Chapter 787: The Truth Behind Reincarnation

"B-but—"

"You also hid certain discoveries from the world because you knew it wasn't ready. You must have understood..."

I could no longer deny her words once she brought that up. Since she was the essence of the world itself, her reasons must have been justifiable and beyond just me.

"So why was I reincarnated? Wouldn't that still yield the same result? My actions in this new life have caused tidal waves, or have they not?" I asked with curiosity— and perhaps a bit of skepticism.

If her true aim was balance, she would not go out of her way to return me to the stream of the world, now would she?

"A tidal wave is preferable towards the end of the stream, don't you think?"

The end? Did she mean the Nether?

"There is a lot you do not know, Lewis Griffith. It is now time for you to find out." Aether spoke, drawing closer to me.

I felt a heavy weight suddenly bind my insides, but at the same time, I felt an unravelling like nothing I had ever experienced before.

"Your reincarnation and the current threat that seeks to destroy this world are not unrelated. They are tied together by a single factor."

This was it! After so long wandering in the darkness of ignorance, I was finally going to get answers! Suspense swelled within me, and the weight slowly began to fade away.

I listened, both curious and anxious about what she would utter next.

"The mould that holds all of this together is Neron Kaelid. He is the reason behind your reincarnation—the cause of this new reality."

The moment Aether said this, my mind went blank. I couldn't even think for the first couple of seconds.

"W-what...?"

After a brief moment of paralyzing shock, I remained locked in an endless swirl of conflicting emotions and clashing perceptions.

After considering what Aether said, and the implications they had, I arrived at the only conclusion I could reach.

"T-that... makes no sense!"

The more I thought of it, the less plausible the idea seemed—not like I was in a perfectly sound state after getting a bombshell like that dropped on me.

"You say so because you do not comprehend the reasons and causes that have led up to this point."

Aether most likely knew what she was talking about. After all, she was basically a god, and compared to her knowledge of everything, I was too ignorant to debate with her.

However, if what she said was true, that meant Neron deceived me.

"He acted like he had no idea. He completely... no... I can't just..."

Neron was one of the very few people whom I had grown to trust. He was capable, dependable, and actually trustworthy. Our joint passion for magic and our aligned interests made us good friends—even beyond our relationship as teacher and student.

When I was with him, it didn't feel like I was with a senior or junior. It just felt wholly natural.

"If he knew—no, if he caused my Reincarnation from the start then..." Everything I knew about Neron was practically null.

How could I accept that?

"I know it is difficult to accept, but it is true. Neron was the one who caused your Soul to flow to the body of Jared Leonard, though I helped him out."

The more Aether revealed, the more it became apparent that she was willing to break the rules she earlier established—particularly the one about balance and waves.

If Neron was as powerful and skilled as she said, then why was he gifted with so much logic-defying power? I never really understood why he was so powerful.

I was a Reincarnated genius, who used my past memories to improve myself. Plus, this Singularity status of mine allowed me to go even further into the art of Magic, allowing me to surpass my past self.

However, what of Neron? Why was he so special?

"Neron is a Singularity." Aether revealed to me, causing another leap in my heart.

The more I heard, the less anything made sense to me.

"No, it's not as simple as that. He's not just a Singularity. Perhaps it's more accurate to call him the Original Singularity."

More confusion caused my head to hurt.

"So, you're saying... The reason I'm here—the reason I'm a Singularity at all—is because of Neron? And the reason he was able to affect all of this is because he is a Singularity?"

"Correct." Aether responded to my almost exasperated summary.

It seemed I would need a lot more explanation than I currently had. Aether must have realized this since she gave me a kind smile and nodded gently.

"I understand how confused you must be right now. However, I promise you, there is a reason for all of this. If you are ready, I will reveal all of it to you this instant."

She didn't need to hear my answer to know what it would be. Based on my expression alone, my desire for the truth was already pretty obvious.

"Neron was chosen by me as a Singularity—just as I chose Merlin all those years ago. He was chosen to be my avatar—to serve as my representative for what was to come."

If I was to guess, I would say the 'thing' to come was the Nether.

"You see, I am only the essence that flows through all things in this tree of existence. I cannot actively participate unless there is an agent through which I can act." She added.

I had pretty much already guessed this. The fact that Aether was so powerful, and she didn't stop the Nether Cult from achieving their goals, made that clear.

"Unfortunately, many things went wrong, and the plan derailed from its original model. To atone, and restore order, Neron had to change everything and select a new avatar. He chose you."

"M-me? Why? What happened? Why couldn't he do it himself? What went wrong?" More and more questions swirled around me.

Thankfully, It seemed that Aether was planning on answering all of them.

"The truth, Lewis, is that this world has already been destroyed, once before. Everything in this plane of existence should not exist."

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[A/N]

The time of revelation is nigh.

I hope you are all ready. I sure am!