''Mmh...'' Isaac groggily opened his eyes. With a misty vision, he saw the ceiling of aged-looking ceiling. There was a shimmer of light coming from next to him. As he turned his head towards the light, he saw a white-masked man sitting on a wooden stool.
''S-Simo?''
''You have woken up.'' Simo closed the journal, and turned to Isaac.
''Where am I...?'' Isaac asked while sitting up on the bed. The wooden walls surrounded the room. They seemed to be on some kind of wooden cottage.
''In my home.'' Simo said, ''In Winter Realm.''
Isaac's eyes widened in shock. Jumping to his feet, he shouted, ''Why am I here? I need to return to Moon City!''
''Why?'' Simo asked, ''Why do you have to return there?''
''The tournament... I have to compete!''
''Why do you have to compete?''
Isaac turned silent. As he opened his mouth, no words came out, forcing him to close his mouth again. He didn't have any specific reason of joining the tournament. However, flashes of Underlord's grinning visage appeared in his mind, causng him to grit his teeth in hate.
Isaac clicked his tongue, and walked towards the wooden door. However, as he touched the doorknob, it didn't turn. It was like it was frozen in time.
''Sit down.'' Simo said, and pulled another wooden stool from beneath the table.
''I don't have time for this. My match might start at any moment!''
''Or already has.'' Simo saw Isaac's eyes widening in shock, ''I didn't say it had. But, there is possibility it has. You have been unconscious for hour.''
''An hour?!'' Isaac turned to the wooden door, and raised his fist. As he was about to punch, Simo appeared behind him, and stopped him.
''Are you going there for revenge?'' Simo's question silenced Isaac. His resentment was like wild waves. Once the waves splashed over the ledge, there was no going back.
''You would lose.''
Isaac lowered his head, and slammed his fist into the wooden door. He realized that too when he was stopped by Hades. There were people far stronger than he was.
''Also, Hades is not someone who would forget this incident. You wouldn't make it to the arena if you stepped into Moon City the way you are currently.''
''Then, what should I do?'' Isaac asked with frustration.
Simo glanced at his waist, where two pistols hung. He grabbed them, and tossed them on the bed.
''Eh, what are you doing?'' Isaac held his ears as Silvercloud, and Silvernium screamed curses at his ear.
''You rely on these tools too much!'' Simo grabbed the Mosin-Nagant from the wooden wall, and tossed it over to the bed, ''They are the source of your strength, but you use them wrong. They are tools to concentrate your strength on the bullets. But, you are letting them use you!''
Isaac listened silently, a thoughtful look on his face.
''At your current state, you won't make it past the first round.'' The truthful words caused a grim look to appear on Isaac's face. However, he didn't argue back because he knew it was true. Seeing the previous matches, he knew it would be true.
Simo looked at his face, and sighed, ''Your match hasn't come yet. However, it might come at any moment. At max, you have eight hours of training.''
''Eight hours? That's nothing!'' Isaac shouted in frustration. He needed at least a month to be able to reach Underlord's strength!
''Indeed, it's nothing. However, what if you have more time?''
''Hmm?'' Isaac's left brow arched.
Simo twisted the doorknob, and opened the door. They entered a cozy-looking living room. There was a fireplace, a wooden table with six chairs, and wooden sets of stairs leading to the second floor. As Isaac expected, it was a beautiful cottage.
''Woof, woof!'' Out of nowhere, a beautiful dog hopped down the stairs, and ran around Simo while wagging its tail.
''A dog?''
''Yes, it's mine.'' Simo chuckled, and caressed the dog's fur.
''This is... indeed a very beautiful place.'' Isaac walked to the window, and saw the snowy scenery. It was beautiful. The snowy valley with trees, and shining ice, made the scenery magical.
''This might be your place one day.'' Simo said with a chuckle, ''I have been invited to the God Realm. Something about being crowned as God alongside Adam, and several others.''
''You are becoming a God?'' Isaac asked with a shock.
''Yes, haha.'' Simo chuckled, ''It seems, that your Mythical Legacy soon becomes Godly.''
''Godly...'' Isaac murmured gently.
''Anyway, time is ticking...'' Simo said while glancing at the clock. Tick, tock. He turned to Isaac, ''Are you ready?''
''Ready for what?'' Isaac asked while standing beside the window. He wasn't sure what was happening, but felt nervous.
''To experience... a war.'' Simo patted the dog's fur, and walked to the fireplace. He grabbed handful of white rocks, and tossed them over to the fire. The red flames turned beautiful white.
''Hop into the fire.''
''What?!''
''Have faith. You will experience a war that happened a while ago. I participated in it, and you will become me for a while.''
Isaac nodded in confusion as he moved closer to the fireplace. He gulped, and made sure that his pain sensors were at zero. After ensuring, he looked at the white fire, then at Simo.
Simo nodded, ''Good luck. I will try to stall your match as much as I can. I might not be able to do much, but maybe enough so you can still participate.''
''Thank you...'' Isaac said with gratitude, and took another look at the beautiful cottage, ''And about this cottage... I would love to have this. Maybe I will move in here with Luna.''
Simo sighed emotionally as he looked at the cottage. It had been his home for a hundred years, ''All my belongings are yours. The future generations won't remember me. But, they will remember you. The future is still unclear, but with you there, I think everything will be fine.''
Isaac nodded softly. Hearing Arthur's story, and Simo's words, he knew that the Gods were afraid of something. Something that will happen in a future. He didn't know what would happen, but he had now one goal.
GROW STRONGER!
Isaac stepped into the white fire, and immediately vanished.
