Chapter 118: Long Awaited Destiny pt. 1

Kaius gasped, sitting bolt upright like he had been hit by lightning. He whirled his head around, disoriented and confused. A moment ago he had been sitting on the summit of the dwarven city, confirming his class selection. Now, he was…somewhere.

Craning his head back and forth, he gasped as he realised that he was in the Sea. It was unmistakable. The rich scent of earth and pine, the cold wind that rolled off the mountains, and the everpresent warmth of the sun. Jaw slack, he looked up.

Far above him, a green canopy rustled. Branches shifted and swayed in the breeze, sun streaming through the leaves as odd bars of illumination shone through the gaps. Through those, he saw an unmistakable blue.

It was gorgeous.

He sat there, rooted in place, simply drinking in the environs. Letting the soft sounds of wind, trees, and nature suffuse him. Drinking in the warmth of the sun, he realised just how much he had felt confined in the restrictive environments of the Depths. Even with caverns larger than most cities, and underground groves, it was a poor substitute for the world at large.

“Gorgeous isn’t it? I can see why it was chosen for you.” An oddly familiar voice said from behind him.

Kaius started, whipping around as his hand dropped for his sword. His open palm slapped a hip covered in soft cotton. Wherever he was, his armour and blade hadn’t come with him.

Standing behind him was a cowled figure, leaning up against the trunk of a tree. His robe was a deep mottled green, made of a thick woollen weave that did much to obscure all identifying details in its depths.

Kaius launched to his feet, backing up as he raised his arms, ready for a fight. He might not have his weapons, but that didn’t mean he was helpless.

“Who are you?” Kaius called out, his tone hard. “And how did I get here?”

The figure stayed lounging against the base of an oak tree, unperturbed by his readiness for violence. He chuckled softly.

“I am your guide,” they said simply. “And this? This is your class selection.”

The words rushed through Kaius, shock radiating down his spine. He’d known little of what to expect for class selection, only that he would have to pick between a number of options. He’d expected many things, but being plopped down in the Sea with a mysterious figure was not one of them.

He eyed the cowled man warily, his arms slowly lowering to his sides. “Guide? What do you mean?”

The cowled man lifted his arms up, causing Kaius to raise his fists once more.

“Woah there,” The man said, raising a placating hand. “Just taking off my hood.”

Their hands continued upwards, gripping the thick fabric of the cowl that obscured their face. They pulled it back slowly, revealing a thick mop of brown hair streaked in grey. A scarred, strong nose jutted out from rugged features marred by the slightest wrinkles. Piercing eyes magnetised his own. Green, with flecks of gold.

Kaius froze.

“Before you ask, no, I am not you from the future.” Kaius the Elder said with a wry smile. “I am a construct of the system. Your guide, your choosing grounds, are shaped by the system to be in a context you can understand, and feel at ease with.”

Kaius the Elder gave Kaius a long look. “Relatively at ease, that is.”

He simply stared agog at the venerable version of himself, still leaning against the tree.

Kaius the Elder gave him a wry smile. One he had seen before in still water. “Look, I get that it’s weird, but it’s a lot better than when you just got plopped in a white space with a list of options. Much more likely you pick something suitable. I have your knowledge, but also I have just about everything the system knows locked up here.” The system construct tapped his temple with one finger.

“I can’t share most of it, but I can advise. Are you with me so far?” They asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Kaius gave a slow nod, coming to terms with the fact that he was talking to an aged clone in his childhood home. Now that he knew it was all a creation of the system, it did much to put him at ease. What was something like this in the face of a power that had reshaped his world?

“Good!” Kaius the Elder clapped, standing up straight from the tree and walking towards him. “Now, we have a little ground to cover. You’ve been a busy fucking bee, haven’t you?”

Kaius looked at the construct in surprise.

“What? I’m based on you, you swear all the time.” Kaius the Elder said.

“I mean, yeah…but isn’t it a little undignified for an emissary of the system.”

The construct waved him off. “Maybe if this was some grand proclamation, but I am only here to help guide you, and to do that effectively you need to feel at ease. The second I swore you just got a whole lot less tense, didn’t you?” They gave him a cheeky grin.

Kaius frowned, rolling his attention across his mental state. His guide was…right. He was feeling less guarded.