Chapter 399 - Same Language
It was like a wall of darkness was caving in. The swarm of the tiny black spiders filled the room was approaching. And it was approaching fast.
Ed raised his sword, igniting it with his purple aura. He was a moment away from slashing his blade when Connor stopped him.
"Are you out of your mind?" Connor growled. "This tunnel is a hundred years old. It can't possibly hold out when you attack."
"What do you suggest on doing then?" Ed asked. "We have no other choice."
Connor looked around to try and find something they could use. He narrowed his eyes in front of them when he saw that the spiders were avoiding his wisps.
"Gotcha," Connor said. He unsheathed his sword and slashed it forward, creating a ring of flames that surrounded them. "These spiders must have not seen a lot of light. They're afraid of even the small fire."
"What a brilliant mind you have," Ed teased. "Who are you and what have you done to Connor?"
The blonde boy shrugged, "I matured. People like me age like fine wine."
"Fine wine my *ss," Ed scoffed and ended their conversion.
When the spiders approached them, the littl beasts did not enter the flame ring. Although it only had the girth of an arm, it was incredibly bright, making the beasts fear it.
Not soon after, the swarm of spiders were gone. Connor returned to the back lines and let Corry lead the way. He didn't deactivate the flame ring in case more spiders were around.
"Are you alright, sir?" Corry couldn't help but ask Ed when he saw the man's pale face. It seemed like Ed had been thinking a lot.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ed smiled. "I was just thinking how the people back in Avancia is doing."
"Right," Corry smiled back. "But judging by how strong you are, I'm sure they're all safe and sound."
"Wait tho," Ed pursed his lips. "Why does the East speak the same language as the West, even the old texts are the same."
"I actually don't know," Corry replied honestly. "But for as long as I can remember, we have been speaking this language since. Only the ancient texts were different."
"That is because of the World Treaty two millennia ago," Seitan said. "When the Five Kings were in the voyage and explored the recovering East, they shared their language."
"Recovering?" Ed asked. "Recovering from what?"
"The Fall of the Twelve Suns," Seitan replied. "The original emperors died due to a tragedy and the kingdoms' royal seat was vacant for centuries. Until the Westerners came and reformed the laws and appointed the new emperors."
"New emperors…" Ed placed his finger on his chin. "You mean you're not the descendant of the original emperor?"
Seitan shook his head, "I'm afraid not. The original clans had long since vanished along with our original powers."
"Original powers?" Ed quirked his brow up. "Tell it to me straight, sir. All of it."
"Long ago," Seitan started.
The East had been known to harness mana in the air with the technique they called Cultivation. The ones who uses this technique was called Cultivators, and they are refered as the Descendants of the Sun.
Though, unlike the Explorers and Adventurers who can gain the system through a contract, Cultivation wasn't for everyone. An individual requires a certain amount of mana in their body so they could cultivate.
For millennia, when the Twelve Suns dawned in the East and created the Twelve Kingdoms, cultivation was part of life. But the twelve emperors could not keep up with each other and they ended up destroying each other.
A few centuries later, the voyagers from the West came. The Five Kings who newly built their own kingdoms in the West. It was only their third year after receiving the power of the Almighty and they had helped their neighbors over the vast blue seas rebuild their kingdoms.
It took them a couple of years to recreate the fallen kingdoms. From the regathering of the people and rebuilding of infrastructures, to the indoctrination of the new emperors, the Five Kings were there.
Along with the five years of help, the Five Kings also introduced their language to the Easterners. It was a silly joke made by the Purple King, but the new emperors took the advice to their heart. They said that they will do it so when their children would soon come together, they would understand one another.
Though they introduced a new language, the Five Kings let the Easterners keep their texts and original language. They decided to make their language optional and it was up to the individual if they want to learn it or not. After all, it was just a joke made by one of them.
Feeling greatly indebted, the emperors of the East accepted the language and made it their official language. For five years of visit, the language of the West went on for two more millenia until the current day. All because of a joke.
"The Five Kings were really are something, huh?" Ed whispered to himself. His mind then went back to the particular darkness in Avancia, Irus.
The Five Kings rebuilt kingdoms and helped people with their power, it was no doubt they were strong. Yet Irus was able to singlehandedly fight them with his magic. Then the Seven Deathly Sins whose powers were absorbed by the Abyssal Nebula and into the corrupted Kings.
Judging from that alone, no one from them could fight the Five Kingdoms. Even Pentos, the strongest Adventurers in their time couldn't do it. They only escaped the Palace, but did not actually defeat the Azure King.
"You are in deep thought again," Corry snickered. "Are you like this a lot?"
"No," Ed scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat dismissively. He looked forward and narrowed his eyes when he saw a large metal vault door. "Is this it?"
"I actually didn't reach this part," Corry confessed. "The last part I explored was back in the swarm of baby spiders."
"Oh," Ed pursed his lips. He called Connor to come over and they walked forward, getting closer to the vault door.
It was covered with thick webs and dead bodies. Spiders would crawl away at the sight of the bright red light, and it was then that Connor saw a spider went past a mall creak in the vault.
The boys looked at each other before they opened the vault door. Instantly, a strong gush of raging aura greeted them.
"Stay here, we'll explore outside," Connor said. He walked out of the door first and brandished his sword, carefully walking through the dark smaller tunnel until he saw a light at the end of it.
"What's that?" Ed asked from behind him. "Is that a purple light?"
"Don't tell me…" Connor trailed off and ran towards the light. They got out of the tunnel and gasped on where the end was.
Ed gulped and watched the purple aura surrounding the giant woman made of rock. It felt like it was pulsating, its power was so dense that it was getting harder and harder for them to breathe.
"The Amethyst Maiden."