"Second Fracture and upcoming apocalypse?" Jung repeated, his heart beating loudly. "And in five years?" He felt a surge of excitement mixed with dread.
All the questions he could think of surfaced in his head, refusing to leave his mind and demanding answers. "You knew someone would tell me that. Is it connected to the prophecy you mentioned?"
[That's right,] the system agreed and continued. [Right after the gates opened and players arrived, the prophecy emerged, revealing the looming end to this world.]
As Jung listened and considered her words, he had another revelation and asked in a voice filled with confidence. "But there is more to that story, right?"
The system giggled at his examination. [You could speculate that Archeons wouldn't remain idle, and you would be right.] Her previous light-hearted tone didn't disappear. [So they chose their champion, someone who could represent them and protect the world.]
"Let me guess, they have their Chosen One, and he or she is in this carriage." Jung was observant, smart, and didn't miss the meaning behind her words.
[And because of them, the Archeons stood against me, considering that the world could barely hold one of you, let alone two.] The system no longer spoke playfully.
Jung looked around, scrutinizing his companions. The carriage wasn't big by any means, as it could barely hold ten passengers, and, with the driver added, who was leading the horses, there was barely any room to move.
He studied others and wondered about the identity of the Chosen One. Someone played the role of the protagonist on Maskera, a person who took his spot and made him lose his perks.
Jung wasn't petty, and he wouldn't hold his resentment against that person. He was a civilized human, after all.
"Prophecy says that they will save this world? Are they even aware of their status?" He asked and waited for the response.
[Prophecy remains unchanged. His or her election is just a mechanism to avoid that problem altogether. As for their identity and condition, I have no clue.] She explained and went quiet with nothing more to add.
There were not enough clues, but the concern still lingered. Jung wanted to find the person destined to be the Chosen One, as his next action was unknown even to him.
The most obvious answer would be Ronan. He was older than the others, acted with no care, and had an edgy aura around him, just like your average hero, and if that wasn't enough, he was a swordsman, hiding his blade under his cloak.
Twins were loud, eye-catching, and not a bit foolish. Their demeanour screamed trouble, nothing more and nothing less, and it would be a questionable choice on Archeons' part to select any of them.
As for Mira, much like Ronan, she appeared mysterious and attentive. Her speech pattern was weird, not local at least, and her words were hiding something behind her wisdom.
Jung was good at reading people, notably kids with close to zero experience in life, yet he couldn't point a finger and confidently say who might be the Chosen One.
He had no options but to observe them more and hope to find an opening. The time limit was five days, and maybe even more after they entered the academy.
If he was lacking any motivation, the system helped him.
«Reward IV: Special Item 'I feel like there is more,' Jung thought and joined the conversation. The next few days were peaceful. Full of chatting and nothing else. Just small talking to get to know each other, which was exactly what Jung wanted to accomplish. His progress stagnated since he had no monsters to slay, no way to act like a rebel or a hero and couldn't find pills either. However, he was still content with the situation as his progress lay in a separate section. Four more days passed, and only one remained before the carriage reached its destination. Jung heard from Mira and Astra about the examination and what it entailed. Most students ranged from 15 to 18 and ranked between Tier II and Tier V. The latter brought the first impediment everyone faced, but only 20% of the entire population could overcome. Pills never stopped working, but at that stage, they weren't enough. It came to the acting of how well people lived based on their archetype, but the resources could help, albeit a little. From that point onwards, every other tier was a bottleneck, and only a small number of people conquered it. Tier VI, Tier VIII, Tier X, and Tier XII. Based on official numbers, humanity had only 18 Tier XII powerhouses, and in the magnificent 20 billion population, it was nothing but a small number. Here comes the problem. The monsters were in greater quantity, and when the second Fracture hits the world, the balance that was barely maintained will crumble, and humanity will perish. This new change and prophecy were a rumour, but given enough time, it might transform the world. 'She said that we have five years remaining,' Jung thought. 'Elara should be at home by that time.' With determination and newfound insight about the academy, he waited. Less than a day remained, and Jung's mind was occupied with players and plans to scam them. Fortunately for him, Arcane Academy was in Arcane City, the second capital of the world and the biggest hub for the merchants. It meant that the player population would be sufficient and way larger than what was in Inbox City. 'I am getting new sidekicks to push around.' He thought happily and had a hard time containing his impatience. A night dawned right before they reached the city. The driver decided to spend the night and asked the guards to set up the tents. It was nothing new. It happened every night, and it was a joyful experience as the entire camp sat in front of the fire and told various tales. Even Jung wasn't ashamed, demonstrating jokes, dancing, and singing, he was truly entertaining the masses. But this night seemed different, and his performance was cut short. "Run!" shouted one of the guards out of nowhere as he sprinted out of the woods, looking terrified, and moved with the urgency of a man haunted by his nightmares. Then Jung saw something. Or someone heading in their direction with red pupils and a towering figure. And it wasn't alone.