NOVEL NEXT Chapter 225
We always dreamed of getting better someday, but…
Why does the world always flow in the exact opposite direction we hope for?!
Lucesia desperately tried to lift her powerless body, even if just barely.
However, her body wouldn’t obey.
Natural enemy.
Could it be that this simple wooden thing has rendered me so utterly powerless?
Also…
Was it true that divine blood ran through my veins?
Then what about my father? My father…
-That’s right. You’re Lucesia, correct? He, your father, died by my hands.
Surely, if he was killed by a warrior, then he must have been an evil person, a demon-like existence, right?
But did he know that the man he killed was his own flesh and blood?
If he didn’t know…
Or even if he did…
Either way, it’s not normal.
And I too…
…wasn’t normal.
Starting from a sect within Irene’s Order, we wandered between factions and heresies, seeking something new.
To challenge the gods, to pursue their level…
And ultimately, to become one ourselves.
Because only then could we silence this sorrow-filled world.
Hope, love, mercy…
All of it is nothing but empty dreams.
That, above all else, was the most malicious poison used to domesticate us like sheep.
Still…
Even though they made me this way, does that mean everything they taught was wrong?
No. It all fits perfectly.
Because this world is made entirely of pain and suffering.
“Lu…tesia.”
-Huh??
Thud.
A girl knelt beside Lucesia, collapsing onto the ground.
It was Delica.
She was… my only friend, savior, and…
My one and only sister.
“Do you… remember what I said earlier?”
-…
My heart stopped.
“The time has come. Use me…”
I shook my head violently, unable to turn it back.
Though there were no visible signs, Delica immediately sensed it.
“Why? If others can do it, why not me? My life, my future—whatever it is, it doesn’t matter!”
-No… stop!
That’s not what I mean! It’s not like that!
The situation is different… it’s completely different!
“Even as you deny it… it’s fine. Anyway, we’ll do it our way.”
Ever since we were young, we never chose anything.
We barely managed to grasp whatever results came our way.
So we give it our all at every moment.
Because that’s all we had left.
“We’re almost there, right? Stopping here would be unforgivable for anyone.”
When did she grab it?
Delica tightly clutched the crimson branch in her small hand and pointed its end toward her own neck.
Lucesia’s eyes widened in horror.
“If I’m left alone, I’ll die meaninglessly. So use me… meaningfully.”
I screamed inside.
A yell.
A cry.
No! No! Stop! Don’t do it!
Sister, why are you doing this?!
Please, don’t do such a foolish thing!
“If only I’d been smarter… stronger… maybe I could’ve carried some of your burdens…”
Haaah…
Delica left her words unfinished.
After a while, she paused as if savoring her final breaths, drawing in a long, deep inhale.
Then…
Without hesitation.
Pfft!
She willingly drove the crimson branch into her own throat.
And…
Lucesia could only helplessly watch the scene unfold before her, utterly powerless.
-Ah…
Ah, ah… Ah? Ah…
Ah…
[There’s no one left now but you! If you don’t awaken, how will we survive in this world?!]
Get up! How long do you plan to stay slumped over like this?!
[Nebro! For your sake, for all of ours, you must wake up! Break free and emerge!]
Ah… wise ones.
The source of my misfortune.
Maybe… I could’ve lived peacefully with Mom and Dad…
But you interfered, didn’t you?
And yet, you kept blaming me the whole time.
What exactly did you expect from me?
I’m nothing, absolutely nothing.
[This world… has no hope.]
Idylia.
[Everything… was futile.]
Marlez.
Maybe our journey was like foam on waves crashing against rocks, destined to vanish without a trace.
[Nothing has changed. This world was always like this.]
Zudre.
[Still, we mustn’t stop living. We can’t dishonor those who came before us…]
Jever.
[Kid, what’s with that pitiful face? Why do you act like you’re the unluckiest person in the world?]
Del…lica.
[Didn’t you see the possibility? So… go all the way. We’ve got nothing left but that…]
Sister.
[You must… must change this world…]
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I don’t quite understand, but someone was tightly gripping this body.
“It’s okay.”
??
“It’s all going to be alright.”
…?
“Dad… I’m late, but… still, it’s over now.”
What’s over?
What do you mean it’s over?
“In the future… your path will be very difficult. But even so… don’t give up on life. Please don’t hold a grudge.”
??
Who are you?
“On the day you were born, your mom and I felt like we owned the entire world.”
Mom? Dad?
“Even if everything in this world disappears, as long as you’re safe… no matter what anyone says, we… we…”
Aah…
“You’ve returned… after such a long journey.”
It truly was a long… journey.
“Lu…tesia. We… truly… sa…ved…”
…
…
…
??
Dad?
Dad?!
=====
An unexpected change suddenly arrived.
The world abruptly turned blood red.
It didn’t discriminate between the corruption zone or the outside.
Instead, it spread everywhere, expanding rapidly.
“???”
The black-armored knight who had been moving and charging forward—it was another version of me.
And the remnants stemming from it, which were affected by this phenomenon, crumbled instantly.
Clang!
As the black armor rolled across the ground, it turned its gaze elsewhere.
Every sensation in my body already warned me that the situation was far from ordinary.
-Did you surpass the Archontes and truly enter the realm of the Daemonurgos?
The golden girl beside me was looking at the scene with an unusually serious expression unlike before.
Over there, the crimson girl was floating regally in the sky, adorned with ten pairs of bright red wings and wearing a glowing red crown on her head.
“What do you mean by ‘Daemonurgos’?”
-Made-up god. Created being. False deity. The terminology varies.
“So what happens now?”
-I’m curious myself. Something that was supposed to exist only theoretically has manifested.
Theoretically?
<...>
Suddenly, I felt like it was paying attention to me.
‘Could the reason I couldn’t predict the future properly be because of…’
Because of this thing?
One thing’s for sure:
The entity before me transcended the limits of creation.
There was no sensation of pressure piercing my skin or crushing my entire body.
Yet…
That made it even more terrifying.
It was as if…
[Abracadabra]
Out of nowhere, it began chanting.
That voice? Or should I call it script?
The moment it started reciting…
The corrupted area expanded instantly, overwhelming the world.
It was nothing short of miraculous power.
-So, you’ve truly become a false deity.
“So what am I supposed to do about it?”
The golden girl casually explained.
-Right now, that kid is the baggage from another world’s version of you, dumped onto this version of you.
She smirked slightly.
-Leave it alone, and it’ll do whatever it pleases. Since it isn’t a true god, it has the privilege to meddle in the world of creations without violating any rules or principles. That’s what it is.
“…”
Truly…
This is an absurd situation.
Even when I was the Demon King, things were horrifying, but now? A godlike being?
“So should we summon your dad or something?”
-He can’t come here. Because he’s the victor, he won’t appear on any battlefield where defeat is certain. Even if he wishes otherwise, fate would interfere somehow, just like how he struggled to find you despite searching endlessly.
“…”
-And haven’t you realized by now? They may want to, but their world doesn’t. You’ve already become the nemesis of this world long ago, haven’t you?
“Back then, you didn’t say things were this bad.”
-Now it’s fine. You’ve reached a level where revealing the truth won’t harm you anymore.
Meaning I’ve finally earned the right to hear the truth.
How disheartening.
“Alright then. What do we do about this?”
I gestured toward Lucesia with my eyes.
For now, she hasn’t moved much.
But once she starts acting, who knows what might happen?
At that moment, a small figure beneath Lucesia stirred and slowly rose.
“…”
Delica.
I missed her extreme actions while distracted by the residue shown by the black armor.
In a sense, this was inevitable.
Still, I thought she’d suffered fatal injuries earlier, but now she seemed fully recovered.
And Minette…
‘So this is her limit too.’
Moreover, due to Lucesia’s awakening and its aftermath, the current battle situation froze completely.
As the corruption spread widely, the elves who had been leading the charge appeared significantly weakened.
Thanks to Queen and Alesia gathering reinforcements and constructing protective barriers using trees and the ground, combined with divine spells forming a defensive perimeter, it seemed the worst was avoided—for now.
But even this won’t last long.
Worst of all…
“Yeah, yeah. The air feels much better now. Very satisfying.”
From afar, his figure began to appear.
A figure emanating pitch-black darkness from his entire body.
Once called the War Deity, another version of myself.
Now known as Ares, Mars…
Or Baldur, the sole insane Demon King’s Legion Commander.
He’s dragging his heavy body toward us right now.
At this point, a hollow laugh involuntarily escaped my lips.
“…So this is how the world ends, huh?”
The girl beside me agreed immediately.
-It surpasses everything you’ve experienced so far. Looks like this is the absolute worst phase of your life.
Even the golden girl sighed deeply.
-So pull out all the stops. There’s no longer any definitive solution.
“…”
I’ve been doing that all along, though.
“Well then. While it might be unavoidable, we do owe him something now.”
Glancing at the motionless remains of the black armor, I finally called out into the sky.
“Zora. Or Huginn. Could you deliver a message to your master?”
Hardly had I finished speaking when a complaint erupted.
[You’re contacting me during THIS crisis?! Unbelievable! I’m struggling enough just keeping things together here!]
Normally, I’d listen patiently, but not this time.
Instead, I responded by flicking a golden coin into the air.
Ting!
As the golden coin spun in midair, a raven skillfully caught it.
“So what? Are we all just gonna perish together?”
After saying that, there was a brief silence before Zora reluctantly complied.
[Hmph. What a wretched existence.]
She has no choice either.
…But let’s set that aside for now.
“Athena.”
[Call me Azenia.]
She reacted instantly.
Has her domain shifted halfway into the divine realm, allowing instant communication now?
“Azenia. Will you lend us a hand too?”
[After rejecting me so harshly before?]
“Is this the same as when I rejected Ahriman?”
[I remember everything, you know? When you rejected my confession, I thought becoming your Ba’al would spare us from all this struggle…]
Still, the fact that I’m using her divine power and equipment means she allowed it, regardless of her words.
[But will that be enough?]
“It won’t, but I don’t have the position to ask for more. Besides, who knows? Maybe…”
There was a favor I received from an unfortunate Karriel from another world, supposedly entrusting me with Lucesia’s care.
I almost overlooked it entirely.
“Azenia. The reason why you’ve been stuck in my mind since childhood—I figured it out.”
[Oh my… what a pleasant surprise amidst all this misery. Have you finally summoned the courage to confront me and unveil the truth?]
“I don’t know.”
Really, this is beyond frustrating.
Countless questions and mysteries pile up endlessly, but…
“If we could summon our Lord, that’d be ideal—but I’m hated by Him and His world.”
The current ruler of this world.
If He existed, He could resolve this crisis effortlessly.
But He never directly intervened in the affairs of creations after sending His only daughter Irene, except after her death.
Despite evidence like holy maidens and divine powers, which some magical scholars argue aren’t exclusive gifts from Him but merely fragments of His grace under the term “White Magic.”
Still, this reinforces the mystery and fear surrounding Him.
Absolute unknowns and mysteries define His immense influence as He exists.
And why He instinctively hates me—and us.
“Hibaitein.”
Why this keeps sticking to me…
Was this also fate?
Reaching out, I retrieved the broken half of Hibaitein lying nearby in an utterly meaningless gesture.
“…”
And then…
I combined the two.
Anyway, Levaitein is unnecessary for Lucesia now.
Her mere existence alone can achieve far more.
Like, say, a living false god.
To creatures like us, such an existence isn’t comparable to the gap between ants and humans.
More like the gap between ants and dragons.
At least, that’s a reasonable comparison.
-…Hmm.
Meanwhile, Karriel actively assessed and responded to the situation.
Standing beside him, the former Demon King watched calmly alongside the golden girl, her expression unreadable as she steeled herself.