Chapter 572
I am the answer, but what is the question?
“Remains of the Samsara Heavenly Envoy…”
Eivass murmured.
No wonder those people always thought themselves Sacred Entities, fragments of the Ring Heavenly Envoy’s Heavenly Envoys…
The Ring Heavenly Envoy isn’t dead, so how could there be fragments?
Now, everything made sense.
—What the Lord of Scales and Feathers said should be true.
Because even now, he still felt a sense of hesitation and unfamiliarity towards the name of his past life; it was only now that he realized how many details his Memory loss had caused.
He not only couldn’t remember the names of the people most important to his past self…
Thinking about it carefully, his phenomenon of Memory loss had actually always existed.
He remembered the names Dionysus and Selene, and knew that they were Gods from “Greek Mythology.” But more was missing from his memory—he couldn’t recall why they were called “Greek Mythology,” nor did he know which other Gods were in it.
Perhaps he remembered some, like “Uranus,” “Gaia,” or “Hades”… but he had forgotten almost everything else, and only a scattering of trivial details remained.
…Is it because the Ring Heavenly Envoy considered these valuable memories and didn’t leave them to me when he was segmenting himself?
The existence of the “Calamity Demon Dragon” suddenly appeared in Eivass’s mind.
As the dark self that was separated by the Silver Crown Dragon, it should be the crystallization of the residual “Power” and “Power of Transcendence” that could not be completely transformed into “Authority.” It was a being similar to himself.
The difference was that the Calamity Demon Dragon was sealed at the bottom of the snow mountain by the Silver Crown Dragon, while Eivass was thrown into the Material Realm by the Ring Heavenly Envoy.
However, another doubt arose in Eivass’s mind:
He remembered that the Samsara Heavenly Envoy was a Heavenly Envoy from the Path of Balance… this was Forbidden knowledge taught by Moriarty.
If he was a fragment separated by the Ring Heavenly Envoy, then he should be from the Path of Balance…
“You’re overthinking it.”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers chuckled.
Without waiting for Eivass to ask, He replied, “But I can’t blame you, because you lack crucial Information.”
“…What?”
Eivass murmured.
“The Ring Heavenly Envoy still possesses the power of the Path of Balance to this day; not only does He possess it, but His power of Balance is infinitely close to His Power of Transcendence. He did not bestow upon you the power of the Path of Balance… because after that incident, He already lost His Balance. What you received was rather His overflowing Power of Transcendence.”
As the Lord of Scales and Feathers spoke, He led Eivass forward.
He raised His hand and pointed to a shattered piece of sky in the sky: “Look over there.”
Eivass looked up and followed His gaze.
Although it was just a vague gesture, he happened to see the fragment the Lord of Scales and Feathers was pointing at.
The next moment, the surrounding world was re-colored and changed—
Eivass’s pupils contracted sharply.
Because he saw “himself.”
…But it wasn’t him.
He saw himself, bare-chested, walking in the sky.
His platinum-blonde hair flowed down to his knees, and his handsome face was more rugged and angular than Eivass’s own—it was the face of Eivass in his thirties. He looked thinner and more muscular than Eivass now.
His body was adorned with streamlined muscles that evoked snakes, and on his chest was a purple ∞ symbol that shimmered with flowing light.
His abdomen was covered with various intricate and ancient runes, which spread all the way to his back.
And in the Void behind his head, there was a sun ring condensed from a Flame Stream. The higher it went, the more golden-red it became, and the closer it got to Eivass’s lower back, the more purplish-red it became.
The ring spun continuously… the golden color gradually flowed into purple, and the purple gradually flowed into gold, endlessly cycling.
And “Eivass” pointed one finger to the sky and the other to the earth.
In an instant, the sky suddenly split open.
Half turned golden-red, and half purple-red.
Then the sky gradually flowed, twisted, and transformed into a giant Tai Chi symbol. The center of the vortex was at the fingertip of “Eivass’s” right hand pointing to the sky.
The time of the entire world was gradually accelerated. Dawn arrived, then dusk, dusk arrived, then dawn; time sped up rapidly. In the blink of an eye, eight cycles of days had passed—
“All right, seeing this much is enough.”
At this moment, the Lord of Scales and Feathers waved his hand, and the entire world collapsed and shattered.
“That is the ‘Ouroboros Ring,’ the Master of the Path of Metamorphosis. ‘Metamorphosis’ represents the constant nature of eternal change in All things… what goes up will go down, what goes down will go up, all things change and flow, and only change is eternal.”
The faceless man in the suit said leisurely, “That is the future of ‘if the Ring Heavenly Envoy devoured you.’ I do not wish for such a future to come to pass.”
“…He wants my body because he wants to be promoted to the ‘Ouroboros Ring’?”
Eivass hesitated slightly, “But as far as I know, even if he doesn’t get it…”
“Yes, it is possible without you. But it will ultimately be incomplete. Even if he didn’t eat you when he became a Pillar God, he would still have to eat you back after becoming the ‘Ouroboros Ring’—you are just a temporarily separated part. It is necessary to reunite with you to complete the entire cycle from past to future.”
Having said this, the Lord of Scales and Feathers looked at Eivass and suddenly asked, “Do you know Arthur?”
“…The predecessor of the Silver Crown Dragon?”
“Who performed Arthur’s Ritual?”
Upon hearing this, Eivass understood.
Eivass turned back to the Lord of Scales and Feathers: “The Silver Crown Dragon… is the Ring Heavenly Envoy’s Experiment?”
“That’s right, but it was a failed experiment. Arthur was the Silver Crown Dragon, but he was not a complete ‘Crown Heavenly Envoy.’ Heavenly Envoys descending to the mortal realm has too great an impact… the Ring Heavenly Envoy’s reason was to avoid alerting the Supreme Heaven. Of course, He was also right. If a Crown Heavenly Envoy descended directly, the Supreme Heaven would surely have annihilated Arthur completely while he was still weak.”
“But is there a possibility that compared to the ‘White Dragon on Earth’… the ‘Red Dragon in the Sky’ is closer to the essence of a Crown Heavenly Envoy? And today, that Red Dragon’s name is the Calamity Demon Dragon.”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers smiled, patted Eivass’s shoulder, and whispered, “Just as Arthur’s investor in the past was the Candlemaster… I chose you.”
“I became friends with him back then precisely because I saw this Possibility in him. And now, He has gradually become uninteresting… So, I will still choose you.”
“You are like a Lamb being tended by a Shepherd, poor Eivass. All the Shepherd’s love for the Lamb is ultimately for sweet consumption… but I think it’s a shame.
“I advise you to escape from this Sheep Pen and run into the forest—bravely face the predation of fierce beasts, and die under the beast’s kiss.”
Eivass couldn’t tell if the Lord of Scales and Feathers was speaking seriously or sarcastically.
Escaping from the safe Sheep Pen.
Running into the dark forest.
Losing an inexhaustible supply of fodder in exchange for being preyed upon by wild beasts… even if it was to escape a fated death, a weak and sweet Lamb without the Shepherd’s protection would face death even faster.
What difference would it make in the end, whether one was eaten by people or wolves?
At least the former could be full all day long.
Perhaps…
It might be possible to escape fate the day before being eaten.
A thought flashed through Eivass’s mind.
But he quickly dispelled it and became resolute.
“…What should I do?”
Eivass asked the Lord of Scales and Feathers, “I don’t want to become food… but I don’t want to die like this either.”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers let out a pleasant, light laugh. “Greedy Fox…”
He leaned down and whispered into Eivass’s ear, “Then I will give you a hint—you yourself are the answer.”
“…Can’t you be more detailed?”
Eivass was somewhat helpless. “I am the answer, so what is the question? I am asking, what should I do?”
He had just said that the Lord of Scales and Feathers wasn’t a riddle-lover.
Unexpectedly, this one was the real riddle-lover—so much so that Eivass couldn’t even understand it.
“That is between you and the Ring Heavenly Envoy; I cannot interfere. There is nothing you can do now, because you are just a lamb exuding the scent of milk, with no self-protection ability whatsoever. All I can do is add to your stakes here… to inform you of your Master’s covetousness for you.”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers said cheerfully, “As for your contract, I have already accepted it. As I said—I already gave the answer before, and you have finally found the question today. Before this, when we first met, I had already promised you today’s request.
“But to complete the High-Tier Divine Art, you still need a trial; bestowing power upon you through a Ritual is the most reasonable method. That fellow Sandglass has too many things to do. Let’s stick to the rules and follow the process.”
“…What is the trial?” Eivass asked with some concern.
But the Lord of Scales and Feathers just patted Eivass’s head, “Don’t worry, it will be very simple for you. An Ascension Ritual… presided over by me personally.”
(End of Chapter)
