Aegon stared at the strange individual before him, who was not standing, but floating; floating on a carpet.

This was a bit of a shock to Aegon as he didn’t anticipate it at all. He had seen a lot of strange things since coming here, but this was unexpected.

’I must admit, an old man on a carpet was the last thing I’d ever expected to see here. What more is there for me not to be surprised?’

Aegon was staring at the old man, and the old man was also staring at him. No one spoke a word as though the one was waiting for the other.

But as the silence was becoming awkward. Since the old man the last to speak, and was perhaps in the right of not speaking next, Aegon thought the had to say something.

As Aegon was about to speak, at the same time the old man also, was about to speak, but he raised his hand and gave permission for Aegon to go first.

So Aegon asked.

"Why have you stopped me? Who are you?"

The old man stroked his beard after he heard the question, while at the same time nodding his head as if he was expecting these exact questions.

The old man then stopped stroking his beard and spoke, his voice thick and full of authority.

"I shall not let you pass."

"Why?" Aegon asked.

"W-What do you mean why? I will not let you pass and that is all. You are not going further into the land of the undefeated."

Aegon heard these words and the word ’undefeated’ caught his attention so he asked, trying to get more information.

"Undefeated?" he asked, playing dumb.

"Yes." the old man answered.

"Then are you the King of the castle, the undefeated?"

"Hahaha..."

The old man threw his head backwards as he burst into laughter after hearing Aegon’s questions.

It was as if Aegon had made a funny joke and he himself didn’t see it as funny, only the old man did.

He laughed for about ten seconds and then brought his head back, facing Aegon.

"The king of the castle, me?"

He threw his head back once more and laughed so hard he could feel tears coming out of his eyes.

Aegon saw how the old man was laughing; using his words as a joke, then he asked another question since he was tired of hearing the strange laugh that sounded like a machine gun.

"If not the king, then who are you?"

Hearing this, the old man brought his head back again and landed his gaze at Aegon who was on the ground.

"I am not the king of the castle; that is for, his Royal Highness, Lord Zinyak. I am but a mere servant in his aid. You can address me as the administrator ."

"I am the one who runs the affairs of the king; who is the ruler of this part of Grimharrow. And you, my friend, have caused so much trouble that you have dragged me here."

Aegon looked at him with a puzzled expression after listening to the administrator’s words.

’So he’s the one that has been stopping me from getting close to the castle. The way he carries himself, it’s so full of power, and he’s not the king?’

’But that thing he said, a part of grimharrow, what does he mean? Is he referring to the abyss?’

Aegon had obviously heard abky the part that he was causing trouble, but the strange word of the administrator which he called ’grimharrow’ was what caught more of his attention.

"What do you mean caused trouble? Who is grimharrow?’"

’Good, saying the first part then adding my main question is sure to make him want to talk.’

The administrator, who is obviously an intelligent individual knew exactly what Aegon was playing at by asking such questions.

The administrator stroked his beard and nodded meaning that he was going to indeed answer Aegon’s questions.

And Aegon, seeing this, thought inwardly.

’Good, he caught the bait.’

Then the administrator began.

"It all started with the ’Ancient Being’ , the one who is said to have created all things, both life and the universe itself. And Grimharrow was one of his creations, but in the early days went by the name, Luminastra."

"Luminastra was a world filled with happiness and joy. Life flourished and everything was good. It was so perfect that it became the most favourite creation of the Ancient Being, who we also call the ’First One’."

"Luminastra was very much loved by the First One to the point that he shared his powers with it, bestowing mana onto the world. It was supposed to be a gift used to flourish humans and other races, to evolve and live in harmony."

"However, people being people, became corrupt and consumed by the power they had obtained and chose to have it all for themselves. To ascend and be like the one who created it all."

"When the First One saw this, he was displeased. He saw how his own creation and favourite in fact, had turned to the dark side, consumed by selfishness, greed, and thirst for more power."

"It was like the gift in which he had bestowed was now a curse. Seeing all these, the First One got so angry that his wrath nearly destroyed half of Luminastra turning into a world of this hellish world."

"And after that, it got its new name, Grimharrow. Eons later grimharrow was divided into twelve regions and his royal highness Lord Zinyak owns one of such regions, which he took much later."

"That is, where you and I stand now, called the Kingdom of Morttei, but has been renamed as the Land of the Undefeated."

"All was going well during the years Lord Zinyack was ruling until all of a sudden, from nowhere you humans started coming in and taking our resources, calling grimharrow the abyss."

Hearing this claim, Aegon tilted his head, puzzled, and the administrator noticed it, then he paused and said.

"Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know how it happened. One moment all was going well, another, a portal appeared and you humans started coming in and farming our resources."

"We didn’t know what to do so we sent our minions to stop you people which you now call monsters."

Aegon tilted his head back, puzzled, 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"For the last couple of years I have tried to get as much information as I can to study your kind; how you were able to get in, obtain the use of mana and use that to our advantage."

"Which is why I have been collecting specimens for my research. Which was approved by his highness."

At the mention of specimens, Aegon’s eyes widened as he knew what exactly the administrator meant when he used such words.

’The missing awakeners. So he’s the one who is taking them?’

It all began to make to Aegon. All that the administrator had said was aligned and seemed true.

But even though most of it was a lie, since all the talk about the first one felt like folktale to him, Aegon still chose to believe the part of the missing awakeners.

’I have just discovered information that the association would kill to have. But I am still shocked as to how he said he doesn’t know how the connection between the abyss and the human world connects.’

’I thought for sure they were the cause of it all. If not, then, who was it?’