The Place Where Everything Begins

'It's finally come to this, the hardest part...'

Jeremy thought to himself.

"But... I have a way out for you and your family members..." Jeremy suddenly said, interrupting the agonizing thoughts of losing their loved ones.

After hearing that, Charlotte and Owen raised their heads and were looking at Jeremy with hope. Like they had suddenly found an oasis after walking in a desert for a whole month.

"Really?" Charlotte asked with hope written all over her face.

"What is it? Please tell me." Owen seemed to be begging for the answers.

When Jeremy saw their reactions, he felt that his convincing words from earlier were bearing their fruits.

"First, the 2 of you calm down and then listen to my terms carefully."

The 2 of them nodded their heads hastily for fear that Jeremy might change his mind.

"I can convince your family members and tell them about the incoming dangers that would befall humanity, and also tell them how to survive. Still, you and everyone who knows about those things must first agree to my terms and conditions."

Speaking until here, Jeremy paused for a bit to let them digest the information. After seeing that they nodded their heads in agreement with his words, he continued.

"The first condition is, everyone who knows about tutorials and Ortus must keep them as a secret that could only be shared between themselves. The second condition is, everyone, be it you or your family, must join my 'organization' and become my subordinates. Don't worry; I won't mistreat you and your families. You know that you have no choice but to trust me, and you also have my words, I promise. And the last condition is, do not betray me, no matter what. As for the definition of 'betrayal', it will be according to the word in the universal language that you will find out soon after entering Ortus."

"Those are all of the terms. Also, everyone must willingly receive the Oath Runes. You may just think of it as a contract that you have to act in accordance with. Now, you guys should think about those terms carefully and give me your answers... You too, Samuel, this also includes you."

When Jeremy had finished speaking, he waited for the three of them to decide. In fact, he already knew the answers, but he had to wait for the three's resolutions.

Not long after, after she had done pondering, Charlotte turned her face to Jeremy and looked directly into his eyes.

"Do you really promise to treat everyone fairly, Jeremy?"

"I promise" Jeremy answered.

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"Okayyyy! Then I agree!!"

Hearing the words from Charlotte, Jeremy smiled back with an approving nod. Then he turned his head to Owen, who was still in his thought.

*Sigh*

Owen sighed...

"I actually don't have a choice; why am I even bothering about those terms... I agree."

At last, Owen agreed.

"Well, I also agree. It sounds enjoyable to be able to live in another world, right? Who am I to refuse that, hahaha."

After seeing that there was no problem with those terms and conditions; instead, they might even benefit from it, causing Samuel also expressed his agreement enthusiastically.

Seeing that everyone had agreed to his conditions, Jeremy became satisfied.

Even though he had to risk creating butterfly effects in the earlier period, he still chose to help out their families. After all, he could not let his friends suffer, couldn't he?

"I give you guys a quota of 10 people per person; is that enough?" Jeremy asked.

The three people nodded their heads, so Jeremy continued.

"Okay, from now on, find some excuses to convince and bring all the people whom you want them to survive here within three days. All of them don't have to come together, but please note that it must be within three days."

Jeremy declared to the trio.

When he saw the three of them nodded their heads. He inscribed the Oath Runes directly on their foreheads. These Oath Runes would never break or be renegaded upon so long as they still wanted to retain their sanities.

Regarding the way to break the Oaths, there was only one way. It was to receive help from other races or classes that dealt directly with soul and mind, such as the devil, dragon, hive, necromancer, etc.

But would it be easy to convince those beings to waste their time and resources to undo the Oaths?

Not at all...

It would be good enough if they didn't get killed, mind-controlled, become mindless demons, or transformed into an undead at first sight of meeting those races and classes.

Well, there were also those lawful races and classes which dealt directly with mind and soul existed, but their levels and existences were too high to trouble themselves with the soon-to-be rookies on Ortus.

Then... not wanting to waste any more of his spear practicing time, Jeremy started the process of Oaths binding.

"Alright, it's time to bind you guy with the Oaths. Charlotte, you first."

Feeling a bit surprised by his abrupt declaration, Charlotte, who was sitting beside Jeremy, leaned closer to him.

With a reddened face and blushing cheeks, she slowly leaned her face closer to Jeremy.

Until her nose was almost touching with Jeremy's...

She closed her eyes with expectation and shyness written all over her face.

Then...

"..."

"..."

"..."

*Bam*

"Ouch!!"

"Why did you hit me, Jerem!?"

With the now reddened forehead, Charlotte whimpered in pain from Jeremy's forehead flicking.

Jeremy sighed and shook his head from side to side after seeing her like that.

"You don't have to come any closer; it's not like we are gonna kiss or something to pledge the Oaths. Don't let your imagination runs wild, lil' loli."

"Hmph!! I didn't let my imagination run wild. It was just a misunderstanding... And I'm not a loli..."

Charlotte pouted back at Jeremy, who had reprimanded her.

"Okay... now listen to my words carefully. When I finish speaking all the terms, you just have to say 'I pledge' with wholehearted consent within your mind for the Oath Rune to take its effects... Understood?"

With a firm nod, Charlotte waited for Jeremy to start.

"Charlotte Rosenberg, from now henceforth, you will keep the events taking place here today as a secret that can only be shared with the people who receive my permission; you will also join my, Jeremy Caesar Lakota's 'organization' including becoming my subordinate; and you won't betray me, no matter what. Will you pledge and bind your soul to the three conditions?"

"I pledge."

Having known the conditions beforehand, with a determined face, Charlotte agreed without any hesitation.

"Then I shall bind your soul and your resolves with this Oath Runeword."

With an almost inaudible chant in an unknown language together with his right hand's movements in the air, Jeremy finally said...

"Bind!! [Oath Binding]"

When he finished all of the processes, the strange letter in the air started to float into Charlotte's forehead and disappeared entirely after.

Then he said...

"Done. The next one is your turn, Owen."

Just like that, he proceeded with Owen and Sam, respectively.

"Owen Steelman, from now henceforth, you will keep the events taking place here today as a secret that can only be shared with the people who receive my permission; you will also join my, Jeremy Caesar Lakota's 'organization' including becoming my subordinate..."

"I pledge."

"Then I shall bind your soul and your resolves with this Oath Runeword."

"Bind!! [Oath Binding]"

"Samuel Fenton, from now henceforth, you will keep the events taking place here today as a secret that can only be..."

"I pledge."

"Then I shall bind your soul and your resolves with this Oath Runeword."

"Bind!! [Oath Binding]"

...

Just like that, after he finished binding the 3 people's souls with the Oaths. He chased them away from his house, saying that he didn't have anything to say anymore, and from now on, they should realize and prepare things by themselves.

As for the Oaths' effects, whenever one of the three tried to refuse or act in discordant with the conditions, their bodies would refuse to move by themselves, their mouths would shut tight, their hands would also stop writing or doing whatever they tried to do.

'If 'they' are good enough to survive the tutorials and meet me on Ortus. I don't mind taking 'them' in under my wings. After all, I want as many limbs and eyes as possible.' Jeremy thought.

'Alas... I'm finally taking my first step into a different future.'

'Now, what should I do next?'

Jeremy thought about his next steps and grinned mysteriously.

...

[A/N: Please read the Author's thoughts below]