Darkness.....
That was all that Gabriel could see.....
He remembered being rammed by a f*cking boar and sent flying towards a statue.....and before he became unconscious....he heard something robotic speaking....
Then something jolted him awake....
*deep breath* *deep breath*
"What in the hell!?!??" screamed the woken Gabriel
He looked around and sees that he's currently in a dark room full of rubble, blood, and corpses."I can't see anything...."
Suddenly, floating orbs of light appeared from above, illuminating the area with light. "Huh...how convenient....."
Gabriel looked around once more and was astonished from what he saw.....He was in a battlefield...spanning god knows how how far.....
It was truly a gruesome sight to see, millions of corpses if not billions or trillions. Everywhere, lakes of blood and mountains of corpses could be seen.
There were so many dead people from different races, so many dead species.....they looked like gods and demons who had a war that lasted for an eternity.
From a distance, at the center of the battlefield. A kneeling figure could seen....impaled by nearly a hundred weapons.....surrounded by many armored figures that stood in place.....
"I don't think i'm in Alderran anymore...."
All of a sudden, a voice echoed everywhere....
["Because it never existed....."]
Gabriel was shooked and looked around to find out where the voice came from.
"Reveal yourself!!!!"
"What do you mean Alderran never existed!?!?!?!"
The voice echoed once more.
["Alderran is merely a chameleon protocol, to protect the flame....."]
"A chameleon protocol?.....then how was i able to converse with people?....how waw i able to kill, burn, and be harmed?....." asked Gabriel
["Those are mere energy constructs, materialized from your subconscious."]
["The reason you were able to harm and be harmed is due to one of the primary purpose of the chameleon protocol which is to eliminate trespassers."]
"Well it nearly succeeded." said Gabriel
["It is what it is."]
["The flame must not fall into the wrong hands. Hence, the defensive protocols"]
"Flame?...what flame?....." asked Gabriel
["Get closer to the center."]
Though skeptical of the strange voice, Gabriel knew he don't really have no other choice and walked towards the center.
When he arrived, Gabriel noticed that the kneeling figure was holding something.....it looked like the figure was trying to keep something from its attackers.
"Who is he?...."
["Samael...the previous keeper of the flame..."]
"So this battlefield...was because of the flame?..."
["Correct."]
["This place is called the Ancient Battlefield, originating from a war that lasted for ten million years, involving thousands of races, gods, demons, and other species....for the flame....."]
Suddenly a white flame erupted from the dead Samael's chest and rushed towards Gabriel.
In a blink of an eye.....it entered his body, making him feel a surge of power and a feeling of freedom from something he couldn't describe.
Then, an influx of information transferred itself into Gabriel's mind...it was knowledge.....
"It endowed me with the knowledge of how to control the flame...and the knowledge of other worlds....." said Gabriel "....but not knowledge of the flame itself.....why is that?"
["It's a learning experience....."]
"So what do i do?" asked Gabriel
["Anything.....it is yours to command...."]
"How important even is this flame to cause such a battlefield?" asked Gabriel
["It is because of the flame's abilities that it is highly coveted....."]
"I can sense it has a lot of sealed abilities, waiting for me to unlock...." said Gabriel
"but i can also sense that you must be talking about a specific abilty of it....explain."
["....The flame's most coveted quality is the ability to traverse the Myriad Web."]
"But from the knowledge that i received.....a lot of species in the Myriad Worlds have the ability or the technology that can do just that." said Gabriel
["That is correct."]
["However, though it is possible through a multitude of means, it still carries a dangerous risk."]
["To traverse to another world, they run the risk of being annihilated while traveling, being anchored to their destination world's fate, being attacked by abominations, and many more risk that could endanger even the powerhouses of the Myriad Worlds."]
["With the flame, those risk does not exist."]
["Therefore it is coveted."]
"And now it's in my ownership....." said Gabriel
["Yes."]
["Henceforth, the Myriad Worlds are yours to explore."]
"Why choose me?" asked Gabriel
["Notably, it is because you activated the Genesis Protocol.]
[A protocol which initiates once the previous Flamebearer perishes. Then it finds tje nearest suitable host which is you, which changed the ownership of the flame to you."]
["Another notable thing is that, you must be a unique individual."]
"What do you mean by that?" asked Gabriel
["Before Samael perished from his injuries, he sealed this world from within and disconnected it from the Myriad Web to prevent being accessed by outsiders and those who covet the flame so that no wrong hands can claim it."]
["But for some reason, when you died, your soul somehow escaped Samsara and materialized here."]
["It's already inconceivable for your soul to be able to escape Samsara without an ego, but for you to be able to enter this place while sealed and disconnected from the Myriad Worlds.....it's beyond inconceivable....i can't explain it....."]
"So..."
["It means in a way...your something special.....maybe it was destined to be in your hands but it sounds ironic because by having ownership of the flame...you become fateless.....but who knows...maybe you'll know why in a future date....but for now....you just have to live with it now...."]
"Well sh*t....are there any conditions?" asked Gabriel "I'm not stupid...usually something of this magnitude that happens to anime or novel protagonists surely has it conditions or consequence."
["Fortunately for you....."]
["There is no condition nor there is a consequence."]
["There is only a request"]
"Which is?"
["To live freely."]
"To live freely huh..." Gabriel then summoned the flame from his hands and looked at it deeply.
"I wonder which world should i go to?"
He goes through the knowledge that he obtained from the flame and searched for a decent world to go to.
"Valeria.....too isekai generic....."
"Ark.....a world similarity to Evangeli-....oh hell no...."
"Silencio.....a world where everything is silent...just no..."
"Why the hell is Earth not here...is it not part of the Myriad Web?"
["What is Earth?"]
"Really?" asked Gabriel "you don't know any world named Earth."
["No.....in fact, why would a world be named after dirt?....."]
"Don't ask me, i didn't named it." said Gabriel
"Ahhhh you know what f*ck it, random world it is...."
He points his hand forwards and created a portal of fire.
Just as he was about to enter the portal. Gabriel looked at the sky and asked a question. "I almost forgot to ask.....who are you voice?"
["....."]
["I am a guide for those who follow the path of the flame...."]
["So do not worry Flamebearer Gabriel.....for i will be your companion in your journey....from now....till you perish..."]
"How moving....." said Gabriel awkwardly
"Do you have a name?"
["It has been a long time since i have uttered my name.....i'm afraid i have forgotten...."]
"hmmmm.....i'll name you Guide for now then..." said Gabriel "i'll change it, when i think of something better "
["...Guide is good....."]
"....very well.....Guide it is..." said Gabriel as he enters the portal.
End of Chapter