The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed.
The villagers returned to their humble abodes as the sky turned darker. The light coming from the wooden buildings shone over the village, and it was like a shining beacon in the darkness.
Without the mountains surrounding the village, the light would reach the eyes of everyone within a hundred-kilometer radius.
Arthur and the rest gathered in their temporary residence. It was a hundred meters away from Village Hall, and it was relatively cozy.
The fireplace burned strongly and kept them warm while they could finally cook proper meals.
Creak, creak.
Arthur sat in a creaking chair that let out long agonizing sounds. With his hand touching his chin, he looked to be in a thoughtful state.
The four men sat around the well-carved wooden table while keeping their lips tightly shut.
After some time, Xerxus opened his mouth, ''Arthur, what should we do?''
These were the first words uttered in this temporary residence, and Xerxus finally broke the silence.
Arthur trailed his finger on the armrest while gazing at the cracks on the floor, ''We must visit the ice castle.''
''Shouldn't our priority be leaving this wretched mountain?'' Amour asked while the snowstorm raged outside the windows.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The wind was never-ending as it blew strongly across the window's thin glass.
''That's right, going up the mountain is dangerous.'' Xerxus agreed with Amour. According to Christian, they would be able to reach the end of the mountain in a couple of hours if they walked at their normal speed.
''Perhaps…'' Arthur still gazed towards the sky-piercing mountains, his gaze longing, ''But, I must meet that person. For humanity, he could be an incredible asset to have.''
''Should we risk our lives for him?'' Xerxus asked while desiring to leave this dangerous mountain, ''If we leave tomorrow, we might be able to leave the mountain before Souldeath's reach that place. Thus, we could completely avoid that fight!''
''That's a good point…'' Arthur caressed his chin but still shook his head, ''I am sorry, but you four can wait here. I will go there by myself.''
Isaac sat with his arms crossed and eyes shut.
Kalzer daydreamed while gazing at nothingness.
''No.'' Amour immediately rejected that, ''If you die, everything would have been meaningless.''
''Doing this is already an extreme request.'' Arthur sighed, ''All of you have your lives with loving families. If anything happened to you four, I wouldn't be able to live through it.
''Asking for another dangerous request is not what I wish. However, there is a lot at stake, something you four can't fathom.''
''Haahhh…'' Xerxus heaved a sigh of resignation, ''Fine, we are coming with you. But, this better be worth it.''
''…'' Arthur looked out of the windows, a complex look flashing across his eyes, 'Futile or worth it… visiting that place is a necessity.'
''Excuse me.'' Isaac uncrossed his arms and looked at Arthur's bluish eyes, ''What is Underworld?''
''Heh, nothing can go past your ears.'' Arthur chuckled with a wry smile, ''I can tell you. But, are you four prepared to hear something that will change your view of the world?''
''Can it be more world-changing than White Online being real?'' Xerxus's lips curved upward as he asked.
''Depends how you take the news.'' Arthur's words surprised everyone and caused the room to fall into a heavy silence.
Crackle…
The fire crackled and brightened the darkening room. The moonlight seeped through the windows, and the snowstorm slowed down.
It felt like the whole world had turned silent.
Arthur dug deeper into his fragments of memories as he began telling the tale:
''Since the Dawn of Time, God created Humans to be his perfect image. However, that failed spectacularly, and the first human, Adam, suffered a great disease that riddled him for decades.
''That was an eye-opener for God, and in the end, he put chains of limitations into every living being. Thus, they were unable to surpass the gods.
''However, there were humans that wandered on the planet that went past the so-called limitation. However, there were still chains that held them back, making them unable to surpass God.
''They died, and more humans appeared. After millions of years, there were only around a thousand truly incredible specimens that could be called Legends.
''Those so-called Legends ended up dead because they couldn't break free from the chains of mortality. They died and appeared in the Underworld, the place of damnation and punishment.
''All of them got judged there, and there were good and evil Legends.
''The evil Legends got sent to Tartarus to suffer for all eternity. While the Legends that tread the path of gray, not doing good nor evil deeds, got sent to Asphodel Meadows.
''And then, the good Legends got the golden ticket to Elysium, the Paradise. There, they lived luxurious lives.
''Then, the Gods discovered something horrible that will happen in the future. The Fates predicted the doomsday, and they had to start preparing for it.
''The Primordial God of Life, Gaia, suggested resurrecting the Legends of Humanity and giving them another chance in life. That was to provide them with a higher chance in their upcoming battle.
''The evil legends from Tartarus enjoyed their new freedom. The gray legends from Asphodel Meadows decided to tread on a better path. And then, the good legends from Elysium… became vengeful after their luxurious life got taken from them.
''After living the path of good, many fell to dark side…
''The day of the resurrection was when the balance was broken the first time. That was like a beacon for the doomsday bringers, and now they knew the existence of another civilization in the Milky Way Galaxy.
''That accelerated their doom. However, they knew that the Legendary Figures would become a valuable asset. However, after hundred years, they despaired.
''They thought that the Legendary Figures didn't have their chains anymore after dying and resurrecting in World of White. However, the dead can't truly come back.
''The resurrection took a valuable thing away from them. They couldn't surpass Gods; while the ceiling was higher, the wall was even sturdier.
''When some of them reached the strength of Gods, they realized that going above that was impossible.
''Thus, all the Gods gathered in a meeting to decide the fate of the Legends.
''In the end, it was again Primordial God Gaia who had the last word. They decided to ask for help from another world, the World of Four Seasons.
''They asked help from one seemingly ordinary youth who hadn't seen the world. That youth had the responsibility to build a pathway that connects the two worlds, and the humans that crossed the border between the worlds would become the hope of all.
''The Legends became Legacy Figures and were forced to share their powers with someone else. Of course, many rebelled against that decision. In the end, they couldn't change the minds of the Gods.
''Many felt resentful, some didn't care, and few welcomed the Players with open hands.
''This was the story of Legends and the secret behind Legacies.''
