C444. The Temple (7)
For The Gazing Void, what happened today was a sequence of situations difficult to understand.
But, without a doubt, the most bewildering thing was what was happening now.
To be exact, from the instant the human in front of him—no, that thing—appeared before his eyes.
[……………Why?]
An empty question came out of The Gazing Void's mouth.
He had never considered this situation.
No, it was more accurate to say he refused to consider it.
It was normal: that thing had never appeared before his death. In fact, he had never once seen it move.
But the real surprise lay elsewhere.
Regardless of whether that thing moved or not, it could happen. He himself, after his last failure, had tried a different strategy.
In that sense, although the appearance of that thing was shocking, it was no reason to lose his cool.
But even so, the reason why the Void was left speechless was—
“Why are you so surprised? Is it because I exist? Or perhaps…”
—precisely because he,
“...because I am human?”
…appeared before him as a Human.
Basically, divine trials changed form slightly according to each stage.
In the first stage, they adopted the form closest to their essence. In stages two through four, they took human form.
In that sense, the being before his eyes should be closer than anyone to a human form. He was the only one among all the Divine Bloods who had reached so high in the Creation of Heavenly Law, a being almost omnipotent. At this moment, he was even above the four great factions.
However…
The man in front of him was not the “Divine Blood closest to omnipotence” that The Gazing Void knew. Nor was he superior to the four factions.
What he had before his eyes was just a human. A simple human whom the Divine Bloods viewed as an instrument to accumulate faith.
It was incomprehensible.
[Ha.]
The Gazing Void let out a hollow laugh.
But he—
No, Nataman—responded with a smile.
“It seems so.”
[……Did you finally go crazy? Did you abandon all your power to become a simple human again? Did you throw that power away?]
“Do I look strange?”
[Look at yourself now. Even if you were an inferior version, you were someone who distorted laws. But now you have ended up as a simple human.]
He mocked him with contempt. But Nataman did not wipe the smile from his lips.
“Yes, you are right. You could say I lost everything. But I couldn't help it. It’s just that…”
Ssshhh—
“In the end, I got carried away by the possibility.”
He said something incomprehensible.
[What…?]
Then Nataman asked a sudden question.
“Do you know what the difference is between a Divine Blood and a human?”
[…]
“A Divine Blood is a perfect being. A being close to the absolute, wrapped in laws granted by the ‘Truth’, capable of attaining omniscience using this continent. A privilege that humans could never match.”
[…]
“On the other hand, humans have nothing. They barely live a hundred years; they are nothing more than tools used by the Divine Bloods.”
[You know it well.]
“Yes, I thought so too. Until I saw the Star Eater… no, until I saw Alon.”
At the mention of that name, The Gazing Void frowned involuntarily.
Yesterday or today, it had never been a name he wanted to hear. But Nataman let out a cheerful laugh, ignoring his emotions.
“You know? He is, yesterday and today, just an ordinary human. A common human who is nothing more than a tool of the Divine Bloods.”
“But how has the path he walked been?”
The smile on his face intensified, as if the simple act of remembering it entertained him.
“That human defeated an Outer God. Then another. Then a True Mage. Then an Apostle.”
And afterwards, a Divine Blood.
“Each of those battles was absurd. Everything Alon fought against was stronger than him; everything he wanted to overcome was an irrational existence.”
[…And your point is?]
“That he grew by overcoming adversities. Unlike us, who have already reached perfection and cannot grow anymore.”
Yesterday and today, the same.
The Gazing Void let out a dry laugh.
He understood what Nataman was trying to say.
[So you went crazy seeing that miserable ‘possibility’ and threw everything away.]
The mockery intensified.
But…
“No, you are wrong. You are confusing the order.”
[What…?]
“I didn’t throw everything away for a miserable possibility.”
Nataman's abysmal black eyes shone.
“It was the other way around: only after losing everything, could I recover a possibility. They don't know it yet, but…”
His smile became deeper.
“The ‘possibility’ is more important than they imagine.”
The Gazing Void frowned. It didn't bother him that a simple human spoke as if he knew everything.
…No. What bothered him was what he was saying.
As if he were telling him that his path was wrong.
As if a being that had arrived before him was denying him with an uncomfortable truth.
[….Perhaps. Perhaps possibility is important, as you say.]
Hehe—
[But it is a pity.]
“Why?”
[Because you won't be able to deploy that possibility.]
The Gazing Void decided to kill him.
He didn't know why he was there. But killing a simple human was nothing more than a game to him.
[I will kill you, gather strength, and also kill the Star Eater and that monstrous b*tch.]
With a twisted smile, he activated his law while approaching him. Even if he was a human now, he would still be dangerous.
The law covered his body with the darkness of the abyss.
His law was not flashy.
Nor was it specialized in attack.
Even so, he had reached the fourth stage. His law was absurd.
Covered by the abyss, his law was simple:
“Resistance capable of nullifying any attack.”
With just that, he could ignore any hit until his law was undone.
He advanced to tear him apart.
And then he saw it.
Nataman, standing still, creating a small magic sphere above his palm.
It was weak.
So small it seemed useful only for killing an orc. Its sparking power seemed strong, but it was just appearance.
It was a simple magic sphere.
However, Nataman smiled with satisfaction…
And threw it with incredible lightness.
The Gazing Void raised his hand to deflect it.
And then he felt it.
A strange chill.
He had raised his hand…
But the magic sphere was no longer there.
It had disappeared.
In the same instant he raised his hand.
Sensing something strange—
[Ku… ruk?]
He looked at the red blood gushing from his mouth. The blood falling onto his darkness.
And only then did he understand.
The sphere hadn't disappeared.
It had pierced through his body.
[Kahak~!]
With his heart pierced, he fell. His eyes were full of confusion.
At that moment—
“You don't have to worry too much about that.”
Nataman spoke, his black eyes shining.
“It’s just that I am already growing.”
He moved his hand toward the fallen abyss.
And then, in the night sky where only the blue moon existed, stars began to appear.
From one to two.
“You know? Among the laws I gave my followers, there is one called ‘Breath of the Reversed One’.”
From two to four.
“Its effect is simple: apply to me the defense of the target touched by my magic.”
From four to eight.
“At first glance, it doesn't seem useful now. My incomplete laws consume too much magic, and I cannot handle that much magic.”
From eight to eighteen.
“But I told you I am growing.”
From eighteen to thirty-six.
“What if I could ‘reverse’ the law?”
In the instant that countless stars filled the sky, the Void looked at him.
Nataman kept smiling.
“All of this is possible because I am human. Learning magic again, learning laws again, and advancing another step further… all thanks to Alon.”
His voice trembled with warmth.
The Gazing Void felt a strange, incomprehensible obsession.
He opened his mouth—
[…What exactly is it that you desire from the Star Eater—]
But he didn't hear an answer. Because in that instant, the stars descended and erased his body completely.
As if he had never existed.
Nataman, even so, continued thinking in silence.
“I desire only one thing.”
“That he keeps growing, growing and growing, until…”
As if the idea deeply gladdened him—
“Until, at the last moment, the grown him fights against me.”
“That is what I desire. So…”
With a smile that filled his black eyes—
“Alon cannot die.”
“He must die by me.”
“As my proof.”
“To gift me omnipotence.”
He whispered.
“That is why, Alon… can never die.”
“Even if the world is destroyed…”
“Alon, never.”
The body with the black eyes disappeared.
The next day, Alon resumed the journey from the west of the Empire toward the Allied United Kingdoms.
He still had much to do in the east.
Besides obtaining a law from the Father of Maggots and the eastern temple, he remembered what The Wanderer had told him.
“You must meet with The One Who Looks Inside.”
And he also remembered that, when the Divine Bloods fell, they had called him toward the far east. He should have gone to check everything.
But he abandoned the idea.
He had left Palantia for too long.
And although there were capable people in his territory…
He was still the king. He had been absent too long.
That is why he started the journey back.
A month later, upon crossing the west and reaching the eastern border, he and his group approached the border post.
And there—
“Oh, you have come.”
“…Princess?”
He met Serdea Polanticia, who seemed to be waiting for him.
“I have come for your answer to my proposal.”
She said that…
And Alon felt an icy chill run down his spine.
