After listening to Aryan's comprehensive briefing, a long silence fell over the garden. Anand leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on a distant point, as if processing a century and a half of history in a single moment. He had a general understanding of the new world, but a few crucial details still nagged at him.
He turned his gaze back to Aryan, a calm curiosity replacing the blank look. "So," he began, his voice low and deliberate, "who are these two saints and those divine beasts?"
Aryan took a moment, as if to choose his words carefully. The information he was about to reveal was not common knowledge and was spoken of only in hushed tones.
"The two saints who stood against the monster wave," he began, "were James Hector, who used to be a priest from Europe, and John Serel, a simple farmer from California. They are most powerful of the arisen.
He leaned back, his eyes distant, as if reliving a historical moment. "The five divine beasts who appeared then were dragon, phoenix, qilin, kunpeng, and a sea turtle. At first, they were weak—depleted by the journey through the gates. That is why they formed contracts with humans. The dragon and the qilin formed contracts with the two saints, respectively, which gave them the power to save the world. The kunpeng, a majestic bird of immense size, formed a contract with the Sokolov family's founder, Victor Sokolov."
"But not all of them formed contracts. The sea turtle first hid in the oceans, recovering its staggering power. After it came out of hiding, it destroyed a large portion of Australia before making its way towards Antarctica. No one was able to stop it. As for the phoenix, it was only seen once, blazing across the sky above the Sahara Desert, and after that, its position became a complete mystery."
Aryan lowered his voice, the last piece of information shared with a conspiratorial tone. "There is a rumor, sir, that the valemont family has it in their possession. It's believed to be the true source of their immense and unchallengeable power. But, of course, there is no proof."
Anand sat across from Aryan, the grim truths of this new world washing over him, yet a peculiar smile played on his lips. He was enjoying the story, a fact that was both fascinating and unsettling. He listened intently, not with the horror one would expect, but with the keen appreciation of a man hearing a grand tale of strategy, power, and survival. It was a macabre, brutal story, and Anand was completely engrossed.
"Anything else" he asked playfully
Aryan was flabbergasted. He had just laid out a tale of a world nearly destroyed, of a brutal power struggle and absolute authority, and the man in front of him found it merely... interesting. He took a slow, deliberate breath, the sigh of a man who had more dark truths to reveal.
"It wasn't just monsters," Aryan continued, his voice heavy. "otherworldly races also crossed into our world. Some came seeking peace, others brought only war. No matter their intent, most humans couldn't see past their fear. They treated them all the same—enemies."
"Some of the current noble families trace their bloodlines back to those clans. The society granted them protection and resources in exchange for their strength".he explained. "Some of these races were not qualified for a high rank, but they still have the backing of the organization."
He paused, his tone hardening. "But not all humans accepted them. To many, these races were nothing more than monsters to be hunted—or worse, possessions to be used. Slavery… desecration… you can imagine the rest."
A flicker of revulsion crossed Aryan's face as he spoke the words. "Enslavement is banned in our southern region under the Black Dragon Society's law, so it's relatively safe for them here. Our families believe in utilizing their strength, not breaking them."