Chapter 338 The Long and Winding Road (2/2)
”This world was once progressive and prosperous. The many races and nations having joined together to venture across voids and worlds across the multiverse—even my own bumbling kin had a civilization to be proud of under the guidance of a magi who had two-heads, just like me.”
Ogner sighed softly as he went on a trip down memory lane; the self-deprecating God of Fortune and Despair did not appear to have a deity's splendor right then.
”That's why we became arrogant, that which wiped off all glory.
”The races had combined to build a dimensional passageway that connects to the Abyss, allowing the primordial evil of the void and Chaos to invade this flourishing world, placing it on the brink in a moment's notice.
”As the guardians of the realm and the witness of civilization, the gods naturally moved against them under the leadership of the Sage. However, in the several years that we've fought against the Abyss, countless deities or demigods either turned or died, including me.
”I guess I would disappoint you by informing that my passing came earlier than Father Nature's desertion. That's why I'm unsure about the conclusion.”
Ogner then became baffled. ”Could it be that the world has lost all history from the last age? Did no deity survive? Since we won in the end, there would definitely be One who lived and would not allow civilization to forget this painful lesson.
”Even if the Deity of the Earth or the Lord of the Skies were to die, or the Incarnation of the Oceans to fall into temptation—the Sage would never perish. His depth was above the gods and an eternal saint. He alone would live even if the world was destroyed.”
After staying quiet for a while, Joshua replied with a solemn expression—the giant's words were a harsh reminder.
”… But the truth is, if none of the gods from the bygone age survived, all civilization including that of humans were rebuilt from scratch.”
In the last age, there should have been some immortal gods who would have lived on since the Mycroft realm triumphed. But the fact goes that every deity—including the Seven Gods—were born after the three-hundred years Blank Period. The Sage's very existence was, therefore, a doubt from the start—none knew what became of him.
And the deities that Ogner mentioned did fall to the darkness. The Remains of the Deity of the Earth [Mountain Giant], the Sigh of the Lord of the Skies [Raging Mountain Wind], Bellow of Incarnation of the Ocean [The Oceanic Gale] … Those deities had passed, their mark left at the Infinite Horizon, awaiting their reappearance in this world when the Mana Tide descends upon this world.
The Three Hundred Lost Years thus contained every mystery including the disappearance of the deities and the whereabouts of the sage. So much history was lost that there were so secrets unknown to people in the past life—the second invasion of the Abyss had seen the incineration of countless classics by Hellfire while ruins over a thousand years were trampled by the iron hooves of demons, nipping even larger chunks of histories away.
Meanwhile, the Ougel's body had become blurrier at the moment, a point noticed by both Joshua and Himself.
The God of Fortune and Despair had already perished and all that was left was a copy of His divinity. It was due to extraordinary circumstances—or miraculous luck—that He could appear in this world once more.
Now, it seems that miracle was at an end.
”I'm content. A final awakening that allowed me to learn about the triumph in the war meant that my sacrifice, along with that of my people and comrades, was not wasted.”
He smiled in satisfaction, the wrinkles on His ancient face showing. ”I've fallen in despair, but never expected the fortune to return and learn about the conclusion.”
Ogner looked down at Joshua, not quite caring about his vanishing body and kept mumbling to Himself in His gruff voice.
”What is behind a mountain? What is over the sea? What is behind that star?
”–To understand all that, is the reason to be born, the reason for life.
”That's true for humans or Us. If we could do it again, I believe anyone—including the Sage—would open the dimensional passageway once more.”
The blurry god was not speaking to the warrior, but himself.
”To explore the unknown is what we lived for, what we act for. Even if Chaos would stand in our way, we would still raise the torches of civilizations and tread upon that long and winding road.
”One day, someone would definitely make it.”
After another meaningful sigh, Ogner's dim-gold gaze blazed brilliantly like never before. He was now a true deity, spreading a stateliness that makes people bow. Even as He slowly vanish, a radiance now streamed across His blue skin.
”My time is short, young and lucky warrior,” He said with an echoing voice, as if both heads spoke at the same time. ”I can see from your burning curiosity that you have many questions.
”There's no need to hold back that desire. I'm already a perished existence; the dead could never stop the living. As long as it's within my knowledge, I shall answer.”
Joshua responded with silence once more. He had been silent many times today, much more than he had been for a month.
As for Ogner, the deity merely waited calmly for the warrior to make up his mind. He had already died; He could not care less about the mundane.
And there was some fate that tied this young human here—he met Father Nature, possessed the breath of the Sage as well as standing before Him when He awakened. Ougels believed in fate and predestination. All life could do then, is to find their fortune within despair, just like he did.
After a period that felt both long and short, Joshua finally asked a question, his brow tightened in serious consideration or doubt.
”I want to know… I want to know something about the gods. I've always wanted to know it and had to endure it for almost ten years.”
How to become a god, perhaps? It was something ordinary, and a question any human who sought power would ask. Ogner was not surprised—He even had an outline in his mind, and all that awaits was for Joshua to ask it.
The warrior, too, did not delay and crisply asked, ”Why does every god has two designations that form a contrasting title? Aren't they afraid of developing mental problems?”
Ogner turn to Joshua and said, ”What?”