Limitless The Strongest Revenant

David was a Ruler. I could somehow understand as he broke the laws of this universe because of his class. But what about the other two?

"As you are a Ruler, let's leave that for last. We had already discussed Keepers, Summoners, Shifters and Chasers. The next one would be Linkers. They come from Europe and mostly fight using Astrals. Astrals are legends and myths who are too powerful to die."

"Too powerful to die?" I repeated in disbelief.

If that were true, then why would their return as Astrals? Or rather why would they have died to begin with?

"It's kind of like Goku. He dies but just waits to get reincarnated," Herman added.

"The anime character?"

"Are you aware about the depiction of man?"

At Carlos' question I nodded. It was funny how Phillips info would resonate with someone from another continent. This probably meant there was some truth to it. Or maybe it was another bread crumb left behind by IRIS.

"Right, so you know that three components, right? Body, soul and spirit? Or in Reaper terms, body, soulgems and soul energy. Astrals are basically beings who was so powerful they didn't die after getting their soulgems destroyed."

"So they are fucking ghosts?"

"Yep. In other words, they are powerful entities that refused to get reincarnated, opting instead to live through a Linker. Much like spirit mediums in fiction or shamans in legends they allow their anchor, or the person who summons them to use their powers at a cost," Carlos explained.

Ghosts was basically a blanket term used for apparitions that could not be explained. Those who played fantasy games had more info thus were able to categorize ghosts as a subset of undead that had a soul but lacked a body.

"Isn't the common thing for ghosts to have unresolved issues? That once their issues are done with, they pass and go on their merry way? How would such people be related to Reapers?"

Herman frowned and remarked as he continued to drink, "Your thoughts are too simplistic Limitless. If the grudge was simple sure. But what if the grudges are from Reapers?"

"W-What?"

"What Herman is trying to say is that, while there are human ghosts. There are no human Astrals. Astrals are the spirits of Reapers from bygone eras. The normally continue to fight because their lingering attachments are all related to Hellsgate."

"Holy fucking shit…"

"Yes. When a Reaper gets strong enough usually at Revenant levels, they gain the ability to exist even in the Astral realm. The Astral realm has many names, but the most commonly used words are purgatory, heaven or the land between life and death," Carlos continued to explain.

"…"

I shouldn't be even capable of comprehending it all at this point. If I was to be honest, my mind was already having trouble digesting the information I got from just four of the classes. But somehow the concept for the Astrals was already familiar to me.

It was an idea that became one of the most famous genres in anime and manga. The so-called hero summoning. The most famous one was a hentai game from Japan that summoned fallen heroes to engage in a battle royal for the holy grail.

Despite its pornographic origins it grew in fame and gave birth to one of the most successful franchises in anime history. Funnily enough it was also infamous cause it was the most successful case of gender flipped famous figures.

That simply meant they took heroes from history and myth and turned them into opposite sex. The so-called Japanizing beam. Arthur Pendragon turned into Arthuria and became the mascot of the series.

Her fame began the trend of turning heroic figures into anime waifus. Which persisted to this day and was only getting more common place. I only noticed but even Hellsgate' tendency to use generic names was also prevalent there.

'It seemed that IRIS really tried to pack in as much information into our media as possible. I am once again amazed at their foresight and approach.'

"Okay, so Astrals are basically ghosts of dead Reapers. They loan their power to Linkers in exchange for souls. Linkers get the best part of the deal, what is in it for the Astrals? Are they expecting the Linkers to fight to the death for them? Or do they have some sort of unfulfilled wish?"

I was about to make a joke about the holy grail being at the bottom of Hellsgate but stopped. The implication of Linkers threw my mind into disarray. I didn't know how it was for most people but to me It was extremely similar to the warriors in my past lives.

Even the {fates} of the Sirens seemed to support the concept of the Astrals. They were present in my mind as former Goddesses that threw their names away. Were they unique or were all {fates} basically just dead reapers?

What made the Linkers different from everyone else? Hannibal Mandela being a {Fate} that haunts his descendants was more like an Astral than a Shifter. Just where did the line end? But I wasn't even done digesting what he just explained till Carlos dropped yet another bomb.

"Right. I am sure you have noticed while each Battlefront has its own beliefs and style of doing things. Europe is arguably one of the most Machiavellian. Many believe that this is an unintended side effect of forming a power based on Astrals."

'Exa...'

["Machiavellian" refers to the philosophy derived from Niccolò Machiavelli. Machiavellians are those typically willing to use deceit, manipulation, or unethical means to achieve their goals, emphasizing results over morality. The term also heavily implies ruthlessness in the pursuit of power or success.]

I see. Who knew Dominic's alias had such a profound meaning. But it was true. In that regard Europeans were indeed Machiavellian. The way they handle their children would probably be the strongest indication. They were perfectly willing to sacrifice their present for the future.

First, rather than love, they married all to give birth to the strongest possible generation. Next, they subjected the children to lives devoid of affection. Third, they forcefully sent their children, teenagers barely old enough to drink alcohol, to wars all to train their mentality.

The Europe parenting doctrine culminated into assisted suicides that finally allowed the Descendants to join the ranks of the Reapers. This naturally didn't give a rat's ass what the children in question wanted. It was as if all would be forgiven once powerful Reapers were borne.

After a life full of hardship and suffering they would then be told to continue fighting and die in hell all to give others a future. A future that the Descendants themselves were not even given the right to live. How on earth would these pitiful souls muster the will to fight in Hellsgate?

What did they even live for? They were weapons bred solely for battle. and don't even get me started on how Europe was intentionally manufacturing Saints! The Astrals distorted the perception of Clive Zanardi's continent, so much so that rather than noble, all I saw was a bunch of cowards!

From a king's standpoint similar to Hannibal, they were correct. I could even feel a bit of respect for their actions. After all, it was the hardest of choices. They definitely had the mentality of worthy of Heroes.

I could not blame them. Despite my humble origins, I could relate to the Astrals. The despair and pitiful end of the seven lives gave me some insight into the desperation that drove them to such lengths. It was the most logical thing to do, that I could understand.

But as I saw the tears my girls, Josephine Benelli and Jasmine Denel shed in despair; I could never accept that this was the fucking "right" thing to do.

I knew I was being petty but that was why I knew I could never be a Hero. Despite seeing the end, a part of me was selfish. I was fine sacrificing other people, but not my own.

If all Astrals were basically heroes with lingering regrets they were similar to reincarnators or regressors in Anime and Manga. They saw their end and knew what was coming. To that effect why wouldn't they sacrifice the present for the future?

'To those that saw the bleakest of futures, no sacrifice would be too costly. Their eyes were glued to the end result after all. What would we even a million lives be when the alternative is extinction?'

Clive Zanardi being a Linker would mean his Astral also failed to stop the end. Coming back as a mere ghost, the Astral would be driven to ensure our reality does not share a similar fate. With Clive as his Linker becoming a Machiavellian was inevitable.

Knowing what I know now, the Revenant I once considered the epitome of evil appeared suddenly became a bit relatable.