Episode 1192 Oldark – 1
The first Demon King—Oldark Ruin Akenad—whom Alpha, Beta, and Verden had been searching for while tracing his past, appeared.Moreover, the location was the Great Hall of Black Hour, one of Verden’s strongholds.
I couldn’t feel anything.
The spatial distortion security of the Great Hall, which Verden had barely managed to infiltrate via the Archdemon’s Refuge, was neutralized without a sound.Even Elder Sheorn, a transcendent being of the spatial realm, should not have been able to enter without being detected.The internal security system was also unresponsive.
It was a natural result for the first Demon King, but Verden was curious about the method.What magical principle did he use?
Verden gave a wry smile.
“……Despite my fervent wish, I could barely chase the shadows remaining in the past. To the First Demon King, it was merely a matter of will.”
It is the fruit of your labor.
Unlike Verden, who cannot constantly maintain a state of
This place is too cramped to fit us.
Oldarc put her hands behind her back.
Would you like to walk a little?
Is there any reason to refuse?
* * *
Western Continent, West Sea.
Whoosh… … .
The sound of ceaselessly crashing waves filled the silence between us. Seabirds cut through the sky, and their chirping occasionally brushed past our ears.Clouds and the sun lingered idly over the vast blue sea stretching beyond the horizon.
Two sets of footprints stretched along the clear coastline.
The Sixth Apostle was closer to a countermeasure.
The topic Oldarc chose as the introduction was the ancient king. In other words, the detailed inside story of the mission of the Sixth Apostle shouldered by Akhand.
I don’t know when this conversation will end.
If you lack the initiative, you must prioritize efficiency.There is no room to wait for the First Demon King to answer on the pretext of ignorance.
If it is a story about mission, that means taboos aren’t an issue here.
Verden dramatically displayed his intellect by gathering as much as possible of the clues he had obtained so far, which were scattered here and there like fragments.It was Verden’s job to keep drawing out answers, as if knocking on a door.
“If you mean a contingency plan, are you saying that Arkhand could not have completed his destiny in the first place with the souls he collected?”
As expected, even though the mission was mentioned, the taboo had no intention of reacting.
Of course. It would have been possible if I hadn’t moved and you hadn’t been there, but reality is not like that. Even the Apostles of Fate deeply understand that fact.
Oldark walked ahead.
The purpose of this war was to rebuild the wheel of fate that you shattered.
For an eternal cycle to be established, the yoke of fate must necessarily be presupposed. The wheel is the largest cog and the core.Since Verden destroyed such a foundation, ‘you’ needed to repair the base once again.
Verden asked.
Has destiny been rebuilt?
Oldark answered.
+Rebuilt+
… … !
I swallowed my breath.
Apart from realizing what the Sixth Apostle’s mission was, we desperately minimized the damage, so does that mean they ultimately achieved their objective?
It was somewhat shocking to Verden, but Oldark seemed to regard it as nothing serious.
Reconstruction was inevitable. Unless ‘you’ were killed, it was bound to be restored in some way. Verden, the important point here is that the wheel was not sufficiently filled with souls.
In other words—the driving force to continue the cycle was not supplied as much as ‘you’ had anticipated.It was a result that affirmed Verden’s efforts.
You treated me well.
Although Oldarc praised his achievements, Verden was not in a good mood.If he had been an administrator, he would have taken it as a sincere compliment and been genuinely happy, but he could not treat the First Demon King himself in the same way.After all, even though they looked the same, they were different beings.
and.
Since there were several aspects of the first Demon King’s actions that Verden could not tolerate, he could not simply overlook the favorable reviews.
It was for my sake.
Not you.
In the end, everyone is like that.
Oldarc gazed at the dazzling sea where the sunlight had scattered into pieces.
Everyone believes that only their own ideals are right. However, thoughts are bound to change. Just as a dream harbored without knowing the truth is bound to become corrupted.
“…….”
Have you ever gained insight into the universe?
Universe
The totality of infinite space encompassing time and all things, or space encompassing all celestial bodies.
When it became possible to perceive the sky beyond the sky, society’s attention turned upward, and thus researchers, especially wizards, established a field of study regarding this through curiosity.
astronomy.
Some observe the universe with magical telescopes in search of research topics, others read the flow of celestial bodies to predict the future, and still others seek to unravel the countless truths contained within the cosmos.When discussing the fear of the unknown, half of the intellectuals will point to the deep sea, while the other half will point to the sky.
Verden paused for a moment, then followed Oldarc two steps behind again. The universe. It is probably a story about the apocalypse that will eventually come.
Is it forbidden knowledge?
It is a secret that was dangerous and concealed, yet not forbidden. It simply could not be passed down. As you know, the world of the weak is always precarious, crumbling helplessly at the slightest whisper.
Oldarc lightly waved her hand.
The sky cleared.It was a literal expression.
Applications of spatial systems.
As if to expand the field of vision, it leaped beyond the atmosphere in an instant, and an endless darkness stained with countless starlight enveloped the sky above.
There were not many planets with environments similar to continents, but there were none either.
There is one topic that invariably comes up whenever the universe is mentioned.
Is there life in outer space?
Wizards generally thought that they existed. Otherwise, spatial efficiency would be close to nothing. To them, inefficiency was the enemy.
“Is there an intelligent civilization in that universe?”
Once upon a time, countless civilizations adorned the entire universe.
Verden raised his gaze and listened attentively.
However, they could not interact. They merely lived and breathed, leading their own lives and flows in their respective worlds, without even observing or perceiving one another.
“Like parallel lines, I suppose.”
That is a fitting metaphor. They, and we, existed, yet we could not encounter each other. Though we existed in the same realm, we were merely a fragment of the background to one another. Like that single tiny starlight over there.
He envisioned the countless lines existing upon the dots embroidered in the universe. He pictured in his mind another world resembling the one Verden had experienced so far.Setting aside their appearance, the laughter of intelligent beings seemed to linger in his ears.
Another civilization and continent.
Verden had never sincerely contemplated the universe in depth. Instead of thinking about the external world, Verden was engrossed in moving forward.His world of perception expanded. It was as if he had attained enlightenment. The new unknown gave Verden a great stimulus.
Is the true world really that vast?
The blue eyes shone with a radiant glow at the mesmerizing sight of self-luminous stars illuminating planets that might harbor life.
At that moment───one star went out.
‘… … ?’
Verden narrowed his brows. Although he trusted his senses, he momentarily doubted his eyes, as one of the countless stars had suddenly vanished. Hequickly dismissed the thought that he might have seen it wrong. He fixed his gaze and stared intently at the spot where the light had disappeared.
The starlight disappeared one by one.
It spiraled out of control.
The starlight faded faster than Verden could perceive. In an instant, darkness enveloped everything. The universe becoming empty was truly instantaneous.
“What on earth is this…….”
Suddenly, the moment I cast the First Sorcerer King’s incantation to execute Ishur, who had established the taboo of magic prohibition in the Desert of Silence, flashed through my mind.The whisper of ‘you’ that pierced my ears the moment I pulled the cosmic meteorite toward the continent.
Did you understand?
───That we are the only ones left now.
It was then that Verden finally realized what the secret of the universe was. The first Demon King’s tone when explaining the universe was entirely in the past tense.
“……Are we the only ones here?”
Only then did Oldark shift her gaze from the blue sea to the empty universe.
+Do you remember how this continent is defined?+
The first world.
The reason it is called that is not merely because it is the first for us. Even in the realm of the universe, which was thought to be endless, a beginning existed.
The primordial land.
This land is the oldest world and+
The apocalypse that will eventually come.
+The World That Fell Asleep the Latest+
Oldark once again left distinct footprints on the vast coastline.
We are the beginning and the end.
* * *
The universe was full of life, but after repeated cycles of destruction and reconstruction, it eventually met an irreversible end after a long—very long—time.The planets became ruins where no seeds could sprout, and the stars lost their light.
It was neither anyone’s intention nor their fault.It was the natural order of things.Just as a newborn baby grows into an old person and faces its end, the universe has simply grown old and is approaching its conclusion.
All things move toward death the moment they are born… … .
Information was jumbled.An indescribable horror stemming from emptiness surged around.
“……So, the eternal cycle.”
Verden rubbed his forehead at the fact that everything except this continent had already perished, and that an inevitable end was destined for this place as well.Fate. ‘You’ are trying to keep only this continent alive to avoid reaching the end.
Upon realizing the true form of the apocalypse, which had only been envisioned abstractly, the salvation that Arkhand had been pursuing became clearly visible.
We look forward to the future because there is hope. However, the inevitable apocalypse snatches that hope away completely; thus, those who have nothing to sustain themselves and recognize the end lose their will to live.
“…….”
+It is knowledge and a truth from which one cannot escape self-destructive thinking the moment they realize it. That is why it could not be passed down to the world like history. As a side note, the host took this into account when creating the taboo.+
Verden suppressed his mental shock and replayed the thought over and over again.
When did the Great Divide and the Battle of Destiny begin?
In the distant past, far beyond what you can imagine+
“Then are you saying that ‘you’ have anticipated the apocalypse since long ago? Unless there is a predetermined destiny, there is no way to know the future…….”
Verden paused.
Oldarc smiled faintly.
+Did you realize+
If there is a past and a present, the future also exists.It is just not fixed.We call this possibility.
Hiante.
The two legends residing in Aisha, the granddaughter of a fortune teller, flashed across her retina. She had witnessed the tenses of past, present, and future not only through the Great Divergence but also through the Battle of Destiny, and the concept of time had been awake since the birth of the continent.
The kindest, most benevolent, and purest god on this continent asked about the future for the happiness and hope of everyone, and Hiante eventually answered.
“…….”
That Is How Destiny Began+
Realizing that all possibilities lead to the end, the god begged the other gods for cooperation but was turned away; eventually, succumbing to madness, he operated in the shadows behind the Great Divergence.Cleverly exploiting the conflict between the evil and good gods, he annihilated the evil gods first and then laid the foundation for the War of Destiny.
That was the meaning behind the bitter smile Hiante wore while speaking of ‘you’. It must have been because she believed that she was the cause of ‘you’ going mad like this.
Verden closed his eyes and then opened them.
“What did you answer back then? To ‘your’ request.”
He sincerely comforted her sorrow but did not try to find an answer.
I would like to hear the reason.
“Do we really have to reject the apocalypse?” I thought.
An old man, overshadowed by the shadow of death, offered his family, friends, and neighbors as sacrifices to an evil god, praying for a miracle. He begged him to please extend his lifespan.Did you find this ugly?If so, it is because you judged that desperate struggle to prolong his life, even after having lived a long life, as an excessive greed for life.
Although I did not tell her at the time, I believed that I should prepare for eternal rest and bring things to a fitting end. The World Tree’s intentions were no different from mine. Since the World Tree exists by nature, I believed it should accept its end even more than I did.
Oldark stopped walking.
Let’s live in the present.
“…….”
We soothed her sorrow with those words.
‘You’ eventually overcame your sorrow and returned to your original benevolent god.Yes, that is what I thought.Therefore, I could not doubt for the slightest that ‘you’ had thoroughly prepared the answer called fate by inducing a great divergence behind the scenes to destroy the gods that stood in your way and by creating the concept of the soul.
Because ‘you’ were so good… … .
When she finally told me the truth, I opposed fate. Then she asked me: Is there an alternative to the eternal cycle?
“…….”
I don’t know. And the war began.
Verden said.
“A repeating world is no different from a dead world. That must be the reason you could not accept fate.”
How can one say they are living without change? She may be trying to keep the last flame from being extinguished by the cycle of fate, but to me, it looks like nothing but a more cruel end. Castrated of all freedom and choice, utterly unacceptable…
As Oldarc slowly lowered her voice, a brief silence fell.Only the sound of waves lingered between them.
It was Verden who broke the silence first.
“so.”
Verden waved his hand heavily,in the opposite direction to what Oldark had done.
The universe has moved away.
The blue sky, adorned with pure white clouds, reunited with the Almighty.
Have you found an alternative, or do you believe that we should respect the natural order of things?
After experiencing a series of events, I, too, decided not to submit to the apocalypse any longer. Although it may not be a clear answer for her, that is also one answer.
Oldarc slowly turned around. Then, she approached Verden and extended her hand as if making an invitation. The turquoise eyes and the blue eyes met in the air.
Would you like to go a little further?
“Where do you mean?”
+The past that will become the future+
Oldark smiled.
+Into her territory+
* * *
The reception room of the Black Hour Grand Hall opened. Inside were the drunk Duke Esperensa and Commander Roan, who was slightly intoxicated.
[Your Majesty Verden. Where?]
“He left a moment ago, but…….”
[check.]
Closed the door.
Alpha, perched on top of Beta’s head, pointed toward the hallway and ordered them to advance.
[If you do not use a communication device, there may be discrepancies.]
[It’s okay.]
Alpha’s single eye gleamed. It was because he enjoyed going around and finding them himself like this more than making plans to meet in advance.
[Your Majesty Verden. Search. Resumed.]
[Confirmed.]
* * *
The surrounding environment began to change, like paint slowly spreading. The landscape of the West Sea gradually disappeared, and a jungle took its place.
Eventually, when the space completely changed, Verden stood alone in the middle of the jungle. The First Demon King, with whom he had been holding hands just moments ago, had vanished without a trace.
“This place is ‘your’ territory…….”
Verden took a calm breath while looking around without a single change in expression. The overall atmosphere was identical to that of the continent, yet he felt a subtle sense of unfamiliarity.
anyway.
“My state remains the same. I am neither oppressed nor monitored. The strangely indistinct nature of my presence must be the magic of the First Demon King.”
Verden, having assessed his physical condition, summoned [Interis] and crossed the bushes. I do not know what the First Demon King intends to do in the domain of none other than ‘yours,’ but if I remain still, I cannot find out anything.
And, I saw smoke rising roughly from the south.
Kyaaaaaaah!
A small village was on fire.
