Chapter 451
Chapter 451
Chapter 451
'So it was the Great Sage's arrangement that made me regress.'
Until now, he had thought it was the Elder Dragon and Chronos, the Dragon of Time, who had made him regress.
But the one who had prepared this arrangement was none other than the Great Sage.
Zeke opened his mouth while looking at the Great Sage.
"Did you make such arrangements knowing that I would take the Elder Dragon's legacy?"
At those words, the Great Sage smiled and shook his head.
"That's not the case. Even I cannot know everything about the future, which is a continuum of uncertainties. Just like Chronos."
At the Great Sage's answer, Zeke asked again as if he didn't quite understand.
"The Elder Dragon put the 'Irreversible Promised Power' into the statue but said he didn't believe this power could really activate. If you couldn't be certain either, then why..."
The Great Sage nodded at Zeke's words.
"I, the Elder Dragon, and Chronos all placed our hopes on a very small possibility. And you, Sir Zeke, grabbed that possibility with your own strength."
"It sounds like all of this was mere coincidence."
"No. There is no such thing as coincidence in this universe. Even the smallest event occurs through the turning of countless gears."
Zeke looked at the Great Sage and said.
"The Elder Dragon wanted me to regress of my own will, and said that following that will, I got a chance to defy fate. But... I wonder. I wonder if this is really what I wanted."
Hearing those words, the Great Sage said to Zeke.
"Do you regret traveling back through time, Sir Zeke?"
Zeke hesitated before answering the Great Sage's question.
His previous life was incomparably miserable and desperate compared to his current one.
In that moment when he was struggling in a pit of blood, he regretted his past life, and when death approached, Zeke showed a strong will to live by reaching for the Elder Dragon's legacy.
That's why the 'Irreversible Promised Power' activated, and he was able to live this life again.
The Great Sage looked at Zeke and said.
"I can see the seeds of anxiety sprouting in your heart, Sir Zeke."
At those words, Zeke raised his head and said with a slightly bitter expression.
"Seeds of anxiety? That's not an issue that applies to me, an immortal."
It wasn't simply because of his belief in the fact that he couldn't die. Zeke's passive skill 'Indomitable Will' had the function of blocking even mental and emotional impacts.
But the Great Sage shook his head.
"The anxiety that comes from uncertainty about one's own existence is difficult to block even with immortal power. What I mean is that your fear of losing everything you've newly gained in this life is gradually growing."
At the Great Sage's words, Zeke bit his lips tightly.
He wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn't come out.
In his previous life, Zeke had nothing.
Those he loved died in the war, and thus he lost his reason to live.
But because he survived, he struggled more, thinking that something might change if he became stronger.
But that was the wrong thought.
'Even if I had become a Black Knight in my previous life, I wouldn't have found a purpose to live for.'
Emptiness and void.
These were the emotions that filled the previous Zeke.
But now it was different.
In this life, things he had, things he needed to protect, kept appearing.
On the surface, he said his goal was to become stronger than anyone else so that no one could bind him, to become free, but as time passed, Zeke's thoughts were changing.
He had found a nest where he could stay, and the number of his people filling it gradually increased.
To protect them, Zeke rushed to become even stronger.
But as the things he wanted to protect increased, he became anxious.
He was afraid that all of this would vanish like a dream and only emptiness would remain again like before.
That's why Zeke kept asking questions.
Why he was made to regress, whether this newly given life was truth and not falsehood, whether he deserved to live such a life - he was trying to shake off the anxiety about these questions.
The Great Sage looked at Zeke and said.
"The life you're standing in now is a history that you have created entirely on your own. No one can destroy this."
At the Great Sage's firm words, Zeke felt the anxiety that had long shadowed his heart disappearing.
He was finally able to put an end to his fear that everything after his regression, created by powers he couldn't understand, might vanish like bubbles.
Zeke looked at the Great Sage and said.
"Are you saying that my being here now is also an inevitability, not a coincidence, created by the turning of the universe's gears?"
"What moved those gears was none other than your will, Sir Zeke. The Elder Dragon and Chronos believed that will could change the future of doom and save the phenomenal world."
He looked at the three sacred treasures floating in the air and said.
"Do you know when these three sacred treasures were last gathered together?"
Zeke shook his head.
The Great Sage grinned and answered.
"It was when the 'Irreversible Promised Power' was arranged within the Kabbalah System."
As his words ended, golden aura poured from the sacred treasures.
WHOOOONG!
The Great Sage stretched his hand toward Zeke.
Then surprisingly, the Jeweled Sword Roland and Tyr’s Hammer automatically summoned from the inventory and floated in the air.
Seeing this, Zeke was once again reminded that the Great Sage was also a Master Administrator.
The Great Sage looked at the floating Roland and said.
"An orichalcon sword imbued with the will of a noble holy knight and a hammer imbued with the power of a brave war god. They're perfect to become the framework for new divine instruments."
When he stretched his hand toward the air, the radiance pouring from the sacred treasures shone even more brilliantly.
Then the golden aura flowed into Roland and the hammer.
WHOOOONG!
Zeke couldn't help but be surprised as he watched the power of the three sacred treasures being imbued into Roland and the hammer.
'The power of the three sacred treasures is combining?'
WHOOOONG!
While Zeke watched with surprised eyes, the golden aura flowing from the sacred treasures gradually decreased, and Roland and Tyr’s hammer were dyed with a mysterious radiance.
As the auspicious radiance seeped in, the sword and hammer began to vibrate.
BZZZZZZ!
Simultaneously, Roland and the hammer began to merge into one.
Seeing this, Zeke was surprised.
'The power of the three sacred treasures and Roland and Tyr’s hammer are becoming one.'
The merged sword revealed its form within the radiance.
WHOOOONG!
Roland, which had been in the form of an arming sword, grew larger overall and changed into a cruciform sword with an elongated pommel on both sides.
Ancient characters shining with golden light were embossed on the blade's surface.
The obvious flashiness disappeared, but rather the detailed craftsmanship became much more intricate, and it had an overall majestic atmosphere.
Looking at the cruciform sword with rippling golden aura, the Great Sage nodded as if satisfied.
"The power of the three sacred treasures has settled well."
When he gestured once more, the cruciform sword moved smoothly and stopped in front of Zeke.
"Take it, Sir Zeke."
Zeke looked at the transformed Roland and slowly reached out his hand.
The moment he grabbed the sword, messages appeared before his eyes.
[The Jeweled Sword Roland and Tyr’s Hammer have been combined.]
[The combined weapon has been strengthened by the power of sacred relics.]
[Evolution into a Legendary item grants the sword its true name.]
[The sword is named 'Holy Sword Ascalon', bearing the primordial light.]
'A Legendary item? Evolved into a holy sword?'
Zeke checked the information of the newly transformed sword Ascalon.
―Holy Sword Ascalon Information―
Description: A sacred sword evolved by the power of the three sacred treasures bearing primordial light, after the combination of the jeweled sword and the demon-resisting weapon.
Unique Powers: Will of Light, Great Purification, Spirit Manifestation, Awakening Grant.
Special Properties: Inflicts 5x damage when used against beings with demonic energy. / Changes to 10x damage when Will of Light is activated.
Zeke couldn't help but be surprised at the powers granted to Ascalon.
Not only did it have the powers of the sacred treasures, but it also gained a new power called 'Will of Light'.
'To be able to inflict tenfold damage against beings with demonic energy when Will of Light is activated...'
For Zeke, who was facing the final battle against the Demon King's army, this was an absolutely necessary power.
Simultaneously, messages appeared.
[Acquired the title 'Master of the Holy Sword'.]
[According to the title 'Master of the Holy Sword', the special skills Holy Light Technique and Demon Hunting Technique combine to form a new skill.]
[Special Skill Holy Spirit Technique (SS-rank) has been registered.]
[Active skill Radiant Light Blade is absorbed into Holy Spirit Technique.]
Under the influence of the Holy Sword Ascalon, Holy Light Technique evolved into a new skill called Holy Spirit Technique.
The Great Sage wore a satisfied expression as he looked at the holy sword named Ascalon.
"Holy Sword Ascalon. Sir Zeke, this sword's power will be of great help in your journey ahead."
At those words, Zeke shifted his gaze from the sword to the Great Sage and asked.
"Great Sage, I have one question."
"Please speak."
"Is this sword before me, with the true name Ascalon, a sword that originally existed, or is it a newly created sword at this point in time?"
He asked this because he was reminded of the sword that had revealed the true name 'Caladbolg'.
The Great Sage pondered at Zeke's words before slowly speaking.
"To be precise, the Holy Sword Ascalon does not exist at this point in time."
At his words, Zeke showed a surprised expression before speaking with confusion.
"Doesn't exist at this point in time... Then are you saying it existed in the past?"
"Many civilizations that existed on this continent had their traces erased by the constellations, their entire histories disappearing. They became something no one could remember, but their traces exist as karma data in the entropy dimension server."
At the Great Sage's words, Zeke looked at the Holy Sword Ascalon and asked.
"Then are you saying this sword is an item that was created in a previous civilization, not the present?"
The Great Sage nodded.
"It would be more accurate to say that traces that disappeared so long ago they cannot be remembered have manifested here through karma, transcending causality."
An item that remained from civilizations of the past, from times even more ancient than the Age of Constellations, had been revived in Zeke's hands and revealed itself once again.
Zeke raised the Holy Sword Ascalon toward the sky.
Then he tried invoking the power of the sacred treasures.
WHOOOONG!
Golden aura spread from the sword, creating a dome-shaped barrier around the area.
That seemed to be the range within which it could inflict tenfold damage to beings with demonic energy.
'As the Great Sage said, this sword will be of great help in the battles ahead.'
Zeke looked at his newly acquired holy sword with a satisfied expression.
Then the Great Sage looked at Zeke and said.
"Sir Zeke, you have the Holy Spear Longomiant, don't you?"
Zeke nodded at the Great Sage's words.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"As a Master Administrator, I too can use the Akashic Code to some extent to track events in the phenomenal world. I call this power 'Clairvoyance'."
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand again, and Longomiant and Bahamut from Zeke's inventory appeared in the air.
Currently, Bahamut was in a cracked state due to the attack of Harvey West, the Priest of the Abyss.
The Great Sage looked at this and nodded.
"The Priest of the Abyss is also one who exists outside this world's laws. That's why he can destroy even items with indestructible properties."
"If he exists outside the world's laws... are you saying the Priest is also an Irregular?"
The Great Sage shook his head.
"Though similar, it wouldn't be appropriate to call him an Irregular. This is because he didn't deviate from the laws through the power of the God of Chaos."
"Are you saying it's possible to deviate from the world's laws through powers other than the God of Chaos?"
"Yes. That's..."
BZZZZZZT!
Suddenly, the Great Sage's body flickered and his spirit form wavered before returning to normal.
He frowned and said.
"It seems I don't have enough karma left to bear the causality of telling you that story."
The Great Sage raised his head and looked at the Holy Spear Longomiant and Bahamut.
Then he stretched out both hands and slowly brought his palms together.
"To counter the Priest of the Abyss who has deviated from the laws, you'll need power that can match him."
WHOOOONG!
Longomiant and Bahamut, which had similar shapes, drew closer together and began to merge into one.
BZZZZZZ!
Emitting black haze, Longomiant burrowed into the cracks of the broken Bahamut.
Seeing this, Zeke's eyes widened.
'Longomiant and Bahamut are becoming one?'
By now, Longomiant's form had completely turned into haze and disappeared, and black particles could be seen rippling and swirling around Bahamut.
CRAAAACK!
Bahamut, now completely imbued with Longomiant, began to transform into a new form.