Chapter 167

We wait for heroes like stars in the sky, so don’t the big shots upstairs have their own favorites too?

Father, you were the one among countless heroes who alone defeated the Golden Beast.

So it’s not that strange to say you monopolized their favor.

Not that I’m here to judge them or anything, but if I were in their shoes, wouldn’t I have also given special attention to a hero like you, Father?

…And.

Maybe they even pinned hopes on your kid too, huh?

If this is what led to my current path… well, this wasn’t exactly what I wanted or planned.

But based on the teaching that souls are eternal…

It means I’m definitely not the first version of “me.”

That means there was a past life, and an even more distant past, and if that version of me passed something down to this version of me—some purpose or plan…

What if I was born to execute that plan?

That’s clearly not me, but still… me.

Reincarnation.

Soul regression.

Cycle.

…Thinking about it this way, my misfortune and bad luck actually make sense as part of my growth.

Even causality fits into this theory when you think about it.

Of course, it’s definitely not the direction we’d want.

Still, all this is just speculation.

Anyone can hypothesize and theorize. Just like how ancient philosophers, mages, and theologians created whole worlds with their various theories and topics.

“And Tiamat was probably… a victor yet also a loser, right? Her husband, uh… what was his name again?”

-Abzu. Or Kinggou, as some call him.

“Isn’t that Kinggou guy someone else entirely though?”

-I already said it: Tiamat’s husband had the same name. Besides, back then it was an age where goddesses ruled over gods. Look at Athena—originally she was meant to surpass Jeupse and claim her divine throne. In reality, though, she became subservient to Jeupse as part of the creation myth and ended up being his daughter. And Jeupse accepted that arrangement.

“Creation… Mother Goddess?”

-You’d find snake gods hard to understand since your world doesn’t have clear myths about them.

He’s just spouting nonsense I can’t comprehend.

“Anyway… since you were made from Kinggou’s blood, you carry original sin. If we take that literally, it means they lost the war for divine thrones and were thus created as servants. Is that correct?”

-For now.

“But even among those servants, there needed to be managers and leaders…”

-Those humans who sided with Marduk received benefits accordingly.

“And practically speaking, whether it’s Marduk, Enlil, or Tiamat, they all share the same roots, right?”

-Could be, could not be.

“…”

-Can’t help it. That’s the truth.

Trying to fit everything neatly into a mathematical formula gives me a headache.

Still.

“The World Tree, observers and watchers—how they interpret things defines their existence in the world. Is that what you mean?”

-Marduk could be Marduk, but depending on how the world shines light on him, he could also be Jeupse, Caelus, or Anu.

“If you’re talking about Caelus, do you mean Uranus? But what about Anu…?”

-Talking about each one individually would never end. They’re all one yet many, single yet identical entities. Simply put… are the you from a parallel world and the you from this world truly the same person? Are they equal beings? That’s the issue.

“…I get it.”

Ultimately…

What the World Tree focuses on becomes official history, while the rest gets relegated to unofficial lore. That’s the gist, right?

Though metaphorically speaking, everything might actually belong in the official record.

“So then…”

Suddenly, a frightening thought crossed my mind.

“If the World Tree has its own will, it could make any world the truth… or twist it into a lie, right?”

-You’re slow to catch on. The Demon Realm is already proof of that, isn’t it?

Looks like the situation is far more absurd than I imagined.

My eyes just haven’t grasped the full scope yet.

-However, if they can reclaim that will, such variables would disappear.

“…”

-When that happens, maybe you’ll gain a little… freedom.

Just a little bit.

“How many collapses and falls have we repeated by now?”

-The buildings you construct sometimes burn down, but you rebuild them and continue living, right? It’s the same thing.

The cycle of life and death works the same way when viewed this way, doesn’t it?

-In the grand cycles of existence, individuals always seem insignificant.

“Alright. Let’s set that aside for now. Since I’ve come here, shouldn’t Grandeous start teaching me what he wanted me to obtain?”

-You keep veering off-topic. I already said once it’s decided, that’s the end of it.

“…So, it’s decided but not really decided?”

-It depends on what you do.

Will you wield the fiery blade that burns the world?

Or grasp the wind that calms the seas?

Or seize the stone tablet inscribed with fate or heaven?

What about the arrow that pierced the neck of the sea?

Or perhaps thunder?

“…”

More riddles.

This feels worse than when I received the sword forged by Grandeous’ arrangement.

“And if I erase the old world, I’ll gain authority and opportunity. That makes me a Demon King in our world’s terms, right? You call us challengers?”

-Right. Not a single difficulty involved, right?

“…”

-Isn’t this因果 (cause and effect) dirt cheap?

Those who don’t pull down the privileged only suffer pain, inconvenience, irrationality, and lack until they perish.

Meanwhile, the privileged…

Enjoy their privileges endlessly but live in constant fear of being overthrown and must protect their status at all costs.

…Truly, it’s a futile battleground.

To some, this must look like nothing short of hell.

Even to me, it looks exactly like that.

-If you dislike it, change it. This rule, this world, these principles—they weren’t created because anyone liked them.

“…”

A brutal story.

“It’s like expanding the concept of your Demon Realm’s Demon King selection process or something.”

-Exactly. All the principles and laws are established governance systems taking that into account.

The rulers and overseers of the world can imprint their own rules and principles.

But creating everything from scratch gives you a headache, so most just copy existing systems.

From there, they add their own colors, their own imprints, to build their unique world.

-Humans forming families, societies, groups, nations, and faiths—it’s all basically pre-existing templates adapted to fit their needs.

There’s just one problem though.

-Chaos vs order. Good vs evil. These aren’t absolute.

“…”

Let’s stop here.

I’ve got a feeling continuing further will only give me a headache without solving anything.

Probably better to leave some things unknown.

Unmanageable knowledge is no different from poison.

Poison kills the body.

…But heart poison kills the spirit and mind.

In the end, dying is the same either way.

“…”

With that in mind, I felt the need to revisit something I had overlooked.

“So, what exactly were those giants I met?”

Souls drained, reason gone, immortal undead beings.

But they must have been giants in ancient times.

-Remnants of defeat and downfall.

“…”

-Why not investigate directly?

Guess I don’t have much choice.

Once again, I read the past.

The dark scenery before me shifts.

Yet somehow, a different world unfolds.

The place seems similar, but there aren’t major changes.

…Until I notice the appearances are shattered.

The room is completely wrecked.

“…”

Things have changed.

And I realize…

…I pressed Heeba too hard, questioning her almost like an accusation, based on what I had just understood.

At that moment she vanished, how did she interpret my words and intentions?

Depending on her personality and tendencies, I have a bad feeling.

All this likely happened long ago.

But for Heeba…

…this is the present, and for her, who sees the future, this might soon become reality.

Just by communicating with me, who peers into the past, proves her abilities aren’t ordinary.

If she starts using that power intentionally and actively…

…What might happen?

The building shakes.

From afar, cries and screams echo like wails…

I exit the location.

Torches illuminate the interior, but many people move hurriedly, filled with anxiety and fear.

Since there are no windows in the central area, I might need to go outside to see what’s happening.

As I stop peeking, darkness and silence return.

Naturally, upon reaching ground level, I see the corpse of a giant sprawled out at the far end of the corridor.

Climbing walls and moving along ceilings and pillars…

“…”

The one claiming to be Jeupse said:

These are their ancestors.

Which means this could also be interpreted as:

They challenged their gods.

And the fact they look like this now signifies their rebellion failed.

Meaning, they lost.

Reaching a spot where I can observe the outside isn’t particularly difficult.

Only…

It’s blocked.

Some places are collapsed, others sealed shut.

And there are obvious signs that someone intentionally blocked them.

Every space and opening that should’ve been open is sealed, showing a clear intention to cut off all breathing room.

“…”

But.

What I need right now isn’t a window to observe the ruins outside.

Perched on a high pillar, I read the past again.

The tall rectangular window that’s now sealed was wide open back then.

And what I witness…

Fire demons.

The entire world is burning.

It’s as if a wind made of fire swept through the entire city.

Or a river of flames covered the city in one fell swoop.

…Everything is fiercely ablaze.

The screams and wails grow clearer.

Behold.

In this moment, in this era, an unavoidable destruction has arrived.

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