NOVEL NEXT Chapter 369: Dark Past—1
Archon Vyrra began her explanation, starting from the very beginning of their history.
"In our world—which we believed was everything that existed—we Pyrrhans, born from flames, lived harmoniously with the two great deities who oversaw the balance of our realm in peace. We existed in nature's ordained order and structure."
Her voice carried a reverent tone as she continued.
"This land was our birth and our death. When we die, we become part of it in the form of our ashes, returning to the flames that created us."
Leon had already obtained this basic information from the historical texts he'd absorbed earlier. However, the way she was describing events seemed notably more detailed and emotionally clear, so he kept quiet as she'd instructed him at the start and listened intently.
Let her tell it her way. I need the full context.
He wasn't the only one completely silent. Both Korvek and Ira were absolutely still, hanging on her every word with rapt attention.
"For as long as I can remember—my mother, my father, their ancestors—everything was exactly like that. We fought the monsters that emerged from rifts appearing randomly throughout our world. Through combat, we grew stronger."
She paused meaningfully.
"And if the need ever arose that threatened our existence, our deities would intervene to ensure we always survived. We loved and respected both deities deeply."
Her expression grew more complex.
"At first, we Pyrrhans were... secondary to both deities. They viewed us as something to look after and protect, like cherished pets or children. Not equals."
Vyrra's eyes held distant memories.
"However, everything changed one day three thousand years ago. From among us Pyrrhans, one individual reached such an extraordinary level of strength that even the two deities began giving her genuine respect as a peer."
Her voice filled with pride.
"We were no longer just weaker vessels to be protected. We became a respected race—the Pyrrhan race, worthy of standing alongside divine beings."
Then her tone darkened considerably.
"However, that monumental change did not come without severe cost."
Archon Vyrra's voice dropped low, and her eyes looked downward as she spoke the next part with obvious pain.
"The harmony of our world was fundamentally shattered by this new powerful individual ascending to such heights. It was as if our realm itself was denying and rejecting the existence of a third great power within its boundaries."
She took a shaky breath.
"The rifts—which had always appeared occasionally—now started manifesting far more frequently. Both deities and the Pyrrhan who had shattered the natural order immediately understood what was happening. They realized our world had become dangerously unstable."
Her hands clenched on the table.
"The reason was obvious to all three of them. But despite understanding the terrible consequences, the deities and the ascended Pyrrhan made a collective decision: even with our world becoming increasingly unstable and rifts appearing more often, they would still work to maintain harmony. They would simply have to intervene more frequently to protect us."
Her tone gradually returned to something more normal and measured.
"But even with the fundamental instability plaguing our realm—instability directly caused by that one exceptional Pyrrhan reaching unprecedented power—she was also able to help maintain the precarious balance."
Vyrra's expression became almost philosophical.
"Yes, there were many more rifts appearing constantly. But we Pyrrhans were also growing collectively stronger than ever before. The increased challenges forced us to evolve."
She paused significantly.
"Until one day, a profound change occurred. Different beings began emerging from the rifts—not mindless monsters, but intelligent creatures. They looked somewhat similar to us Pyrrhans in basic structure, but were distinctly different. We couldn't speak each other's languages initially."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Even so, we didn't immediately resort to violence. These outsiders began helping us fend off the monster rifts voluntarily. In return for their assistance, they would take whatever loot and materials dropped from the creatures they killed."
Vyrra's expression showed grudging respect.
"Slowly, over time, some of us Pyrrhans learned to understand their various languages through repeated contact. Those monster rifts were absolutely essential for the growth and advancement of our race—but they were also an increasing burden after the instability caused by our third great power. Many Pyrrhans were losing their lives at a much greater rate than in previous generations."
She explained the practical arrangement.
"So we formalized an agreement with the outsiders who came through rifts that never closed. The deal benefited both parties: Pyrrhans would take a portion of loot from the outsiders in exchange for granting them unrestricted rights to hunt the monsters."
Her eyes grew distant with memory.
"But through extended contact with these outsiders, after finally learning to understand their tongues properly, some of us came to a shocking realization: the world we inhabited was actually quite small in cosmic terms. There was vastly more existence out there to see and experience beyond our realm's boundaries."
Vyrra's voice carried wonder and longing.
"This possibility interested even our two deities—the great Red Dragon and its eternal companion, the great Phoenix. The concept of worlds beyond our own fascinated them deeply."
Then her expression turned to frustration.
"However, every attempt we made to venture into the outside worlds resulted in complete failure. All three rifts which never closed—the permanent portals—absolutely rejected the presence of Pyrrhans and both deities alike. No one was able to successfully cross through any rift, no matter how powerful they had become."
Leon, who had been absorbing everything silently, heard the specific term "three rifts" and began thinking analytically.
This much detail wasn't mentioned in those basic historical texts I absorbed. Were these three rifts each connected to the same external world, or were they gateways to three entirely different realms?
She had mentioned that some outsiders looked similar to Pyrrhans while others didn't, which made Leon initially assume they must simply be demi-humans from a single diverse world.
But I might be completely wrong about that assumption. They could be from separate planes entirely.
Still, he didn't interrupt her flow and allowed her to continue unimpeded.
Vyrra's voice carried a note of tragic irony.
"Years passed with the continued presence of outsiders coming and going. It seemed as if our realm had achieved a different, new form of balance—less natural than before, but sustainable."
Her voice dropped dramatically, becoming laden with grief.
"Until one day—two hundred years ago—"
The sadness in her tone was palpable as she forced herself to continue.
"Another rift suddenly appeared. Same as the three permanent ones which connected us to larger worlds we couldn't enter ourselves. But this time, from that new fourth rift, a lone outsider emerged into our realm."
Her hands trembled visibly.
"He began killing us without any provocation or reason when we approached him peacefully, offering the same cooperation we'd established with others."
Vyrra's voice hardened with old anger.
"So naturally, he made enemies of absolutely everyone: us, the native inhabitants of this realm—not a 'world,' which we'd come to understand from the outsiders' presence and explanations—and also the people from the other three portals who had established peaceful relations."
She paused, her breathing slightly unsteady.
"But that particular outsider was unlike anything we had ever encountered before in two hundred years of contact with external beings."
Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper.