Above The Sky
Chapter 139 - 139 128 Echoes of the Past 13

139: Chapter 128 Echoes of the Past (1/3) 139: Chapter 128 Echoes of the Past (1/3) Tonight is destined to be a sleepless one.

The sudden battle of a Sublimator in the afternoon, as well as the first massive thunderstorm of the early summer that followed, left everyone from Viscount Grant down to the most ordinary port residents with lingering fear.

The continuous thunderclaps and lightning made the night sky half-filled with intense light, and even though all the residents knew that the storm wouldn’t come back so soon, the sensitive nerves of the people of the Southern Territory still prevented them from finding peaceful sleep.

It was the same for Elder Prude.

In the office on the second floor of the Elder’s Hall at Harrison Port, the old man gazed out at the night rain and dark clouds, with Elan breathing gently in his embrace, already fast asleep.

The head of the White Folks child pressed down on Elder Prude’s beard, and he didn’t move it away but instead turned his head, counting each time the lightning illuminated the dark veil that enveloped the heavens and the earth.

Amidst the flickering light, he gradually lapsed into a wistful melancholy.

Pude Chehalorvo, once a member of the Cheharlowa Family, a child of one of the thirteen Elders.

He spent his childhood under the care of his influential family, while his adolescence was marked by alienation from his peers because he had no father.

His Dwarven heritage wasn’t discriminated against by the family; he was only discriminated against for the simplest reason — he had a large beard as a child, and his short stature didn’t increase in height when everyone else was growing.

Those who are different are seen as abnormal, the estrangement and teasing among the children were just that simple; if it weren’t for the strict tribal rules of the White Folks, bullying would have been very common.

He was different from others.

Elder Prude knew this, and he accepted it.

He might not have inherited the true Bloodline of the Mountain Folk, but he possessed their fortitude, calmness, or rather, their thick skin.

Elder Prude was well aware of his ill fit, he did not care for these trifles.

His own parents ignited the spark of love after a thrilling adventure, but were separated because of the vast distance between The Empire and Gantreignum; his mother did not remarry but dedicated herself to research on relics, while his father seemingly disappeared during an underground adventure, probably returning to the embrace of the earth.

The position of an Elder was not inherited by Bloodline and the number of Elders was not fixed.

It was determined based on the achievements of family members in various fields.

He was just a commoner among the White Folks, keen on adventure, and given the family’s subtle estrangement from him, he simply joined the family’s Exploration Team to work outside, tirelessly exploring every region of the earth, big or small — this was probably the best aspect of his parents’ blended blood.

Nothing was wrong with that, the family’s internal competitions and struggles had nothing to do with him, neither did concerns of power and politics.

If he could just continue adventuring and exploring until he, like his father, was buried in the earth, perhaps that would not be a bad ending either.

Until that day came.

Lightning flashed by the dark window, and fragmented pieces of the past seemed to flash before the old man’s eyes.

At that time, it was also a dark and rainy night just like this one, lightning and thunder roared in the Imperial Capital, and the towering Observing Star Tower collected the lightning at its top, releasing a Spirit Energy Field that smoothed the stormy weather.

He was returning from a far-off exploration and nobody came to greet him, which was perfectly normal — his mother was engrossed in the pre-Era civilization relics beneath several Great Labyrinths, devoting all her time outside of sleep to organizing data and analyzing information, even eating was something she needed a servant to help put into her mouth.

But this time, as he opened the door, he unexpectedly heard his mother’s excited call, an unprecedented, heartfelt surge of joy.

And the sounds of celebration and cheers coming through the communicator made Elder Prude somewhat understand that the family must have unlocked the Key to a large relic cluster, allowing them to penetrate the core of the Labyrinth and seek the Logos and Legacy within.

The rise of the Cheharlowa Family was precisely due to this; they were experts of the Labyrinth, seekers of relics.

Behind them stood Lingzhi Academy, the Royal Alchemy Association, and the Observing Star Tower, with the Imperial Military also facilitating in the shadows.

Even Emperor Inaga himself, the exalted sovereign who led The Empire to prosperity and greatness, the ‘Pioneer’, took great interest in their research progress, generously providing extensive resources and funding.

Bearing so many expectations and achieving success was naturally cause for such cheers.

“His Majesty will definitely like it!”

And at that moment, Elder Prude heard his mother’s absorbed muttering, “Eternal life — this is the beginning of eternal life!”

Eternal life…

Blinking, the aged Elder of the White Folks came back to his senses from the daze.

He withdrew his gaze from the night rain and gently stroked the back of the White Folks child nestled in his arms.

The old man was gentle, as if he feared his coarse hands might startle the other person awake…

Haha, back when he was young, he simply couldn’t understand why his mother and everyone else became so excited over that word, but now that he had aged, he began to grasp it a bit.

“Immortality…”

He murmured softly, savoring the word, “What is it, exactly…

What kind of immortality is it?”

“Despite claiming it was a gift for His Majesty, a birthday tribute, it provoked the Emperor’s furious rebuke as the epitome of evil, a mistake among mistakes, an unforgivable sin.”

“And why did my family and mother willingly confess to the crime, swept away into exile without the slightest resistance?”

Although it was impossible for anyone to resist the Emperor’s authority then, and defiance was out of the question, a confession from the heart…

that was something else entirely.

Exhausted, Pude closed his eyes, “Why did that benevolent Emperor insist on executing nearly all the Sublimators in our family, and not a single Elder could escape, even the Ordinary people likewise…”

“What mistake…

had we actually made?”

All those memories echoed over and over in his ears like echoes, and the words his mother spoke later in the communication resounded with the thunder.

[This is the secret of immortality!]

[We…

must not covet, must not monopolize, this should be a gift for His Majesty!]

[If it were someone like His Majesty, if such a saintly ruler could live forever and never die…]

Echoes.

Echoes from the past resonated in his ears.

Until the downpour gradually lessened and the thunder slowly ceased.

Now Pude was just Pude.

Elder Pude of Harrison Port.

A man without a surname, exiled, forbidden to seek the past, stripped of all glory.

“Ian, if you truly are that one’s disciple…

If you are a real Prophet.”

The old man closed his eyes, speaking wearily, “Can you find the answer?”

The stars and moon gradually dimmed.

Dawn quietly rose.

Pude, feigning sleep with his eyes closed, was startled awake by a sudden knock at the door.

Even the child, Elan, in his arms woke up, raising his hand to rub his eyes.

Though he didn’t respond at first, Pude’s heart suddenly started pounding fiercely; he recognized the footsteps, he knew who it was.

He had really returned…

The steps were steady, apparently unharmed, he had come back safely and soundly.

“Come in,” suppressing his excitement, Elder Pude spoke.

And then the other person opened the door and came in.