Episode 1041 Neutralizer (2)
{If the gist of the question is the essence of the Apostle of Destiny, I cannot answer. If I were to explain the origin of the Apostles, I would inevitably have to reveal the backgrounds of all of them. Given the gravity of the subject matter, if classified solely by rank, it would require a high-level inquiry right.}
The host solemnly stroked the tentacles of his jaw.
However, if limited to the relationship between ‘you’ and the Apostle, this is a subject suitable for a lower level of inquiry.
Verden did not ask a question, implying that he was satisfied with that.
Bubbling
The host flicked his pale index finger. Bubbles bloomed at the fingertip and then stopped. They clumped together, but they only appeared that way; they did not become one.
The Apostles share only the commonality of being bound to ‘you’ by fate; there is no such thing as camaraderie among them. You could say they are individualists faithful to their own purposes.
Does that mean we belong to the same group but aren’t colleagues?
There are two types of Apostles of Destiny. One is an Apostle who worships and reveres ‘you,’ and the other is an Apostle who exploits ‘your’ will. The First King of the Human World and Bloodia serve as examples of this.
The first king of the human world – Arthur is an apostle who chose destiny instead of resistance for the sake of humanity, and who devoted his loyalty by sincerely understanding ‘your’ ideals.
Bloodia is an Apostle for whom the world ‘you’ seek to create becomes a benefit rather than a loss, and who has also been promised a fitting reward from ‘you’.
{Basically, “Apostle” is a term referring to a being endowed with power by a god, and therefore applies only to devout believers. However, there are always exceptions. Bloodia is one such case. In other words, she is an Apostle invited from the outside.}
Beings who sided with fate after receiving power or whatever else from ‘you’. Egoists. Monsters who accepted the office of Apostle solely out of their own self-interest, regardless of ‘your’ pure cause… … .
You look just like a mercenary.
{In a sense, their personalities are similar. Of course, their essence is on a completely different level from that of mercenaries. For the reasons mentioned above, solidarity among the Apostles is weak. It might be different once the War of Destiny resumes, but for now, that is the case. That is why the transmission of information is limited.}
The host shrugged his shoulders.
Aside from the direct parties involved, I am currently the only Apostle who knows exactly what happened in the rift of the world.
The Second Apostle—Arthur Tarenfold—clashed recklessly with Verden and the demons while entangled in the taboo and unable to exert his full power.As a result, the world’s taboo split in two, and Arthur was unable to exert influence over the present world for the time being as punishment for overusing his power.
This is the reason why the Old King and Bloodia failed to realize that Verden had attained divinity. It is because neither of them possessed the insight to discern the divine status that Verden had thoroughly concealed.
{It will likely take quite some time for the second Apostle’s work to be conveyed to the others. Aside from the first, there isn’t really any Apostle who would go out of their way to seek him out. They may not be transcendent beings, but they are all blind beings. An Apostle like Bloodia places more importance on individual nature.}
Are you such an apostle, too?
Judging by the explanation, it was clear that Host was an Apostle of the same kind as Bloodia. However, Host was distinctly different even among them. After all,what Host did in Arcadium was absolutely not something an Apostle would do.
His act of reviving Draven’s soul offended Bloodia… and as a result, it actually caused a loss to fate.
He is such an apostle, and also not.
The host’s eyes curved. The storyteller’s grayish-white pupils took in not only Verden but also Alpha and Beta.
The circumstances of how I became an apostle are special.
Alpha tilts his head.
[exception?]
There is only one reason why, despite being the third apostle, I am granted complete freedom of action without being bound by any restrictions.
The host proudly declared.
Because I helped ‘you’ in the process of building the wheel of destiny.
“……!”
Verden was speechless for a moment. So, ‘you’ needed the vast knowledge the Host had accumulated to complete the concept of fate?It couldn’t be mere advice.Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to act according to his desires like this. In the Arcadium, even taboos had lost their power due to the conditions.
In other words… the host is close to being one of the creators of destiny.
It’s beyond my expectations.
The Host was a far more dangerous and important Apostle than he had anticipated.His heart pounded.If the Host had acted like an Apostle, like the first king of the human world, he would not have felt such an inexplicable sense of wariness.
Why does such a host approach Verden?
Verden opened his mouth, his heart heavy with turmoil. Having heard the story that he had helped shape destiny, he could not help but ask.
“Why did you… want fate?”
{I will show special sincerity as a courtesy to questions that go beyond the framework of inquiry, or to intellectuals who have reached the end of the arcadium.}
The host whispered.
I was curious.
The host, walking very slowly, showed his profile.
{In the primeval age, there was no destiny. After the Great Divergence ended, ‘you’ wished to create the concept of destiny for the sake of a noble ideal. Destiny—a concept that governs everything in the world and circulates it eternally. It was new knowledge to me at the time.}
The burgeoning deep sea.
Curiosity. That was the only motive.
If destiny is fulfilled, the world will repeat the past, present, and future like a hamster wheel. No variables occur there.From the host’s perspective, it can be described as a world where new knowledge cannot be born.
Naturally, I didn’t care.
why?
Since a prediction is just a prediction.
In reality, the curiosity cannot be truly satisfied unless one actually completes one’s destiny. This is because destiny is a concept that did not exist in reality.He created it because it did not exist; the reason he affirmed your ‘destiny’ was purely a manifestation of his thirst for knowledge.
{You won’t know unless you try; this is my philosophy based on long experience. Behold. ‘You’ desired an immutable destiny, but instead, variables were created. Because the battle of destiny could not be concluded at that time, Oldark made a choice… … and, you were born. Can’t you feel it? The waves of knowledge overflowing in all directions.}
“…….”
I am very satisfied with my choice for new knowledge. I am also eagerly looking forward to how the future will be decided over the supremacy of destiny.
For a split second, the host focused on Oldarc’s creature rather than Verden, without taking his eyes off Verden, whose mind was in turmoil.
This should be more than enough as an answer to a lower-level question. Let’s move on to the next one.
The host stopped walking and waved his hand.The bubbles scattered.The popping sound brushed past the ears, and a cold chill brought silence.
Verden narrowed his eyes inwardly.
“I now understand the independence the Host displayed. In a sense, it is the worst. The third Apostle, yet clearly a being greater than an Apostle. Regardless of power, if we consider only the influence you have on the world, ‘you’ might be comparable to the first Demon King.”
The Apostles were all exceptional. If Ishur had been perfected into a god, he would have displayed a strength of a different caliber. I heard that Tearel is Host’s adversary; what kind of plan is the First Demon King actually envisioning?
‘… … .’
“There is enough time to postpone deliberation until later,” said Verden, cutting off the chain of questions midway.
I will use the intermediate question card.
Should I delve deeper into the Apostles?Or should I switch to content related to the ancient kings?
Verden did not choose either of the two.
Explain the origin of the Demonic Mirror.
* * *
The Demon Realm is a land inhabited by flora and fauna that defy common sense. Its bizarre environment has shattered humanity’s瘋狂 pioneering spirit time and time again.
What is the Demon Realm?
Verden thought there must surely be a clear background to its creation. For instance, the War of Destiny. Just as the Silent Desert came into existence after the World Tree and the Evil Gods waged an all-out war during the Great Branch.
{Do you think that ‘you’ and Oldark are the cause of the Demon Realm? It is a valid suspicion, and while they are not entirely unrelated, they are not the culprits.}
Once again, the host answered without hesitation.
There was the most beautiful ‘crystal’.
The lifespan of a massive volcano that had existed since time immemorial has come to an end.As if leaving a last will and testament, it gave birth to a single stone it had harbored for eons through a vast explosion.
{It was transparent… … It was the most beautiful stone, so much so that even I, who had only come into contact with it through knowledge, felt an irresistible allure. The Stone of Transparency. Its magical power drew everything in. Enough to engulf not only humans but even dragons.}
The stone, named the “Tureol Stone” by the host, caused chaos as soon as it appeared in the world. As if parasitizing, it moved from place to place carried by the hands of animals and plants, writing a tragedy.
Beta asked.
[Is it an artifact?]
By modern standards, it is ancient and also a natural artifact; in ancient language, it is a product of primeval times.
A product of ancient times.
The host had mentioned it just before starting the adventure. However, judging by the fact that no intellectual has said anything since the game ended, it seems no one managed to get their hands on it.
{Because the Stone of Death could reflect will, it took on a different form for each owner and fixed the owner’s lifespan exactly. This is the source of its alien appeal. Since all living beings, without exception, avoid death, they were instinctively drawn to the Stone of Death.}
and.
Upon encountering the allure of the heat-generating stone, the cells of the being whose breath had just been severed refused to cease due to death and continued to function, yearning for survival. Among them, the reproductive cells, in particular, underwent countless changes in an instant to survive according to their instincts; these changes ultimately led to mutations, giving birth to new life.
A bizarre landscape unlike anything seen anywhere else unfolded where the fire-throwing stone had been. It wasa site where various animals and plants were entangled and annihilated; the genes that flowed out and mixed from the corpses endlessly circulated from plant to animal and from animal to plant, giving birth to mutants.
This is the origin of the demonic creatures.
The host briefly explained biological variation and then focused again on the diathermy stone.
The danger of the Touyeol Stone quickly became known, and most moved in pursuit of eternal life. Wars broke out intermittently for quite a long time, and among them, the shield-shaped Touyeol Stone spread as a legend.
“If it’s a legend…….”
Verden immediately recalled a legend belonging to the same category as Animus, Hiante, Gring Arcanum, and Magras.
6 Great Legends: Absolute Barrier – Fandella.
The identity of one of the Rugina Horn and Pandella, which Verden did not know, was revealed.
Pandela is merely one side of the battlefield.
The host continued speaking.
{The struggle for it continued for such a short time, but a select few, armed with strong willpower, forcibly rejected its allure and attempted to destroy the Fiery Stone. However, regrettably, the Fiery Stone was an indestructible artifact, and those who attempted to destroy it soon had their willpower worn away and became its slaves… … with the exception of only one person.}
He bent his tentacles.
I call it a ‘nameless existence’.
The nameless being who had stolen the Stone of War from the insane monarch who had started the war changed their mind upon seeing that all of the various attempts to destroy the Stone of War had failed.
They chose to seal it.
Since no advanced seal could imprison the Stone of Burning Flames for long, he sacrificed himself. After all, the tragedy would not occur unless he himself was deprived of the Stone of Burning Flames.
The nameless being became the master of the Stone of Fissure and vanished into the deep forest. Everyone who heard the rumors chased after the traces, and all of them disappeared. And.
[Has that forest become a haunted place?]
That’s right. A vast demonic realm formed centered around the place where the nameless being disappeared.
The source of the Demon Realm revealed by the host was something Verden had not anticipated at all. In other words, Pandella is the culprit behind the Demon Realm.
Verden kept the new information in the back of his mind and spoke again.
“What is the identity of that nameless being?”
{That is off-topic from the question. Showing sincerity once is enough.}
The host put his hands behind his back.
If you’re really curious, find out for yourself and ask.
“……?”
{I think I told you. The Tight-Wall Stone… … beings possessing Pandela have a fixed lifespan. Beings other than humans are searching for Pandela, but the fact that there is still no news should be interpreted as meaning she is alive.}
The beginning of the Demon Realm is so ancient that it is not even recorded in the history of modern humanity, yet to think that the owner of Pandella is still alive.This means that there is now one more objective to conquer the Demon Realm in the near future.
{With this, you have used up both of your right to ask questions. However, curious Verden, you must still have some doubts remaining.}
The host took a few steps closer.
{For example, the reason you feel a strange sense of kinship with me.}
Are you willing to explain?
It is a question simple enough that the right to ask isn’t even necessary.
He revealed an alien power to the host as if to show off. It was a power that was familiar to Verden, yet… … extremely strange.
Worship is reverence, and reverence contains fear. Since faith without a clear object of worship lacks power, it is difficult for a deity to arise even when worshipping a difficult-to-identify natural object. However, if the very concept symbolizing the natural object exists, then it is a different story.
The host manifested the divine power of the deep sea.
{I am the concept of the sea and a part of the being called the primordial god. Most gods, including ‘you,’ have been deeply influenced by me.}
Sea God – Host.
By using taboos.
Founder of the taboo.
