Far above the mortal world, beyond the skies that ordinary beings could ever reach, the Celestial Heavens had become strangely quiet.
The immortals had noticed it first.
One Celestial had disappeared.
At first, it had been treated as a minor incident.
Then another report arrived.
No response.
No trace.
No explanation.
The news spread through the immortal realms.
Gods began asking questions.
Harbingers began investigating.
Celestials started disappearing from their usual positions.
Even the High Rulers called another emergency meeting.
THE HEAVENS
The great hall of the immortals filled once again.
High Rulers sat above the others.
Gods and Celestials stood below.
Harbingers waited in silence.
One High Ruler finally spoke.
HIGH RULER:
“Another Celestial is missing.”
A god looked toward the others.
GOD:
“Are we certain?”
HIGH RULER:
“There is no sign of battle.”
Another Celestial stepped forward.
CELESTIAL:
“No message.”
HIGH RULER:
“No body?”
CELESTIAL:
“Nothing.”
The room became tense.
A Harbinger asked:
HARBINGER:
“Could it be Nihil Mora?”
Silence.
Another god shook his head.
GOD:
“Impossible.”
ANOTHER GOD:
“We have no evidence connecting him to this.”
The High Ruler looked across the chamber.
HIGH RULER:
“Then we investigate.”
For a few moments, everyone discussed possibilities.
Different theories.
Different suspects.
Different explanations.
But no answer appeared.
Finally, the meeting ended.
HIGH RULER:
“Continue watching the mortal realms.”
HIGH RULER:
“Until we know what happened, no unnecessary action will be taken.”
The immortals slowly left the hall.
The emergency meeting had ended.
But the uneasiness remained.
Nobody knew where the missing Celestial had gone.
Nobody knew whether it was connected to Nihil.
And nobody knew that the answer was already hidden somewhere far below them.
THE MORTAL WORLD
Years after leaving the Academy, Nihil Mora returned to a completely different kind of institution.
Not a royal palace.
Not an Academy.
Not a noble estate.
A guild.
Nihil traveled with the members of the Utopians:
Mimi.
Seraphina.
Alpha 1.
Omega.
The five entered a massive guild building in one of the cities of Augustus.
The building was crowded.
Adventurers filled the hall.
Merchants negotiated contracts.
Hunters reported completed quests.
Different races moved through the same halls.
Humans.
Demons.
Elves.
Demi-humans.
Dwarves.
Dragonkin.
Nihil looked around.
NIHIL:
“So this is a guild.”
Seraphina nodded.
SERAPHINA:
“Yes.”
Mimi looked excited.
MIMI:
“We’re finally joining one.”
Alpha 1 remained calm.
ALPHA 1:
“It’s a requirement.”
Omega nodded.
OMEGA:
“Everyone who graduates from the Academy has to join a guild for at least six months.”
Nihil looked toward the registration counter.
NIHIL:
“Then we’ll stay for six months.”
Mimi smiled.
MIMI:
“And we’re registering under the name Utopians, right?”
Nihil nodded.
NIHIL:
“Yes.”
Seraphina smiled.
SERAPHINA:
“Then it’s official.”
The group approached the receptionist.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Welcome to the guild.”
She looked at their registration forms.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Group name?”
SERAPHINA:
“The Utopians.”
The receptionist wrote it down.
RECEPTIONIST:
“All five of you graduated from the Academy?”
SERAPHINA:
“Yes.”
RECEPTIONIST:
“Then you are required to remain registered with a guild for at least six months.”
NIHIL:
“Understood.”
The receptionist handed them their guild records.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Before you begin, we need to determine your ranks.”
Mimi immediately looked interested.
MIMI:
“What’s the ranking system?”
The receptionist explained.
“Novice.”
“Seeker.”
“Executor.”
“Assassin.”
“Sovereign.”
“Ascendant.”
“Warden.”
She paused.
“And there is one final classification.”
The room seemed to quiet slightly.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Nihilistic.”
Nihil looked at her.
NIHIL:
“What does that mean?”
RECEPTIONIST:
“It’s outside the ordinary ranking system.”
She continued.
“Novice is generally for guild workers and people who aren’t actual hunters.”
“Seeker is for beginners.”
“Executor is a mid-tier classification.”
“Assassin is considered illegal.”
“Sovereign is generally associated with nobility.”
“Ascendant is considered the strongest recognized rank.”
“Warden is the weakest among the recognized combat classifications.”
She paused.
“And Nihilistic…”
RECEPTIONIST:
“…does not exist.”
Nihil looked at her.
NIHIL:
“Then why does it appear on the list?”
RECEPTIONIST:
“Because the guild created the category for something beyond its normal system.”
Nihil smiled.
NIHIL:
“I see.”
The measurements began.
One by one.
Mimi stepped forward.
Her result appeared.
SOVEREIGN
The receptionist looked impressed.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Sovereign.”
Mimi smiled.
Seraphina stepped forward next.
Her result appeared.
ASCENDANT
The receptionist stared.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Ascendant.”
Seraphina looked toward Nihil.
SERAPHINA:
“Looks like I did well.”
Mimi smiled.
MIMI:
“You’re stronger than me.”
Seraphina nodded.
SERAPHINA:
“Apparently.”
Alpha 1 stepped forward.
Her result appeared.
ASSASSIN
Several guild workers immediately stared.
Omega stepped forward.
Her result appeared.
ASSASSIN
The receptionist became uneasy.
RECEPTIONIST:
“That rank is…”
ALPHA 1:
“Illegal?”
The receptionist nodded.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Yes.”
Alpha 1 simply stepped aside.
Omega followed.
Then Nihil approached.
The receptionist activated the measuring device.
Numbers appeared.
The system calculated.
The display went blank.
Then—
A word appeared.
NIHILISTIC
The guild hall became silent.
The receptionist stared.
RECEPTIONIST:
“…Nihilistic.”
She checked the result again.
Still the same.
RECEPTIONIST:
“This is the first time…”
She looked up.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Someone has actually received this rank.”
The guild workers began whispering.
“Does that rank even exist?”
“Apparently.”
“Then what is he?”
Nihil calmly looked at the display.
NIHIL:
“So that’s my rank.”
The receptionist nodded slowly.
RECEPTIONIST:
“Yes.”
Nihil smiled.
NIHIL:
“Fine.”
And just like that, the Utopians had officially entered the guild.
THE FIRST QUESTS
The first few weeks passed surprisingly quickly.
The Utopians accepted simple quests.
Monster hunting.
Escort missions.
Exploration.
Protection work.
Nihil quickly became accustomed to the guild system.
Mimi enjoyed the adventure.
Seraphina enjoyed challenging stronger opponents.
Alpha 1 and Omega treated most assignments as routine.
Nihil simply observed.
They returned from quests.
Collected rewards.
Accepted new requests.
And gradually became one of the guild’s most talked-about groups.
Yet the fun eventually led them somewhere unexpected.
One evening, Nihil looked at the quest board.
A request had appeared.
EMERGENCY QUEST
CITY UNDER ATTACK
THREAT: GOBLIN ARMY
Nihil removed the request.
NIHIL:
“Let’s take this one.”
Mimi looked over his shoulder.
MIMI:
“A city under attack?”
Seraphina nodded.
SERAPHINA:
“We should hurry.”
Alpha 1 and Omega were already prepared.
ALPHA 1:
“Agreed.”
The Utopians left immediately.
TOO LATE
They traveled as quickly as possible.
The city should have been within reach within several hours.
But when they finally arrived— there was nothing left to save.
The gates were damaged.
Smoke covered the horizon.
Buildings had been destroyed.
The streets were completely silent.
The goblins were gone.
The people were gone.
Even adventurers who had arrived earlier to help were lying among the ruins.
Nihil stopped.
Mimi’s ears lowered.
Seraphina became silent.
Alpha 1 and Omega simply stared.
Nihil looked across the destroyed city.
NIHIL:
“Seems like we’re late.”
Nobody answered.
Nihil looked toward the road behind them.
NIHIL:
“Let’s head back.”
Mimi looked at him.
MIMI:
“Shouldn’t we investigate?”
Nihil shook his head.
NIHIL:
“There is nothing left to investigate.”
The Utopians returned to the guild.
No one spoke much during the journey.
THE PEACE BEHIND THE WALLS
That night, the five returned to Augustus.
They went to sleep without speaking about what they had seen.
But the silence followed them.
The people inside Augustus believed they lived during an era of peace.
They saw safe cities.
Stable roads.
Royal celebrations.
Trade.
Education.
They believed the wars were distant.
Something happening beyond their borders.
But Nihil had now seen something the people inside those walls rarely saw.
Peace was not everywhere.
The prosperity of Augustus existed while countless lives disappeared beyond its borders.
The calm was real.
But it was built beside suffering that most citizens never witnessed.
NIGHT
Nihil eventually left his room.
The palace-like guild residence was silent.
He walked outside.
Then stopped. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Someone was already standing beneath the night sky.
Alpha 1.
Nihil looked at her.
NIHIL:
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Alpha 1 turned toward him.
ALPHA 1:
“You know me very well, Father.”
She looked toward the night sky.
ALPHA 1:
“I don’t need to sleep or eat like the others.”
She looked back at him.
ALPHA 1:
“Neither do you.”
Nihil remained silent.
ALPHA 1:
“So I don’t understand why we behave like something we aren’t.”
Nihil looked toward the distant lights of Augustus.
NIHIL:
“I don’t know.”
Alpha 1 waited.
Nihil continued.
NIHIL:
“All I want is to regain perfection.”
Alpha 1 lowered her eyes.
ALPHA 1:
“What this world has lost?”
Nihil nodded.
NIHIL:
“Yes.”
A long silence followed.
Then Alpha 1 asked:
ALPHA 1:
“Do you regret your decisions?”
Nihil answered immediately.
NIHIL:
“No.”
Alpha 1 looked at him.
NIHIL:
“I can see everything.”
He paused.
NIHIL:
“So can you.”
Alpha 1 nodded.
NIHIL:
“We are connected to one soul.”
He looked toward her.
NIHIL:
“Even though our bodies are different…”
A pause.
NIHIL:
“…you are me as well.”
Alpha 1 nodded.
ALPHA 1:
“Yes, Father.”
She looked into the distance.
ALPHA 1:
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Nihil remained silent.
Then—
NIHIL:
“It’s not time yet.”
Alpha 1 looked at him.
NIHIL:
“I can see the future of this era.”
NIHIL:
“I can see things no one else can.”
His voice remained calm.
NIHIL:
“And except for me…”
He paused.
NIHIL:
“…no one can change this future.”
Alpha 1 remained silent.
NIHIL:
“Immortals believe they can run from the fate I write.”
His eyes remained fixed upon the horizon.
NIHIL:
“But no one can change what has already been written.”
Alpha 1 bowed her head.
ALPHA 1:
“Very well, Father.”
She looked toward him.
ALPHA 1:
“I will follow your legacy.”
Her voice remained completely calm.
ALPHA 1:
“Just command me.”
A pause.
ALPHA 1:
“I could destroy humanity.”
ALPHA 1:
“I could destroy the planet.”
ALPHA 1:
“Even an entire universe.”
Nihil looked at her.
NIHIL:
“Yes.”
He paused.
NIHIL:
“Thank you.”
Then his voice became quieter.
NIHIL:
“But remain neutral.”
He looked toward the sleeping city.
NIHIL:
“Still.”
NIHIL:
“For now.”
Alpha 1 nodded.
ALPHA 1:
“Understood.”
The two remained beneath the night sky.
Neither moved.
Neither needed to.
The guild had given them a new place to begin.
But Nihil was already looking beyond it.
ONE BILLION YEARS LATER…
The ancient library remained silent.
Lazy One and Curious One sat before a massive history book.
Lazy One had stopped halfway through the chapter.
LAZY ONE:
“Wait.”
Curious One looked at him.
CURIOUS ONE:
“What?”
Lazy One pointed at the page.
LAZY ONE:
“He joined a guild…”
Curious One nodded.
LAZY ONE:
“…and got a rank that doesn’t exist?”
CURIOUS ONE:
“Yes.”
Lazy One stared at him.
LAZY ONE:
“And then he saw a destroyed city?”
CURIOUS ONE:
“Yes.”
Lazy One became quiet.
LAZY ONE:
“So Augustus really wasn’t peaceful.”
Curious One slowly closed the book.
CURIOUS ONE:
“That’s what Nihil realized.”
Lazy One looked uncomfortable.
LAZY ONE:
“And then he talked about rewriting the future.”
Curious One nodded.
CURIOUS ONE:
“Apparently.”
Lazy One stared at the book.
LAZY ONE:
“I suddenly don’t think this is a romantic comedy anymore.”
Curious One smiled faintly.
CURIOUS ONE:
“I never said it was.”
He reopened the book.
CURIOUS ONE:
“Keep reading.”
Lazy One sighed.
LAZY ONE:
“Fine.”
The page turned.
And the ancient history of The Last Series continued.