Chapter 639: There's Only One Truth
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"…Based on our research, the fake god's extraordinary abilities and the way such abilities are used are entirely different from magic or blood power. It is different from magic creatures, as well, and calls for more studies…"
"…After locating one of Mr. Thanos' relics with 'Mirror of Fate', we discovered that he had also conducted research on gods and was much more advanced than us. He had secretly preached for a hundred years and gathered the power of faith through special items… By grasping his research files, we made groundbreaking developments in our research, and we established certain religions on our own. Also, we separated and recruited Mr. Thanos' believers…"
Here, the experiment logs that described the way to make the special items had been entirely destroyed. Frowning, Lucien kept on reading. The record matched his conclusion before. After all, for religions that required time and population to accumulate the power of faith, it was impossible for them to suddenly soar. It was unreasonable that the Saint Truth and many other religions of fake gods emerged out of nowhere during the War of Dawn and became very powerful. There must've been a period of development that took decades if not hundreds of years.
Also, in the main material world, all the creatures that had hoped to gather godhood would be coveted and captured by the World of Souls, which would then fake their natural death. To dig out the mysteries of faith, one had to begin by discovering the fake gods in the alternate dimensions, exactly like how he encountered God Ell and the like. It also matched the history that Thanos conquered all the known alternate dimensions except hell and the abyss and led the magic society to the pinnacle and answered the question as to why so many underdeveloped alternate dimensions were conquered but no fake gods were ever discovered. It was because they were all intercepted by the Sun King who kept them a secret.
"…During my research, we found the World of Souls, and I also created the first special magic item with the gathered godhood – the Sun's Corona. It's a mark that I've embarked on the path to be a real god. I've made the first step towards the mysteries of this world and the dream of an everlasting life…"
It was indeed created by the gathered godhood. Lucien tapped the paper on which the experiment logs were recorded. It meant that, if the sorcerers could not find a way to steal the godhood of the God of Truth but try to create a divine item by establishing a religion to gather godhood, it would take a very long time. It would be impossible to shake the foundation of the Church using the fact that sorcerers could also create divine items.
"…I found a world that is beyond my imagination in this place. In the deepest and most quiet death, there was a sacred and overwhelming world of light, in which the brightness was twisted into a seven-floored mountain. Countless angels with pure wings on their backs and transparent holy spirits were dancing and singing… Was it angels, holy spirits and Mountain Paradise that Mr. Thanos envisioned? The worlds behind the black gates are a natural reflection of the death customs in different cultures. Then, could it be just like them, and it is derived from the collective consciousness of the believers of the Sun God? But it's still a surprise to see it here…"
"…The exploration on the Chamber of Immortality failed. I think I understand why the existence of the World of Souls sleeps near the chamber, and why there is so much concrete evidence suggesting that the secret of immortality lies there. Those things couldn't have been spread out without the exploration of the pioneers… Even the demigods suffered severe wounds in the pathway of immortality and had to recover from the river of fate over a long time?
"…We used the Mirror of Fate again and discovered Mr. Thanos' remaining laboratory. We read his experiment record…"
In the next, it was some notes that Thanos left behind:
"I've found a way to surpass the pathway of immortality, which is to transform myself into a weird status that is similar to ghosts and the primeval devils. Only by doing so will I be immune to the overwhelming power of disintegration and collapse inside the pathway. This happens to be what I've been working on. Chamber of Immortality, I'm coming!"
"…After many unimaginable dangers, I finally opened the door of the Chamber of Immortality, but was it the secret of immortality behind it? Why couldn't I be convinced at all? What did it mean exactly? Was the God of Death tricking me? But the traces of immortality everywhere and all the things around proved that the secret of immortality must be behind the door!"
'God of Death' was a random name that Thanos came up with for the mysterious existence of the World of Souls. As for the way of transformation and the dangers to be faced, the former was destroyed, and the latter had never been recorded by Thanos. At that time, he must've thought of another possibility and began his attempt to surpass the level of demigod.
"…Is it because I'm not strong enough that I cannot see the secret of immortality? Also, there are many insidious problems if I turn into a demigod by transforming into something similar to the primeval devils through gathering the power of emotions. Something may go terribly wrong! It's time to make another attempt. As long as I surpass this test and become the real Sun God, everything will be better. By then, I will surely be able to see the secret of immortality as a real god, won't I?"
"…I'm all set to become a real god. My approach is to completely melt myself with Mountain Paradise where godhood is gathered and solidified. This is a very dangerous step. Thankfully, I've made all the preparations. I created a perfect body and projected a bit of my essence into the body. If the melting fails and I am swallowed by Mountain Paradise, will I be reincarnated in him?"
No more notes from Thanos could be found again. It was back to the experiment logs of Maskelyne and his partners.
"…We didn't know that Mountain Paradise was created by Mr Thanos. He found a world of death that had angels. Then, he melted the special item with which he collected godhood into that world, thereby creating a Mountain Paradise that was much more powerful than he thought! Its magnificent power reached the peak of demigod, and as the power of faith increased and many holy spirits arrived, it gradually broke the limits of demigod…"
"…Mr. Thanos must've lost all his self-awareness when he melted himself into Mountain Paradise. To be more exact, he was dissolved and completely perished… He became a real god, exceeded the limits of demigod, and reached the apex of this world, but he does not know how strong he is. He can only function according to the preset rules like the most accurate magic circle. He does not have consciousness or a soul. No, it isn't correct to say that he does not have consciousness. He has consciousness that is hidden inside everybody's heart, a result of the influence of the power of faith…"
"…Mr. Thanos only left a platinum staff behind, in which are the rules that he set for Mountain Paradise. Because his real self has become a real god, his staff is enshrouded by the most powerful will. We can only crack it and grasp it gradually. By the time we can use it freely, we will be wielding the power of a real god!"
"…Mr. Thanos' preparation for his resurrection seemed to have failed, too. After the perfect body was woken up by us, he does have any memories or self-awareness about the Sun King anymore. He is a brand-new intelligent life. Of course, thanks to the projection of the Sun King, he is making crazy improvements in strength. Perhaps, he will reach the peak of legendary earlier than all of us. According to McLeod's proposal, we have given him a new name: Mecantron, which means the deputy sovereign of paradise and the young Sun God. It matches his real identity perfectly…"
Reading that, Rhine couldn't help but chuckle, "So, Mecantron is Thanos. No wonder I always feel that he is familiar. I thought it was because every pure beauty looked familiar to me…"
"Mecantron is not technically the Sun King. His soul, his consciousness and his memories, everything he has is different." Lucien believed that even Mecantron wouldn't think that he was Thanos, the Sun King and the 'God of Truth'!
Hardly had he finished his sentence when Lucien's head hummed as if it had been hit by a gigantic hammer. Seizing the key to the problem, he mumbled, "Mecantron is Thanos' reincarnation, Mecantron…"
"What's wrong?" Rhine was somewhat puzzled. Wasn't it what the Sun King acknowledged in his notes himself and what Maskelyne and the other sorcerers recorded in their experiment logs? Could somebody have fabricated it?
Lucien said, in both shock and confusion, "If Mecantron, the Angel King, is a reincarnation of Thanos, the Sun King, then only the six seraphs were actually made out of legendary sorcerers. However, seven legendary sorcerers went missing!"
It was simple math!
"Perhaps, the first product failed during the production?" Rhine became solemn, too.
"No…" Lucien murmured. Countless memories flashed in his head.
The puppet that was divided into 'six parts' by McLeod…
The residues of the magic circle in the grey hall that represented the different components of a hexagram…
Maskelyne left his secret laboratory in a hurry when he almost finished his conclusion, leaving only a mark of ink that indicated his shock…
'Maskelyne' shouted miserably, "It's not him; it's him!"
Viken took away the most important part of the files in the Sun King's underground palace, which was a relic that Maskelyne and the other sorcerers did not discover…
Viken's most weird 'Special Summoning Ritual'…
It was Viken who proposed to erase the experiment descriptions in their magic notebooks, and it was Viken who went missing first…
The monster shared a lot of similarities with the primeval devils. It seemed to know everybody's memories and feel the deepest feelings in their heart, and it was one or half a level stronger than the target…
"Viken…" Lucien seemed to see a grey-haired old man sneering at him. He said fuzzily.
Rhine's ears were keen enough for him to catch it. He repeated, "Viken? It was him?"
Lucien had connected all the clues and made many deductions. His shock was gradually gone. His eyes dark and profound, he pushed his monocle and said solemnly and confidently:
"Although there are many things that we haven't figured out yet, there is only one possible truth!"
The grey mirror on their back suddenly became clear, and a blurry shadow protruded.
Chapter 640: The Monster's Real Strength
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Lucien had a strong sense of danger, and the shadow of his Host Star of Destiny shook his soul violently. Therefore, while shouting 'watch out' in the telepathic bond, he performed the fastest short-distance teleportation.
His body disappearing where it was, Lucien blinked to the door of the ancillary laboratory, only to discover that the dusty mirror had become clear, and a blurry, twisted shadow was protruding and walking out of it!
It demonstrated its dominance without any reserve, upsetting Lucien and nullifying the Mechanized Mind, Mental Barrier and other spells on him.
It was the air of that monster!
It was the pressure of the demigod level!
"It's finally here?" During their two skirmishes, the monster had shown its air when it failed eventually and when its two shadows were melted. Therefore, Lucien recognized that the grey blurry shadow was the monster that guarded the 'Realm of Gates'!
Rhine's figure broke like a dream, and the dark shadow at the door of the laboratory was regathered into him.
In the telepathic bond, he said with unprecedented solemnity, "Demigod. This is the pressure of a real demigod…"
His conclusion had always been that the monster was not as strong as a demigod, or it would've already killed him. However, it seemed that the monster had merely been tricking the people who intruded in the Realm of Gates, letting them approach the end of their life in desperation and pain.
Having witnessed 'God's Arrival' and welcomed Alterna to possess him, Lucien understood the pressure of demigods very well. He did not need Rhine to remind him but simply cast his spell. "Space Staff!"
Time flowed much faster around him. His body split into many identical Luciens, who fled to different directions of Thanos' laboratory at full speed.
The monster snorted. "You are trying to deceive me with illusions that are not even legendary?"
The transcendent, overwhelming air arrived with its voice, making time and space back to normal. All the real illusions were shattered.
From the void, Lucien's real self appeared. He did not give up even though he was faced with a demigod. A delicate and exquisite pocket watch appeared in his right hand, whose black second hand ticked forward.
Crack. As Lucien pressed his thumb, paleness arose from the greyness around, and everything was slowed down.
The monster, whose face was changing all the time, was utterly unaffected. It completely left the mirror and approached the two of them, its voice of mockery entering Lucien's ears across the different time and space.
"If you were a top legend, your 'Advanced Time Stop' might have influenced me a bit. Alas, you are not. Do you believe that I can completely kill you with a random attack? That's the gap between a demigod and the non-top-legends."
Rhine's legendary items to resist 'Advanced Time Stop' had been consumed, and he was now caught in the effect of time stop and stood like a statue. Lucien's head was an utter mess. He was grasped by deep desperation. The monster was beyond what he was capable of dealing with. If he had met the top legends who were not immune to 'Advanced Time Stop' and 'Gravity Collapse', there would be a chance for him to escape with the special features of the Realm of Gates, but it was not going to happen now that he had run into a demigod!
The monster had abandoned the feature that it was only one level or half a level stronger than the target and simply attacked with full strength. Now that he thought of it, the Moon Timer only worked because it played by the 'game rules' when he encountered the Rhine that the monster faked!
In his desperation, the toughness in Lucien's heart and his never-to-give-up belief made him grit his teeth. "Nothing is absolutely certain! I'm going to fight the odds! What about demigods? Can they be more horrifying than fate?"
"Vengeful Gaze!"
"Vengeful Gaze!"
"Vengeful Gaze!"
In the effect of time stop, three crimson rays that were attached with 'Hand of Uncertainties' shot out of Lucien's ruby left eye.
…
Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!
In the magic tower inside 'Atomic Universe', Natasha, in a black knight suit, stood before the piano and pressed her narrow, long fingers hard, as if she were venting her emotional turmoil and encouraging herself to fight.
Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!
Natasha's eyes were slightly red, and her face with brimming with determination. The rhythm of the Symphony of Fate swept over astoundingly, panicking the servants around and making them feel like swallows in a thunderstorm that could not resist the horror of nature.
Why did I waver? Why am I not confident in advanced into legendary? Why do I feel that I'm utterly useless? While playing the piano, Natasha asked herself, gnashing her teeth.
…
The effect of 'Advanced Time Stop' was over, and the crimson rays hit the defenseless monster at the speed of light. Then, it penetrated through the monster as if it had hit a cluster of smoke and reached the wall, raising a swirl of scorching light.
"This is…" The monster suddenly sounded rather scared, as if it had sensed something, but then it laughed. "If you were a top legend, the weird spell that you secretly added might've hurt me for real. I've never seen, nor am I capable of simulating, such weird stuff. However, it's a pity that you are not."
"Alright, let me show you 5% of my capabilities."
The overwhelming, terrifying storm of energy suddenly burst out. The monster waved its hands and launched an attack in the way of a knight.
"Elemental Protection!" Lucien activated the Robe of Grand Arcanists in a hurry.
The colorful spots of light were gathered into a translucent layer of defense and protected Lucien's body.
Crack. The energy storm was blown at the shield of 'Elemental Protection', breaking it apart and hitting Lucien heavily.
Elemental Skin, Magic Absorber, Stone Skin, Energy Immunity and other spells were activated one after another, finally weakening the energy storm to the point that it could not stop Lucien from blinking.
Even so, Lucien, who had blinked to door of another room, felt like vomiting blood. He had been heavily wounded!
"How about it? Are you desperate now? I love the taste of desperation most. Haha. This is merely 5% of my capabilities." The monster laughed aloud and approached Lucien and Rhine like a cat playing with mice, while it controlled the defense of Thanos' laboratory, forbidding teleportation inside.
Suddenly, it stepped forward, shattering the platforms, tables and other things like a dream. Rhine, who was at the door, stepped back, with blood flowing out of his mouth.
"Real Dream? It's a shame that you are not Dracula. I can wake you up from your dream by the sheer suppression of my overwhelming strength." The monster laughed gloatingly. "Come on. Bring out all your spells and naturally-endowed talents. I like tricking with people most. I will cast you into the deepest desperation."
Lucien struggled to suppress his wounds with magic. Then, he turned into a legendary knight, raising the Shield of Truth and slashing the silver longsword!
Desperation?
I'll never be desperate or give up as long as I have the slightest consciousness!
…
The exciting music made everybody shiver uncontrollably, but Natasha suddenly pressed the keys hard, resulting in an unharmonious noise. Then, she picked up 'Pale Justice' and walked out of the magic tower firmly.
I don't need to finish it to know what I should do!
Until it is over, I should practice, practice, and practice! Even though the chances are one thousandth, I should still strive for it! Weakness and desperation are pointless!
…
The silver longsword cut the monster like a crescent moon. The gaps of void soon tore it apart, but very soon, the pieces were regathered into a twisted shape of a human, who mocked wickedly, "As expected of the Sword of Truth. It's a shame that you are only a level-three. If it were a knight with the blood power of 'Sword of Truth' at the peak of legendary who attacked me, I might have perished just now. It's a shame that you are not."
At some point, a small, neat black bow appeared in Rhine's hands, and a bloody broken arrow had been placed on it.
After he drew the bow, the bloody broken arrow was shot out with the intense air of destruction.
The monster stopped laughing and said in a low voice, "Space Protection!"
Many overlapping spaces seemed to have appeared next to the monster. After passing a lot of them, the broken arrow finally disappeared into the void.
"Not bad. As expected of the Observe with an abundant collection. I didn't know that Malhanu's destructive bow was in your hands." The monster praised. "However, you forgot that I only said that top legends might've hurt me. I didn't say that they could certainly hurt me. Hahaha. How about it? Isn't it very fun?"
Malhanu's Bow was a top legendary item known as 'Godslayer', but it had a high requirement on the user. After Rhine shot the arrow, the blood all over his body seemed to have been drained. He became dry and slim.
"Godslayer's Arrow, I'm capable of that, too!" The monster launched another attack. A bloody broken arrow flew out of its hands and shot at Lucien who was protecting Rhine with the Shield of Truth.
When the bloody broken array hit the Shield of Truth, it dissolved the illusionary waves immediately, as if it had knocked down a whole world!
As the unimaginable pressure came at him, Lucien could not hold the Shield of Truth anymore. He was blown away into one of the grey rooms.
…
Inside 'Atomic Universe', Natasha, holing 'Pale Justice', was fighting in the cosmos with the planets of elements as her imaginary enemies. Beads of sweat dripped off her forehead, reached her eyes, and fell from her cheeks.
As she slashed her swords out, terrifying gaps appeared on the planets.
Natasha did not shout to vent her fury after her every attack. Instead, all of her feelings, determination and blood power were melted into her attacks.
You ask me if I will waver?
You ask me if I will give up?
You ask me if I am desperate?
My longsword will give you answers!
…
"If your Shield of Truth had reached the level of 'God's Guard', my previous attack would've been in vain, but it's a pity that you are not Mecantron. Now, have you gained a full understanding about your insignificance and uselessness?" The monster mocked.
Lucien fell on the floor. Before him was the pit where Sard died just now. He almost slid and dropped to the bottom of it.
The magic circles around emitted cold brilliance and circulated just like before, as if no battles were going on at all.
"Sard died here just now. Are we also going to…" Lucien had a terrible feeling. The monster's intentional heavy thudding seemed to be reminding them of the arrival of death.
"It's great that the monster likes talking and tricking people, or we would've died after the first attack." Lucien held back his ominous feeling and looked for a chance of survival from that aspect.
If you want to play, we will play with you!
Thinking hard, Lucien's eyes were suddenly frozen. At the bottom of the pit where Sard died, the head of a puppet had appeared at some point.
"It wasn't here before…"
Sard's death…
The paper scraps and the puppet parts that they had obtained easily…
Maskelyne's undestroyed notebook…
The coincidental encounter with 'Mountain Paradise'…
The experiment logs in the laboratory…
After he saw the puppet head, all of Lucien's questions surged out and got connected. A lightning struck in his head and illuminated everything.
Laughing, the monster walked to Lucien and Rhine. "What now? You've given up resisting? You're desperate now?"
Lucien stood up. As if he were faced with not a demigod but a dog, he cleaned his bow-tie and his suit while he smiled, "Why would I resist?"
Rhine looked at him curiously. The monster also stopped and sneered, "Where's your fighting will and your resolution a moment ago?"
Pressing his chest with his right hand, Lucien bowed:
"Sometimes, the enemy we think may turn out to be our best ally."
"Thank you for preserving the experiment logs, the magic notebook and the puppet parts."
The monster's laughter stopped.
Chapter 641: Your Show and Mine
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"What are you talking about?" The monster did not attack after it stopped laughing but looked at Lucien solemnly.
Lucien pushed his monocle and said, "Mecantron, the Angel King, is an incarnation of Thanos, and the six seraphs are made from six legendary sorcerers at the beginning. Based on all the clues, we can conclude that the mastermind behind the curtain is Viken, the Sovereign of Disasters, who was the first to go missing."
'King of Calamities' was both Viken's legendary class and his nickname, meaning that he caused disasters to the world, life and people.
"And?" The monster seemed really interested in Lucien's deduction.
"Since the platinum staff, an important item that Thanos left behind, is in the hands of the pope instead of the Realm of Gates, it suggests that somebody did leave this place with the platinum staff that can master the power of Mountain Paradise." Rhine helped Lucien go on.
Lucien nodded. "Therefore, without other clues, we may consider the pope as the schemer Viken. However, there is a paradox in our deduction."
"Oh, what is it?" The monster asked very cooperatively, showing no sign of launching an attack.
"As the victor at the beginning who crafted six legendary sorcerers into seraphs, he was actually betrayed by the Angel King and Sard. What does it indicate? It indicates that he could not control Mountain Paradise and the Realm of Gates effectively." Lucien had no doubt that Viken was an out-and-out demigod now.
"Viken lost control over Mountain Paradise when the situation was entirely manipulated by him, which means that something else had happened back then, and that a certain being here which was strong enough to resist him prevented him from coming to the Realm of Gates often. However, if he didn't come often, his control over the Angel King and the seraphs would be gradually weakened. Also, the being that resisted him would surely try to influence the Angel King. As a result, betrayals were inevitable."
Lucien talked casually, as if he were not in a life-and-death battlefield but on a podium giving a speech.
"Are you implying the existence of the World of Souls?" The monster chuckled.
Lucien looked at the monster with a smile. No. Waiting for his resurrection and return in the pathway of immortality, he was obviously unable to shoulder such an important responsibility. I was talking about you. It was you who scared Viken, making him dare not to come to the Realm of Gates often."
Before the monster replied, Lucien raised his left hand despite Rhine's surprise and pointed at the monster. "If it weren't for you, why would the paper scraps, puppet parts, magic notebooks and experiment logs been kept intact without being destroyed by Viken?"
"If it weren't for you, why would we have run into so many clues so easily and coincidentally?"
"If it weren't for you, why would Sard have happened upon the Angel King?"
"If it weren't for you, why could he have left the Realm of Gates safe and sound?"
"If it weren't for you, where would the mysterious piece inside Sard have been from? Why would he have intentionally directed us to this place, allowing us to watch the magic circle?"
"If it weren't for you, why would you have wasted so much time talking, giving us the chance to escape, in our previous battles?"
One coincidence was acceptable, but there must be other reasons if there were too many of them!
Rhine realized what was going on and looked at the monster. "You did that in order to reveal Viken's real face and look for helpers to deal with him?"
The monster fell into unusual silence and did not talk.
Lucien looked at the monster solemnly. "I don't think you are guarding the Realm of Gates willingly. In fact, you are controlled by Viken and implanted with many restraints. That's why you cannot leave and why you need external help."
"I think the experiment did not go wrong when Mr. Maskelyne and his partners created you with ghosts. In fact, it was Viken who tricked them with the devil transformation methods that he inherited from the Sun King. So, you had to follow his instruction after you were born and help him capture the other six legendary sorcerers."
"I think you would've been another method of resurrection that Thanos left behind if Viken hadn't seen through it. That's why you are a demigod-level being and why you could 'help' Sard to perform God's Arrival!"
"I think that Viken's restraints must've been flawed since you are also a demigod. That's how you got out of his control when he left the Realm of Gates to develop the Saint Truth. However, the restraints do exist, forcing you to kill every creature that enters the Realm of Gates and forbidding you from telling everything to us. That's why you remind us in different ways and give us a way of survival by useless talks."
Staring at the monster, Lucien declared, his words shooting like cannonballs:
"I think that the battle in Thanos' laboratory was between Viken and you. You didn't fail, and he didn't win. You got to preserve part of the experiment logs!"
"That's why Mr. Maskelyne and McLeod were reminded by you in the end and recognized who the real culprit was. That's why he told me that the enemy we think may turn out to be our best ally!"
"Am I right, Mr. Monster?"
After a brief silence, the monster suddenly chuckled, "You're wrong in some parts. For example, until you found Thanos' laboratory and identified Viken, I could only demonstrate the strength one or half a level higher than the target's, or I would lose the ability or memory retrieval and mimicry. That's a natural limit."
"So, you have admitted the rest of my theory, Mr. Monster?" Lucien smiled.
The monster laughed, "You are very smart, but it's a pity that I still have to kill you."
The monster didn't really have a choice.
As if he did not hear his death sentence, Lucien said casually and gracefully, "It's alright. You don't need to kill me. I'll die on my own."
"Will you?" The monster sounded rather strange.
Lucien pressed his chest with his right hand and bowed again as a gentleman.
"I won't waste your time, Mr. Monster?"
As he spoke, he stretched his arms into a human-shaped cross. His suit was unbuttoned, and the thin chain of his watch extended all the way to the pocket of his waistcoat.
Then, he fell backwards, his hair dancing crazily in the wind.
Behind Lucien was the gigantic pit full of magic patterns, and the destination of his free-fall was the center of the bottom of the pity!
Suddenly, a cluster of black bats flew over and pulled Lucien. Rhine had finally understood what Lucien was trying to do.
Surrounded by the countless bats like a cloud, Lucien fell to the center of the magic circle with his arms opened.
"Mr. Monster, I wonder how should I call you?" The patterns in the magic circle around Lucien glittered one after another, and he asked the final question.
As it watched Lucien fall backwards, the monster put on a smile of satisfaction, its face getting clearer and clearer.
Then, he looked at Lucien who lied at the bottom of the pit. His appearance became entirely clear inside Lucien's monocle. He was a gloomy-looking old man with grey hair.
"A long time ago, my name was also Viken…"
What? Lucien looked at him in surprise. Suddenly, the broken puppet occurred to him.
The magic pattern was entirely illuminated. The monotonous, silence black, white and grey and the clear, flourishing ivory power surged and gathered again. Death and life, evil and holiness, darkness and light, they entangled Lucien and Rhine weirdly.
...
Inside a grey hall in the Realm of Gates, traces of destruction were everywhere. Even the wall and the black gates of several halls nearby were also ruined. Liquids were dripping out and repairing them.
"This 'Realm of Gates' is alive?" Fernando looked around and said in surprise.
Douglas also observed the wall and the gate in curiosity. "Why is the Realm of Gates alive? What exactly is such a life form?"
"Stop asking questions. Let's track the Angel King. It's not easy to wound him so heavily. We cannot let go of the opportunity. After we catch him, we will know why he appeared in the World of Souls and the Realm of Gates." Fernando urged him. If they could learn the secrets about the Realm of Gates from the Angel King, it would help them to locate Lucien.
Douglas moved his eyes back and said solemnly, "Alright."
Just now, they entered deep into the Realm of Gates by tracing the Angel King and caught up to him in this grey hall. Joining their hands, they heavily wounded the Angel King who hadn't reached the influence of Mountain Paradise yet. If it weren't for the powerful 'God's Guard', Mecantron could've barely escaped. After all, Douglas was on his way to becoming a demigod, and the two of them were well prepared for the attack.
The prepared sorcerers were always the most terrible enemy!
...
Inside one grey hall, seeing that he had gotten rid of his pursuers, Mecantron stopped and planned to stabilize his wounds with the divine power.
Many feathers on the thirty-six wings on his back had fallen. Gold blood was all over his lips. Obvious and devastating wounds were everywhere on his body. Even the recovery ability of the Angel King could not heal them immediately. He had apparently been hurt deeply.
"I'll let you know my wrath after I enter the influence of Mountain Paradise!" The Angel King gnashed his teeth. His strength would be half a level higher when he was around Mountain Paradise, and the enhancement did not have a time limit.
Just when he performed the divine power, his face was suddenly twisted. His gold pupils were now bright and now dim. Holding his head tightly, he cried, "Who is it? Who's projecting into my body?"
He was surrounded by holy light, as he tried to resist the unknown attacker who was attempting to occupy his body.
A solemn and grave voice echoed. "It's not easy to wait for an opportunity so that you can be wounded again. You may call me Rudolf II, or Thanos, my previous name!"
"What?" Mecantron was totally surprised. He immediately lost control of his mind. After brief chaos, his gold pupils became clear again, and the wounds on his body were quickly healed.
Shaking his head and getting used to his body, 'Mecantron' sneered, "Who would've written the real method of resurrection on a notebook? I only had to grope for the path of advancement again because of my incomplete memories, or I wouldn't have waited for such a long time at all."
Chapter 642: Status Transformation
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Lich King and the Wraith Lord, who were hiding near the Furnace of Souls, kept an eye on the Realm of Gates, ready to attack anyone who had escaped out of there.
Suddenly, they saw that the Servant of Death flew out with the Dragon Lich in a cluster of smoke.
"Did you kill them?" The Lich King appeared from the void. Although he knew that the Servant of Death could not kill Douglas, he still couldn't help but ask.
The Servant of Death put down the Dragon Lich who had been heavily wounded by Rhine. Two red spots were gathered in the smoke, as he spoke casually, "We didn't, but we could not linger any longer, or the monster would've killed us."
He secretly gnashed his teeth. A while before, he thought that he was the hunter, but he found that the prey inside were all terribly brutal. Even the two young 'gentlemen' who looked weak could've killed him with their equipment. He probably would've completely perished if he hadn't reacted quickly enough. It was all thanks to the protection of the 'Lord' that he was not killed!
"We have fulfilled our responsibility. The 'Lord' will not blame us." The Lich King comforted the Servant of Death as well as himself.
…
Enshrouded by the two opposite, incompatible powers, Lucien felt that his soul, body, spiritual power, clothes, rings, badges and pocket watch were all caught in an amazing state.
The transcendental feeling of looking down at everything from high above that he had when Alterna arrived occurred to him again, allowing Lucien to transform towards that direction. He seemed to be away from the material world as well as the spiritual world and was observing himself from a very high perspective in a state where the two worlds coexisted.
It was an indescribable thing, because his soul, his physical body, his spiritual power, and his consciousness were all inside the magic circle. It was impossible for him to see himself from the outside world!
But the feeling was so real, and it was similar to the feeling that somebody looked at him from the high cosmos when his cognitive world received the feedback. The only difference was that his perspective had been moved to the 'guy' who observed him from the high cosmos indifferently.
His soul and his physical body had uncanny, unimaginable changes. They were now ubiquitous like clouds in the sky, and now compressed into concrete matter.
"This is…" Lucien, who observed himself transcendentally, vaguely realized what was going on, the real ability of the magic circle, and its relationship with the Furnace of Souls… Those were perhaps things that even the Sun King did not know even though he was the one who established the magic circle.
"Comparing such a transformation with Silver Moon's arrival, I can tell that they have major differences despite the apparent similarities. Also, they are both short of something critical. Is that why they are only demigods and why Alterna and the others cannot pass the pathway of immortality?" Nobody had more experience than Lucien did in this world. He had abundant theories and hypotheses that he could verify with.
After being used too many times, vague cracks had appeared on the patterns in the magic circle. It seemed to be breaking after several usages. Only the Sun King was capable of renewing it, and other people must spend a tremendously long time on cracking it first.
Suddenly, Lucien's body and soul seemed to be melted. Generating an enormous attraction force, they pulled 'Lucien' who was observing himself indifferently from high above into his body.
The transcendental perspective was immediately gone. After a brief dizziness, Lucien resumed his consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw the monster who was looking at him.
"Very good. You are already 'dead'." The monster put a smile on his gloomy, slim face. "As a matter of fact, I was worried that you could not be transformed by the magic circle, because there are too many things in your soul that I cannot perceive and pry into. It seems that you have many enigmas in your body."
"That's a different matter." Lucien stood up with a smile. He discovered that he was in a weird ghost state. He could be dispersed and regathered at any point, and he was still level-one legendary. All his items were still on him. He even had a perfect 'substitution puppet'.
Rhine had also been transformed into a similar state. He chuckled, "This magic circle gives me a similar feeling to the Primordial Ancestor's. It seems that the mystery of Thanos' advancement is in it. Hehe. I thought that I could be promoted into a demigod after the transformation."
"How could it be so easy to become a demigod? I am a demigod because Viken and I are the two sides of the same entity. We are the different forms of the same demigod. That's also a problem of this path. Thanos experienced the same. That's why he tried to become a real god despite the risks. However, Mountain Paradise was merely a combination of world energy and the power of faith. It was powerful but not of a high level, and it only had the qualities of a real god when Thanos' consciousness was melted into it." The monster did not dive into the details. It seemed that he was forbidden from telling the secrets even though his listeners were 'dead'.
Lucien did not pursue any further, fearing that the monster would kill him if he triggered a certain restraint. However, he could guess what happened. Viken must've been a top legend before he entered the World of Souls and was looking for a way to become a demigod. What was left in Thanos' laboratory gave him a complete approach. So, when the monster was being created, he separated part of his soul and melted it into the monster with his virtual personality, transforming it into his clone. He let the monster deal with Maskelyne while he took the chance to become a demigod using the Sun King's possessions.
Something must've gone wrong during the process. As a result, the monster gained certain self-awareness, and Viken got rid of all the other problems, turning into a more perfect demigod than Thanos. Otherwise, it would be unexplainable why Thanos had problems all the time whereas Viken led the development of the Saint Truth for a thousand years.
"Did Viken separate himself and create a 'monster' as a way to eliminate most of the insidious problems because his research was better than Thanos', or was it a coincidence?" Lucien preferred the first guess. Viken couldn't have seen it coming that the monster also became a demigod after he became a demigod, which made it impossible for him to melt the monster.
The monster was rather talkative, perhaps because he had been suffocated for too long. "In order to become a demigod on this path, you first need an alternate dimension or a world behind the gate that high matches you. Then, you have to boast enormous power of faith. After that, you have to find a way to melt them. In the end, you transform the two things with the force of feelings that have been gathered earlier. The odds of failure are very high. There can be many insidious problems. The strength may be higher than the natural-born demigods, but it is not as good as their strength in nature."
"Hehe, but we can all use 'God's Arrival'. Maltimus and Alterna wandered outside several times but dared not come in. Only the brainless Abyss barged in without thinking."
Lucien became rather solemn. He was capable of 'God's Arrival', too? It was not entirely impossible based on the fact that Sard could use 'God's Arrival' with the mysterious piece. Therefore, he asked in a low voice, "Mr. Monster, neither you nor Viken easily used 'God's Arrival'. It couldn't have been because you feared that you might die. Was it because you were wary of each other?"
Demigods, to some extent, boasted an external life. The recoil on the soul and the body was certainly not a big deal. Therefore, Lucien speculated that the more 'God's Arrival' was used, the weaker the soul would be and the more likely that they would be swallowed by 'themselves'.
In that case, Viken, or the pope, would be even more terrifying than he thought. He was probably the strongest of all demigods if he had his platinum staff.
The monster smiled but did not reply. There was no telling whether he would rather not say it or he had been restrained. "So, you'd better not try to become a demigod in this way. You don't want to fight yourself every day, do you?"
Lucien smiled. "I have my own direction. I will not walk on the path that is possibly wrong."
He was not certain that it was wrong because his research hadn't proved so. He was merely rephrasing Silver Moon Alterna's narration.
Also, based on his knowledge and his feelings just now, Lucien vaguely thought that Thanos and Viken had both regarded assistances as the key but ignored what was really critical to becoming a demigod, exactly like what the Lord of Hell mocked before.
"You seem very confident. Then, I wouldn't project myself into your body and help you perform 'God's Arrival', which will make your soul corrupted by me. Alright, such a status can last ten minutes. When you turn back, you will no longer be the intruder now, and I won't kill you. However, you'd better not touch other things, or my restraints may be activated and get you into serious trouble." The monster reminded him. For him, it was already a success if Lucien could learn Viken's secrets and make it out alive.
He didn't find Douglas and the rest of them because they were too strong and tended to be greedy. The monster knew desires very well.
Lucien nodded his head. "Alright."
He was truly confident about himself. Just now, the status transformation gave him the hope of improving to level-two legendary very soon. More importantly, he vaguely understood and grasped something through the ritual, which shed light on his future development.
"I suggest you take a look at the Chamber of Immortality." The monster suddenly said, "Most of the dangers on the way have been eliminated by Thanos, Viken and me. You should be able to reach it safely. It's a shame that none of us understood what we saw. That's why Viken has been eager to capture the Silver Moon and the Lord of Hell, hoping to find a way to make up for the insidious problems from them."
Rhine smiled. "Are you resorting to the strategy of numbers, wagering on the possibility that some of them could see through the mysteries of immortality?"
"Don't be so blunt." The monster turned into Rhine's look and teased him, showing no sign that he was a murderous monster. However, Lucien was still quite wary of him. He understood people very well, was born from an assortment of feelings, and melted part of Viken's negative personalities. He was a natural 'devil'. He was only so convivial because he was stranded in this place. If he made it out alive…
Lucien nodded. "In fact, I would pay a visit to the Chamber of Immortality even if you didn't mention it, Mr. Monster. It's not easy to be transformed into such a state."
Rhine naturally had no objection. That was his purpose when he explored the World of Souls for the first time.
When Lucien and Rhine went to the pathway of immortality through the Realm of Gates, the monster smiled and said to himself, "I have to fight other people now…"
Thanos' laboratory became quiet again. From the pure, scorching light of the defense, a shadow suddenly crept out. In a white long robe with scarlet eyes and an eternal mocking smile on his lips, he was exactly 'Geno', the embodiment of the Lord of Hell!
"Had I known this, I would have come in directly instead of covering my trace with the air of Silver Moon on Lucien." The Lord of Hell shrugged with a smile and jumped into the pit, activating the magic circle again.
Obvious cracks appeared as the magic circle began to function. After this time, the magic circle probably could never be used again.
…
Recovering from his wounds, 'Mecantron' snorted, "Hehe. That monster Viken wanted the emperor with the blood power of 'Angel King' to stall Mecantron? That's really the greatest joke!"
As he spoke, his wounds were recovered, and his body was twisted into unpredictable transparency.
"What's inside the Chamber of Immortality? I can't remember it at all…"
"However, I do remember that this is the way to go into the Chamber of Immortality…"
Chapter 643: Pathway of Immortality
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
To go from the Realm of Gates to the Pathway of Immortality, one did not need to leave from the exit and enter the other side, as a certain black gate was already connected to the Pathway of Immortality. Thanos and Maskelyne suspected that the weird ghosts entered the Realm of Gates from this place, because they obviously carried the feature of the Pathway of Immortality.
After the monster intentionally changed the pattern of changes in the Realm of Gates, Lucien and Rhine saw a world of surging grey dust the moment they opened the black gate. There was a straight road leading to the depths of it.
It was not until this moment that Lucien and Rhine realized why McLeod, Maskelyne and the other legendary sorcerers failed to escape. It was because the monster boasted the ability to manipulate the changes in the Realm of Gates. When they reached the coordinates of the entrance that they calculated, they would discover that it was the laboratory that they just left. How devastating it must've been!
Lucien was rather scared of such a future. If the monster hadn't been against Viken, even a demigod couldn't have escaped from the Realm of Gates and could only return from the void after their demise over a long time.
That was probably why the Silver Moon and the Lord of Hell dared not explore Thanos' laboratory in the Realm of Gates.
"I didn't know that the pope was Viken, the King of Calamities who dominated Holm and Brianne…" Lucien said with mixed feelings. Gregory I, Charlie II or Benedict III had been possessed by Viken either before or after they became the pope. "Also, the restraint of his 'God's Arrival' was only 'himself'…"
The grey dust was blown away by Lucien with his spiritual power before it hit him.
Rhine narrowed his eyes against the sand. "Everything is still under control as long as he doesn't find an opportunity to swallow the monster. Your 'Arcana Voice' should work hard on disseminating 'secrets of the pope' in order to deal with Viken."
"We've smeared the pope too hard before, claiming that he was the embodiment of the Lord of Hell, a villain who loved little boys, or a disguised evil sorcerer. Those 'secrets of the pope' do not sound very astonishing without undeniable proof." Lucien finally knew how the boy in The Boy Who Cried Wolf felt.
Rhine couldn't help but laugh at Lucien's remark. "That's only because your programs pursue nothing but novelty. At the very least, you have a complete story chain this time. Those Grand Cardinals will certainly be more or less suspicious."
Then, he said rather relaxedly, "With the general theory of relativity, Douglas will be likely to become a demigod. Then, it will be impossible for Viken to destroy the Congress of Magic. So, time is on your side. The more you delay it, the better. There's no need to bring it out even if you have proof, in case Viken counterattacks desperately."
"Yes, a prolonged battle is in our favor…" Lucien then shook his head. "There are many obstacles for Mr. President to become a demigod. For example, although many solutions to the gravitational equations in the general theory of relativity are pointless, I believe that some of them correspond with the astronomical phenomena in the cosmos. Mr. President will not become a demigod until those phenomena are found."
Not hearing Rhine's reply, Lucien turned around, only to discover that he was confused.
"Mr. Rhine?" Lucien asked in the telepathic bond.
Rhine gasped. "What are gravitational equations? What are astronomical phenomena?"
Lucien suddenly realized that there was no astronomy but only astrology in this world. He was about to explain, when Rhine shook his hands in fear, "We will still be good friends if you don't talk about arcana."
It was a line in a certain tale that Lucien made up in Arcana Voice. He had borrowed it for his own use.
Lucien was immediately amused. At this moment, a black gate enshrouded in illusionary ripples appeared.
The two of them moved fast and reached the entrance of the Pathway of Immortality in only one minute.
"The Chamber of Immortality…" Rhine heaved a sigh.
Lucien was excited, too. What was hidden inside the Chamber of Immortality? Why was everybody who opened it so disappointed? Where was the weird feeling of familiarity from?
Holding back his excitement, Lucien checked the gate and opened it.
The gate moved backwards slowly. An ancient path appeared before their eyes. It had no decorations or traces of bricks, as if it were in an intangible other world.
"Perhaps, 'God's Guard' is a divine power that Thanos created with the Pathway of Immortality as the model…" Lucien somehow recalled the Angel King's 'God's Guard'.
Rhine nodded with his symbolic smile. "They are very similar."
As he spoke, he made the first step. Surrounded by the illusionary ripples, he walked on the Pathway of Immortality as if he were sinking in water.
Confirming that they would not be disintegrated in their current states, Lucien also stepped in.
The high, profound, cold and indifferent feelings came from where his body touched the ripples. Lucien had the illusion that he was about to be melted.
Suddenly, Lucien discovered that the Pathway of Immortality was gone, dispersing into a boundless cloud. As a result, even he could not maintain the appearance of a human being. He was expanded into a form that existed everywhere but could also be determined in one location.
Then, the spread collapsed. The Pathway of Immortality appeared again, and Lucien's body was compressed, too. At this moment, he had reached the turn of the Pathway of Immortality next to Rhine.
The telepathic bond was already gone. Controlling himself, Rhine struggled to say, "You felt the changes, too? Do I look different?"
"No, I don't see any changes, but I assume we would've been disintegrated if our states weren't transformed." Lucien realized that they could talk via the purest waves.
Rhine cleaned his clothes habitually and said, "Let's continue."
After they took the turn, they saw a palace that had all kinds of eerie patterns engraved on the wall. They confounded whoever saw them.
Thankfully, most of them were already destroyed. That was why Lucien and Rhine could bear it. They passed the palace quickly.
"They must've been destroyed by the demigods like Thanos and Viken." Lucien was rather scared of those weird patterns, which seemed to be designed to swallow the creatures in their current states.
Rhine nodded. "Since Monster Viken allowed us to come here, it means that he believed we wouldn't be in great danger. So, let's not panic whatever we may run into."
After opening the gate, Lucien and Rhine were spread and collapsed again, passing through the Pathway of Immortality and reached the second palace.
The second palace was utterly empty. Right when Lucien thought that the place had also been sabotaged, he heard vague nosies.
Who is it? Lucien turned around, only to discover that a man in a double-breasted suit was smiling at him warmly. It was exactly himself!
An illusion?
Surprised, Lucien decided to ignore it and simply went at the exit of the temple.
'Lucien' smiled casually. His muscles bulged, and he slashed with a silver longsword!
Lucien almost couldn't stop himself from using the Moon Timer or teleportation spells, but then he remembered Rhine's reminder and decided to wait. After all, he still had the passive magic effects!
After the sword flashed, 'Lucien' and Lucien passed each other without any contact.
It was indeed an illusion! Had he attacked, would the illusion become real, and the real become the illusion and stay here forever?
Rhine encountered the same, except that his enemy was a monster that he thought to be a guard of this place. Thankfully, he also held his defense and took the attack the hard way.
After they left the temple, Lucien and Rhine passed four Pathways of Immortality and reached four different temples, in which the traces of ruins could be found.
They were rather astounded. If they encountered a real enemy, and they took the attack without any defense, they would probably be in danger. Illusions were really tricky!
Opening the gate before him, Lucien suddenly widened his eyes. It was a forest with tall trees and vigorous animals?
It was totally unlike the World of Souls or the Pathway of Immortality!
Another illusion?
Lucien observed the surroundings and looked for an exit, when he heard 'meow'.
A cat? Lucien turned around, only to discover that a black, silver-eyed kitty was looking at him attentively.
"Where's Mr. Rhine?" It was then that Lucien realized that Rhine was gone!
"Meow!" The cat made another sound.
Lucien said, deep in thought, "You know where Mr. Rhine is?"
As he spoke, Lucien only heard the same 'meow'.
What's going on? Lucien immediately reviewed himself, only to discover that he had become a yellow-and-white cat, too!
"The other cat is Mr. Rhine?" Lucien looked at where he came, planning to retreat first, only to sadly discover that the entrance was gone!
He was about to write on the ground to communicate, when he felt that his neck was grabbed. He struggled with both hands and feet, only to no avail. Rhine was the same!
A mean woman laughed aloud, "You two food-stealing thieves have been caught! You'll be my dinner tonight!"
An illusion?
Lucien began to think. Such weird things should happen here.
Calm down! Calm down! Lucien told himself.
Brought to a cabin by the women, Lucien and Rhine were cut in the neck before they had a chance to escape.
Lucien almost passed out from the excruciating pain. He saw blood dripping from 'his' body.
Such pain should be an illusion!
Lucien tried to resist, but it seemed too late. 'Cat Lucien' died helplessly after a struggle.
Lucien, however, discovered that his consciousness did not disappear. It was still undergoing the agony and could pass out any moment.
What's going on? Lucien did not have the habit of passing out. He would rather stay conscious as long as he could!
The cat was skinned and chopped. Every cut seemed to be on Lucien's body. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced.
Not having a spell to eliminate the pain, Lucien could only hold it back, unless he chose to pass out.
The meat of the two cats were mixed up and thrown into a pot that was full of potatoes, before it was placed on the fire.
Lucien's consciousness seemed to be attached to one piece of the meat. He felt that he was being scorched and boiled. The pain was truly indescribable!
Lucien felt that he could pass out every second, but he managed to make it to the next.
After a long time, a spoon appeared in the pot, fetching the peculiar food of cat meat with potatoes onto a wood plate.
Holding his pain, Lucien observed the cabin, trying to find a 'gate' to leave, but there was absolutely nothing abnormal.
Where's the opportunity? Can I only find it if I choose to pass out?
At this moment, the hostess picked up a fork and stabbed into 'Lucien', chewing him up into pieces.
Every bite seemed to be on Lucien's soul.
Lucien did not know how he weathered through it. By the time he was more or less clear, he was already 'flowing' towards the hostess's gullet pushed by the tongue.
Suddenly, Lucien discovered that the throat of the hostess was a red gate!
That was the exit!
The gate was opened, and everything became normal. Lucien found himself standing before the Pathway of Immortality he entered the first time. Before him was a grey stone door.
There was another Pathway of Immortality from another direction, where the Furnace of Souls outside could be seen. On this Pathway of Immortality was a cluster of frozen black, white and grey that was now dispersing and now gathering. One seemed to be seeing infinite death the moment they saw it. Even a legendary expert like Lucien could not free himself.
A swarm of black bats flew over and blocked Lucien's vision, breaking him away from the attraction of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls.
Rhine was regathered and said solemnly, "Don't approach any 'demigod' that cannot control themselves."
Nodding his head, Lucien recalled what happened and had a deeper understanding about the creepiness of the Pathway of Immortality. "If we passed out, we might've really died before the Chamber of Immortality."
Rhine observed the surroundings, noticing deep grey traces that carried the transcendental, intangible and unapproachable air of demigods, but they also had the additional sense of immortality.
"Are they the traces of immortality?" Rhine spoke in a low voice.
Looking at the Chamber of Immortality before him, Lucien had an unusual sense of familiarity. He extended his right hand and pressed the gate.
What was behind the gate?
Chapter 644: Mysteries of Immortality?
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
What was behind the gate?
'Mecantron', the Angel King who was standing on the other end of the Pathway of Immortality, also asked himself. What exactly was the mysteries of immortality that so many experts tried to touch?
Rudolf II, who had already turned into 'Mecantron', did not bother with his current form. He narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, "After I learn the mysteries of immortality, I'll find a chance to kill Lucien Evans and Rhine Carendia. I don't think that the Silver Moon can arrive at this place."
The mysteries of immortality obviously could not be shared!
As for why he did not attack the two of them immediately, Rudolf II was certainly glad that somebody eliminated dangers ahead of them. Who knew what was behind the gate of immortality?
What was behind the gate?
The Lord of Hell, hiding inside the Pathway of Immortality in a weird form, looked at Lucien and Rhine up ahead and the 'Angel King' nearby, and asked himself.
The World of Souls had always been inconspicuous. Even in the age of myths, he only detected that there was such a secret world but failed to find the entrance. He never really got in touch with the World of Souls for real until the Master of Argent discovered the place by accident. At that time, the mysterious existence of the World of Souls was almost recovered and showed the traces of immortality to the Lich King and his other subordinates.
Therefore, he also learnt about the Chamber of Immortality and part of the secrets of the Saint Truth. Their thousand years of planning and failures were all for this moment!
As long as the gate was opened, the mysteries of immortality would be unfolded before him!
Although they were natural-born demigods, the Lord of Hell believed that Silver Moon, Abyss and himself gained the initial self-awareness only when the age of myths began. They were not part of the creation of the world and life. So, they did not know much about how and why the world came into being.
Also, he had the vision that, even though he would not die as long as hell existed, the hell would rot and be destroyed with the entire world someday. Nothing was really everlasting. That was why he was so passionate about the mysteries of immortality.
As for the mysterious existence of the World of Souls, the Lord of Hell believed that he gained his consciousness in the same period, but he perished inside the Pathway of Immortality that he found in his hometown before he had the chance the share the glory of the age of myths. He could only return after a long time. However, trapped by himself and the Silver Moon, he fell into dormancy again. His life was truly miserable.
"The mysteries are only for me, Maltimus, the Lord of Hell! I have already understood the mysteries of transformation. I'll arrive in person and erase Rhine Carendia, Lucien Evans and Mecantron before the Silver Moon reacts!"
By sacrificing the body of Geno, the Lord of Hell was confident to arrive in person at a non-main-material world!
What was behind the gate?
Lucien and Rhine were so enthralled by the question that their soul was almost suffocated. Why were Thanos, Viken and the monster disappointed? Would he see something different?
The grey door seemed to be as heavy as a whole palace. Lucien used a lot of strength to open a tiny gap.
The moment the gap appeared, the door suddenly lost weight and moved backwards, revealing what was inside the Chamber of Immortality to Lucien and the rest of them!
There were no walls, bricks or any object inside the Chamber of Immortality; behind the door was the most vast cosmos that was emitting a supernatural, condescending air.
Profound darkness was all over the cosmos. Stars radiate their brilliance and gathered into bright constellations, which only added to the coldness and boundless feeling of the cosmos.
Lucien was stunned at first. He extended his right hand subconsciously and penetrated through the stars without meeting any hindrance. They seemed to be here but were not here, just like the Furnace of Souls.
However, it had a weird sense of compatibility with this world.
The galaxies inside the cosmos changed like a movie, zooming in nonstop until a familiar star appeared before Lucien. Familiar still was the blue planet next to it!
"This is…" Lucien's pupils constricted abruptly, and a weird sense of familiarity surged.
Is it Earth?
It is Earth!
This is the cosmos I was in before I transmigrated!
"Is this the mystery of immortality?" Lucien blurted out, with intense shock and confusion.
"Is this the mystery of immortality?" Rhine sounded apparently surprised, disappointed and confused. A silver moon suddenly rose from his back, and the air of Silver Moon in Lucien's left hand jumped out, accepting the illumination of moonlight.
Everything about Lucien had been transformed into the weird ghost state. The cluster of air was no exception. It grew into Alterna very soon.
"A projection has arrived…" When they encountered the monster, Lucien speculated that Alterna would help him deal with the monster through Rhine, but it did not happen. He did not know that Alterna would arrive with a projection by Rhine's summoning and the air in his left hand.
So, that was why Alterna left air in his left hand. That was really 'visionary'!
Alterna appeared as innocent as before. Looking at the cosmos inside the Chamber of Immortality, she said in a daze, "Where's it mean? Is this the mysteries of immortality?"
"Is this the mysteries of immortality?" The Angel King asked uncontrollably in his surprise and disappointment, his voice reaching Lucien's ears.
"Is this the mysteries of immortality?" the Lord of Hell's smile of mockery was frozen on his face.
If he intended to appreciate the cosmos, he would have enjoyed it after a space jump! What mysteries of immortality was that?
He did not try to contain himself. Such 'mysteries of immortality' were not enough for him to sacrifice the body of Geno!
As the Lord of Hell, he had always been a standard merchant who considered costs and returns.
It was only when he spoke that Lucien realized that he had been tailed by a series of enemies. However, since the Silver Moon was here, his life was definitely not in danger.
Turning around, he looked at the cosmos and the blue planet that he couldn't have been more familiar with. He frowned and thought for a moment, before he was relaxed. "Is this the mysteries of immortality?"
"What do you see?" Asked Rhine.
Do they have to become real gods in order to see the mysteries of immortality like Thanos said?
Lucien admitted frankly, "A vast cosmos, many stars that shine like the sun, and many planets that do not glow."
"We're the same. Is this the mysteries of immortality?" Rhine said in a self-mocking smile.
Alterna moved her eyes away and looked at Lucien. "Thank you for your trouble so far."
Rudolf II, seeing that the mysteries of immortality were just that, and the projections of the Silver Moon and the Lord of Hell were both here, dropped the idea of killing the two enemies. He snorted, "The mysteries of immortality are just a scam!"
While talking, he hurried to retreat to the Realm of Gates.
The Lord of Hell naturally lost the interest of fighting, too. Such mysteries would've been overpriced even if they were exchanged for one of his attacks. Although it was an acceptable business to control the Angel King, the Silver Moon was watching and the guy was already vigilant. There was a good chance that he would escape with God's Guard.
As for killing Lucien for 'revenge', the Lord of Hell had the idea until the Silver Moon arrived. He could only hold the thought back and mocked, "Is this the mysteries of immortality? Thanos was a dummy! How long are you going to keep watching it? Do you think you can see through it?"
Until they saw the truth, everybody tended to think that they were the most special one.
In his laughter, the Lord of Hell left the Pathway of Immortality.
After the Lord of Hell left, Rhine calculated the time. "Let's go out, too. If we turn back in this place, we may be killed directly."
Lucien moved his eyes away from the cosmos. Closing his eyes, he said, "Alright."
Alterna brought Lucien and Rhine out of the Pathway of Immortality. Confirming that the Lord of Hell had left, she nodded at Lucien as a gesture of 'gratitude' again. Then, she dispersed and recalled the power of projection.
At this moment, Fernando and Douglas also went out of the entrance of the Realm of Gates. They saw Lucien and Rhine.
Fernando was secretly relieved. Then he roared, "How did you come out from that way?"
Hearing the familiar roar, Lucien suddenly had many complicated feelings. Was the adventure going to end just like that?
Looking at the Furnace of Souls and the chamber at the end of the 'Pathway of Immortality', Lucien thought to himself, "Mysteries of immortality…?"
...
On their way towards the advance base, Lucien told his experiences to Douglas and Fernando.
Solemnly, Fernando considered the things about Viken, while he yelled at Lucien, "You didn't know that the Lord of Hell was following you? If the Silver Moon didn't arrive, you would have been in serious trouble!"
"If the Silver Moon didn't arrive and we fought there…" Lucien murmured.
"What are you suggesting?" Fernando didn't quite understand what he meant.
Lucien shook his head, hinting that he did not mean anything, but he thought to himself, "…I might not have been the one who was in trouble."
"Inside the vast cosmos, other than stars and planets, there are also black holes…"
In his cognitive world, the locations of black holes and enormous stars swapped nonstop.
...
Inside the Chamber of Immortality, the infinite cosmos changed without a moment of rest. Suddenly, a cluster of darkness that did not reveal any light surfaced. As the unimaginably terrifying force of attraction spread out, the door of the chamber was closed after a huge noise.
The Pathway of Immortality resumed eternal peace again.
Chapter 645: Return (2 in 1)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In the monotonous world of black, white and grey, Douglas, Fernando and Lucien did not perform a direct space jump but flew with intimidating pressure. Even the least unintelligent spectres knew better than to mess with them.
"Gather the power of feelings to transform himself into a status similar to the primeval devils, and then become a demigod by combining the power of faith and the energy of space… Mr. Thanos truly deserves to be one of the greatest sorcerers in the school of astrology. He's the first expert who has ever advanced into such a level other than the natural-born demigods…" Although Douglas was born in the last years of the Sylvanas Magic Empire, a period that was far away from Thanos' reign, he had learnt a lot about him in his life and his research. Therefore, he showed Thanos enough respect.
He had a lot of mixed feelings about the matter. The road to becoming a demigod had been presented before him clearly. It would be hypocritical to say that he was not tempted. Actually, few people could control their feelings well under such circumstances.
Fernando took it relatively well. It hadn't been long since he reached the peak of legendary, and he was still far from qualified to make the step. Douglas differed from him in that Douglas had been a top legend for hundreds of years and he was praised to be on par with the Sun King before the Sun King's demise. If he was willing to, he could gather the power of feelings and restore the magic circle in a decade, so that he could 'borrow' the power of Mountain Paradise to become a demigod with the help of the monster – that is, if his transformation did not fail.
However, the problems that Thanos and Viken had after they became demigods had been shown to him obviously. In his own cognitive world, the road from the general theory of relativity, although not very clear yet, had shown a bright and promising prospect. In decades, it was possible that he would be able to become a demigod without any concerns. Therefore, it was not difficult for him to overcome his greediness, particularly when his original path just showed the light of dawn and was far from devastating.
"In my opinion, they were simply overwhelmed by their desires, and what they did was purely stupid. The primeval devils were not demigods themselves. What's the point of transforming into their status except for the convenience to accept the power of faith?" Fernando did not hesitate at all but berated Thanos, a predecessor in the Magic Empire, straightforwardly. "Of course, the work has its own value, which is to give us the examples of failure!"
"However, Viken who can actually use 'God's Arrival' many times is an absolute danger. We do not have the ability to resist him yet. Therefore, besides working hard to also turn ourselves into demigods, we need to study the path on which he became a demigod in order to find his weakness." Douglas said prudently. Nobody except the monster knew how many times Viken could use 'God's Arrival' in a row. "We cannot give up thinking on this path altogether just because it failed. It's high time that we included the primeval devils into our research."
Lucien nodded his head. Studying the primeval devils would help him grasp the mysteries and essence of the status transformation and the reality of the world. "One day, I will explore the primordial relics in the deepest level of hell."
Since the Lord of Hell was very interested in him, Lucien certainly did not have the courage to go to hell until he became a top legend.
"As long as you can provide enough benefits, the Lord of Hell wouldn't mind even if you killed a certain duke of hell, much less 'trivial' things such as breaking his projection. However, we must be cautious that he may be preparing schemes in secret for greater benefits." The Lord of Hell was no stranger to Douglas, who had explored hell many times. "After this thing is over, I'll go to the primordial relics in the deepest level of hell to collect 'resources' for our research. You needn't take the risk."
"Mr. President, rest assured. What we achieved from the adventure is enough for me to digest for a long time. Also, until I become a top legend, I would rather go to the abyss than the hell." Said Lucien sincerely.
When Fernando heard 'what we achieved', he remembered the Chamber of Immortality and murmured, "The mysteries of immortality is a picture of the cosmos? What kind of mystery is that? Is it true that only if you are stronger than demigods can you see through it?"
"I don't think so. The picture of the cosmos, as well as its intangible and unapproachable nature, perhaps contains a certain secret that is related to immortality."
"Fernando, have you forgotten that we haven't discovered any planet in space to this day? We cannot see anything even if we look down at the worlds below, as if they are covered by something. However, the picture of the cosmos is hidden inside the Chamber of Immortality. Those two things may be related. If we solve the puzzle, we may be able to touch the mysteries of immortality." Douglas analyzed the situation in the Chamber of Immortality from purely the perspective of arcana.
Lucien said thoughtfully, "The picture of cosmos inside the Chamber of Immortality perhaps really has something to do with the failed discovery of planets."
However, their relationship might be the opposite of what people imagined. Lucien had certain guesses and considerations, but he needed more theories and phenomena to confirm and modify them.
Exploring the truth of the world required both bold assumptions and careful confirmations. Neither of them could be missing!
Fernando argued habitually. "That's not necessary. Doesn't the general theory of relativity specify that light will be curved in the gravitational field? Perhaps, the locations of the planets that we calculated based on starlight have huge errors from actuality."
"That's very possible." Douglas and Lucien both nodded in approval. Lucien, for one, knew for sure that the phenomenon of 'gravitational lens' existed. Of course, it still needed the verification of astronomical phenomena and 'field tests'.
Receiving no objection from them, Fernando immediately lost the interest in further discussion on the matter, so he changed the subject. "There's also a related phenomenon. When we explore the end of the Boundless Ocean, we should reach the other side of the Dark Mountain Range according to Douglas' theory. However, when the legendary sorcerers explored the Boundless Ocean or the Moonlight Ocean on the other side of the Dark Mountain Range, they would eventually return to a certain area on their way no matter how they navigated themselves. It is impossible to confirm that our world is a sphere by circling around it."
It was one of the most famous enigmas after Douglas proposed the motion theory of celestial bodies. Lucien knew about it before and suspected that it was because of space folding, but he had always been puzzled by the reason. However, after he opened the Chamber of Immortality and saw the picture of the familiar cosmos, he had certain speculations. He thought to himself that it was time for him to explore the end of the Boundless Ocean after he digested what he earned in this adventure.
As he spoke, Fernando mocked the Lord of Hell ruthlessly yet again. "Maltimus has always considered himself as the smartest creature, but in my opinion, he is just as brainless as Abyss. How can the mysteries of immortality be just there for everybody to see and learn? The mysteries of immortality should be a phenomenon, one that is the same as quality of elements, nature, geography or biography, except that the puzzles regarding immortality are contained inside. One can only learn what they are through research!"
"Maltimus laughed in disappointment without asking any questions after he saw the picture of the cosmos, which suggests that he is only slightly smarter than Abyss, and he cannot get rid of his nature as a low-IQ creature!"
Master, you are so mean. That's the classic arcanists' way of thinking. How can the Lord of Hell boast that? Lucien shook his head with a smile.
Douglas looked more or less the same. You criticize me for asking too many questions and laugh at Maltimus for not asking questions. It seems that one can never be right.
He shook his head in amusement. "Alright, let's drop the picture of the cosmos inside the Chamber of Immortality for now. We still have to focus on the current arcana theories. Perhaps, after we figure out the mysteries of the microworld and the macroscopic space, the mysteries of immortality hidden inside the picture of the cosmos will be naturally answered."
"That is the most correct approach." Lucien agreed. Then, he thought of something else. "Mr. President, regarding Thanos and Viken, should we spread the secrets on a large scale to shake the foundation of the Saint Truth's faith and raise the suspicion of the Grand Cardinals, or should we keep the secrets to attract and talk part of the clerics into taking our side?"
"Spread them on a large scale? It's been years since 'Arcana Voice' was founded. The believers are already used to the rumors of the Church. A lot of them are even more unbelievable than what we have. The result probably won't be very good." Douglas said thoughtfully.
That was for the few countries on this side of the Storm Strait and the north coastline, because every block had a few magic radios in those areas. The owners of the radios were either members of the Congress of Magic or had the habit of listening to it with the crowd. As a result, the coverage of 'Arcana Voice' was greatly expanded. Also, after the Kingdom of Holm and the other countries were inclined to the Congress, the 'manor broadcaster' and 'square broadcaster' that Lucien invented played the role of popularization very well, giving most civilians a chance to listen to 'Arcana Voice'.
As for the countries across the ocean such as the Holy Heilz Empire, except for the big nobles who were not restricted, magic radios were barely be found in the common households. It was neither capable nor necessary for the Church to popularize a divine item of similar functions. They had only been broadcasting from the churches to attract the believers to pray. Therefore, 'Arcana Voice' had barely any coverage in those areas. The spies sent by the Congress of Magic still had a lot of work to do.
In Lucien's eyes, that was almost a spy drama.
Fernando added, "The Angel King was in the Holy City before. His return suggests that Viken might know that his secrets have been revealed. He will certainly be ready that we may try to influence certain clerics. We cannot be careless."
"Why don't we do both? We will disseminate the half-real stories through 'Arcana Voice', shaking the foundation of their relief and leaving Viken the impression that we haven't figured out all the secrets, while we keep the central intelligence to ourselves, looking for opportunities to convince the clerics to take our side." Pondering, Douglas said, "This is a matter of paramount importance. Let's discuss and decide later in the meeting of the Highest Council."
As they talked, the three of them had reached the advance base.
Inside the defense magic circle, Brook, in his white wig, looked at the three of them and pushed his gold-edged glasses. Heaving a sigh of relief, he said, "It's good that you are back…"
Bergner, the Prophet who was still wearing his grey pointy hat, also smiled, "Two top legends couldn't have perished so easily."
…
Inside 'Atomic Universe', Natasha was still practicing arduously every day, leaving only a tiny proportion of time for her recovery.
'Pale Justice' flashed, and a terrifying gap appeared on a planet of elements, spreading out countless tiny cracks. The little planet that had been sabotaged by her seemed unable to take it any longer and was about to collapse.
Clap, clap, clap. From the airless darkness, applause came over.
Natasha turned around in surprise, only to discover a young man in a black top hat walking out of the profound space. With a smile of relaxation on his handsome face, he said, "You seem to have made progress again while we were separated."
Rubbing her eyes, Natasha became solemn. "Devil, take this!"
The sword was slashed at him. Lucien was rather scared. Had Natasha been enchanted by something?
Before he figured out whether he should take the attack or knock her out, the light of the sword was suddenly gone. Natasha flew to his front and hugged Lucien, sticking their faces to each other. Her breath was slightly hasty, and her voice was brimming with intense happiness. "Exactly the smell I'm familiar with!"
And exactly the formula that I'm familiar with1? Lucien thought to himself and felt very warm and happy about Natasha's passionate welcome. He exerted his strength and held her tightly, before he said in a low voice, "Were you worried that I might run into danger?"
"Of course, you are my husband and my love. How could I not be worried after you went missing behind the Furnace of Souls?" In a good mood, Natasha admitted frankly without any hesitation. She leaned backwards and observed Lucien very carefully. In the end, she said with a brilliant smile, "You were not hurt, were you?"
"Not at all. I even obtained many great things." Lucien smiled and kissed Natasha's lips. "I got the Fountain of Youth, the Mummy Gloves, the main eye of a legendary Hundred-eye Ghost, a substitution puppet, and several hands of curses."
Then, Lucien looked around and teased, "You've been practicing hard to save me after you become a legend? Since you are still not legendary yet, have you been vulnerable, unconfident and loathing yourself recently?"
Lucien only made such jokes with Natasha.
Natasha tried to smile. "Am I that kind of person? I've been very confident. I would become a legendary knight if you were missing for another month!"
"Then, who played 'Fate' in the magic tower?" Lucien revealed her 'ruthlessly'.
Natasha moved her beautiful eyes away and held Lucien's head with both hands, giving him a long kiss.
"How about it? Do you feel my confidence?" After their mouths were separated, Natasha said while trying to catch her breath.
Lucien's breath was also unsteady. He chuckled, "I do. With such progress, you will become a legendary knight in a few years."
In a few years, there should be a chance for him to reach level three of legendary.
"I'll be able to explore with you by then." Said Natasha firmly, "In order to make advancements in the realm of legendary, let's not consider children for now, shall we?"
Lucien nodded softly. "You have my full support."
Then, he leaned his head forward and exhaled next to Natasha's ear before he chuckled. "However, you need to make it up to me."
The itch on her ear reminded her of certain things that she would rather forget, resulting in the hectic flush to Natasha's cheeks.
…
Inside the Atom Institution, Sprint and the other arcanists were busy with their respective experiments. Suddenly, they heard a familiar, smiling voice. "I'm delighted at your diligence."
Oh, our teacher is back? Heidi turned around and said happily, "Master, welcome back! There are so many questions that we would like to ask you."
Because the exploration in the World of Souls had been kept highly confidential, they had no idea about the dangers that Lucien had been through and merely thought that it was a common business trip. Therefore, they were not particularly thrilled and excited after seeing him back.
Observing Heidi with a smile, Lucien said to Annick and the other students. "Has the original Heidi been taken down and replaced by a devil? It's unbelievable that she is asking questions on her own initiative!"
"That's because we made a major breakthrough in the research program that you gave Chelly and me." Declared Heidi proudly.
Lucien raised his eyebrow. "The analysis on the mechanism of the ancillary computation magic circles?"
"Yes!" It seemed that Heidi could not wait to present her works.
At this moment, Sprint turned around and said to Heidi, "Our teacher is only just back. We have to report the important issues to him."
"What important issues?" Asked Lucien in confusion. Natasha didn't mention anything about it. However, she had been purely dedicated to her own practice and improvement of late. It was perfectly normal that she did not know what had happened.
With a brilliant smile, Katrina said, "Congratulations on winning the first Evans Prize in Arcana with Mr. Dieppe, master, for the remarkable contributions you made to the wave-particle duality and the electron diffraction. The name of the medal is exactly 'Duality'."
While she spoke, she displayed the appearance of the Evans Prize in Arcana with the manifestation magic. The medal had a black background on the upper half, which was embedded with a silver planet that represented the macroscopic world, and a silver background on the lower half, where the black symbols of atom were painted to indicate the microscopic real. It had a certain charming air with it.
That was the basic appearance of the Evans Prize in Arcana that Lucien designed based on 'Tai Chi'. The word 'Duality' had been embedded at the center.
"Why is there image? Who accepted the award on behalf of me?" Lucien speculated that the Congress of Magic held the award ceremony in advance in order to cover the fact that he and some major legendary arcanists had gone missing.
Layria couldn't help but grimace when she recalled it. "It was the little crystal dragon who accepted it for you."
They were already rather familiar with Alferris, the little crystal dragon.
I'm sure that he brought the medal straightly back to his own home. It's like feeding a goat to a tiger… Lucien shook his head with a smile. He was not particularly interested in the medal, but in order to restrain Alferris' greediness and to build up a healthy dragon-ality, he had to demand that the dragon return the medal to him at some point.
The students reported the important matters that happened in the Congress of Magic to him, as well as the research achievements recently that were worth paying attention to and the operation of the Holt Magic College.
After hearing their report, Lucien asked Blake, Lowi, Alfalia and the other assistances about their updates, before he finally went to the meeting room and convened the regular meeting. After Annick and the other students became middle-rank arcanists and sorcerers, there was no need for one of Lazar and his partners to stay in the institution all the time. Therefore, they had been away to accomplish the mandatory mission this year together.
Heidi was not in a rush at all anymore. She spoke frankly, "Master, Sprint and Annick proposed a hypothesis regarding the unusual splitting phenomenon of the spectral lines."
"What hypothesis?" Lucien vaguely guessed what it was. He looked at the two of them with a smile.
Annick replied, somewhat embarrassed, "It's because of the electron spin. However, according to the result of our calculation…"
The more he spoke, the lower his voice became. Sprint simply helped him to finish. "The speed of the electron spin on the surface that we calculated was ten times the speed of sound…"
His voice was loud at first, but he also lost his confidence as he approached the end.
"Give me your manuscript." Lucien asked for their manuscript and read it carefully.
Heidi spoke for them, "Not just now, many arcanists who work on the new alchemy feel that something is wrong with the concept of electron spin. Also, hasn't the model of the new alchemy presented by matrix mechanics abandoned the notions that are not readily observable such as orbits? Where is this spin from? This is almost identical to the astrophysical system again."
"However, this spin model explains the splitting phenomenon perfectly and matches the other experiments. As for the classic image that it corresponds to, it is not necessarily the same as the spin of planets that we think. In the microscopic domain, we can only understand things based on math and experiment data. Since it is not necessarily the spin as we know, it's possible that the speed in the spin does not carry signals and energy, just like the wave speed of electrons in Dieppe's paper. This is not in violation of the theory of relativity." Lucien said roughly and inaccurately. "You may submit the paper to the Arcana Review Board."
"However, you may encounter a lot of suspicions later. I suggest you deal with the spin problem with matrix mechanics first and see what you can get. I'll work on this aspect, too."
"Alright, master." Annick was more confident after receiving the approval of his teacher. Sprint, on the other, was greatly relieved. He was going to submit the paper even if his teacher did not agree with him.
After resolving their question, Lucien looked at Heidi and asked, "What about you? What's the major breakthrough that you have achieved?"
Heidi suddenly became shy. "It's not exactly a great breakthrough. When we analyzed the ancillary computation circles, we discovered that they could help with calculations because the results of different functions had been stored inside them in advance. After we gave the information, they searched for the answers in their storage, and ran simple calculations with the answers… In fact, we reached the conclusion by reading the relevant papers. However, we have gone one step further and described every specific procedure in the whole process."
"There are too many functions and almost infinite results after they are calculated. It seems that the ancillary computation circles can only play a role in regular problems. Huh. Do you have any ideas on how to improve them? We can try to make them accomplish such a process in most of the problems: we give data and instructions, and we receive a result very soon. That way, it will be easier to popularize them among the magic apprentices." Lucien said solemnly.
Heidi asked in confusion. "In order to fix most of the problems, we have to store more functions and more results for their calculation, which will have a higher demand on the magic circles and make them even more expensive, just like how the ancillary magic circles we use are different from those you use. This is the opposite of the purpose of popularization."
Chelly nodded her head in agreement. They seemed to be two different directions of development.
"That's why I said that you needed an idea. Has it occurred to you that the mechanism of the ancillary computation circles is different from the logic order of our regular thinking and calculation? Have you considered reconstructing the ancillary computation circles according to that and replace most of the functions of our brain with alchemical materials and electronic circuits?" Lucien tried to give them more inspirations.
Developing portable, diverse terminals of magic was one of Lucien's goals in this direction.