Nostalgic Gamer in a Cultivation World

Vahn was looking at the Genesis Tree with a serious expression.

“I’ve always... felt a sort of calm feeling when I stay here. I’ve always felt that as long as I was here, I wasn’t alone.” Vahn couldn’t help but recount.

“Vahn... You were the person with the highest potential. Lord Biron revealed to me that there are people who are called, Soul Sensitive. It means they have a higher chance of communing with the Soul. This is why you have shown more aptitude even when compared to Master Tetsu. Meta has long decided to make you its wielder. It couldn’t choose Tetsu because Tetsu was a Biron Monk and would never leave his teachings of wearing a Seru.”

Tetsu listened and nodded.

“Master Dyne is right. Unless proven wrong, I would never choose to wear a Ra-Seru. But Dyne, how do you know that it would choose Vahn and not the other villagers? There were many Hunters of great strength before. Many of them died. Why has the Ra-Seru not called them?” Tetsu asked.

“Maybe he did try. But they couldn’t hear it.” Dyne smiled.

He recalled how Strafe said that he wouldn’t be able to communicate with Dyne. But after Dyne became a Soul Cultivator, Strafe could communicate to Dyne again.

“He tried?”

Rather than explain it, Dyne decided to show it.

Dyne closed his eyes.

Vahn was startled. Then immediately raised right hand. Tetsu had a strange sensation. As if something called his attention.

“See! That’s how!” Dyne laughed.

“What?” Tetsu was bewildered.

“What do you mean, that’s how?”

“Vahn?” Dyne asked Vahn to explain.

“I heard a voice... which I was sure that came from Master Dyne. He told me to raise my hands!” Vahn explained.

“Right! I said that through my soul! In fact, I was rather loud when I said it. It startled Vahn!” Dyne laughed.

“I only felt something calling me...” Tetsu realized it.

“Right. Vahn is so close to becoming a Soul Cultivator. That’s why he heard it. You see, Meta may have been trying for a long time. He is resting because he is currently weak. And he can’t casually use his powers to call out to everyone. So he was waiting. Waiting for the right moment to do it! But now, he should be strong enough with everything that’s been happening in this village. But since it's so peaceful, he knew it isn’t time yet. But now, I decided to wake him up!” Dyne explained.

“Why not make you its wearer?” Tetsu asked respectfully.

“I can’t. My destiny lies elsewhere.” Dyne mysteriously answered.

“Besides... Meta is suited for Vahn. He is quite compatible with fire after all.” Dyne explained.

Vahn gazed curiously at the Tree.

“Go on. Call out to him. After I used my Imaginarium Arts, I sensed that you have already touched on the edges of Soul Cultivation. Lord Biron said that this is the Soul Awakening Stage.”

“Soul Awakening stage?” Tetsu muttered and fell into a trance. He finally understood what he was lacking.

“Erm… Master Tetsu?”

“Don’t disturb the man! He just found Enlightenment!” Strafe reprimanded with great agitation.

“Dyne, not everyone are freaks like you! For people like Tetsu, they fall into this state of Enlightenment! He will finally reach the Soul Awakening stage when he awakens!”

“Alright! Alright! Geez! I was just asking!”

Dyne turned to Vahn.

“Erm… Don’t disturb Master Tetsu. Just call out Meta.”

“What if he is still asleep?” Vahn asked.

Dyne shook his head. The moment he arrived at Rim Elm, he had already sensed that Meta was awake. When he first came to this town, Meta was still a Ra-Seru Egg. But now, he had just broken off the chrysalis that was protecting him.

“Just call out to him and sense him. Now that you are a Soul Cultivator, you should be able to detect him.” Dyne urged.

Vahn nodded and approached the Genesis Tree.

“There’s no need to do that, Vahn.” A female voice echoed out from the Genesis Tree which surprised Dyne and Vahn.

“Meta’s a woman?!” Dyne was surprised.

“Meta?” Vahn was surprised.

“Yes. It is I. I am Meta. I’ve been watching over you for a while. And everything that Dyne has said is true. I have been waiting for you and have been trying to reach out. But I was too weak. Now, the Village has grown better, and through the prayers and faith of you and villagers, I have grown strong enough to break free from my shell.” Meta explained.

“I wish to show you something first… But in order for me to do so, I wish to be your Ra-Seru. While Rim Elm has grown, there are still many cities, many people who are suffering because of the Mist. By combining our powers, we will rid the whole world of the Mist. Do you want to gain that power?” Meta asked gently.

Vahn nodded.

“Good! Vahn, open your mind...Feel my presence.” Vahn closed his eyes as a red stone began to emerge from the Tree. It quickly moved over to Vahn’s right arm.

Vahn felt a powerful surge of energy. His soul began to link with Vahn, and while all of this was happening, Dyne’s eyes were locked on everything that the two were doing.

“So that’s it…” Dyne realized what the Ra-Seru was doing to create the bond between them both. It was vastly different as to how Ginger tried to merge with him.

Soon Vahn and Meta merged, and both of them began to share each other’s memories.

After a few seconds, Vahn opened his eyes. Meta was attached to Dyne’s right arm and looked like a red armguard with a blue-green jewel at the center.

“Master Dyne… Meta… she”

“Meta probably showed you some things and told you that she is suspicious of me… Am I right?”

Vahn nodded.

“Soul Cultivator, Dyne. Who are you? How have you come to know about Rogue?” Meta asked. She had heard Dyne talk about it when he was strapped on the Genesis tree the first time.

“Is it about Rogues Tower? Or is it about Lord Biron?” Dyne asked. He didn’t know the current state of Biron and guessed that Meta might have found something suspicious with Dyne’s claims.

“Yes. How have you learned about Rogue? And Biron was a Monk who lived before Serus even came to the land of Legaia. He has long passed and journeyed back to Nauro Valley, where he was resurrected as a Ra-Seru. He-“

“Let me just stop you right there, Meta. Wow. So Biron’s a Ra-Seru now? I wonder who he is? Anyway… I know Tieg. That’s how I know all of this.”

“How did you know of Tieg?” Meta questioned.

“He brought me into this world.”

Vahn was shocked. Apart from Meta, he could also hear their conversation.

“What do you mean by brought you in this world?” Meta asked.

“Tieg’s real form exists outside of this world. He created this world, but his real body met me outside this world. He needed help, and I needed his. He made a deal with me, and so he sent me here. Vahn, everything I told you about Sol was a lie. It was a false identity that Tieg erm… gave me so that people will believe who I am.” Dyne explained through his soul.

“You know Lord Tieg?”

“Hmmm…. How do I prove this? Well, for one, I know that his real name is Strafe.”

“!!!” Meta was so stunned that it flashed red.

“We do not say his true name so casually, Lord Dyne. But as you know his true name, this proves you did meet him. Where is Lord Tieg now? All that remains are bits and pieces of himself, but his true form has vanished.”

“He’s still here. It’s a bit complicated to explain. But I know the history. I can fill in the missing pieces to the mystery of Rogue.”

“Then I shall ask you, Lord Dyne. How did Rogue escape Rogue Tower?”

“He didn’t. It was the humans of this world who found the means to get to Rogue Tower. The war in Conkram and Sol was getting out of hand, and one of the Royals found the dimension where Rogue was sent to.”

“Then Rogue has found his henchmen…” Meta’s voice was very worried.

“Erm… No. Right now… Rogue is dead.” Dyne answered back.

“What? But how?”

“I can’t answer that now. You’ll find out soon… So don’t ask me about it.” Dyne laughed.

Meta was silent.

“So if Rogue is dead… Then the humans… they used the remaining Mist that Rogue created?”

“Yes. They created a portal to pull the Mist from Rogue’s tower and used that tower as fuel for sending the Mist to this world.”

“But how is it possible for the Mist to reach Drake Kingdom?”

“Oh… That. Well, The Mist generator here in Drake Continent uses another means to create Mist. It isn’t the same way it is used in Karisto Kingdom.”

“Then how?”

“Meta… You already know the answer to that… Don’t you?” Dyne asked with a strange expression.

Meta began to think of how and then suddenly, realization dawned upon Meta.

“No! It can’t be!” Meta was shocked. Vahn could feel a great sense of sadness from Meta’s heart.

“Meta. Relax. We can think of a way to save them.” Dyne consoled.

“How?”

“I am an Oracle of Tieg. Much like how Hari is an Oracle of Rem. Don’t worry. Strafe is in constant communication with me.” Dyne affirmed.