Chapter 737: The Ultimate Secret
Looking in the direction Ramastia had left, Fisher again gazed at the flickering golden light emanating from the barrier, seemingly beckoning him.
He turned to Renee and smiled, saying, “Let’s go, take me to see the place you’ve been.”
“Well, there’s nothing over there, just that group of ‘guys’.”
That group referred to the gods, and although her tone carried disdain, with Fisher beside her, she didn’t feel so resistant about going.
She gently raised her hand, and the originally cold moonlight surprisingly became soft, drifting like water to lift Fisher away from the Sea of Souls. Behind them, the little Chaos Races peered out once again, reluctant to bid farewell to Fisher, calling out, “Baby. Baby.”
Fisher looked down at those round-headed little Chaos Races floating up and down like glutinous rice balls in hot water; they were really persistent about him returning to the Sea of Souls.
Now he could no longer see Gouwen and David’s boat; only the Crimson Mist enveloping the outside of the Sea of Souls could be seen. They should still be somewhere in the Sea of Souls.
During this slow ascent, Fisher glanced back one more time at the center of the Sea of Souls, where the vortex-like area was the source of the precious nature within him.
Wait, what are those four small vortices surrounding it?
As he rose higher, the area around the vortex also seemed to show some absence, as if something had similarly left the Sea of Souls.
“Renee, what are those four vortices?”
“I don’t know. Ramastia studied the Sea of Souls for a long time, but those four vortices seemed to have existed since they began their research.”
“When they were studying the Sea of Souls?”
Fisher recalled carefully the words Ramastia had said before. At that time, they took the Sea of Souls to the barrier and began to create living beings that could walk within the world through it. It was at that time that the uncontrollable trend of beings transforming into humans emerged, leading to the birth of the subhuman world.
Ramastia had noticed that there might exist a deeper mark within the souls that they couldn’t perceive, meaning that from that moment, they should have started researching the Sea of Souls.
How long ago was that?
Fisher couldn’t ascertain the specific time, but he could confirm one thing: the appearance of those four vortices was earlier than when the precious nature left the Sea of Souls inside him.
He kept staring at those four vortices, while Renee’s moonlight carried him closer to the edge of the barrier.
“Look over there, Fisher.”
Renee’s reminder pulled Fisher back from his thoughts. He turned his head to see that a bright light had begun to shimmer in the deep direction they were heading, like a starry river in deep space or the bright light shining through broken dark glass.
That was a huge gap. When Fisher saw that “star river,” he realized this.
The whole gap seemed to be shrouded in a sticky “membrane,” which was semi-transparent but shimmered with faint golden light at certain angles.
“Is that the `Ultimate`?”
“Ah, that’s right. Those guys have always been here; it should be your first time seeing them.”
Renee’s voice came through, and Fisher’s gaze followed the gap towards the Ultimate, but he only saw darkness and a not-so-bright star.
“Them?”
Fisher was just questioning when his pupils slightly contracted, for the next second, in his vision, that immobile star began to move upwards.
“Buzz, buzzing!”
That gigantic star moved upward with the boundless darkness surrounding it, until the darkness finally obscured the radiance emitted by the Ultimate, and Fisher could barely distinguish that the darkness was indeed a physical entity, with clear outlines.
The boundaries of the dark shape were sharp, and a giant hand with seven fingers lifted from the darkness, inverted above the bright star. As it moved slightly, the star’s light was stirred, illuminating this realm.
Fisher looked up and finally discerned the entirety of this immense existence.
It turned out that the star was the deity’s head, while all other parts were a darkness that seemed capable of absorbing all light. Its body was several times larger than Renee, whose giant form was as big as its head. Hence, when it reached out its hand towards Fisher, he felt as if everything around him was being swallowed.
“Don’t worry, this is Ouyun. All the stars and moons we see in reality are created by Him. He is a friendly deity known as the ‘Star Forge,’ passionate about crafting huge celestial bodies. I’ve never seen Him speak.”
“.”
Ouyun’s movements were quite simple. He seemed a bit unable to see the tiny Fisher clearly, so He reached out and touched the brilliance of the bright celestial body on His head, then positioned it above Fisher and Renee. After that, He leaned down to examine him, but due to His large size, it looked imposing.
Listening to Renee, Fisher felt that this silent deity emitted a sturdiness akin to a stone, which was surprisingly unoppressive.
“Hello, Ouyun, I am Fisher.”
“.”
Just as Renee had described, Ouyun really had no speaking ability, remaining quiet.
However, after Fisher spoke, He slightly lifted that enormous head, seemingly done observing.
“Ah, it’s Fisher! We’ve heard your name many times already, from Renee and from Ramastia.”
As Ouyun raised His head, a small figure, as small as a squirrel, darted out from the darkness and landed steadily on His shoulder. Fisher turned and first saw a dazzling golden light.
“Ah, too bright, huh?”
Fisher squinted uncomfortably, and the tiny golden light moved back a bit, allowing Fisher to fully discern its appearance.
It was indeed a golden squirrel, complete with a pair of small glasses, resembling a kind and lively “Squirrel Grandma.”
“Squirrel?”
Renee’s avatar appeared too, a bit helplessly introducing to Fisher, “This is Anebatos, the deity who created the laws of time and space within the world, titled ‘Star of Destiny.’ What you see now is His favorite avatar, an animal He enjoys weaving. Sometimes it’s a squirrel, sometimes a bird, and sometimes a crocodile.”
“Before entering the barrier, I came from the home of the Trans, so I’m quite familiar with those creatures. Many of the animals here were designed by me. These soulless creatures can be shaped even without Ramastia’s authority.”
The little squirrel’s surrounding light gradually dimmed, and it cozily leaned against Fisher’s shoulder, winking at him. Despite being a squirrel, there was a human-like spark in its little eyes.
“Hey, wait, something feels off.”
Anebatos paused, turned to look at Renee’s avatar, then back at her true form, curiously asking, “Fisher, did you do something that made Renee particularly happy? She seems to be in a good mood.”
Renee’s cheeks flushed, and without a word, she walked over to pick up the gossiping Anebatos from Fisher’s shoulder, floating him in mid-air. He didn’t fall but floated back, glancing between Renee’s true form and Fisher, seemingly comparing their sizes.
Then he shook his head, exclaiming in wonder, “Today’s youth and young deities are truly daring enough to try anything.”
“.”
Renee squeezed Anebatos’ avatar’s fist, which was larger than the squirrel’s by a circle, clearly in a posture as if ready for a home run. Fisher wisely stepped in and asked, “Anebatos, earlier you mentioned that your true forms are all here.”
“Oh, why am I using an avatar, right?”
Anebatos adjusted the small glasses on his face just as Sister Teresa’s voice suddenly rang out from the deep space.
“Because Anebatos’ true form is currently within the Ultimate. The three of us agreed to take turns entering the Ultimate to bear the brunt while the other deities assist. It just happens to be Anebatos’ turn now.”
“See, that’s it.”
Anebatos nodded in agreement, scratching his big canine.
Meanwhile, within the darkness behind, illuminated by the water-like moonlight emanating from Renee, a gigantic, fluid-like distorted irregular shadow slowly approached Fisher. Even having undergone training in authority by Renee, Fisher still felt an extreme sense of discomfort.
Fisher’s muscles began to twitch uncontrollably again. He quickly remembered that Ramastia’s true form was a deity with two authorities.
But he still raised his head to glimpse that indescribable twisted existence.
The true form of the God of All Forms was finally revealed.
It was a mass of swirling, multicolored fluid, continuously writhing, where various-sized synapses emerged endlessly along its surface. Beneath the fluid surface, Fisher seemed to see faces, each with different looks and expressions but seemingly all “human” faces.
Those were not contents within Ramastia’s body; they felt more like projections of his own gaze and soul.
“Bear the brunt… what does it mean?”
The twisted, serpent-like, dragon-like body distorted slightly. Fisher had no idea which part of it was its head or face, or if all of it was somehow a face?
Yet that distortion was precisely directed towards the Ultimate, leading Fisher to know it was telling him to look that way.
“For so many years, apart from Dalasgon, who guards the critical location of the Crevice, the true forms of most of us deities have been coming here from time to time. But before the Apocalypse Prophecy officially begins, we only needed to come during the Overflowing phase for gathering, because the powers emitted by the Infinite Authority during the Overflowing phase would uncontrollably affect the barrier. Thus, every time the Overflowing phase arrived, we deities’ consciousness would retreat from reality.
“As for now, we must be here all the time, and we even need Renee to assist because the gap in the Ultimate is still expanding.”
Fisher slightly froze, glancing at the enormous gap that radiated faint golden light like a star river.
This was the only passage for invaders to enter, and it was still expanding to this day?
“Around ten thousand years ago, the Ultimate had already appeared, but back then, the gap was small, only about this big. We didn’t discover its existence. Even when the Trans crossed it to come here, we were almost completely unprepared.
“After ten thousand years of expansion, it has grown to such a degree. However, this is only through area expansion; the properties of the barrier remain effective, resisting the entry of foreign authorities and rules. But the contributor of that Subhuman Girl Supplement Handbook, before sneaking away, left us a message. She said that as the Ultimate further expands, the properties of the barrier will eventually become ineffective. You should understand what that means, Fisher.”
Fisher’s throat tightened; he understood too clearly.
It could be said that the current situation of the Apocalypse Prophecy still being resisted was entirely due to this hidden barrier deflecting the direct intervention of foreign deities’ authority, forcing them to use the Supplement Handbook—a developmental cycle that was long and prone to miscarriage—to push forward the plan for demise.
Once the barrier completely shatters, even the entry of Dream’s true form would bring devastation to all living beings, leading to a direct and catastrophic end.
“That’s why in the decades since she left, we have been collaborating to study the barrier, not daring to rashly claim we can repair Azanros’ great barrier. At the very least, we have curbed its expansion. However, the price we pay is that our authorities must wholeheartedly remain near the Ultimate while the pollution in reality and even the Spirit Realm consumes all our energies.”
The Subhuman Girl Enthusiast indeed ran away, most likely having fled after delivering herself to Sister Teresa’s convent.
She possessed the blessing of Azanros, allowing her to pass through the Ultimate unharmed.
“We only just learned that she left part of the precious blessing of Azanros to you. Fisher, you are now the only existence within this barrier who can fully analyze the situation of the barrier and propose solutions for us. So when I said all the decisions are in your hands, it’s not an empty phrase, but quite real.”
Ramastia pondered for a moment, glancing at the vast Crimson Mist of the Spirit Realm, softly saying,
“We have thought of many ways to address the pollution within the Spirit Realm and have tentatively formed a plan to eradicate it. But after all, this is merely the echo of Dream. Even if the pollution in the Spirit Realm is eliminated, as long as its true form remains alive, it will ultimately return.”
“But killing the true form of Dream is wishful thinking, right? So that means there is a second path that may hold some hope.”
Fisher narrowed his eyes, and in the gaze of Renee and the gods, thoughts flowed like water. Then he gradually raised his gaze and spoke directly to Ramastia word by word,
“Completely eradicate the chaos within the barrier, then repair the barrier and restore the previous balance.”
“That’s right, but—”
Fisher sighed, continuing Ramastia’s thought,
“But there are three difficulties. The first is how to repair the barrier; the second is how to completely eliminate the chaos within the barrier; and the third is how to ensure it won’t shatter again as it did before.”
Thinking of these three difficulties caused Fisher’s head to ache again.
“Let’s not mention how to repair the barrier for now. You just said that there’s already a plan to eliminate the pollution in the Spirit Realm. Even if your plan succeeds, all the chaos will have to be cut off from my hands. By rights, this plan should work, but don’t forget, that would only eliminate Dream and its other allies. The second and third are essentially one problem; you should all know how it shattered back then.”
“Indeed. The great and unfathomable ocean.”
At the mention of this, Ramastia’s voice carried a tone of regret. In the past, due to a momentary decision between Him and Heya, they took the Sea of Souls, creating the world and thus bringing disaster. To this day, recalling it still weighed heavily on them.
“However, this world has been formed; we cannot simply seek to restore things. If using my life and authority could repay this sin and help you preserve everything, I would be willing. But all this time, the will of the ocean has certainly fallen. No matter how I plead or offer my life, it has never shown itself.”
Like a grim reaper mockingly wielding a scythe while watching the prey die—though the prey had surrendered, willing to sacrifice itself to atone, it remained silent.
It chose to silently observe as you watched the treasures forged from stolen goods gradually dissolve, to see you lose everything and become disoriented before lifting the scythe to your neck.
Hela.
Fisher pressed his lips together and fell silent. Meanwhile, Renee looked at Fisher, who had suddenly gone silent with a complex expression, sensing that the existence that haunted his heart had resurfaced.
“We know nothing about it. But old monster, you said that the only one within the barrier with the blessing of Azanros is Fisher. The barrier originates from Azanros; perhaps Fisher can glean additional information from it. Even if the ocean is formidable, at the very least, finding a way to repair the barrier would help in the present, right?”
“What if nothing is gained at all?”
The squirrel grandma Anebatos chuckled and remarked, greatly irritating Renee, who almost exploded. Her violet eyes flashed as she crossed her arms, saying, “Then we’ll just wait to die together! Who knows, perhaps I and Fisher might die a bit later than you.”
“Hahaha, don’t rush, little Renee; I’m just being thorough in my considerations.”
Anebatos laughed, patting his belly, while Ouyun scratched his starry head, looking at the irritated Renee.
Ramastia, however, was not swayed by Renee’s angry words. He simply nodded and looked at Fisher again, saying,
“What we do now is merely to preserve this world and the beings living within it as much as possible. If we can reach an agreement with the ocean, we will grant the terms of our lives and authorities willingly; we’ll never speak otherwise.”
Fisher sighed in relief, having no other words to say. He turned his gaze towards the Ultimate’s direction. “Regardless, let me go check the Ultimate first, Azanros; wake up.”
Just as the words fell, the golden vortex-suctioned tentacles began to emerge from Fisher’s body, while the deities with authority around remained blissfully unaware of their existence.
“Tweet!”
“Ah, this is the blessing of Lord Azanros! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, inevitably recalling the scene of entering the barrier together.”
Anebatos swiftly flew over, looking at Fisher’s coiling tentacles with admiration. However, faced with the deity’s approach, Anebatos’ avatar seemed dismissive, darting away from Fisher’s left shoulder.
“Alright, alright, I’ll take Fisher over there.”
Ignoring the slightly disappointed Anebatos, Renee puckered her red lips, and the water-like moonlight automatically lifted Fisher towards the direction of the Ultimate. Soon enough, they arrived in front of the vast Ultimate.
It was indeed a large gap. Through the membrane enveloped in shimmering golden light above, Fisher felt he could faintly see the profound universe beyond the barrier.
Is this the boundary of the world he lives in?
Thinking of this, Fisher’s breathing involuntarily intensified a bit. Still, he exchanged glances with the Azanros avatar coiled around him, then slowly raised his hand, gently placing it on the membrane.
As expected, the barrier that appeared to be an insurmountable chasm to all beings within the world directly accommodated Fisher’s palm. This scene was vividly observed by Renee beside him.
As long as there was the blessing of Azanros, it equated to a pass to escape, allowing one to leave this deadlock.
However, Fisher did not have the intention to flee. Unlike the Trans, who originally didn’t belong here, everything he cherished was now within reality. When he returned, he still needed to bring two strands of pure souls from the Sea of Souls to Raphael.
As Fisher’s hand sank into that semi-transparent membrane, it seemed he felt something, gently closing his eyes. As his soul entered this mysterious sensation, the Azanros avatar coiling around him also began to radiate dazzling golden light, as if resonating with the encompassing barrier.
“Buzz, buzz!”
The entire Ultimate began to sparkle with golden light, causing the three deities watching from a distance to focus more intently.
Could one with the blessing of Azanros extract something from the barrier? He must gain something; otherwise…
“Crack, crack, crack!”
The next moment, as Fisher touched it, the entire membrane began to vibrate, and Fisher suddenly opened his eyes, as if sensing something.
“Fisher!”
He gasped, quickly pulling back his hand. Renee rushed over concernedly to support him, noticing his astonished expression as he gasped for breath, asking, “Fisher, what happened? Did you see something?”
Fisher, mouth agape, took several deep breaths but kept looking down at the giant gap that was unraveling before him, seemingly lingering in confirmation, slow to respond.
“Fisher?”
Finally, Renee’s repeated calls broke his silence. After a moment, Fisher turned to look at her.
“Fisher, what exactly did you see?”
Hearing this, Fisher frowned, speaking to her incredulously, “The barrier… was not broken from the outside.”
“What?”
“Azanros told me the barrier cannot be broken from the outside.
“It was breached from the inside.”
At this statement, not only did Renee, who was beside him helping Fisher, freeze, but even the three gods watching the situation closely from a distance were dumbfounded.
What?
Not breached from the outside, but from the inside?
The several deities exchanged astonished glances, sensing each other’s shock through their fluctuating powers.
Then, they simultaneously looked towards the Spirit Realm behind.
In the dark, crimson-infused Spirit Realm behind them, the brilliance of the Sea of Souls still shone brilliantly.
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(The End of This Chapter)
