Hermit Wizard

Chapter 28

The Truth-Seeker of Silver Forest (2)

The stiffness of my body, which the Truth-Seeker’s presence had caused, broke instantly. My limbs were trembling because of the great shock.

[What?]

Parvache also seems astonished, and his unorganized thoughts poked randomly into my head. It broke my head, but I couldn’t afford to calm him down. I was on the verge of fainting.

“Did you say, an extinct Truth-Seeker?”

=Yes?=

The Truth-Seeker answered very calmly.

=Did you not know? Have I penetrated the Channel to your dimension?=

“Are you saying that the Truth-Seeker who created this Channel in my chest is already gone?!”

=Yes.=

Was this the truth?! No, there was no reason the Truth-Seeker would lie to me. No, but if the Truth-Seeker was already gone, why had I suffered so far? My life for the last ten years! My bloody tears!

‘Oh, motherfucker!’

“How did you know that he was dead?”

=You ask for something very obvious.=

The Truth-Seeker threw a cold pin.

=Although it was only a few days ago in this dimension, suddenly, the barriers surrounding your dimensions disappeared in one moment. A-Verdag sensed it, and there was an uproar.=

My head was throbbing with a gripping headache.

=The Truth-seeker disappeared, but the door to A-Verdag wasn’t opened. Then there was only one answer in the end. He was extinguished. We are not mortals, but we are not completely immortal like the gods.=

It seems to be relatively recent that the Truth-Seeker of Earth had died. But why didn’t anyone know? Were there any signs when a Truth-Seeker dies? Ah, wait, it’s a sign? Of course, if it’s a big incident on Earth recently…the Truth-Seeker turned my guess into a definite answer.

=I’m not the only one who broke through that Channel. Since such a young dimension suddenly lost its dimension barrier, the Truth-Seeker who had an adult Channel that hadn’t yet been fully opened must have opened doors to it.=

Hundreds of Channels on Earth were suddenly breached within one hour, and now a Truth-Seeker was giving an answer.

=I was lucky to have one Channel that didn’t open after just growing up. I quickly connected it to your dimension.=

“…”

=The Truth-Seeker’s seat to defend is empty, so it must have been helpless…I’m curious. How many Channels are there in your dimension right now?=

Even in the state of being distracted by the information that suddenly poured in, I answered with the truth.

“…As far as I know, there are over 200.”

=Less than I thought. It seems that there weren’t many Truth-Seekers who had the right Channel, just like me. Well, it’s only a matter of time now.=

Is it only a matter of time?

“Do you mean that, in the future, more Truth-Seekers will be channeling to Earth?”

=Of course.=

The Truth-Seeker gave me a confident will.

=I don’t know how long it’s been since a dimension lost its Truth-Seeker. No one will miss this opportunity. Among the Truth-Seekers, those who haven’t yet been able to connect with the Earth will connect with the Earth as one of their growing Channels matures. It’s a 100% success rate.=

‘Holy shit!’

=Even Truth-Seekers who do not have the channel that they have made will quickly plant new Seeds. Of course, aiming at the Earth. =

After hearing this far, I couldn’t understand.

“No, why do Truth-Seekers create Channels?!”

The Truth-Seeker flinched its huge tentacle. I don’t know why, but I thought it was a kind of expression for laughter.

=Why should I tell you that?=

Damn it. It answered everything I asked so far, and now, why?

“You said the Truth-Seeker defends the dimension. If hundreds of dimensions are connected to the Earth in this way, the chaos will increase. Isn’t it difficult even for a dimension that has pierced a Channel on Earth? Different races from hundreds of worlds can pass through Earth and come to that dimension…”

“Isn’t it possible for several races to go to another dimension and wage war with the Earth as an intermediate passage? So, isn’t it more dangerous to keep the Channels open on Earth? It could be a door to attract an unspecified number of enemies.”

“Moreover, the civilization of the Earth isn’t at a low level. Rather, it could be dangerous for the people in the dimension that connected the Channel.”

=It is only the point of view of mortals, humans.=

Now I was able to better understand the feelings that the Truth-Seeker expressed. That being now clearly enjoyed it very much!

=When the Truth-Seeker protects a dimension, it doesn’t mean that he will protect the mortals of that dimension. Dimensional barriers are not intended to protect mortals in his dimension.=

Then why?

=It seems that you think we are opening a Channel just to pick a childish war between ethnic groups.=

“…”

=How mortals come and go, how they interact with each other, how they die or die through connected Channels, it is a mortal’s thing.=

The Truth-Seeker’s will contained pure colors.

=I just watch. If the ending of the Channel I opened leads to the extinction or the collapse of an especially fond of species, it may be sad. But, just that.=

“Then, why the hell?!”

The Truth-Seeker remained silent for a while. And the heavy presence I had forgotten for a moment became several times stronger and pressed me down. If it had been looking at me with one eye so far, now I think it was looking at me with a few more eyes open. The Truth-Seeker, who was looking at me from beyond the distant black space, threw words as if they had decided long ago.

=The reason I called you here in the first place was just pure curiosity.=

Yes, that Truth-Seeker said he saw a Channel open in my heart and called us.

=I wanted to see the Channel in your heart a little closer.=

I asked while swallowing dry saliva.

“Why?”

=I heard from A-Verdag, that the entity in charge of your dimension called Earth was originally a Dragon.=

What is it talking about suddenly? Dragon? There was no such thing on Earth? After being confused for a moment, I soon realized what it meant. All Truth-Seekers were born in A-Verdag and descended into each dimension. The birth of a Truth-Seeker was an awakening to the highest being. The existence of the Earth’s Truth-Seeker seemed to have been a Dragon in a certain dimension before moving on to A-Verdag. But why?

=I can’t believe the Earth’s Truth-Seeker created an open Channel on your chest, the Truth-Seeker who created such a sophisticated and high-potential Channel is the one that awakened from a Dragon…this is too…=

The Truth-Seeker’s heavy feelings were conveyed to Ghur and me. Was this longing? And, with feelings of pity for something…satisfaction?

=I’m so proud!=

What in the world was it talking about all of a sudden? The Truth-Seeker continued with pleasure.

=Originally, the dragon race is a race with a short story. In the dimension I lived before I awakened as a Truth-Seeker, it was a pet tamed from the native wild and trained to follow people.=

What? A pet? While I was dumbfounded, Parvache stammered, too.

[I have never heard of it. The origin of the dragon species. What kind of tribe is that Truth-Seeker from? How old was it?]

=Yeah, it was a small animal that was only about 16 tentacles in size. Even though it was all grown-up, it was a favorite animal for children.=

It was quickly understood that the people the Truth-Seeker was talking about were not Homo sapiens or humanity. It would mean the race of Truth-Seekers with that huge body.

=But over time, the species itself lost its wild nature and became a domestic animal…and all wild dragons went extinct. Because of this, there were a lot of angry opinions. My civilization has a very long history, so we have a very high ethical awareness of animal rights and outer dimensional-life rights.=

The Truth-Seeker spoke in a vague tone as if reminiscing about a long time ago.

=So, to preserve wild species, we tried to release some to the mountain, but our dimensional environment changed too harshly for them to survive. In the end, the government released about 100,000 to dozens of different dimensions at once? Of course, it is well arranged to avoid ecosystem disturbance in those dimensions.=

Ghur finally couldn’t hold back and whispered to me.

“Do you understand what it means? What is preserving wildlife? What is ecosystem disturbance?”

However, I couldn’t give an answer because I was too preoccupied with understanding the truth.

=Unlike the pet dragons remaining in our dimension, we heard that dragons that inhabit other dimensions had increased in intelligence over time and evolved enough to achieve civilization in some dimensions.=

I didn’t know why I was listening to this story right now.

=Since it is a race with a short history in the first place, the Truth-Seeker of the Earth must have been a young Truth-Seeker who had just awakened. Was it 10,000 or 20,000 years after awakening? That Truth-Seeker created such a sophisticated Channel.=

The Truth-Seeker seemed to look down at the Channel on my chest again.

=It is impossible for me to plant such a sophisticated Channel in the body of a small and weak human being. But I can’t believe my home-grown creature has evolved to become such a powerful Truth-Seeker. I called you because I felt it new. He might have been blessed with divinity soon. I don’t know how he ended up being extinguished. It’s a shame =

As soon as it realized that the Truth-Seeker had disappeared, it quickly connected a Channel to the Earth, and now it felt sorry, but the Truth-Seeker couldn’t believe it at all. The Truth-Seeker spoke as if humming.

=Pets were released to many dimensions, leaving the hands of their owners. It was a miracle that he evolved into a Truth-Seeker through a far-off probability and surpassed other Truth-Seekers from higher races. Then he disappears for an unknown reason, but it’s a sad story… Hoo. The divinity is rising like crazy. Good works will come out.=

To be honest, it was a little weirdo. Were all the Truth-Seekers like that? The Truth-Seeker, who had been muttering something for a long time, talked to me again as if it had remembered something.

=Looking at it so closely, I realized how well-made it is.=

The Truth-Seeker said again after releasing what I guessed was laughter.

= Did you ask why the Truth-Seekers opened the Channel?=

“…Yeah.”

=You don’t need to know it before you get the qualification, and after you get the qualification, you can’t help but know it even when you don’t want to.

“…”

= Nevertheless, in return for giving a good conversation, I’ll give you a clue.”

“…Yes.”

Parvache also felt it as he listened. The Truth-Seeker briefly conveyed its will.

=All of this is a matter of mindset regulation. And it is a question of whether it evolves or not.=

What bullshit was it talking about?!

‘Parvache, do you know what it means?’

[No, I don’t know.]

The Truth-Seeker said as if it was enough.

=This is the best part I can tell you. Think about it. Who knows? Maybe you can overcome the limitations of your species. Why did the dragon protect your dimension and choose you? Is it just a whim and a coincidence?=

I couldn’t give an answer because it only talked nonsense.

=Try diligently using the Akashic Records as a clue. Because I heard that the civilization from which your magic was derived was quite advanced in its knowledge.=

Then it added a word.

=Isn’t it? Poor spirit hiding behind the humans’ back? =

[···!]