Galaxy's First Ruler

Atop the flattened peak, above the layer of thundering clouds and storm, Aldrich was seated facing the Viscount Sugaar, the Crawler.

The chants of the Sorginaks 'the witches' hadn't ceased, and added a mysterious tone to their surroundings. The stars above them twinkled with curiosity, and a slight breeze hit their faces on one side. Aldrich straightened his back and asked the first question.

"What are the Blessed Ones?"

The Crawler gave Aldrich a derisive smile and replied.

"I give you a chance to ask something, and then you ask this? A wrong question?"

Aldrich pressed together his brows, hearing the reprimanding tone of the Crawler. If anyone can claim to be older than Aldrich and still alive, then it certainly was the Crawlers. Aldrich hadn't figured out the process, but he was sure there was much more about them than what met the eyes. Aldrich knew the value of asking the right questions, so he gave it a thought and asked again.

"Who are the Blessed Ones?"

The Crawler's tail that was slithering non-stop behind him momentarily stopped. Even its slit-like eyes widened as its tongue came out of its mouth ever so slowly. Viscount Sugaar nodded at Aldrich as if commending him for getting it right in the second chance. An ethereal voice came out of its mouth which felt like the growl of monsters, howls of wind, and thunder in the rainy sky.

"Cursed is everyone chosen by RECORD; Those who have 'THEIR' Blessings are the Blessed Ones."

Aldrich's heart thumped as every letter and syllables entered his mind even before he could hear them. Blood came rushing out of his ears, and red veins popped up into the black surrounding his white pupils. Aldrich clenched his teeth, not to bear the pain, but to prevent the Black Veil from surfacing on his body. The Black Veil wriggled and churned inside him, and tried to come out to resist the effects of Ancient Saying. But Aldrich needed to feel those words and the heart-wrenching pain that they had brought with themselves.

"Aaaahhhhh!!!"

Cough!

Aldrich screamed and coughed out a mouthful of blood, painting the limestone platform's floor red. His head buzzed with incoherent murmurs and he tried his best to not forget anything out of the sentence.

Huff! Huff!

"Hahass! And here I thought that would be enough to kill you. What an astounding Will! Brilliantly done."

Aldrich tried to calm down his broken breath. He wiped the blood off his mouth and looked at the Crawler. Aldrich's eyes didn't show, but he was shocked. Socked to the point that he felt himself stunned at what had just happened.

It was for a fraction of a moment, but he felt the presence of Laws in the Crawler's voice. And not one, but three.

"What… What was that?"

Aldrich presented an exaggerated haggard appearance and asked.

"That was the Language of LAWS. Something beyond the capabilities of the Dreamers."

Aldrich couldn't say about others, but he could tell that two of the three Laws were related to Wind and Electricity. But they were a little different, and their nature felt a little distorted. About the third one, he did not know if it was even qualified to call a proper Law or not. There was something about it that made it familiar and unfamiliar to him.

Aldrich took a deep breath and kept asking.

"May I know about the sacrifices now?"

The Crawler threw the horned mask behind it. As the mask reached the tip of its tail, the tail hit it and sent it flying towards the farthest pillar on the platform, opposite to the behind Aldrich. The Viscount took off its baseball cap over its head and ran the fingers of the other hand through its disheveled hair.

"There are ways to remember things from past life. I hope you will be lucky enough to find one. Given that you asked me about the Blessed Ones, it means you didn't become one voluntarily."

Aldrich shook his head, accepting right away that he didn't have any idea. One way to know more of something was to accept one's ignorance. Alas, few knew the importance of subtlety of these things.

"Well, as named, sacrifices need a medium to work. And that medium is 'Record'. But the 'Record' doesn't accept sacrifices from Dreamers. Only those who have left behind their legend in the history of the Galaxy are bestowed with this Blessing or Curse. You can call it whatever you want."

Aldrich's pupils vibrated and the tips of fingers throbbed as he heard the answer. He couldn't help but ask more.

"Then, can't the Blessed Ones sacrifice to the Beings from whom they have got the blessings?"

Viscount Sugaar gave an eerie smile, and its blackish fangs flashed out of its mouth. It was almost like Aldrich had asked an obvious and childish question. But Aldrich minded nothing, as long as he got his answers.

"Sure they can, if the 'Record' would let them, and the 'Record' isn't that friendly to Dreamers. Or it would be better to say, it just doesn't care. But there is one exception."

"What?!"

Aldrich asked with bated breath. He had a hunch as to what would be the answer. But he wanted to hear it from the Viscount.

"If there is a place where one could rival the 'Record's' Authority, then it is possible. Humph! But who could in this world approach that level?"

A smile came upon Aldrich's face as he heard the answer and then the question. He finally got to understand why he was forced to accept the Class at the Rare and Baron ranks. It wasn't the work of RECORD, but of someone else. He finally knew what had transpired behind the scenes for him to turn out like this. And he finally found out why he ended up as the Boss of a Dungeon.

The Viscount didn't like Aldrich's crazed smile and harrumphed.

"Humph! Even thousands of years won't be enough for you to understand the meaning behind these sentences. Or have you gone insane for you to smile like that? Haha!"

Aldrich stood up and put his hands together, joining his palms.

"I was laughing at your question, My Lord."

Bang!

The Crawler furrowed its brows and its tail thrashed on the platform, sending the limestone's pieces up in the air.

"My question?! What do you mean?"

A blue-green light seeped out from the gap in Aldrich's right sleeve. The wind picked up, lifting his long white hair. Aldrich replied with the same calm written on his face with which he had risked his mask.

"My Lord, you got the question wrong. It isn't a matter of 'WHO' could in this world approach that level…

… It's a matter of 'WHAT'."