Chapter 1027 Moment of Advent: Part Three, The People (1/2)

There was a Hidden World that existed in the Silent World, one undetectable by any measure of observation. It had virtually assimilated itself to its surrounding darkness, and even upon a closer look, one would find it no different from a slightly-larger world fragment.

However, that world, which appeared to be a corpse, contained power that ordinary people could never imagine.

It had often been said by many that the stars were beautiful precious stones sprinkled over the universe itself and shining in peerlessly dazzling splendor. Likewise, the precious stones buried deep beneath ground were also equipped with divinity, with the ancients often blessing them with various purposes in praise of their aesthetic and value, even carving and sculpting them to adorn them upon their own hands, allowing that radiance to be at one with themselves.

Such spectrum of emotions had never once changed even in what was a faraway future for the ancients.

Because the people of the present had finally taken the precious stones that were sprinkled over the universe and embedded them upon the 'rings' that they had forged amongst the stars.

***

The first of January, Starfall year 855, at 52 minutes past five in the evening, Mycroft Standard Time.

The Ether Ring World, a realm in the Silent Void that was yet to be named.

All things were lingering within darkness, as if placed within an eternal rest more peaceful than slumber. The world, which had all of its insides emptied, was maintained under the power of divinely crafted runes—even so, quiet cascading of winds could be heard in the heart of that silence: the gales from the sun billowed, stirring streams of negentropy within the lightlessness.

It was a golden gem with eye-catching dazzle, containing unparalleled lifeforce. There was an untold number of life only born in worlds because they were bathing under its illumination, while in the Abyss, there were legions of races that had lost its light, and were exhausting all their power in the slaughter and struggle to regain it.

And yet, there was a discreetly whirling ring that orbited peacefully around that single gem, as if it would continue on to the end of eternity.

”The Ring World is almost completed, Nostradamus.”

The ring-shaped world, which appeared to have only a single star to ordinary people, was very much existing in incomparable darkness and silence. Save for the faint sparks at the center, every other corner was icy vacuum space—but to the eyes of Extraordinary individuals which could see a lot more, there were things such as an ether formation that extended around the entire world, a dazzling circulation that maintained every single balance. Dubbed the Vague Shelter, the purpose of the ether formation was to turn the entire world's presence into one with the soundless emptiness of the Silent Void just as how ordinary people would see it, an indistinct speck of dust that hovered in space.

And in that dark circulation, two specks of light were interacting with each other.

”Thanks to Noble Radcliffe, the time that we need to complete the entire project is only one-tenth of the estimated timeframe—not even the gods could have moved the masses of worlds, it is just too wasteful.”

One of the specks was golden and divine, and as it spoke with the other pale-blue light over the silver ring world which was basically completed, there was clear emotion in his tone. ”It is indeed more than enough to accommodate the Mycroft civilization. It is ironic that there had been countless divine beings who once declared the beauty, the bountifulness and the vastness of their own kingdoms of paradise, and yet here we are, gods of this generation, bringing a paradise to mortal realm.”

”Indeed.”

The pale blue human silhouette seemed to be looking there from distant dimensions and appeared to be a clone—although that did not impede his conversion. ”Everything that you and I have dreamt of is almost coming true,” he whispered, ”but a society that is truly free and equal must be built upon a perfect and unblemished nation. We had struggled so hard to seek a way to build it in the past, but it now appears that the solution is actually very simple.

”Since it does not exist in reality, we could simply create it on our own.”

The conflict between human kind originated from inequality and the difference between desires. With every person holding a claim for their desire, narrow land and spaces meant that different claims would converge upon a single spot, thereby instigating discord. There was no right or wrong involved, for it merely made evident that there were still creature instincts lingering within the human psyche.

But now, would human desire still exist in its initial form in the Ring World, which was a million times larger than standard worlds?

In the future, could the root of all discord still ignite the sparks of strive under the simultaneous watch of the Seven Gods and the Legends?

”I do not know. There are no crimes in the Empire now, and not even across the entire world of Mycroft. Even with Extraordinary power being common now, with various academies and training organizations sprouting like mushrooms after rain, and even having the Mana Net keeping the countless civilizations of the galaxy together in a harmonious alliance, I still cqnnot be sure that the future is directed in a path we hope for.”

The golden human silhouette which was ablaze in divine splendor—the new God of Might and Justice—spoke in a tone resembling that of his human years: though it appeared to be question, it sounded like certain and unshakable conviction. ”However, gods never rot—at least they will not rot before death. Therefore, before I meet my divine death, this path would go on until the Advent, or perhaps the faraway future.”

”Do the gods not rot…”

Nostradamus tasted the words as he gazed upon the Ring World before his eyes. There were runes of the God of Steel on the back of that colossal realm: a circle that symbolized completeness, perfection, and unchanging eternals, along with a single vertical line that pierced it, dividing the circle into two.

What did that actually mean?

”Is Radcliffe a God?”

The old mage seemed to be murmuring to himself emotionally. ”The United Assembly of Cosmic Civilizations, established three years ago, was founded by the Mycroft civilization—but strictly speaking, it was founded upon the power of the single individual named Joshua van Radcliffe. There are many inferior civilizations that consecrated him as war given form, just as countless advanced civilizations respectfully categorize him as a god. There are times when I am unsure if gods are divine beings connected to the Root, or are quite simply individuals who meet various conditions and possess great power.”

”One should know that he is still the Joshua that we know from the latest information spreading through the Mana Net, just as he did not rot. That is why I have been wondering if he is some deity who has descended from the Root, and has simply been born into a human body resembling ourselves.”

”That is a good question, mentor.”

The golden divine light stirred for an instant at the question as if in laughter. ”I also occasionally find myself having less godly stature as compared to him. I have even carefully examined that question, such as whether Joshua had really received some direct source of divine power from the Root without us knowing, which was why he could improve so quickly—but to answer that question, we would first have to mention what gods actually are.”

”When I was still human, I had faced much injustice and felt absolute evil in an Empire divided, just as I had seen the endless tears of the people who cried because of those evils. Even so, I refused to acknowledge that the evil was the nation, that it was the fate of society.”

”That is why I had set the flames of wrath to reform it, to destroy its old ways and to mold it in the way I want—I attempted to struggle against fate, but almost failed entirely. You know it too well yourself how long I had sat upon the imperial throne as a dead man walking.”

”This would have been a moment of failure had it been the case of an ordinary being, who in turn would squander his life in mortal delights and simply accept reality or death.”

The God of Might thus pointed at the Ring World before him. Although his tone was calm, there was still a hint of delight and determination. ”But I did not. Perhaps out of coincidence, or perhaps out of necessity, I triumphed over fate, allowing a part of the nation I desired to be born unto reality.”

Looking at the face of the old mage which appeared thoughtful and have something to say, the golden divine form shook his head. ”Could you have been expecting me to say that the gods are the people who could triumph over fate? You are wrong—that is not the case. I have never triumphed over fate, but I have merely answered the desire of all life, allowing the power of hope to be imbued upon my body.”

”Master Nostradamus. The gods are simply people who answer the wishes of the people.”

As he spoke, the God of Justice looked up towards the edge of the dark world, his tone ever solemn and deep. ”The people invoke wishes and pray for the future, wanting better change but are caught in their own powerlessness—the gods are therefore those with the power to answer those wishes, forging the future and mold it so desired change becomes reality.”

”Is Noble Radcliffe a god? There is no question that he is. He holds the power to forge the future and he had changed the cosmos, along with destinies, both yours and mine. If that is not the measure of a god, what would be?”

”However, one question remains: if Count Radcliffe is indeed a god, then what sort of wishes has he been born to answer?”

However, there was an answer given to that question.

Because out of nowhere, the God of Might and Justice who was chatting idly with an old friend and mentor had distinctly blanked out for a moment. His ears pricked up in attention and his expression was somber.

He apparently heard something.

***

The second of January, Starfall year 855, at 52 minutes past seven in the morning, Mycroft Standard Time.

The Stargate Void installation in the Zeta Ram System, the Galaxy of Beginnings.

There were many small space settlements in the Void installation encircling the Stargate, with most being the lodgings of maintenance workers of the Stargate itself. Some of the excess residences had also been sold to those with money or authority, returning currency to the monetary circulation.

That being said, it was still a settlement right beside Stargate base. If an analogy had to be made, it was perhaps equivalent to having a coastal cottage near the former Seven Gods Holy Mountain—it would not merely be a place to live for those who were rich and powerful, but also required the dwellers to possess appropriately formidable ability.

In that respect, Brandon Kaos, a Legendary swordsman and present Head of the Kaos family, naturally had the disposition to live in such a place.

Past the plain Void settlement border point and the private Void shuttle which had been anchored dimensionally, and then a pair of bulky runic doors, one would see that the interior of the residence had been decorated with warmth. There were walls lined with actual wood and floors of white marble, with a pale golden crystal light hanging overhead—all of which indicated that the owner of the residence had undoubtedly managed the residence itself as 'home'.

But at the moment, there was no one around, whether in the wide living room, its back garden that had a direct view of the Void, or even the bedroom. All there had been was the static sounds echoing from a communications circle trying to connect with the other end.

”Hello? Can you hear me? Dad? Mum?”

Within the study, repressed sounds of breaths suddenly turned into loud buzzes as a rather mature feminine voice spoke out. ”Sorry, the signal is a little wobbly over here and it takes some time to connect.”

Inside the wide study room, the huge blonde swordsman held his breath, holding his violet-haired wife and glancing calmly at a screen, which was showing another blonde lady with a dazzling smile making a 'V' sign with her fingers as she greeted them. ”Work has been smooth lately—under the guidance of the Knowers, we have excavated a few more huge ruins left by civilizations in the Era of Arcane! The civilization ruins we found in the Piroth galaxy can now be classified as Forerunner grade!”

Even with the considerable latency of the stream and the desynchronized video and audio, neither Brandon nor Vale Dani were concerned—but as the blonde swordsman was about to say something, the violet-haired mage stole before him, her tone rather careful, ”Well, Flan, how long would it be before you come back?”

”Probably… four to five years?”

The blonde girl behind the screen considered the question before giving a vague answer. ”Well, it is a Forerunner grade ruin, and it is said to have preserved a complete set of documentation from the time of the Wise One of Arcane. If it really could be recovered, it would be a profound discovery that trembles the stars—there's no way I could leave at the moment.”

”Moreover, I am for better or worse a leader of a professional ruin exploration team. I cannot excuse myself in the initial period as the excavation begins.”

”But your sister is saying that she is going to be away for years too…in her case, she is running about with the diplomatic fleet across the cosmos, saying that it is to research some 'cosmic civilization culture' and that she would write a memoir of her travel through the cosmos…” Unable to hold back, Brandon quietly complained then, ”You two have been home less than ten times over the last ten years…and it's now going to be another four to five years, your mother and I—”

”…Dad, I have not been a little girl that you have to dote over every moment since a long time ago,” the blonde girl interrupted Brandon, but her expression was unnatural and she could not smile. ”There is real time communication, portals, and I would even occasionally send local specialty products home…moreover, being home is dull—everyone always calls me the 'daughter of a Legendary champion' whenever I'm back or just a little girl. I hate that…”

”Even if I know that Extraordinary individuals like you two live longer and my age is really that of a little girl in comparison, I still hope to be treated and respected as a person.”

”Oh…I get it. Well, do your best…”

Legendary champion Brandon had once cut down a corona with a single swing of his word. He had also slain several dangerous Ultimate Entities during the ensuing Ultimate Crisis, along with one Void Behemoth which had gone amok alone three years ago—his name had hence spread throughout civilizations, and was considered very famous even in the Cosmic Invitationals tournament.

But now, facing his daughter who was becoming ever more independent, he actually appeared aggrieved and at a loss for words, the living incarnation of an aged father who was being abandoned. ”Just remember to call home if there is any trouble. Remember that we will always be behind you…”

”I know. Love you, dad, mum, MUA~” Beaming cheerfully, the girl blew a flying kiss at the flying screen, which Vale Dani clumsily imitated after a pleased glanced at her dejected husband.

”MUA~ mummy loves you too. Oh, by the way, should I send some supplies to your sisters and you…”

Crack.

Suddenly, the call was cut off.

Boom!