Chapter 1070
Fragments of Dreams and Illusions
“…Hope?”
Eivass murmured.
Did the power of the Sacred Number eleven have anything to do with this?
“Hope is the power of ‘Possibility,’ the power to transcend perfect things, to transcend the end of days, to transcend fate and fixed conclusions.”
So said the Mad King’s skull within the Box of Nothingness.
That was indeed the power of the Sacred Number eleven—
“So that’s what it is, the fusion of Beauty and Twilight…”
Combining this with what the Lord of Scales and Feathers had said earlier, Eivass finally understood.
The ritual of Beauty and Transcendence had coincidentally achieved the Void Number, thus the Void Power had sealed it within—and the Swan King had not been devoured by the Void Power for so long precisely because, through this solidification of being both dead and not dead, he had achieved Eternity, thereby reaching the realm of Hope within this Box of Nothingness through the fusion of Beauty and Twilight!
It was precisely through the suppression of the Sacred Number eleven’s stature that the Void Power had been unable to completely devour his will!
Hope…
It was the power that turned the future towards other possibilities.
The power to break fate.
The Tenth Path that should have been born was “Hope,” because the Lord of Scales and Feathers had said… Candlemaster and Eivass had arrived in this World through the Tenth Path. And the Void clearly could not do that.
Therefore, they had most likely entered this World through the Path of Hope!
That was why the Ring Heavenly Envoy had said those words—
“He does not come from the East, nor from the West. He does not come from any dwelling you know.”
“My Sacred Number is 11, which is the number of our people. To the Fool I am 9, to the Just I am 8, and also 1 in 8.”
Perhaps it was originally the Zeroth Path. It was Hope that split itself, giving rise to the Paths from one to nine. Because it gave birth to “Possibility.”
“As I thought, the reason I had that thought just now was also because of your influence…”
Eivass gazed at the Swan King and said with absolute certainty, “Alistair’s delay in returning is likely also due to your power affecting her!”
It was under an “unexplained power” that he had suddenly spoken those presumptuous words previously.
And since those words had been spoken, they had led him to speak his true feelings.
It was precisely because of this that Eivass had the opportunity to understand his original heart at this moment.
—That was the transmission of the power of “Hope.” The Swan King had realized the arrival of the day of liberation, and finally shed the disguise he had been manipulated by all along.
“If she were here, I’m afraid I would have to fight.”
“After all, you wanted to delay time to have a chance to meet me in person.”
The corners of the Swan King’s mouth curled up slightly, and his handsome head gained a touch of the aura of a living person.
The stench of a corpse faded, and his eyelids twitched a few times, like the stirring of someone about to wake up.
His words echoed heavily in the empty basement:
“But we don’t need to fight. Light and fire will be passed on.”
“We belong to the Law of Sacred Number Eleven—even if your initial courage had a push from me. Are the emotions in your heart now false?”
“Of course… not.”
Eivass closed his eyes slightly. “Even if I was ignited by the initial fire given by another, the flame in my heart… undoubtedly came from the firewood within me.”
He had completely realized the friendly attitude of the Swan King, and this… melancholy and calmness, like a last will and testament.
Ludwig II, who was a riddle-teller unique to the Path of Beauty, had now calmly stated his purpose. It was likely because he didn’t have much time left.
—When he awoke from the Box of Nothingness, the eternally solidified “Wall of Twilight” was broken. The miraculous hope achieved by the unexpected seal would also disintegrate.
This meant that he no longer possessed the ability to continuously resist the Void Power.
This was why, even though he could have woken up long ago, he had continued to slumber. As long as he could break that solidification, he could no longer maintain his independent will for long.
“The time has come, flowers tremble on the branches,
“Each one like an incense burner emitting fragrance;
“Voices and scents drift in the evening breeze;
“Melancholy waltz, languid dizziness…”
Suddenly, Ludwig II opened his mouth.
It was not the echoing divine hum resonating from the void.
But human words spoken in a weak voice, a melancholic poem.
It was as if he had been waiting for a long time.
A murmur like a sleep-talk.
He sighed, and two lines of bloody tears slowly flowed from his pupils, his eyes slowly opening:
“Each one like an incense burner emitting fragrance;
“The violin whimpers like a wounded heart;
“Melancholy waltz, languid dizziness!
“The sky is both sad and beautiful, like a grand altar.”
As the Mad King’s skull fully awoke, everything around began to vibrate violently.
The entire World was turned upside down—the Earth melted into air, the Sky turned into solid rock, Flames became icy cold, and Water burned out of thin air. The entire Count’s Mansion turned into nothingness out of thin air… as if it were just a dream. Or as if a dream of “no Count’s Mansion existing” had replaced reality.
In the distance, a scarlet comet tore through the sky. The torn atmosphere let out a piercing shriek.
That was Alistair, who had awakened and was rushing towards them.
But the Mad King’s skull still did not resist or attack.
Everything around turned into chaos with his thoughts, the sky overturned, the sun and moon inverted. Not only the Material Realm… but the entire Dream Realm trembled.
On his face, dark patterns began to spread. They looked like veins oozing out, or some kind of curse.
And he still stood in place, softly murmuring a melancholic poem:
“The violin whimpers like a wounded heart;
“A gentle heart, abhorring the vast and black death!
“The sky is both sad and beautiful, like a grand altar.
“The sun sinks in its own coagulated blood.”
“—Eivass!”
In the distance, Alistair was rushing over.
In her hand, she held a giant halberd condensed from hardened blood, its tip spinning, stirring up a scarlet storm.
Her voice vibrated the atmosphere, turning into visible waves that shattered the ground—
Alistair’s voice sounded simultaneously in Eivass’s heart and ears: “Stay away from him!”
At this distance… as soon as Eivass retreated, she could pierce the Box of Nothingness in an instant!
“…No need.”
Eivass shook his head, refusing Alistair.
Not only did he not retreat, but he stepped in front of the Mad King.
He had understood… what Ludwig II was going to do.
—If Ludwig II’s soul had been contaminated by the Box of Nothingness, he could not enter the Dream Realm to become a god. Because then, the Whisper of the Void might enter the Dream Realm through his soul.
In other words, he had to die here.
And he chose to die as a human, reciting poems and passing away like falling flowers…
“A gentle heart, abhorring the vast and black death!”
His voice grew louder, thus becoming hoarse.
The second and fourth lines of each stanza, and the first and third lines of the next stanza were repeated, echoing back and forth, like a melody being repeated.
“Collecting all the remnants of the glorious past!”
His poem was like a blessing, and like a prophecy.
Without any attack, Ludwig II’s skull was covered in cracks.
Like glass shattering under the summer sun.
His voice was hoarse, stuttering: “The sun sinks in its own coagulated blood…”
Gazing at Eivass, Ludwig II opened his mouth with all his might.
He finally uttered the last line:
“Thinking of you… is like seeing the Holy Sacrament glow.”
It was a shudder of despair, a cry of melancholy.
But at the same time, it was a peaceful and harmonious liberation.
Hope shone brightly like a divine throne, always illuminating his soul. This allowed him to endure the infection and erosion of the Box of Nothingness… and under the twilight sky, he could still feel the beauty and sorrow of life.
And now, there was no need to persist any longer.
The next moment, it shattered and disappeared, along with the Box of Nothingness beneath its “neck.”
As if it had never come into this world.
—Ludwig II used his own power to erase the possibility of his existence in the Material Realm.
Thus, he and the Box of Nothingness containing the Void Power dissipated together.
“…”
Gazing at all this, Eivass was speechless for a moment.
He felt a faint sadness for Ludwig II… but at the same time, he felt a sense of peace.
A fated peace—
The fire of the past had been passed to his hand.
Would it be his turn to do such a thing someday…?
Suddenly, before Eivass, the air rippled like water, and a rune appeared from it.
It distorted reality, constantly changing, and finally turned into a book and stabilized.
“This is…?”
Eivass was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously reached out to take the book.
It was not the Grimoire he had imagined. But an old fairy tale book titled “The Swan Knight.”
Powerful wind and light attribute powers surged into his body the moment he touched the book.
Eivass’s system panel suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Heavenly Envoy Fragment – Fragments of Dreams and Illusions]
[—The Law of Dreams and Illusions, residue of the Void Power. If used appropriately, there is a chance to become a Dream Heavenly Envoy or an Illusion Heavenly Envoy.]
(End of this chapter)
