The Cheat Seed

Chapter 23

"F*ckin' geezer..." Marcus exploded with rage, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened.

[That Old Hobo]

The system joined Marcus in his outburst, its once formal tone now perfectly matching his indignation.

"I mean, how could he leave at a time like this?" Marcus kicked at the ground, sending a spray of dirt and grass flying. Small stones embedded themselves in nearby trees from the force of his frustration.

[Yeah...Right when we came out of that hell hole]

Both of them cursed and bad-mouthed the Flame Emperor for what felt like an eternity. Meanwhile, across dimensions, the old man lounged on pristine white sand at a Hawaiian beach, sipping a colorful drink garnished with a tiny umbrella. He paused occasionally to adjust his sunglasses or to admire passing scenery, completely oblivious to the tirade being directed his way.

After two hours of nonstop cursing that would have made sailors cover their ears, Marcus finally exhausted his vocabulary of obscenities. He trudged toward a massive oak tree and dropped heavily into its shade, the impact causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The anger slowly drained from his body, leaving behind a strange emptiness. The atmosphere around him felt suddenly calm and peaceful. A strong gust of wind swept through the clearing, carrying away his fatigue like autumn leaves. Marcus leaned back against the rough bark with a deep sigh of relief.

Now that he was out—truly out from those b****y Tutorial Dungeons—he experienced his first genuine breath of tranquility. He inhaled deeply, savoring the oxygen in the open air, untainted by the stale atmosphere of the endless trials.

"System," Marcus finally broke the silence, his voice carrying none of its earlier hostility.

[Hm?]

"As a Guardian, what are my duties? What am I obliged to do?"

[Ah, as a Guardian you ask, Marcus?! Currently you only have one main objective]

"And that is?"

[To protect the Earth from them]

Marcus frowned, sitting up straighter against the tree. "Can you please tell me who 'them' is now? I am the Guardian now, and I think that's a reasonable question."

[Ah, Marcus, I was about to tell you about them later, but I think you're ready]

"Ready...PERFECTLY." Marcus shifted his position, crossing his legs and leaning forward with undisguised eagerness.

[Hm, so hear me carefully, Marcus! Don't miss a detail]

"Okay." Marcus's face grew serious as he prepared to absorb whatever the system had to say.

[So...'Them' are Celestial Beings that live in the God's Realm. They are beings who have ascended to Godhood, leaving behind everything. They live on a planet which is only accessible to Ascended Beings.]

"Woah, so what's the beef between us humans and...Gods?" Marcus questioned with the curiosity of a scientist. His eyes sparkled with interest, his face twisted with fascination.

[Ah Marcus, that's where I'm getting to....]

The system's tone changed, growing solemn as a digital presentation materialized in the air before Marcus.

[So almost thousands of years ago, a human being of OUR EARTH broke through his humanly limits and ascended to Godhood. His name was Ravens. Through years of meditation and practice, he finally unlocked and broke through his limits, but never lost his humanity.

He helped the entire human race and conquered all of the dungeons which were active during his time. Having the power and sense of a god, Ravens was literally unstoppable. Soon the whole world came to know about the Ravens family. Ravens, along with his wife and his small one-year-old boy, was called the Godly Family.]

Images flickered before Marcus: a tall man with kind eyes, a beautiful woman with flowing hair, and a chubby-cheeked infant cradled between them. The scene radiated happiness and light.

[The king at that time was annoyed and jealous of Ravens, who was receiving all the love and praise from the inhabitants for his amazing achievements. The king, who was arrogant and greedy, formed a cult of top mages with the sole purpose of summoning other gods from the Celestial Realm. They finally succeeded after 17 years of nonstop chanting and rituals.]

The presentation showed a group of hooded figures standing in a circle, chanting words that made Marcus's skin crawl even though he couldn't understand them.

[The God they summoned was the baddest of them all. The evil intents of the cult managed to summon Briskus, The Evil Overlord. Upon giving his summoners a wish, he received the reply to kill Ravens. The Evil Lord, who was fond of killing, accepted without a second thought.]

A hulking figure appeared in the presentation—massive, with skin like molten lava and eyes that burned with malice.

[Ravens soon sensed the arrival of another God to his world. Briskus released an immense amount of killing intent. Ravens, now certain of his rival's arrival, confronted Briskus.

A massive battle between the gods took place, causing mass destruction. Thousands lost their lives, caught by surprise in the intense battle.

Ravens slowly started overwhelming Briskus and was on the verge of defeating him when a minion of the Overlord captured Ravens' family. His wife and now 17-year-old son were brought to the battlefield.

Ravens, seeing his family, lost his concentration and was brutally stabbed by Briskus. Injured and tired, Ravens tried his best to stop the Overlord, but it was useless against Briskus's might. Briskus landed a devastating blow and taunted the barely-alive Ravens. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, Ravens's son shouted out to the evil lord.]

The image showed a teenager with fierce eyes, standing protectively in front of his wounded father.

["I'll do anything, don't kill him. Take my life if you want, please don't do anything to him!"]

[Briskus, surprised at the boy's words, left his rival alone. Briskus knew Ravens only had days of life essence remaining, but the maniac who heard the boy had a devilish idea.

He stepped back from Ravens and approached the boy. The woman, his mother, was unconscious, blood dripping from her forehead down to her chin. Briskus grabbed the boy and opened a portal to the Celestial Realm.]

Marcus watched, transfixed, as the scene unfolded before him.

["This b****y human managed to hurt me? Me? Who is the Overlord of the whole Universe!! I'll come back, and I'll destroy this entire planet. I promise I won't do it myself—I'll make him do it."]

The image showed Briskus lifting the unconscious boy.

["He will destroy your planet. KIKIKIKIKIKIKIKI"]

Briskus's laugh echoed as he entered the portal, the boy draped over his shoulder.

[Soon after the Overlord's departure, the king's men captured Ravens and his wife. The king charged them with treason and blamed them for the destruction and loss of lives. Ravens and his wife were sentenced to death.

His wife was hanged before his eyes, and the exhausted Ravens was dragged to the noose. Right before being hanged, Ravens called out to the people who had come to witness his execution.]

Marcus leaned forward, captivated by the unfolding tragedy.

["I, Ravens, am gifting my Seed to the most worthy human, who will take revenge for all of the deaths of these innocent people. I am not scared of death—it is you who should be..."]

[With those last words, Ravens exploded, a trail of light shooting from his body into the sky.]

A tear rolled down Marcus's cheek as he witnessed the scene.

"How can they be so cruel to the most honest man in the world?" Marcus asked, his voice wavering with disbelief.

[That's the difference between humans and ascended beings, Marcus. Ascended Beings are those who have experienced power in their life, and humans are those who crave that power. When they find it impossible to attain, they try to destroy what they can't achieve themselves.]

Silence fell as Marcus nodded in agreement, absorbing the tragic tale.

[The people who understood Ravens were granted Legendary seeds, and the Flame Emperor was granted the Cheat Seed for his intense determination to make the world a better place. That's how Guardians were formed. They were created so that one day they could defend the Earth against the coming calamity. The Calamity, The Son of Ravens...CRAYALUS RAVENS]