Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking-Chapter 511 Chancellor Igor’s Past

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"I was amongst the very few people who were born during the decline of the Ancient Era." Chancellor Igor sighed, "In my youth, I used to hear stories and myths about the feats of the ancients and told myself, One day, I'll reach the same heights as them; if not, surpass them directly."

"It was a fool's errand. When I used to brag about this dream of mine, my seniors would usually wear strange expressions. I used to think that they were just amused at me, but in truth, they were pitying me because they knew how difficult my dream would be since they too were aware of their fading might."

Chancellor Igor stood in front of a tall window, peering outside and emanating a very lonely aura.

"It's not like they just sat there and accepted their fates. They did their best to resist the decline as much as they could, yet all their efforts only led to delaying the inevitable."

"I was there, sitting on the very front seat, watching as they grew weaker year by year. I was also distraught because no matter what I did, I just couldn't seem to do the same things as they could. I used to think that I was just dumb and incapable; I also used to think that I was incredibly naive to even dream of reaching the same heights as the ancients, so much so that it became an obsession of mine."

"Yet, I soon discovered that what's happening wasn't unique to me."

"The decline was inevitable and merciless. Our generation has to watch as everybody got progressively weaker."

"It's common knowledge nowadays that the stronger the race is, the harder it is for them to reproduce. This applies to mine and my fellow friend's people. The worst applies to us Wise Dragons and the Ancient Titans specifically."

"Right now, there's only a couple hundred of us Wise Dragons and Ancient Titans. But did you know, during the Ancient Era, there were at least hundreds of thousands of us thriving at the same time?"

Cedric was stunned. Vaguely, a vision presented itself to him, supplied by his imagination.

He saw giant dragons traversing the cosmos freely, visiting worlds in groups and spreading their knowledge. He also saw moving galaxies, which turn out to be physical bodies of ancient titans.

It was a glorious and mind-boggling sight. Yet, that's all in the past now.

All of a sudden, he felt sorrowful. Now he understands. Chancellor Igor had to sit through all of this, watching it all happen without being able to do anything to stop it.

"You get it, right?" Chancellor Igor knew that Cedric had a vision just now. He also noticed the shift in his mood, certain that this child now understands what he felt all this time.

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"It's like we're struck by a deadly and incurable plague we call the cycle of life and death. Anything we did was useless. At best, the solutions we could come up with only delayed the inevitable."

"And this applied to everybody else, too. The Mystic Faes, Holy Spirits, and Divine Celestials used to be millions in number, yet they suffered because of the decline."

"As for the Primal Beast Race, they circumvented the rules in a way that none of us can replicate."

"Back then, all beasts were members of the Primal Beast Race; it doesn't matter whether they reach atavism or not. In terms of pure population, other races couldn't possibly compare to them. They are blessed in that area. Moreover, so long as they try hard enough, all beasts have the chance of taking their bloodlines to reach the state of atavism."

"When the Ancient Era's decline hit us in full force, the Primal Beast Race's ancestors made a difficult solution. They performed a ritual that circumvented the laws of Primordial Chaos."

"They got to keep their blessed reproduction rate in exchange for making Atavism extremely hard to achieve. In addition, they had to establish the rule that those who never showed signs of reaching that state would never be recognized as part of the Primal Beast Race. And thus, they dwindled from a race to a clan."

"This is the reason why there is a great disparity amongst their kind right now. This was a difficult decision for them to make, yet this was also their bet."

"They betted on their descendants, hoping that one day, a truly impressive child or children of theirs can one day figure out a way to return to their ancestry and reach the glorious days they used to have during the Ancient Era."

"We wanted to replicate this ritual too, yet unfortunately, we can't. The Primal Beast Ancestors numbered in millions, and they all burned their lives at the same time, sacrificing themselves and unifying their strength to force the Primordial Chaos into an agreement. Our numbers never reached those numbers, and frankly, some of us thought that placing our hopes on our descendants wasn't a good idea. And so, we can't use the same means."

Chancellor Igor went silent for a bit, seemingly immersed in his memories. Then, another sad sigh escaped from his lips.

"I lived through all of that. I watched as they died in droves. Not only my people but others as well. The whole realm was seemingly plunged into a very long period of mourning. Death had become so common that it didn't surprise me anymore when someone just suddenly dropped dead next to me."

"The ones that hurt the most were my friends and family. I had to bury them with my own hands. Each passing day was agonizing to me as I was forced to watch as, one by one, all the familiar faces I knew disappeared, leaving only a shadow of their memories behind."

"At some point, I thought I was next. That one day, this mysterious plague would also come for me and claim me. I used to find peace with that, thinking that maybe I'd be reunited with them in the afterlife soon."

"Alas, that wasn't the case. Death only came for the Ancients, and I wasn't one. Not even close. I was a Wise Dragon, sure. I have the potential to become an Ancient, sure. But that's all there is to it, a mere potential. Moreover, it seems that once the decline began, it became extremely difficult for anybody to retrace the footsteps of our ancestors."

"And wasn't that just insulting? Me, a Wise Dragon, spared because of my incompetence to be as strong as my elders? Was I supposed to feel gratified? It's so hilarious that it's maddening."

Chancellor Igor ground his fangs, his expression twisting into a mild fury. However, it went away as quickly as it appeared.

"In my age, I've become desensitized to many things."

"You'd think that by now, I should've moved on from that horrible past, focused on the now, and prepared for the future."

"And yes, I have already made peace with the death of my ancestors. Yes, I have also decided to focus on my present and prepare for the future of my people. I wouldn't have lived this long and become the current chancellor if I continued to immerse myself in the past."

"In truth, the past and my obsession only account for half of the reason why I still continue to search for a way to reach the same level of strength as our ancestors did."

"The other half was simply out of necessity."

It was at this point that the chancellor looked sternly at Cedric.

"The Void. It has always been, and will always be, a threat to us. It never stopped its desire to swallow the Primordial Chaos. This much is evident by how many holes there had been in the Scarlet Division Wall, which was supposed to be the realm's ultimate protection against it."

"To the void, the concept of time was simply meaningless. It doesn't know the concept of urgency or patience. It simply does things because it knows that eventually it will work out. It is an entity that is not pressed by anything. So long as it exists, it will persist. And like many other things in life, only the result matters in the end."

"It could spend millions or even billions of years gnawing at our walls without feeling any sort of loss. As for its creations? They're nothing more than an extension of its will. A means to an end. So long as it swallows the Primordial Chaos in the end and reaches the state of the perpetual Eternal Silence once more, it wins."

"The ones that always kept the void in check were the Ancients. Unlike us, modern men, they have the ability to truly threaten the void."

"But now, well...I have already told you what happened to them. And so, without their protection, what do you think happens to us?"

Cedric's mood turned somber. There was no need to say anything. He understands the implication of the chancellor's words.

"That's why, as much as I wanted to forget about the past, I just can't. Especially now that we are in dire need of the strength of the Ancients."

"I was about to lose hope. I'm already old. I planned on retiring, passing my position to my disciple, and retiring from everything."

"But that child died, and his death led me to meet you."

"You, who have unknowingly reached the same qualifications as the Ancients."

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"What a wonderful coincidence, is it not?"