Seth listened intently, leaning forward even further, ears alert. He had a feeling he was about to be given premium-quality information.
The President’s grin completely faded as he began to explain.
"You see, all of the myths and legends don’t just speak about powerful humans. They also, in some cases, refer to the time when other races reigned over the earth."
Seth acknowledged this with a nod. He had long come to that conclusion ever since his encounter with the Bloodbornes.
Those beings were basically the vampires of ancient myths, and Seth believed there would be others like them. It was only natural.
The President nodded in appreciation. It was indeed more comfortable to communicate with perceptive people.
"Good, now that we have that part established, let’s get to the main order of business..." The President clasped his hands on his desk, leaning forward, his expression turning grave.
"The native foreign races of earth... What would you think if I told you they aren’t the true enemy?"
Seth frowned in instant disagreement. "I would think that is a figure of speech, trying to express that humans are much more of a greater threat?"
The President’s gaze sharpened. "Hmm, I like how you think, but that’s still wrong."
The crease between Seth’s brows deepened. "If that’s the case, then aside from the foreign races of earth, I don’t see how there could be another threat worse than that."
The President didn’t comment on his reply and instead posed another question. "Well, what do you think the legends of earth hiding within temporal pocket dimensions all over the planet are waiting for?"
This question made Seth deliberate for a few seconds before giving a reply. "To provide reinforcement for the human race during the war for hegemony?"
The President stared at him for a few seconds as though trying to confirm if that was his final reply. "What if I told you, you are wrong?"
Seth responded, "Then you’d be implying there’s something else they are laying in wait for?"
His reply led him back to the President’s initial claim. Quickly realizing this, Seth’s expression grew stern.
Could there really be a threat out there that he and the others didn’t know about?
Something worse than an army of god-like races aligned with the single goal of eradicating the human race.
The mere thought of that sent chills crawling up Seth’s spine. "What... What could be worse?" Seth couldn’t help but ask.
But the President shook his head. "I’m not allowed to say. Calling their name would stir slumbering wills I would rather not mess with yet, and that would only accelerate things."
Seth remained silent at this reply, not daring to push further. He knew well the mystical effects of Will.
Some time ago, he had wondered if one could grow so powerful that calling their name might invoke a certain frequency of Will that would alert the expert.
And President Cain’s words just confirmed that this was indeed possible.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he felt the clue to this answer had to be in the myths, since that was the first thing the President brought up.
The President seemed to read his mind, affirming that indeed the clues regarding the identity of this threat lay within myths, so he gave a hint.
"They appear across various myths, and make no mistake, they aren’t singular but opposing sides. Various people called them different names, but regardless of the culture, religion, or civilization, they remain polar opposites."
Seth didn’t need further clues... His pupils gleamed as it clicked. ’De—’ Before he could even finalize his thought process...
The President’s hand shot out, and an overbearing torrent of Will flowed as his palm landed on Seth’s head too fast for Seth to react.
A suppressive wave poured into Seth’s mind, dulling his thought process as the President quickly warned.
"Damn brat, even thinking about their name will provoke the same reaction!"
Seth, who was still stunned by the President’s action, quickly realized his mistake and dispersed his thought process.
Only after feeling the sinister frequency of Will about to be evoked dissipate did the President loosen his grip on Seth’s head.
"Tsk, being too smart sometimes can be more of a curse than a blessing, boy." The President warned, completely retracting his Will.
Allowing Seth’s mind to break free from the suppressive fog.
Seth broke out in cold sweat at the realization he had almost messed up, and at the discovery of how much more ridiculously strong the President seemed to be.
That split moment his mind was violated by the foreign force of Will, Seth’s body reacted in a similar way it did the first time he was exposed to the aura of an Awakened back when he was in the Shackled Rank and had just returned to the Duskreavers estate.
Submission...
That was what one would feel when encountering the presence of someone at a higher evolution of life than you.
Someone beyond the Awakened Rank...
It took Seth a minute to regain his composure, staring up at the President with a renewed impression.
"W-Why are you telling me this? Why now?" He questioned.
The President’s expression turned grim. "So that you and the others can be ready. Because this war is only the beginning... Boy, there are too many powers that would rather go extinct trying to see the human race fail to reach its full potential.
I had to let you understand the world we are stepping into."
The President sighed, his demeanor showing weariness — the same as a man carrying too much burden for one person to bear.
"I don’t even know if our preparations will ever be enough..."
Seth’s heart trembled, understanding the man’s plight. Being the only one to know all this, his family probably wasn’t within reach.
And this burden, carried with unspoken resilience, was indeed too much for a single man to bear.
But Seth still asked again. "Why now?"
Listening to that question, the President remained silent for a few long, drawn seconds. "Why now?" He repeated.
Turning his wrist to glance at the time, his eyes carried the light of a man savoring the few peaceful last seconds of calm before the storm.
{A/N:}
Hey guys, I’ve decided to implement a new Flash Sale system for you dear readers.
This idea was born out of my desire for super gifts. Naturally, I couldn’t just shamelessly ask for them without giving something in return — it costs money after all.
So please, I don’t want to affect the Chapter word count too much, so read the author’s note below to learn about the system I’m putting in place.