Episode 1032 Intellectual Conflict (6)
[Was Deus Widen present when His Majesty the Demon King created Alpha and Beta?]
Deus Wieden recalled the moment he first met the primordial wizard.
The memory of becoming Kirondahr’s research subject at the First Magic Tower and becoming the First Hierarchic Mage, just as the Primordial Mage originally intended.The memory of Kirondahr being sealed underground along with the First Magic Tower as punishment for distorting the magic cultivation method that forms magic circuits—even though I had a choice as the threads of fate had not yet taken root—for the sake of eternal life.The memory of Omega’s birth.The memory of the Primordial Mage creating an independent clone based on a part of memory. Thememory of learning about the world from the Primordial Mage, being taught magical theories, and awakening as a Transcendent Being after repeated meditation and training.The memory of establishing the Golem research facility with Alpha.The memory of Beta assisting the Primordial Mage in his experiments to form a power source.The memory of Gamma’s completion.… … .
Scenes of memories spanning over a thousand years flash rapidly through my mind. A whirlwind of emotions surged, and an unfamiliar headache arose.
Omega, Alpha, Beta.
Deus Widen met the gaze that was staring intently at him, unable to move the object. The single eyes of the small golems beside Verden caused him to be consumed by many distracting thoughts.
If Verden had not existed, there would have been no reunion with them.Just as originally planned.
I thought I would be used to it since I’ve seen it so many times already.
It was not easy to maintain composure when facing the golems asking if I knew them. Even though they might not remember the Deus of the past…
thud.
Deus reinforced the defensive line by placing high-level wizard artifacts at the rear.
“There is no obligation to answer.”
Ignoring Beta’s question, Deus focused his forces on the camp of Fate.His strategy was to intimidate the enemy through indirect pressure and secure a position from which to capture key strategic points at any time.
The Transcendent Being surpassed human limits both physically and mentally. Managing one’s emotions was a simple matter.
However, in the end, even a transcendent being is an emotional being.
They sometimes display colors of emotions much stronger than those of ordinary people, such as anger, pleasure, sadness, joy, fear, disgust, astonishment, anticipation, longing, and curiosity, andthey react very sensitively to their own emotions and the emotions of others. This is especially true for transcendent beings who possess a superior ability to contemplate themselves and gain insight into others.
‘Pity… …? Sympathy?’
Verden sensed that emotion from the moment Deus paused. Had he not been of the 8th rank like him, he would not have been able to detect it.Deus was clearly shaken to the very core by Beta’s question.
Why does Deus feel sorry for Alpha and Beta?
‘Maybe, no, it’s not maybe. Deus Widen knows why the first Demon King abandoned Alpha and Beta.’
Omega, who managed the fragments of the gods and Kirondar beneath the Desert of Silence.
Alpha, who oversaw the Golem research facility.
Beta, used for power source research in the Forest of Life, the center of the Great Forest.
Gamma, hiding somewhere on the sky island Ark where the Ark resides.
The history of the artificial golem begins with Omega and continues through Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. What does the First Demon King intend to achieve through this?The purpose of the artificial golem’s creation is directly linked to his ideals. Furthermore, Deus holds an important clue regarding the utopia desired by the resistors.
If I win this intellectual clash, I will gain the right to ask higher-level questions, and I will be able to learn the source that shapes destiny or the purpose of the First Demon King… … .
The bait the host threw was tempting.
The thrill of unlocking the secrets of the world.
The moment he asked the host a question, his heart, stifled by the taboo, would be liberated. As the wizard who had created the magic circle of reverse heaven, he was well aware of how sweet that feeling was.
BANG!
The Beta unit moved directly by Beta defeats Deus’s infantry unit.
Fate desires the extermination of the enemy,and resistance desires the destruction of the enemy.
At least in this game, there was only one right choice Verden had to make.
* * *
───Retreat the front line!
───The King piece of the Reverse Heaven faction is pushing back the Fate faction from the front lines! Will you capture the King and eliminate the Fourth Guest in one fell swoop! Will you whittle down their forces again and again to prepare for a long battle! Will you make full use of ancient knowledge! The First Guest seems to be in a state of confusion!
───The Resistance faction has repelled the Rebellion faction’s piece! However, the piece has not yet been destroyed! Immediately afterwards, the Assassin piece hidden by the Fourth Guest executes the Third Guest’s Wizard piece!
───Territory size criteria met in the Yeokcheon faction! The fourth guest can now move one more unit per turn! Simultaneous management of two battlefields is now possible!
───Not a single piece has been lost in the Reverse Heaven camp!
───The third guest of honor discovers ancient knowledge!
Shelbron, the 27th butler of Arkadium, was getting increasingly heated with his explanation. The intensity of this unprecedented three-way intellectual clash far exceeded expectations.
Third guest of honor.Fourth guest of honor.First distinguished guest.
Whenever it was their turn, they moved their pieces without hesitation. The strategic battles, with the future in mind, were more intense than a bloody actual battlefield.The time spent deliberating was at most a few seconds. It was to the point where a time limit was not needed at all.
Group Theater.
“…….”
Although they failed to complete the task in the second game, the intellectuals who fortunately did not degenerate into specters of knowledge could not take their eyes off the screen.
Distinguished guests and guests, it was none of your business.
There was not even a moment to consider the basis on which that move was made, so they simply watched the bloody battle between transcendent intellectuals in a daze.
Then, it was as if I started taking sides based on my own preferences.
“Yes, that’s it! Knight defeated!”“The Fourth Guest of Honor dominates the intellectual clash!”“Defy Heaven! Defy Heaven! Defy Heaven!”“The Third Guest of Honor is attempting to seize the ancient knowledge. Hah, how could he use such a sophisticated tactic…!”“If it goes to the end, the First Guest of Honor will win.”
As support for different camps emerged, conflicts of opinion naturally arose.
“Still, to put the King at the very front… If he makes even one mistake like that, it’s over in an instant… Objectively speaking, isn’t the third guest of honor the most advantageous?”“That’s right. Can’t you all see the third guest of honor gathering their strength? It’s a three-way battle! I’m saying the side that has stockpiled the most power has a higher chance of winning!”“Honestly, aren’t there three fourth guests of honor, not just one? This seems a bit unfair.”“Unfair? Did you just insult the host! You little brat of a guest, you don’t know your place! And objectively speaking, the third guest of honor has the advantage? Those eyes of yours wouldn’t even be used as food!”“What? Shall I throw you into the landfill of knowledge! Do you want to be reduced to a ghost!”“If it goes to the end, the first distinguished guest wins.”
Before long, the theater was stained with the arguments and emotions of intellectuals.As individuals with excellent concentration, those for whom intellectual conflict was important quietly immersed themselves in the screen, regardless of whether the fight was happening next to them.
There were various reactions even in theaters for individuals.
That’s impressive. I was only focused on defense, but the tide turned in just 134 turns.
Tearel couldn’t hear what was being said, but he was impressed by Verden’s new strategy of suddenly putting the King at the forefront after Alpha and Bloodia fought.
At this rate, Verden wins.
She nodded slightly in satisfaction and glanced to the side.
The Host, who had stood up and applauded when Alpha launched a unilateral counterattack, sat demurely and watched the battlefield of intellectual clash.Hadn’t we seen everything we wanted to see?It was a mystery why he was staying in her room instead of leaving. Tearel did not let the thought end there but spoke.
“Why aren’t you going?”
Since we are here together, it is only polite to watch the play until the end.
We’re not exactly on the same page as each other.
Thearel’s eyes narrowed.
“You said I was your adversary.”
In the adventure, Tearel realized that the will of the First Demon King had intervened in her ideal. However… even so, she could not change her ideal.Murderous intent surged within her.Her goal remained the death of the Host, the terror of the sea.
There is no such thing as a predetermined destiny, so you never know what the future holds.
The host let out a meaningful laugh.
Have you checked the book obtained as a task of knowledge?
It didn’t open.
Tearel tapped the coverless book placed on the sofa armrest.
Cheongram.
It was a book left to her by Talakan, who managed the adventure game. Since it was said to be a soul independent from the host, essentially speaking, it would be fair to interpret it as having been given directly by the host.
“Cheongram is a treasure classified as a product of antiquity. It is, in a sense, an ancient artifact. Though it is on a different level from what you know. Someday, when you are worthy, the pages of Cheongram will open.”
So, what is it?
{Before the concept of fate was born, before the gods waged war. This is an object I used not long after this world was created. Back then, every single day was new.}
The host twitched his tentacles as he recalled the past.
{If you are really curious about the contents of Cheongram, transfer ownership to Asher. You may give it to Magion, or if you want, throw it to Bloodia. They are worthy.}
“…….”
Tearel turned his gaze toward the three people on the screen and clutched the blue scepter tightly, wondering why they were qualified while he was not.
I’ll handle it myself. It’s mine.
Leaving room for uncertainty without making a decision breeds hesitation or regret, but sometimes it can also be a path leading to a better outcome than past choices.
The host rested his chin on his hand.
A decision is obstinate. Straight, it would rather break than bend; unhindered and formidable because it is narrow-minded. In contrast… … .}
“…….”
The undecided is flexible. It is soft because it bends rather than breaks, and it is progressive because it is open even when it hesitates in place. Indeed, since ancient times, we have called this possibility.
He twitched the corners of his eyes as if he were amused.
{What lies at the end of this story? No god knows. No one knows. No one in the world.}
The Host recalled the scene from long ago where ‘you’ and Oldark played chess in the deep sea.This took place before the creation of the Intellectual Conflict themed around the Battle of Destiny, and it was one of the catalysts that led the Host to create the Intellectual Conflict.
{But with this game, I can make a guess like Hiante.}
“Hiante?”
Tearel tilts his head at the unfamiliar name.
The concept of time – Hiante.
She, who had guided Verden into the rift of the world and made him realize a new divinity, existed outside of Tearel’s perception.
Time is everywhere.
To the host’s left was Tearel, and to his right was Hiante. He briefly cast a glance at Hiante, who was looking only at Verden’s party, and then became engrossed in the screen with her.
The end is slowly approaching.
The first distinguished guest barely managed to convey ancient knowledge to the sage, Gimul! Following this, the third host guest also conveyed ancient knowledge to the sage!
With this, the Fate and Resistance factions win the game if they secure the final Ancient Knowledge and deliver it to the Sage artifact!
───Ah!!!! At this very moment! The Fourth Guest has discovered the Ancient Knowledge! However, the surrounding area has already been seized by the Reverse Heaven Faction! It cannot be stopped. Although both factions applied strong pressure, the Ancient Knowledge continues to draw closer to Gimul, the sage of the Reverse Heaven Faction!
The Yeokcheon faction has transferred ancient knowledge to the sage Gimul!
───If you do not eliminate the opponent’s Sage unit, the victory condition for Ancient Knowledge cannot be achieved!
───If you pass three out of five Absolute tiles with the Sage of Ancient Knowledge piece, you can summon the Absolute, but… …the probability is slim!
* * *
Secured one piece of ancient knowledge as planned.
Verden’s blue eyes shifted moment by moment. Predicting the future of the war composed of thousands of tiles and anticipating the opponent’s response, he skillfully snatched away pieces from both factions one by one.
There are no completely dead pieces in the Yeokcheon camp.
However, there is damage.
The infantry and wizard units are panting, showing signs of exhaustion.The difference from other factions is that when units are in large numbers, there are injuries but no fatalities when they take damage—although, of course, that doesn’t actually change anything in practice.
The host anticipated what choice I would make in the end when I was cornered. What I would do, refusing the sacrifice of others.
As expected, the somewhat pale octopus head is an unpleasant fellow.
anyway.
Neither Bloodyana nor Deus show any signs of fulfilling their individual victory requirements. Do they not want to risk being discovered by me? I expected that from Deus, but Bloodyana is indeed quite cautious.
If Bloodia had been confident of his victory, he would have shown everything. The fact that he didn’t means he was considering the possibility of defeat.
Ancient dragons are extremely arrogant yet make judgments based on intelligence; Verden thus played his game while acquiring new knowledge about the Apostles.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Verden’s objects gripped the surroundings like interlocking gears.
The opponent’s pieces fall one by one.
Adrian, who was injured, soon knelt on one knee but quickly got back up. In exchange for reducing the number of pieces on both sides, most of Yeokcheon’s pieces were in a situation where they would die from a single hit.
Repeated turn.
Bloody bit her lip.
Deus also narrowed his eyebrows as if displeased with the way things were unfolding. He also twitched his fingertips, as if he had guessed something.
The conditions for victory in the intellectual conflict are being blocked… …?
As Deus advanced the piece to the end, he turned his head toward Verden.He was commanding the intellectual clash without wavering.
There was nothing strange up to this point.
but…….
Alpha and Beta were getting closer to Verden, ever so slightly. Close enough to look as if they could enter Verden’s arms at any moment.
We’re almost there.
Verden pretended not to know, keeping Alpha and Beta close to his arms, ready to embrace them at any moment.He had long been aiming for a victory distinct from that of Deus and Bloodia.
Alpha, Beta. Battle preparations.
The end of the arcadium is approaching.
