Logan sat down heavily on the bed. After last two days of nonstop battles and travel, his body was worn out, a bone-deep fatigue pressing on him.
Audrey floated closer, hovering right in front of him.
"So, Audrey," Logan muttered, narrowing his eyes. "How did you end up on this planet? Are you here for the sa thing? The technique that monsters and beasts are after? Planning to keep it for yourself once you get your hands on it?"
Audrey shook her head calmly. "No. I was sent here to help you."
Logan blinked, stunned. "What?! Help ? How did you even know about ?"
Audrey started in a calm voice but her words stuck like thunderclap. "It’s a long story, Logan... or should I say... Aiden Ferith, the war hero of Ashenvale."
The mont that na left her lips, Logan froze in place. His chest tightened. "Ho... how do you know who I really am?" he asked, his voice unsteady.
"I know many things," Audrey replied. "But the real question is.... are you ready to know them too?"
Logan clenched his fists, then released them with a long breath. "Yes. I’m ready. And I’m in a hurry to understand what’s going on. So you better start already. And make sure you don’t lie about anything."
"I have no reason to lie to you," Audrey said evenly. "But you shouldn’t rush. To truly grasp it all, you’ll need patience."
Logan sighed, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Fine. I’ll be patient."
"Good." Audrey’s tone then grew more serious. "Listen carefully now. You already learned from that Raphael fellow that there are six dominant races in our galaxy. Six civilizations that stand above the countless species of their worlds. Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Monsters. Beasts. And the chas."
Everything up to this point was knowledge Logan had already pieced together. But the weight in Audrey’s voice told him she was only just beginning.
"Each race has its own unique characteristics," Audrey continued. "The most important difference lies in how they evolve and grow stronger. With the exception of two races, all are capable of using magic. The two that cannot are the chas... and humans.
"Among the other four, the Elves are the most proficient. I am from their planet. Their mastery cos from their connection to mana, the elental energy that flows naturally through the world. Where you cultivate Qi, Elves cultivate mana. They form a mana core within themselves, which becos the foundation of their power.
"Then there are the Dwarves. They too can wield magic, but they do not develop a core. Instead, they rely on weapons, and their craftsmanship is without equal. By infusing magic into their creations, they forge weapons of unparalleled quality. With those, they channel sothing called aura, using it to wield their arms with frightening efficiency.
"The Beast race is another story. They can manipulate all affinities, though not with the sa mastery as Elves. Still, they are not far behind and they possess a terrifying ability: transformation. When they shift into their beast forms, their power surges. Their strength, their senses, even their magic, everything is magnified. Because of this, they stand at the very peak among all races.
"After them co the Monsters. They too use magic, but their thod is entirely different, sothing even I do not fully understand.
"And then there are the chas. They are... unique. I know little about them myself. I don’t even know if they really can’t use magic for sure."
Logan’s brow furrowed as he listened, struggling to follow every detail.
"So that’s why she told to be patient," he thought, massaging his temple. "There’s too much to take in all at once, every race has its own strengths, its own secrets." Logan thought.
Audrey’s voice lingered in the dim silence of the room. Logan could feel the heaviness of every word pressing on his mind, as if each truth she spoke carried the weight of entire worlds.
"But you’re still wondering, aren’t you?" Audrey said softly. Her golden eyes seed to pierce into him. "Why this struggle over a technique of another race when they all have their own path to walk?"
Logan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Exactly. That’s what I don’t understand. What’s so special about this technique that they would even co this far? Raphael told that his race is at the top but monster race wants to defeat them and take that position. Other races want that too."
Audrey pondered for a while, thinking how to break it down. And then started again. "It’s because this technique isn’t just a evolving thod. It is sothing else entirely. Sothing completely different from anything the galaxy has ever known. And right now, the race at the top, the Beast race holds the highest position in the Milky Way. They rule it."
Logan frowned. "The top race... rules an entire galaxy?"
"Not just rules," Audrey corrected. "The one who claims the peak receives benefits beyond imagination. There are other galaxies as well. And the race at the top of each galaxy is offered different benefits. Energy, knowledge, even pathways to immortality. That is why the Beasts want to stay at the top. Because..." Her voice lowered into sothing sharp. "Immortality isn’t gifted freely. Even with those sources, it demands endless talent, relentless effort, and the will to walk through centuries of blood and suffering. Without those sources, however? No amount of genius or hard work will ever be enough. That’s why the position of the top race matters more than life itself."
Logan’s pulse quickened. Endless growth... immortality... The words rang like thunder inside him.
"And the Monsters," Audrey continued, "currently hold the second place. They have long been desperate to overthrow the Beasts. For countless ages, they’ve searched for any technique, any hidden power, any forgotten thod that could give them the edge to claim the throne. That was when they discovered whispers of sothing unlike anything else. An evolving system, a power structure that brought hope."
Her voice hardened, each word like a blade. "That was the technique created by humans. Your cultivation technique."
Logan stiffened. His fingers curled tightly into the bedsheets. "But why? Every race already has a unique system of their own."
"They have," Audrey said with certainty. "But not like this. Though humans never used magic, they can if they are taught how to. The internal energy, it’s even more capable than you know. You can use magic with internal energy as well, without any mana core. And the efficiency? It far surpasses even the Elves. So they invaded earth. They wanted to learn it, use it and defeat the beast race."
Logan’s breath ca uneven now. "Magic with internal energy? He was shocked beyond words.
"The Beasts, of course, discovered this plot," Audrey went on. "They were terrified of losing their position. To fall from the peak ant losing everything, their access to infinite resources, their chance at eternity. So they too sent their agents to Earth, determined to guard against the Monsters, to ensure the system never slipped from their grasp."
Logan’s eyes narrowed. "So... both sides believed only they had the secret. Both sides thought only they knew of this technique."
"Exactly." Audrey nodded. "Both of them were blinded by greed for immortality and desperation. But there was another race who had already known long before."
She paused, her gaze softening, as though revealing this was sothing deeply personal.
"The Elves," Logan said quietly.
Audrey inclined her head. "Yes. The Elves have watched humanity for far longer than you can imagine. But unlike the Monsters or the Beasts, we never sought to steal this power. Our elders understood sothing the others did not, that this technique could not simply be taken, twisted, or forced into another race’s body. It was born of humanity itself, and it could only truly flourish if nurtured... if guided. That is why I am here."
Her final words fell like a calm breeze after a storm. "Not to seize it, but to help it grow. To teach how to use it to cast magic."
Logan sat frozen. His mind reeled, trying to piece together the vast puzzle laid before him. A galaxy ruled by races battling for supremacy. Immortality hanging like a crown above them. Earth, his ho, dragged into this conflict because of a power system born within humans.
And now... him.
He raised his head slowly, his eyes locking onto Audrey’s. "So that’s it... that’s why you ca to . Because of this cultivation technique. But what’s your end goal? Your race wants the top position as well, don’t they?"
Audrey didn’t answer right away. Instead, she hovered closer, her presence pressing down on him with a weight that wasn’t hostile, but undeniable. "No. We want balance, harmony. We want benefits to be shared by all and not monopolized by a single race. And we don’t want to live under fear to be used for other’s benefits as well."
User Comments
0 comments from readers