Chapter Twelve: Scent of Familiarity
The air within the Red Lord's barrier felt thick with the weight of ancient history, a story I was only just beginning to uncover. The scent, though that was truly what stood out. It felt so clear and real now, a deep, familiar connection I couldn't quite place, yet it resonated with something forgotten within me.
"I am Aka Zema," I stated, my voice echoing slightly in the confined space. "You pulled me here when I fell into the space rift. Is there a reason for it?"
A low chuckle rumbled from the imposing, chained figure. "Yeah, you smell familiar. And when you were heading into something far too dangerous for a lower being such as yourself, I helped you." The Red Lord's voice softened just a touch. "I'm not expecting anything in return. So, tell me about yourself and where you're from. It's been a long time since I've had a face-to-face conversation. Oh, and I am Veryr Kar."
"As I've already told you my name, I am from the Great Plane Planet," I replied, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Veryr Kar. My disciple, unknowingly.
Veryr Kar paused, a thoughtful silence. "Where is that? What is your story? And who is the strange being that talks to you? It also smells familiar." He added, "It wasn't with you at first, and how come it's with you now?"
"Oh, the Great Plane Planet... I don't know where it is from your perspective, but the creatures there are not even 0.5 out of 100 as powerful as beings here," I explained, choosing my words carefully. "And as you, I drifted in an open space rift when I attempted to awaken, and this happened." I paused, then continued, "It is my awakened System. There's a huge apocalypse all over my home planet, and survival has become critical. The universe granted us these Systems to guide us through the apocalypse when we awaken, but I couldn't awaken until I got here."
Veryr Kar considered my words, a deep rumbling coming from him. "So, you mean you are from the lower worlds? And there's an apocalypse all over the place, but you couldn't awaken? That's strange. And... 'dejected by the planet'? What does this mean?"
His sharp observation surprised me. I had simply repeated what the System told me without fully understanding it myself. "What does that mean?" I asked, looking intently at him, truly curious.
Veryr Kar's form shifted, a powerful energy pulsing around his chains. "It means you don't belong to the lower world. And you actually made their apocalypse worse, so the planet threw you out to save itself." He paused, a strange, knowing look seeming to pierce through the red mist. "That means you don't belong here either. You're too mysterious, too powerful a being."
He then laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the confined space. "The place you were heading to... I can't even let their blow pass me, or I would evaporate like boiling water! Based on the speed you were moving at, I don't think that was your real destination. Maybe you are even more powerful than my master, but you are in your weaker form now, and I can definitely beat you and bother you however I want!" He chuckled again, a hint of playful challenge in his voice.
The revelation that I might have intensified an apocalypse and been 'dejected' by a planet was unsettling, yet Veryr Kar's amusement about my "weaker form" was oddly comforting. This new connection, however strange, felt like a vital key to understanding who I truly was.
I stood within the shimmering barrier, listening to Veryr Kar's booming laugh and his strange insights about my being 'dejected' by a planet. It was a lot to take in, but his playful challenge broke through my confusion, and a different question formed in my mind.
"So, were you always this strong, or were you born this way?" I asked, looking at the imposing, chained figure. "And it seems you have a lot of respect for a master you haven't even seen before."
Veryr Kar let out a thoughtful hum, the sound reverberating deeply. "Hmm, good question. It's true. My master taught me that in this harsh world we live in, we should find our own happiness, even when everything is falling apart or when everyone is against you." His voice softened a little, a hint of old memories in his tone. "I was the weakest, abandoned child of my family. Luckily, I stumbled upon my master's inheritance when I was hunting for food, and it changed my life."
A wave of shared, ancient embarrassment hit me as Veryr Kar continued. "There were so many books and training equipment, but do you know my master was very mischievous? I fell for the first trick: 'Run naked, and you will get an ancient chaos body!' But nothing happened, of course." He chuckled, a deep, fond sound. "So, I tried hard not to fall for the traps again. But in the end, there were only two that I didn't fall for: the castration and 'no sex or you will explode!'"
I winced mentally. My tricks. I remembered them now, a wave of ancient, playful chaos washing over me. It was ridiculous, yet a part of me felt a strange fondness for my past self's bizarre sense of humor.
"But in the end, I learned to love him," Veryr Kar finished, his voice filled with deep respect and affection. "He taught me a lot from the books he left behind."
The profound loyalty and affection from Veryr Kar touched something deep within me. He had suffered through my strange "lessons" and still held such high regard for me. It filled me with a warmth I hadn't known I was missing. This connection was becoming clearer, more real with every word he spoke. My past wasn't just about immense power; it was about strange, unforgettable bonds, too.