Chapter 24 - Is This Our Fate
After hesitating for a moment, the "Magic Book" appeared in Bell's hands, with "Magic Book" written on its cover in English.
Bell found this surprising. He expected something more ancient or mystical, but he could understand it perfectly.
He opened the book, noticing that all the text inside was in clear, modern English. He had no problem reading it, and as he went through the contents, he knew this magic book was the real deal.
"Who would've thought a three-star item could be this valuable?"
Bell thought. "I could sell it for a lot, but it's too risky. Someone would definitely get suspicious."
Putting aside any ideas of selling it, Bell focused on what was written inside.
The words on the pages seemed to flow directly into his mind:
There are two types of magic. One is innate magic, tied to race or lineage. The other is acquired magic, given by the gods.
These words etched themselves into Bell's mind, fading away as soon as he read them.
Acquired magic is self-realization. Things like interest, identity, hatred, longing, wonder, and yearning – the trigger for it all is within you.
As soon as he finished reading, a bright white light filled his vision, pulling him toward his own magical awakening.
"Alright, let's begin."
The white world shifted into a familiar scene. Bell recognized it from his past. An ordinary version of himself stood in front of him.
"You are…?"
"I am you," the figure answered with an awkward smile.
"What does magic mean to us?" the other Bell asked.
Bell was confused by the "us," but before he could say anything, another figure appeared – [Bell Cranel], dressed in simple clothes.
"Have you been here all along?" The other Bell asked, feeling curious.
"Not exactly," [Bell Cranel] replied, looking serious. "I'm a failure."
"What do you mean?"
"In the fight against the One-Eyed Black Dragon, I failed. The Hestia Familia, like the Zeus and Hera Familia before us, was wiped out."
Bell's eyes widened. This version of himself was from a future he hadn't seen yet.
"You're... from the future?"
"We're all Bell Cranel," the other self explained. "From different parallel worlds and different times. We've been trying to defeat the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"This isn't my first time transmigrating?" Bell asked, shocked.
"Transmigrating? I don't understand?" [Bell Cranel] titled his head in confusion.
"No. We keep fighting until we can take down the One-Eyed Black Dragon. We're many, but we're still the same person."
"Every time we fail, it's complete death. We don't affect any parallel worlds. We're insignificant, like grains of sand."
"Our souls are stuck in this cycle, and we keep reincarnating again and again."
Bell took it all in, his head spinning from the thought of endless reincarnation and parallel worlds.
"So, it's my turn now?"
"Yeah. This is our fate. The fight against the One-Eyed Black Dragon connects us across countless parallel worlds. Each of us will face it when it's our turn."
"We started this for the world, but now it's personal. This cycle of reincarnation, failure, and death has been going on forever. Each time, we're thrown into a world destined to fall apart."
"But now, we know that we're not infinite anymore. We're at a crossroads. Either we accept the total destruction of our world, or we accept our own end."
"Maybe this is the only way to end the suffering."
From the start, Bell had felt that his arrival in this world wasn't just a coincidence.
But he didn't expect things to be this complicated. It turned out they were versions of him from parallel worlds, meeting in this strange way.
[Bell Cranel] didn't react to Bell's silence. Anyone would be stunned into silence after hearing such a story, just as he had been when he first learned about it.
Bell suddenly looked up, a question forming in his mind.
"If we're from parallel worlds, what about our skills?"
"There are huge differences."
Bell's eyes lit up with understanding.
It seemed that his transmigration had some unique aspects that his counterparts didn't have.
And It appears they are Original Bell, not like himself, who was brought here by the Type-moon system.
Looks like the key to changing his fate might be his System. Realizing this, Bell made up his mind.
"What kind of monster is the One-Eyed Black Dragon? Why can't so many versions of us defeat it?"
A serious expression appeared on the faces of the other Bells.
The quest against the One-Eyed Black Dragon was an unbeatable challenge for them—a monster that couldn't be taken down easily.
But they didn't plan to hide anything.
This was their shared fate, and they had to face the One-Eyed Black Dragon, even if it meant defying the fate of the world.
"That monster isn't hard to find, but it's almost impossible to beat. It controls the Dungeon, using it to heal its wounds."
"Zeus Familia and Hera Familia challenged it back then."
"The result was their complete destruction, but they managed to leave it with permanent injuries. That's why we still have hope of taking it down."
"And you should know, the One-Eyed Black Dragon can't fly anymore."
"What? I thought it was known as the 'King of Dragons.' How did it lose the ability to fly?"
[Bell Cranel] gave a bitter laugh at Bell's question.
"That's the only good news. The once 'King of Dragons' was completely stripped of its ability to fly. This was Zeus Familia and Hera Familia's greatest achievement."
"They took away its dominance over the skies."
"This was thanks to Grandpa's Familia and Hera Familia. They grounded the One-Eyed Black Dragon for good, forcing it to hide in the deepest part of the Dungeon. But the price was the lives of Level 8 and Level 9 adventurers."
"Since then, the One-Eyed Black Dragon has been controlling the Dungeon, trying to use its power to heal itself. But no matter what it does, it can't fly again. That's why it hates adventurers so much. It wants to tear apart anyone it meets."
"But even without flight, the One-Eyed Black Dragon is still terrifying. Strong magic barely scratches it unless you hit its old wounds. It can also regenerate quickly unless you use a cursed weapon."
Hearing this, Bell grasped the gravity of the situation.
Fighting a monster with such high attack power, super defense, and rapid regeneration seemed hopeless.
Unless his Level was way above this dragon's, challenging it would be impossible.
But for them, defeating the One-Eyed Black Dragon was necessary. It was a hurdle they had to overcome.
The situation looked just as bleak to Bell.
If the One-Eyed Black Dragon were easy to defeat, it wouldn't have wiped out the Zeus and Hera Familias. Its strength must be at least Level 10.
Facing such a world-ending monster, his own strength felt small.
"We'd need to unite multiple Familias to have a shot against the One-Eyed Black Dragon," Bell thought.
He didn't want to think too far ahead about whether he could actually beat the dragon.
Bell also didn't want to reveal his plans for dealing with the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
He realized that his counterparts in other worlds didn't have the system. So, maybe he was the key to breaking this cycle.
"What about Loki Familia and Freya Familia?"
"They tried too, but they ended up just like the others."
[Bell Cranel] didn't go into details, but Bell could guess the outcome. The quest against the One-Eyed Black Dragon had ended in total destruction for those Familias, just like it had for Zeus and Hera Familias.
"I see."
The quest against the One-Eyed Black Dragon was obviously no easy task, and the total wipeout of entire Familias seemed inevitable.
But Bell struggled to imagine which Familia could stand a chance after the fall of the Freya and Loki Familias.
However, those were questions for another time. Right now, he had more urgent matters to deal with.
"One last question. There aren't many of us left in the parallel worlds, are there?"
[Bell Cranel] fell into a heavy silence.
Bell shook his head slightly, understanding what that meant.
Even across the so-called "infinite" parallel worlds, their numbers had dwindled so much that defeating the One-Eyed Black Dragon seemed impossible.
"If I fail, it's the end of this world and us. But I'm not planning to die so young."
Bell had no intention of giving up so easily.
He who craves power isn't a hero, but he doesn't run from heroic deeds.
He just wants freedom from this cursed fate.
Especially after seeing the weight of this destiny and the endless cycle of failure, Bell's resolve grew stronger.
[Bell Cranel] sighed softly.
They all felt the same: the fear of facing despair and the refusal to accept their fate.
Maybe this strong emotion was what had started the countdown on their seemingly endless cycle of reincarnation.
He could only wish this version of himself luck, possibly for the last time.
"Do your best. Even if we lose everything, we have nothing to fear, because we've got nothing left to lose."
A flash of disappointment crossed Bell's eyes.
Nothing to fear? That wasn't true.
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I guess this chapter might be confusing, don't worry we'll cover everything as we progress with the story.
Next chapters is Syr POV. Should I do first person pov or third pov? Let me know.
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[IMG of Syr]
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