Become an Ascendant, Marco!

...

"W-Wait, w-what?"

The village chief explains to the young explorer with a calm and slow voice. Every time he speaks, it feels comforting to those who heard him.

"As I said to you earlier, we are inside one of the four sanctuaries sacred to the relics of the ancient times. We are now inside the Ruby Key Sanctuary."

Marco gets flustered by his explanation. But then, he remembered that the chief told something about a 'code to follow'.

"I'm sorry, but you did say something about violating a code or something by showing me this place, right? Before that, you also said that there's a code to follow like you must eliminate trespassers or something like that. Why do you say that you are violating the code?"

There's something amiss, so Marco thought. He feels an ominously uneasiness crawling above his skin. He feels like he's being pulled into a territory, one that could potentially threaten his life. The chief is absolutely odd, Marco thought of it now. He must be careful with his words, or else, his words might cost him his life.

"Technically speaking, you are not, since you have my permission to enter the sanctuary. But it is unfortunate though, that you are not an ascendant."

"Ascendant? what's that?" Marco asked curiously.

"In our belief, ascendants are those who wish to seek the truth, to ascend into greatness, purging their sins and become a grandeur being. An ascendant has the blessing of the four relics. Once an ascendant has obtained three blessings from three relics, they will go here, their final destination, and obtain the last light.

But you... you do not bear any of the three lights I suppose to find in you. That's why it violates the code that I, a Sanctuary Master, should've been following. But I believe you deserve to know it."

Marco scrunches his face, "Eh? What do you guys do should someone trespass here?"

"Why, we simply eliminate them. Disintegrate their bodies and annihilate every last of their ash," the chief stated in a wise tone.

"Ohhohoho, r-r-really? (shite, this old dude says that so relaxingly it makes me feel goosebumps!) ."

"A-Ahem, erm... B-But why allow me, though? I am an explorer, you know? What I know about Yugos before was that you guys were never been to friendly to strangers, let alone letting an explorer like me into this sacred place."

"Do you wish to be disintegrated that much, Mister Marco?" the chief joked.

"No-no-no, just kidding, just kidding, ehehehe..."

"Hmph, well, the reason I let you is that because..." The chief heads into a wall and presses a beveled stone. Shortly, a strange mechanism activates and moves the wall he presses. In there, stored many scrolls inside a seal with the same triangle symbol like the ones in the gate. He picks a unique one that stands out from the other scrolls and returns to Marco.

With a slower pace, he speaks: "I saw a difference in you, young one. A difference that I did not find in any of ascendants that I've sent from here," he said while opening the seal on the scroll.

"Where do you send them?" Marco asked again.

"To the Gate of Coronia, where the Grand Altar of the World's End is!"

Marco's eyes turn huge quickly. He is extremely shocked that the old man before him knows a crucial thing about the Grand Altar.

"H-Huh? Y-You're kidding, right? That place is not even known by seasoned explorers, even the greatest explorer that ever lived had never know where that altar is!" Marco retorted quickly.

"No, my boy, what I've said is true. I swear in the name of Lord Faitio."

Marco's heart thumps rapidly. He thinks that this moment might determine his chance of getting to his goal.

In his mind, he begins to overwhelm himself, "W-Well... I suppose THIS explains why this village is so well-hidden from the outside world. S-Such majestic and otherworldly architect and strange mechanism that probably can only be done with magic, imagine the riches that can be plundered if this place was invaded. No wonder the village was concealed.

Wait a second, that demon general from before said something about finding something hidden in this village... could it be, this is the place he's after? If so, then the demons' goal was far beyond my comprehension. Why would they want to know about this place? What is it they seek?"

Marco tries to guess what the demons truly after. But in the end, there's no precise answer. "...It's useless to overthink it now. I want to know more of this 'ascendant' though..."

He hums in concern. After hearing a little about 'ascendants' and of their end goal, Marco thinks of becoming one. That way, his goal may finally be in his grasp! But still, a concern flies by his mind.

"Is this... truly it...? This luckiness of mine is unbearably insane. I... I found a path to reach there! B-But should I really go through this path...?" he murmurs silently.

"What is the matter, young one?" the chief asked in concern. "You look pale."

"Ah! No worries, I'm just thinking of something. Oh, yeah, since we're here, can you explain more about these 'ascendants'? Honestly, I don't understand a damn thing about that."

The chief slightly widen his smile. Quietly, he murmurs, "So you are willing to become one, eh? Bless you, Lord Faitio... you have brought light to this child."

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Heheh, I'm just talking to myself. Very well, I will explain to you."

"The moment you said 'I wanted to know the truth' I thought you are one of the Ascendants candidates, because that's the necessary set of words that requires determination in saying it in order to achieve passage down here."

"What the hell is that? I don't get it," said Marco cringed.

"Well, nowadays, you people call it 'password' I suppose, heheh..."

"Oh," Marco felt disappointed. He thought something great from the chief's words.

"You see, the dragonians that regularly came to our village is Emperor Xelderon, and some of his underlings. He made our village as the empire's protectorate. Because of that, he and his followers regularly scour every corners of our village, but even with that, we still won't give them a chance to find this sacred site."

"Is it... because they are not an ascendant?" Marco guessed.

"Correct." the old man pauses for a moment to take a breather. "Because they are not an ascendant, nor a potential one, they will never be given access to find this holy site. But you... you are different, as I said beforehand."

The old man walks slowly. He gestures his cane, telling Marco to follow him. As both of them go further into the chamber, Marco notices another symbol on the wall resembling the ones on the gate.

"Lord Xregan told me all about you. You came here because someone sent you here. Yet you did not bother looking for the sanctuary. Instead, you saved our lives from the wretched demons that entangled our minds and souls...

Because of that, I believe the Great Overseer has sent you as a savior to our village."

The chief pauses briefly while maintaining his steps deeper into the chamber. Before long, they finally reach a massive chasm that separates them from the other side.

"Whew, that looks deep. I can't even see what's down there..." said Marco while looking into the chasm.

"Step aside, young one."

The chief then taps his cane again to the ground, making more lights appear. Shortly, crystals made of pure ruby enlightened the chasm. Continuously, series of stone slabs elaborated with crimson light rises to their level, creating a bridge for them.

"Come."

"U-Uhm..."

Marco checks to see the bridge will hold out if he steps on it. "Oh, good! It's like stepping on a floor. Phew, what kind of sorcery that old geezer has, anyway?"

As the two proceeds walking on the magical bridge, Marco tells the chief of something.

"The dragonians were more of a help rather than me and my friends, though. We only defeated some minor demons and cleared off the curse. I'd say they deserve to know this place more than I do. Because of them, there's zero casualties." said Marco lowly.

"Goodness!" the chief said astounded. "Such humbleness... even though you did not realize it, you've done a greater deed than the dragonians. The Great Overseer will be most pleased to have an ascendant like you."

"Great Overseer, huh, well, you say greatly about him. Who is he exactly?" Marco wondered.

The old man pauses again. He chuckles a bit in his old voice. Midway into the floating bridge, the chief finally tells about the Great Overseer:

"He is the most honorable man I've ever met in my life. Allow me to tell you a little about him:

The Great Overseer is the one who founded Yugos village roughly 1000 years ago. He plays an important role as a watcher of the ascendants' candidate, hence the name 'overseer'. His true name is Dio Faitio. We often refer him as either Lord Faitio or the Great Overseer. He is not just simply founding this village, but he also serves as the protector of this village up until a year ago before we finally lost contact with him... and never see him again."

"..."

"That might be the reason why we're so vulnerable to demons' attack."

"O-Oh... I... I'm sorry to hear that."

"But it matters not now, we've been saved and we're grateful for that. The only thing we need to do now is to continue defending this place till he returns."

"..."

As they proceed further, Marco feels the other side is like moving further from them. But as the magical bridge keeps on forming, he just believes in the old man in front of him.

"If I fall from here... then death would surely greet me, eh...?" he said in a held back voice. He might appear brave while stepping on the bridge, but in reality, he's extremely scared. Falling to death is something he will surely avoid, that's why he's so scared.

"Apparently, yes. That's why you must watch your step."

Several minutes later, they finally reach the other side. Marco lets out a grand relief that he has passed through the scary bridge.

"Phew... So... are there anymore ravines we need to pass through?" Marco asked. "Please say no."

"Well, that's the only one here. Well, then, follow me."

Marco's eyelids twitch several times. He mumbles to himself almost sound madly, "Heheh... heheheheh.... just how far are we going to go? If we're going to retrace our steps to return back, I'd be damn dead."

And so, Marco proceeds along with the chief. As they follow the otherworldly-looking road, they finally ended up before a staircase going up as if they approach a grand throne.

"Mister Marco..." the chief called.

"Yes?"

"This is where the relic is stored. Before we proceed to observe it, I want you to hear what is written in this scroll I brought along."

"Oh, yeah, that thing does bug me for some time. What is that, anyway?"

"Allow me to read it first for you, young one."

And so, the chief unravels the paper in his hand, reading it slowly, carefully, and with such passionate tone. He is reading it as if he's a grand priest of a cathedral.

"Ascendance is the final destination. Hidden among seven worlds four sacred relics that shall lead thee unto ascendancy:

One emits holy power of the world, tethered in a shiny brimming stone. Its light shall usher thee across the world of darkness, into the pylon of their world. The prelate of the dark shall unveil the path, pinpointing thy next approach. When thou find thyself in the world where foul and holy winds come together, march onwards to the sacred palace, abdicate thyself to its majestic power. You shall find thyself in the hidden world of Eugoth. Prove thy worthiness. Accept thy destiny. Surrender any misleads and hatred within thee. Only when you have freed thyself from desecration, thee will become a proselyte. A crimson key beautified in elaborate ruby shall appear. Approach the gate. Become one with the universe's power. Ascend to your final destination--The Grand Altar."

A long, long silence befalls upon him after the end of his words.

Taking up some bravery, Marco asks the chief. "What... is that all about?"

"This... is guidance. An ascendant did not bring this along as I sent him to the Divine Gate of Coronia ten years prior. So I kept it safely until the time he returns to pick it up. But... he never returns.

This tells of an each thing an ascendant should do to prove their worthiness of reaching the Gate of Coronia.

If you truly seek the truth, Mister Marco, then this is the only path I can show you. This... is the only road to reach the Grand Altar...

By becoming... an ascendant."