1183화 제6사도 (7)
육체를 잃으면 죽는 것이 통념이다.
하지만 정신도 생명의 일부다.
정신이 무너지면 타고난 본능을 무시하고 자살을 기도하기도 한다. 정신이 죽으면 육신은 실이 끊어진 인형으로 전락한다.
개념적으로 영혼까지 사라져야 진정한 죽음이라고 할 수 있는 것이다.
생존 욕구.
그렇다.
영혼도 살고자 한다. 오히려 몸을 가졌을 때보다 더 삶에 대한 갈망이 강할 것이다. 정확히 말하면 존재를 유지하고 싶은 집착이 말이다.더 이상 물러설 곳이 없으니까.물리적인 죽음 뒤에는 영혼이 남지만, 영혼의 죽음 뒤에는 아무것도 없다. 영멸(永滅). 자신이라는 존재가 완벽하게 사라지는 것이다.
‘당신’이 창조한 운명의 수레바퀴는 아주 오랫동안 몇 번이고 거짓된 시간을 반복해 가상의 미래 세계를 거듭 구현했다.그럴 때마다 무한히 많았어야 할 세상의 가능성은 대폭 축소되었다.
───운명을 구축하는 과정에서 발생하는 모든 변수를 모조리 지우는 작업. 이걸 오차를 줄인다고 표현하는 거다.
단 하나의 가능성만, 오직 하나의 결과만 남겨 모든 존재의 운명을 고정하고 확정 짓는 것.
천공룡 아에로돈이 설명한 가상 세계의 의의.
이때 운명의 흔적, 그러니까 가상의 기억이 일부 남아 여러 방법으로 앞날을 추측할 수 있는 예지자가 탄생했다.
여기에 진실이 더해졌다.
운명──운명의 수레바퀴는 영혼을 장작으로 삼아 회전한다. 유에서 유. 가상 세계를 만드는 과정에서도 영혼이 필요했을 것이다.
운명의 동력원.영혼의 세계.영혼을 보관하는 차원.
양식장, 혹은 처형장.
수레바퀴가 굴러올 때마다 영혼들이 무차별적으로 갈려나갔다. 지성체가 바라온 사후관과 다르게 생전에 어떤 삶을 살았든 상관없이 선인도, 악인도 항거할 수 없는 섭리 앞에 으깨졌다.바퀴에 눌어붙은 영혼들의 찌꺼기가 서럽고 비통한 곡소리를 자아냈다.
영혼들은 살아남기 위해 도주했다. 허나, 다섯 번째 세계 어디에도 도망칠 곳은 없었다. 결국 차례가 되면 운명과 하나가 되어야 했다.
그런 절망 끝에 영혼들은 탈출구를 찾았다.
영혼의 세계를 벗어나는 것.
사실 탈출구라고 하기에는 어폐가 있었다. 질량은 반드시 인력을 갖는다. 세계도 마찬가지다. 그러므로 탈출하려면 세계가 발하는 초월적인 인력을 감당해야 했고, 심지어 차원과 차원 사이의 압력마저 견뎌 내야 했다.육신이 없어 저항력이 무척이나 취약한 영혼에게는 불가능한 시련이었다.
그럼에도 살고 싶다는 일념으로 몸을 던졌으니…… 다섯 번째 세계의 인력에 영혼의 형태가 찌그러지고, 차원의 압력에 원형조차 찾을 수 없이 뭉개지면서도 바깥을 지향했다.
어떤 영혼은 기억을 잃지 않았다.어떤 영혼은 이름을 잃지 않았다.어떤 영혼은 모든 과거를 상실했다.어떤 영혼은 본래의 형상이 일부 남았다.어떤 영혼은 본능만 남았다.어떤 영혼은 이성과 지성을 유지했다.어떤 영혼들은 지점토처럼 합쳐져 변화했다.
무수한 영혼이 본래 자신을 잃어가면서 이타적으로 서로를 밀어주거나, 또 이기적으로 서로를 끌어당기며 더 높이, 더 높이 올라갔다.어떻게든 떨어지지 않으려고 하다가 영혼을 통해서 육체, 즉 껍질을 만들기도 했다.
영혼의 변질은 그렇게 이루어졌고, 세계의 틈새에 도달한 순간 그들은 괴물로 변해 있었으며, 끝끝내 첫 번째 세계(대륙)에 도착한 뒤…… ‘악마’라는 멸칭이자 종족명으로 낙인찍혔다.
운명의 부산물.
악마는 ‘당신’도, 호스트도 예상하지 못했던 뜻밖의 변수였다.모든 영혼의 창조주로서 영혼들의 의지를 가볍게 여긴 적은 없었지만, 설마 다섯 번째 세계에서 벗어날 거라고 생각하지 못했다.
과연 의지는 계산할 수 없다.
호스트는 즐겁다는 듯 실패를 기록하며 ‘당신’에게 물었다. 저들의 존재를 인정할 것인가. 이에 ‘당신’은 대답했다.
부정(否定).
정해진 답이었다.
운명의 세계는 그녀가 자유를 희생하면서 추구한 이상이었고, 악마는 그런 운명에 저항하면서 우연히 탄생한 존재…… 원치 않은 자식이었으니까.
악마는 탄생조차 인정받지 못한 채로 세계의 적이 되었고, 토벌당한 악마들은 또다시 다섯 번째 세계로 추락했다.
죽은 악마는 어떻게 되었을까.또 운명에 쓰였을까.그렇다면 역천에 의해 운명의 수레바퀴가 파괴된 지금은 어떨까.
베르덴은 거기까지는 알지 못했다. 그건 현재니까. 진실을 통해 베르덴이 깨달은 것은 어디까지나 악마의 기원뿐이었다.
‘희생으로 점철된 세계.’
베르덴은 아칸드를 통찰했다. 그가 가진 암회색의, ‘불결한 잿빛’을 직시했다. 아칸드가 걸어왔던 운명의 궤적이 엿보였다.
|너 또한 하나의 변수였나|
“그런 셈이지. 나는 올다르크가 설계했던 초월자의 틀에서 벗어난 이물이니.”
초월자는 오직 각성으로 탄생한다. 한데 아칸드는 각성하지도 않고 태어날 때부터 초월의 영역에 들어선 상태였다.그래서 막강했지만, 실제 초월자에 비해 완성도가 극히 떨어졌다.
|그래서 잿빛을 받아들였군|
“기꺼이 자처했다. 초월을 타고나되 항상성은 갖지 못한 내 비루한 육신으로는 사명도, 권능도 감당할 수 없었으니.”
Gray is proof that it has achieved evolution accompanied by complete resurrection—ultimately, a concept in which the subject is eternal but the essence is completely reversed, yet the evolution of resurrection continues to repeat. Theprimordial dragon, which shares the beginning and end of the world, described gray in this way.
Verden reconstructed his body using the Magic Tower’s power source and the Circle of Reversal, whileArkand sought evolution through resurrection.
“Even if it is a counterfeit concept.”
However, since Akand’s resurrection was conceptually nothing more than an artificial imitation, it could not grasp the same concept as Verden.A clumsy copy… that was the true nature of the filth felt from the dark gray.
Did you want to contribute to fate and save this doomed world?
“I believed it was only natural. After that, I abandoned my family and my people. How could a being who slaughters the families and neighbors of others possibly protect only their own?”
Akand asserted.
“I am an equal death.”
As power was channeled into the Dragon Sword, the
At that moment───the power exploded.
The aftermath of the power struck not Verden, but the world of nothingness itself where they were.
… … !
The void began to lift. Soon, the landscape of the Citadel shimmered like a mirage. The two were entering the space of their original continent.
“I relinquish the status of the Sixth Apostle.”
The distinctive radiance vanished from Akhand’s replaced left arm and eyes. He had cast aside the
Nevertheless, solely for the sake of the mission.
The human born with transcendence struck the ground with a punch.Boom!A wave of deception engulfed them.
Release the descent.
As Verden concealed his divine essence, all the grayness vanished simultaneously. Maintaining his divinity on the continent would result in his discovery by the Ruas Theocracy.At the very least, the gods of light would sense it. It became clear what Akand was aiming for.
“You will face me, who has no divinity… …”
Of course, Akhand’s chances of winning will certainly be higher than when he is an imperfect Absolute Being,even if he cannot use his power.
However, the result is no different.
The era when an ancient king could burn half the continent has changed.It is the Age of Magic.Verden is a wizard who reigns in the present.
A sword light bloomed from Akand’s murderous intent, and destruction flickered at Verden’s fingertips.
Kwagwagwagwagwang───!
The ceiling of the imperial castle collapsed.
The pinnacle of the old era and the pinnacle of the present era soared into the sky of the ownerless land.
* * *
Pushed back by the offensive of the three Apostles, the Transcendents, and the Allied Forces, Sarkannon determined he could not withstand the pressure and retreated toward the Undead Legion.He used the power of death to buy time by using the dead as shields. Nerga’s curse slowly gnawed away at Sarkannon’s skeleton.
The Apostles of Verden are pursuing us.
[Apostle… … .]
Unless I could kill them all due to the difference in power, I had to go up to the Citadel immediately. As a familiar, I was aware of what the Sixth Apostle was about to do.There wouldn’t be much time left.
Eventually, death comes.
It was the moment Sarkannon was desperately trying to ascend the waterfall formed of the dead.Suddenly, a transcendent being blocked his path.
Where are you going in such a hurry?
[… … !!]
Reindel Nexreon, the Master of the Dark Warton Magic Tower, stood there in a battered state. Shouldn’t Reindel have already been excluded by the taboo by the First Commander, the Apocalypse of Famine?Strangely, the undead legions of the Xerion Empire were not attacking him.
Sarkannon twitched the remaining finger bone as if he could not understand.
[Did someone who doesn’t even understand true death… escape the swamp of taboos on their own?]
I am grateful to you.
Reindel gave a chilling smile.
Thanks to you, I have come to understand the concept of death a little better.
[Something like a transcendent being───]
Power and the Demonic Path clashed. Different forms of death stood in opposition to prove who was closer to the essential concept and whose rank was higher.
[It… doesn’t… make sense… .]
Before anyone realized it, Reindel’s old hand was gripping Sarkannon’s spine.
[How, a mere mortal… … could come this close to death… …!]
What wouldn’t I do for my ideals?
Life and Death Decree
Resistance failure.
Saaa… Sarkannon turned to bone dust and flowed down to the floor.
[iced coffee…….]
It was a shabby and static death.
Sarkannon barely managed to crawl up the rift between worlds for the sake of the Sixth Apostle, but according to the principle that great power is easily trampled by even greater power, he could not resist the greater death and perished.
Reindel, who had witnessed the final moments of the Apocalypse of Death in the midst of the undead, gazed at the Citadel.
“…….”
It had risen to a higher altitude than before.
* * *
Hisril took away the two eyes.The glory of the corpse rebelled and took away the left arm.
Akand could not see, but he perceived everything through his senses.
As I abandoned the shell of the Apostle, only the body of a transcendent being without homeostasis remained, and the traces of countless battles etched upon it are gnawing away at my life.Having used my last resort to receive ‘your’ power through
However, the dragon sword [Magras] controlled by Akand never wavered.
With his vision gone, it became easier to naturally exclude unnecessary elements and immerse himself in a single focus.It was an ideal state.He could not have missed Verden’s unique presence, even if he wanted to.
Sssshhh──────Kwagwagwagwagwa!
A dark red beam whizzed past right beside it and bombarded the city center of the Citadel.Buildings collapsed.The undead were crushed under the rubble.The sight of the ruins turning in real time seemed to project the current state of Arkhand.
A dying empire… … .
Akhand had waited for this day. Whether he won or lost the war, his death was sealed. For Akhand’s soul would become one with fate.A fate chosen by Akhand himself, not by ‘you,’ 800 years ago. The slaughterer seeking salvation sought to fulfill his mission by killing even himself.
However, there was something I wanted to verify until the very end.As a human, not an apostle.
Season: First Formation – Glaros
Just like Verden’s, the sword energy of death devastated the city center. Spreading morale along with afterimages, he twisted the Dragon Sword in reverse.
Festival: Second Formation – VinculosFestival: Third Formation – LuxarosFestival: Fourth Formation – Katenos
Akand’s sword strikes rained down.
Season: Fifth Formation – ArchosSeason: Sixth Formation – KeontasSeason: Seventh Formation – RegiosSeason: Eighth Formation – Pluvios
Every time he traced a trajectory with his sword, Akand unleashed his fist and foot techniques.
Season: 1st Form Fight – XerSeason: 2nd Form Fight – KriakSeason: 3rd Form Fight – RsathSeason: 4th Form Fight – MeuelSeason: 5th Form Fight – G’azSeason: 6th Form Fight – ObkelSeason: 7th Form Fight – Zren
With each successive season, their power diminished significantly compared to their original state. While each was originally akin to the ultimate techniques of other transcendent beings, they had now reached a point where they fell short of even a mere art, let alone transcendent techniques.
“──────!”
It exceeded the limit.
Unable to withstand my techniques, the disintegration of my body accelerated. Nevertheless, as a human born with transcendence, the essence of all the techniques I had created ultimately shone brightly.
Whoosh!
Drops of Verden’s blood clung to the blade scattered across the entire Citadel.It was a red shower that ceased in an instant.
“……This is as far as I can go.”
I met Verden’s eyes.He was reflected in my magic eye.
Mass Extinction: Industrial Complex
Accompanied by the destruction of space, the ultimate of magic exploded upon Arkhand. Crack. The Dragon Sword shattered. The ancient legend of the Dragon Sword came to an end here.
He was fully familiar with all of Arkhand’s skills through Draven’s memories.
A sword wound across the upper body.
In return, he brought about the end of Arkhand.
──────!
Berkaelum, the magical spear technique devised by Verden, connected the dots. Each time it formed a line, Akand’s body was destroyed.Akand’s remaining wrist was severed. Tendons throughout his body were snapped. Verden mercilessly finished him off, giving Akand no chance to retaliate.
Kwagwagwagwagwagwang!
Pierced by the Spear of Destruction, Arkhand was slammed into the center of the Citadel. [Interis] stripped the evil spirit from his body. An inescapable restraint.Residual lightning continued to flicker, whispering cruel destruction to Arkhand.
Akhand’s face, pinned to the pile of rubble, was turned toward the sky. With his execution here at the Citadel imminent, he had now become a symbol of ruin and downfall.
Verden was already standing in front of him.
I will hear your last words.
Akand was an enemy that Verden could not tolerate. However, even without his awakening, he was a transcendent being. His ideal of seeking the world’s eternal salvation through death made Verden feel many things.
The worst and strongest transcendent being in human history, who abandoned even his precious family and country for the sake of nothing more, is facing death.
“……What shall you choose.”
Choice?I don’t know the meaning.
It was then.
The axis of the earth they were standing on began to tilt slightly. A faint sense of floating followed. Verden opened his eyes wide.
“Surely not…”“The moment we touch the ground… everything down there will be annihilated.”
The Citadel prepares to crash.To the Central Continent, and to the ownerless lands.
“For you, only a god can stop this. Now… how about that, Verden.”
Akand smiled wryly.
“Can you become everyone’s god?”
If the Citadel crashes and everyone dies, Arkhand’s mission will be accomplished.An astronomical mass.To prevent the Citadel’s complete crash by any means, Verden must unleash the deity he concealed out of fear of the Ruas religion in front of the World Alliance.
A crossroads of choice.
Divinity: Descent
The divine power rose again in a gray light.
Of course
Verden did not hesitate.
