Chapter 375. Divine Blood (3)
"You… who are you?"
At Alon's question, the Ancestor—
No, the blue-eyed thing spoke.
[Don't be so on guard. In the first place, it was I who made this friend want us to meet.]
"…Is that you?"
[Yes.]
"Then, why did you hide your identity?"
At Alon's remark, it sketched a smile that was difficult to interpret.
[There are several reasons, but it would be too long to explain, so I’ll keep it simple: half was a joke… and the other half was a test.]
A test?
[Ah, don't worry. You already passed the test. I have no reason to harm you. Although even if you hadn't passed, it would have been the same.]
"You talk too much to yourself."
Seemingly understanding that Alon was telling her to stop saying things only she understood, she laughed softly and turned around.
[Sorry, it’s been a while since I spoke with someone—or with anyone, actually—and I got a little excited. If it were up to me, I’d like to keep chatting like this a while longer.]
“But let's leave it here,” she added, looking toward the altar.
The black smoke that was previously emanating strongly had weakened considerably.
"…Do you have a limit?"
[It is inevitable if you want to talk face-to-face with someone of my level.]
Shrugging her shoulders, she said as if to reassure him:
[Even so, it’s not like I don't have time to tell you what I must tell you. Though it might be a bit tight for you to ask questions.]
She smiled, as if saying: So? What will you do?
Alon sighed.
It seemed asking questions would be impossible.
"I will listen."
[Good.]
After a while…
[Up to here. That is all I can tell you.]
The explanation had ended.
[Then, see you next time.]
"……Will there be a next time?"
[Of course. If you act to protect that which you truly desire—no, those you consider precious—then yes.]
With those words, the blue light in the thing's eyes began to fade slowly. Very slowly.
[Ah, do you want a gift?]
Suddenly, she proposed.
"A gift?"
Her two blue eyes stared fixedly at Alon.
[If you want to investigate the secret of your emotions… look for “The One Who Looks Inside”. That guy will be able to reveal it to you.]
The instant Alon was going to ask her in surprise about those words—
The blue light disappeared completely.
And then…
Alon was back in front of the original Ancestor.
On her face was pure confusion.
Alon sighed.
He tried to ask her just in case, but it seemed she really didn't remember anything.
"Thank you… for the help."
[It is nothing. Although I don't remember it, I am glad if I could be of use.]
"……By the way, aren't you going to tell me who that person was who possessed you—the one with blue eyes?"
It seemed she knew who it was, so he asked.
[If that person did not reveal their identity themselves… they must have had their reasons.]
"I see."
He obtained no further information.
Alon nodded.
The curiosity did not disappear, but asking more wouldn't change anything: they wouldn't give him an answer.
And above all, he had already obtained a lot.
"I will take my leave then."
He left a light farewell.
[But… can you go up?]
"You said you would let me down when the talk ended."
She murmured thoughtfully, then guided him to the side of the altar.
[Could you come over here for a moment?]
"Is this…?"
[An artifact.]
There was a conch shell shaped like a snail, made of a blue gem.
[If you use this, you will be able to go up without help. After using it, hand it over to that boy.]
Alon nodded and left the enclosure after a final greeting.
In the dark depth of the abyss, Alon poured mana into the shell.
—Wuuung!
In an instant, a sphere enveloped him. Without time to be surprised, the sphere moved through the abyss as if it had a marked destination, ascending toward the surface.
Shortly after, light began to filter from above.
And then—
Splash!
When Alon finally emerged from the sea…
He saw Radan and Penia with perplexed expressions.
"……So, if I have time… you want me to come here later."
"……And why would I go?"
While the Observer was flirting intensely with Radan—
What is this…? thought Alon.
After witnessing that “scene”…
"Then, brother, I bid farewell here."
"Good."
"Yes! See you soon!"
After energetically bidding farewell to Radan, Alon tilted his head.
Soon? Will we see each other again soon?
But immediately Alon shrugged his shoulders and boarded the ship.
"Wow, I didn't think she would start flirting with Radan all of a sudden."
"It seems so…"
"Does Radan have a face that attracts women?"
"Much more pleasant than yours. He's hateful, but he's good-looking. For a certain type of woman, he must be lethal."
"I am also lethal."
"…You are lethal in a different way."
"What?"
Penia and Evan began to trade barbs as if they had been waiting for it.
[Kyu—]
[Hmph. The others simply don't have good taste.]
Blackie and Basiliora, perched on Penia and Evan's shoulders respectively, also added their comments.
Alon, amidst them, briefly recalled what had happened.
He remembered the words of the blue-eyed one.
"Phew…"
What he had heard could be summarized in three things:
First: the identity and purpose of the Divine Bloods.
Second: the divinity that had disappeared inside Alon.
And lastly: the “Creation of the Heavenly Law”.
Her voice resonated in his mind, as if she knew perfectly well what he wanted to know.
[There isn't much time, so I'll keep it short. The “Divine Bloods” you face are beings from this world. More precisely, beings that had the possibility of becoming gods in a world that was already destroyed.]
The gods of this world?
[Yes. You entered the Gate of Anomalies, also known as Supernatural Gates, remember?]
……It can't be.
[Exactly, the Supernatural Gate is a fragment of them. Everything you saw inside is, in reality, the image of destroyed worlds.]
Alon sighed.
He had also felt something strange regarding the Supernatural Gate of Psychedelia, but hadn't dug deeper.
Psychedelia was a game.
And within the game, the Gate's purpose was only to serve as a dungeon to grow the playable characters.
It was true that the interior seemed too diverse, but even so, no one imagined such a background.
Even Alon, although he intuited something hidden, would have never imagined this.
The gestation of a god…?
He continued recalling the conversation.
[As you know, the purpose of the Divine Bloods is one: to become gods.]
Aren't there many gods in this world?
[If you are speaking of the Outer Gods of the forgotten era, they are not gods. They were living beings that accidentally took advantage of a world order.]
[Proof of that is that they are neither omniscient nor omnipotent. Well, neither are the Divine Bloods.]
Then, what is the difference between the Divine Bloods and the ancient Outer Gods?
[The Creation of the Heavenly Law.]
Creation of the Heavenly Law…?
[Exactly: the Divine Bloods possess their own laws. They do not “invoke” the laws of the world as Mages do. They themselves function as pure law. Like that one who gave you his power.]
Creation of the Heavenly Law…
Alon got goosebumps. If what she said was true, the fallen Divine Bloods possessed power equivalent to that.
But even so, he didn't feel overwhelmed.
Because she added:
[Don't worry so much. Not all fallen Divine Bloods have such great power. Even among them, there are levels.]
Levels…?
[Yes, levels. There is no time to explain it one by one, so I will get to the point. In terms of pure strength… perhaps you could defeat the first level.]
That doesn't sound good.
[If you look at it simply, yes. But if you look at it properly… no.]
Why?
She smiled.
[For one reason.]
[Although the Divine Bloods have fallen to the world, they will take time to manifest completely. None have appeared yet, right?]
[The stronger a Divine Blood is, the longer their manifestation takes. That means you have time.]
And I must become strong in that time?
[Yes. You have excellent potential and opportunities.]
…But I am still human.
She replied without hesitation:
[If you truly believe that, what a pity.]
What?
She continued:
[You obtained the power of that one. Although you still need much practice, you can use a Creation of the Heavenly Law that you did not create. If you do it well… you will be able to handle not one, but two different laws.]
And then—
[Because you are also a Divine Blood.]
He could not understand it.
He knew what the Divine Bloods were.
He knew the truth of the world through the one who carried his destiny.
"They are not gods. They are mutations. No being born in this world can become a god."
"Because those born in this world were not created to be gods."
The words of the one who carries resonated within him.
Humans born in this world… cannot become gods?
So Alon asked:
[Correct. Those born in this world have no right to be gods. Except for a few special cases… but you are not one of them.]
Then—
[What I mean is—]
As calm as ever, she added:
[You were not born in this world, right?]
And thus, she planted another shockwave in Alon's heart.
