The Stonehearted Knight-Chapter 418: The first warrior

The book brought Hex through the ages, introducing him to names that defined their respective generations. Now and then Hex paused his reading to scribble notes on a pad he brought along. Not everything held the same level of importance but the notes helped him order his thoughts and, hopefully, reveal secrets buried in the numerous densely-packed passages.

The first age

Little is known about this period. Apparently the main man was the Godking. The flimsy texts don’t stop praising Him.

Wrixia is referred to as the Great Tree. And playground of the Gods.

...

The scarcity of information regarding the first age matched the notes in the Knight Path. The belief that deities would exist forever rendered the need to retain information absolute. Those gods only frolicked around, partying and creating ’playthings’ to pass the time.

’No wonder they got extinct. They considered themselves above and beyond everything. They were the first to inhabit the world and believed everything belonged to them.’ Hex smirked inwardly at the foolishness of the deities. Based on his reads, the deities were similar to people of the upper echelons of society.

...

The second age

Humans roam among other creatures. They are referred to as Godspawn. By the end of the second Age the first Great Temple was built.

Notable names:

Freya the Frost Queen, first of the Dragons and ruler of the skiesGodric, the first born of the Godking, Emperor of the worldIcethorn, the Giantking, ruler of the Northern Mountains (the first mountain, later became the Endless Mountains)

The second age’s list of names surpassed that of the first one by a hundred. But there were no humans among them. Although the book didn’t dive into cultures and politics, it revealed quite a bit about the age indirectly.

All the names suggested rulers and dominators of areas, aspects, or other. Hex concluded that humans were treated like a weaker species at that time. Not only were they a minority, they were also considered weak, not even fit to be servants. If Hex had to select one word to describe their standing during that time, it would be...pets.

’According to the murals found in ruins of cities found in rubble, humans are painted as entertainment. Dancing, singing, running around the other species, being fed by them. Others, now titled cruel lords, used to hang them above fires, make them fight each other, and put them into places they had to survive and escape from.’

It was hard to wrap his head around the idea of humans not being on the top. Yet, everything he read suggested it to be the case.

...

The third age

Gods battled each other. They discovered their power was declining, and the only way to regain a little strength was through the belief of the creatures on the land. Humans were the best among those creatures at ’harvesting’ power.

The Blessings, previously given to entertain the deities, became investments. The stronger the human, the more energy they delivered after their death.

Hex made an extra note here. Does this have to do with the refinement and transformation humans undergo at higher stages?

It didn’t sound too strange, looking at his personal experience. And it also explained why Blessings were only given at the Squire stage, the so-called starting point. The humans were tasked with developing and improving the power so the deities could harvest upon the death of humans.

’No wonder that humans suddenly became the center of attention during the third age. They were assets of great use in the eyes of the gods.’

The third age was filled with bloodshed. The list of names included thousands of names. Hex stopped naming them on his pad. He might as well be copying the book. It didn’t mean he ignored them, though. Going through the list, he noted more than half being humans among them. And the first warrior stood at the number one rank.

Illoai Godric, son of Godric, descendant of the Godking

A secret child the ruler of the world had with His beloved human. A woman, whose name never made it to any page of any book. At least, according to a footnote of the author.

Illoai never mentioned his parents. His lineage only became apparent after he performed feats after feats that no human or other mortal could perform. The only feat the author mentioned was the killing of Icethorn, the giant who ruled the first mountain.

Icethorn apparently liked to snack on humans. When his underlings raided the village Illoai grew up in, he retaliated. He picked a broken metal used to plow the lands, and beheaded the first giant. Illoai was ten.

’Damn. No Blessings, no treasures, just a piece of broken metal to behead a superior species? The author of this book is very dry, just mentioning the feat as if it was a normal thing to do. I believe it was spectacular, desperate, and...bloody.’

Hex imagined the scene. His fair share of desperate struggles helped him paint a picture. To push oneself to the brink and beyond, just to survive...those with no experience of such a thing would indeed fail to do it justice in describing it.

Illoai faced many struggles after that. The giant wasn’t someone who took defeats in stride. They came at him hard. How he escaped and how he grew wasn’t known. But the ice of the Northern Mountains had been dyed red through the years, drenching the rocks with giant blood.

In the end, the giants were killed into extinction. Icethorn fell at the hands of Illoai, proving the all humanity that they could grow, they could fight...they could rule.

Illoai returned to his village and started a training camp. The village was the starting point of the first human empire. Through time, and breaking off the Continent, the empire splintered. The first capital of humans receded into a town, obscured and isolated. Only a few knew its current name.

Hex stared at the name at the end of the Chapter, almost hidden in the gap in the middle.

’...Grindeston.’