X-Rank Hunter

Chapter 117: Overcoming The World

"What is this? Where are we?"

Laude was simply astonished by the sight. It was a war! A war between humans against demons and Otherworldly Monsters Beasts!

As for now, both Charley and Laude were standing somewhere as they watched the unfolding war. However, Charley didn't care about what was going on as she suddenly became worried for her son was not with her anymore.

"Don't worry little daughter, your baby Jim is fine. You don't expect to bring his consciousness here as well, right?" The Life said seeing the reaction of Charley. He really was speechless that instead to be astonished in the war, this Charley was even more concerned about her son.

Right now, The Life was in the human form. He was in the image of an old man with long hair. His figure was semi-transparent and was somewhat blue in color.

Of course, Laude and Charley recognized him since his voice didn't change a bit.

"I-is that so?" Charley nodded as she calmed down a bit. She'd just realized that they were just a consciousness now. Only then she noticed as well what was happening around her, "A war?!"

"Yes. The Second Great War." The Life explained as he continued, "This was the time when us, the Four Greatest Hunters, and all the other tens of millions of Awakeners, decided to seal the 'Bottomless Pit' to stop the come out of the demons and Otherworldly Monster Beasts from that pit.

"As the tens of millions of Awakeners managed to successfully seal the Bottomless Pit, we the Four Greatest Hunters created a prison to the four sides of Encantadia to seal the remaining demons and beasts roaming across Encantadia.

"That being said, humanity obtained peace that they longed for soon after they sealed the Bottomless Pit, and imprisoned the remaining beasts and demons across Encantadia to the prison we created that you all now called, 'X-rank dungeon'. The price is huge though. Among the tens of millions of humanity, only a few million are left.

"But what really happened was not as simple as that. The demons didn't just let themselves be sealed. But instead, as their final retaliation, the four Demon Kings put a curse on us Four Greatest Hunters, saying that they will come back.

"Our descendants, or to be more precise, the descendants that we've chosen, four of which who are supposed to give birth to the ones who will save the world, will each bear another child. And those children will become the Demon King's Vessels for them to come back.

"And you are one of our four chosen descendants who will give birth to a savior and at the same time, a child that will cause destruction. Not only that, these children, when they get matured, they are bound to consume each other to acquire the perfect strength. And that was what the Demon Kings are aiming for, if their vessel, the Sovereign's Vessel managed to consume the vessel of Cherubim, the Dominator's Vessel, the demons will be unstoppable for us humans."

As the war was unfolding, and with a time-skipping at that, The Life explained what had happened. And Charley and Laude failed to say anything at all.

All they knew was that millions of humans together with the Four Greatest Hunters, sacrificed their lives to obtain peace for humanity. But who would have thought that there was more to it?!

Of course, they knew about the savior thing. After all, they knew that even after being sealed, the demons and beasts would still be freed someday. And almost everyone in the Maharlika Kingdom was hoping for this savior to come.

The same couldn't be applied to the other parts of Encantadia though, especially to the five Mainlands of which most of their powerhouses had already lost their faith in the promised savior.

In any case, the faith of the people of Maharlika Kingdom for the savior to come didn't cease even a little. And they waited patiently for it. But never in their wildest imaginations that accompanying the savior, was actually, a destruction!

Just what in the world was with this trope? It was not cliched at all!

Laude and Charley suddenly turned gloomy. They would not stoop so low just to blame the Four Greatest Hunters why were they being implicated from the curse given to them.

The Four Greatest Hunters had already suffered enough. They knew as well that they didn't want this curse. They could only grit their teeth and blame those demons!

"That's the curse given to us by the Demon Kings." On the other hand, seeing the both of them who was lost for words, The Life then continued speaking as he paused for a moment to see their reactions.

Seeing that the other party was still lost for words, and was becoming even more gloomy, The Life then continued speaking once again, "But of course, that's not all..."

"What?!" Both Laude and Charley suddenly felt lightheaded. If they were in their physical body, they would probably have lost their balance and would have fallen on the ground without fail. Just what in the world was with these troubles? Was there even an end to this? They couldn't help but ask themselves inwardly, "Is there even more to it other than this?"

"Yes, you heard it right. There's more to it..." The Life responded seriously as if he heard their thoughts. After a moment of pause, he then continued, "The Demon Kings are cunning. Knowing that we will do everything to exterminate their Vessel, and as we will raise the Vessel for the grace of Cherubim in the fastest way, they put another curse. It was the Curse Of Lost Memories!

"We cannot cause harm to any of the chosen vessels, whether it was the Sovereign's Vessels or Dominator's Vessels. And also, the moment we revealed ourselves to any of them and they realized our existence, the curse will take effect three days after that.

"Right now, your baby doesn't recognize me, so the curse won't take effect. But one day, when I reveal myself to him again, he will recognize me and the curse will then take effect.

"Everyone, including we, the Four Greatest Hunters, or even the Demon Kings themselves, everyone related to the Vessels will forget about them, and at the same time, the Vessels will forget as well all of us who are related to them. They will appear that as if they didn't exist in the first place.

"This is inevitable. Because we, the Four Greatest Hunters need to reveal ourselves to the Dominator's Vessel and give them our blessings.

"So little daughter, upon knowing all of these, will you still respect us? Will you still remain loyal to humanity even after taking so many burdens at once? I know this is difficult for you, but we have chosen you because I know you can overcome this.

"Loath us. Hate us. I won't blame you. But listen child; 'in this world you will have troubles, but take heart, He has overcome the world.' These things may hurt you, but if you've overcome this, you will be a strong woman."

The Life knew that as a mother, it was the hardest thing for them to forget their own children. What even worse was that her children were bound to consume each other, of which no mother would wish to see.

On the other hand, after saying what The Life needed to say, the surroundings then emitted a white dazzling light. After some time, they all found themselves in the previous room again.

Charley on the other hand, couldn't take it anymore. The burdens were just too great for her. Without knowing it, tears were streaming down to her cheeks. Her eyes became even more lost. She didn't know what to do. She really was just too weak to face such reality.

She couldn't refuse it as well knowing that the choice was already been made. She had already given birth to the vessels! Charley couldn't help but put her baby Jim into her embrace as the baby was now crying.

Releasing the baby from her embrace after some time, Charley stared at the face of her baby that had now stopped crying. Her tears then streamed down to the baby's face making the baby laugh as if it was being tickled.

Overcoming the world? Charley forced herself to believe that she could do such a feat as well. Whatever might happen in the future, whether who among her children would stand victor, she should learn to accept reality and the cruel fate she needed to overcome.

What if she would suffer? Charley knew that she was not the only one. And before then, the people of the past had suffered even more greatly than her.

Charley made up her mind. She wiped away the tears dripping from her eyes as she muttered, "I too, will overcome the world!"

On the other hand, seeing the resoluteness in Charley's eyes, Laude was now starting to accept reality as well. 

"The Life is it?" Laude spoke up from the side. Although it was hard to accept such a reality, he just hardened his heart as he was trying to face it head-on. "Can we still regain our memories of her children after we forgot about them?"

"Yes," The Life answered. "That's only after the children have finally consumed each other. Only then the curse will be lifted. With that, you all can finally remember each other." 

"Oh..." Laude nodded in realization. It appeared that there was really no way of evading or curing this curse.