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Return to Darkness

Marumaru
7
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The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
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Synopsis
Amidst the scent of war, the Seven Wonders disappear from the face of the earth. Dangerous adventurers who are known for the devastating prowess of the 7, they are the criminals responsible for conspiring with the Demons who were now invading Humankind. Aster, a beginning adventurer, is the key to unlocking the secrets behind the Seven Wonders, and being tasked with the special mission to discover the whereabouts of the Seven Wonders, he begins his lifelong mission whilst attending the Royal Knight's Academy to reclaim a lost power.

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Chapter 1 - Chapter 00

Across the world, seven nations reigned supreme. The Seven Sovereigns were regarded as the omnipotent beings that govern the world's past, present and future.

Every soul in the world pledged their beliefs to each God, and were granted a divine blessing called a 'Chain'. Chains manifest from the Ley Lines that permeate through the world, a form of magic that stems from seven mythical crystals that collect together which craft the laws of physics.

If one's Chain were to command fire, then with a single flick of a finger- a small ball of flames would follow suit. If one's Chain was to dissipate flames, then that ball of fire wouldn't even graze them before it disappears.

In an abundantly magical world, it grew to become the norm for the common folk to possess such powers. Except, such powers only existed among a single race- whilst the others benefited from their natural state of being.

Dragons, Elves, Demons, Dwarves, Basilisks… while not blessed by such a magical ability, it never stopped each of these races to dominate one another. Before the great Calamity 500 years ago, they were the most domineering races, with the Beast clan and Humanity falling short behind. In terms of how far behind, the Beast Clan wasn't too far away. Humankind, however, trailed so far back that even a Goblin would be considered a life threatening beast.

Such was the fate of humankind. They never were good at anything, but they also weren't bad at anything in particular. As plain as they were, they were just simply average. Even weak races like Goblins would be enough to overwhelm them with fear. That was, until a human of an unknown background stood tall for them all.

This figure was beloved by the people, revered and served as Humanity's strongest warrior. He'd laugh at the face of despair, for mocking him for simply being human, before he'd mercilessly beat them down with a single sword and no shield. His strength was acknowledged by all around him, that even the Gods couldn't help but look. "A human who defeated the Demon Lord? How preposterous!"

Even the idea of a human defeating a goblin was laughable- but a Demon King? Yet, it was that human's sword that met the end of the Demon King's chest. How could that be?

But, one of the Goddess's looked upon the group of 7, and pondered a single question. "Even if he did kill the Demon King, is that such a far-fetched idea that a random person can do such a thing? Not all humans are the same, similar to how there's only one Demon King, there's also only one Human Hero."

It was a simple, yet overlooked concept that warped the Sovereign's perception of their world. Why couldn't humanity be one of the seven domineering races? After all, this wasn't the first human ever to display something excellent.

So, the Gods granted blessings to humans. Much like how a Dragon can transform into their mighty form, or how Basilisks possess durable scales seemingly impenetrable, the Humans were finally gifted a talent that only they were born with. 'Chains', a binding that ties them with the Gods- granting them the ability to command their nature within.

Or so the books say. After all, the recountation of how Humanity became one of the 7 Great Races is all told in the perspective of humans, providing no evidence of the existence of each of the 7 Gods nor detailed recounts of the other 6 Great Race's histories.

Perhaps one could say it was a form of arrogance that Humanity possessed- a sense of pride which did not fit the notion humankind follows.

Origin, the God of Time- and the benefactor of Freedom. He once was a human who fought for Freedom. He slain a God in pursuit of that Freedom during a great war 20000 years ago, and has since been the God who reigned over the land of Humanity- Freiheit, the Nation of Freedom.

To most, his story has always been a fairy tale told to children. His successes in becoming a Hero-King sung hymns to children's hearts as they'd picture themselves in his shoes- how they could stand up against the world and come out on top.

500 years ago, there was a similar instance, a human who stood proud against all the races and pushed Humanity back into the picture. However, being one of the Great Race wasn't necessarily a great thing. For instance, the Demon Race who are well known for their worship over Dominion, have welcomed many lower races that could only be referred to as mindless beasts that they dominate over. Had Humanity continued being weak, then maybe they'd be under the control of the Demons. Maybe that'd be a better fate than to be a target the Demons seek to conquer.

The year is 2024, AC*. 18 years ago, there was a devastating event that caused Freiheit to shed its first tear. The reign of Polaris had come to an abrupt end, and even his child, Sideralis never heeded the chance to rule over the free nation. The concept of the King and Princess was a unique one, for a nation to be free- there must be none to rule the nation.

Yet, Freiheit at its heart had loved their benevolent King and Princess, praising their dutiful work as they slaved their lives away for the freedom of humankind. So when the regicide took place 18 years ago, the nation cried. The Grandmaster of the Knights of Drystia quickly took over, reported traces of Demonic Aura and immediately engaged in a war with the Demon clan of Poder Ukaxa, the Empire of Dominion.

Since then, the Holy Knights of Drystia fought relentlessly against the Demon Lord's army, day after day, night after night.

But, who led the Demons into the nation to strike the King and Princess? If not the Hero who was wedded to the Princess, then who?

The Hero, Lumiere, was assassinated that same night. Who held a grudge against not only the royal family, but also the Hero? Well, humanity served as one of the 7 great races for a truly great reason.

The first reason would be due to their two separate orders. The Knights of Drystia are a faith of Holy Knights that are deadly in power, and unwavering in will. The others are the notorious adventurers that span the entire world. Even the Demon nation had a plethora of humans who adventure day in and out. But, that doesn't answer why they were so dominating.

If one had the answer, it would be a single group of adventurers composed of multiple races that all served humanity. The Seven Wonders, servants to Humanity- now turned traitors of the entirety of Freiheit. The most dangerous of them all, the envious brother of Lumiere- Altair, the Star.

His power was feared the most, most often speaking highly of his strength in comparison to Lumiere. The Hero was a gentle soul, and held back in all his fights. His brother however was ruthless, and while he looked friendly beyond battle, he was a cold blooded killer that would stick whatever he could into the heart of his victims. He was deadly, and fear lingered near each step he took. One wrong move could spell death, and not in a pretty way.

He'd ensure a death so gruesome, that you'd think a rat eating your body inside and out would be more pleasant than encountering this man. What stems from the fear of him, is a great respect. For a man whose strength outmatches that of even the Hero- it truly was impressive- but not something to be praised of course.

If there was any single person capable of this level of murder, it'd be Altair- who conspired with the Demons to collapse humanity into the lesser race. With such an enticing invitation of slaughter made from the strongest human of the time, what reason would the Demon Lord have to refuse? After all, they believed in dominion. If they could have an entire nation to themselves, it's a deal sweeter than what they realise.

After all, taking apart humanity would be just as easy as grasping a handful of sweets in the palm of your hand and squeezing every bit until a sugary mess is left. However, humankind of today's era isn't as frail as it once was. The Demons were overconfident, and they could have never predicted how fiersome the Holy Knights truly were.

But while the war continues with the Knights and the Demons, the Adventurer's have a much more important task. A task that appears more riskier than any war or trivialities that forces them to draw their weapon.

The task? Well, it's a rather simple one…

"Have we got any Intel on Altair's location?" Pondered the guild mate who sat with his friends. He was clad in sapphire armour with a giant iron blade attached to the holster on his back. The man was bald, and had a rather scornful face- and the two other men who sat with him seemed to be acquainted.

One of them was a gentleman who was almost the complete opposite. He wasn't as large but was still quite well built and he adorned red armour with a thin blade holstered to his left side. He had long luscious brown hair and facial hair neatly trimmed and a nearly perfectly symmetrical face. He was clearly the look of this group, but his voice demanded more attention with how attractively deep it was. "No. Our closest lead was 5 years ago when traces of Astral Energy were picked up by Arcmage Luna. However, we lead on a clue that's 5 years outdated."

The last one finally spoke. He was almost like a mix of the two. He had facial hair, but battle scars covered across his body and even that bald head of his had a scar that ran through his eye up towards his skull. The man didn't wear any armour so to say, but he had a rather wild looking kilt that covered his bottom half. While he seemed more defenceless, his bulging muscles could easily be mistaken for steel plates that cover his entire body. Safe to say, he was a fearsome warrior that carried two axes on his side attached by a single chain. He contemplated for a moment tapping his arm that was folded with a concentrated brow. "Our means of approach hasn't improved at all. Not just Altair either, but all Seven Wonders haven't been sighted since that day."

The half naked man stood up, finally breaking out of the zone and pushed back the chair with a slight tap of his legs. "We'll have to continue the search tomorrow. For now, take a rest. The guild needs more attention considering we've been lacking on missions and income lately."

With such a position, one would recognize exactly who the man was. Gathely the Indomitable, a powerful ex-S Rank Adventurer who was the closest to ever hit the level of the Seven Wonders. His status as the guild's strongest was something that'd never get into his head. While he may have brute forced his way into his position, many would consider him a level-headed gentleman who'd swing the axe down only when necessary. A calculating and powerful individual, it was his general approach to his missions that earned him favour from the previous Guild Master. Once he succeeded her position, he took on with stride and has since been the authoritative figure across many branches. Situated in Drystia where the main Guild Hall lay, he used advanced magic to communicate with leaders of other branches and had grown a general understanding over how the Adventurer's guild fared in each nation. Ofcourse, the Ukaxan branch had fallen by the hands of the Demons. Naturally speaking, the demons who were at war with the humans would never allow for something that stemmed from them to exist.

It was a tragic event which led to the death of nearly 10,000 adventurers who were positioned in Ukaxa. The Demons were brutal, and unforgiving- targeting the guild unexpectedly despite their neutral position. It was a fact that the Adventurer's Guild never made enemies, but those turns of events create two enemies for the Guild. The Seven Wonders who were the group of adventurers who caused the war, and the Demons who slaughtered the innocent out of spite.

Gathely himself was a generally benevolent figure, but utter a sentence with demon in it, and he'll leave the conversation. In some eyes, it was just a natural racism towards their kind. After all, they're violent beings who wreak destruction for the path of dominion. Yet, to those with a smarter brain, it's a natural reaction to hesitate when hearing that Race's name. After all, the 10,000 innocent lives of those adventurers- they all heeded word from Gathely himself. In a sick and twisted way, Gathely was responsible for the handling of that situation, and unfortunately didn't predict the demons would launch such an attack.

Constantly running through his mind is a single question. 'If I had just told the Guild Master of that branch to evacuate into Freiheit, would I have saved all 10,000 of those people?'. The terrifying part was that the Demons didn't even just target the humans. They made themselves the enemies of the world by involving people who weren't apart of the war. Basilisks, Elves, Beastfolk, Dragonkin, Humans and Dwarves- even Demons, if they were associated at all with the Adventurer's Guild, they were killed.

He carried a hefty weight on his shoulders, but he continued his duties. It was his responsibility to save those lives and he didn't. So it is now his responsibility to pay respect to the departed by ensuring that the Seven Wonders are captured and sentenced to death.

Sat at his desk, he glossed over the information sent to him by his supervisor. His eyes darted around, paced around the screen within his visual- yet there was nothing that ticked any boxes. Flicking his finger, that visual screen disappeared before he began tapping the desk with his single finger, burying his chin in the other hand.

In front of him, his supervisor stood. Fixing her glasses, she stood firmly before reporting today's results. "Guild Master, the scouts sent towards the Drystian Woods have returned. They came back with no Intel on the Seven Wonders, but have detected strange activity."

For once, Gathely- who was level-headed had suddenly perked from his chair. His eyes shot open as the moment of disbelief shook him to his core. "Go on, what did they find?"

"Drystian Woods had always been a relatively active biome. I wouldn't call it demonic, but a strange presence was detected that's affecting wildlife. On top of that, they managed to find a strange tablet that was never before seen."

"Were they able to decipher any of its words?" Gathely found himself standing on both feet. For someone searching through a bale of hay for the needle- naturally it'd only take a while before you get poked. Scavenging for that needle for 18 years with no rest would get to anyone. Of course, after these 18 long years- some strange things are happening in Freiheit. It may not be related to the Seven Wonders, and perhaps he was getting his hopes up. But it doesn't change the fact that there was finally something.

"Yes. One of the mages was able to learn that the tablet only reacted to a type of magic."

"What kind? Is it a rare type?"

"... Chrono magic. It's the rarest of them all."

Gathely sat back down. Finding someone who could wield Chrono magic was a task beyond belief. But it could be the lead they were looking for. After all, Altair, the Star, there was a reason why he was above the rest of the Seven Wonders.

Muadhnait, The Sage. She was an excellent mage who was well versed in all sorts of magic. Being an Elf, she commanded spirits and her own mana with her only interest ever being within gaining knowledge. She was history's most intellectual mage, knowing over thousands of mundane spells and even more advanced magic that could ruin cities.

Raijinto, The Sword. He was a swordmaster of unparalleled technique- often referred to as the incarnate of the Sword Goddess of Yaiba. His senses are heightened due to his canine nature, and his sensitivity was what drove him into becoming a living weapon.

Haborym, the Flame. She is a powerful harbinger of destruction. Capable of a transformation so mighty that even the Dragonkin dedicated a faith towards her. Unlike most dragons who require a dragon stone to assume a transformation, her dormant powers alone turn even the sturdiest of metals to liquid, turning anything and everything into nothing but a pile of ash as remains.

Barthatos, the Berserk. He is a deadly figure who is the strongest physically when it comes to measuring the seven. But what makes his strength so deadly was the mastermind behind it. For one to have dedicated so much into his raw power, intellectually, he rivalled Muadhnait.

Clarinda, the Light. An elf who moves so fast that most would be slain before they could blink. Her speed is brilliant, a type of speed that hyperactivates a flash of light that you can feel pierce right through your body.

Tsarina, the Rule. A demon who is maniacal in nature. She is powerful, devastatingly so. But her power isn't what makes her so deadly. Her free nature, and her greed to cause chaos is unparalleled. No one knows what she is thinking, no one understands why she does what she does- but in many accountings, she often says one thing. 'I got bored.'

Finally, Altair, the Star. He was the key to this clue. He is a human. He belonged to the Ragnarok clan, a clan of humans who were closest to Godhood. His brother, Lumiere Ragnarok was revered as the Hero- and while Lumiere's Chain dominated the domain of Space, Altair's was the opposite. His Chain granted him superiority over Choronomancy. In other words, he controlled time. His power is unbelievably powerful, that they say he is capable of bringing the world to its knees. Lumiere was the last person ever to be able to keep him in check. But that Hero is gone now.

With the Dungeon appearing relating to Chrono magic, it's clearly a dungeon intended for Altair in some way. Gathely believed in that notion. And so, there's only one solution.

"Get Aster here, now."