Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 129 - Med Bay

What Azir spoke to him of proved the exact reason he could not simply tell most people that he was from the future. Because being from the future was an ’impossible’ action, then anyone important would never believe it, and instead come up with alternate explanations.

The most he could do is show with his actions, information, and results, that it may be an option. If he brought it up first, it would be seen as him being too desperate to convince someone of the impossible.

However, given enough information, a smart, wise man will always reach the right answer, no matter how impossible it may be.

Lumi considered Azir’s statement, and carefully replied. "You’re right. There’s no explanation I can give you that resolves the contradiction cleanly. Anything I say about where my information comes from will either sound like a fabrication or will raise questions I can’t answer."

Azir watched him. "Because you do not know the answer?"

Lumi nodded. "Exactly." It was true. He did not know how he came back in time.

"What I can say is this." Lumi kept his tone steady. "You can’t verify my knowledge. But you can observe my intentions over time. What I want is for the world to survive. Everything I’ve done has been in that direction. That’s not proof of anything, but it’s what I have."

"I believe your intentions. However, the road to destruction," Azir said, "is paved in good intentions."

"I know." Lumi said. "Do as you always have."

Azir considered the answer for a second. "Tell me the so-called fabrication."

Lumi took a deep breath. This was the key point. Would he be believed? Maybe, maybe not. But some things were about more than just being believed.

"It is my belief," Lumi stated, carefully. "That I have returned to the past. From my perspective, I lived four years into our future, died, then returned a couple weeks ago.."

Azir did not immediately speak. He stood in silence, considering what he was just told. After a dozen seconds, he finally continued. "I had suspected as much. Yet, it isn’t possible. What a predicament. Lumi, you say that you do not know how you came back in time?"

Lumi nodded.

"Impossible." Azir stated. "Time travel is not so casual an affair that you could possibly not know how it happened. Was it an artifact that the Goddess of Time left behind? Her successor? Speak!"

"Azir." Lumi stared directly into his eyes, as serious as he could possibly be. "You put the binds on my soul. You can verify if I tell the truth."

"What you believe to be the truth." Azir corrected.

Azir didn’t hesitate for a single second. He raised his hand, gripping at the air. As soon as he did so, Lumi felt his very essence tighten. His soul seized up, as did his body.

Azir took a step forward, staring into his eyes. He tightened his control on his soul. "Tell me, how did you go back in time?"

Lumi felt a force compelling him. He opened his mouth, and words came out automatically. "I do not know."

Azir pressed further. "Were your memories erased!"

Lumi’s head automatically shook. "No."

Azir pressed yet again. "Give me all your theories, then!"

Lumi spoke. "I can only imagine that it may be a contingency plan from the Goddess of Time. I can think of nothing else."

"A contingency plan." Azir repeated, thinking about the idea. He shook his head. "A fair theory, but it relies on a misunderstanding of her authority over time."

His gaze sharpened. "Tell me everything." He raised his hand, producing a crystal to record. "Everything."

Lumi, still with his soul gripped, responded. "I cannot."

"Hm." Azir’s eyes shifted. "You did say something among those lines. If you claim that you cannot, even under this state, then it must be a physical compulsion."

He shifted his approach. "Tell me everything you are physically capable of speaking."

Lumi felt his body start speaking, revealing all that he could say. "In the year 605 PS (Post-Sealing), The Dark One suddenly gained an immense army. This army consisted of many men and women that had been in masteria for approximately two years. They had suddenly appeared, with no clear indicator of where they came from. Their strengths varied greatly, anywhere from the First Rank to peak of the Forth Rank..."

When Azir saw that Lumi began speaking, a small grin appeared on his usually neutral, stern face. His wording had worked to create a conditional answer he could listen to.

...

After Lumi finished retelling his story, Azir sat with the same stern expression he was known for. Only this time, he had several pages of notes he had written on the spot, and a crystal conversation of the entire conversation.

He then gave his conclusion. "Everything you said is impossible."

He put down his papers. "Yet, I cannot disprove any of it. Your information has been noted, considered, and will be deliberated upon."

He stood up. There was nothing else for him to say. Would he repeat his own words endlessly? No. He abruptly shifted his topic. "Your next move. What is it?"

"I must go back to Elenora." Lumi replied. "I need to advance to the Second Rank."

Azir briefly hesitated. It was a small reaction, barely visible, but it was there. A brief pause in the measured composure of a man who was rarely caught off guard.

Lumi’s eyes widened. He knew that Azir briefly, for less than a second, flinched. He soon realized what the issue was.

Someone at the First Rank was frankly, a nobody. Yet the conversation they’d been having, the weight of everything surrounding Rena, information, the Wings, all of it was of high importance. Azir had been responding to him accordingly, speaking to him as a peer.

And at the end of all of that, Lumi was a First Rank mage who needed to go back to his instructor for his next advancement exam.

"First Rank." Azir said lowly, more to himself.

"Yes." Lumi confirmed.

The smallest hint of amusement passed through Azir’s face. He accepted the reality of it with composure.

"I’ll arrange the transport," he said. He turned toward the door, gesturing for Lumi to follow him out. As they walked, Lumi’s mind was already running through what waited for him in Elenora. To receive his Second Rank, he had to go to Merath. The same Merath who had quietly lent a great hand to assist him.

While an exam was customary, given his history with the old man, he was unlikely to need one. Most likely, he would simply hand him the books.

"Wait." Lumi suddenly froze. There was something he had entirely forgotten about, and now he felt like crap.

Valeria. Marcus. Jin. Elara. Zara. Even Susie. He had spent a significant time with all of them, and now he was just going to leave without even saying goodbye?

Weren’t Vakleria and Marcus in a coma?

"Azir..." Lumi’s gaze turned grim. "Is it possible to visit my former team?"

Azir’s steps stopped. He lowly hummed, "I was wondering when you’d ask." He turned to Lumi. "Like I said, I will arrange the transport. Go to the sky ships when you are ready. As for your former team, do visit the med bay."

Azir wasted no further time. After giving the required information, he simply left, leaving Lumi to wander the halls alone. He followed the signs, making his way to the medical bay. Stepping inside, it was much more modern than he remembered.

The biggest misconception someone could hold about Masteria was that it was a medieval world. While it was true to an extent, it was just that, an extent.

Due to the existence of supernatural powers, with warriors who far surpassed human physical ability, magicians drawing arcane might, and more, came the truth that technological progress was no longer needed to survive.

A single warrior could till the fields of a hundred men from Earth. A single magician could grow vast amounts of food. Both were clearly great at building.

Then, when one’s needs were already met, why would one invent steel and related inventions when you could just grow stronger, and your issues would be resolved?

However, at the same time, the same conditions also create genius. When one’s needs are fully met and there is no need for every member of a community to contribute, then those with intellect or creativity can begin to experiment and research.

Thus, the technology of Masteria was highly skewed. Some places still looked medieval, while others had technology that was blatantly better than anything on Earth.

The inside of Herene’s med bay seemed to be several hundred years in the future compared to the rest of Herene. It held soft lights, clean smooth surfaces, with a receptionist at the front. It even felt cool, clearly indicating some sort of cooling.

He walked up to the receptionist. With a single glance at his face, her eyes went wide, indicating that she was clearly pre-informed about him. She got up. "Sir, please follow me."

Lumi didn’t bother asking how she recognized him. At this point, it would have been stranger if Azir hadn’t prepared the people ahead of time.

He simply nodded and followed.

The med bay was quiet. While it wasn’t entirely quiet, compared to the bustling halls outside, it felt insulated from the rest of the world.

They passed several rooms with transparent panes. With just a small glance inside, memories began to flood through Lumi’s mind.

Injured soldiers...

So much death...

Lumi took a deep breath to settle out of the thoughts. No matter the disasters that happened in his past life, they would never repeat.

The receptionist stopped outside a room at the end of the hall. "They’re here." she said quietly. "Let me fetch you a doctor." She left to find them.

This room did not have a panel for him to look through. Lumi stood idly, deep in thought. Even as the Fire Wizard who served as a doctor arrived, Lumi took a moment to react.

"Sir," The man spoke to him. "You would like to see them, right?"

"Right." Lumi nodded.