Chapter 1278
The Grey Heavenly Envoy’s Ritual
The phenomenon accompanying the descent of the Abyss Heavenly Envoy was visible even from outside the city.
The sunlight was obscured by the sea, and colossal whales floated in the sky.
The earth trembled, the city turned to stone, and roars capable of dispelling sandstorms echoed incessantly.
“…Such immense pressure,” Hassan murmured softly.
Merely attempting to lift his head and gaze in the direction of Holy Spring City sent a feeling like being gripped by something seizing his heart. A frantic sense of terror boiled in his blood. Confronted by that terrifying pressure, the rage he had cultivated for years with hatred, and the determination he had solidified with blood and pain, felt utterly fragile.
“If I ventured any closer, I fear I would weep uncontrollably and flee in a frantic scramble.”
Hassan silently gazed at the darkened sky, much like a crow would stare at the moon. His voice was like a sleepwalker’s murmur, “So this is how fragile a mortal’s resolve is… Without sufficient power, one cannot even stand before Him.”
“As it should be,” Haina’s voice chimed in from beside him. Her voice was clear and resolute. “Just like the stories of every dragon slayer… these dragon slayers were once valiant warriors, peerless heroes. This is because the weak do not even qualify to stand before a dragon. Or, conversely, if a challenge had no threshold, it wouldn’t be called a challenge—at best, it would be an assassination.”
Upon hearing this, Hassan turned his gaze. He knew that this woman from Avalon, standing beside him, was the personal bodyguard of the Lord of Heaven City. Many had seen her emerge from Holy Spring City that day, and many had rushed to report the information to Hassan. He referred to her as a bodyguard, not a servant, because Hassan, having studied abroad at the Mage Tower, understood that if Eivass was recognized by the elves, he was undoubtedly not a conventional Lord.
Currently, Eivass was not abusing the authority granted by his Lord status, which differed greatly from the Lords of other cities. However, even so, Hassan was rather reluctant to accept Haina into his team. The Red Mob team was exceptionally pure. Everyone hailed from among those persecuted by the Lords, fostering an extraordinary sense of cohesion. This made it impossible for the spies of those Lords to infiltrate their ranks. They could not be bribed, and their actions could not be hindered by death or bound by morality.
The only issue was… even for someone as extreme as Hassan, he was beginning to feel that the Red Mob was spiraling out of control. Their destructive impulses and aggression had grown so potent that he himself was struggling to curb them. In this regard, Hassan himself was the anomaly among them.
Hassan had studied diligently at the Mage Tower for so long. Returning to his homeland after stealing the Heavenly Envoy Fragments, he certainly harbored more than just the desire to perish together with the Lords. He genuinely wished to destroy the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi—he wanted to obliterate this sinful, ancient realm, its systems, its culture, its traditions, everything. But at the same time, he did not want to be left with mere ruins…
As he had told Morgan, he killed innocent civilians without hesitation to prevent the Lords from realizing he valued them; he polluted water sources without a second thought so that the Lords could not use such resources to extort them. They were not without weaknesses, but the Lords simply failed to recognize them. Yet, precisely because of this, they possessed a fatal flaw… That is, Hassan’s actions and his inner thoughts were not aligned. His heart, his desires, his soul, were far softer than his outward demeanor suggested; his rational, calm eyes contemplated more than his inflammatory words. Therefore, the smoother their cause progressed, the more Hassan suffered. His destruction was merely a prelude to a new beginning for all.
…But those who followed him likely did not think so. A team founded on deception was destined to end in schism. History had repeated this scenario countless times. For this reason, he did not wish for Haina to enter this precarious tower, even though he knew she meant no harm.
On one hand, he knew that a prominent figure like Haina, dressed in fine clothes, would be unable to empathize with these homeless slaves and Free People, potentially introducing seeds of instability and accelerating the disintegration of this uneasy tower. On the other hand, he felt that Haina had no reason to board this sinking ship, which could capsize at any moment. If anything were to happen to her here, it might provoke Eivass—and that was entirely unnecessary. Eivass’s stance was not adversarial to his; they even shared common enemies. Hassan did not wish to add another formidable foe to the path of confronting their formidable enemy. His followers certainly wouldn’t care, as their path ahead led only to death and destruction; but Hassan had to consider the eventual outcome.
However, two individuals changed his mind. They were Morgan and Autolycus. When both of them advocated for Haina to stay… even without explicitly stating their reasons, Hassan immediately realized that Haina was involved in the power struggle between the gods of the Dream Realm. And after Haina stayed, as expected… she indeed caused quite a bit of trouble. She had very little understanding of Anxi culture and taboos, constantly asking people questions they were unwilling to answer. Initially, she angered and upset many, leading to small-scale commotions. But fortunately, Haina was powerful and genuinely sincere, friendly, and without the airs of a prominent figure. Within a few days, many children began following Haina, showing signs of looking up to her as a leader.
Hassan was not angry about this. He did not feel his authority had been usurped… Instead, he genuinely felt that this might represent a new possibility. If these children continued to follow him, they could only face destruction in flames. If they could connect with Eivass through Haina, perhaps there would be a way out. This was the hope for the future of the Anxi people. The Ancient Kingdom of Anxi could be destroyed, but the Anxi people must not perish.
“What about you?” Haina gazed at Hassan and asked, “You know you cannot approach that place, yet you keep watching the battlefield of the descending Heavenly Envoy… Is it out of unwillingness?”
“…Unwillingness?” Hassan murmured softly, touching his chest with his prosthetic arm. “Perhaps…”
“It is to punish yourself, my dear,” Morgan chuckled, appearing from the void. She leaned intimately against Haina, resting on her shoulder. Haina furrowed her brow slightly as she looked at this witch, famous throughout Avalon, but felt no aversion. She inexplicably felt a sense of closeness and trust towards Morgan… That was likely due to the influence of Lancelot’s Soul Shard. Haina understood.
Morgan embraced Haina from behind, smiling at Hassan, who was pursing his lips with a bitter expression, softly murmuring, “Because you cannot partake in battles of this caliber, because you are too weak, you wish to punish your foolish and incompetent self with pain. It’s like clenching your fists until they bleed because the pain is too great.”
“…I have always been this way,” Hassan said slowly. “Pain is a more effective anesthetic than sugar—I don’t deny it’s an ineffective anesthetic. I am clear on that.” He turned back, his calm gaze fixing on the two Avalon women, one clever and cunning, the other innocent and foolish.
“So, Morgan?” Hassan asked, “How are the preparations on the War God’s side?”
“Oh, he’s not going to get involved,” Morgan replied airily.
“…What?” Hassan was suddenly shocked and looked up in disbelief. “Wasn’t he cooperating with those Lords?”
The Ouroboros Ring ritual of the Lords incorporated a special element—the coronation of the Great Abyss. As the Grand Vizier of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi, he indeed held such authority. Coupled with the witness of the other Lords, it could be considered the endorsement of the nobility. They would create a new King of Anxi, designate him as the demon who would destroy Anxi, and then defeat him… In this way, they could achieve their rebellion. This action perfectly aligned with Calamity Red’s act of seizing the Pillar God’s position. It would also allow Him to demonize the residual concepts of the Path of Authority, thereby destroying them completely. Coincidentally, the Red Dragon had not entirely purged the White Dragon’s remnants. Cooperating with the Lords to confront the descending Abyss Heavenly Envoy was not too difficult. After all, under the influence of the Veil of Equilibrium, the Abyss Heavenly Envoy’s power would be suppressed to the minimum of the Sixth Tier. The Lords had all reached the Sixth Tier, plus a Pillar God—this should have been a sure victory.
…At least, that’s what Hassan believed before witnessing the Abyss Heavenly Envoy’s power firsthand. But now, he couldn’t help but wonder in his heart… could the newly ascended Calamity Red’s power be less than that of the Abyss Heavenly Envoy, weakened by the Veil of Equilibrium? Otherwise, why would He retreat timidly at such a critical juncture?
“Yes, He abandoned those Lords,” Morgan said slowly. “Of course, this is not fleeing—rather, He keenly realized that doing nothing was more aligned with His own interests.”
“—Because Eivass is ‘the one who divides and re-unites.'”
A strange man’s voice rang out. At that moment, another person appeared at the entrance. He had not just entered from outside but had been there all along. Yet, no one present had noticed his existence. It was Autolycus, the resurrected Grey Heavenly Envoy. He currently adopted the appearance of a kind, unfamiliar胖子 (pàngzi – fat person) with a merchant’s smile. “The Red Dragon keenly realized something—that, compared to the similarity between them and the Abyss Heavenly Envoy, his position was actually closer to Eivass’s. Eivass was the snake’s tail cut off by the Ring Heavenly Envoy, and Arthur was also a ‘tail’ cut off from the Crown Heavenly Envoy by the Ring Heavenly Envoy. Now, Eivass has completed himself, regaining his past memories, knowledge, and power… Arthur is the same. Arthur did not kill those Knights of the Round Table precisely because he did not wish to destroy Vortigern’s everything, but to obtain Vortigern’s everything.”
He said this and then transformed into a beautiful young girl. She raised a hand to her chin, holding her other arm, standing gracefully. “After all… he lacked crucial information: he did not know that the Crown Lord was not completely dead.”
…Indeed. Haina couldn’t help but nod. When she first learned of this, she was also greatly surprised. Who would have thought that there would still be room for intrigue and schemes in the battle for a Pillar God’s ascension? The portion of the White Dragon’s soul that Morgan preserved was a crucial part of the Crown Lord. Just as the Crown Lord had not been able to completely defeat Supreme Heaven in the past, leading to the birth of the Bear Heavenly Envoy, he had not been able to thoroughly defeat the Crown Lord. Fate is an Ouroboros.
“In his understanding, the White Dragon is dead. Now he has become a Monarch, just like Eivass, who seized the Heavenly Envoy’s body. But unfortunately, that fellow miscalculated~” Autolycus said, transforming again into a wise old man. He had white hair and a white beard, with piercing eyes. No one knew his true appearance, just as no one knew if he was male or female, old or young.
“…Or perhaps, this is the characteristic of the Crown Heavenly Envoy,” the old man said meaningfully. “Just like before. When he was still a Heavenly Envoy, he was just as reckless.”
“I remember the Young Master told me something…” At this moment, Lily’s voice suddenly sounded eerily. “Regarding your participation in the Battle of Punishing Heaven, Grey Heavenly Envoy.”
A silhouette of a human figure, constructed from shadows, slowly rose from Haina’s shadow. Neither Hassan nor Haina had any idea Lily was there. Hassan instinctively prepared a spell, but the coalescing fireball was casually dispersed by Haina’s wave. Seeing that Autolycus and Morgan remained completely unfazed, Hassan grudgingly retracted his spell. After all, he was completely outmatched by the three individuals before him. Moreover, without Autolycus’s help, he couldn’t even fully unleash the power of the Fire Fragment.
“Successor of the Spider Silk Grimoire…” As expected, the old man directly recognized Lily’s identity. He seemed somewhat surprised, yet also pleased. “You actually eliminated the ‘self’ within you? Truly admirable.” At this point, Autolycus no longer concealed the fact that he was the Grey Heavenly Envoy.
“—The Young Master helped me achieve that,” Lily replied without hesitation. “He said—you are also friends with the Crown Heavenly Envoy.”
“Yes. We once hunted Supreme Heaven together,” the old man said wistfully. “That’s why I know what he will choose.” As he spoke, his body twisted again, transforming into a black-haired, black-eyed youth. At that moment, both Haina and Lily held their breath—because this appearance was almost identical to Sherlock in his child-like form!
“…Did you actually die back then?” Lily couldn’t help but ask.
The Grey Heavenly Envoy, Autolycus, raised a finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture. “Don’t worry about such things…”
“How can I not worry?” Lily’s sharp gaze looked directly at Autolycus, her words crisp and decisive. “If you intend to seize my body, then declare war directly. If you don’t need to do that, then we are friends. It’s that simple.”
“Is it that simple?” He turned back, smiling. “Truth is transparent, hence people are always unable to see the truth; lies are opaque, unable to be penetrated by light or gaze, so people only see lies and always trust lies. That is why I appear where I do—I appear in every place where lies are brewing. The Grey Heavenly Envoy has never died. Look at the human world, has there ever been a moment without lies? I don’t think so.”
“Then why did you provide evidence of your own death?”
“Do you have to pursue this to the end?” The Grey Heavenly Envoy seemed somewhat helpless but could only honestly reply, “Even death itself is a lie; only then can I completely blend into lies, can’t I?”
Suddenly, Haina realized something. “You want to become a Pillar God? Otherwise, why would you create your own Path?”
“Who knows? Perhaps,” the Grey Heavenly Envoy chuckled noncommittally. He spread his arms open and stated frankly, “I am here because of a past request from the Crown Heavenly Envoy. ‘Arthur’ will always need ‘Merlin,’ especially when hunting ‘Giants’ and the ‘Gods of Giants’.”
“…You mean?” Haina’s mind was starting to burn again. “Which one is the true Arthur? The Red Dragon named Arthur? Or the White Dragon who established the Knights of the Round Table? Is it the name or the title? Truth or fact? Or does none of it matter? …Just like, who is the true snake? Isn’t that precisely what is unfolding in Holy Spring City right now.”
Having said this, the Grey Heavenly Envoy looked at Morgan. Morgan then produced the White Dragon’s fragmented soul, which was being held captive. He looked at Haina and asked a question she could not avoid:
“Young lady, if you had the chance, would you want to become a Pillar God? —If you could obtain the power of a Heavenly Envoy, but had to fight desperately against a Pillar God.”
Haina’s eyes widened. She suddenly understood. Why she was here. Why the Grey Heavenly Envoy and Morgan were here. Why the Red Mob was here. If she were ‘Lancelot,’ then Hassan would be ‘Arthur.’ Those in the Red Mob would be the Knights of the Round Table. The Grey Heavenly Envoy would be ‘Merlin,’ and Morgan would be ‘Morgan,’ or perhaps ‘Guinevere.’ The absurd and tyrannical Lords would be the man-eating giants. The God of Giants would be the Abyss Heavenly Envoy. The Supreme God, the Invincible God— Everything fit perfectly. It was like a stage play, only now she realized she also had a role.
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again…” the Grey Heavenly Envoy said with a smile, but his expression was tinged with sadness. “This is the essence of a ritual. —After Arthur defeated the Giants in the past, he allowed Lancelot to accept the crown. Because he only wanted to destroy the Giants’ kingdom, he did not wish to rule it. So, if it were you, would you be willing to accept it?”
