《Mysteries and Memories》 Ch:-001 The Wishing Stone "You''ve come, Alex." Alex''s gaze was cold as he looked at the young man who had called him. The scene before him was drenched in death, hundreds of lifeless bodies lay scattered across the blood-soaked ground. Yet, amidst the carnage, the young man stood untouched, his clothes immaculate, not a single speck of dust on his pristine appearance. "Why did you kill them? They were the last humans alive and you killed them... Why Roman?" Alex''s dark blue eyes were focused on Roman, but he was in an awful state. His black hair was soaked in monster blood, and the armor was broken and cracked in many places. "you will not understand... Alex. This is for the humanity." Roman calmly let out, "For the humanity? Don''t make me laugh." Alex spoke coldly. After the last quantum break, only one hundred or so people had survived and in that only four were heroes who had the power to fight against the nightmarish monsters. For the last stretch, Alex and the other two heroes went to divert the attention of the monsters from these humans. While Roman stayed with them for protection but who knew that he would do something like this. Nobody saw this coming, not Alex, not the other heroes that died trying to divert the attention of the monster, not even the humans who respected Roman and gave him the title of "The brightest of them all." He wanted to kill Roman, but before he could do something, Roman moved, in the blink of an eye, he came in front of Alex and pushed a dagger into one of the cracks of his armor and through his heart. Alex was petrified as Roman laid him on the burned ground. "I am sorry, trust me I will make this right, just rest." Roman looked at Alex calmly, who struggled but slowly he stopped moving. Roman, without care of what he had done, stood up and started looking at a stone in his hand. He walked forward on the barren earth, with a thumb-sized gem in my hand, and let out. "This will not be our end, I promise you all, please believe me, after all I am your hero. Check for the condition" An angelic voice spoke, [Checking for the Conditions to Activate The Wishing Stone.] [Checking for the first condition: The entity must possess energy to activate The Wishing Star.] [The Condition is Met!] [Checking for the second condition: The entity must be in a state of temporal stability and no external time alterations should affect them.] [The Condition is Met!] [Checking for the third condition: The event must occur in absolute isolation with no intelligent life within a 1-light-year radius.] [Error!! Condition Not Met!!] Roman was confused, his golden eyes tensed as he felt a sharp dagger on his neck. It was the same dagger he had used to kill Alex. "How?" Alex''s heavy breath fell on Roman''s ear. "Just because I was the weakest, you guys looked down upon me. Was it my fate that I was not able to be a good hero for the people? You know...I wish I had a chance, then I would show you, all of you, who I was, who I could have become. Just to spite you all, I would be the strongest one out there." Alex leaned heavily on Roman''s back and used every bit of his energy to keep him from making any movements. [The Wish has been asked for, please complete the requirements.] "Shit...Alex, you have to understand..." Roman tried to reason but Alex interjected, he did not give Roman any chances. "If this is how the end of humanity is written...then so be it." Slit!! Blood spread from Roman''s neck, he was in shock. He tried to cover his neck but then he remembered that this was his enchanted knife and the wounds from it wouldn''t heal. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He slowly fell to the ground, still with his eyes open. On his last breath, he heard. [Condition meet!! Activating the wishing stone...!] This was the last thing he heard before he died. Alex was also on the ground, all the strength in his body was leaving him. His body was not able to heal the wound that Roman gave him. Slowly, he was also dying, "What a great run it was...goddess, looks like this nightmare is finally over. " His eyes fell on the moon. 10 years ago, it was one of the most beautiful things in the night sky but now it was in pieces. He still remembered how it was destroyed and how its destruction brought the doom of humanity. Humanity, who had contended against Abyss for decades, would lose so quickly.... Just then an Angelic voice came to his ears. [Condition meet!! Activating the wishing stone...!] The gem in Roman''s hand floated in the air and shined brightly. Alex was barely alive, he could see a bright light shining in front of him. ''Is this what happens after you die?'' He questioned himself, The bright light spread, slowly covering everything in his visions. Then everything went dark. ---------- The newsroom is dimly lit, and the usual bright and lively atmosphere is replaced with a somber, heavy tone. Samantha was also tense, but she still maintained her calm expression, after all, she was a news anchor, and it was her job to calmly present the news to their viewers. Seated beside her was Michael Reeves, a renowned A-rank Hunter from the United Front, a man with a reputation that spoke for itself. He was striking-tall, well-built, with sharp and knowing eyes that studied everything with quiet curiosity. He wore a calm smile, unfazed by the cameras or the weight of the discussion about to unfold. Under normal circumstances, Samantha might have engaged him in light conversation, maybe even a little playful banter. But today the atmosphere in the studios was somber, after all, today was The Day of calling. Her hands clenched briefly under the table before she forced them to relax. She couldn''t afford to break now. ''The Calling will be here soon. Did Alexie wake up? Damn it... let''s just get this over with.'' From behind the camera, the director gave a silent cue. "Samantha, let''s start." She took a deep breath. Michael turned to her, waiting. The camera zoomed in, and she met its gaze and spoke. "Good Morning, to all our viewers." Her voice was steady but carried the weight of the day''s meaning. "I am sure everyone knows what today is. Ten years have passed since the previous Calling. Countless young men and women will be marked today, Families across the world will be watching their sons and daughters vanish before their eyes, not knowing if they will ever return." "To discuss this, we are joined by Michael Reeves, A-rank Hunter of the United Front. Michael, welcome." Michael inclined his head slightly and spoke calmly "For 200 years, this has been normal, Samantha, The Calling is our reality. Those chosen don''t get a choice. They will be marked, taken to complete different challenges, and if they survive... they return Awakened. Stronger. More than human." Samantha leaned forward, her voice trembling. "And if they don''t?" she pressed. "If they fall? We don''t even get to burn them, Michael! We don''t even know where they go! Do you know how many parents wake up every year on this day, terrified?" Michael had a long pause, his fingers tapping the desk. "I know. And I hate it just as much as you do. But we can''t deny what the Calling has done for humanity. Without it, we wouldn''t have the Awakened, we wouldn''t have the mana and magitech, we wouldn''t have the warriors protecting us, and we wouldn''t be able to deal with the Gates or the Layering. The ones who survive... they are the reason we are still here." "So that justifies it? Does that make it okay? This isn''t a draft, Michael-this is a lottery of life and death. No training. No warnings. Just an invisible hand that plucks them away from their homes and drops them into some unknown battlefield. And all we can do is wait and hope that maybe...just maybe...they''ll survive." Anger was creeping into her voice, while Michael was composed and thoughtful. "It isn''t fair. It never was. But Samantha... you''ve seen them. The ones who return. They come back changed. Powerful. Almost godlike. The Calling forces them to adapt, to overcome. That''s the real cruelty of it. We need them. And the only way to make them is through pain." From behind the cameras, the director gave a subtle thumbs-up. The discussion was raw and compelling. Exactly what they wanted. But Samantha wasn''t playing a role. This wasn''t just a story. This was her life. "We need them, but do they need this?" she asked, her voice softer now, more fragile. "Does any of this make us worthy of survival? What about the ones who don''t make it? We call them sacrifices. But do they even have a choice to fight?" Michael sighed, rubbing his temples. "We don''t know, Samantha. We never have. The only truth we have is that the strong return, and the weak... disappear. No answers. No explanations. Just a silent loss that the world has learned to accept." Samantha softly shook her head, after all, she did not want her brother to die. "Maybe that''s the worst part. That we''ve learned to accept it." A heavy silence falls over the newsroom. The camera lingers on their faces. Samantha, her eyes filled with quiet rage and sorrow; Michael, his expression weary and resigned. Suddenly, every electronic flickered and lost its power, everyone looked around in confusion. "It has started." Michael quickly stood up and walked out of the newsroom, and Samantha followed him As they walked out. A deep, Angelic voice filled the air. Everyone in the newsroom tensed, [Citizens of Earth, heed this message.] [After ten years, the Time of Calling has come.] [The chosen have been marked. They will face the Challenges. They will endure, or they will fail. Those who survive will Awaken. Those who fail... will be mourned.] [After please be ready for the call.] [This is the price of power. This is the burden of humanity. May the strong return.] Everyone in the world held their breath. Ch:-002 Vanishing Samantha was stressed. Only she knew how she had managed to exit the building. Any technology not infused with Mana or modified by magic had died, and would remain dead, until the Calling ended. Thank God the lift was enhanced with Magic. The sidewalk was packed with a chaotic sea of people. She had tried booking a cab, but no mana-enabled cars were nearby. "Pick up. Please, pick up." She had called home countless times, but Alex wasn''t answering. Wroom! Wroom! A sleek vehicle pulled up in front of her. It was a PTV, the only ground transport vehicle fully powered by Mana. The door swung open, and inside sat Michael. "Where do you wanna go?" Samantha hesitated for a moment before climbing in. The door shut, and a seatbelt appeared magically and tugged her to the seat. "3rd Block, Marlin District," she said quickly. Michael nodded and accelerated. Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! The sound of the Calling echoed through the vehicle''s speakers. Samantha exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers against her temples. "So, who is it?" Michael asked. "My younger brother," she murmured. Her voice wavered, making Michael instantly regret asking. "I have a sister too..." He gave a weak chuckle. "She''s marked." Samantha frowned. "...Aren''t you going to see her?" Michael laughed again, but this time, it felt a little empty. "...Don''t worry. Family is with her." Ring! Ring! A call flashed on her screen, Robin. Alex''s friend. She snatched up the phone. "Robin! Where is Alex? Why isn''t he picking up?" "That''s why I called, sis. I''ve been trying to reach him for an hour." Samantha''s pulse quickened. Robin continued, "I''m already nearby. I''ll check on him." "Okay. I''m on my way too." A brief silence. Then Robin spoke again. "And, sis..." Samantha tensed. "Yes?" "I was also marked..." The call ended. Samantha sat frozen. Michael, Awakened himself, had heard everything but stayed silent, only tightened his grip on the wheel and drove faster. ---------------------- Almost five km away from Samantha; in a apartment, Alex was sitting on the couch. His face was filled with countless emotion, Anger, Joy, Shock, Confusion. "Just...How? is this why Roman killed all of humans? was that the cost to send a person back in time?...this changes the whole game." he moved his hand and looked at his watch, it showed [11: 28 AM, November 9th, 2260] [Notice!! Global Announcement!! If you are marked, please be ready.!!] Alex ignored the notice, only looked at the time and date, "It was 2281, when everything ended. I was 38, now I am 18...more than 20 years...haha" He let of a subtle laugh thinking about all the things that can be done. "I even came before the Summoning, this time..." DING DONG!! DING DONG!! DING DONG!! DING DONG!! The Door bell bought him out of his thought, he went and opened it. Looking at the person on the door he was stunned. ''"Why the hell you not picking up the calls? what happened? why are you shocked?...oouff" The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Robin was confused by the sudden hug but he did not say anything, only after one or so minutes did Alex loosened his grip. Robin looked at Alex who has some tears in his eye and asked with a understanding face "You got marked, too?" Alex nodded with a smile, '' Oh Robin, I missed you man.'' Robin walked inside and asked "did you learn to summon it?" He had a smug face, Alex could not help his smile; ''They were going to vanish in some time, everyone who was 18th and had been marked are trying to spend this time with there family, but this guy here has come to showoff.'' While Alex and Samantha were Orphan brother and sister, Robin was different; he was the Prince of Marlin, One of the three biggest family in Eden, the city they lived in. While the government was strong and control many thing. If asked, most will say that the families were the real ruler of the world. There were 21 families around the world. They were the one who stood at the top, protecting the world and enjoying its riches. Alex knew that this will change in future as many new families will emerge and many will be destroyed. In the future, even the Marlin family was destroyed, in the previous life after returning Robin as one of most talented joined, Prime guild, while Alex had chosen a third grade guild. While they kept in contact, they were both on different path. He only heard that Robin and most of the powerhouse of Marlin family were caught in a Layering event, and after that Alex never heard of him. He had helped the Marlin family many time in its decline but that did not stop them from getting destroyed. ''This time Marlin family will not be destroyed, I will make sure of it.'' He though while Robin swinged his hand with force. "Heed my call, Awaken For all!!" He spoke calmly, the wind swirled around him and a golden symbol appeared on his forehead, the Symbol was swirling around like a fire but it still kept its shape, A shape of a arrow. "I feel so powered up." Robin was fully enjoying the movement. Alex smiled seeing this, the people who get marked, can summon there Stigma. It was a representation of power that goddess gave them. When summoned they showed the talent and also granted them many abilities and effects. ''I think it was, Golden Arrow of the Irminsul. Fairy level stigma that layers from the another world'', even in this life Alex felt shocked, The Stigma were classified into four levels: Human, Heroic, Fairy, and Divine. Obtaining a Fairy-ranked Stigma or one layered from another world was already rare, but possessing a Stigma that was both Fairy-ranked and layered from another world? That was something truly exceptional. Alex could count on one hand the number of people he had encountered with such a gift. Slowly the wind around Robin disappeared, the mark also vanished. "Now, try to call it like I did." Robin looked at Alex in anticipation, after all Alex was way better than him in training but he just smiled and walked toward the kitchen. "What happened? You don''t wanna try?" "I will try later, do you want to eat something?" ''one of the prerequisites of getting a another Stigma is to never use them before, I will have to be careful and not use that chant or call for its name.'' All types of plans were forming in his''s mind, he knew many thing about the trials but to think of a best way to get all the benefits was hard. "Before eating, talk to your sister. I know giving the news of being marked is hard but you have to do it." Robin said as he rested on the sofa, Behind him, Alex stiffened; as the memories he had long buried deep within his heart surged forward. He struggled to contain them, but his emotions began to slip through. ''what?'' He touched his face and felt drops of tears flowing from both his eyes. "Ok, I am going inside." Alex said and quickly and ran to the other room. Shutting the door he fell on the ground. "My sister...is alive...haha...Roman, you fucking bastard..." He took out his phone from his pocket, it was on silent and filled with countless notification of missed calls, all from his sister, Samantha. Slowly he moved his fingers and clicked on one of the notification. Beep!! Beep!! Click!! "Hello, Alexi. Hey did you get marked? Are you ok? I will be there in ten minutes." The call connected in seconds, listening to his sisters voice, all types of expression appeared on his face, "S..." He tried to answer, but no words came out. "Alexi, are you there?" his sister''s voice came through again, filled with concern. "Y-Yeah, I''m here," Alex forced himself to reply, steadying his voice. "Did you get marked?" Samantha''s voice was filled with worry. "...Yes," There was a brief silence before Samantha spoke again. "...Okay, I''ll be there as soon as possible. Take care of yourself and be ready." "Okay. And, sis..." "Yes?" "I love you. You''re the best sister in the world." Before she could respond, Alex ended the call. He took a deep breath, stood up, and wiped away the tears. After sometime he walked out of the room, "I am making sandwich" "Ok," Seeing that Alex was silent, Robin did not pester. He knew that Alex always cooked food when he needed to focus. So, he just rested on his couch and waited for the calling or the sandwich. As he chopped the vegetables, Alex started to plan. ''The trail is divided into 9 floors, everyone has to pass minimum of three floors to return to Earth. Based on how many floors the human clears, the awakening of the humans are also ranked, First class, Second class and Third class awakening.'' ''In the previous life, I was only able to pass the 3rd floor and returned as a Third rank awaken. But In this life I have to go higher.'' ''I know most of the thing about the first three floor, but to floor above that.. I will have to look for the information.'' Alex gave Robin a brief glance but then again focused on putting mayonnaise on the bread, ''how the hell did he cleared the 4th, 5th and 6th floor?'' Question came into his mind, In his previous life Robin returned as a Second class awaken and coupled with his unique stigma he got lot stronger, and very quickly climbed the rank of geniuses. ''I was left behind in previous life, and even ignored him when he came to meet me, I am sorry Robin.'' As Alex completed making the sandwich, his fist clenched ''Wait for me you fucking bastards, This Crimson Generation will be ruled by me, Alexi Van Stormwatch.'' Just as he looked at his creation with pride; a hand came and picked one of the sandwich. "Can''t you wait? I was bringing it?" Alex said in annoyance, Robin said nothing, he ate the sandwich with on hand and pointed at the his body with the other. Small particles of lights were coming out of it and Robin''s body was slowly disappearing. Alex looked at himself and saw that same thing was happening to him. "Vanishing" a word escape his mouth, and Robin nodded Bang!! Suddenly, The door of the apartment was blown open, Alex and Robin looked and saw Samantha and Michael standing there. "Sis, you are just on time," Robin said as he looked at Samantha, She looked at both of them with tear filled eyes. Walking forward she just silently hugged them. Robin stayed quite, but Alex was felling it hard to control his emotions, after all he was seeing his sister after more than ten years. "Please come back.. don''t leave me alone in this world." [The vanishing is commencing!!] Angelic voice spread across the earth and Alex and Robin disappeared, leaving only Samantha and Michael in the room. Ch:-003 Red Eye Ouch!! Alex felt his back hitting the hard floor. Slowly, with a pained expression, he stood up and looked around. "Everything is the same as before." He was in a white room, on the side was a small bed on it were some clothes and food. As he was looking around a white transparent screen appeared in front of him. A new message appeared on the screen. [You have received a message, would you like to open it?] "Open It," Alex said, and the screen changed [Please choose a weapon!!] The screen displayed six choices: Sword, Spear, Dagger, Bow, Wand and a Gun "What should I choose this time?" his gaze shifted between them. He already knew the kind of challenge he would face. His eyes lingered on the sword, a solid choice, but was too common on this level. The spear brought back memories. In his previous life, it had carried him to the third floor, but against the creatures on the lower levels, it had been frustratingly ineffective. "Sorry, old friend. This time, I need a different path." His eyes moved past the dagger as it was not practical. The bow was too situational. That left two. The wand and the gun. His fingers twitched with hesitation, and with a deep breath, he made his choice. "I choose the gun." A prompt appeared. [Are you sure about your choice?] "Yes, I am." [As you wish. Confirming your choice.] Alex''s expression stiffened, this last voice message was somewhat different, and he knew who it was. ''The Impartial Goddess is intervening? That never happened before.'' "First, my sister who had never reached the apartment in my past life, and now this? What else has changed?" His thoughts were interrupted by another notification. [Your weapon has been delivered. Prepare for the world on the first floor.] As the message vanished, the space in front of him twisted like stretched rubber. The spherical distortion shrank, contracting into a singularity. Alex instinctively stepped back. Boom! A small shockwave rippled through the hall. He steadied his breath, watching the pulsating sphere. "A wormhole... They make it look effortless." Even after two centuries, humanity had barely scratched the surface of true wormhole technology. Only two people had ever possessed a unique stigma allowing them to open one at will. "No... There was a third." His hands clenched. ''After I get out of here, I need to find him.'' His gaze shifted to the bed, a silver briefcase rested on it. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and unlatched it. Inside was a gun and ten magazines. He picked it up and tried it, ''It''s heavy'' This was his first reaction, he released the mag and saw that it was also full of seven bullets. "So, seven bullets and ten extra Mags. 77 bullets in total...this is not enough." There were thousands of monsters on the first floor, to have only 77 bullets looked crippling but there was nothing he could do about that. This was the choice he had to live with. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "But it''s not that bad, for the cold weapon like sword and spear we had to repair it. Looks like there is no restriction on the guns like that, I will just have to buy the bullets from the store till I can use mana." Chi chk!! He reloaded the gun and placed all the extra magazines in the pockets of his pants. "Let''s go then," Alex looked at the pulsating sphere and after taking a deep breath he jumped in it. ----------------------- Alex slowly floated in the dark void, in front of him many white message windows were opening up. [Please be ready for the trials!!] [Status Window can be accessed now!!] [Quest window can be accessed now!!] As the messages ceased, Alex was violently thrown out of the dark void. A blinding light forced him to close his eyes, and when he finally opened them, a breathtaking world unfolded before him. Stretching endlessly in every direction was a vast grassy plain, its emerald expanse swaying under the touch of a soothing breeze. The air was crisp, the world serene, almost inviting. But Alex knew the truth. Beneath this illusion of peace lurked horrors beyond imagination. At first glance, the land resembled Earth, but a closer look revealed the subtle, unsettling differences; the alien structure of the flora, the faint hum in the air that spoke of something unnatural. Above him, the sun burned bright in a sky. Instinctively, he gauged his direction, scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. The vast expanse of mountains going through north covered the land from east to west. On the south was a large stretch of forest and in the middle surrounded with normal sized trees was a Golden tree, its trunk was as large as the biggest mountains, its crown covered whole direction touching the mountain on the both side. "Irminsul, still as majestic as ever." No matter how many times he saw it, he was still awed him. [Quest window has been updated!!] [ Quest Objective: Reach Irminsul Description: Travel the Valor Plains, navigate through the perilous Icarus Forest, and reach the legendary Irminsul. The path is marked, but beware¡ªhidden dangers lurk in the shadows, and not all humans you encounter will be friendly. Time Remaining:- 01:23:59:21 Quest Reward:- Fruit Of the World Tree, 10 Energy Crystals ] Alex looked at the quest window and let out a small laugh. He looked toward the forest one more time then, stated walking north. His destination; The northern mountain opposite of the Irminsul. He was now on in the of Valor Plains, he had to cross it to reach the foothills of the mountains. "To think this was the battlefield, where Vitra race fought against the Perimorphs." He looked at the grassy plain and sighed "No matter who won, at last it was nature that ruled the land." He really wished he could just go around and dig, the spoils of War was just beneath a thin layer of grass. But he could just wish, while this grassy land looked like a vacation spot, it was not. It was filled with creatures that peoples have nightmare about. ''And for them Humans are delicacy.'' He took small and careful step around the grass, trying his best to not disturb any unimaginable nightmare. He had only taken ten or so step, but he suddenly stopped. His whole body and mind screamed, after twenty years of hunting he had experienced it many time. The fear of death. With his peripheral vision, he stated to scan his surrounding. Once, twice... ten times. Finally, he spotted it, A glowing red eye looking at him from behind a thick patch of grass. From a single glance he knew what it was, a Red-Eye Lemin. A big cat like monster with only one red eyes, but the real danger wasn''t in its appearance...it was in the way it hunted. ''It looks alone...but its pack could be near.'' Alex tightened the grip on the gun, his finger was sitting on the trigger ready to fire. In his previous life, he had never encountered a Red-Eye Lemin in Valor Plains, which made him even more cautious. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest, ''Damn it!!'' He barely had time to react as the Lemin lunged toward him, its powerful legs moved it forward with a blur. Alex jumped to the side, rolling on the ground as he raised his gun and fired. Bang!! The shot rang out, but the Lemin twisted mid-air and dodged the bullet. ''Fast, agile...but what is that?'' Alex saw that the Lemin only had three legs, ''it''s injured...Did his pack leave it behind?'' "Then it could be alone!" he pointed the gun toward the it, the Lemin looked fearful of the gun, while its red eyes were focused on Alex, it slowly moved limping around him in circle. Alex was calm, he also did the same as Lemin and they both slowly moved around a circle, Waiting for each other to make there move first. After seeing that Alex was calm and did nothing, Roar!! It jumped forward, even without one leg its ferocity had not dulled. The jump was like a blur, but Alex was ready. He didn''t even move, simply ducked and pointed the gun above him. Bang! The shot rang out, echoing through the plains. The bullet went through it''s shoulder, but it didn''t stop. It twisted midair, using the force of its leap to contort its body and slash down at Alex with its claws. Alex tried to roll out but he was not fast enough. The claws scraped his shoulder, leaving deep gashes. "Ugh", Blood started gushing out of the wound; Seeing the blood, Lemin excitedly lunged again. Too fast! But instead of retreating, Alex pressed forward. His instincts screamed at him, but he ignored them. He slid under the beast as it pounced, flipping the gun in his grip. The moment he was beneath its belly, he fired twice. Bang! Bang! aaaahooooo!! The beast howled in pain and crashed onto the ground, blood splattered all around the grass. But it still wasn''t dead. Alex didn''t waste the chance. His shoulder was bathed in blood but he still scrambled on his feet, and quickly aimed his gun at the Lemin''s head. Its red eye was burning with rage and hatred. A wounded beast was always the most dangerous. Roar!! It let out a deafening roar, a final act of defiance, and lunged once more. Alex exhaled. Bang! A single shot. Right through its eye. The Red-Eye Lemin collapsed mid-leap, its body tumbling forward before skidding to a stop just inches from Alex''s feet. Silence. Alex stood there, gun still aimed, his breath was steady but his muscles were tensed. He waited a moment longer, waiting, A message resound, [You have killed a monster, You have claimed a Mystery.] Finally he lowered the gun.