Since the birth of the World Tree, more than three decades had passed. Only a few years ago had the angels and demons discovered the outer world of the World Tree and begun to explore it, like researchers studying a newly found environment.
Asher had returned from his seclusion after a few years. As he looked around, he noticed a few changes, signs of time's passage, but nothing world-shaking.
Yet the worlds were still only in the age of exploration of their respective realms. Countless secrets still lay hidden within the World Tree and the galaxy, not to mention their own worlds, which had not yet been fully uncovered.
But there was no hurry.
"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop." – Confucius.
This phrase described the state of development of the mortal worlds quite well. They were still at the beginning, just starting to form countries, kingdoms, traditions, and their own religions.
The development of the worlds was different everywhere, depending on environment, races, and circumstances, but it moved forward slowly and steadily.
The Hall of Knowledge had also developed magnificently. By now, it was filled to about a quarter, which really meant nothing, since the space expanded with every new piece of knowledge, creating room to house it.
Meanwhile, there was one matter that troubled Asher.
Though the World Tree had existed for over three decades, and though millennia had already passed in the mortal and immortal worlds due to the acceleration of time, no being from the mortal worlds had yet succeeded in ascending.
No one had managed so far to reach the necessary strength to climb the World Tree and reach the immortal world.
That is somewhat disappointing… it seems I must intervene sooner than I thought.
After finishing the novel he had casually picked up, Asher rose from the comfortable armchair, set the book down beside him on the small round table, cast one last glance out the window at the enchanting view of distant mountain peaks, and finally disappeared once more from the Hall of Knowledge.
Heaven of the Gods. Celestial Palace of Sorcery.
Asher appeared in the midst of the graceful, shimmering palace of white marble, under a glittering starry sky at night.
As the name of this palace within the divine castle of the heavens suggested, it belonged to one of the four heroes. It was the palace of the Heroine of Sorcery and Teaching, Morgana, also known as the "Last Witch of Avalon."
Morgana, sitting on the terrace overlooking a beautiful blue lake with wide gardens stretching beyond, wore, as always, her classic off-shoulder witch's robe and her large witch's hat. Her navy-blue hair flowed down her shoulder like a waterfall as she leafed eagerly through a book.
She slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, continuing to read intently.
The heroine was a frequent visitor of the Hall of Knowledge. While there were still not many books about magic, she was very fond of the romance novels, either written by Vishnu or brought from Earth, and often borrowed some to enjoy here in her palace.
Instead of only taking, however, she also left behind a few of her own self-written magic books, ensuring that magical tomes existed there as well, thus fostering the growth of magical literature.
Asher appeared quietly and secretly in Morgana's private chambers, on the terrace where she was at that moment reading her beloved romance novels, accompanied by tea and pastries.
When he saw her, he tilted his head in confusion, for she did not seem to notice him at all. He had appeared silently, yes, but he had not hidden himself nor erased his presence. A remarkable mage like Morgana should have sensed him at once. But it only showed how deeply absorbed she was in her book — so much so that she even forgot to drink her cooling tea.
Asher strolled casually forward and stepped onto the terrace, still unnoticed.
Soon, he was less than a meter away from the witch, peering slyly over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the book that held her so spellbound.
Morgana's eyes widened — not because she noticed Asher, but because the story itself was so fascinating. She quickly turned the page and continued reading.
"Haha~" Asher finally could not hold back a quiet chuckle, which at last drew her attention.
Morgana turned in surprise and jumped to her feet in shock when she saw Asher standing behind her, unnoticed until now.
"M-M-M-Master!" she stammered, utterly flustered, unable to form a proper sentence in her shock.
But Asher only gave her a gentle smile. Of course, he bore her no ill will, for he had appeared out of nowhere and disturbed her in her leisure. He stepped lightly over and seated himself across from her at the table.
Morgana was still flustered, her thoughts racing — uncertain why she had received this visit, whether she had made a mistake, and deeply embarrassed at being caught so off guard.
For a while, she stood rooted in place, staring at Asher in speechless bewilderment, awkward as a schoolgirl before her crush.
When he could no longer bear it, Asher waved his hand casually, signaling Morgana to sit down.
At last, she shook off her daze and sat back down, still a bit nervous, opposite Asher.
"M-Master, what brings you to me?" Morgana finally asked, somewhat hesitantly.
"Hm~" Asher stared at her quietly for a while, saying nothing, which only made her more nervous.
Morgana sat slouched, shoulders stiff, swallowing nervously as she felt Asher's gaze on her, barely daring to meet his eyes.
At last, he answered: "It concerns what we discussed earlier. It concerns the Hero Project."
Morgana's ears perked at the mention of the Hero Project. She quickly understood what he meant and let out a soft sound of realization.
"I see… then you want us to begin now?" she asked with a serious look.
Asher nodded. "Indeed. I think the time is right. You need only choose a suitable protégé. I will then provide the trials."
Morgana seemed to ponder this seriously for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Very well. You're right — now should be a good time, and it won't take long to find a suitable candidate."
"Good." Asher smiled, then vanished without warning, as if he had never been there.
Shortly after, Morgana began her work. She postponed her beloved reading for later, prioritizing of course the task her creator had entrusted to her, which she would fulfill dutifully.
World Tree. Mortal World, C1.
The mortal world C1 was quite large and consisted of four great continents, each with its own characteristics. On one continent lived only humans, with a culture reminiscent of ancient Rome on Earth. On another lived only elves in their vast forests. On yet another, humans, elves, and centaurs lived together.
This mortal world was also one where the Church founded by the angels, preaching faith in the Creator, had already taken root.
The continent known as Sudra was populated solely by humans. The culture of the people there strongly resembled that of ancient Rome, in architecture, customs, and also in warfare and armies.
However, Sudra was one of only two continents in the world not yet influenced by the Church. The people there were unbelievers, entirely unfamiliar with faith.
All that mattered to them was wealth, power, and glory.
The greatest empire on the continent was the Runan Empire, which had united the entire continent under the emperor's control. It was therefore a truly vast, powerful, and influential empire. Yet it had one blemish — the slave trade.
Especially those of other races, such as elves and centaurs, fetched high prices and were commonly kept as slaves by nobles — whether for labor, entertainment, or other, less seemly purposes, they were in high demand.
But it was not only other races. Humans too were enslaved — often those in debt, sold into bondage, or captured and forced into slavery.
Cercius. A fourteen-year-old boy born in the Runan Empire, was himself a slave, made familiar with the harsh side of this realm. After his mother died young of illness, his father turned to gambling, piling up more and more debt.
But eventually, coward that he was, Cercius's father hanged himself — out of fear of the consequences of not repaying his debts, or perhaps out of grief for his beloved wife's death, which even after much time he had not overcome — leaving his son alone in the world.
Thus it was that Cercius, burdened with his father's debts, became a slave, to work off an almost impossible sum.
Though still very young, Cercius had no choice but to labor in the mines — clearing rocks, or, because he was so small, exploring narrow and dangerous passages.
After another exhausting day of work, Cercius finally found a moment to rest and went to a nearby lake to wash the filth and sweat from his body.
It was already late afternoon, and the sun was slowly setting.
After bathing in the lake for a while and scrubbing off most of the grime, the sun was nearly gone. Cercius now had to hurry back to the small quarters his master had provided, or he might get lost in the darkness.
Just as he turned to leave, Cercius noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw a small swarm of glowing fireflies flitting above the lake, illuminating it.
"Hm? What's that?" he exclaimed in surprise. "I've never seen anything like it before — glowing bugs?!"
The boy stared in amazement at the fireflies, unknown until now to the people of this world.
More and more fireflies appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. They lit up the dimming surroundings, their lights reflecting in the lake. The fireflies danced about, looking like a work of art drawn across the sky.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Suddenly, a female voice behind Cercius commented on the magical sight.
When the slave boy turned to see who it was he had not noticed, he beheld a beautiful woman. With flowing navy-blue hair, she sat cross-legged on a tree stump, gazing at a firefly that had landed on her hand.
His eyes widened, for never in his life had he seen such a beautiful and enchanting woman.
Not even the noblewomen, adorned with finery and jewels, whom Cercius sometimes glimpsed from afar, could compare to her.
The difference in their beauty was like worlds apart, as if this woman before him possessed divine beauty, blessed by heaven itself.
The firefly on Morgana's hand lifted off at last and rejoined the swarm, dancing above the lake and reflecting on the water's surface.
Cercius, staring at her beauty in a trance, only belatedly noticed that the sorceress had risen from the stump and was approaching him with light steps.
When he finally realized she was only a few meters away, he instinctively took a step back, which made her halt as well.
Morgana only gave him a gentle smile, saying nothing, not even expecting an answer to her earlier remark.
So for a time, there was silence, the witch and the slave boy staring mutely at one another.
At length, Morgana chose to break the stillness.
She waved her hand casually, and more and more fireflies appeared around them, like a storm, with the two of them standing at its center as it spread about them.
"You truly are the one. So I was not mistaken."
Though she spoke aloud, it seemed she was really speaking to herself, pleased at her success.
Her words, however, only confused Cercius further, furrowing his brow. He was certain he had never seen this woman before in his life.
Surely one could not forget such a woman.
Seeing his confusion, Morgana chuckled. "Haha~ Don't worry, I don't intend to harm you. Quite the opposite — I have come to give you a chance."
"A chance?" Cercius repeated curiously.
"Indeed." She nodded with a gentle smile. "I was sent here, young Cercius, to find a worthy one. God has chosen you to undergo six trials, to prove your worth, and to ascend to the immortal world."
Her explanation only confused the boy more, even as it made clear what she expected.
Morgana mentioned many things he had never heard of before — God, the immortal world, and so on. But it all sounded so grand and extraordinary that he could not help but feel strangely honored, wondering why it was him.
"God?" Then something came to mind.
Cercius had heard the word once before. If I'm not mistaken, it is the title of a mighty being said to have created humans and all life, ruling over them… something even greater than the emperor, who rules the entire empire!
He had heard merchants speak of it, but had dismissed it as idle chatter and fairy tales.
The merchants also told of something like a paradise, where every living being lived a good and wondrous life. But such a thing could only be a fairy tale, he thought.
"Haha~ I see you're still not quite convinced. Then I shall show you," Morgana declared confidently.