld might seem extraordinarily important to others at high levels—”
“But for you, it’s just a guise; you can act as it comes.”
“Your true purpose is to use this matter as an opportunity to find a way to contact the Gravekeepers.”
“That artifact of the God of d*ath bears special significance to the Gravekeepers, and considering they believe the end of the epoch is approaching and are restless, they should not miss this opportunity.”
“Of course, this will undoubtedly be a task with a high probability of failure and may very well be akin to hitting a moth to a flame.”
“Not to mention, during the process of overturning Paradise, you might encounter high-tier powerhouses and possibly true legends.”
“Even if everything goes smoothly, and you truly manage to gain the Gravekeepers’ trust… it will equally mean that you will bear the title of a traitor in the eyes of your companions.”
“Maybe for your entire life, you can’t wash away the stigma, regain your innocence, and return to the Guardians.”
Cecil stared deeply at Rast.
“Thus, whether you take on this mission depends solely on your choice.”
“After all, inserting an unwilling spy is meaningless; this task cannot be accomplished by coercion.”
“If you refuse to accept this task, I will only erase this part of your memory related to the Gravekeepers.”
“Besides that… the promise of granting you knowledge of the Tower Sequence still stands.”
【Now, fate splits before your eyes into two unrelated lines.】
【Wherever they eventually lead will be determined by your choices.】
【Tip: This node is an important divergence point that will directly affect the specific direction of the Echoes of the Era. Travelers should treat it with caution.】
Within the spiritual realm, azure text lit up once more.
However, Rast ignored the flashing text in his mind.
He looked at Cecil, whose eyes held profound meaning: “Why did you choose me, leader?”
In terms of tier, strength, perhaps there was not a second legend within the Guardians, but there were certainly other Tier Five and Six extraordinary individuals…
To destroy “Paradise” and overthrow a nation, naturally, the stronger the power, the better.
With his small frame, even with the extraordinary knowledge given by Cecil, he had quickly broken through Tier Three and Tier Four, but his power still fell short before Tier Six.
And regarding his status and contribution among the Guardians, Rast did not think he could surpass many seniors based on just two experiences in the Night World.
In the organization, he must be a rather unremarkable presence.
“Firstly, it’s because you are the first immortal I have met aside from myself.”
“I don’t know, nor do I care how you maintained such a young appearance for a hundred years.”
Cecil appeared to have anticipated that Rast would ask this question: “But the past that I can discern using my prophetic Night Blade, the Gravekeepers can do the same.”
“They pride themselves as the guardians of civilization’s tomb and the Epic Tombstones, standing above history.”
“In the eyes of the Gravekeepers, ordinary humans with a lifespan of just over a hundred years… are merely inconspicuous grains of sand in history, dust that could be eroded by time at any moment; they have no value in making contact.”
“Secondly—”
Cecil’s elderly gaze locked onto Rast, much like an aging lion watching over a newly born cub in its pride.
“Although it is merely some imperceptible intuition, I sense something special within you.”
“The organization isn’t devoid of powerful elites with unwavering faith. They are kind, upright, brave… fitting the fantasies of knights and heroes that people have.”
“But whether they are heroes, warriors, or knights… they can merely do the straightforward things as depicted in fairy tales and stories.”
“But what we are facing now is far from the simple situations found in fairy tales.”
“Proceeding step by step and continuing down the seemingly correct path would ultimately lead to a dead end.”
Cecil paused for a moment: “They, including myself, seem to lack certain elements compared to you; things that are far more important than sheer strength.”
“Some sort of hysterical, almost obsessive madness…”
“I can’t clearly define what that is or differentiate if it’s good or bad, but I wish to trust my instincts.”
“Perhaps—”
“You can do some things beyond my expectations.”
…
The air fell into a brief silence.
After a moment, Rast broke the quiet.
“Okay.”
“But before executing the plan to overturn Paradise—”
“I want to see with my own eyes what the place called ‘Paradise’ really is… whether it truly needs to be destroyed.”
“Of course.”
Cecil nodded: “Guardians must see with their own eyes to fulfill their duties.”
“And besides, there’s no need to rush this plan. Focus on strengthening your abilities at headquarters for now. You can set out once everything is well prepared.”
“Additionally, you may choose companions to accompany you to ‘Paradise’ during this time… Although they will not play a role in your connection with the Gravekeepers, they can provide significant assistance in the early stages.”
“For example, the girl named Grey.”
“Although she’s just a newcomer, her sequence tier is quite special; even Tier Six extraordinary beings may not be able to harm her.”
“And she seems to know you, so she should be able to offer you quite a bit of help.”
Rast responded affirmatively and turned to leave.
Just as his figure was about to disappear at the door, Cecil saw him suddenly stop in his tracks.
“Oh, leader, I have one last question I’d like to ask.”
Cecil paused, “What question?”
“Leader Cecil.”
The boy hesitated for a moment.
“By the way, do we… count as friends now?”
Such an offbeat statement made Cecil chuckle unexpectedly.
“Of course, I have few friends left in this old life—”
“Having one more is no problem.”
(End of Chapter)
