Foreword
Hello readers, let me introduce myself. My name is Sean, I am 14 years old, and I live in Indonesia. This is my work. I apologize if there are any mistakes. Happy reading!
Prologue
The peaceful world changed abruptly when a "Tara" leak occurred. Tara is a singular magical power. Our main character, named Astra, was thought to possess no Tara, but it turns out he has a very, very, very dark past. However, he was able to escape it because of his friends. The Mysterious Continent is a highly dangerous land; humanity has managed to conquer it despite losing 80% of the global population. Even so, a larger world still waits to be discovered. Not everything lost has vanished, for behind the legends, something is still waiting to be found.
CHAPTER 1: THE FISHMEN
Five months. Such a tragic event occurred, and only a few survived, including the group known as The Tarot and the 5 FHG. The world was in chaos.
Yakari and Raqel were still on the Mysterious Continent to collect the remaining resources. The resources mentioned in the Mysterious Continent books had all been consumed by Sirged. While they were gathering resources there, Raqel discovered something resembling an ancient monument. Yakari was called over, and they looked at the writing on the monument which was very strange, but they saw one piece of writing that could be read. It said "TERA." They thought it meant Earth, so they ignored the monument.
Then they returned to gather at an island on the Mysterious Continent inhabited by Fishmen. They were welcomed warmly there. Their king, Neptune, held a great feast for them. Astra thanked Neptune profusely, but Astra asked him why the Fishman race was so peaceful, unlike the other races on the Mysterious Continent.
Neptune: "Because we are protected and guided by our God, the God of the Sea, Poseidon."
Astra: "Do the Gods actually exist?"
Neptune smiled.
Neptune: "If you do not believe it, that is fine."
Yakari immediately broke the ice. After several hours, The Tarot headed home to the Human Continent. The journey by ship took several days, so they stayed in various places. On the third day, during the night, they stayed in the City of Nile. However, they could not sleep. Eventually, Yakari invited the others to go to the pyramids. The others did not agree, but Yakari convinced them. Finally, they went to the pyramid and entered secretly.
CHAPTER 2: FOREIGN WORLD
For years, those pyramids had been a world mystery, but The Tarot—without any exploration experience—entered the pyramid without fear. Tirta entered first, using his power of fire to light the way, while Yakari walked at the very back. The others protested because the one who suggested coming there was at the rear.
They immediately entered a place that was considered forbidden. They walked without paying attention to the walls filled with writing they could not read, so they did not care. They kept walking, but suddenly the floor they stepped on cracked, and they fell downward. They found themselves in a well and saw a building with an orange shape that was unclear.
Raqel: "What building is that? It looks like an unfinished building."
Suddenly, a voice said, "More precisely, it has not appeared yet." Suddenly, a portal opened and sucked them all in. They all lost consciousness.
CHAPTER 3: EGYPT
Astra woke up from his fainting spell. He was in a very luxurious room filled with gold. The other members of The Tarot were also there.
Natch: "You finally woke up, you fool."
Tirta: "You took the longest to wake up."
Astra: "Yes, I am sorry. But where are we?"
Clover: "We are in a place you cannot imagine."
Astra: "Where? Is it the Mysterious Continent?"
Selina: "We are in the Egyptian Pantheon. We were saved by Horus and brought to his palace."
Astra: "Impossible. Isn't that just a myth?"
Satya: "I did not believe it at first either, until I saw it for myself."
Tirta: "Yes, but at least we are being welcomed warmly by them."
Suddenly, someone with the head of a bird entered. He was the God of the Sky, the God of War, and the Protector of Egypt—he was Horus. They stood up straight.
Horus: "I do not know why you were sent here, but it seems fate has brought us together."
Astra: "Oh, who are you? Why do you look so strange?"
Horus: "I am the leader of the Gods here. I am Horus."
Labra: "Here? Should you not be the highest God in the entire universe?"
Horus: "Wrong. It is not as you think. In this world, there are many Pantheons, and Egypt is only one of many."
Astra: "So the concept here is a multi-pantheon?"
Horus: "You could say that."
Lauren: "So, will we be returned?"
Horus: "No, because you cannot go home. The world of humans and the world of Gods are different dimensions, so going to the human world is very difficult."
Leon: "Then what about us?"
Horus: "I do not know either. Therefore, it seems fate has brought us all together. But how did you get here?"
Yakari: "We entered a pyramid, the chain broke, and we fell into a well. Then suddenly a portal appeared, we were sucked in, fainted, and when we woke up, we were here."
Raqel: "We also heard a voice."
Horus: "A voice? Perhaps it was only your hallucination."
Astra: "Ah, do not think about it. The point is, is there a way for us to get out?"
Horus: "Of course there is, but you must undertake a long journey."
Astra: "What is the route?"
Horus: "I am sorry, I do not have it memorized. But this is very dangerous for humans."
Satya: "Why?"
Horus: "Because not all Pantheons are peaceful. Egypt is one of the most peaceful. Humans use Mana as fuel, but the Gods and astral beings use a different fuel called Rahsk—an energy that existed before the universe was formed, the energy for creators like us Gods. A Mana user cannot harm a Rahsk user, however, a Mana user can upgrade their Mana into Rahsk."
Astra: "How do we do that?"
Suddenly, they appeared in a very foreign place.
CHAPTER 4: THE JUST DOG
They appeared in a hall full of gold, yet outside, the place was black and empty. Suddenly, someone appeared. Astra saw that the person was wearing a blue and white cloud-patterned kimono. Astra was silent.
The Person: "Welcome to the land of Duat, the land for those who have died."
Tirta: "Huh? Dead?"
The Person: "Yes, but it seems you were sent by Horus."
Selina: "But why is your form like that..."
The Person: "Oh, I took this form from your past. Everyone sees this differently. You can call me Taweret."
Astra: "So why were we sent here? Is it to develop Mana into Rahsk guided by you?"
Taweret: "Not me. Come, follow me."
They walked a long distance and arrived at a place—a temple far more magnificent than before. They arrived and saw a creature with the head of a dog. He was Anubis.
Clover: "Hello, O Just Judge of Death."
Anubis: "Hello to you as well, the Most Just Judge in the World of Dana."
Astra: "Sorry, we do not want to make small talk. So, what are the requirements for Rahsk?"
Anubis: "I know you were sent by Horus. But are you sure?"
Natch: "We are very sure."
Anubis: "Okay. There are four requirements for Rahsk. First, you must repeat the same life again. Second, you must make peace with your past. Third, you must meditate. Fourth, while meditating, you will fight your own dark side."
Astra: "Huh? Are you crazy? We have to repeat our lives?"
Anubis: "Yes, but dreams and illusions are allowed. So, enter those doors. You will experience everything from the beginning again, and you will also see your cruel past. If you do not succeed in making peace, you will be trapped forever in the Void."
They began to stand in front of their respective doors. With a signal from Anubis, they entered.
CHAPTER 5: TRAGIC DEATH
Selina began her trial. She felt it—only for a few seconds—yes, repeating everything in a few seconds, but Selina felt as though she was experiencing it all again.
Selina was born into a wealthy family in Sakura City. Her parents were successful businesspeople. Her grandfather was the most dangerous mafia boss in the world and a close friend of Aurelius, one of the 5 FHG. However, because her grandfather was mafia, he was hunted and targeted by assassins. The targets were his children—Selina's parents. Selina and her parents were captured. The kidnapper did not kill them immediately; he forced her parents to perform sexual acts in front of Selina. Then, Selina was forced to kill her own parents by creating wounds in sensitive areas until they died. After that, before Selina was killed, her grandfather appeared, and the kidnapper was killed. Selina cried seeing that event. Suddenly, the area became like her home, and Selina saw both her parents.
Father: "Oh, Selina, why are you here? Are you dead?"
Mother: "Hey, you shouldn't say that. Selina must have a reason for being here. But now our child has grown into a very beautiful woman."
Selina: "Mother, Father... is it really you?"
Mother: "Yes, it is us."
Selina immediately struck them repeatedly until her father stopped her.
Father: "Hey, what are you doing?"
Selina: "Forgive me, because of me, you..."
Her mother and father hugged Selina.
Mother: "This is not your fault. It is our fault for not being able to protect you and making you see us like that."
Father: "Yes, indeed we are the ones who should apologize."
Selina wept in the embrace of her parents. Outside, Anubis saw Selina's door turn green, meaning she had succeeded.
Next, we move to Natch's door. Natch’s life was very cruel; even I, as the narrator, say this was the cruelest. Natch was born with the name Light as an aristocrat who was looked down upon even by commoners. They were very poor. To provide food, their mother sold her body, and even then, it was sometimes not enough for a day. Thus, Light's older brother, named Natch, also sold his body even though he was a boy. Their father drank beer every day. Light was secretly ordered by his father to work in a bar from the age of four. Light was often molested by people at the bar, even though Light was also a boy. The only reason Light stayed alive was because his brother was by his side. This continued until Light was 10 years old, when he was made a sacrifice to summon a demon for wealth. Natch tried to stop it, but Light, who panicked, accidentally killed Natch. Their mother became angry, her mind broke, and she killed everyone in front of her. Their father died, but Light also accidentally killed his mother. Light truly wanted to go insane, but Natch, who was still barely alive, said one last word: "Stay alive." Natch died and Light lived on. He began a journey, killing many people and organizations, and his name was changed to Natch. Natch saw this with a bit of sadness, but he knew that to move forward, he had to forget his past. Anubis looked at Natch's door, and it was already green.
CHAPTER 6: ATTACK TOWARD THE WORLD
Leon lived comfortably as the son of Aurelius. But where was his mother? Yes, his mother and grandfather had isolated themselves from Aurelius and Leon. Leon saw every part of his life filled with failure, starting from his mother and brother leaving Leon for who knows where. Leon always made foolish decisions, and the other FHG children isolated him. However, Leon faced it all calmly.
Leon's door turned green.
Then we are shown Clover. A dark past: he was born into a poor family. His father was accused of a murder he never committed. His mother was forced to remarry and was sold by his stepfather, yet the stepfather was not punished. Clover was thrown away and found by a prosecutor. Clover was cared for well and taught the law, but that prosecutor turned out to be corrupt and was not sentenced to death. Clover left the prosecutor and went wandering. At that moment, Anubis also saw Clover's door turn green.
Meanwhile, in the human world, a group calling themselves "The Number" had conquered the world and even imprisoned the FHG. They consisted of 10 people, their code names ranging from 9 down to 0; the closer to Nil, the stronger they were. Member Number 7 created a device that prevented the entire world from using Tara, except for The Tarot members who were in the human world. Before that, several powerful people lost their Tara and Mana, and that was their doing. Number 7 created a device to forcibly absorb Mana and Tara. Astra's friends, such as Rion, Thomas, and others, tried to fight but were defeated.
CHAPTER 7: THE BEST FRIEND AND THE BEST ENEMY
Satya was born into a wealthy family that highly valued education. Satya was born with a Tara that was very useful for his family. Satya was given special treatment; all his friends were killed by his family. Satya lived with a relaxed personality, but in his heart, he needed a friend. Then, at a family banquet, Satya met Tirta's family. Their families were enemies. Satya met Tirta; their personalities were opposite. They kept arguing verbally until, when Satya and Tirta went to the bathroom, they saw a portal. They entered, saw Astra, and from there, everything began.
Satya: "Hahahaha, crazy, crazy. I remember my old friends. Huh, I am sorry, okay?"
Behind Satya, the souls of his old friends appeared and smiled.
Tirta was the son of a wealthy family that highly valued strength and discipline. Tirta was born as a child with great Tara. Much like Satya, Tirta was isolated from his friends. At the family banquet, Tirta met Satya's family. They were enemies. Tirta and Satya argued, went to the bathroom, entered the portal, and saw Astra.
Tirta: "Tch, what kind of past is this? Huh, so what is your purpose here, Satya?"
Satya: "Hahahaha, I am just taking a walk. Is that not allowed?"
Tirta: "Whatever you say."
Anubis saw the doors of Satya and Tirta turn green. Already there were Natch, Selina, Clover, and Leon.
CHAPTER 8: TWO SIBLINGS
Labra and Lauren were biological siblings. They saw the same thing: their parents were paralyzed because of giving birth to them. Their father forced them to work and spent all the money on drinking, while they were only fed dirt. They continued to suffer until Labra awakened his Tara and paralyzed his father to protect Lauren. They began a journey and discovered that Astra was their cousin. They traveled to find Astra and found him.
The lights on their doors turned green.
Meanwhile, in the human world, entire cities had been conquered. Number 7, named Vina, conducted experiments on humans and was assisted by Number 1, named Vozz. They performed many insane experiments.
Vozz: "Hey, it is time."
Vina: "Huh? Is it?"
Vozz: "Yes, come on."
They walked away, leaving their experimental subject, which was Neptune, the Fishman King. The Mana and Tara of the Fishman had been stolen. They arrived at the FHG headquarters, which had been modified with many places and glowing stones containing the magic of many people. In the center stood someone—it was Number 0, Ralcin.
Ralcin: "So, shall we do this first?"
Vozz: "Yes, if there is anything left, then we do stage two."
Vina: "The others are ready."
They flipped a switch, and the stones began to turn white. Ralcin changed form, growing long hair, and his aura was felt even as far as the Mysterious Continent. And I, as the narrator, say that Ralcin's Mana was forced to change; Ralcin's Mana had become Rahsk, and Ralcin's Rahsk was now 10 times larger than Astra's.
CHAPTER 9: SMILE BEHIND THE CRUELTY
Yakari was born an orphan, even though his parents could have raised him. He was left in a gutter with rats. From a young age, Yakari could only beg and eat from trash cans. Then Yakari was given money by someone. Yakari walked and saw a casino. Yakari was curious and tried it, and he hit the jackpot. His money multiplied. From then on, he always gambled, and his Tara awakened. Do not imitate this, okay? This is because Yakari has the Tara of Luck. Do not imitate it; you do not have special powers.
Raqel was a beggar who was always molested by her father and abused by him continuously. Her mind was broken, but her father died of an illness. Raqel kept walking; she was caught and turned into a prostitute until, as a teenager, she was caught by Clover. However, Clover, knowing Raqel's past, invited her to join The Tarot.
Both of their doors turned green.
CHAPTER 10: A SHORT CONVERSATION
Astra was sitting in the middle of a forest with a campfire. There was someone there in a blue cloud-patterned kimono and long pants.
Astra: "It has been a long time since we met, Master."
Master: "Yes, you have developed quite significantly."
Astra: "Hahahaha, the more one grows, the more one develops, right? That was your teaching."
Master: "Haha, it seems you still cannot accept my death?"
Astra: "Huh, be quiet."
Master: "Hahahaha, indeed there are some things people must keep as secrets. So, how about Tirta and Satya? Are they still fighting? How about Labra and Lauren? And how is The Tarot group now?"
Astra: "Ah, very good. Tirta and Satya are still fighting, Lauren and Labra are healthy, and now The Tarot has 11 members including me."
Master: "Oh really? Wow. But you cannot stay here long."
Astra walked away.
Astra: "Yes, goodbye, Master."
And Astra emerged from the door. Now all members of The Tarot had succeeded.
CHAPTER 11: MEDITATION AND THE DARK SIDE
Anubis: "You have succeeded. Now you will enter the third and fourth stages: meditation and fighting your own dark side."
Astra: "So we just have to meditate?"
Anubis: "Yes."
They began to meditate and entered their subconscious. Astra was in his hometown and saw his dark side.
His Dark Side: "Hahahaha, you want to fight me?"
Astra: "No. We are the same, so every attack would be useless."
His Dark Side: "True. Then what?"
Astra: "Let me pass, but you can take over my body whenever you want."
His Dark Side: "Oh really? Hahahaha, if that is the case, then very well."
Astra succeeded, and Anubis was shocked because Astra was so fast. Anubis asked Astra about it, and Astra explained.
Anubis: "That was very reckless, you know. Do you want to commit suicide?"
Astra: "Hahahaha, there are two things you do not realize. One, I did not say 'whenever,' meaning there are conditions to take over my body, and I did not tell him. Two, if I leave, then he automatically dies."
Anubis: "Hahahaha, I never expected a human to be this cunning."
Astra waited for a long time until one by one his friends finished.
Anubis: "Okay, you are all finished. So, to speed up your adaptation..."
Suddenly the ground shook.
Astra: "What is this?"
Anubis invited them to look outside and they saw a giant creature.
Anubis: "That is Osiris. He is angry because you stayed here too long."
Selina: "So you are going to hold him off and tell us to go?"
Anubis: "No. To speed up adaptation, block him. Defeat Osiris."
Astra: "WHAAAAT!?"
CHAPTER 12: THE MUMMY OF DEATH AND FERTILITY
Astra: "Heh, we just got this power, and we have to fight him?"
Anubis suddenly left them as they were struck by Osiris, but they managed to dodge. Astra immediately used his power to create a fire arrow and shot it at Osiris. A massive explosion occurred, but there was not a single wound on Osiris, even though the hall where Anubis was had been destroyed.
A fierce battle began. Raqel, Labra, Clover, and Selina fought Osiris's numerous soldiers. The rest fought Osiris. Leon tried to use liquid gold and solidify it to trap Osiris's legs, but Osiris was able to destroy it easily. A very intense fight broke out. Yakari used his domain, but it was immediately shattered because Osiris was too large. Osiris roared and all members of The Tarot were thrown back. Tirta tried to wound Osiris, but Osiris was completely unharmed.
Satya quickly pulled Tirta and brought him to a certain place. They fought fiercely until suddenly Satya and Tirta reappeared. It turned out they had searched for a ram in the land of Duat to take its horns. The horns were thrown to Astra. Astra compressed space to create fire and formed that fire into an arrow. Inside the arrow were the ram's horns. The arrow sped off again, and this time, Osiris fell.
CHAPTER 13: TOWARD ANOTHER WORLD
After successfully bringing down Osiris, Anubis appeared again. They were angry, but Anubis immediately opened a portal and kicked them in. It turned out to be a portal to the Japanese Pantheon. They entered the portal, but suddenly, there was a hole that pulled several people into it. Those who remained reached the Japanese Pantheon but fainted.
Meanwhile, in the human world, the world was in total chaos. Everyone was hypnotized, and only Astra's friends were still safe and in hiding.
Ralcin: "So, how is it, Vozz? Have you done it?"
Vozz: "Yes, it is safe. I created a hole so that their journey back to the human world will take much longer."
Ralcin: "In that case, let us proceed with the second plan."