The question from the First Sage hung in the air for several seconds as Jake digested it. He had well and truly expected the First Sage to know all about Jake from the beginning, seeing as he seemed almost all-knowing... yet from his question, it was almost the exact opposite. Something that just didn’t track his expectations at all and made Jake question the old man.
“You really don’t know?” Jake genuinely asked.
“I only ask questions for good reasons, more often than not, as a means to make the other party consider a matter deeper. This is not one of those cases. I truly do not know who you are, something it appears you find perplexing,” the First Sage answered. “If it brings you any comfort, I also find it highly perplexing that I do not know who you are and how exactly you got here.”
“You reached out to me first,” Jake pointed out as he even went as far as to point to his boots as he slighly lifted up the flap... only to see the inscribed words gone.
The First Sage looked at Jake’s boots and, before Jake had time to panic about the change to the item, spoke. “I will indeed reach out that way to you, and I will indeed gain some insight into your capabilities of experiencing the past when you visit with me during my teaching of Vilas.”
“You are speaking in future tense,” Jake muttered.
“Because I’ve yet to do any of those things,” the First Sage gave a very non-answer. “Truthfully, I didn’t know you would appear here and now either. What is happening right now is all new to me. New memories and Records are being formed for both you and I. So I truly do wish to know who you are.”
Jake considered things for a bit until he ultimately decided just to be truthful. The First Sage was clearly being very mysterious, but Jake felt no malice from him at any point, only curiosity. There was also the fact that Villy had trusted his teacher so much, and Jake felt a certain level of second-hand respect for the G-grade human sitting in front of him.
“My name is Jake Thayne, and I’m a rather recently integrated human in the ninety-third universe,” Jake said. “I’m also a friend of the Malefic Viper... or Vilas, as you know him.”
The First Sage nodded along and smiled. “I find the usage of the word friend odd here. From what I see, you are his Chosen, are you not?”“Being his Chosen and his friend aren’t mutually exclusive,” Jake shrugged, not even bothering to ask how the old man knew about Chosen or gods in the first place, as when he died, there hadn’t been any gods yet. It was very evident by now the First Sage knew far more than he could possibly be supposed to.
“Some would argue those two are indeed mutually exclusive,” the First Sage couldn’t help but smile. “Then again, I guess you balance things out with a healthy dose of heresy.”
Again, not even worth pointing out how the hell he knew Jake was also a heretic, something pretty much no one else could detect through Shroud of the Primordial and Jake actively trying to hide it.
“What can I say? We have a unique relationship,” Jake once more shrugged, not exactly sure what to say.
“That, I do not doubt,” the First Sage said, pausing a bit as he changed the topic. “How is he doing? Vilas, that is.”
The question surprised Jake a bit as it seemingly came out of nowhere and was once more the kind of thing Jake halfway expected the human to already know. Still, it made Jake a bit happy the old man asked.
“I wish I could just say he’s doing well, but it’s complicated,“ Jake sighed. “I don’t want to divulge his personal issues, but I can say that he lost people he really cared about a very long time ago, and that still haunts him even now. He is doing a bit better recently I hope, but before this era, he spent many eras never leaving his divine realm.”
“I see,” the First Sage muttered before sighing. “Bloodlines truly are double-edged in nature, giving so much, yet they also have demands. Not being able to forget seems like something that’s purely a boon, but you do not know how privileged you are to be able to leave unpleasant memories in the past. How lucky it is that time can heal wounds of the mind, something he and I cannot experience. Though I reckon you do understand the double-edged nature of Bloodlines to some extent, seeing as you have quite the potent Bloodline yourself.”
Jake let a lot of weird stuff slide, but this one he couldn’t help but question: “How do you know the Viper has your Bloodline?”
“Some questions are too complicated to answer given the time we are given, and the knowledge will bring you no benefits,” the First Sage shook his head. “Suffice to say, I do know some things. I know who Vilas became and that he is now known as one of the twelve Primordials. I also know the other eleven Primordials. Valdemar, Eversmile, Wyrmgod, Stormild, Blightfather, Holy Mother, Yggdrasil, Aeon, Rigoria, Starseizing Titan, and of course the Daofather.”
“Do you also know who Umbra is?” Jake tried asking.
“She is the Leader of the Court of Shadows,” the First Sage casually answered. “I also know... no... knew of Yip of Yore. A talented one, but foolish in his ambition.”
“You said you knew of him... as if...” Jake tried testing the man in front of him. Something he instantly caught onto.
“I know that Yip of Yore is dead, killed by the Malefic Viper,” the First Sage said with a smile. “As I said, I know a lot of things you rightfully assume I shouldn’t. Know of a lot of people I have no reason to know of. Yet when it comes to you, I know nothing. Which is indeed quite perplexing, seeing as you have karmic connections with your fair share of Primordials.”
“It sounds like you know about gods, so why is it odd you don’t know me?” Jake questioned.
“Because I know of Jacob. Of Carmen. The one who calls himself the Sword Saint, Arnold, and many more who share deep connections with powerful gods, especially Primordials or Void God Oras in the case of the man called Arnold,” the First Sage explained, Jake staring at him genuinely shocked.
“But you... with you, I draw a blank. I genuinely have no idea who you are or where you came from, yet I get the strong feeling I should know.”
“Is it because of my Bloodline?” Jake instantly asked, assuming it had to play a part, as when weird stuff was going on, it was usually related to Bloodlines.
“I don’t know that either, but I do find it a safe assumption, seeing as you’re not a Transcendent,” the First Sage responded with a smile. “I find this all rather exciting. I’m learning quite a few new things today.”
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Jake really wanted to try and get to the bottom of this, but he knew he wasn’t going to get an explanation. So, instead, he asked something else, changing the topic drastically.
“Say... this may seem abrupt, but the Malefic Viper said he killed you... that you asked him to kill you,” Jake asked without truly asking. Because, honestly, by now, Jake seriously doubted that had actually happened as he began to believe that instead the First Sage had-
“He will indeed be the one who slays me,” the First Sage simply nodded in confirmation. “And I will ask him to do that not far in the future.”
“Why?”
“That is the most complex question you’ve asked so far,” the First Sage kept smiling. “All I can tell you is that it had to be done, and it laid the foundation for the Malefic Viper one day becoming who he is today, getting the Bloodline he now wields.”
“So you did have some greater purpose,” Jake muttered to himself. “What exactly happened? Did you find a way to merge with the system? Avoid death? Was it even the real you the Viper killed?”
He still had so many damn questions and theories. The old man had knowledge of the present day, which had to mean he had some connection to it, right? Also, to Jake, it simply didn’t make sense that someone as powerful as the First Sage would simply allow themselves to die like that.
However...
“Jake. I am a human. Born a human, died a human. I am no spirit, no aspect of the system... just an old librarian who tried to do things that couldn’t and perhaps shouldn’t be done,” the First Sage answered. “My death at the hands of Vilas was a true one, and that day, my Path ended.”
“It... just doesn’t make any sense,” Jake protested. “Why the hell would you just let yourself die? Also, if you did die, then how can you still-“
“Nothing I can say will ever satisfy your curiosity or innate need for answers,” the First Sage lifted a hand to interrupt Jake. “Words are powerful. This was one of the first things I taught Vilas, and I hope he also taught you the same. Some things I simply will not say because they are too dangerous to speak into existence.”
“Is there also some Forbidden Knowledge in there?” Jake questioned further, thinking maybe that was part of the explanation.
“My mere existence is considered Forbidden Knowledge, so no, there is nothing I cannot say. Usually, knowledge of me is kept hidden by the fact no one can speak to me... yet the system has given permission for this meeting,” the First Sage shook his head as he looked at Jake. “I see you doubt that statement?”
“From what I have been told, you were quite proficient in fooling the system,” Jake pointed out. “I halfway assumed this entire scenario came about due to that proficiency.”
“Fooling the system, huh...” the First Sage said, shaking his head in disbelief. “You cannot fool that which is omnipotent and omniscient. I cannot, Vilas cannot, and you cannot. What we can do is bend the rules a little, but do not be illusioned, all happens with the full knowledge and permission of the system. Once more, I would have expected my disciple to have explained this to you.”
“He probably did,” Jake muttered as he kept looking at the old man sitting in the chair across from him. “Still. Why would the system allow you to bend the rules if it could stop you?”
“For the same reasons that it allows Bloodlines and Transcendents to exist. The system has infinite power, infinite potential, infinite knowledge... yet it remains imperfect. Do you know why?”
The First Sage looked at Jake with expectant eyes, making the poor hunter wrack his brain. He remembered prior conversations, and an answer quickly came to him.
“It’s still growing.”
“That is half the answer indeed,” the First Sage smiled proudly. “The system cannot change by itself, but it can learn. We are the impetus of its learning. Free will is a subject I know is much discussed, but do allow me to clarify that it’s absolutely real. In fact, it’s the one thing I can guarantee to exist, for without free will, there would be no change. The system emphasizes choice above nearly anything else, and the choices we make are what shapes the system and our collective future.”
The First Sage stood up after saying this as he went over and opened a small window, looking outside at the recently system-integrated land. “The first era was more flawed than you can even begin to imagine. The system had a lot to learn then. And learn it did. It’s an endless process that we are here to spur on... Transcendents and those with Bloodlines more than everyone else.”
“Why does the system even care about improving?” Jake asked.
“It doesn’t,” the First Sage smiled. “Your question is flawed in the first place. The system doesn’t want anything. It merely is. Surely, you must have heard the usual comparisons between the system and natural laws? The system is indeed just a natural law... a far more complex one than any other that supersedes and encompasses all other natural laws, but a natural law nonetheless.”
Jake did indeed know many of these things, yet he saw incredible value in having the First Sage say the same. It could be compared to having read something on the internet at one point and having that same something confirmed by the leading scientist on that topic... one source was just way more reliable than the other.
However, despite the conversation being rather enlightening – if not super informative, as the First Sage had been so damn mysterious – Jake began to question why he was actually there. He had to remind himself that he had spent five entire uses of Path of the Heretic-Chosen to meet the First Sage. That was 100 levels worth of uses accumulated for this one meeting... but all he had gotten so far was a conversation. Based on how long prior visions had been, this one should also be coming to a close soon.
“Hey... this may come off a bit wrong, but what was the purpose of this meeting?” Jake asked after the two of them had been silent for a good ten seconds, the First Sage just looking out the window during all this time.
“I don’t know, and you never answered how you got here,” the First Sage answered calmly. “I made clear why I wanted to see and know about you, but you never returned that sentiment. So do enlighten me... how and why are you truly here?”
“I used a skill to get here... one that allows me to see Record Fragments related to the Legacy of the Malefic Viper,” Jake just answered honestly. “However, usually, I do so as an intangible entity that cannot interact with the world but only experience it through the body of the Malefic Viper. The primary use of the skill seems to be to upgrade other Legacy Skills. At least, that’s how I used it thus far. When in C-grade, I could focus not only on a skill I wanted to upgrade but also a person... and with your nudging message, I focused on you when I used the skill this time around, the cost being pretty damn big as I could usually experience five visions with what I spent on this one.”
He really held nothing back as he explained everything to the First Sage, once more seeing no reason to. In fact, quite the opposite, as maybe it could help Jake get something out of this encounter.
“Quite a peculiar and powerful skill,” the First Sage nodded, not asking for any further explanation. “It does explain a few things, including the manifestation of this world and the new Records you are allowed to bring and absorb.”
“Truthfully, I still have a hard time understanding the skill,” Jake shrugged. “It’s also unique rarity, by the way.”
“I figured as much. The Path you walk does strike me as rather unique, being both a Chosen and a Heretic, something I assume is related to your Bloodline,” the First Sage casually commented. “However, hearing your explanation, it seems as if you are meant to gain some benefit from this vision, as you call it, am I correct?”
“That’s how it usually goes,” Jake shrugged. “This one is clearly different in nature, though. First time I can actually talk to someone and have a physical body and not just be a ghost on the wall. Also, I don’t get anything every time. It’s just an opportunity to get benefits.”
He had really hoped to get something good from using five charges, though.
“What kind of visions do you usually experience?” the First Sage questioned.
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“There’s no set kind, but usually some important and impactful moment revolving around a skill. But, again, that probably happened because I used the unique skill while focusing on a Legacy skill.”
“That does explain why you appeared during the use of my Transcendent skill back then,” the G-grade human in front of Jake nodded as he seemed in thought for a while.
Jake remained quiet, not really sure what to say or ask. To be clear, he still had a fuckload of questions, just none he assumed he would actually get an answer to. In fact, he felt as if this entire conversation had just left him with more questions than answers.
After what felt like ages, the First Sage nodded and spoke to himself. “Let us do that.”
The old man turned away from the window and looked at Jake. “It seems only proper. Also, you are the friend of my disciple, so you should get some benefits from this encounter... but before we get to that, would you like to join me on a walk down memory lane?”