Chapter 274: The Truth

The whole place and the significance of it to their identities occupied most of their attention for a minute before Rise managed to ask Kamille what happened.

"When I was about to completely refine it..." Kamille started.

The world will suddenly used its trump card, which they overlooked. In a split second, Kamille truly thought he had failed, but he tried his best to resist and continue.

However, the world reset could not be stopped once it was initiated. Kamille could only counter it with the authority he managed to seize from the world will.

Just as his body was being pulled from somewhere, he sensed that call from beyond the gates or the world. It was not stirred by his noble bloodline but by something else.

Trusting his instincts, he did not resist the call this time and let his body be pulled towards it. It proved that his bet was correct.

When he arrived at the world’s boundary and saw the vast expanse of stars, a picture was waiting for him. Kamille was as dumbfounded as Rise when he saw it.

Something within him, he instinctively knew that the photo was not taken in this world. There was a kind of power that was unique to it, detached from the concept he knew.

And when Kamille activated his ability, he found out that he could not see through it at all. What was more intriguing was that his ability to see things was not working properly in that place.

He had yet to ponder it deeply when he sensed Rise’s arrival.

"I’m also not certain of what state we’re in... But I’m certain that we didn’t fail completely." Kamille was quite confident in it.

Rise looked at him, and he also believed these words. It was not just from his confidence in Kamille, but his instincts also told him so.

His gaze swept over the vast expanse.

"Then what should we do?"

While they did not fail, they did not seem successful either?

Kamille was also clueless, but they did not ponder for too long. A familiar light flickered, and a book appeared five metres away from them.

Unlike when they first saw it, it was opened until almost at the end. Mist coiled around it, almost forming a face, but it was too distorted to be considered one.

"It’s you..." Rise narrowed his eyes, his tone unfriendly.

Kamille did the same, alert. He held more authority than it, yet he was not confident to overpower it, as the world will was part of the system itself compared to an outsider like him.

[Rise...]

The mist spoke; the voice was similar to the book’s. Rise almost mistook it as the book, but it held more emotion than the emotionless one he was familiar with.

"Do you think the world reset can still help you?" Rise sneered. He hated this thing so much. Whether it was the author he thought it was or its real identity.

It did not answer immediately. Its figure was thinning at a noticeable pace.

Kamille and Rise were extremely on guard as they stared at it. Although it looked weak now, they would never underestimate it. The one who seemingly held their fate for an unknown amount of time.

[World Reset... I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve initiated it, or those caused by the two of you.] Its tone was especially clear for the first time and imbued with a kind of exhaustion.

[’I’ gradually forgot how to do it and only relied on my instincts. ’I’ don’t even know what I am until now. The countless world resets had stripped me of my memories and so the desire that I always wanted. It should be the same for the two of you.]

Rise listened to its words without interrupting it. However, he agreed with one thing. It seemed countless resets had truly taken a toll on them. Rise and Kamille did not even know what they truly were or what made the world will to target them.

"Heh. So you do know that you ruined things for us? I regret not being able to beat you up." Rise truly regretted this point.

Kamille glanced at him and rubbed his waist.

"I made sure to torment it with my fire while refining it."

His meaning was clear. He vented Rise’s frustration at it.

Rise looked at him, and his stance immediately softened. The circumstances were not appropriate for a passionate moment; otherwise, he had already kissed Kamille to reward him.

Of course, he did lean his body towards him to show him this at least. In any case, they did not care what this world will would say about their display of affection.

After digressing for a bit to show appreciation to each other, Rise focused on the will again.

[World Reset is a protective mechanism.]

Its tone changed a little. Rise noticed that the emotion was slowly being stripped away from it, just as its figure became thinner. While the book glowed brighter.

Rise understood it as they were merging again, and the will’s self-awareness was fading.

[’I’ exploited it. And ’I’ and the world are paying the price.]

"You forced us to pay the price for you."

Rise’s tone was harsh. Even without being told, he was aware of the price. Just like this world consciousness, the countless resets had stripped Rise of his memories and probably even his origin or soul.

No one could be blamed for this, but this world will.

It could not answer immediately. Perhaps it was also aware of this point. For almost a minute, it had not said a thing. Kamille and Rise were not in a hurry either.

They had already come to this point, this world will would not be able to run. Its figure thinned out so considerably that it could not form anything much less than a face.

[I was envious] It started after a minute of silence. [To the freedom you both held.]

The mist faded until it was only a few lumps lingering at the top of the book, being sucked into it.

Rise seemed to sense its gaze towards him and Kamille; the emotions it held surged in its final moments. Without it saying a word, he could hear what it wanted to convey.

"The feeling of that time returned vividly at this moment. The two of you in your final days in my world. Your trip had concluded. I know that both of you will finally leave to venture towards the unknown.

I was unwilling. I remember manifesting in front of you in my desperation..."

Rise frowned slightly. He tried to form an impression of its words, but he could not remember it at all. Kamille’s crimson pupils flickered at the same notion.

"I asked... can you bring me outside? But you refused. Rise, you said, I’m not allowed to leave my jurisdiction. Then I asked you, How can I leave? You said..."

A memory flickered in both Kamille and Rise’s eyes, the book showing them its records, though fragmented.

Rise’s appearance was no different from his current. However, the demeanour he exuded was more casual and confident. His gaze towards the world will who suddenly manifested, although it held surprise, it was more of a noble indifference.

By his side, the dominating presence of his companion made one unable to utter any blasphemous words against the silver-haired man. His gaze alone showed his superiority cut above from the rest, even to the considered God of this world.

"You can’t. This world will disintegrate if you leave." The silver-haired man looked at the man beside him with a playful smile. "I quite like this world, right, Guild Leader? Being an esper and guide is such a good concept. So, I want to visit again."

Kamille’s oppressive gaze softened at his antics and nodded.

"Next time we can come again."

The world will watch them and speak once more.

"What if I can become like you?"

Rise looked at it again, surprise was now written in his gaze. Kamille frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

The world will’s form became steady, though faceless; the mist carried a form. It was of the same build as Rise.

"A traveler... That’s what you are called, right? I want to be like you... Rise." Then the voice twisted as the memories became distorted, with only Rise furrowing his brows at its next words. "I want to be you, Rise."

Rise blinked his eyes, and the memories disappeared. He could not conceal his shock at what he had seen. He looked at Kamille, who did the same, their expressions mirroring each other.

For a moment, the two forgot to say a word. They could only look at each other as they processed what they had just seen. The memories still did not ring a bell, but the feeling gnawing from within could not be mistaken.

The memory resonated from their core. It was a real memory.

The two figures in those memories appeared so different from them, but they knew that at some point, it was them. No, more like, that was the real them.

The real Rise and Kamille.