༺ History of the Abyss ༻
“Looks like I expected too much of an elementary school graduate.”
If you don’t know, then at least do some studying before coming down here. Why do you always just rush headlong into everything?
The regressor flared up at my taunting.
“I know too! The abyss is the hole that appeared due to Mother Earth’s wrath when an old tyrant tried to massacre prisoners of war!”
“That’s exactly how far they teach you in elementary citizen school. Now, let’s turn our attention to the explanation coming from a top student of secondary military school.”
I stated a truth so solid that the regressor couldn’t even get angry anymore. Left speechless, she resorted to a childish tactic.
“Aren’t you a level 0? How can someone like you become the top student in secondary school?”
“My, so you really don’t know. If you ghost school without any notice, you immediately drop to level 0. For your reference, we call this ‘dropping out’.”
The regressor couldn’t even muster a counter. She must never have experienced this, after all.
While she struggled to explain her position, I moved on to speak on the advanced history course taught at secondary military school.
“After crushing the rebel forces and taking numerous prisoners, the Overlord resolved to kill them all. At the time, it was a straightforward approach for him to solve the food shortage while making an example of 300,000 captives. However, faith in Mother Earth was prevalent during that era, and not burying your slain enemies was deemed a taboo. Given his tendency to leave trails of corpses in his wake, the Overlord was averse to this practice. Thus, he aimed to eradicate faith in Mother Earth alongside the prisoners.”
What would be the easiest way to extinguish faith?
Simple. You just had to destroy the religion’s reputation. Ensure it was damaged beyond repair, with no possibility of recovery.
“Back then, there were wanderers who dubbed themselves “gravemen”, taking it upon themselves to bury the dead in exchange for a meal. The people welcomed these individuals in the early days, but as the war dragged on, the swelling ranks of these vagabonds who did nothing but eat gradually drew hate. Sometimes, bandits even went around masquerading as their kind.
“And this is what the Overlord honed in on. He summoned all the gravemen in the nation, asserting that a multitude of deaths awaited them, luring them with the belongings of dead soldiers.”
It was then that Mother Earth, who once stood upon the lands as the mother of all, began to lose influence. It was an era of bloody conflict, born from the ashes of a fallen empire and its ruler. Kings waged relentless war in their aspiration to reunite the fragmented realm beneath a single crown.
Countless battles raged, piling mountains of corpses and staining rivers with blood. Amidst escalating tragedies matching the rising death toll, the contenders for the emperor’s throne dwindled to two—the Overlord and the Dharma King. Two kings starkly contrasting in nature, even in the results they achieved.
“The gravemen assembled like clouds, multiplying in numbers beyond belief, utterly oblivious to the summons being the inception of a monumental massacre… or perhaps they knew but feigned ignorance. Their sights were set on the spoils of the dead captives, after all.”
And so, a messenger of the Overlord cried out to the swarm of Mother Earth’s workers.
“The Overlord commanded the assembled gravemen: ‘These soldiers are to be slain and cast into the pit you dig. So, dig the biggest hole you can manage. The more it fits, the greater your spoils will be.’ And that declaration drove the lot of them mad, all fighting to be the first to dig.”
The vagabond gravemen, reliant on the deaths of others to sate their hunger, willingly turned a blind eye to public perception, and they readied a grave for 300,000 under the guise of adhering to Mother Earth’s wishes.
For three sunrises and three moonfalls, the gravemen toiled. They formed hills of dirt around them, displacing more and more soil with each passing day.
Human greed knew no bounds. Not even a burial pit for 300,000 could quench its thirst.
Three days elapsed—a mere three days—and the gravemen successfully excavated a massive pit easily capable of embracing 300,000.
“And thus, when the grave was completed… the first to be thrust into it were none other than the gravemen, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. The Overlord had never intended to spare these thorns in his side.”
“Goodness!”
The undying exclaimed in astonishment. The regressor, despite her earlier discontent, was hanging onto my every word.
Only Tyr wore a confused look, which was puzzling considering she should have been the most intrigued among them. Normally, she would’ve been more engrossed in tales of old than anyone else.
｢It is a tad different from what I am familiar with…｣
Eh? The living history herself was familiar with this story?
Darn it, Military State! What the hell have you taught me? Don’t you bother with any fact-checking?
As continuing to spew out incorrect information would only lead to embarrassment, I hurriedly brought my narrative to a close.
“The gravemen who perished along the 300,000 captives condemned the Overlord, and their anguished cries reached Mother Earth’s ears—she cast a curse upon the king. The site of the massacre turned into a gaping chasm, while its surroundings withered into a barren wasteland, utterly devoid of water and unable to grow even a single blade of grass.”
There was more I wanted to say, but I wanted to avoid the awkwardness of being corrected by a living witness of history. I hastily wrapped up the explanation.
“And that historic location is here, right where we stand: the abyss…”
As I finished, the undying promptly posed a question.
“Wait a moment, Teacher. Did benevolent Mother Earth truly do what you spoke of? She utterly ruined a whole expanse of land?”
That was my belief until a minute ago, according to what I had been taught. It was in moments like these that a man required the art of evading responsibility.
“…or at least, that’s what I was taught. At the State’s secondary military school, I mean. If my story is incorrect, kindly direct your inquiries to the State’s Education Department because it ain’t my fault.”
“No, it is just that my knowledge differs somewhat from your explanation. I believed the abyss appeared due to the Sky God’s wrath.”
The undying relayed the story he had heard, but it only struck me as insignificant. I could understand Tyr tackling my story; she was a living history book who had lived through those similar times. She’d seen it all.
But I can’t tolerate your objections, Undying. This is a matter of pride as a civilized man… Not that I can do anything about it.
“As you mentioned, Mr Rasch, there are differing viewpoints on the matter. Some do say that the abyss is a scar of the Sky God’s divine punishment, cast upon the gravemen for distorting Mother Earth’s will and eagerly collaborating in the massacre.”
Whether plummeting into a pit or the abyss, both led to the same fate of death. If there was a difference, it was merely that those who fell into the abyss were denied Mother Earth’s embrace. Therefore, some argued that the curse of the abyss was directed at none other than the gravemen… Yes, I did recall such a perspective.
“At any rate, this is the entirety of what I know.”
The regressor grew discontent again at the abrupt conclusion.
“What? That’s it? The ending feels kinda half-baked.”
“As for what followed, well, don’t you all know? Cursed by Mother Earth, the Overlord, treaded the path of downfall. After massacring 300,000, and with the abyss emerging, his dominion transformed into a desert. Not even his tremendous power could shield him from the impact of losing his support base entirely. The Overlord grappled with adversity ever since, ultimately yielding victory to the Dharma King in the final battle.”
The Overlord was a powerful king with enough zeal to throttle the world, but ruin was his ultimate fate. On the other hand, the Dharma King, ridiculed for his monk-like aversion to killing, emerged as the final victor. The once tyrant ruler became the vanquished lord, while the monk king ascended to sovereignty.
That curse was said to be the turning point of their power dynamic…
“How peculiar. That is quite different from what I know.”
“Now, remember! Not even a single line of historical record can match a firsthand account from someone who experienced that era! Pay careful attention, everyone. We’re about to hear vivid, raw history from a living history book!”
Tyr began her explanation, oblivious to my slight teasing.
“Do not have absolute faith in my words, for I have only heard the story myself. When I was alive, the empire built by the Dharma King was wrestling against enemies invading from beyond the desert. Even during that era when the followers of the Sky God were gaining prominence, the gravemen still roamed the world.”
That made sense. The establishment of Sanctum didn’t mean faith in Mother Earth had completely vanished. Its reputation might have taken a great blow, but devotion to Mother Earth was still widespread like weeds; impossible to uproot no matter the effort.
“I was told by raging gravemen that the entire sequence of events was a cunning ploy devised by Sanctum. The devotees of the Sky God, who had allied with the Dharma King from the outset, enticed the Overlord with sweet words, prompting him to enact the slaughter of 300,000 while trampling over the people’s faith in Mother Earth.”
“Oh, this is truly fascinating information. It completely contradicts the interpretations we’ve known so far. Do you have any evidence?”
Tyr nodded, more proactive than ever in voicing her opinion.
“Upon attaining victory and ascending to the imperial throne, the Dharma King established the Celestial Order as the state religion. Moreover, he supported the rise of Sanctum. Mere nomadic tribal shamans gained the tremendous power to sway the world within less than half a century… Does that not raise suspicions?”
I was certain Tyr’s account held the closest proximity to the events in time. The information she possessed was undoubtedly crucial. So much so that if I were a historian, I would’ve yearned to live alongside her to uncover all the details.
But her recount was too biased, and understandably so. Tyr had spent her whole life battling Sanctum, and most of the storytellers she encountered were followers of Mother Earth.
“This is also an intriguing perspective, no doubt.”
My lukewarm response left Tyr visibly disheartened.
“You do not believe me… However, my words are without a shred of falsehood.”
“I’m not doubting you, Tyr. Your account in itself carries the value of ancient literature.”
Whether that piece of literature could be trusted was another matter, though.
“You know well how history can become distorted according to perspective. You experienced severe defamation from Sanctum yourself.”
“…Does that not lend more weight to my words? The most potent weapon of the Sky God’s hypocrites has always been their voice. They are well-versed in the art of twisting and bending the world’s sounds. Even the gravemen of Mother Earth may have fallen victim to their schemes.”
｢I heard so much talk about them in those days! I lived my whole life as an enemy of Sanctum, revealing their shameful secrets and weaknesses to hunt them down. My information is quite… reliable, yet even you…｣
She was genuinely about to feel sad. Didn’t she brush aside misunderstandings when her heart wasn’t beating? I couldn’t tell why she had this attitude now.
“Come on. Of course I’d trust you if you witnessed those events firsthand, Tyr. It’d be certain if you lived in the same era, but you’re younger than the abyss. Just because you’re right doesn’t mean we can take all the stories you heard as true as well.”
There seemed to be a pretty big issue with comparing her to a geographical feature, but Tyr’s expression softened noticeably as she accepted my point.
“…That is true, I suppose. I was born over a century after the Dharma King ascended the imperial throne.”
“That’s right. You’re a baby compared to the abyss. We can’t tell how the stories changed over time or what rumors spread back then. As you know, the world changes quite rapidly.”
“Indeed…”
｢Since I have not seen with my own eyes, I cannot be certain either. As he said, I am younger than the abyss…｣
Watching Tyr nod to herself, quietly lost in thought, felt like watching a scene from an Absurdist play. Before she could fully gather herself, I clapped my hands and continued loudly.
“Now! Since we’ve cleared the misunderstanding and broadened our knowledge, shall we wrap things up here? Let’s have at the ingredients Shei brought and indulge in a feast!”
I meant to breeze past the subject, but Tyr snapped out of her contemplation and came over with brisk steps, looking up at me.
“…Hu. I have carefully thought it over, and noticed that you repeatedly compared me and the abyss in terms of age. Are you perhaps making fun of me?”
Ack, busted. How do I handle this?
I replied in a stunned voice.
“Ah, aha?”
“…”
Wham. Her small fist landed squarely in the pit of my stomach, instantly causing my back to bend in a 90-degree angle. Intense pain followed a second later.
Her bloodcraft was excessively powerful. The velocity of her fist didn’t stop even after connecting, lifting my body slightly.
“Oof! Wait, Tyr…! Your punch is a bit spicy…!”
“…Hmph.”
Tyr spun around and left the classroom, leaving me lying on the floor groaning. As I writhed about for a moment, the undying got to his feet and gazed down at me, clicking his tongue.
“Tsk-tsk. I saw this coming. Though I stayed silent in light of your position, I must say you brought it on yourself, Teacher.”
“How about you mind your own business…!”
My situation’s still several times better than yours. I may take a punch to the stomach, but I won’t end up wrapped around somebody’s little finger…!
“Oh, speaking of business, could you make the rooms warmer? It seems Callis is constantly shivering due to losing much blood.”
I shot back curtly while rubbing my belly.
“Where do you expect to find individual heating in a prison? Just put more blankets over her.”
“I am already doing that!”
“If she’s still cold, then figure something out. Sleep cuddled up or whatever.”
“That too… already…”
The heck? You guys went that far already?
“Do not misunderstand! I may not turn away any women, but I do not force injured people to strain themselves! It would be terrible to worsen her condition!”
I had a hunch that Callis would finish reaping her “harvest” as soon as she got better.
I responded indifferently.
“So you’re doing everything there is to be done. Just go and make sure she’s well-fed.”
The undying showed an uncharacteristically unconfident attitude.
“Must I… personally tend to her?”
“Or what, should I do it?”
“That… does not sit quite right with me either. Please forget it. I will do it myself.”
Wasn’t he going to do it anyway? Since he was already sitting on a plate, I wished he would just let himself be served. And not bother me.
I lay down on the floor spread-eagled, falling into thought.
The past that the regressor saw, the moment the undying awakened… Considering his statements and actions, the lieutenant general probably appeared then as well. I was certain no one in Tantalus at the time could have stopped him and the Cat King by his side.
Past me must have died back then. In contrast, I was still alive in the present. I had succeeded.
I did my best and survived death’s grasp. I had basically fulfilled my obligation to myself.
After eluding death and reversing my fate, I pondered my next steps. Then suddenly, my thoughts descended into the abyss.
Hang on. It just occurred to me, but aren’t there restless souls of the gravemen and the remains of 300,000 down in the abyss? Corpses untouched by decay or insects for over 1,300 years?
…Well, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
“Woof?”
Seeing me lying still for so long, Azzy prodded me with her paw. I responded to her urging and swiftly rose to my feet.
“Now then, shall we go and process the ingredients, cook them up, and add a touch of flavor and aroma for no nutritional value whatsoever?”
“Woof!”
Azzy barked happily despite not comprehending my words.
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