1396 A Hero Called Immortal

"Immortal? He got famous recently, err, two centuries ago, I think." Sonya tapped her lower lip and looked into the distance, trying to recall the relevant information.

Even though he knew it was the norm, Varian's lips still twitched at 'recent' and 'two centuries' used in the same breath.

He'd have beaten up if anyone else was spewing stuff like that. But this was his sister-in-law, more or less. Still, that didn't mean it could be forgiven.

Varian's eyes gleamed with a soft blue light.

"Ouch!" Yelping out of blue, Sonya clutched her forehead in surprise and looked around in confusion. Someone definitely flicked their finger at her forehead.

An invisible enemy? Assassin?

To stay with her sister and repent her sin, the woman resolved herself even against an overwhelming enemy when a voice sounded in her mind.

'In which world is 200 years a recent thing? Please speak English.'

'But that is recen—ouch!'

Sonya rubbed her forehead again with an aggrieved expression. How was her sister friends with a guy like this? He's a bad bully!

"Two centuries, basically a looong time ago." She said, her quivering eyes keeping an eye on Varina's expression.

Seeing him nod in satisfaction, the little princess sighed in relief and continued.

"The information on him is very limited. The common people are all swept by the Alliance's propaganda.

Heaven Tribe, one of the six primordial tribes, was dedicated to the path of time. They were exterminated by the Neveah tribe—the current ruling race of the Jai Empire.

This much is not a big secret and there is nothing to dispute about this. What the Alliance did is show some records of the Heaven Tribe predicting their own demise as well as Eden splitting into two halves."

Everyone listened carefully.

Amidst the cool breeze of the morning, in the back garden of a mansion, some of the greatest secrets were shared.

"I'm not sure if the records are real but some very powerful men an women believe they are. But what's interesting is the next prediction.

< A man who will fulfill the world's true fate >

This is now seen as the prediction of a Hero's rise."

Sia rested her chin in her palm and chuckled derisively. "And that guy named Immortal is the so-called Hero? What a showoff! If anything, the title should be given to my husband. He's the real hero! That bastard is just a wannabe!"

"…Yeah," Sonya answered in an awkward tone to the rant and continued. "The issue is, except for a few individuals, no one really knows the truth of this matter.

I have a hard time believing even the prediction was original. Heaven tribe went extinct billions of years ago. Unlike some of the Ares tribe's former subordinate races that still exist in Nexus Empire, there is nothing we have on the Heaven tribe. The Neavehs conquered and assimilated everything.

I wouldn't bet my money on this prediction. It all seems like a hoax to raise hope in the naive populace."

"But why now? The Alliance saw no need for tens of millions of years and they suddenly decide to change the script one morning?" Sarah questioned.

From the hand on her chest, she could feel the pulsing warmth of the legacy beating right in her heart.

It's as real as her own existence.

"And it is totally possible for the legacy of Heaven tribe if it does exist, to survive.

The reason? The six tribes used to stay in this galaxy in the ancient era. The Neveah tribe, despite winning, had great casualties." Sarah stated half of the story.

But that was enough for Sonya to grasp what she was implying.

Vita and Avita tribes tried to corner the Neveah tribe and exterminate them. This led Neveahs to escape to what is now called Andromeda. After recuperating and rejuvenating with their loot, they laid the foundations for what would be the Jai Empire.

The point is that the Alliance controls the homeland of all six tribes. It is totally possible for them to uncover something authentic from the Heaven tribe, even with the gap of billions of years.

"Unlike most things, the traces of their tribes remain…to this day," Sarah said in an irrefutable tone. After all, she's the living evidence of that statement.

Even though Ares' legacy might have lasted for so long due to the area it's left, the sheer resilience of the legacy itself was hard to overstate.

Nothing lasts billions of years? How could one be so sure? These were the tribes that worshipped beings who were pseudo-gods, beings who might've reached rank 3 in the divine path.

The response from the 'Queen' caused Sonya to fall into a spiral of thoughts. After a while, she shook her head with a wry smile. "You might be right. Maybe there really is a record from that time and that prediction might also be accurate.

But it's distorted by the Alliance for their own agenda. The common narrative is that the Hero will fight against the God Emperor and establish peace.

Normal people believe a hero will come. And in the last few decades, there is a growing talk that the Immortal is the hero."

Enigma tilted her head slightly, a deep look of contemplation in her eyes. Parting her lips, the purple-eyed beauty asked in a cold but polite tone. "What about his origins? His family, home planet, childhood."

The more she spoke, the colder her voice got. Varian didn't doubt for a second that if she could, Enigma would kill everyone related to that man. Enigma could be a lot of things but merciful, she was not.

If Sia would torture the enemies to break their minds, Enigma would be the one slaughtering their entire populace to ensure no future troubles. And she'd do it without any guilt.

"Origins…there's nothing on him," Sonya paused for a moment. "He just appeared out of nowhere. But some rumors say that he is the child as a result of Genesis' and Mors' powerhouses."

"A living and an undead?" Isadora frowned.

"Yes, Sister! That's what the rumors say sister, Sister!" Sonya immediately went into full alert mode.

Seeing Isadora fall silent, Sonya hurriedly said. "It must be fake. There's no way it's tr—"

"It is most likely true," Varian said and gave the little princess a friendly smile. "Is there anything else you know? Rumors or facts or anything worthwhile?"

Sonya said a few more things but they were deemed to be useless. When she finally fell silent, Varian waved her goodbye.

"B-Brother-in-law, at least tell me why you said it's true." Gathering up courage, Sonya asked.

Varian paused for a moment before sending her off with a wave of his hand. "Kids shouldn't involve themselves in serious matters. Go play."

"But you're not even twen—"

As she disappeared, the atmosphere in the garden got serious.

Sighing deeply, Varian looked at the four women and said. "Here's my guess.

The Genesis and Mors Empires, under the guidance of Keeper Equilius, essentially Nexus Empire, created…you.

And you're supposed to be the sacrifice for Immortal.

But here's the thing.

Genesis and Mors empires led by the Vita and Ativ tribes—these were the only two who never engaged in deadly wars against each other but neither did they cooperate fully in the Alliance.

They are always wary of each other. But since they worked together to create the perfect hybrid and use the perfect hybrid to fuel the Immortal, it means only one thing.

Immortal is the ultimate creation of these two empires. He's not a natural birth either.

And if I had to guess, since went this far and they have the slivers, this man has some connection to the slivers himself."

The women agreed with his words. Following that line of logic, everything fit together well.

"Maybe you are right. The Mors and Genesis had gotten a little too friendly than usual at some point.

If this guy is created from both the living and the dead, then appointing him as the common successor would mean neither of them have to be wary of each other." Isadora added.

It was Sia who spoke next. "If he's the hero who's supposed to fight against the God Emperor, then he'd be given the slivers, right?

The God Emperor has space-time slivers. So, it makes perfect sense for him to use Life-Death. But I'm afraid…"

She trailed off without finishing.

Varian finished the words she didn't want to utter. "Yes, he'll my slivers to increase his odds against the God Emperor.

And since I also took the 'sacrifice' he's supposed to have, well, I guess we're destined to be enemies."