**Chapter 763: 63. Significance**
“Void”
In a realm of deathly silence and darkness, under an untraversable void, Fisher’s consciousness was exceptionally ethereal and foolish. In that hollow emptiness, he seemed to sense an unprecedented tranquility, as if he were running through an endless wilderness, recklessly abandoning everything while also seeming to carry everything.
Until there came a moment when he seemed to hear a call of existence or a cry of despair.
“Why? What is the meaning of existence in this universe? Almighty Lord, please tell us, this ephemeral group struggling under your mighty power, tell us the meaning of your birth into the world.”
That cry stopped him in his tracks and opened his eyes.
What greeted him was a pitch-black darkness.
Fisher’s gaze, once unfocused like the light of a star, gradually shifted back to something resembling human pupils. That voice made him uncomfortable but compelled him to sit up and look around.
“Splash. Splash.”
The surroundings were eerily quiet, save for the ancient sound reminiscent of waves crashing against a shore, accompanied by a faint, whisper-like song.
He floated in the very center of this darkness, suspended above an infinite dark ocean, yet never falling.
Fisher lowered his gaze to his chest, where his soul had seemingly returned to its original state, and he could feel that within the depths of his soul lay a nature that seemed innate.
【Nothingness】
“You’re awake, dear.”
Accompanying the sound of receding tides was a familiar female voice echoing in his ears, prompting him to lift his gaze forward.
In the dark depths ahead, an indescribable entity was wandering therein, only a pair of enormous yet blurry blue-gold eyes staring at him.
Upon closer inspection, they seemed not to be eyes but mirrors encompassing countless starry skies, as if plucking all the star systems emitting the light of civilization from the dark expanse, igniting the flames of soul and consciousness.
That “flame” resonated with an extraordinarily complex melody.
Behind those enormous blue-gold eyes existed what was known as Hela, the essence of Ch.
“【Ocean】.”
“Hehe, calling me that isn’t wrong; legends have passed down many names of mine. Those ancient ones who have long since perished, and the cowardly ones still existing will occasionally pass down my existence.”
“.”
After a brief pause, the darkness seemed to wriggle slightly, and then a woman in a white robe with short golden curls emerged from it.
Fisher was all too familiar with that appearance; she was the angel known as “Hela.”
Hela walked barefoot up to Fisher, her true blue-gold eyes gradually overlapping with the enormous and blurry blue-gold symbol behind her, occupying nearly all his field of vision.
She elegantly reached out her pale hand from her long robe to gather her skirt, gracefully sitting down and smiling at Fisher.
“Talking to you in a face you’re more familiar with should make it easier for you, right?”
Looking at the angel before him, Fisher couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder. There was nothing there; the so-called new world had long left him, abandoning him here.
He slowly redirected his gaze toward Hela and asked,
“What about all the gods beyond those barriers?”
“They’re all dead.”
“.”
Hela smiled, propping her chin, as the surrounding darkness gradually dissipated some, revealing the environment of the outer universe.
In the outside view, countless enormous deities’ shattered bodies lay piled together, their vast mass attracting nearby celestial bodies, leading to brief collisions and then explosions of light far more radiant than fireworks.
“Don’t look at me like that; I’m quite gentle. I wouldn’t do this unless necessary. However, knowing that you and I exist is like a poison accelerating this universe toward its end.”
But here, the darkness of the ocean continued to envelop them in silence.
“So now everything is over, and we can finally have a good talk for the first time.”
The surrounding darkness once again covered the apocalyptic scene outside, cloaking them within, and just before that, Hela’s soft, moon-like voice tugged at Fisher’s thoughts.
“Yes, we can finally talk properly.”
Seeing the outdoor scene, he finally relaxed somewhat. He also sat cross-legged in front of Hela, raised his head, and locked eyes with her perpetually smiling face.
“I just can’t imagine that a true god like you, possessing such unimaginable might, seeks merely a companion like myself. Even if it’s because my nature is of the same origin as yours, such reasoning seems too absurd and ridiculous.”
However, upon hearing this, Hela merely shook her head calmly and said,
“Seeking a companion? Dear, you seem mistaken. You don’t need to seek me; from before your consciousness was born, we have always been companions by nature. Even without the emergence of your soul, you and I would have always been together. This is indisputable and unchangeable.”
Fisher opened his mouth, seeming unable to grasp her words, and could only ask,
“Then why…”
“Then why do all this?”
Hela’s smile widened slightly, yet her expression gradually took on a divine quality that Fisher found hard to comprehend. Her gaze seemed to burst with ancient meaning, akin to a song, a set of lyrics:
“Dear, this world is a throne for you and me, a throne we take turns commanding and creating; but all along, we have never been apart. Regardless of who reigns, sitting on the throne is simultaneously both of us.
“We are born to be complementary, naturally independent yet intertwined with each other, companions. Whether you have consciousness or I exist, from beginning to end, you are the same to me. I am the same to you.”
Fisher’s pupils slowly narrowed, and the Hela before him seemed to finally shed the layers of masks she wore within the world and simply proclaimed this principle in a straightforward manner.
“You do not know, beyond those barriers, lies a world vastly more magnificent than that created by those small beings, a grandeur so immense that even light cannot reach its end in a lifetime. From an explosion, all things began to grow, and space and time were shaped from then on. Powerful beings were born, embracing the power that distorts the world, filled with curiosity as they pursued the unknown; while the weaker ones clustered together, residing on celestial bodies capable of supporting their civilization, gazing day and night at the lights above, near or far.
“All that exists today originates from my authority; the current universe is my era. But before this universe was born, you had once ruled over it.”
Hela waved her hand, and everything around began to twist; the existence of all things started to deconstruct and vanish, leaving only darkness, along with the increasingly bright nature within his chest.
“In an age so far back that it’s hard to imagine, before I ignited the singularity to form all this, you, the blindly foolish 【Nothing】, ruled over obliteration with a void yet immensely powerful law. That universe was exceedingly bright, yet a billion times quieter than this moment. It was in a constant state of collapse; rather, collapse was the essence of that universe, where nothingness and meaninglessness were its sounds.”
In a world of utter void, Fisher felt as if he were melting away—not in a physical sense, but as if his entire existence were collapsing.
It was a time of extreme chaos, devoid of order, filled with obliteration and light.
Yet, in such an environment, he felt strangely familiar and at ease, as if he were running in the wilderness, until he dissolved entirely into the tranquility of that wilderness.
Until a sharp and piercing voice exploded in his ear,
“Why? What is the meaning of existence in this universe? Almighty Lord, please tell us, this ephemeral group struggling under your mighty power, tell us the meaning of your birth into the world.”
Fisher jolted awake from that state, and the surrounding void slowly retreated from his chest, returning the dark-cloaked universe to a sense of fullness.
It was a fullness called 【Existence】.
“But just as I said, we have always been companions together. Hence, whether in my era or yours, our natures exist concurrently. Just as beyond the barriers of the universe, obliteration fills everywhere, in your era, a civilization has miraculously emerged.
“They struggled in your foolish and blind void, accumulating the courage to live through an immeasurable length of time and generations of precious ‘consciousness of existence.’ Eventually, after billions of eras of struggle, they came before you, questioning your authority with painful voices. They ended your foolish rule of oblivion with your own void, and my rule also emerged amidst their demise, arriving in this current age where countless consciousnesses, civilizations, and deities exist.”
Fisher frowned; he seemed to feel an unprecedented sensation from Hela’s gentle narration.
That continuously obliterating, blindly foolish universe represented 【Nothingness】, yet merely its existence represented 【Something】, thus giving rise to consciousness and civilization from that crevice.
And that consciousness replaced the previous universe through obliteration, thereby dethroning the one on the throne, ultimately arriving at the era of 【Something】.
“The civilizations and deities that exist in the universe, they move, resonate, and collide day and night, converging into a song, and most of the time I merely listen, admiring its beauty. Powerful gods wish to question the world, intending to seek its mysteries, to inquire about its meaning. Little do they know, 【Existence is Meaning】.
“You guessed rightly; it is precisely because Ramastia understands this that when they created this world, I intended to be a mere bystander, watching it come to life naturally and perish naturally, and that’s all.”
Fisher looked at Hela and couldn’t help but question,
“Then why did you destroy the barriers?”
Unexpectedly, Hela mischievously blinked her left eye and smiled as she said,
“That’s one thing. They took you away, which is indeed a sin, so as punishment, I shattered the barriers. Moreover, making this ship, already fragile, even more perilous would make the song even more interesting, wouldn’t it?”
“.”
Indeed, that was her nature.
Fisher sighed, and after a moment of speechlessness, he asked again,
“But why did you place my nature in that Sea of Souls, allowing Ramastia to take me away unknowingly? And why can a soul contain my nature?”
“Well, all that exists in the world will be devoured by your authority and then plunge into oblivion, except for consciousness which can suppress this. It’s not because the souls I created are so powerful, but merely because those souls are a poor imitation of my song, and everything in this world, except for me, who coexists with you, cannot be consumed by you.”
Hela’s blue-gold eyes gradually drew nearer to Fisher, those eyes like the ocean threatening to dissolve him.
“I will frequently change the stream containing your soul because that serves to restrict your authority, and the same goes for those souls that seal you. They possess the right to enter a body and compose their own lives. After a certain period, I will set that soul free and temporarily summon another to envelop your nature.
“These souls come from different civilizations, and they are yet to be purified. The one enveloping you now comes from a nearby civilization, with which you have lived since birth. When Ramastia stole you, it was precisely when I was preparing to replace this soul and free them. However, considering Ramastia allowed these souls to reincarnate in bodies within the barriers, I won’t hold that against that world.”
As a finale, Hela slowly rose and brought the topic back.
“Back to the initial question, dear. It is precisely because in countless cycles of the past, you, as nothingness, never birthed consciousness. When you ruled the universe, all things were always blindly foolish, yet this universe, this timeline, has erupted differently.
“This may be an opportunity, dear. In the time ahead, I will guide you to feel the 【Meaning】 of the universe’s existence. Through prolonged time, perhaps we might make some benevolent changes. Thus, when authority shifts to your hands and the universe returns to chaos, everything may yet be different.
“So I emerged from the darkness, unscrupulously intervening in the universe’s operation, solely to take you away.”
Facing Hela, who made everything clear and honest at this moment, Fisher felt somewhat at a loss.
This was quite normal, as from his perspective, he could not possibly grasp the intentions arising from Hela’s macro perspective of the universe instantly.
He also understood that it was because of his inner confusion that Hela had the reason to take him away.
“.”
Yet, thoughts had pressed against his chest, yet something blocked him, making it difficult to easily agree.
He suddenly remembered Raphael; she was still waiting for him to return with her soul.
He suddenly recalled Jasmine; he had finally gained a chance to fill the regrets of her past.
He suddenly thought of Valentina; they had only recently agreed to go see the Rainbow Wing Whale together.
He also thought of Captain Alagina, who had long waited for him to take up responsibility and provide her with a home; and what about Eil? She must also long to see him when she wakes up.
His past regrets with Elizabeth had yet to be clarified, and he had exhausted everything to pull her back from error. Was it merely to punish her?
He had seen how she had moaned his name, riddled with wounds in the tent, hoping he would extend his hand to rescue her when she had lost her sight and struggled to move.
Renee.
Yes, and Renee.
He was the only person she was familiar with and could depend on in that world. After he left, she would know no one in that world; even those like Ramastia, who seemed like friends yet were enemies, were all dead. Would he really leave her there?
This.
Fisher opened his mouth, looking at Hela, who gently extended her hand. He gritted his teeth and touched his chest.
There was no tumult of 【Nothing】 authority, only the continuous beating of his heart.
“Thump thump, thump, thump.”
“I…”
Fisher’s eyes trembled slightly, and then he gently lifted his head to look at Hela, whispering to her,
“I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“.”
Hela’s body remained still; only behind her, the endless darkness stirred with the motion of a colossal, indeterminate being.
But feeling the writhing darkness before him, Fisher remained steadfast, maintaining a proper posture, staring straight at Hela.
“.”
Before him, the humanoid form seemed like a puppet, remaining motionless until after a long silence, Hela finally withdrew her hand.
The divinity within her blue-gold, smiling eyes deepened, yet she did not exert a fearsome pressure.
She gently crouched down, sighed, and said,
“Well, perhaps this unexpected situation itself also signifies a meaning of existence.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember the game we played ten thousand years ago?”
Hela smiled, posing a rhetorical question.
“Game?” Fisher quickly recalled the details of that time, tentatively saying, “One price, three blessings.”
Hela nodded in satisfaction, then counting on her fingers, reminded Fisher,
“Yes. Ten thousand years ago, to ensure the timeline of your consciousness’s birth, forcibly taking you away was already impossible. So, I bestowed upon you two blessings to help you and this world through difficulties. One was the 【Apocalypse Prophecy】, and the other was 【Infinite Authority】.”
With her last finger raised before Fisher’s eyes, Hela added,
“According to the timeline I observed, there was no way for you to discover my true intentions. Thus, in the end, you would not have forced my final incarnation to reveal itself to save your soul. Therefore, according to the original timeline, a part of my embodiment would remain within the barriers. My final blessing is to remove that embodiment and preserve that world. By then, when all three blessings have been fulfilled, you would have to pay the price of leaving with me.”
Indeed, until the last moment, he had thought the ocean was coming towards the nature within him.
Although there were some contradictions along the way, those contradictions could not be explained and were mostly glossed over with the appreciation for nature.
If he were to thank anyone for helping him understand the obstructions within…
Fisher unconsciously reached out to touch where the now withered cover of the 【Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans】 lay on his chest.
Then his gaze grew more resolute.
He must go back.
“But now, in this game, you have won, dear. As part of the promise, I can tell you where the world covered by the barriers currently is. At that time, Azanros had designed the intensity at which this small world could hide, which is not as simple as merely staying in place. You have been blessed by Azanros; until I send you to the barriers, they will reveal themselves for you to pass through. As for how I will pass, I must first catch that coward.”
Fisher’s heart involuntarily tightened, a wave of excitement bursting forth from deep within his soul, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.
Yet Hela seemed to have foreseen everything, adding on with her next words,
“But, dear, you should know, the deadline for returning will not be eternal.”
The surrounding darkness slowly dispersed like fog, revealing the vast universe bursting with light in its destruction, and beyond that, countless stars stretched across the universe, among which could be civilization’s sparks, hiding untold incredibly powerful deities.
Hela gazed at the celestial bodies suffering obliteration outside, her smile gradually replaced by a blank expression.
“Like this universe, even the mightiest like you and me cannot escape the moment of its end; just as all lives understand that one day, the nightmare named ‘death’ will come knocking, dear.”
The corner of her mouth curled upwards slightly, drawing her gaze back from the splendid obliteration to observe Fisher, who was also staring at the obliteration.
“Now you are 【Human】. That is because, from the moment you were born, you were placed in the body that the Trans had forged. Yet your soul and the nature within you determine that one day you will indeed escape this identity. And now, at merely thirty years old, everything you hold dear will turn to dust across the vast river of time. This truth of the universe is determined by the nature within you, something unavoidable. However, you alone are different; like me, you will endure.
“So, when your heart becomes hollow from all that perishes, it will be the time for me to appear and take you away from that world.
“Even knowing the outcome, do you still want to return, dear?”
Upon hearing this, Fisher’s gaze could not help but lower slightly; a hint of helplessness curled his lips, but perhaps due to a bit of unwillingness within him, he could not resist jokingly saying,
“The heart becoming hollow from disappearance. You mean, after Raphael and the others vanish? You know, I am a greedy person; maybe for possibly infinitely long years ahead, I will incessantly seek new loves to fill the emptiness in my heart? That way, I’ll never leave with you.”
Yet Hela seemed to see through it all, casually saying,
“If you want, just go ahead because I know that the void at that time will never truly be filled; it is only by returning to my side that you will achieve satisfaction. And even if you, dear, stubbornly choose to try, regarding the timeframe we speak of being together, that would merely be an insignificant chapter in time.”
As she spoke, Fisher’s smile gradually faded bit by bit.
Until the very end, his smile changed to a look of relief. He then spoke with more sincerity than any previous time.
He said,
“You’re right; after all, I’ve turned over a new leaf.”
“Hehe. So, do you still choose to go back, dear?”
This time, Fisher’s eyes no longer held any other colors; he simply nodded resolutely.
“Yes, I want to go back. Perhaps for you, it’s merely a brief time, perhaps even that miniature world within the barriers is nothing in comparison. But everything created in nature has its meaning bestowed upon it by itself. Now that my soul and nature are trapped in humanity, I will at least complete the pursuit of humanity’s meaning.”
Hela smiled brightly, yet this familiar image of Fisher gradually began to distort, like a reflection in water, slowly dissolving into the darkness.
However, at the very end, the smile on her face remained.
She said,
“Human, haha.”
Then the entire universe seemed to shrink before her darkness. The essence of the ocean dragged Fisher, instantaneously sweeping through everything.
Surrounding countless distant planets and galaxies abruptly transformed in a seemingly instantaneous motion, and when they stopped, the ocean brought Fisher to a seemingly empty space, devoid of everything.
But when the ocean halted here, Fisher knew this seemingly empty space concealed the 【New World】 beneath that grand barrier.
The darkness before him gradually parted, forming a massive passageway. At the end of this passage, sensing Fisher, who carried Azanros’s blessing, the barrier began to glow with golden light, gradually illuminating this dark universe.
Fisher’s heartbeat quickened, and his steps seemed drawn to the tangible golden light, uncontrollably moving toward the gradually opening golden barrier.
His face was slowly illuminated, yet at the last moment, he turned to look back.
Behind him, amidst a thick darkness, that indiscernible entity with blue-gold eyes quietly watched him.
Then the ocean grinned at Fisher and said,
“Go, savior, enjoy all you’ve won, and compose its new chapter.”
“.”
Fisher gazed at the darkness behind him. He had initially wanted to say some parting words, but for some reason, they melted away before they got to his throat.
It was as if he knew this was not truly a farewell.
Perhaps as the ocean said, they would never part, so what need was there for farewells?
Thus, before departing, he smiled and softly said to Hela behind him,
“We… will meet again later.”
“.”
The ocean did not respond; like that enigmatic angel, it quietly watched him leave with an inscrutable smile.
The golden light gradually consumed Fisher, reuniting him with the world in which he was born, gradually making him disappear into that golden light, never to be seen again.
(End of this chapter)
