Chapter 1276: The Reason Behind the Old Man’s Feelings

"Who are you? Why do you have those feelings toward the rebels?" the avatar asked with a calm expression. His gaze remained fixed on the old man’s eyes, as if trying to uncover some hidden secret through them.

The old man sighed.

"Well, let’s just say that I gained an enlightenment. Since that day, my feelings toward the rebels have been very different from when I was young."

"I want to hear it. Your story. That kind of answer is not enough to satisfy me," the avatar said.

The old man continued looking at the avatar. At this moment, he was one hundred percent certain that the avatar truly came from the rebel side. There was no other reason for him to be interested in this kind of story.

At the same time, he found the avatar interesting as well. The man seemed far calmer than he had expected. He had thought that the avatar would undoubtedly kill him once he managed to guess which faction the man belonged to.

That was normal and something he could understand. He did not even mind it. A part of his heart even felt that things were supposed to be that way.

Yet instead, the man wanted to hear his story regarding the rebels. He wondered what kind of man this masked figure within the rebel group truly was.

The old man released a deep sigh, and his eyes turned reminiscent as though he had returned to the events from the past.

"In the past, I was just a man no different from any other follower of our god. I was enthusiastic and believed everything that the other followers believed. We served the interests of our god and our people."

"Since childhood, we have been told that this place is our home, and I never questioned it because it was something normal. I was born in this place, and I spent my entire life in this place. Of course, this is my home." The old man then looked at the avatar.

"You must know that there is a kind of level system applied to the people across the Second Heaven. One where the people who possess the root of this universe are treated as less important than others."

The avatar nodded. The level system applied across the Second Heaven existed to ensure that the people with the root of this universe would never gain enough power or influence to endanger any of Avergis’ followers.

However, too bad for them, they did not know that the resistance group had already infiltrated many places and raised their influence and power to the point that they could shake the entire Second Heaven if they wished.

"At first, I did not know the reason for this kind of system, and I was not curious about it. I simply thought it was normal, as some people’s fates were already decided from the moment they were born. The strong ruled over the weak. They could decide a person’s status and how they would be treated." His voice carried sadness.

He remembered how he had seen people with the root of this universe being treated unfairly. They could not raise their status or obtain positions higher than those held by people from outside this universe.

They could even lose someone important to them and could only swallow their anger without being able to exact revenge. Even if they tried, the only path awaiting them in the end was death because of the immense influence and power wielded by the temple and the people from other universes.

"But as I grew older and witnessed the suffering of many people, there came a point when I started asking questions. Why does this kind of hierarchy among people exist? Why are those people treated differently? Why this and why that... so on and so forth." The old man continued before releasing a sigh.

"The turning point for me came one day when I was walking along the street. Someone who originated from this universe approached me. He was only a child, and he innocently asked me to concoct a pill. The pill was meant to heal his sickly mother."

"At that time, I decided to help him, something that I would not have done in the past. I created a pill for him, and he brought it home with a joyful expression." The old man paused for a moment to gather his thoughts.

It was as if he had remembered something that pained him greatly. Only after he was ready did he continue.

"Not long after that, I received a report that someone had stolen a pill and had been beaten to death by members of the temple. When I arrived at the scene, I was truly shocked to discover that the one who had been beaten was that same child I had helped."

"It was said that he had stolen a pill, but the moment I saw the pill, I knew it was merely a misunderstanding. They assumed that the child must have stolen it because of its high quality. Many believed that someone like him could never afford such a pill."

"The sight of that child’s death left a deep impact on me. Since that day, my journey to seek the answer began." The old man’s eyes looked tired.

"For years, I searched for that answer. During those years, I slowly came to understand the true history behind our presence in this place. I understood why the rebellious group existed and why they fought against our god."

"We were actually the invaders of this universe. We were the ones who took their place and made them suffer. The existence of the rebel group is merely the consequence of our ancestors’ actions. To the people of this universe, we are the sinners."

"When I learned the truth, I started questioning my own existence in this universe. Do I truly deserve to live? Although it was not my choice to be born in this place, I still feel guilty because of what my people have done to those of this universe."

Silence followed his words.

The woman who listened to her master’s story could not help but feel pain in her heart as well. As his disciple, she already knew her master’s way of thinking and parts of his past.

But this was the first time she had heard the detailed story of her master’s past and why he had become the person he was today. She knew what kind of person her master truly was. Beneath everything else, he was a soft-hearted person and did not possess a mindset as radical as many of the other higher-ups within the temple.

Even his opinions regarding the rebellious group and the evil gods would be considered taboo if others learned of them. They would punish him despite the fact that he was one of the greatest alchemy masters in the Second Heaven.

She was the only one who knew about it.

’Master.’

She wanted to look at her master, but the position of her head prevented her from seeing him.

The avatar continued looking at the old man with a calm expression. After hearing the story, he... felt nothing.

This person might feel remorse for the actions of his people from outside this universe, but in the end, he was still a follower of Avergis.

The suffering of the people of this universe, the struggles his followers had endured all this time, and everything that had happened since the invaders arrived in this universe made it difficult for him to feel any goodwill toward them.

Even if he showed them goodwill, it was only a pretense.

The only thing preventing him from slaughtering every being who followed the invading gods was his conscience.

If he were still the Great Emperor he had been in the past, he might truly have done it. He remembered that the mindset of his former self as the Great Emperor was very different from the one he possessed in this life.

His character had become much softer after experiencing many lives and the warmth of family. If he mindlessly slaughtered every follower of the invading gods with his current mindset, he knew that he would lose himself in brutal revenge. He would be consumed by his negative emotions, and that was not good for him.

But even so, despite his heart no longer being as hard or cruel as before, his standards for killing were much harsher when applied to them.

He did not hesitate to kill any of them if he simply disliked their presence.

Seeing no reaction from the avatar, the old man looked at him.

"I will tell you what I know regarding your questions, but if you wish to know more details, you should search for the information inside the Temple Master’s room located behind the Tower of God’s Sovereign. The room is inside a large building guarded by two Immortal Overlord guardians at its gate. Once you enter the building, take the hallway on the right and continue straight ahead. You will eventually find the room."

The old man paused briefly before continuing.

"You may kill me after this if you wish, but could you show my disciple mercy? She is a good person whom I raised according to my own beliefs. She has never wronged anyone with the root of this universe. In fact, she has never harmed anyone. It would be too pitiful for her to lose her life here. She still has a long life ahead of her."

Hearing her master’s plea, the woman’s expression filled with pain, but she quickly spoke.

"No, don’t say that, Master! Wait, Your Excellency, please give my master a chance. He is a good person and unlike the other higher-ups of the temple. Since I became his disciple, I have never seen him discriminate against anyone. Please don’t kill him. We will not tell anyone about you, so please reconsider."

The old man felt touched by his disciple’s plea on his behalf, but he did not show it on his face. He continued looking at the avatar’s mask, waiting for a response.

The fact that the avatar had remained silent since hearing his story and had not given any reaction made him feel unsettled.

What is this man thinking?

After a few moments of silence, the avatar finally opened his lips.