The Married Life Of Immortals

‘Any idea why this place might be so dirty and unused? Or why do they even have a place like a classroom in what basically seems like a hidden retirement home for old heroes and such? This entire place is nuts, and I am starting to think that I would be better off running away,’ Bane half asked, half complaining in his head.

‘It’s not that simple,’ Eve responded in Bane's mind, her tone serious. ‘Running away isn’t an option. Not only because you’re on an island, but also because these people can track you easily. Your best bet is to learn and adapt. They’re giving you a chance to prove yourself, so take it.’

As Bane sat there, the door creaked open, and Lysia entered, carrying a large, ancient-looking tome. She set it down on the desk in front of him with a thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Welcome to your first lesson," Lysia said, her voice deceptively sweet. "We’re going to start with the basics. You need to understand the world you’re in, or at least this island. Since the world has shifted, we have no idea what the rest of the world looks like. You will also need to learn the magics we are aware of that govern this new realm, and the creatures that inhabit it. Only then can you hope to survive, let alone thrive."

Bane nodded, but had a confused look on his face. Not sure how to act in this situation, he put up his hand, feeling silly. This all felt like a pair of children pretending they were in school, but Bane couldn’t get over the uneasy feeling the little girl gave him. So, rather than get upset, he decided to just play along, and Lysia gestured for him to speak with a knowing smile for some reason that made him feel even more uncomfortable.

“I have a bunch of questions, but I will start with the most obvious. Has this type of thing where the entire world changes happened before?”

“Yes. Most of us were part of the wars that took place during it, but the sovereign nations had all been able to stop the Heavens Blessed invaders.”

“Heaven Blessed invaders? What are they?” Bane asked, and a flash of hatred appeared on Lysia’s face, but it was gone just as fast as it had come.

“Immortal beings that are able to learn all the things that we can, but much faster. No matter how many times they are killed, in less than five minutes, they can fully revive with no injuries. Only the most powerful of beings are able to kill them, but sometimes not even that is enough,” Lysia explained in a bitter voice.

Bane didn’t need to ask Eve who Lysia was talking about. While not knowing much about games, this sounded a lot like players in a game. Had Guardian designed it to have a backstory that was just history repeating itself? Nothing about this world or the people Bane had met so far felt fake, or computer generated.

a few minutes after their revival, they're already back in the fight, often with even greater strength and knowledge than before," Lysia explained, her tone darkening. "They appeared suddenly, much like you did, but their arrival heralded chaos and destruction. Their immortality made them nearly unstoppable until we managed to force them out, sealing our world from theirs."

Bane absorbed this information, realizing that the Heavens Blessed invaders she described sounded like players from a different world, possibly like him. "So, you fought these... invaders and won?"

"Yes, but at a great cost," Lysia replied, her voice heavy with the weight of past battles. "Many lives were lost, and the balance of power was forever altered. This village was created as a refuge for those who survived and wanted to live out their days in peace, away from the turmoil."

Bane nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "And now, with the world changing again, you're worried it might be happening all over?"

“It is happening all over again, but something is different this time. We were never turned into children, nor did parts of our world disappear. The world only grew to over three times its previous size after five other worlds had been combined with our own. Each of our worlds had our own areas, not mixed together.”

Bane scratched his head, but had trouble making heads or tails of all this. In his mind, he knew this was all a game, but at the same time, he was now one hundred percent a part of this world. Game, or made up backstory, Bane needed to start treating this like real life, albeit much different than the one he had just left.

“So you mentioned magic, right? Will I get to learn that?” Bane asked, trying to steer the conversation to something less end-of-the-world themed.

Lysia only shrugged at his question. “Possibly, in some form. From my titles, I am sure you can tell I know a thing or two about magic, right?”

Bane suddenly felt like a lamb outside the slaughter as an ominous aura coming from Lysia made it hard for him to breathe. ‘What is she doing to me?! I just asked a simple question!’

‘She is exerting a very small part of her Aura on you. In this world, one's Aura reflects their power and intent. Hers is particularly strong because of her status as a Grandmaster in multiple disciplines. It’s a way to test your resolve and see how you react under pressure,’ Eve explained, her voice calm in Bane’s mind.

Bane didn’t like this feeling that felt like it was trying to crush him down to the dusty desk. It was like hands were trying to force him down, and the exertion to keep his body upright was making his eyes feel as thought they would pop from his head. Soon, the pain and pressure intensified to the point where even his insides started to hurt, and he coughed up blood on his desk.

Then, the pressure vanished.