Chapter 751 Illuminating the Way Ahead (2/2)
Karlis the Steel Python appeared beside Joshua, slowly coiling itself on the warrior's shoulder and asked curiously, ”What are you thinking, friend?”
”I had intended to seek you out when you enter the Void, but upon noticing that you are here spacing out, I came on my own accord.”
Noticing the entity, Joshua did not stop the Steel Python's rather humane and affectionate movements and merely strolled along the gray-white crystallizations of the Salt Sea.
It was after some considerable time that the warrior finally spoke quietly, ”Karlis, I have a question.”
”Hmm? Ask away.” Karlis shook its head nonchalantly. ”I would certainly answer if I am able.”
Joshua's looked straight ahead over the vast and flat plains without peeking sideways at all, before he asked flatly, ”Did you ever hate us?”
The question was clearly not what the Steel Python expected. It could not help blanking out for a moment, repeating the question. ”You?”
”Yes. The Sage, Glorious Era Mycroft, us, Starfall Era Mycroft.”
Not one to hide his opinion, this occasion was no exception for Joshua. He trampled over pieces of salt crystals, and continued quietly, ”To be exact, do you hate and resent the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds which brought the Evil Gods here, and the Mycroft civilization that created the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds and the Door to Finality?”
A long silence followed. Only the sounds of sand grains breaking beneath Joshua's feet could be heard.
A wind blew past them, kicking up infinite dirt as Karlis finally broke the extended the silence.
”Hate… Resentment… Such human words.” It murmured softly and pensively. ”Having watched civilization for some time, I consider myself a World Will that understands humanity.
”But how do I put this—you might well not understand.”
Karlis glanced sideways to level his gaze as Joshua turned to it as well, and continued with an unusually somber tone, ”You, as well as the successors of the Sage and the Glorious Era may not know about them, or perhaps understand them partially. On the other hand, being from the same era, I knew many things about him.
”He aided and saved many worlds,” Karlis said, putting solemnness and weight behind each word. It also appeared to be reminiscing, and its gaze was rather scattered. ”Joshua, the Sage had been doing all he could to help the worlds around his own, just like what you're doing now.
”That being said, this galaxy wasn't as dim then as it was now. It was flourishing: worlds filled with life communicating and forming rapports—there were troublesome worlds as well, but the Sage peacefully journey across worlds, helping worlds in trouble.
”He had experienced a beautiful life at the time, making meaningful friendships as much as he encountered troublesome and dangerous foes.
”He did not fight the Chaos and Evil Gods on just one occasion. He had rescued a great many worlds on many occasions even without anyone else's knowledge. However, he thought nothing of it, believing that it was something anyone else would do, something that could not be more mundane.”
There was now somberness in the Steel Python's voice. Its coils tightened, and it closed its eyes. ”Even his creation of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds was to better aid other worlds… he had given all his strength to help all civilization across all Multiverse.
”Was he evil? Of course not. The Sage is the most perfect, most sacred, kindest, and most powerful being I had seen in my long life. He seemed to exist just to save the dark Multiverse, born to embody endless compassion and world authority, and there was no selfishness in his power. Any who intend to denounce him in morality either held dark motives, or have such a dark heart that they simply could not see such pure light.”
Joshua listened quietly to Karlis. He had now stopped right in the middle of the Salt Sea Plains. It was a flat surface looking to every direction from here, a vast, borderless plains. There was no path and no direction from where the warrior stood—even the boundary between sky and land had vanished.
Meanwhile, Karlis continued.
”Of course, even though I have spoken such kind words of flattery in the glory of the Sage… doesn't mean I don't hate.”
It opened its eyes, the crimson serpentine pupils glinting in a radiance that seemed to burn. ”Naturally, I do hate.”
”The people of Karlis were my children,” the Steel Python said quietly in dismay. ”I will always remember their extinction, and regardless of how many times the Sage had helped me, that single mistake is enough for me to see him as my enemy.”
Upon hearing those words, Joshua's hands relaxed and then clenched slightly. He looked up, but his gaze and expression were impassive, and there was no telling what he was thinking.
”But.”
Karlis had looked up beside Joshua as well, and after another moment of silence, it murmured, ”But…
”But, Joshua, you who reignited my Flame.
”Did you know? No matter how much hate is carved into one's bone, it is mere dust, an insignificant ripple in the Multiverse. The more you witness the rise and fall of civilizations, the birth and death of worlds, the more you would understand that.
”To cling on to something like that, to cling on to that dust-like hate, and thus hold malicious intentions toward everything around, to deny, to destroy, to desire the end of all things in madness—is that any different from Evil Gods, then?
”Clinging means never to be free, never to progress forward and avenge the Evil Gods that destroyed my Children.”
The Steel Python slithered to the warrior's arm, lifting it and lowering itself to look into Joshua's eyes.
”You who reignited my Flame,” Karlis, the World Will said earnestly and serenely, ”you don't have to be confused over such a thing. You don't have to care if it was self-blame or hate in my heart, nor do you have to care what I think of the Sage and the Glorious Era.
”You just have to keep going forward, strengthening yourself and do what you're doing now: help troubled worlds, lay waste to the schemes of Chaos—and that is enough.
”I will help you with all my power. We will help you with all our powers. All profound wills would be watching you like how they watched the Sage all those years ago, bearing witness as you tread your own path.”
Karlis's head gradually approached Joshua's forehead. It no longer spoke, but a mild, profound yet peaceful will extended toward Joshua.
This is a pact that needs no words, a promise that needs no language.
Forehead touched forehead. A light with no color began to rise at the heart of the Salt Sea Plains.
Please
Kill all Evil Gods
Wipe out all Chaos
Reigniter of the Flame. Carry out this pact you made with Steel and Fire—set all darkness and evil a flame and become a light to the despairing Multiverse.
Like a torch, shine for us, illuminating the way ahead.
***
The inconspicuous light dimmed.
Joshua and Karlis's foreheads parted.
”I understand.”
The warrior said softly and looked toward the edge of the world, and put Karlis on his shoulder.
Heavy—
It was a pure spiritual body that clearly had no mass, but it remained very cumbersome.
Its weight was without compare, as if the karma of an entire world had been placed within it.
But that sensation was not unfamiliar, for many worlds remained behind the warrior.
Karlis, Illgner, the Bloodmoon Abyss… Illusions after illusions appeared and vanished.
Grandia, Kronos, Simboa… threads of causality intertwined.
It turned into long chain and a cumbersome stone, dragged forward by Joshua, with not telling how much time had passed until today. And now, it was the addition of one Shelter Civilization and Black Fog—it affects nothing, for the warrior's objective never once changed.
He knew very well what kind of land and path his feel treaded upon.
”Listen well. I did not decide to cull all Evil Gods because of you.”
”I go because I want to.”
Joshua spoke flatly, drawing a quiet laughter from Karlis as he strode forward.
That single step had nothing to do with any karma, regret, burdens or responsibility. Joshua took it for himself only, and would continue walking until an unknown end.
Indeed.
He would do certain things.
And those things would change the world.
What would the result be?
That was a story for later.