There once was a world.
It was also a world like Earth, where intelligent beings formed a civilization and lived in peace. Blass was an inhabitant of that world, and it was not long after he became an adult that Casita invaded his world.
The hell that broke loose was a sight that Dohyuk witnessed as well. As time went on, the world became harsher. However, unlike most other people in the world, Blass survived and became stronger. Maybe he was lucky. In the ever-changing world, he became used to fighting against the new monsters and their surroundings. Fights broke out between his people, but Blass never lost. And when he was strong enough to no longer put in any effort to survive, Blass turned towards a certain goal.
-We need a leader – that’s what I thought at first. If we have enough power to survive, what we now need is to calm down and recover our livelihood.
And he, himself, became a leader. He believed he could bring his world back together. He hoped that everyone would remember life before all the fighting and killings and dig up the ruins of the old civilization to start life again.
However, it didn’t end as he wanted.
-I did everything I could to help those who were weaker, but they kept on fighting between themselves. To just consider it people’s nature… it was too brutal.
That was when Blass realized. Everyone else except him had turned into entirely different beings. He now knew what the illumination did, that’s why he turned against Casita, the one behind it all. He had never thought of revolting before as the risk was too great, but he finally decided.
To fight back against the great power that watched over everything.
-Everyone thought I was crazy.
If Blass wasn’t the strongest, he would’ve been beaten to death.
-I led them anyway. There was opposition… and if they didn’t follow, I forced them.
Whips called for violence. Blass changed his goal from rebuilding his civilization and revolted against Casita and failed. The reason was simple.
-I wasn’t strong enough.
He was at the top of his people, but he didn’t achieve that with his own power. There were a lot of groups in his world, including his own, and as they began to oppose Casita, a being that was beyond people’s imagination, and his group began to get weaker than the other groups as time went on. The leaders of the other groups agreed to Blass’ goal on the surface, but the had other plans. Eventually, even those directly under Blass began to leave.
-And… it didn’t take long. Everyone except me began fighting each other and then they realized… that was the only thing they wanted. Soon, I was challenged.
Vehume.
Vehume was one whose nickname was Vampire, the one whose Nature had the power to absorb other’s blood as his own energy. He kept on sucking other people’s blood, while Blass ‘stopped’ becoming powerful as he pursued his goal. Vehume was victorious and Blass couldn’t even fight against Casita.
-And I ran.
Once the strongest, nicknamed Iron Fist, he was banished in shame. He lost everything and was chased after by the world he sought to save. It was only a matter of time until his death caught up to him. There was no chance of striking back. Vehume was already too powerful for him to even have a chance. However, Blass did not wait for death to come to him. The fight was over before he could even start it, but he still had the will to continue on.
-My world specialized in metallurgy and chemical engineering. We could even put a being’s spirit into metal. Most of the techniques are lost now, but…
Blass made a furnace. After digging up some of his old world’s technology and infusing it with his will to fight against Casita, he made a furnace that was the embodiment of all of his knowledge and skills. And as he threw himself into it, the extreme heat melted him along with the liquid metal that was inside, creating a new form of living metal.
-I realized when I came back to my senses.
The game was over. The Illumination was done without Blass going crazy, and he lived.
-The original purpose of this structure was to completely stay out of Casita’s power.
And it worked. Casita’s system did not recognize Blass’s presence. And it was the unfortunate part.
-Vehume became the god of my world and ruled over all those corrupt beasts.
Blass hid underground. Alone in the underground labyrinth, he became a hermit in his own castle…
“I can’t even imagine how long it has been… since I met someone in person.”
At the center of the labyrinth, there he was.
“Welcome.”
Blass greeted his guest with his own voice.