I entered the old man's tent after completing the mission he had assigned to me. The atmosphere inside was warm compared to the biting cold outside. I sat before him, a cup of hot drink in my hand. The old man looked at me with eyes filled with weariness, yet he did not hide his gratitude.
"You have done what I asked, and there are no words of thanks enough for you," he said in a quiet voice, as if expressing something deeper than simple gratitude.
I nodded. "It wasn't difficult. But there's something else. You said the clans had asked for help from each other. Had the support from the other clans arrived?"
The old man sighed bitterly, then answered, "It arrived, but the beasts that killed many of our men stood in the way. They couldn't reach in time, and none survived." He gazed at the fire in the corner, as if it reminded him of something lost. "Support that arrives too late… is just another form of loss."
He paused for a moment, then lifted his head to meet my gaze with a serious look. "Arsen is not like other worlds. It is not a world filled with palaces and cities that can be ruled by empires. Here, power belongs only to those who truly possess it. Arsen is a world ruled by clans. Each tribe has its own strength, and the strongest one governs. There is no fixed capital like in other worlds. Instead, the capital moves with power. Today, the strongest clan is the Runes Clan."
He took a deep breath before continuing, "Their ruler now is Caster. He took power after his father's death—though he actually believes he was the one who killed him. Caster wields a magical spear. No one can resist him; he has the ability to manipulate the weather and ice, creating massive blizzards as if they were an extension of his will. With that, he became the sole ruler here."
I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it. "Interesting. A world governed by absolute power. It's similar to what I experienced in my world, Valera, though with environmental differences."
The old man nodded slowly. "So, you're from Valera? Yes, perhaps. Valera was in a similar state. But in Arsen, wars aren't just about controlling land; they are about controlling life itself. Caster doesn't seek to rule only Arsen. It is said that he plans to invade Nirvana, the world that grew weak after its hero, Seraphim, fell. And it is also said that he has ambitions to eliminate any threat to his plans."
"Why Nirvana?" I asked, driven by the need to understand things further.
"The system there collapsed after its hero fell. If Caster can seize Nirvana, he will rule more than just Arsen. He will gain an unlimited source of power. Everyone thinks Nirvana is still strong because of Serena, but they don't know that she has weakened since the incident with Seraphim."
I took a deep breath, realizing he was right.
The old man gave a mysterious smile, but something in his eyes made me realize he knew more than he was letting on. "These days, everything depends on power."
We remained silent for a moment, then I asked him, "Who are you then? You're not just an old man in a small tribe."
He smiled and slowly lifted his head. "I am the leader of this tribe. I was born here, and I have lived here. But some things may be more important than leadership. This tribe, and everything in it, will fight against Caster if necessary. And it doesn't matter whether you know me or not. I am here to give you information and leave the decision to you."
I leaned back against the wall, thinking about Caster and what his existence in Arsen meant. This world was unfamiliar to me, but with everything the old man had said, things were becoming clearer. Caster wasn't just a threat to this world; he was a threat to all worlds if he succeeded in his plan.
As if reading my thoughts, the old man added in a calm voice, "But even if Caster is the greatest power here, it doesn't mean there's no one who can stand against him."
I sighed, my eyes drifting to the tent's window, where the icy sky gleamed behind the glass. My thoughts were tangled. How could I defeat someone like him? Isn't this what I was searching for? A piece of my strength that I had lost with Caster?
"I'll think about it," I whispered to myself before closing my eyes and drifting into sleep, my mind consumed with thoughts of the next step. But deep down, I knew the coming battle would not be what I had expected.