2039 Questions Leonel stared off into the distance. Nothing about the current state of his expression seemed to paint the proper picture of what was going on in his mind right now, nor did it describe the kind of shocking realization he had come to. This sort of realization wasn't something that could be brushed off casually. It was akin to finding out that the entire life you were living was nothing more than a fictional tale, a paper-thin fabric of reality that was no different than what was written out on a piece of paper. However, there were also reasons that Leonel's mind didn't collapse in on itself beside the fact that he was strong of purpose and of heart… It was quite simple really: he had been to the "real" world, he had stepped foot into it, he had fought their geniuses, he had enraged their experts, he had taken their benefits. All of it. He had done it. It wasn't a helpless case without a light at the end of the tunnel, nor was he as confined as a stain in a petri dish. He still had some autonomy, although he wasn't aware of what extent, and even if it wasn't to a full extent, there was still a chance that he could break free completely given enough time. These thoughts were enough to calm Leonel and keep his heart at a steady beat. However, that didn't mean that he had come to the end of his questions. If anything, he only had more questions. For example, the Four Great Families, how were they a part of this? If they were running the simulation, why were they sending people in to begin with? Was it because their goal was to gather the most powerful humans? Taking a step back, this "simulation" had all kinds of races, there were Spirituals, Nomads, Rapax, Dwarven people, the list was endless. So who had started this simulation and what was the purpose? If it was started by humans, then what was the point of the other races? Was it so that they could grow under the conditions they would need to survive in the "real" world? After all, there would be a large number of races on the other side, it only made sense to force humans in these simulations to face off against them as well and only take those that had come out on top. But then why were the Four Great Families so hostile? There were simply too many potential answers to this. It could be that while this simulation was started by humans, it wasn't by the Four Great Families. For example, it could be the Fawkes family that they had destroyed, and maybe his grandfather was even involved in it all. That would explain the old man's exaggerated strength and how he had somehow gained it so quickly. Many spoke about the genius of Velasco, but it had only been 30 to 40 odd years since Earth had Metamorphosed, and yet Emperor Fawkes already had the power to expel an Ancestor-level character from Earth's territory. It could also be possible that while the Four Great Families had begun the simulation, their goal was to control the powers that came of it. They were used to being the top dog of the "real" world, so how could they allow one of their creations to so casually surpass them? Even setting that aside, what about the Three Finger Cult? Leonel was now more than 90% certain that at least two of their founders had come from the "real" world, that was why their lifespans felt nigh infinite. If a fraction of a second could cause more than 20 years to pass here, then of course, generations would pass without them dying. But what was their goal for interfering with this Simulation? Could it be that the Three Finger Cult was the main enemy of the people who had created this Simulation of life to begin with? Could their goal be to sabotage? Maybe hindering the efforts here was easier than attacking in the "real" world? Leonel couldn't help but remember the oddities back then when he and Aina prepared to escape. Not a single top-tier expert had been there, only those of the Seventh Dimension and below had been present at all. He didn't think much about it then, but given how important that event was, he felt it was much weirder now. What Leonel didn't know was that those top-tier experts had been called away by a shocking event occurring, and as a result, they couldn't be present. However, he could guess as much regardless. 'If so many experts couldn't be present for such an important event, it goes to show just how much they have on their plates. That means that whatever enemy they're facing is enough to occupy even such powerhouses for extended periods of time.' Since their disappearance was so sudden, it might even mean that that penultimate moment was coming forward quickly. For all Leonel knew, very soon, the plug could be pulled on the Dream Project and the individuals within would either be discarded, or forced to come out and fulfill the purpose that had been originally intended of them long ago. Then Leonel couldn't help but think back to his odd interactions in the Tribulation Zone. He was almost 100% certain that those geniuses came from other Simulations now, and if he thought about it even further, given the way they were tiptoeing around the issue, it felt like they were aware. Leonel wasn't the only genius in all of existence, and he wouldn't be the only one to run into such oddities if those of the "real" world were interfering so frequently as well. He didn't believe that he would be the only one to reach this conclusion, and he might not even be the only one who had come to this conclusion in his own Simulation. In fact, given the way his father moved and went about things, Leonel could almost be certain that Velasco was in the know about this matter. He was very much aware, Leonel was confident. 'There are two important clues here that I can use. The Spear Domain Ring and the Tablets. Both of these things are oddities that seem to exist outside the span of the Simulation and even seem capable of connecting them.' The Spear Domain Ring was obvious as its Tribulation connected Leonel with other Dimensional Verses. As for the tablet, especially the Silver Tablet, its existence was more subtle, but it was important to note nonetheless. Leonel couldn't help but feel that his entrance into the Valiant Heart Zone was no longer a coincidence. It might even be tied to how the Valiant Heart Mountain of the past had been a participant in the Heir Wars, and how that further connected them to the Morales family and the Three Finger Cult beyond. But the most baffling question of them all was… Why wasn't he dead right now? It was obvious by his previous speculations that there were other people and Simulations that were aware, so just knowing wasn't enough to die, in fact being aware might give you extra points. The real reason he was asking why he wasn't dead yet was because of one woman… The Demonness. Every time he thought about her, he could feel a pair of eyes looking back. This woman's Dream Force affinity was so high that she could probably move into and out of these Simulations as she pleased, and she could most definitely kill anyone who thought of her with a thought. Leonel could feel that if she wanted to, even reading his mind from such an impossible distance away wasn't out of the realm of possibilities, she might just not care to. And yet, here he was, exposing things that should have been great and shocking secrets, but all he could sense was an eerie smile. He could almost see those cherry lips curling, that indifferent smile a person would have as they watched their puppy run around in their backyard, playing with a ball without knowledge that they were entirely fenced in. No matter what he did, no matter how he pushed and pulled, no matter how he struggled, there was no escaping it. Leonel closed his eyes, his breaths came deep and slow. In these last several moments, he had thought of so many questions that he didn't have the answer to, and completely unlike him, he had actually entertained them for so long. It was clear that despite what he said, this was a matter that bothered him deeply, so deeply that he couldn't even properly control his own mind, something he had always had perfect reign over. He wouldn't allow this moment to cripple him. There were too many questions here, not of history or fact, but rather of morality, of philosophy, of existentialism. Was he a real person? Was King Arthur? Was life even as valuable as he thought it was if one could create such a world with the wave of a hand? Where did it start? And where did it end? Who was Leonel Morales?