[Salvos] 767. The Secret Of The Nexeus

[Salvos] 767. The Secret Of The Nexeus

767. The Secret Of The Nexeus

***

It was the secret of the Nexeus. The truth behind it all. The very knowledge which Daniel Song had always been searching for—

Wait, that wasn’t right.

Since when was there even a secret behind the Nexeus? What could it even be?

Daniel didn’t know. He had absolutely no idea what the Watcher was talking about. And yet, somehow, Yves Virgil was saying it like it was supposed to be a big deal.

Like it was supposed to explain anything related to Hark-Oth The Old God Of Undeath.

Even Kacey was perplexed, raising a brow when she heard that.

“I apologize for interjecting, Sir Virgil.”

She started, and the Watcher chuckled as he waved a hand off at her.

“I already told you many times, you don’t have to be so formal with me— you can just call me Yves.”

However, the [Crusader] didn’t respond to that. Instead, she continued.

“I’ve been told of many secrets by the Council of Cremont, but I have yet to hear anything that is related to these Old Gods you speak of.”

“That’s because the Council of Cremont knows nothing about the Old Gods. They’re just a bunch of power-hungry kooks who are living in the shadow of the God King… well, now known as the Immortal King Alexander’s glory.”

Daniel was annoyed by the Watcher for not explaining anything at the moment, but he couldn’t stop himself from scoffing when he heard that. Kacey pursed her lips.

“I understand that, Sir Virgil. As you have emphasized this to me numerous times over the last few months.”

“So what’s the issue?”

Yves asked, raising a brow at her. The [Crusader] placed a hand on her chest.

“As you have told me— and Daniel Song— these Old Gods are beings from before Alexander’s time who have achieved above Level 200. Just like the Immortal King, and just like the Demon King.”

Kacey said, and the Watcher nodded.

“Indeed, what you’re saying is true. And there are only a few of them from those eons that have passed that still remain. The Beast. The Devil. The Spirit Lord. The Fairy Queen. These are some of those beings who have attained godhood in the era before the fall.”

“Right, you’ve told us that before.”

Daniel piped up, getting annoyed at all the beating around the bush that Yves was doing. 

“But how is that relevant to this secret? Why does it matter that I have to meet this Hark-Oth?”

“Oh, but Daniel Song, don’t you see? Each and every one of those Old Gods which I have mentioned are not Old Gods who reside in the Mortal Realm. Two of them in the Netherworld, and two of them in the Spirit Plane. Now what exactly happened to the Old Gods here in the Mortal Realm?”

It was a rhetorical question. But Daniel Song remembered being told something long ago— when he had ventured out into the Plaguelands with Salvos and Edithe. A Kobold named Xidra had told him the story of the Old Golds of the Nexeus.

Or at the very least, the Old Gods which the Kobolds had worshiped.

“They left.”

Daniel said simply as he met Yves’ gaze.

“All of them left Secely. To deal with the apocalypse.”

Yves grinned, snapping his finger in response.

“That’s right— full marks to you, Daniel Song.”

The Watcher took in a deep breath and rose to his feet as both Daniel and Kacey just watched.

“Every single one of the Old Gods of the Mortal Realm left this continent behind in order to protect us. For the sake of the Nexeus, they sacrificed their lives to stall the end of the world. What a charming story. At least, if it were true.”

His eyes glinted as he spoke. Daniel blinked when he heard that.

“Are you saying that the Kobolds are lying?”

“It’s not just the Kobolds who hold onto this belief of history, Daniel Song. The Cyclopes, the Dwarves, the Elves— they all believe in the same history that the Kobolds do. We Humans have simply forgotten about this after the Immortal King Alexander came to this world and waged a war against Regnorex the Demon King.”

“I don’t understand.”

Daniel said as he narrowed his eyes. Yves chuckled as he shook his head.

“I know, and that’s why I am telling you all this.”

As the Watcher spoke, he walked towards the walls of the room. They were faded and covered in dust. But as he wiped a hand over them, he revealed ancient inscriptions that had been etched into the brickstone surface— carvings that were faded, but evidently depicted a scene of worshippers kneeling before a many-winged ball of light atop a throne.

“You see, the Nexeus was never meant to be a world with a single god. Because in the very beginning, there was only a single god— an all powerful being that ruled over the entire world.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes when he heard that. He wasn’t sure where Yves was going with this. But he opted to just listen instead of interrupting, because he felt like he was finally going to get some answers for the first time since he arrived here.

“They called it the Arcraem.”

Yves continued as he stared at the many-winged ball of light on the throne.

“And it is the only True God that has ever existed in the Nexeus.”

Daniel blinked as Yves swept across the room, uncovering more of the dust that painted the walls. The carvings on the brickstone depicted scenes of a vast and unending rocky plains that spread out. Above it was a world of bountiful grass and seas. And at the very top of this the previous two scenes was a world of extremities— where mountains rose above the highest clouds and valleys sank beneath the ground.

“In the beginning, the Arcraem saw that the world was full of misery and chaos. So it split the world into three parts— what we know today as the Mortal Realm, the Netherworld, and the Spirit Plane. This calmed the chaos of the Nexeus, but it did not bring an end to the misery that was so pervasive.”

“And what kind of misery was there back then?”

Daniel asked, frowning at that. The Watcher chuckled as he met the [Hero]’s gaze.

“In a world where some are born with power and others are not, isn’t it obvious that this inherent inequality will lead to misery? That is why, to put an end to this misery, the Arcraem sacrificed itself.”

The Watcher came to a halt as he paused right before the gateway that led further down the mountain. He looked up at the domed ceiling above, before blowing with a magical gust of wind. There, a vast mural that somehow remained untouched and undamaged revealed itself.

Perhaps because it was not made from paint, but a vast palette of different minerals to create this scene. And what it showed was—

People from all across the Nexeus. No… not ordinary people. But the Old Gods. All of them were kneeling before the throne. But the ball of light that was sat atop the throne was gone. The wings had vanished. And instead, its feathers rained down upon the Old Gods.

“The Arcraem gave up its power and distributed it to every single living being in the Nexeus. Our Classes… our levels… everything— we all owe it to the Arcraem.”

Yves stared solemnly up at this sight as the smile vanished from his face. Kacey just blinked in confusion. All the while, Daniel pursed his lips.

“So this… system that gives us our powers, it was created by this Arcraem? And it gives us all the power to become gods?”

“Indeed. In exchange, it believed that we would all fight to protect the Nexeus if the situation ever arose. Unfortunately…”

The Watcher sighed as he looked back down at Daniel.

“Most of the Old Gods fled when they learned of the apocalypse. Very few remained to try to save the world. Those that did abandoned Secely, except for Hark-Oth.”

“And why exactly did Hark-Oth remain? What exactly is it doing down there?”

Daniel asked as he crossed his arms. He knew this entire conversation was building up to this— that this was the whole point of the Watcher’s story. And while the young man from Earth could have made his assumptions, he wanted to hear it from Yves.

The Watcher lowered his head and grinned.

“That’s the secret of the Nexeus.”

He said as his eyes twinkled, meeting the [Hero]’s gaze. Spreading his arms wide as he stood before the gate, Yves spoke declaratively as Daniel shivered.

“Beneath the Mortal Realm, at the very bottom of the world where Harko-Oth resides… is where you can find the Arcraem. And with the Arcraem’s help, you can be the next [Hero] to achieve godhood, just like Alexander himself.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delays, but that should be the last of it. Family drama happened in addition to the previous personal life problems before. Hopefully I'll be back to doing 3 chapters a week now.

Read next chapter here