Second World Chapter 2005 Final Chapter. New Adventure

2005 Final Chapter. New Adventure

"Wait... What? Why does it have to be me?" Jack inquired.

"I believe everyone here is in agreement that without your intervention, we would be suffering under Master's rule right now," John replied. "This mechanism is built to be activated by a solitary individual. Thus, a single person must determine the destiny of this world. You, my friend, possess the greatest right to hold that power."

"To me, that feels like a heavy burden rather than a privilege," Jack argued. "Master was defeated because we worked as a team. I can't take all the credit."

"Nevertheless, you bore the heaviest load," Four Winds remarked, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "If the choice is yours, I won't hold a grudge regardless of what you pick. Whether you wreck the device or return us to our previous world, I will stand by your verdict."

The rest of the group nodded, echoing the sentiment shared by Four Winds.

"This world belongs to you. The choice is yours to make," Domon remarked to Jack. "Us old timers don't have many years left anyway. It makes little difference which world we inhabit for our remaining days."

"Don't group me in with you. I've still got a century of life left in me," Jet interjected.

Grace moved to Jack's side, offering an encouraging squeeze of his hand.

Jack shifted his gaze toward Chris and asked, "What about your situation? You belong to this world. If I hit the red button, you’ll vanish."

Chris gave a casual shrug. "I’ve already faced death. This is merely a second chance. Even if it only lasted two years, I’m content with the bonus time I had to experience the world I created."

Jack scanned the faces around him. Every person there looked at him with total confidence, ready to follow his lead.

He let out a long breath. "Fine."

Turning toward the machine, he shut his eyes. Visions of his former life flooded his mind, followed by the memories of the last two years spent in this world.

He had to admit that while he loved this current world more, the old one had its own appeal. He possessed many fond memories of his past. As John pointed out, many people likely yearned for things to go back to the way they were. Destroying this machine meant obliterating that possibility forever.

Furthermore, if he chose the red button, John and Linda wouldn't have to wander through different worlds searching for Jonn. That hunt could potentially last for years, or they might never succeed. Returning to the old world would save them that hardship. The same applied to countless others mourning lost loved ones, unaware that those they sought were trapped in a different realm. Pressing that button would bring those people back together.

The weight of the decision was massive. For a moment, he felt frustrated that everyone had dumped this duty on him, but then he recalled his time as a king. He had been forced to make choices that impacted thousands. He had hated that pressure, which was why he walked away from his throne. Yet, he wasn't the type of man to run away when duty called.

Opening his eyes, he glanced to his right to find Peniel watching him. Just like the others, the fairy had total faith in his judgment. she didn't try to sway him one way or the other. To his left, Darmos stood in silent observation.

He looked back at the device and let out a small laugh. He wasn't a ruler anymore. The days of agonizing over every choice were behind him. He had returned to being a simple adventurer who valued his freedom. There was no point in overthinking!

Storm Breaker materialized in his grip. With a swift movement, a sliver of dark light cut through the air. He unleashed a Void-tearing Slash using form manipulation. The machine emitted a loud bang and a sharp hiss. A narrow crack appeared down its center, cleaving it in two. Smoke and electrical sparks erupted from the fracture. The device was ruined.

No one seemed shocked by what Jack had done. There were no comments; the group simply turned and began heading for the exit.

"So, are you and your mother departing today?" Jack questioned John.

"We are, and it seems we've picked up some extra baggage," John replied.

"Calling a person extra baggage isn't very nice," Spring Crown complained.

"You're joining them?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Absolutely! Didn't I mention there's a friend I can't track down in this world?"

"How did you even find out John was going to travel between worlds?"

"I was the one who told him," Jeanny admitted.

"Like a true friend would. You should be ashamed, Jack!" Spring Crown teased.

"What's this talk about traveling to other worlds?" Four Winds inquired.

Before Jack could explain, Chris shouted, "I'm only permitting three people to go. No more additions! I'm serious!"

Jack proceeded to explain the concept of server worlds to Four Winds and the rest of the group.

"Fascinating..." Four Winds whispered.

"Be as fascinated as you want, but I'm not opening the gate for anyone else!" Chris insisted firmly.

"I still have many obligations to attend to," Four Winds noted. "Perhaps once Verremor has stabilized, I'll take a look at these other realms."

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Chris yelled.

Four Winds ignored him. Chris shook his head, giving up on the orc, and turned back to Jack. "Wilted mentioned you intend to go adventuring across this world."

"That's the plan," Jack confirmed. "I’ve only really explored Themisphere, and even that wasn't complete. When it came to other nations, I usually just rushed from point A to point B out of necessity. I’ve never had the chance to just wander. Now I finally can."

"Given your current level and skills, I doubt much on this continent can challenge you, but I know of a location where you might still find some excitement."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. If you sail out into the outer sea toward the Northeast, you’ll find another continent. It’s about a third of the size of this one, but the monsters there are all top-tier."

"There's another continent?" Wilted asked, turning to Chris. "I thought we only built one for this world."

"I created another one in private. It was supposed to be the first DLC. Then the Apollyon situation happened, so I rushed to finish it and hid it in the system. I even included a new main race over there."

"A new race?" Jack’s interest was immediately piqued.

"Yes. The continent isn't just a wasteland of monsters; there is a city. Though be warned, the inhabitants aren't fond of strangers. Getting them to let you in will be a struggle. It’s possible, but it’ll be a lot of work."

"Which race is it?" Wilted asked.

"True angels," Chris answered.

"Like Thanael, our guild hero?" Jeanny asked.

"You actually have an angel as a guild hero? That’s impressive," Chris noted. "Well, then you know what they look like. The theme of that DLC was 'paradise.' The entire landmass floats above the ocean. If you take a ship, you'll have to leave it behind eventually. Besides, crossing the outer sea by boat is practically impossible."

"I see. So that's why you constructed that thing for Jack," Wilted said.

"Constructed what?" Jack asked, confused.

"You'll see the moment we step out of this cave," Wilted replied.

"See wha—Holy crap..." Jack gasped. They had reached the exit. Hovering directly above the entrance was a massive structure.

"This... It's the mobile fortress!" Jack shouted. "But... it's flying."

"I didn't notice this when we went inside," Jet remarked.

"It was concealed above the cloud layer," Chris explained. "I gave the order for it to come down as we were walking out."

08:48

"Is this... really for me?" Jack asked, flying up to inspect the hovering fortress. "It looks exactly like my old... Wait! This is my old mobile fortress! I can see the rune tree inside!"

The others flew up behind him, landing in the courtyard of the fortress.

"It is indeed your original fortress," Chris said. "I went to the ruins after the battle ended. I used a specific tool to rebuild the destroyed structure. The rune tree was restored as well. I also took the liberty of upgrading it to its final state: the sky fortress."

"Exactly how many God-defying tools are you carrying?" Jet asked, earning a chuckle from Chris.

"This sky fortress is no longer connected to the Themisphere system," Chris clarified. "It became my personal property after the reconstruction. I am now transferring that ownership to you."

A holographic notification appeared before Jack, asking if he wished to accept ownership of the sky fortress.

"Thank you!" Jack said to Chris as he tapped the Accept button.

"You can enter coordinates into your status window to set a destination. The sky fortress will navigate there automatically. I've sent you the location for the city of the True Angels as well. Just follow those markers to reach the second continent."

"This is amazing. Thank you so much!" Jack said excitedly.

"No, the thanks belong to you. Wilted and I—and I suppose Apollyon—might have made this world, but you saved it. Consider this my gift of gratitude."

They spent some time talking while exploring the new features of the sky fortress. It was very similar to his previous one, but with several enhancements. Jack placed the Chalice of Blood back in the keep. The artifact had returned to his inventory when the original fortress fell. He used its power once more to bind the spirits of the former Themisphere kings.

His archmage disguise was still clad in royal attire. Even though he had stepped down, he was still recognized as the thirteenth King of Themisphere. Since Jeanny hadn't asked for the clothes back, his disguise would keep wearing them.

"Wow! You told us you'd see the world after resigning, but I didn't expect you to take us along," Thebalder remarked after being summoned.

"We appreciate you remembering us, Young King," Theridan added.

"Haha, I didn't want this place to feel lonely," Jack replied. He invited the others to stay, but everyone had their own paths to follow. Only Grace decided to remain with him.

The group prepared to depart, hovering just outside the fortress walls.

"I guess this is it. I'm going to miss you guys," Jack said.

"We'll miss you too," Jeanny replied.

"Good luck out there," Paytowin added.

"Afei, stay out of trouble and treat Grace well," Domon said.

"When you get back, Domon and I are expecting to see some grandkids," Jet teased. Grace turned bright red at the comment. Domon swatted Jet's arm for the remark, while Paytowin gave Jet a secret low-five.

"I hope you find your brother," Jack said to John.

"I will. Don't worry about us; just take care of yourself," John replied.

After everyone shared their final goodbyes, Jack entered the coordinates. The sky fortress began its journey.

Jack pointed toward the distant horizon.

"Let's move! A new adventure awaits...!!!"

~ FIN ~

Thank you, everyone!

It has been a long three years... actually, four for me. I began drafting Second World a year before the first chapter was ever posted. Writing the final word of this last chapter feels surreal. I'll miss Jack and the rest of the cast. However, this story was always destined to conclude this way. Maybe I'll return to this world one day. Who knows? I have plenty of ideas for other tales, though I doubt I could write them all in one lifetime. For now, my attention turns to my second project.

Regarding Second World, I could use your assistance. If you’ve made it this far, I assume you liked the journey. Nobody reads hundreds of thousands of words unless they’re enjoying themselves, right? If you didn't like it and still read every word, I hate to say it, but you might need a medical check-up! But truly, I know you stayed because you enjoyed the plot. I thank you for your time and your support.

If you're willing to help me out, please drop a five-star review. Yes, five stars! I definitely need them. And if it's not a bother, tell your friends about the book on social media so more readers can find it. It would mean a lot!

If you like my style, please check out my other book, Rise of the Demon General. It’s quite different from Second World—the protagonist is a villain and the tone is darker. But if you liked the action and pacing here, I'm sure you'll enjoy that one too.

I'll be taking a one-month hiatus first. I'll get back to Rise of the Demon General in September. I hope to see you there.

As always, thanks for reading...!!!

UnrivaledArcaner