"We were brought here to be sacrificed," Zenis said.
"Sacrifices?" Billy furrowed his eyebrows when he asked in confusion.
"That is right, nothing is given for free. Have you ever heard of that?" Zenis asked. "I don't remember well since my mind is all foggy, but there is a saying on Earth that there is nothing more expensive than something that is given for free."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"That is because when people give free stuff, they are gaining other things behind the scenes like information," Billy said.
"That is right, things are a bit different for us, but it is basically the same," Zenis replied. "We were given a second chance, something rare to happen while we keep our memories. All of that is necessary for the sacrificies to use their powers well, become stronger and enact change in this world. That change will improve the level of mana in the world and ultimately, become its final defense."
"How do you know all that? Is it because you absorbed the dungeon core?" Billy asked. "Is that also why you sound like a robot?"
"That is right. This is the knowledge that I obtained while operating and understanding how dungeon cores operate," Zenis replied. "Your assumptions are also correct. My sense of self has also decreased a lot, and that was why I secluded myself in this dungeon. The first step was the thirst for more power after obtaining some of the others like us. With more power, I felt that the lives of my people didn't matter as much as before. Once I learned the truth, it felt like my brain was overloaded with information. Or perhaps that is just the normal reaction without the panic after learning of the future that all of the generations of this world wait for."
"Despite that, you still look like you don't want to try anything else and want to go along with the order of things, at least how they are here," Billy said.
"That is just how things are… why do you think this is the final dungeon?" Zenis asked. "Those of all generations who managed to polish their powers and survive for almost three decades always end up coming here, and thus, they leave their traces behind. I found such traces, and you must have as well. Using those, I learned that others tried to stop things, but it is useless."
Billy realized that he was probably talking about the skeleton they found earlier. It was weird. Still, it wouldn't be surprising if he also obtained some knowledge from the crystal. In any case, Billy always thought that his second life wasn't something that was granted to him on a silver platter. Still, it was annoying that it seemed that all his actions had been used for some other purpose, and he couldn't change the end game no matter what.
"You asked me why I am going with the flow and let things be as they always have been. Still, you must realize that in one way or the other, we would end up fighting and killing each other," Zenis said. "Human nature is simple and yet complicated. In many different situations, you were all forced to enact change in this world, not because of some greater will, but because sapient beings always ended up acting the same. Be it for conflict of interests, because you wanted revenge for someone, or because you wanted to protect your friends, in one way or the other, we would all be forced to fight."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBilly wished that he could deny that, but he couldn't. In the past, others fought against each other because they wanted to be at the top by themselves. At first, Billy developed his powers to protect himself and others from the elementalists. He joined the war because his people wanted to see his world be expanded. Because of that, they became part of other wars… and they fought to protect those they loved.
Meanwhile, Lucyna and Meryl fought and have been fighting to obtain justice for those they lost and the things they lost. Meryl's situation was still persisting, but it wasn't caused simply because of a reincarnated individual… Things in that continent were always like that, filled with conflict, and it was just normal…
"You said that the changes that we brought changes and that increased the mana level of this world," Billy said. "How does that works, and that is why dungeon cores have so much power?"
"Yes, magic power is essentially the power of the mind," Zenis replied. "Few people in this world use it, but they all have it. What do you think that happens when their mana is full, but they don't use it? The process of magic recovery shouldn't stop with only that. With that in mind, their overflowed energy is absorbed by the world. In the past, the energy was used to change the world and make the lands more fertile, but nowadays, it is used to strengthen the dungeon cores."
Even if most people couldn't use mana… still, the world was supposed to have hundreds of millions alive, and with that much energy being created and absorbed by the dungeon cores… Billy recalled that they could even communicate with each other, so it wouldn't surprise him if they could send their energy to other dungeon cores.
"Our actions change the world and mana level as well. The more we become famous, the more we enacted changes, and thus the more people began to think about the changes, thus creating more magic power for the world," Zenis replied. "Such things will eventually be revealed to all the people in this world, but that will only help the magic level as well since they will despair over it."
"... Why would they despair?" Billy asked while making his aura vibrate in the air.
"Why do you think information about this is so hard to find?" Zenis asked. "You have found traces of destroyed civilizations, haven't you? In the end, the people of this world are sacrifices too. Only a few handful will survive, and the event will be forgotten."