The Supreme God

"What? What did you just say?"

Austin may have spoken normally, but his words were like rumbling thunder in the monks' ears.

They all stopped dead, standing motionless and staring at Austin at the same time.

Every face that looked at him wore a mask of utter disbelief.

"Sir, forgive me. What did you say?

Can you say it again?"

the old monk asked Austin slowly.

"I said that if you want to get out of this valley, I can help you at any time. I can break this array pretty effortlessly,"

Austin replied, speaking a little louder this time.

He knew what was running through these monks' minds. They had been here for so long that they no longer thought it possible to ever leave. The sudden revelation that they might have their freedom back was naturally hard to believe and had shaken them at their core.

"Sir, do not play such jokes on us."

The old monk seemed to have a glimmer of hope when Austin had spoken.

But now, when he looked him up and down, he shook his head bitterly, feeling he could not possibly be telling the truth.

After all, all of the monks trapped in this valley were at the level of gods of chaos.

They had consumed a tremendous amount of time and energy, using all the methods they had over the years, trying everything they could to break free from their imprisonment. But they simply could not do it.

They had resigned to accepting their fate that they'd be here forever. Now some young governing god came along and told them he could help them escape whenever they wanted, and that the array was nothing to him.

How could they believe him?

"Ah, young man, quit making such cruel jokes. It is not funny."

The other monks seemed to come to snap out of their daze as well, shaking their heads dejectedly. They did not believe Austin one bit.

They were displeased with him now and started referring to him as "young man" rather than "sir".

"I understand your feelings, young man. You have just come into this valley and now you're trapped. It's going to take you a while to accept that you're stuck here. But you will have to get used to it. You're going to have to stay here and live with us. Perhaps we will find a way out in the future," the old monk said to Austin after thinking a while.

difficulty coming to terms with that fact

We

monks gave Austin a slight nod and turned

swear. If you want to get out of here, I can take

looking around at the

please stop. We

you. You can go in and get

the old monk

out to a clearing nearby and gently scratched the air. With that, a small

want to give him

don't believe me, then I will

Austin said, smiling proudly.

could sympathize with their feelings and so could

"Show me?

advise you to take a rest right away

monk through a

to be

"Now, please watch."

then turned around and walked towards the edge of

his mind? Is he really having such a hard time accepting the

old monk remarked, frowning at

at the array's edge, and the

absolutely astounded gaze of the old monk watching him, Austin walked out of the array and stood

"Austin, you're out!

say to the

they difficult? Did they do anything to

and hounded him with questions the second he came out of the

isolation effect of the array, they had not been

make things difficult for me. They're not our enemies. They're actually on

I

Austin replied casually.

"On our side?"

companions were

the same time, those in the

"How can this be?"

Austin walk out so easily had stunned the old monk. He stood there, staring blankly ahead where

"It's... It's impossible!

It can't be!