Chapter 922
What Kind of Heavenly Envoy Do You Want to Be?
When Eivass and Cardinal Galatea arrived at the Spirit Tower, they found it already shrouded in a dim yellow barrier. This was likely the Preservation Technique set up by the Lich Grunewald. Judging by the level of preservation, Grunewald was indeed inferior to Master Amber. However, with the support of the Amber Heavenly Envoy’s spine, the barrier’s sturdiness had surpassed the energy limits of the Sixth Tier in the Material Realm. Without the Fallen Heavenly Envoy intervening personally, it would be quite difficult for Upper Demons alone to break through this barrier.
It wasn’t that it was impossible to open… but it would be extremely strenuous. After all, the Transcendent Path was a path that excelled at defying common sense and breaking limits. If the demons initiated a ritual, it would take at most a week to break through this insurmountable, perfect wall.
However, considering the small number of people inside and their主动 adoption of this self-sealing, passive posture, the demon army was too lazy to attack the Spirit Tower. They simply bypassed it, as there were many other matters outside to attend to. This was akin to a multiple-choice question with difficulty comparable to the final exam question – clearly, there was no need to struggle here before answering the later questions. If the fierce individuals inside were pushed to a dead end, everyone outside might end up dead. Thus, the Spirit Tower was preserved by sheer chance amidst the first and most ferocious wave of demons.
But it was evident that the Spirit Tower’s defenses were not merely about erecting a barrier and waiting for death… rather, someone was constantly monitoring the outside world. Shortly after Eivass arrived, the current Vice Chancellor, Adolf, hurried out, opened a gap, and brought Eivass and Cardinal Galatea inside.
After meeting with the “Chancellor,” Mathias Grunewald, Eivass clearly and thoroughly explained the intelligence regarding the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, the demon legions, and the Ouroboros Ring ritual, as well as the few paths they could choose. This ordinary old skeleton, clad in tattered black cloth, floated in the air, tilting his head slightly. A dim yellow flame flickered in his eye sockets, as if he were contemplating something. After a long while, Grunewald’s hollow, slow, and deep voice echoed as if from the void: “What about the Spirit Tower?”
“We can only leave it here for now,” Eivass shook his head. “Regardless, flying away with the Spirit Tower open would be too ostentatious. If it attracts the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s attention, everyone will die.”
“For now…?” the Lich asked with interest. “There will be more…?”
“Yes. This is not an escape, but a clearing of the field,” Eivass nodded, directly stating his subsequent plan. “We will eventually return. I will defeat the Fallen Heavenly Envoy and reclaim this land. When that time comes, we can then take over the Spirit Tower. We can either continue flying to Avalon, or stay here as we are. I am also very familiar with the landing point in Avalon. That is where the Twilight is engraved, the place where Helchin’s King of the Wild Hunt Legion resides… and also near the passage to the Fey Realm…”
“…Defeat the Fallen Heavenly Envoy… hehe…” Hearing this, the old Lich actually laughed. It wasn’t a mockery, but rather a kind of benevolent comfort and emotion, like an elder looking at a child who expresses a wish to “become a scientist in the future,” with a nostalgic and approving expression. This old Lich, who had lived for a long time, clearly held no great respect or fear for the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. Heavenly Envoys? Nothing was unkillable. He didn’t question Eivass, “How is this possible?” or directly ask, “How do you plan to do it?” It was as if he believed from the very beginning that the high and mighty Fallen Heavenly Envoy could be defeated…
This old Lich, without a staff or mage ring, looking as ordinary as a bone specimen, exuding no pressure or imposing aura, asked Eivass a question that no one else had ever asked. He said—
“Do you plan to be a Heavenly Envoy in the future, Eivass? I mean, after you are able to become a Heavenly Envoy and after you have done everything you want to do… do you plan to become a Heavenly Envoy, or a Pillar God?”
This question indeed made Eivass pause for a moment. Because he had never considered this question before. Due to the leakage of the Ouroboros Ring ritual, Heavenly Envoys would be brought down one by one. At this time, choosing to become a Heavenly Envoy was as dangerous as being pulled into an “assessment group” by HR. From this moment on, the survival of a Heavenly Envoy would no longer depend on their own abilities, but on “whether someone wants to drag you down.” The amplified Power of Transcendence brought about by Father Serpent’s attempt to break through the Amber Wall would cause Heavenly Envoys to appear and be brought down incessantly, thereby achieving a relative balance in the Dream Realm.
Coupled with the layers upon layers of crises in this World—even though the danger of the Shadow Heavenly Envoy descending upon Avalon was resolved in advance by Eivass, the Calamity Demon Dragon still posed a threshold. That was the old self that the Silver Crown Dragon had severed… or rather, it was the “id” that the Silver Crown Dragon had defeated. The relationship between the Calamity Demon Dragon and the Silver Crown Dragon was similar to that between a Ring Heavenly Envoy and a Shepherd or Eivass. But there was one difference—the Silver Crown Dragon had not accepted the old self, nor had it destroyed it. It had merely sealed and suppressed it beneath an iceberg for a long time. And any seal would eventually leak. One day, the power of calamity would seep into the Material Realm… especially when the Dream Realm was so broken by the Ouroboros Ring ritual.
After this crisis ended, the Abyss Heavenly Envoy would descend. Then there would be the plans and conspiracies of his foster father, James Moriarty, and Eivass’s mysterious grandfather, Jacob… And finally, at the very end, there was the mysterious crisis of the world’s impending doomsday. Eivass had resolved many issues, but more problems appeared before him. He was like a key team member—finally completing one project, only to have the second project pushed at him, and VIP clients whose queues stretched to who knows how far… But if all difficulties were resolved, what would Eivass do next? After his work was done, after he “got off work,” what would he want to do?
A moment of brief confusion and hesitation, Eivass fell silent for a moment. In that instant, Eivass suddenly thought of the Ring Heavenly Envoy’s dream—the Ring Heavenly Envoy’s answer was that he wanted to go home. However, the Ring Heavenly Envoy of this generation was no longer the original Savior “Ai Shiping.” He had severed his own past selves too many times and had severed his heart of devotion. The one who was now the Ring Heavenly Envoy was merely a snake tail cultivated by the Ring Heavenly Envoy in a past cycle. In every sense, he was no different from Eivass. They were both natives of this World—implanted with the original memories of the transmigrator cherished by Ai Shiping, believing they had just transmigrated to this World. Then they explored, grew, discovered their destiny, and transcended fate with excitement… and then rebelled against their higher selves.
They were clearly just natives… But the Ring Heavenly Envoy wanted to go home. Where was his home? Earth was merely Ai Shiping’s home. And he was not Ai Shiping at all—his true home existed only in a few hundred years within a past cycle. When that cycle’s first playthrough restarted, he would never, ever return home! Perhaps he had already gone mad by then… when he realized he could not prevent the doomsday and could only watch the cyclical restart, the last thing he could do… was to complete Ai Shiping’s original ritual. To complete these nine cycles of reincarnation.
Now the reincarnation had reached the final playthrough. Regardless of whether the grand ritual of the nine cycles could break through the doomsday, the World could only continue to operate. This meant that by then… the World would inevitably enter the future two thousand years later. As seen in the Ascension Ritual, this World would eventually return to the “modern” era that Eivass longed for—or rather, the “future.” Back to a modern era with computers, the internet, and cold, refreshing cola. And by then… would Eivass still choose to become a Heavenly Envoy?
Leaving the Material Realm behind to become a high and mighty god, entering the eternal and unchanging Dream Realm. Overlooking the happiness of the people in the Material Realm, protecting them from within dreams… or enjoying infinite happiness in the Material Realm?
“…I don’t know,” Eivass replied honestly after a long silence. “Because from the beginning, I never thought becoming a Heavenly Envoy was a good path. If it’s after death, fine… If I can live, I think I’d rather live and enjoy life.”
“Then if,” the old Lich asked, “this World needs you to become a Heavenly Envoy, are you willing to abandon everything in the Material Realm?”
“That’s natural,” Eivass said without hesitation. “At most, it’s death. I’m prepared for death, so why would I fear entering the Dream Realm early? These two things are essentially the same… But why do you ask?”
“Someone asked me to get an answer from you,” the old Lich Grunewald replied calmly.
“And have you obtained it now?”
“Not yet—these questions are just a prelude, the real question is only one: If you were to become a Heavenly Envoy, what do you think your honored name would be?”
“…Do I need to think about this carefully?” Eivass asked cautiously. This question was too peculiar. He instinctively felt there was something wrong with it, or that it foreshadowed something.
“No, please directly state the name that comes to your mind first,” Grunewald pressed patiently. “No need to think at all… What is the name that first appears in your heart?”
“…[Radiance]… perhaps, Radiant Heavenly Envoy. Light, shining, brilliant… to be brighter than all surrounding light, more dazzling than the sunlight people are accustomed to, so that people can see the shining light. I… want people’s attention. I want people to see me shining…” Eivass pondered, answering as Grunewald instructed, whatever came to mind. He hesitated slightly and asked, “Is this answer acceptable?”
“Naturally—it’s enough,” Grunewald replied crisply. “I have no further questions. I will accompany you to Avalon. There is no need to bring the inheritance of the Spirit Tower; with me here, the entire inheritance of this tower is present. When you plan to confront the Fallen Heavenly Envoy later, I will also lend you a hand.”
“…If it’s convenient, may I ask,” Eivass became increasingly curious, “who asked you to ask me this question?”
“It’s not very convenient, Respected His Majesty the Pope,” the old Lich shook his head, but still provided some information. “You know too many gods; if I were to be too specific… you would likely know who asked. I have sworn to keep it a secret, so please spare me.” The implication was that this question came from a god. It was indeed strange, how could they bypass the Pope and specifically ask through an intermediary? Eivass shook his head. —See? This is being too formal.
(End of Chapter)
