Chapter 193 War of the Madmen V (1/2)
CHAPTER 193
WAR OF THE MADMEN (V)
In the moment that Lino threw the sword that had slain the Sin-Devil Commander, he'd also broken the dam barring him from ascending further into the Realms of Cultivation, officially reaching Level 180 and Early Illumine Realm. His own ascension wasn't much different than the rest, as the pre-requisite was exactly what the name itself implied -- to be illuminated over something.
It didn't necessarily had to be a Martial Art, though that was how majority of others ascended. For Lino, however, it was his Will; though just faintly, he'd understood how to imbue it into reality, take abstract and make it corporeal.
What startled him, though, was that he'd already reached the next bottleneck of the cultivation -- Level 239, just a level short away from Numinous Realm. It wasn't all that odd, though, as he had managed to kill a Sin-Devil Variant of all things. Chuckling bitterly, he extended his right arm out and flicked his index finger. A sudden warmth encapsulated it as a whiff of golden light entangled itself around the finger, low whines and cries coming out of it.
It was the Primal Spirit he had chosen after reaching Illumine Realm -- Ashta, the Primal Spirit of Light. Lino was rather surprised that a Primal of Spirit of light had offered her service; after all, his affinity with Dark Spirits was much greater. Nonetheless, he'd chosen her almost immediately, though her description was just as dubious as any other.
[Primal Spirit Ashta -- Supreme-tier Divine Spirit of Light]
-- The first Tear of the Sun, cast onto the world. The Light that can never be extinguished, and the Light that shall always glow holy. --
He was currently high in the sky, riding Grim yet again since the latter had recovered enough for casual flight. Wind grazed his cheeks gently, his spirit free and full. Next to him Non was playing with a bone, occasionally growling if Grim took a sharp turn or dive, scenery which had turned Lino's heart warm. It has been a long while, he realized, since he'd felt as at peace as he did at the moment.
He took it all in, entombed it into his memory, every ounce of every emotion and every action so that he may never forget it, for he knew the moment would be short-lived. Even if the Writ hadn't proposed that 'condition', Lino himself would have done the exact same thing. All that was left was to create his armor, and off to the frontlines he would go.
”You are awfully excited over going to the war with the entire world.” the familiar voice echoed inside his head, causing Lino to smirk.
”... just imagining it,” Lino said. ”Standing lonesome... against it all... while wome--I mean people watch on from the side... and see my badas--I mean my honorable defiance... haii...”
”... your ego is full enough already.”
”I've been meaning to ask you something.”
”I know.” the Writ said.
”Of course you do...” Lino sighed, inwardly cursing since he knew the Writ could hear it anyway. ”So? You think I'm qualified to know just yet?”
”Far from it,” the Writ replied. ”Even Titular Voids aren't by default qualified to know of the Fate's workings, hardly a newly emerged Illumine brat.”
”... ouch. So... why do I have a feeling you'll still tell me?” Lino smirked.
”Because you need to know,” the Writ replied. ”Though she was always keen on my Bearers, it seems she has taken a rather deep interest in you.”
”I'm honored.”
”You shouldn't be. Truthfully, in some aspects... she is even worse than Gaia, all things considered. At the very least the latter has always acted openly and cleanly.”
”... you sound like you're actually afraid of her?” Lino exclaimed softly.
”I had always disregarded her due to our conflicting natures,” the Writ elaborated. ”The Fate in and of itself does not posses any power; rather, the very concept of 'fate' is quite misleading. There is no such thing as a 'predetermined event' to begin with as the future itself doesn't exist. That is why even the Law of Time, regardless of mastery, can never allow one to travel further than their current present.”
”... hmm. So to say... that the entire world's future is being made up as we go along?” Lino asked.
”Yes, something like that.”
”... then what is fate?” Lino asked.
”It's ability to predict future based on the chain reactions,” the Writ said. ”For instance, if a King's daughter is suddenly assassinated, it's not difficult to predict the next set of actions. However, Fate can determine the entire lifetime based on the choices made.”
”... ah, so that's why you said you two have conflicting natures,” Lino exclaimed in realization. ”She works through understanding and dispensing patterns, while you are the very definition of pattern-defiance.”
”Hm,” the Writ mumbled. ”So far it was easy for me to simply 'mute' her predictions on whatever I wished.”
”What's changed?”
”You.”
”... what? She's, like, really into me or something?”
”No. As I'm repeatedly trying to hide your aura in addition to feeding you as much as possible, I am unable to fully expel her eye off of you.”