Chapter 73: Charles and Thomas (End)
"You look surprised to see me, Thomas. I understand, you must have thought you finally got rid of me," said Charles with a smile.
"I always wanted to get rid of you, Charles. You ruined my life," replied Thomas, still suspicious.
"I know, I know, but let's be honest, Thomas, you wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for me," said Charles.
"What do you mean?" asked Thomas, confused.
"Do you remember that time when that guy ripped out your heart? Or when you were attacked by that giant snake? And that exchange accident where demons attacked and you miraculously survived? All of those situations and more, I helped you survive," explained Charles.
"But all of that happened because you were inside of me! You also caused a lot of death and suffering in my life," Thomas reminded him.
"I know. But believe me, I didn't want things to happen that way. I just wanted to survive, just like you," said Charles, with a cold look.
Thomas was silent for a while, processing Charles' words. He knew he couldn't trust him, but there was something in the way Charles spoke that made him want to believe that there was some goodness inside him. The feeling Charles conveyed was that of being a completely new person - someone that Thomas couldn't predict or anticipate.
"By the way, Thomas, you don't seem to be crying or whining like a child like you used to," said Charles.
"I'm not that child anymore, you should know that," replied Thomas, looking at the vast space around them. "Where are we?"
"Hm, isn't it obvious? We're in space. After the darkness took over your body, the fight was taken to space and it was here that it ended," Charles replied.
"Space? What do you mean? Is this real?" Thomas asked, incredulous.
"Yes, it's real. I was able to create this barrier using the power I have. It's a safe place where space won't harm you," Charles explained.
"If the fight ended here, that means you won. So, my seals that keep my power sealed will be broken, right? Then why haven't you killed me yet? Why are you talking to me?" Thomas asked, suspicious.
"Sigh, I didn't kill you because there's no need. Your seals won't be broken, I can guarantee that," Charles casually replied.
"What?" Thomas exclaimed, surprised by the information. Charles continued speaking, "Yes, the world is about to change completely. New races, gods, and entities will emerge. We're currently in chapter 570, which tells the story of Darkness's victory over its enemies."
Thomas listened attentively to Charles's words, but couldn't understand anything he was saying. Everything seemed confusing and meaningless. "Chapter 570? New races and entities? What is he trying to say?" Thomas thought, while trying to assimilate the information.
As if he could hear Thomas's doubts, Charles said, "I forgot that you don't have the knowledge that I have. Let me explain better. This world is governed by forces beyond our understanding. There are powerful entities that fight each other, each with their own agendas and objectives. And, just like in a book, this world is divided into chapters, each representing a period of time or important event."
"Chapter 570 is just one of those chapters, which represents a moment of great change and conflict in our world. And with change comes evolution, new races emerge, new gods are worshipped, and new entities appear. The world is constantly evolving, and we're just trying to keep up with the pace," Charles explained.
Thomas tried to absorb all that information, but he was still confused. "But why is this important? What does this have to do with my situation?" he asked.
"This is important because your role in this story isn't over yet, Thomas. You're part of something bigger, something we don't fully understand yet. But one thing is certain, you're an important piece in this fight against the forces that want to destroy this world," Charles replied seriously.
Since arriving in this world, Charles knew he had a purpose, just like Thomas. Both were characters who were never mentioned in the story, but still had great prominence.
Thomas felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to Charles' words. He had never imagined that his life was so intertwined with the events happening in the world. But at the same time, he felt a sense of panic growing inside him. For the first time in a long time, he felt that his life had a greater purpose, but he also feared the consequences of Charles' actions.
"What do you mean by 'forces that wish to destroy this world'?" asked Thomas with a hint of suspicion in his voice. "You're not one of those forces, are you?"
Charles frowned in confusion. "What? No, of course I'm not one of those forces. I'm fighting against them, not for them."
"How can I be sure of that?" asked Thomas, still doubting Charles' intentions. "I don't know anything about you, and you seem to be hiding a lot of things."
Charles sighed, understanding Thomas' mistrust. "I understand your concerns, Thomas, but you need to trust me."
Thomas still wasn't convinced, but decided to give Charles the benefit of the doubt for now. "Okay, I'll trust you. But if I find out you're lying to me, I'll end you," he said with determination in his voice.
Charles smiled at that, but deep down he knew that most of the information he had shared with Thomas was false. However, he didn't care about that. What really bothered him was the uncertain future that lay ahead.
Creator and Darkness were created by the ruling being called Archon, someone who is above all multiversal scales. Charles recalled the power levels that the author had shared about the story and remembered that Archon was at an Omniversal level. "According to my powers and what I'm capable of, my power level is universal. That's not a bad thing. In the original story, Darkness was able to deal with all the other entities from the other universe except one... the 'Eternal', which represents the idea of something that has always existed and always will, regardless of primordial forces."
"In a few minutes, the fabric of reality will be torn apart and a new universe will collide with this one," Charles thought. In the original story, the two worlds joined forces to defeat the Darkness, but Charles wanted to delay this event so that he and the Darkness had more time to strengthen themselves.
If Lucifer had been able to fully absorb his power, he could have reached a level close to multiversal. However, now, Thomas, son of Lucifer, if for some reason he could release the 62 seals that imprison his body, undoubtedly, he could become something close to Omniversal level.
Charles knew that if Thomas could release all the seals, it would bring a drastic change in the existing hierarchy of powers. He couldn't allow that to happen without first making sure he could control Thomas' power and use it for his own purposes.
But at the same time, Charles also worried about the possibility of Eternity intervening in this situation. He knew that Eternity's presence could change everything and put his own conquest plans at risk.
"So, in the end, I still need 'him'?" Charles thought...
[...]
Author's note:
Did you like the chapter? Any questions? Don't hesitate to let me know.
Thanks for reading (:
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