"A-Answers?" Varian asked again, wondering if he was hearing it wrong.
[You see, the last floor is reserved only for the librarian. But they too need to honor the important guests, no? The Emperor, the crown prince, the special officers, and people like that.] The library spirit explained.
"I'm the Scion! Shouldn't I also be the guest?" Varian interrupted as he pointed out the obvious inconsistency.
To be fair, he had to clear the tenth stage of the golden room to earn the title of 'Scion'. It was even higher than the ninth stage's 'Emperor'. Shouldn't he be the most important guest by default?
[Well,] The voice paused and re-checked the regulations. In an embarrassed tone, it said. [The problem is that a Scion never existed so far. So, apart from a few basic privileges, most facilities don't have appropriate privileges for Scion.]
"This is just…" Varian sighed in a tired voice and waved his hand. "Continue."
[Since there are a few important guests on this floor based on their status and power, dissatisfaction arose.
To quell their dissatisfaction, the librarian set a test from the contents of his favorite section—the myths and legends.
As long as one could answer them correctly, they will also be treated as an important guest. But these questions keep changing with each guest.]
Varian rubbed his chin as he digested the new information. Despite being a monarchy, Devas seemed to be more of a tolerant and open society.
But more importantly, the myths and legends…
"What are my questions?" Varian asked with a serious expression.
The voice paused for a moment and said. [This one failed to provide you any privileges despite you being a Scion. So, in compensation, I'll give you the easiest questions without breaking any regulations.]
Varian nodded, a bit more hopeful now.
A white screen flashed in front of him and showed three questions.
[ [1] Why did the Devas reach the solar system?
[2] What is the biggest secret of devas?
[3] What is the mission of Scion?]
"…" Varian's jaw dropped. "Excuse me, aren't these the questions from the history section and not myths?"
[…The history section has no answers related to this. Any record that might contain such secrets wasn't allowed in the first place.]
Varian's eyes narrowed.
[Besides, the third question is a direct giveaway, isn't it? You'd have been informed of the mission by his majesty, the Emperor himself.] The voice said in a smooth tone.
'The dead don't talk, you know?' Varian wanted to shout, but he ended up nodding in agreement before going back to the fifth floor.
He moved Sia's chair as close to him as he could and tapped the white orb.
While keeping an eye on Sia out of fear she might disappear, he browsed through the contents.
[The Beginning.
The six primordial tribes.
Cosmic Slivers.
The forgotten gods.
The Prophecy Of the Creator
The...]
Unlike the previous floor, the records of this floor were intact. Varian thought it was strange, but didn't think much about it.
He dived into the records right away.
Like all myths, these too were vague and abstract.
*** *** ****
[The Beginning]
"The universe was too orderly for anything interesting to happen.
So, [Ruler], the Lord of Chaos and Order felt a necessity to change the universe.
He made some regions in the cosmos denser, hotter, and messier than others. They became galaxies. Formed star systems. Birthed planets.
The order of the universe was quickly replaced by the chaos of the galactic moment. On a cosmic scale, only chaos remained.
Then, he created the force of gravity. The movements of the galaxies were regulated and given enough Order.
The Order and Chaos maintained a balance on the cosmic scale, yet only chaos prevailed on a planetary scale.
Determined to maintain both Order and Chaos, the [Ruler] created life out of non-life. Order out of chaos.
Life, a product of Order, by its mere existence created Chaos.
Thus, a cycle of Order and Chaos was formed on the lowest scale of the cosmos…"
*** *** ****
Varian scratched his chin.
How the fuck was he supposed to find the answers about devas from this?
Exhaling in exasperation, he started the next record.
*** *** ***
[The Six Primordial Tribes]
"Some believe there were originally only three tribes that split into six due to reasons unknown.
Regardless, these six tribes were blessed by a god they worshipped and served.
In return, the gods ensured that hunger, disease, and drought never befell them. They lived in a utopia.
The gods lived with them and the tribes grew larger and larger.
One day, the gods disappeared.
Initially, the six tribes thought it was one of the normal 'meditations' the gods had. But this time, it was different.
Decades became centuries and centuries turned into millennia.
The gods never returned.
Hunger, disease, and drought—the six tribes had to quickly accustom themselves to the things foreign to them.
They experienced sadness, jealousy, and anger for the very first time.
Finally, the tribes living in peace since their inception had their very first conflict.
Eons passed since and the six tribes grew to rule everything under the heaven.
Each tribe now wields power over one of the fundamental powers of the cosmos. But every tribe has its arch-enemy—the one that wielded the oppposing power.
Ares Tribe controlled Chaos. Its arch enemy Sera tribe wielded Order.
Vita dominated Life. Ativ mastered Death.
Heaven Tribe reigned over Time. Neaveh tribe ruled Space."
*** *** ***
Varian scratched his cheek. The six tribes didn't fit into the divine paths like he thought they would.
Sure, Space and Time were powers belonging to Neveah and Heaven Tribe. What about gravity?
From the information he had on celestial paths, he could assume that two elements belonged to Order and two others to Chaos.
But…
What about Life and Death?
Body Path. Mind Path. Morpher Path.
All of them suited life. None suited death.
Varian rubbed his chin in confusion as he tapped the floor.
"This one isn't helping either." He sighed and moved on to the next myth.
Somewhere along, there must be clues regarding Devas.
*** *** ***
[Cosmic Slivers]
"Even though countless races arose, the six primordial tribes reigned supreme. The reason is said to be the slivers each tribe had.
These slivers held a portion of their god's power. They were also what granted the tribes great powers.
The Nevaeh tribe had the space sliver. The Heaven tribe had the time sliver and so on.
No one knew what happened. Some say it's because of a rumor. Others proclaim it's due to secrets relating to the Creator.
But regardless, a war erupted at a scale never seen before.
The Nevaeh Tribe stole the Heaven Tribe's sliver and began a war that lasted for centuries.
The Heaven Tribe, having lost its sliver, was weakened.
The Nevaeh Tribe, on the other hand, gained the powers of time and rose. In the end, the Heaven Tribe was exterminated.
The other tribes also desired the greater powers the Nevaeh tribe gained.
Sera tribe attacked its arch enemy. The end result was unexpected.
Sera tribe managed to exterminate most of the Ares tribe. But it lost its own sliver to the remnants of the Ares tribe that fled to the edges of civilization.
Even though they kept looking for millennia, the Ares tribe wasn't found. According to beings that wielded great power, the bloodline of the Ares tribe vanished from the universe—there was no doubt about it.
But with them, the slivers of order and chaos also disappeared from the stage of the universe.
In contrast to the Neveah tribe which grew much stronger by waging an all-out war against its arch-enemy, the Sera tribe weakened.
On the other hand, Vita and Ativ tribes continued their fighting for the other's sliver, but never took big risks to avoid a situation like that of the Sera tribe.
*** *** ***
"Yes!" Varian slammed the chair with an excited expression.
Now, this was the myth that held all the answers!
[ [1] Why did the Devas reach the solar system?
[2] What is the biggest secret of devas?
[3] What is the mission of Scion?]
He was almost sure of the answers to these questions. But he just needed a confirmation.
With that confirmation, he'd also know the answers to something he always wanted to know.
'System, are you the sliver of Order or the sliver of Chaos?'
[…]
'…No. You are the Sliver of Order and Chaos, aren't you?'
