The Children of Zegandaria by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (top novels to read .TXT) 📕

- "Before you leave, I want to show you something extraordinary," the lord told him cryptically.

They entered a room that might have been intended for torture in the past, but was now solely intended to store a virtual model of the entire virtual world.

- "Look at this," he ordered.

Archie looked around and managed to count nine different levels.

Then the overlord moved the model through the air with a barely perceptible flick of his hand.

- "See the first five?," he whispered. "They show who is able to pass through the other four, which are inaccessible to any mortal, including Om Gur Nal. He has limited his thinking to the fifth level because he thinks himself exceptional and is quite limited in his reasoning. But you have a real chance to look at what lies within these four levels, as they are the key to solving the mystery."

- "But won't that ruin the whole world of this perverted reality?," Om Gur Nal tried to contradict him. "This is my chance for a breakthrough or a downfall to an uncertain future?"

- "Make yourself clear," Ak Din was confused.

- It is said that Om Gur Nal criticises the clear minded but has a different attitude towards those who live in a strange reality that he cannot accept. I mean - he has locked the virtual reality and has limited it to five levels, but hardly those four are related to the other five in any way.

- "I got you," he smiled enigmatically. "Well, everything in this world is connected. Be thankful for the food you eat and the bed you sleep on, because every day is given to you! And by the way, maybe the Most High has nothing to do with your suffering, or maybe you haven’t grown up to understand it."

CHAPTER NINETY-ONE: ZONE NINE

The military had decided that creating this exclusive zone was the best possible decision that could be made. They had done their math well, and were handling their problems in an excellent way.

There was nothing super amazing about this zone, except for the fact that the mythical race of lizard men had been created there deep in its bowels as the antithesis of the human race.

Archie was able to peek and figure out what was really behind the development of this super strange thing.

The base was heavily guarded, but with Ak Din's protections, there were no closed doors. And there were no forbidden things either.

The military base consisted of sixty underground floors, each one themed and with a specific function.

Archie realized that what he actually knew was one big nothing, and he had so much more to learn.

They agreed to let them look at the first floor and only the first floor, but no more.

It was here that Archie noticed something extraordinary. The staff wasn't made up of humans, but it wasn't made up of mutants either. Everyone had a special spacesuit covering them completely.

Many of the human souls were floating in a special vacuum environment, waiting to be implanted on the pre-prepared bodies. Archie knew well about consciousness implantation, but he had never heard anything at all about soul implantation.

A strong curiosity about what was on the lower floors gnawed at him, but the guards refused flatly to let them pass, with the clear argument that their minds had not reached the level to perceive what was going on there.

Archie longed with all his heart to glimpse his past, present and future. To grasp the idea of his strange origins and all those who didn't notice him around.

He wanted to see where the end of the soul was and why everything revolved around the same vicious circle from which there was no escape. Death for him was deliverance, but according to those more familiar with him it was just a kind of stepping stone to the beginning of the real journey. And where would it take him?

They questioned and looked. The floor was huge. Ak Din gave some instructions to the guards because he was clearly aware of what was about to happen.

Their leader was Adh Di Num, an old guarron who was Apparently in charge of specific and top secret developments.

He was about six feet tall and very wiry and determined to kill. He knew that Ak Din had the power to be at that level, and so he was mindful of his presence - otherwise he would have expelled him long ago.

Ak Din didn't feel quite in his own waters. A lot of things needed to happen, and he wanted it too.

- "You see," Adh Di Num began, "at the heart of everything is love. It defines the essence of our reality. Not some ephemeral fantasies. It is an illusion that you will escape and escape true retribution. It's just not going to happen. Remember this. The guarron race wanted to be recognized and exist independently. This of course did not happen and is completely understandable. What is much sadder is that the people lost their human face."

Archie was silent. He expected to hear something amazing and unique, but it didn't happen. Adh Di Num was feeling in his element. He showed them the Emporium chambers for transmutation and reimplantation of memories. It was getting too mysterious.

Certain substances were injected directly into special brains, which then had to be inserted into the bodies. It was quite disgusting!

- "But judgment is coming!," the guarron squealed evilly. "The wheel is turning and then you go stop it!“ he began to hop about in mad amusement. He had gone off completely!"

- "Let's go. There's not so much to see here," Ak Din hissed.

As they returned and the Emelioran elevator began to rise to the surface, Archie began to realize that the ascension of his soul was yet to come, and there was much more to see until he reached the truth. It was as if the human soul was like the scales of an onion and when you removed all of them there was nothing left at the end. That was the young explorer's greatest fear! To become nothing!

CHAPTER NINETY-TWO: THE PRISON SHORE TUK 2

Rarely could one find such a sad place where the doomed spent the rest of their days. Many curses and blackened faces were welded into this infernal abode. Most of the people, had long since lost their will to live. Boss wanted to come here, of all places. He was clearly aware of what was to come. He was going to interrogate some of the worst criminals, who were going to feel terrible and unspeakable suffering - and very soon. The Shore Tuk 2 prison was a replica of the one erected on the planet Ossonia. It was located deep in the bowels of the Black Mountains of Raz On Tul. These fearsome mountains of black obsidian, were cut by blood red threads of ammonad kevlarite, which was poisoned and used to stop escapees. The prison guards had never allowed an escape in its history.

The prison authorities became animated upon seeing the unexpected guests, which aroused their attention and curiosity.

- "Yeah, see, see you," repeated the warden with a start. "You are a detective, I suppose? How can I assist you?"

- "Well, everything in its time," Boss countered him. "Let's have a little talk first."

- "Okay," the chief of the guards pulled him into a small corridor that was only a few meters away from them.

- "I'll pay you well," Boss hissed at him, "and I'll try to be discreet. They won't sense my presence. I need some information. And you will give them to me if you wish."

The Chief thought seriously and experienced obvious hesitation.

- "It's not a common practice after all," he arched an eyebrow.

Boss sensed that he was a bone-headed nut. Well, everything would fall into place soon.

An awful lot of thoughts were going through his head. The cells were isolated cells that no one had real access to.

After a while he seemed to take a step back.

- You know, Detective, before I grant your wish, I have to tell you something. These people can't fit into society and never wanted to. You may be let down and your money may go to waste, but whatever.

The boss took the bribe handed to him and made a sign to one of his subordinates.

After a long wander through the long corridors of the prison's elaborate structure, Boss and his handler came to a segregated cell that was rather unsightly, but was top security. The interior of the cell strongly resembled an all-consuming abyss. But somewhere there at the bottom stood a man. A prisoner

- A victim of his own hopelessness.

- "Good afternoon!," greeted Boss, though it wasn't very clear what time it was. "I want to talk for a moment."

The prisoner was silent for some time. Then he fixed his eyes grimly on the floor of his cell. He merely waved his hand and pointed to something written on the wall.

"You're nothing, you were nothing, and you're going to be nothing again!" The writing on the wall was incredibly lame and sloppy - as if the hand that had written it hadn't even been willing to finish it. Its end was not visible in the gloom of the room.

- "Very encouraging," Boss tried to keep the conversation going, casting an uneasy glance at any hidden weapons this extremely dangerous man might be using.

The prisoner started to rise abruptly, but immediately a powerful electric shock was driven into his scrotum area and hellish electrical spasms swept through his brain. Cruel as it was, Boss took stock of his torment. Surely they wouldn't have resulted in brain death, but they would have kept him "damp" as they said in slang.

- "My dear detective," the prisoner turned to him, "my miserable life rests on a horsehair, and it is a wonder I am alive. I don't want to suffer any more in my existence."

The diction of his voice was exceedingly regular. And his eyes looked down unceasingly.

He had seen so many prisoners and criminals Boss was sick of it. He definitely couldn't stand hearing their excuses of innocеnce and wrongful conviction. But this one here didn't want, didn't beg, but didn't regret anything either. Boss really wondered what to do. This was definitely not what he had expected to see or hear.

- "So what is this prison for, my dear?," he tried to speak somewhat more meekly. "You have long