The Inner Odyssey

Alden slowly stepped forward.

A thick, dense mist swirled around his figure. It hampered his vision greatly, smothering him in its suffocating embrace.

As soon as he took a single step, the door behind him slammed shut.

Alden flinched.

Then, he shivered, his face paling with dread.

What mess had he just got himself into now?

A deluge of unease flooded his heart. He swallowed and circulated his mana. The action helped quell his anxiety somewhat. Alden prepared to manifest a shield of decay at any moment. He was alert, his body as tense as a coiled spring.

He took another step.

The thick fog continued to smother him.

Now that he had unlocked the Second Stage of his Magic Class, Alden felt a little more confident in his ability to survive any unexpected danger. At least more so compared to when he had been an [Apprentice]. This Second Stage allowed him to manipulate and manifest, tangible decay, much like the Adept Dark Elf had formed ice.

Instead of needing to touch his opponent, Alden could now form a lance of tenebrous energy from afar. He also had the bonus of his attacks carrying a more potent and corrosive edge.

…The fact that an Expert Dark Elf had to chop off their arm was further proof of that.

The prerequisite required to unlock this was to have his eyes serve as a conduit.

If not for the Dark Elf stabbing all his limbs, it would have taken Alden a long time to figure this out. Perhaps he never would have. In any case, with this, Alden's combat power rose. He had become more insidious. And just in the nick of time. For he doubtless knew that after associating himself with the Keeper, his life would become a lot harder.

'It's already hard. Why not make it harder?'

He thought sarcastically to himself.

The young man took another step forward.

And another.

And another.

He couldn't see more than a finger's length in front of him.

Alden's progress was slow.

Both because he was afraid to bump into something and because he felt that speeding through such a thick mist was foolhardy. It probably wouldn't be the most foolish thing he ever did if he chose to rush. Still, exercising caution was the prudent choice. And Alden needed to make more of those types of decisions in his life.

His lips twitched briefly.

After a few more steps, he froze.

A voice, archaic and mystical swept across the room. It gave one the feeling of boundless wisdom, its owner doubtless experiencing the vicissitudes of life, or at least a level close to it.

"What do you seek?"

Alden heard the voice resound from everywhere around him. It echoed and echoed, almost overwhelming him. He bit his tongue to clear his mind for a moment and concentrated.

'What do I seek?'

There were a lot of things he sought.

He wanted to marry Celeste. He wanted to take care of his loved ones. He wanted to stop the Dark Races from killing the innocent people of his race. He wanted to prevent the Sanctuary from being overrun by Defiled.

He wanted to provide Ignia with a warm home and a doting environment.

He wanted to…

Alden could keep going on and on.

However, he felt it could all be boiled down into one single word:

"Strength."

"For what?"

The voice immediately replied.

Alden took a deep breath.

"For love."

Silence seemed to stretch into the mist for a while. Alden stayed completely still, afraid his answer had somehow angered the Keeper of the End. After an interminable length of time, the voice reappeared. This time, he thought it held a little sorrow.

"Beware, young one… Love is the cruelest thing in the entire world."

The voice seemed to sigh.

All the hair on Alden's body rose. A hint of dread pricked his heart.

Why did it feel like the Keeper of the End had just prophesied his future relationship with Celeste?

It was as if they had quickly peered into his fate. However, that wasn't what Alden's mind fixated on.

'Cruel.'

No, it was something else.

'Cruel.'

Something… much more alarming.

'Cruel.'

Alden's heart trembled.

There were only a few reasons why love could be cruel. First, his relationship with Celeste could turn sour and they both decided to break things off. Second, one of them could die, and the other had to grieve their absence for all eternity.

…Betrayal from the one he was closest to could also be considered cruel.

None of these possibilities bode well at all. A squall of anxiety surged within Alden's heart.

His legs shook, and his breath slowly quickened. He desperately tried to keep a lid on his emotions, especially in front of the Keeper, but the mist didn't help one bit. Within the smothering fog, clear signs of a panic attack appeared over Alden's figure.

He panted.

Suddenly, the mist in front of him parted.

His vision slowly cleared.

He froze once again.

There, a motionless figure sat cross-legged inside a vast runic circle. They wore a long flowing robe, fading stars embroidered on the dark fabric. A golden mask obscured their features, and a scepter with a half-crescent lay on their lap. Alden instinctively sensed that the Keeper of the End had their eyes closed.

Yet even then, he felt a terrifying gaze lock on to his figure. Alden shuddered and shivered, his instincts blaring at him to escape.

His anxiety deepened.

For the presence of the individual in front of him was just that oppressive, harrowing, and brutal.

Befitting of the highest echelon.

The Keeper was easily the most powerful person he had ever met.

Just then, Alden noticed a thin crack running through the runic circle. He thought back to the deafening crack that preluded the arrival of the Dark Elves. His eyes flashed with enlightenment.

The Keeper…

Was responsible for sustaining the Barrier.

No wonder the magical barrier could repel a Defiled Titan with ease, Alden thought.

If a powerhouse like the Keeper was strengthening it, it made sense that such a horrifying abomination couldn't penetrate the Barrier and enter the Sanctuary.

Alden entered a daze, transfixed with his discovery. Suddenly, he heard the sound of wood striking against wood. He snapped his neck towards the unexpected noise and saw an old woman hobbling towards him.

She had deep wrinkles on her skin, and her eyes were milky white.

She also had an aura of suppressed strength.

One…

That was almost identical to the Keeper.

Alden's eyes slowly widened.

He watched as the old woman's cracked lips curled into a small smile. Her wrinkles also deepened, appearing like spiderwebs.

Then, Alden's world came crashing down as he heard her next words.

"... Would you like to become the next Keeper of the End?"