Lord Shadow

Chapter 1393: [Bonus chapter]The Threat Above

Will.…has always been of a care free person since he became a Speedster and especially more after he survive that harrowing experience when they travelled together across parallel universes sand dimensions and planets.          

    

Maybe because he could outrun everything.     

But, he stayed in Pandemonium, he helps Sasha, he helps the people of the world in the six months that Azief was not on Earth     

Because, he also felt guilty.      

They both went silent for a while.      

There is only silence around the balcony, the sound of the bird chirping, the sound of the wind blowing their clothes and feeling the breezy wind caressing their cheeks.      

Will then ask again the same question     

‘So, be straight with me. How confident are you?’      

Azief went silent for a few second but then he said     

‘I have ninety percent confidence that it would work’ Will heard the same answer     

And so he said the same thing he said yesterday     

‘It’s not good enough’     

Will could tell when Azief is lying. There is no difference in his face expression or any noticeable tick     

Azief rarely lies. But when he does, he is very good at it. Will, however always could tell when Azief is lying.     

Azief always wonder how Will could always found out when he is lying. But he never tells. And right now, Will could tell Azief is lying to him.     

When he said it’s not good enough, it is because he knows Azief is lying. When he said ninety percent confidence, he lied.     

And because he lies, Will is worried even more. But Will also did not pierce this lie. Because he could tell that Azief had determined to do this.     

If not, he would not have lied.  Will sighed and look up at the sky above, a sigh comes out from the desperation of his heart.      

Azief chuckles.     

‘I think it is better that way. This time, my way is probably the best’     

Will did not say anything to this.      

‘Maybe’ Will answer curtly.     

Azief only smiles bitterly and said     

‘Maybe, it is just my insistence or my stubbornness. But the world is too scattered right now. Dark forces are once again festering the world. I could feel the resentment.’     

He sighed and then said     

‘I try not to control humanity. Yet, sometimes I felt like I am becoming what I hated’         

    

‘Then, don’t. You don’t-‘ but he faltered. What Will want to say was that Azief owes the world nothing.     

But that is not entirely true. Azief owes a lot. But who owes more…is a matter of debate. When you began keeping score, things rarely become harmonious.     

Both Azief and Will goes to the future and saw something that shocked them. But they also now hold the knowledge to save the world.      

Because they knew what will happen in the future and they are working hard to try to prevent that future from happening.      

Will could always tries to kill Azief and prevent that vision from happening but Azief is his brother.      

Unless it is the last measure, unless it is the only way, Will would never think of trying to kill Azief.     

He was never that kind. And it is actually an easy choice to make. The whole world and one person. It should be…an easy choice to make     

But it is not. And he is now kind. Why is he kind. Because, he is strong now.      

So, he can be kind.      

Precisely because he is strong.      

Will did not mind laboring for Earth because he understands the burden of Karma now saddled onto him after opening the gate to the future.      

He felt guilt for opening this calamity to everyone. Will is lucky. He still has his sworn brother, Lily is safe and sound, and he is getting stronger every day.     

But in the world, there are many people who lost their fathers, their brothers, their sons and their loved ones.      

Their blood is on his hand.     

But he for some reason refuses to see his sworn brother to suffer. Every second that his brother lives, there is always a great chance that the vision that he saw in the future would happen.     

But, he never thought of trying to kill Azief. He thought of how to make sure that Azief would not become what he is in that future.      

It seems that even his kindness has certain limit.      

Maybe, this is what it meant to have a true brother.     

Will and Azief was born in different countries, have different cultures, different belief and different everything.      

But they met each other and they swore brotherhood. They share no blood but their brotherhoods surpass real family.     

Both of them would die for each other.      

There is a research done by the Order of Thinkers that concluded that after the Fall, anyone who absorbs the energy of the world and become stronger also have a part of themselves amplified.      

Emotions, innate personality, your true nature.     

Good become great. Bad become evil.      

And so on and so forth.          

    

The stronger you are, the stronger your ability to control these urges, these natures of yours. In a behavioral study, there is a question, nature or nurture, which one is stronger     

Is genetics everything? Or could nurturing someone tame someone destructive nature? Azief and Will brotherhood is it something that came from nurturing or is it their nature.      

The reason why their brotherhood is very strong is because they both yearned for such comradeship among brothers.      

This feeling is innate. So, if good thing become great, this yearning of wanting a comradeship make their bond very strong.      

They smack each other when the other is making mistake, laugh together, suffers hardship together, the bad and the good shared with each other.     

A brother that is forged from the fires of hardship is different from a brother made during your golden days.      

This is probably the reason why Will choose to ignore the most direct way of changing the future     

And it is why he could not feel good seeing Azief trying to make such a risky decision      

He cares about the world. But if its between his brother and the world, he probably would chose the world.     

That is why, if in the end, when the last measure has been exhausted, Will would probably think to kill Azief.      

In a way, Will had always been more empathetic than Azief. People sometimes spits at the greater good. But, Will acknowledged that for humanity to reach this far, people were sacrificed.      

There are torchbearers that is forgotten, the unsung heroes.      

But…But…..is it easy? Could he really make that choice? Could he choose millions of people he doesn’t know and save them instead of saving his brother who he owes a lot to     

Personal connection with a person always complicates thing.      

Even if he wins, and the whole world praises him, when he looks at the moon in the night sky, who will be bedside him to clink the glass on his hand?     

It would be a lonely existence.      

But he believes he could.      

Will sighed because he remembers a story that Azief had told him.      

About how you only know someone when all the chips are down. When you meet face to face with your end, you would know what you would choose     

Before the moment came, before the choices came, all your desire and all you wanted is merely your wish      

When it came however, then you would be tested. Will was silent for a while. And Azief was the same. They stand there, looking but none of the scenery enter their mind.      

Only complicated thoughts     

Will sighed and Azief chuckles.      

Azief then said     

‘I wonder how the world would see me if I succeed. I rarely care but it is not pleasant to hear people misconstrued my intentions sometimes’         

    

Azief is speaking to himself.      

Maybe he wanted to convince himself.     

Maybe he wanted to convince Will.     

Who knows?     

‘Even this matter, it would seem like I want to control the world’ Then he sighed.      

he looks toward the horizon. The world after the Multiversal Convergence is a very different world then before     

Multiversal Convergence is his fault. Azief had killed many people. He even wipes out a lot of life. In Earth Thirty-Nine, he killed so many people.      

It is quite cruel. At that time, he believes that this was the only way. Earth Thirty-Nine had a very different situation to Earth     

It might be easy to see a parallels between Earth Thirty-Nine and the slavery trade of Earth. But it is very different and the nature of it is very different.     

Slavery in Earth…the reason why it became popular in the first place is because of its profitability.     

The racism is added later to justify the practice     

To force someone to do things for you without paying anything or giving any benefit is very much exploitation of that person live.     

Slavery is a complex topic but in the end, on Earth it is about profit.      

When the government of the world find out that if these slaves have to pay taxes if they are not slaves were more profitable to them, then the abolishment of slavery become even more faster.     

But on Earth Thirty-Nine, the nature is very different. On Earth, regardless of the slavery trade, the people that are traded are still humans.     

They are common points to be found. Even if you kill all the slave, humans would still be alive, humanity would still be the leading species on Earth     

But on Earth Thirty-Nine, it is a battle of the species.      

The reason why Azief could be so cruel is because he knew that when he stokes the fire of rebellions, he knows the ending of the story could only end in one way.      

If the Normies won that war, that battle with the Evolver would accelerate a thousand-year-old plan by the Normies to eradicate the entire Evolver population     

A genocide of an entire species. So, Azief had to do what he did. Blood of the people could fill an entire sea.      

Skulls and bones could create mountains that pierce the Heavens. It is easy to kill when you view it as numbers     

Personal connection…that would make it hard.      

A mother protecting her child from death by trying to shield her children with her own body have more emotional gripe to people than saying one million people had been killed     

Human mind could not comprehend such number in their mind.      

The casualties turn into numbers and numbers could not convey the suffering and personal stories of this one million people.         

    

So, it was easy if he thinks of it as number     

So, Azief is not unaccustomed to killing people     

But, as he grows stronger, he thought to himself that if right now he is back there, there is a different path that he could choose.     

Azief also knows that it is pointless thinking about it since you could only make choices according to the times and what is available to you at that time.     

The reason why Azief is thinking like this is because he doesn’t want to kill people if he could help it.     

Will who is standing beside Azief could see Azief forehead frowning.     

He grabs Azief shoulder and Azief seems to broke out from his contemplation     

‘What are you thinking about?’     

Azief look up at the sky above and shakes his head.     

‘I do not mind the world the way it is right now’ Will smiles at this and nodded     

‘True. I do not mind it that much either’ he said.      

‘A little chaotic but there are all kinds of lands I could go to’     

‘I guess that is the problem. It is too chaotic’ Azief paused for a second before saying     

‘Earth needs stability right now. It really needed it. We have exposed ourselves to the Universe. And that is not a good thing if you don’t really have a powerful strength to defend Earth’     

He closes his eyes as he seems to be remembering something and said     

‘Earth has become very large. So large that even my Divine Sense could not thoroughly reach everywhere even with my Divine Sense’     

‘My eyes are blocked. And some rats have dared to soak under the Sun. snakes and rats all gathered around’     

Will could tell who Azief is talking about.      

‘A Super Earth. That is what those researchers of the Order of Thinkers said to me’     

Azief nodded     

‘But, out there’ and his eyes look at the sky above ‘there is a lot more of that. Some are bigger than us. Bigger fist. And some are not so civilized like the Orvanians.’     

Will agrees with this.      

After all, he did see a few things when he is journeying with his teacher. And the few things that he saw shows him that universe is a very dangerous place     

He had learned it when he travels with Azief in the past, but he only understands it in a superficial way before.     

Travelling with his teacher, he sees more and understand more and when he thinks back of the past, he thinks it was truly lucky that they could go back to Earth in one piece.          

    

‘We need to stand together right now. I don’t want a war right now because a war would weaken us right now. There are too many enemies.’     

‘This is why I am looking the other way when it comes to order of Thinkers and try to downplayed the cooperation between the World Government and the League of Freedom.’     

He chuckles and said     

‘I still lack power’ if people of the Earth heard this they would probably be shocked. But that is only because their vision is not wide and far enough     

Azief had seen many more things and knows many more things. So, he knows to be afraid. He knows to be cautious.      

Azief knows there are still many terrifying being in the Universe.      

Earth should strengthen itself first and he should also strengthen himself too if he wants to make sure that he could do things in this new era     

An era of intergalactic battle. Earth is now in the game. Whether, Earth is ready or not, doesn’t matter.     

It is already in the game. And because of that Azief is anxious.     

Will could hear the bitterness in Azief words. Azief has his own set of rules of conduct. But he also knows that Azief understand the simplest rule in the Universe     

A rule he had to learn when he walks with his teacher     

The bigger fist speaks. And it speaks loudly.      

It is the same why Pandemonium is so powerful.      

But right now, Azief, this person with the largest fist on Earth, had to look the other way when it comes to the Order of Thinkers.     

That must be frustrating for him.      

All of it to keep the peace.      

In the past, Azief would have thrown the so called peace to the faces of these people. But, he had matured.      

And he had many more things to protect.     

His decision would not only affect him or his people but also the people of the world. He sighed.     

Azief also has his own difficulties and his own consideration for why he did the thing he did     

Magic existed and so Karma could also be formed.      

One day, when he is about to reach the ultimate level, one way or another, he has to solve the Karma.     

Azief had learned a lot in the many worlds that he had gone. But, none as fruitful or as enlightening as when he goes to the Seresian world and learn from the Orvanians.     

Orvanians might have some ulterior motive for helping him but it is not entirely harmful to him. He had learned a lot and gained a lot. And he learns a lot about what comes after Divine Comprehension     

Of course, there is other ways of reaching the ultimate level but connection between the world and you could not be ignored.          

    

They both sighed at the same time     

Will look at Azief and Azief look at him and then seeing each other faces they laughed     

Azief laughed as he looks at the horizon. There are still many problems that they do not address but this is not the time or place     

Right now, it is morning, the horizons are beautiful, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly.      

‘Let’s eat’ hearing this Will nodded.     

‘I hope you brew a coffee for me’ And Azief laughed again. The morning was peaceful, the bird flying freely, none could see the gathering clouds in the distance     

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