Chapter 650: 128. Escape (7k)
“How is it? Isn’t it quite nice?”
“It looks good on you.”
In the accessory store in the city, Fisher picked out a ring that looked nice for Renee.
The Southern Continent’s mines are rich in precious metals and diamonds. After the mining boom, greedy human merchants racked their brains to transport them back, crafting them into various sparkling decorations, which the noblewomen of Nali adored.
Women love sparkling things, and when the light of those accessories glimmers on them, it accentuates their beauty even more.
A few years back, there were some funny incidents because some clueless merchants brought back a certain type of magical material that looked beautiful but couldn’t be directly touched, packaged them as accessories for sale, resulting in skin rot for the women wearing them, leading to one of the largest lawsuit cases in centuries.
The ring picked for Renee was an ordinary silver intricately carved piece, perfectly fitting on her middle finger, looking particularly lovely.
Satisfied, she stretched out her fingers and then linked arms with Fisher, the situation under the hidden blessing was unclear to outsiders.
“Next, we’re off to the theater. I haven’t watched a Nali play in a long time. We used to go all the time.”
“Yeah, after finally getting front-row tickets, you ended up dozing off. What a waste.”
Renee puffed out her cheeks and lightly punched his shoulder with her ring-clad fist, muttering,
“I swear by the Mother, I definitely won’t fall asleep this time!”
“The Mother is just your predecessor, what good is swearing to yourself?”
“I’ve said it, I am not my predecessor,” Renee pouted and added, “If only I were my predecessor.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, because she is selfless and great, at least in terms of humanity.” Renee smiled as she explained, pointing at the Mother Church symbols visible all over the street, and the grand, gigantic, still bustling Saint Nali Cathedral nearby, “She is willing to fight the gods for humanity, teaching them how to protect themselves, yet fades away, such a character should be celebrated in human culture, shouldn’t it?”
“I don’t believe in the Mother, so it’s just fine for you to be Renee.”
“Is that so?”
Renee, holding Alicia’s hand, glanced back at Fisher but didn’t say much, only eagerly heading to buy tickets.
The theater used to only have evening shows, with daytime reserved for the actors’ rest. But it seems the theater has expanded over the years, with more actors allowing for multiple performances, even different plays on the same stage in a day.
Renee, holding little Alicia, pondered what play to watch in front of the ticket booth, while Fisher stood behind them, observing a mechanism that occasionally passed overhead in the street.
He wasn’t sure about the specific function of the mechanism—maintaining peace, surveillance, or had Elizabeth already discovered he sneaked out and was searching for him across the city?
Thinking of this, Fisher couldn’t help but swallow nervously, feeling some worry.
But behind him, Renee gently patted his shoulder, bringing him back from his speculations about Elizabeth.
“Stop daydreaming, hurry up and help me think about which play to watch? ‘The Revenge’ or ‘General Baron’?”
Fisher glanced at the ticket booth. Today’s performance had three plays scheduled, but realistically, because they needed to return to the Golden Palace in the evening, they could only choose the first two that Renee mentioned.
‘General Baron’ was a standard introduced drama, telling a story rich in Shivali personal heroism. It described how the ancient general of Shivali was tasked with resisting the invaders from the east amidst the internal and external turmoil with an incompetent emperor and treacherous ministers. In the end, General Baron triumphed over the strong enemy, returning in glory alongside his troops through his inspiring courage and the unity of his men.
This story was quite cliché, with a certain historical background, more familiar and understandable than the other option ‘The Revenge’.
As for ‘The Revenge,’ it was a story adapted from a rather controversial classic in Nali literature.
A kingdom faced invasion from enemies, leading to the loss of its territory and the pain of a fallen nation. The prince escaped alone, vowing to return to take revenge and restore his kingdom. He spent decades in distant lands hiding his identity and gathering strength, ultimately deciding to assassinate the emperor responsible for his nation’s downfall.
Many incidents occurred along the way. He encountered his sister, who also went into hiding, married, and started a family. She advised him to cherish his life and give up on vengeance. Her words made him waver, but he still pressed on, only to meet a general from his former country who had also endured hardship. The general not only aided him but sacrificed his life to keep the assassination plan from being exposed.
Thus, the prince continued onward, carrying the general’s will and approaching the enemy capital to reclaim all that had been taken from him. But along the way, he witnessed the advancements of the enemy nation, which seemed to thrive and possess vibrant energy in contrast to the incompetence during his father’s reign. He also encountered the citizens of his former country, now doing business under enemy rule, seemingly living better than they had under his father’s rule, leaving him even more conflicted.
So he pressed on and eventually arrived at the enemy capital, secretly declaring he would burn down the royal palace at the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony. Overnight, the entire capital was thrown into chaos as they searched for the ghostlike prince seeking revenge.
In the end, despite all his efforts, he found only a letter urging the enemy king to work hard in a secret inn, whereas the prince had long since fled, abandoning the assassination attempt.
This story, throughout Nali’s literary history, experienced multiple adaptations and discussions, with scholars and politicians endlessly debating the metaphors and views within.
Some claimed the prince was wise for transcending his own hatred to pursue a greater good; others said he used the greater good as an excuse for his cowardice.
Multiple details in the text implied that this prince was quite cowardly, as even his revenge plan sprouted amid his wife’s mockery. After being urged by his settled sister, he became extremely conflicted, worried about being mocked again by his wife should he go back, which was why he grit his teeth and continued with the assassination plan.
In other words, the portrayal of the enemy nation may merely be like that, not much different from the governance of his homeland. It was just his cowardice and weakness that made him subconsciously look for excuses to avoid facing things, beautifying his current realities.
Regardless of whether the prince in the story was a sage with profound understanding or a cowardly weakling, Fisher felt this text-heavy story likely wouldn’t be suitable for a five-year-old like Alicia; something more action-packed would probably be more appropriate.
Although ‘General Baron’ might come later in terms of time, Fisher still suggested picking this scene.
“How about we watch ‘General Baron’?”
Renee blinked, glanced back at the listed plays, and said,
“Is there enough time? We might get back late. Aren’t you worried about being caught by Elizabeth?”
“If we hurry.”
“What about watching ‘The Revenge’? It seems to be a newly adapted version; I’m not sure how well it’s performed. What do you think?”
Fisher glanced sideways at Renee. He didn’t particularly mind; since she wanted to watch this scene, he reluctantly agreed.
After coming to an agreement, Renee boldly bought three front-row seats and settled down, waiting for the audience to be seated and for the play to officially begin.
In the interim, Fisher glanced at Renee, who was filled with anticipation, and wanted to ask her something.
“Are you really looking forward to it this much? You’ve come with me so many times before, but it’s the first time seeing you like this.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It is.”
“Well, it’s also about relative comparison. I’ve been at your side for a long time; there have been plenty of opportunities. And back then, it wasn’t as tense and busy as now; ‘pleasure’ felt more tangible in the busy moments than in peaceful ones. Besides, I’m currently trying to steal you away from that Elizabeth. It’s quite exciting!”
It felt like that last point was the main reason for her joy.
But mentioning this made Fisher ponder, and he took the initiative to ask,
“So, what is the method you arranged with the gods to solve the Apocalypse Prophecy?”
“Everyone, please take your seats; the show is about to begin. Kindly refrain from loud chatter and from eating strong-smelling foods during the performance to ensure a pleasant experience for all attendees. Thank you for your cooperation!”
At that moment, the announcer stepped from backstage. Since it was an afternoon show, added to the fact that ‘The Revenge’ was generally a less popular piece, the number of ticket buyers was not too high, sitting scattered throughout the theater waiting for the show to start.
But regardless of the number of audience members, the actors on stage were still required to perform their best.
As the announcer retreated to the stage, the lights in the exhibition hall suddenly dimmed, making Renee’s profile beside him appear indistinct.
Fisher continued to stare at her, hoping to get an answer, but Renee was fixated on the stage, watching the first act begin.
In a clamor of iron horse and icy river, the fallen prince threw down farming tools amid his wife’s scorn, dramatically raising his voice to sing,
“Ah, my homeland perished in the flames that spread through the night, while its master could only escape in disgrace, as time ferments like wine in the dark cellar…”
The long, heavy literary drama dulled interest, but in the corner of his eye, seeing Renee’s focused gaze made him involuntarily shift his attention to the performance before him.
As the text progressed, Fisher quickly realized that the version being performed adopted the second interpretation in the literary community: this prince was indeed a bona fide coward, not abandoning the assassination for a greater cause but purely out of fear and weakness.
He feared the formidable enemy nation, dreaded the near-suicidal assassination, and repeatedly questioned his struggling heart on what reasons he could find to abandon the plan.
Was it his sister’s sincere persuasion, the subtle advantages of the enemy nation, or the risks involved in the assassination?
As Fisher had anticipated, Alicia beside him was lulled into a drowsy stupor by this dense, meaningful drama; it was only halfway through the second act that she could no longer resist her heavy eyelids and drifted off to sleep.
But at that moment, completely absorbed in the stage, Fisher suddenly heard Renee’s extremely quiet question,
“Fisher, don’t you believe that the gods and I can resolve the Apocalypse Prophecy?”
Fisher turned to look at her, only to find her still fixated on the stage. So, he also turned his gaze back to the direction of the stage and replied,
“No, it’s just back when we were on the Southern Continent, I don’t know if it was just my impression, but I always had a sense of foreboding about you. Even though you already explained to me that it was because you forgot to bring the Lark, even though you brought it this time as well, I still feel that resolving the Apocalypse Prophecy shouldn’t be as easy as you make it sound.”
“…”
Renee stared at the stage, silent for a moment, then sighed and explained,
“…Fisher, the so-called Apocalypse Prophecy is essentially an invasion of this world. You’ve encountered Trans, so you should know that outside the Spirit Realm and beyond The Ultimate, there lies a broader world. And the invading enemies are deities from outside this world. Though they are referred to as ‘Chaos,’ they are fundamentally no different from Ramastia. Although Ramastia never elaborated to me, I sensed they are quite familiar with some of the gods that breach our realm.”
“…”
Chaos and the gods being fundamentally indistinguishable?
At that moment, Fisher suddenly recalled the critical clue conveyed to him by the Subhuman Girl Enthusiast through Cidi. She said:
【The gods are chaos.】
Or rather, the authority the gods possess—regardless of which deity it belongs to—might actually represent chaos for the realities within the crevice?
So the concept of [Chaos] described by the gods isn’t about them, but about this world?
“You mean to say that the gods led by Ramastia actually come from the same place as those gods invading this world?”
“Perhaps. In comparison, I, as an awareness birthed entirely within the Spirit Realm, resemble a more local product. Yet even so, I am not so different from them. Because you should understand, our essential characteristic lies within our inherent authority.”
The actors on stage showcased exaggerated expressions, dramatic movements, and singing to display the arc of their roles, while Renee’s explanation was also just right.
“The appearance, personality, and characteristics of deities are all bizarre and unconventional without a fixed form, but authority is their one common feature. Authority is a kind of power, a nature that embodies the essential characteristics of every high-tier existence known as 【deity】, and it is the simplest and most straightforward unit by which to measure the strength of deities. Authority is akin to mass—the larger the mass, the more it signifies the vastness of a deity’s power.
“I and other deities each possess a unique authority, while Ramastia possesses two, making her worthy of being revered as the chief deity. Many of the world’s decisions are governed and controlled by her. The source of the blessing she bestowed upon you, the Secretive Azanros, is a great deity stronger than Ramastia by an unfathomable number of powers, who requested protection. Thus, the barrier forms, separating this world from everything outside.”
Fisher’s thoughts were quick, and he almost instantly made a deduction based on the hints provided by Subhuman Girl Enthusiast earlier.
“But the barrier has malfunctioned, allowing the powers of the outside gods to seep in, right?”
“Yes, Fisher, and that is the crux of the problem.”
Renee sighed, smiling as she retorted,
“The barrier was easily breached, the might of Azanros disappeared before the invaders, revealing a huge flaw known as 【The Ultimate】, where only entry is permitted, but not exit. Can you imagine what level of existence is coveting this world?”
“…”
“Then it is no longer a god to us, but a god of death—one that brings the scythe down upon all existence in this world, including the gods of Ramastia. The so-called Apocalypse Prophecy merely watches as this god, powerful enough to be nearly unresisting, transforms into the terminator of the world, burning everything to ashes—nothing more.”
Fisher opened his mouth, a cold sweat collecting on his forehead uncontrollably, but he couldn’t help but question,
“Aren’t the gods of Ramastia and the invading enemies from the same place? Don’t they know anything about this ‘god of death’?”
Renee shook her head and said to Fisher,
“There are six detectible sources of invading power, but they only knew of four, corresponding to the completion manual entries of 【Life】, 【Mechanism】, 【Fate】, and 【Death】. As for the remaining two, they are completely unaware, and the one that shattered Azanros’ barrier should be one of those.”
The remaining two?
The chaos manual from the Duke of Peach mentioned this, conveniently indicating the two trees above the four trees, corresponding to Renee’s statement.
The four below are the relatively weaker, alien deities known to the gods, likely possessing only one authority and on the same level as the gods, while the two above are 【The Ocean of Consciousness】 and 【The Crimson Dream】.
“As I previously said, there is indeed a way to resolve it. The several deities have reacted differently to the impending Apocalypse Prophecy—some want to flee, some wish to stay and wait for death, some want to surrender, and others intend to resist.”
Renee smiled slightly and then supplemented some information. It must be said, under the blessing of Azanros, she could disregard the outside chaos’s gaze and disclose more information to Fisher.
“But because Azanros’ power has not fully dissipated yet, the barrier can only allow entry, not exit, so fleeing is useless; disregarding the ones who wish to stay and wait for death; as for those who want to surrender, they quickly denied it themselves, and I don’t know the reason. Now, only Ramastia’s proposed plan to attempt to solve the Apocalypse Prophecy remains. She has provided a specific plan, and we are currently executing it according to that.”
“If I’m not mistaken, this method should target one of those unknown deities, right? The chaos of 【Soul】 has temporarily quieted down, while the other corresponds to the completion manual as 【Magic】, recorded as 【The Crimson Dream】 in the Duke’s notes.”
“Yes, you guessed correctly.”
On stage, the actors playing the guards had completely surrounded the hotel where the prince resided, but in broad daylight, when they opened the door to the room, only a small note remained inside.
The prince had already escaped, gone far away.
The entire story was about to reach its conclusion after this plot point.
Before him, the theater’s music began to swell, attempting to immerse the audience in a thoughtful, contemplative atmosphere.
And next to him, Renee’s voice became clearer in Fisher’s ear.
After hesitating for a while, she stared at the scene on stage but couldn’t help but speak up,
“But whether we can defeat the crimson unknown deity is still an unknown variable. The crimson pollution in the spirit realm has erupted with power due to its influence for millennia, and yet we have always found no way to counter it. What we might face is a vastly more potent force than the pollution of the spirit realm, especially with that poorly disappeared soul deity, whether they have truly abandoned leaving remains an unknown.”
A cruise ship sailing on the ocean, a god of death with a scythe circling above, mocking—this is the current world and its seemingly doomed future.
From Renee’s words, Fisher finally sensed her evident confusion and a bit of humanity’s frailty. That fragility made him want to reach out and grasp what he believed to be her cold hand, but before he could lift his hand, Renee had already taken the initiative to grip his hand gently.
Amid his surprise, Renee turned her head to look directly at Fisher and said,
“I might be a bit selfish saying this, Fisher, but do you know how I feel right now?”
“I think…”
“Can we just ignore everything? Let’s pass through Azanros’ barrier and escape to the world beyond The Ultimate. Perhaps then we can still survive.”
Fisher opened his mouth, his eyes flickering slightly; the theater hall brightened as the music signaled the end of the play.
The actors stepped forward to express gratitude to the sparse audience with a bow, quickly filling the stage. At the forefront stood the prince from ‘The Revenge,’ who had suffered greatly yet ultimately gave up on seeking revenge.
He smiled, bowing to the audience and waving his hand in thanks, just like the prince who truly made a decision in that story.
But everyone knew he wasn’t the prince from that story—he was merely an exceptionally skilled actor who could make no decisions for the fallen kingdom.
And what about Fisher at this moment?
“I…”
“Fisher, you have the blessing of Azanros; it’s a pass and also the only item within this world that carries the essence of Azanros, the only means to walk from the barrier to the outside world.”
“But…”
“I know, you might be worried about others, the women you know? As long as they want to, I—we can completely take them along. There is still a lot of time before the real Apocalypse Prophecy arrives; you can let them prepare mentally. I have authority rivaling divine power; you have the means to escape this place. Even leaving the spirit realm for the outside world will be smooth. The Apocalypse Prophecy will always linger over this world. Once we leave this place, everything here will no longer concern us, will it?”
Renee seemed a bit frightened, tightly gripping Fisher’s hand. Her purple eyes fixed unblinkingly on Fisher’s face, reflecting his figure as she awaited his answer.
At that moment, the applause and gratitude echoed, waking the sleeping Alicia beside them. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up with the solemn-faced Emhart, who remained silent, vaguely asking Renee and Fisher,
“Big brother, big sister, is it over? I’m sorry… I was so sleepy, so… aw.”
Renee didn’t respond to Alicia’s words behind her, but continued to stare intently at Fisher. Emhart looked at Fisher too, but unlike Renee, he merely pursed the corners of his lips and indicated with his gaze for Alicia, who couldn’t see Fisher, to temporarily stay silent and not interrupt their conversation.
Faced with Renee’s proposal, Fisher found himself moved but also deeply hesitant.
This hesitation wasn’t due to some ridiculous concern about bringing along the women he knew might cause disputes.
The feeling was one of being moved because the difficulties ahead truly exceeded imagination. Even all the deities, including Renee, felt hope was dim; in such a moment, having a way to escape disaster seemed hopeful.
So what about his hesitation?
He simply wasn’t sure if such a choice was appropriate.
It would mean they would have to abandon everything they currently saw.
Nali, the Western Continent, the Northern Region, the Southern Continent…
All life, all civilization, and all stories would be cast aside.
The place they were heading to was beyond the spirit realm, vast and expansive, perhaps resembling a familiar location here, the homeland of Trans.
But it might also be fraught with dangers because those invaders come from beyond the world.
The audience surrounding them and the actors on stage had dispersed, yet the story of ‘The Revenge’ seemed far from over—only it was Fisher’s turn to play the prince, to make the decision.
Please vote, tip, and support. It means a lot to me!
Thank you very much for your support!
(End of Chapter)
