Chapter 1014 For the Beings of Tomorrow (2/2)
”Nonetheless, elements differentiate each world and create a balance between various elements. You assuredly know of their purpose, although it had been a change for myself—in the past, worlds would indeed perish completely when they fall, but now, thanks to its presence, the elements in the Void would enter the world falling to a destructive spiral and gently nourish it.”
”Still, ether itself is even milder. Being direction and power given form, it could create and support various abnormal worlds, such as realms of orbicular sky and rectangular earth, planes, indented or cavity realms. It has made small worlds possible as well, allowing the small to grow profoundly, not to mention that it parts the Abysses from normal worlds, and cycles such as the Vortex of Creation.”
At that, the Message became soft as if it was being emotional. Then Joshua, who had been listening intently, heard a familiar term.
”As for the Holy Light,” the Wise One of Shadow said thus, ”The Holy Light created me.”
”The Holy Light…created you?”
Joshua was left taken a back, gazing at the Wise One of Shadow's endlessly deep eyes in the silhouette before gasping.
”Abyss, demon…ah, I get it now!”
Ignoring the warrior, who appeared to have remembered something, the ancient demon shadow continued calmly. ”As you could see, I am a demon who has lived—barely surviving in the Abyss of a fallen galaxy. That would never change even now, just as I would not want to change it.”
”I was born unto a perished world, thereby experiencing death even before my birth—successor, you have to be aware of the Temporal Trap of the Multiverse. What I am saying here is that time moves a hundred thousand times faster than in normal galaxies or perhaps faster, meaning that it is a place of decimation on the very edge of the Multiverse. In the withered and broken Abyssal realms, my brethren and myself have continued surviving by solely relying upon black hole radiations because all stars have died, with white dwarfs turning dark. All that is left of the universe are cinders of thin particle shrouds.”
A deathly universe, where everything is nearing demise.
”In order to exist, in order to live, has been the humblest ambition of life. I diligently studied all superpowers to invoke abilities out of nothing or indeed, to lead my own race towards other galaxies with light…but those places were too far, and regardless of whether the temporal frame of reference varied or because we were in the very edge of the Multiverse, everything was impossible and I was unable to see a thing.”
Until that day, when a blinding light connected all of the Multiverse.
”You could not have imagined my astonishment then.”
Noticing Joshua's own stunned expression, the demon silhouette solemnly said: ”Successor, I was endlessly more shocked than you are now, for I had sensed something calling upon me and upon all Abysses across the Multiverse—naturally, the call itself had been too weak and it was probably the Abyss closest to the call that would answer…but I was different. I am powerful, and I saw the light—and as long as there was light, no matter how weak it was as a beacon, I would be able to keep track of it with my senses.”
”Therefore, I came out from the ancient desolation, leaving the galaxy abandoned by the Initial Flame. I grew, becoming an existence with divine strength, and was therefore born in Psi, possessing magical creation, the change through lifeforce, the differentiation of elements, and the support of ether—it was because of the illumination of the Holy Light that the Shadow could continue living. It was because of the kindness of that pure will to help everything that existed and to grant salvation upon all torment that I could now be here.”
”However, successor and Heir of the Wise One of Light, what I have told you is not the first change to have unravelled upon the Multiverse—it was neither myself, nor what the other preceding Wise Ones had done.”
”…it was the Mastermind.” Joshua said gravely as he watched the Shadpw. ”Chaos and Evil Gods were the first change of the Multiverse.”
”Yes. The Wise One of Shadow replied. ”It is the reason we have taken this Trail of Return, and the truth of what has befallen the Multiverse itself: the first one to change things had affected the Initial Flame.”
”The Initial Flame is the origins of our present Multiverse, the first Root of all that existed.”
”Endless worlds have been born because of it, living because of it.”
”It is only in places where the radiance of the Initial Flame reached that there has been existences, and the concepts of limited and unlimited hence divided.”
”However, there is a process through which the Initial Flame itself created the Multiverse. I know not of what steps were involved in the process, but there is no question that it was still in its earliest stages.”
After pondering for a moment, the silhouette of the demon added, ”Just like an infant in a cradle.”
”If the Multiverse was allowed to grow naturally, then every world now would still be in a primitive cosmic age, unable to nurture any life.
”Nonetheless, following something unexpected or indeed some special mechanism of our Multiverse, the Initial Flame 'moved' by natural means. The first Temporal Traps hence appeared, and in those worlds first left behind by the Initial Flame where time accelerated, granting to birth to many primitive civilizations and [its] existence.
”What was [it] actually? What was its intentions? I know nothing at all about that, and it is indeed because of that ignorance that I am compelled to journey toward the location of the Initial Flame…there would be perhaps a trap there, a fully armed prison that [it] has prepared, but it is still somewhere I have to go.
”However, there are still things that could be identified.”
Pausing for a moment, the Wise One of Shadow said, ”First, it is the fact that the growth of the Multiverse has been hastened by us Wise Ones. Our power has enriched the possibilities of the Multiverse, allowing endless beings to exist in diverse forms, but all of that does not comply to the [their] will.
”[It] appears incapable of affecting the Initial Flame directly, and yet could sever the connection between the Multiverse and the Initial Flame, leaving the galaxy where I had lived and the many other galaxies to die.
”Neither did [it] want any civilization to develop, with any civilization with the depth to exist eternally destroyed under the concentrated efforts of Evil God, each cycle of which has been known as an entire era of a civilization.
”Such as the cycle of end that we exist in.”
The Wise One of Shadow relayed its information with a solemnness unlike before. ”I could deduce [its] purpose, which is to wipe out everything save for the Initial Flame itself and have the Multiverse be reborn anew. That is the only explanation, with the drastic measures [it] has taken.”
”As for the Evil Gods that were stagnated eternities, perhaps they were one of the ways that [it] took to preserve the civilizations of the Multiverse. After all, without the resistance by the generations of sages, all civilizations that once existed would probably end up as Evil Gods.”
***
Joshua listened carefully. All of what the Wise One of Shadow said was similar to what the Ultimate Sublimator Collective had thought, albeit conveyed in greater detail. Still, even as he listened on, he could not help but left feeling the outrageousness of it all. ”If that is the case, is [it] actually not rotten to the core? Even intent on using such a way to preserve specimens of civilization?”
”Even you could call it 'specimen'. Could you really not feel the malice of it?”
The silhouette of the demon shook its head, its tone somber. ”To decide the fate of the Multiverse at its own whims, to think nothing of us, treating civilizations and life as specimens…we could have lived and develop in stability. If the Initial Flame had remained in its normal state, the endless cosmoses that have now perished, even the realms that have now fallen down to the Abyss, would perhaps still be basking beneath the warmth of its light.”
”After everything that [it] has done, how could it still not be rotten to core? Since [it] would not treat us as living things, we would certainly have to fight, and not allow [it] to get anything it wished for!”
It was the most primitive state of mind in resistance, lasting from the rather short past of the Multiverse until this day—a will which appeared to be aflame.
”I am going now, successor. The Wise of One of the Holy Light still needs me, while the Wise Ones of the Elements and Ether may still be around, awaiting my arrival.”
The demon silhouette slowly reverted to its cascading form, even as the pure Message flowed. ”This may well be the first time in history that two Wise Ones are existing simultaneously, born almost in the same era on the scale of the Multiverse—moreover, the two preceding Wise Ones have yet to present their post-death phenomenon, and are perhaps in a stand off against [it], or simply waiting for us.”
”I will join the battle alongside the Holy Light, and perhaps break the stalemate.”
”You are leaving?”
The warrior had known that the moment would always come. Everything was much better than the worst-case scenario, and though it was a demon of the Abyss, there was benevolence in the heart of the Wise One of Shadow, who even answered his own questions in detail…perhaps it was his identity as an Heir of the Sage at work again: even though he had been prepared for death as he came out to stand before the Shadow, not only had he lived, but he had even learnt a great deal of information.
Still, the warrior still felt dejected and frustrated—because at this very moment, he had yet to be able to keep up with the Wise Ones.
Moreover, with the Ultimate Sublimator Collective having mentioned this very era being the last hope there was, he was unsure if he could catch the last train in the future.
Joshua voiced his doubts, asking the Wise One of Shadow who was about to leave when the last chance would disappear, and when the endtime would come.
And yet, the answer he received was unexpected.
”Don't worry about that.”
The infinite shadows were at once journeying into the distance and remaining outside Stellaris, with stirring Message wafting to the God of Steel from the Shadow swaying around him. ”The essence of the Great Mana Tide is to reconnect the Initial Flame to the Multiverse where their bonds were once cut through endless energy, so that successors like you would be able to head for the origins of all things by retracing the surging Tide and moving upstream.”
”Although the connection that the Great Mana Tide has maintained is about to be cut, I would add upon it.
”It would not be only me either. The Wise One of Holy Light—the one you refer to as Sage in your mind—did so as well, using the Holy Light as a beacon. Look, every natural source of light over the Multiverse changes, having certain Holy Light attributes… and that is also the case for the light of the Mana Tide. So, as long as there is study about the Holy Light, those who come later can journey forward with the Holy Light, even if the path of the Arcane should be cut.
”On the other hand, I, the Wise One of Shadow, have created a Shadow Space which would exist in the Void even if the Multiverse should fall. As long as the Initial Flame still exists, regardless of how far it would go or how dark the Multiverse would become, the Shadow Space would remain as its shadow, a variant of its very power.
”This era is certainly over, but all of you still have a future because I have forged it and blessed it upon all of you.”
***
Endless Shadow was vanishing.
No, it was not vanishing, but turning into another state, a unique space!
Joshua's eyes widened. With his near-Demi Saint observation, he could see an extra-spatial network formed from the Shadow Space appearing across the range of the Multiverse!
Like a spider's web, it connected between galaxies. The shadows of all the cosmoses were connected like how all light had once been bonded through the Holy Light back then, a brand-new path directed towards the Fountainhead of the Great Mana Tide and the Initial Flame hence appearing within the white-hot radiance of the Great Mana Tide.
It was a Shadow subspace which bridged worlds, the wish of the Wise One of Shadow and a manifestation of its power. It had once again repaired the path of the Mana Tide that was about to be cut, keeping every galaxy connected with the most direct of measures.
”The pioneers would leave a path for successors. We exist because we have been graced by them.”
”In turn, the successors would leave a path for their own successors. I had given you a future, but no gratitude is necessary.”
”Because it is my conviction that you, successor, would do the same: all grace, blessings, and continuation… they are everlasting and ever repeating, just as they are the evidence that eternal Order and civilizations exist!”
In the end, when the Wise One of Shadow truly left for the horizon, Joshua could hear the kind voice that the Wise One itself heard all those years ago.
”You already wield power far beyond of civilization and life, and yet you now still seek to fight and the Truth… could it be that it is because you cannot stand stagnation? Your enemies are numerous if you continue on this long path, but do all you can to advance. The other Wise Ones and I will be ahead waiting for you in the endless distance for War's (your) arrival.”
”Remember, successor. Our lives and civilization do not exist for the world! Instead, it is the world and the fate of the Multiverse that stretches on before us because we exist!”
***
The Shadow left, vanishing from the seemingly unending path of the Mana Tide, leaving only a trail of Shadow that stretched forth in the surge.
From start to finish, it had never asked Joshua for his name, nor did Joshua learn its name.
But it was not important, because they were a predecessor expectant of a successor, and a successor who was keeping up with his predecessor.
The normal Void and Stellaris once again appeared behind Joshua.
Even so, Joshua's heart was unable to restore calmness for a long time.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
”…Wisdom unquenchable, Order eternal, Legacies reciprocating unto this day.”
So that had been the real meaning in that ancient inscription.
One Wise One had arisen one after another, instilling change upon the Multiverse even if they should die, to claim even the faintest of hopes for the future of the Multiverse.
Nonetheless, it was far from enough—even if multiple Wise Ones would perish, it only delayed the end of days by fractions.
However, there was nothing to fear.
For from yesterday to today, today to tomorrow, and tomorrow to the day after—generations after generations and pioneers after pioneers had done that, doing all that they could to secure greater possibilities for successors, adding to their thin, fractional chances of victory.
”Even if tomorrow would prove to be the Abyss and an infinite purgatory, I shall never stop.”
Opening his eyes, Joshua calmly raised his hands to look in the direction of the Fountainhead of the Great Mana Tide, looking out over across distance space like what the dying Ultimate Sublimator Collective did just recently.
He clenched his fist, as if wanting to catch hold of that illusory light.
Because the sacrifices of countless people yesterday have forged my today, my today must be an existence for the tomorrow of countless people.
Volume Eighteen, Abyss of Tomorrow. End.