Devouring Dragon Heir
Chapter 73: Ch 73 - information about this world

Chapter 73: Ch 73 - information about this world

"Anyway, how is the interrogation and the purge going on, Grandpa?" Klaus asked, shifting the topic.

William’s expression softened. he smiled

"Remarkably well, Klaus. Better than I could have hoped.

After those traitors spilled everything, we captured almost everyone and cross identified in the detailed list you had provided.

The network of infiltration was far more extensive than we initially realized, but your information allowed us to move with caution and advantage"

He then leaned forward slightly, his eyes holding a glimmer of amusement.

"And on your advice, we didn’t kill anyone. We let them live, ensuring they were thoroughly ’processed’ for information.

Then, we let them report back to their superiors within the cult and the corrupt families, but with information that we ourselves had crafted.

Misleading, half-true reports that serve our interests. I have to say, Klaus, you are one heck of a scheming brain. This strategy of misinformation is proving invaluable."

William knew the importance of information warfare, of manipulating perception, in such a cold, silent conflict that was happening between the Association and the corrupt Legacy Families.

"Ah, one more thing," Klaus asked as if remembering a pleasant detail.

"What did you ask the Ravenstein’s for as our compensation that I earned at the conclave duel?"

William smiled, a triumphant glint in his eyes.

"Oh that, hehe. I asked for the rights over the one and only SSS-rank dungeon that has recently popped up in the Antarctic landmass.

It is a valuable asset and also a source of immense income and research."

Klaus smiled, nodding slowly. "Good, good, old man." He approved of the choice. An SSS-rank dungeon. This was perfect.

"So, how many SSS-rank dungeons do you have now, Grandpa?" Klaus asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

He was looking forward to increasing his rank through the System’s requirements.

He had already acquired two SS-rank kills (the Hellhound general in the VR and one SS-ranked kill Necrolord boss.

he even had one SSS rank kill, but that would only count once he reached the SS rank for real.

The Association’s SSS-rank evaluation was merely a surface recognition; the real evaluation, the true progression, was done by his Supreme Dragon System.

And it required him to kill at least ten beings of the rank he wanted to climb. He was aiming for SS rank next, and that meant 8 more SS ranked kills.

William’s brow furrowed, a look of confusion on his face.

"Huh? What do you mean, how many SSS-rank gates Klaus? This one is the first SSS-rank dungeon the world has ever seen.

It materialized just a few months ago, and its immense rarity is why it’s such a contested prize. There are no others."

"What??" Klaus’s eyes widened in genuine shock. His composure, usually unshakeable, visibly faltered.

This was a piece of information he had completely missed. He had assumed, with the existence of EX-ranked individuals like William and Magnus, that there would be equivalent dungeons to train in.

"Doesn’t that mean there are no EX-rank dungeons on this planet, then?" Klaus asked incredulously, connecting the dots. If there were no SSS-rank dungeons, then there could be no EX-rank dungeons, as EX-rank monsters would emerge from those, just as S-rank monsters emerged from A-rank gates.

"Yes, you are right," William confirmed, his voice understanding Klaus’s surprise.

"There are no EX-rank dungeons. The highest ranked gates are SS-rank. The Antarctic one is an anomaly, a singular SSS-rank gate."

"Then how do you people rank up to EX-rank??" Klaus demanded, his voice filled with disbelief. It contradicted his entire understanding of progression in this world.

"Ah, sorry, Klaus. I forgot you didn’t know the history properly. This is not common knowledge," William said, a faint, apologetic smile on his face. He leaned back in his chair, preparing for a longer explanation.

"Look, in this world we live in, gates have been with us from the very beginning of human existence, since before recorded history.

It is widely believed, through ancient texts and divine legends, that there used to be gods and mythical beasts that resided on this planet.

With them, there were many divine treasures and vast knowledge of magic and divinity that flourished across this world, a world we called the Blue Planet, or Blue Star, or whatever you want to call it."

"But an era of a great cosmic shift happened thousands of years ago. It was a cataclysmic event, shrouded in mystery.

The gods and divine beings, for reasons unknown, left the planet for good, taking with themselves all the divine knowledge of magic and divinity, all the grand secrets of the universe.

All the flourishing human civilizations of that ancient era were somehow razed to the ground, utterly destroyed.

The knowledge of advanced magic, of divine rituals, went extinct with progressive generations, lost to time and destruction."

"However," William continued, his voice emphasizing this crucial point, "despite this catastrophic loss, the humans of this planet were still, fundamentally, descendants of those ancient humans who knew and wielded true magic.

That is why the magically enhanced bodies, the latent mana channels, and the inherent potential were inherited by the later generations, passed down through bloodlines, even if the knowledge of how to properly use them was lost."

"The Heavenly Will," William explained, lowering his voice slightly,

"which we believe is an unconscious phenomenon of nature, a guiding force of this planet itself, then started invoking and activating skills among the natives of the planet, awakening their latent abilities.

This was a natural response, a survival mechanism for humanity."

"But as generations went on, the skills and their ranks which were awakened among the populace gradually degraded.

The awakened individuals became weaker, their potential diminished.

This happened because the consecutive generations lacked the ancient, divine knowledge of magic, the proper cultivation methods, and the true understanding of mana.

They relied on crude methods, on simple skills, rather than true mastery." William concluded his monologue, the history lesson painting a grim picture of humanity’s long decline from its golden age.

"That," William stated, leaning forward, his eyes locking with Klaus’s, "is where Legacy Families come into play."

He continued, detailing a crucial period of history. "When the Watchers attacked humanity seventy years ago, our species was severely outmatched.

We possessed mana skills, yes, but we entirely lacked experienced individuals capable of effectively repelling such an advanced, overwhelming alien force.

Our strongest awakened individuals, even the few SSS-ranked figures who emerged during that desperate time, were still struggling.

They would later become the pillars of humanity, the founders of the great Legacy Families, but in those initial days, they were fighting a losing war."

William’s expression turned grim. "We were on the brink of utter annihilation. The Watcher armies, with their superior technology and terrifying abilities, pushed us back relentlessly.

Our cities burned, our populations dwindled. It was a period of unimaginable despair, a time when humanity faced true extinction."

"But then," William’s voice gained a spark of something akin to awe,

"a miracle of sorts happened. In the midst of that losing war, our desperate scientists and frontline fighters, amidst the devastation, found the corpse of an EX-ranked Watcher.

It was a singular, unprecedented discovery. How this specific Watcher died, or how its body remained intact enough to be found, is a secret guarded fiercely by the family of the person who discovered it.

That information remains tightly controlled, even now."

"Humans, in their desperation and ingenuity, studied this alien body with every resource they had,"

William explained, the depth of historical struggle evident in his tone.

"They found out that Watchers possessed unique cores within their bodies, a core that made them exceedingly strong"