Chapter 977
Thank goodness I got the info that going to the Elder of the [Ancient Race] would lead me to another location of the Dharma techniques.
But…
[Kraaak!]
Wham!
As divine power twisted and howled through the air, it was not just one or two attacks but a full-on barrage. I couldn’t help but flinch.
‘Damn it, is this it? Am I fighting for my life now?’
Ka-boom!
Once the divine power was upgraded with an ‘inevitable’ attribute, there was no choice but to block it with the Thunder Soul. Thanks to the auto-defense of the Thunder Soul, it seemed easy to block all of the opponent’s attacks. The real issue was that I could feel they were relentless in their assault. If I took all those hits, even with the Thunder Soul, I wouldn’t hold out for long.
Those guys were switching tactics like crazy, but what else could I expect? I’d already shown I had power that dwarfed them. If I threatened the Elder of the [Ancient Race], they’d quickly figure out the location of another Dharma technique, leaving me no choice but to go all out right here.
Am I really going to end it here?
It honestly didn’t sound too bad, but I hesitated. Even if the opponent was an illusory body and my chances to win were high, the fact remained that they were an [Old Ruler], a bona fide divine being. If a divine being fought desperately and laid a vicious curse on me, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t end up spilling blood. Divine curses are terrifying, and I thought there was no good in going all out against one of those driven by despair.
So, I stepped back and spoke to Solomon.
‘I don’t want to go toe-to-toe with them. Is there a way to resolve this with words?’
[Hmm, that was a joke… but I guess it wouldn’t have worked anyway. Once they realized you might threaten the Elder, it was out of the question.]
‘Damn it. I did what you said. Now give me a solution.’
Solomon let out a sigh and replied.
[A solution? Just run away from here.]
‘Huh?’
[There’s no need to fight if the Dharma technique isn’t here, and they are weaker than you, so they won’t be able to stop you.]
‘Oh, right!’
How did I not think of something so simple?
Nodding excitedly at Solomon’s words, I shouted.
‘That was a joke! I’ll be leaving now!’
[You little…!]
As the outrage erupted behind me, I heard Solomon’s voice in my ear.
[By the way, the weakest part of the barrier in the realm is over there. If you break that, you can escape.]
Whir!
As I glanced at the spot Solomon pointed out, I felt a bright red energy. It seemed Solomon had marked it for my easy viewing. As soon as I heard Solomon, I concentrated my energy at my fingertips and shot toward the location glowing bright red.
Boom!
The moment that energy burst unleashed a distortion in time and space! As the dark void swirled around me, I dashed in like lightning. I could hear the sound of the six [Old Rulers] freaking out behind me.
[What…!]
[What will we do if he gets out?]
[We have no choice but to contact him…!]
Crackle!
For a moment, I noticed everything in the distortion of time and space shifting uncontrollably. It was pure chaos, and I had no idea where I was going. Solomon spoke again.
[Just breaking through the dimensional rift created a void dimension. The seal of the realm is surprisingly strong. Normally, even a great sorcerer would have died here, but… I’ll create a door for you to exit from the void dimension to the regular dimension.]
Buzz!
As soon as he finished speaking, a light passage was created, and I bolted through it.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, I found myself on a continent filled with ice and glaciers. Normally, it would be a treacherous place known for its extreme cold, but in my spirit form, it wasn’t dangerous at all. In fact, the barriers of the realm and the void dimension I just escaped from were likely a hundred times more perilous.
I was curious and said, ‘Solomon, you really have some bizarre tricks up your sleeve. Is that something only a familiar can do?’
[The abilities I just used are merely magical powers I had back in my days as the Great Sorcerer Solomon. I’d rather ask you how you’re utilizing the powers of a familiar…]
‘Hmm…’
Instinctively perceiving the weak spot of the realm’s seal, and opening the way from the void dimension to the material realm was no ordinary feat. From my understanding of magic, even great sorcerers would have found Solomon’s abilities awe-inspiring.
Speaking of which, it seemed the rulers in the realm knew about Solomon and the Door of the Demon Gods. Maybe this guy is more famous than I thought…
Lost in thought, I said, ‘Anyway, I’m on Earth now, what should I do? I need to find Chi You…’
[Speaking of that, what do you think about visiting the [Ancient Race]?]
‘What? Why the sudden shift?’
Surprised by Solomon’s abrupt suggestion, I questioned him.
[Why, you ask? We need to capture the Elder of the [Ancient Race] and threaten him for the location of the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique.]
My eyes widened in shock.
‘… I didn’t mean it seriously?!’
[If there’s something to be gained and you have no reason not to, why not do it? Besides, a mere Elder of a mortal can’t really harm you, and after all, it will take some time for my subordinates to reach you. What a great way to kill time. And if you get info about the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique, it might come in handy in your 31st life, right?]
‘Hmm.’
Now that I think about it, Solomon’s forces had to come quite a distance to reach Earth, and it seems it would take days for that to happen…
[Moreover, the Elder might have information aside from the Dharma technique, like information about Chi You.]
‘O-Oh, right.’
In that moment, I was struck with a realization. Solomon’s seemingly sinister proposal was actually tactical and premeditated. If I ignored ethics, then acting according to Solomon’s plan would be the most efficient course of action.
But approach an unfamiliar [Ancient Race] and start a fight right away? No matter how I thought about it, it felt like a bad idea…
After some serious contemplation, I said, ‘It won’t be a threat; I’ll just explain my situation clearly and ask for help. If necessary, I’ll even negotiate.’
[… Is that sincere? Right now, you could easily wipe out the entire [Ancient Race]. Why bother with a civil approach with those bugs?]
Solomon seemed baffled, unable to comprehend me. I frowned at his words.
‘If you want to turn enemies right from the first meeting, sure, go ahead… but I don’t want to wreck things with people I haven’t even met yet. What if I discover they’re actually decent folks?’
[What does it matter? If you’re a Reborn person, wouldn’t all your wrongdoings be erased in your next life? Are you afraid of making enemies with a bunch like the [Ancient Race]?]
‘……’
After a moment of silence, I said, ‘Then how am I different from the Evil God or the Emperor? I have to walk my own path.’
[Hmm. I don’t get it… Are you really someone with the mindset of a Demiurge? You seem so different from what I know of one…]
Solomon appeared genuinely confused, like I was not the person he thought I was. After a moment, he said.
[I thought I understood you, but it seems I was completely off. Anyway, as your familiar, I’ll fully cooperate to help you achieve what you want.]
Whoosh!
Moments later, a magic circle appeared around me, and a faint light began to rise in the air. The light beam shot off somewhere, weaving through the air like string, and Solomon said,
[I found the location of the [Ancient Race] living in Antarctica. Just follow this light, and you’ll get there quickly. There is a protective barrier, but I’ll disable it as soon as you get close.]
‘Wow, you really are capable! So that’s not just a power of a familiar, but your original abilities, huh?’
[This is nothing much, just a little trick. If I was putting in full effort against a bunch like the [Ancient Race], I’d feel embarrassed.]
‘……’
[The Elder is probably the one with the strongest magical power among that clan. I’ll make sure to point you towards him.]
If I had met Solomon as an enemy, he would probably have turned out to be a dangerously wicked, arrogant, annoying person…
Yet here I was, musing over his past actions, as I zoomed towards the coordinates of the light he pointed out.
Whoosh!
Before I even had the chance to take thirty breaths, I reached the light’s end. The moment I arrived, Solomon chanted a spell.
[Shevirah.]
Bang!
The instant the incantation was spoken, the ancient mystery of the [Ancient Race] unfolded before my eyes. Just as Solomon promised, he shattered the protective barrier of the [Ancient Race] like glass with one spell.
The colossal city of the [Ancient Race]! It appeared to be much larger on the inside than it looked from the outside, resembling a massive, sprawling urban area, at least two or three times bigger than Luoyang. The fact that a city this large had been hidden in the barren Antarctic continent for at least a hundred thousand years was astonishing.
All around me, I could see members of the [Ancient Race] going about their business. It was quite a surprise to see these otherworldly beings creating such a vast civilization.
Solomon remarked, [Just to avoid any embarrassment, I used a level 5 spell, but I could have handled it all with a level 4 spell.]
‘What? You can use the Sephiroth sephira spells too?’
[Ha! What are you implying? Do you really think a Demiurge like me, who received the crown of Wisdom, couldn’t master the lower tiers?]
‘……’
[Ah, I’ve found the one with the strongest magical power. I’ll transfer you over to that Elder who I suspect is in charge.]
Bang!
The next moment, I stood before an Elder of the [Ancient Race].
This Elder looked just like the ones I knew from the [Ancient Race], but there was something peculiar about him—he exuded an aura of immense age and frailty. Next to him were two or three guardian warriors, and as the [Ancient Race] members rushed in, the old man called out,
“Stop! Before the Great Being, all is meaningless…”
Feeling the weight of his words, I crossed my arms and asked him, “Are you the Elder of the [Ancient Race]?”
“I am…”
“The Elder of the [Ancient Race]!”
The mastermind behind the protective barrier of the realm existing in Antarctica, and very likely the one who held information about the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique!
I spoke to the Elder, “I want to ask you two things. If you answer, I promise I won’t harm you and will leave.”
The Elder paused for a moment before readily answering,
“Firstly, you’d like to know about the six Dharma techniques that could destroy the universe…”
“…!”
“Other than the one in the realm, [The Despair of the World], I only know of one more… it is said to be at a place where the end and beginning of the universe meet…”
“A place where the end and beginning of the universe meet…?”
Where could that be?
Hmm… that sounds familiar…
As the Elder freely divulged the information, I was both astonished and slightly flustered as I asked, “How did you know I was curious about the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique?”
“I witnessed the energy from the Door of the Demon Gods penetrating into [The Despair of the World]… Surely you must have been the intruder. If you weren’t aiming for the Dharma technique, there should be no reason to go there…”
“……”
After a brief pause, the Elder continued,
“And the other one… you are searching for [The One That Exists but Does Not]… hmm… as for what that is… it is a fate so perplexing that a lowly being like me cannot grasp its essence… but I shall do my utmost to answer…”
“……!”
With what the Elder was saying, I realized something.
His wisdom was extraordinary.
But while the matter of the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique could be deduced through wisdom, the second question involved realms of knowledge beyond mere deduction.
The two questions I intended to ask were about the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma technique and Chi You.
The Elder had surmised the first using his wisdom, but for the second question, he had for some reason used a unique ability. This was because, regarding my question about Chi You, no one else in this world but me knew the answer.
This must be no ordinary being.
I looked at the Elder with interest and said, “You got it right… As you said, I am searching for Chi You. How did you infer such a thing?”
“… I am but a mere mortal, yet… I have received the Blessing of the Void Record and possess a rudimentary ability for prophecy… I have led my clan using this prophetic ability since ancient times…”
“……!”
So he deduced what I was asking for, albeit vaguely, using [Prophecy]!
If the Blessing of Omniscience granted him that power, it only makes sense.
“However… this is truly astonishing. How is it that you possess a complex law of causality that might surpass even Dharma techniques?”
The Elder’s words carried not just curiosity but a tip of massive dread.
Indeed.
This Elder was undeniably terrified of me. It wasn’t a fear of violence, but rather the terror of an oracle witnessing an entity that defied all prophecies and future predictions.
I spoke decisively, “Anyway, good. Do you know anything about Chi You? Have you heard that name before?”
“Oh… Chi You… I’ve never heard of it… But let me try to use my prophetic abilities to see what I can glean.”
“Please do.”
“……”
After a prolonged silence, the Elder said, “I tried to make a prophecy about Chi You with the Blessing of the Void Record but… my powers yield only a single reading…”
“What is it?”
“One existence will encounter an end, yet that will not be the true end…”
The Elder slowly explained his ominous omen.
“It can be described as an end without an end…”
