"All of this began with you, Taga. You are the chosen one of this Oldworldverse, and your destiny will be your own!"
—The Man in Black
The dark night sky shone with bright stars, each one radiating light like a pair of bright eyes gazing upon this beautiful continent.
Gradually... the stars vanished without a trace as the sun rose, and the rising sun, like hope, slowly rose.
On the sea...
Taga closed his eyes, feeling the refreshing breeze, leaning against Rrrovax's massive frame. But with a soft roar from Rrrovax, he slowly opened his eyes.
As Rrrovax approached, the mist-shrouded island slowly began to emerge from the sea.
"Are we there yet... the 'Frozen Continent'..." Taga gazed at the island that slowly emerged from the mist. The sea around it seemed to have frozen over, emitting an icy chill.
"Thank you, Rrrovax. I'll take you to the ice ahead," Taga said, gently stroking Rrrovax's thick neck. Hearing Taga's instructions, Rrrovax nodded slowly.
As Rrrovax approached, the icy temperature of the island gradually penetrated Taga's body, causing her to shiver. Rrrovax obeyed Taga's instructions, swimming towards the ice.
As Rrrovax gradually came to a stop, Taga jumped off his tall back. As Taga's feet touched the ice, a heavy thud echoed in her ears, a sound that was somehow jarring.
"Thank you, Rrrovax. Return to my arms." Taga smiled softly as he looked at Rrrovax and slowly raised his right arm. Rrrovax transformed into an armband and adorned it.
Taga smiled at the armband, then lowered his arm and turned to look at the island shrouded in a freezing air. The biting chill lingered around him, threatening to freeze him to death in an instant.
"Thank goodness the clothes the gentleman gave me are cold-resistant, otherwise I would have frozen to death..." Taga shook his head helplessly as he looked around. He hadn't expected the Arctic Continent to be so cold. He had never seen a place so cold before, where even the ocean froze.
Taga glanced around and slowly walked deeper into the island. Every step he took on the ice, the sound of each tread, reached his ears, while the surroundings were eerily quiet.
"This is too quiet..." Taga muttered, carefully surveying his surroundings. Finally, he spotted a stone pavement. Taga walked onto the stone path, but even there, the temperature remained absurdly low.
Taga walked... He walked along the stone path, but there was no sign of life around him. He looked around in confusion and wonder. This was his first time on such a strange and quiet island, and he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen any life after being on land for so long.
Taga looked at the endless stone path and reluctantly continued walking. Suddenly, a fire lit up ahead, like a beautiful work of art. Drawing attention to it, Taga slowly walked towards the light.
After a while, he arrived at the source of the light. He looked closer, revealing a cave, illuminated by several torches. Taga looked at the cave in confusion. He slowly approached it, observing the strange inscriptions and symbols carved around it. These inscriptions and symbols seemed to be from Atlantis and the Myriad. Ancient texts seen in the Forest of Things.
At this moment, the rose in Taga's arms began to glow. Feeling the rose's radiance, he reached into his arms, took out the rose, and placed it in his palm.
"Could it be... this is it... the next guide point..." Taga whispered solemnly, looking at the rose in his hands. The rose's glow grew even stronger after hearing Taga's whisper.
Watching the rose's glow grow even stronger, Taga walked into the cave with greater resolve. Entering the cave, he was greeted by rows of bookcases and ancient texts etched into the stone walls. Next to the bookcases stood a table piled with books and papers, a bed made from a flattened stone platform, and another table covered with various potions and herbs. On the stone walls, tiny figures appeared, seemingly worshipping something.
"What on earth are these murals saying..." Taga frowned, perplexed as he gazed at the murals carved into the stone walls. The murals depicted... Several figures were worshipping a humanoid skeleton, and a faint wisp of lightning emanated from the skeleton.
The figures on the stone wall seemed to be worshipping the skeleton with gratitude. Taga carefully examined the beautiful mural, which seemed to contain many words that he could not understand.
Taga reached out and touched the mural on the stone wall. The mural emanated a faint light, which then flowed slowly through his palm into his body. He suddenly felt a warmth flowing from his soul. He slowly closed his eyes, feeling the warmth flow into his soul, then from there, throughout his body.
And then, behind him... a petite figure crept towards him, holding a wooden stick. They raised the stick and struck him hard on the head!
Taga sensed no murderous intent at this moment. He silently closed his eyes, sensing the energy. Suddenly, a blow to the head from the stick brought him to his senses.
"WTF?!" "It hurts!" Taga immediately crouched down, clutching his head and rubbing it frantically. The pain radiated from his head throughout his body. Meanwhile, the petite figure standing behind him lashed out at him with a stick!
"How dare you say it hurts! You trespassing thief!" The petite figure's face showed a hint of anger, but it resembled a woman's. His cheeks puffed with anger, and he lashed out at Taga with the stick.
Taga crouched there, being struck by the stick. The veins in his head bulged at the petite woman's frenzied attack. He stood up, turned around, grabbed the stick with one hand, and crushed it in half.
"Hey... one hit was enough! Why are you hitting me so many times!" Just as Taga was about to curse his attacker, he took a closer look. He saw a petite woman with a pale face. She stared at him with a look of shock, the wooden stick now broken in two in her hand. Her expression was one of surprise and a hint of fear.
Taga looked at the woman opposite him, feeling apologetic for his momentary indiscretion. He stepped back.
"Sorry... I'm a little rude... I hope you didn't scare me..." Taga apologized to the woman in front of him with a hint of apology. He felt sorry for his disrespectful behavior towards her.
"You rude person! You broke into someone's house to steal things and yet you have the nerve to arrogantly scold me!" The woman before him puffed up her cheeks, still clutching the broken stick tightly.
"I'm so sorry... Ma'am, I didn't mean to intrude... I apologize..." Taga's tone was filled with respect and apology for women.
"First of all, let me clarify one thing. Ma'am isn't how I address myself. And entering someone's home without permission is extremely rude. You should be ashamed of yourself!" The woman before him winked playfully at Taga, a hint of resignation in her tone.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were a man! I'm so sorry for calling you Ma'am!" When Taga heard the other person say "ma'am" wasn't a proper address, he was stunned for a moment, but after a moment's reaction, he immediately bowed and apologized.
The boy in front of him couldn't help but chuckle at Taga's decisive apology. He hadn't expected the skeleton across from him to be so easily apologetic.
"It's okay. It was just a small misunderstanding. I didn't take it seriously. Of course, if you barge in again..." She gently toyed with the stick in her hand, turning the end she held.
Taga scratched her head awkwardly and looked at the other person. The atmosphere was a bit awkward.
"By the way! What's your name? I'm Taga, and I'm from another continent!" Taga looked at the other person, trying to break the awkwardness, and decided to find a topic to talk about.
"Me? Why don't you tell me why you're here? A stranger~?" She gave a playful smile and leaned closer, squinting her eyes as if trying to see through her.
"I'm here under guidance..." Taga watched as she watched her slowly retreat to the stone wall. Then, she pulled the rose from her bosom.
The woman stared at the rose for a moment, then turned to the mural behind her. She noticed the energy within had vanished, replaced by a faint string of words.
"Okay~ My name's Syl! Nice to meet you, Taga!" Syl smiled playfully at Taga, a smile that showed he'd forgiven her. Taga smiled back.
After a while...
Taga and Syl sat down on chairs, each with a bone. Syl carefully studied Taga. Taga watched her scrutinize him, sweat breaking out on his forehead. He couldn't understand why she kept staring at him.
"You look so familiar... I feel like I've seen you somewhere..." Syl stroked his chin, taking in every detail of Taga, from the kind blue eyes to the words and decorations on her clothes to the features on her face. His mind frantically processed every image in his head.
"I've never seen you before... Why do you think I look so familiar..." Taga scratched his cheek, looking at her in confusion. They had never met before.
"I don't know... I feel like I've seen you somewhere. Even your back feels so familiar. Syl looked carefully, sighed helplessly, and shook his head, indicating he couldn't remember.
"I have a few questions for you. Can you answer them for me..." Taga said, looking at him with a hint of awe, his tone filled with fear of offending him, angering him, or even hurting him.
"Ask me! I don't mind anyone asking me any questions!" Syl playfully stuck out his tongue and made a "yeah" gesture.
"Why do you live here alone?" Taga glanced at his surroundings, then turned back to Syl's expression, carefully observing his expression for signs of anger.
Syl looked at him, asked his own question, and shrugged.
"Why do I live here? I'm searching for the truth! I'm searching for everything in the prophecy!" Syl opened his arms, as if to embrace the prophecy and truth he was talking about.
"Truth? Prophecy?" Taga tilted his head and looked at Syl, not quite understanding what the prophecy and truth he was talking about were.
"Did you know? Here, there's more than just one world. There are countless other worlds beyond this world!" Seeing Taga's apparent interest, Syl excitedly began to recount the truth he was discussing.
"Are there... other worlds?" Taga lowered his head and began to ponder. If there were other worlds, would he and Tina also exist there?
"Indeed! This is the theory my ancestors acquired! It's been passed down to this day, but currently, there are few methods to reach other worlds! And I'm researching ways to reach them! To seek the truth of the universe!" Syl spoke confidently, looking up at Taga with a hint of apprehension. Taga remained silent, continuing to ponder.
"As for the prophecy, it says I'll meet a being called the Destined One, who will save the entire universe, and it's my duty to help him!" "And you look very much like the Destined One..." Syl looked at Taga's face, and he felt that Taga before him truly resembled the Destined One in the prophecy.
"I'm not a Destined One... I'm just a skeleton trying to find a way to save my friends..." Taga's voice gradually grew lower, and his hands grew weaker, but his fists remained tightly clenched.
Syl looked at Taga's clenched fists, a trace of sadness on his face. He seemed to sense that Taga had been through some painful things, and he chose to keep quiet, not to hurt her feelings.
At this moment, Syl turned his head to look outside the cave. The sky was gradually darkening.
"Is it getting dark so soon... Do you need to stay with me tonight?" Syl turned back to Taga, his tone of concern telling her.
"Okay... Thank you... I'll just sleep on the sofa." Taga raised her head and smiled, assuring him not to worry, that she was fine.
"I'll be out for a while. You can rest." Syl looked at Taga, nodded, stood up, and walked out of the cave. Taga watched Syl leave, then turned back to look at the mural on the stone wall.
And on Syl's side...
As Syl walked, he came to the edge of a cliff. He walked over to the edge, raised his hands, and formed some runes. Suddenly, lines of text appeared around Syl, forming a string of words.
The text read, "The Destined One will eventually become the savior of this Oldworldverse! He will bring hope!" Syl looked at the words and gestured with his fingers.
The words gradually transformed into the shape of a skull, and the skull that appeared was... Taga!
"You are indeed the Destined One... It seems I must help you..." Syl's lips curled slightly at this.