As I descend at the eternal abyss, thinking of the things that I experienced in that hell. I just questioned myself looking at this solemn, yet peaceful place in the dark.
"Is this death?"
I wondered as it felt kind of nice, and it's contradictory to what people say about haunting death or afterlife.
Some said that you will fall into the grimace of the abyss of nothingness where the damn-- are imprisoned for eternity. While some contradicted it by saying that you will be judged by the Gods above, solely at the mercy of their judgement-- whether you're placed at the Gods' Heaven or the Abyss.
It's a different perspective and tough clash of belief as different races have their own variations of it, essentially making the universe vibrant in terms of beliefs and culture.
However, this fragmentation of beliefs between races essentially became a crucial hindrance at the start of the Universal War with Chaos.
Due to differences in beliefs and perspective of different races, many of them choose to fight with themselves, not cooperating with other races due to their high pride and ego where it's called as a sign of weakness for the race.
But unfortunately, these races who didn't seek help from other races due to these reasons-- became the first to be wiped out with their civilization in the bloody war, eternally lost in this universe.
Thinking about the past, I realized that if just-- they set aside their differences... on the first signs of starting war, we might be able to fight those monsters with everything we got. And we will not fall just like that, pathetically with those monsters.
And although we formed that Last Bastion-- it's practically too late in that situation. As many planets died in that corruption, race being extinct is a common norm and we also died on that war.
The universe will also not quickly fall just like that-- if we cooperate, and as someone in that last ten.
In the last fight of that Universal War where I died, I observed that the universe becomes a hollow of its former glory, filled with barren planets devoured of life, the husk of countless organisms lifeless at the abyss of extinction.
And the universe was filled with countless Chaos monsters, endless at all sides to another.
"Huahhh", I sighed deeply with those thoughts that always entered my mind as I observed this nothingness.
And I know that there's no 'what ifs' as we truly lost that war.
That monster, is also so horrifying, especially our difference in strength in that fight. He was just toying with me as if I'm just a toy that can't wait to be broken.
And I'm known as one of the most powerful in the universe, not the same level as the Hero and other party members of that group. But still highly respectable in power.
Yet, I was being played pathetically. It's one of the most despairing fights that I had, especially the helplessness that I felt towards the difference in power.
And that sheer size of monsters, it's really harrowing in that fight with just the ten of us, and that ultimately led to the death of my group in that last fight for the universe.
"Ahh, I really give... everything I got you know, Jessica."
As I remembered her sad yet, beautiful smile in the face of death, when she was pierced in her body by those disgusting tentacles and died horribly in that way.
But before that happened, she looked at me, smiled at me sadly, and muttered something, but I didn't hear the words she muttered in her last moment which I deeply regret.
I cried... I really fucking cried with snots in my nose dripping.
Because as a man, I must not cry to not show my weakness.
But this sadness that I feel says otherwise. I whimpered in this abyss of loneliness, like a child looking for his mother. It's embarrassing but, all of the races in the universe is dead anyway so it doesn't matter.
I cried deeply at this nothingness for hours and hours like a cub, looking for care and affection.
Then suddenly...
"Tinggggg! Tingggg!"
I heard something in this abyss, it's a preciously familiar sound that I once longed for in the times of gruesome war.
As I calmed down from all of that crying, using my precious coat that I used in that bloody war to wipe out my snotty nose as I listened carefully at that horrendous sound.
However, it's really loud, ear-splitting that I used-- when I wanted to...
I think of something, using this sound will lead me to--
"Ah shit", it's all the words that I muttered when I realized why this familiar sound was ringing in my almost-deaf ear.
It's an alarm, and it's purpose is...
"To wake me up."
As I immediately rose up, like someone who woke up from a coma, in this soft and comfortable mattress, looking at this familiar place where-- I used to live.
"Huh? Why am I here?"
Those are the first words I muttered, flabbergasted at the sight of the room that I used before, in my youth.
It's the place I used to live, soft mattress that gives you a mother-like comfort, a tattered desk and chair with organized books in the bookshelf displayed on the top of the table where I used to study for the examinations, a plant known as Blood Lily that I used to water everyday. It's a symbol given to me by my dear mother and father, as it symbolizes eternal love for someone.
It's the small place that I used to live in when I studied at the Academy of Arkansas.
An institution known for its high quality education for humans, that is said to be almost on par with the elves' education.
Established by the Arkansas Empire coupled with various countries and vassal principalities. It's known as one of the most prestigious schools on the Earth, or also known as the World of Humans.
It's equipped with state-of-the-art facilities with the goal of training various special humans to achieve their full potential, as the corruption further spreads in the Earth and even in many planets of the universe.
However, there's also another known thing about this glorious academy.
It's a noble-academy, where many nobles' family members studied in this academy such as the prominent ones; The Duke Alegria's daughter, the Marquis Homer's son and daughters, Viscount Dale's bastard son and many more.
I know many of them as these nobles take part in the battle of Earth's Corruption.
It's a bloody war where many people lost their lives, as the corruption of Earth finally reached its limit and countless monsters emerged from that corruption leading to a war, the same with other planets in the universe and it served as the premise for the Universal War.
And it's a common known fact that you can't even enter this place in your lifetime, until that one Royal Decree passed recently.
Her Highness, The Princess of Arkansas, Zeina de Arkansas, passed a Royal Decree with the Royal Family's backing that required these prestigious institutions to adhere to its policies.
This policy includes the official decree of possibility for acceptance of the commoner people in this academy, through an intricate examination, that test their innate talents and potential of this commoner people.
As many commoner people with huge potential lost their life in the ongoing battle with the budding corruption, they didn't train themselves and ended up getting killed, due to lack of financial fee and training.
This decree served as an opportunity for these people to change their life.
The same as me... before.
As I look at the messy yet, comfortable room of my youth self. It's sloppy, yet endearing, a proof that I have potential too. So I trained gratefully in this times, as I remembered. I trained diligently to become stronger.
However, I must many times be stronger than I was before, faster many times than before and stronger than even in my peak self.
Because of the shadowy monsters, he's really toying in our fight that it's really despairing, as helplessness enthralled my mind in that monster.
Back to the topic, I'm a commoner in this Academy that was given an opportunity to study due to my innate talent and potential.
However, even if it's tattered and messy, for me, it's one of a hell-- comfortable that it's all I need in this world.
And yes, I'm accepted due to my innate ability, the agility that I even manage to possess in my grown ass self as I fought those monsters.
But as I looked over to this familiar room.
I noticed something that appeared infront of me, it's several bright panels containing messages for me.
[Integration of the Universal System, Completed!]
[You have been brought back by the Chasm of Time, specifically in your era.]
[Due to the use of all of the backup power by the Chasm of Time, this message will serve as the start of the Universal Restart, and the Death of the Chasm of Time.]
[You have been brought back, 5 years before the Earth's Corruption.]
[And as a parting gift, the Chasm of Time gives you this supporting system to assist you in countless ventures and adventures.]
[Please open this letter given by the Chasm of Time for you.]
Observing these messages appearing on the screen, and due to my curiosity, I opened the mail that appeared on this panel or dystem as it says.
[It's the Chasm of Time, and I hope the Universal restart was completed successfully.]
[If you are reading this letter, it means that I'm probably dead, as I give everything that I had including my life to complete this Universal Restart.]
[But although I'm dead, please accept this supporting system as a token of gratitude, for all the things you've done that even in miserable death, you fight valiantly in the face of Chaos.]
[This Universal Restart will serve as a new start to build your power and to form your trusted companions, Keizen Al Zohar.]
[And lastly, I have my only request and hope for this restart.]
[Please, Please save our dear universe.]