660
Chapter 660
The Temple of the Distorted Constellation.
Zeke had discovered this secret place hidden in the deepest part of the abyss to prevent the Sun God Apollion from finding it. Only Zeke, who could summon the missing stage into his unique domain, could allow the Temple of the Distorted Constellation to exist.
Zeke slowly entered the Temple of the Distorted Constellation. Unlike the strange scenery outside, the inside was composed of a white space with no patterns. There was only one thing existing in that space.
'A tree?'
A massive, pure white tree stretched out in the middle of the space. Zeke slowly approached the tree. The white tree was so enormous that its overall height and circumference couldn't be measured.
Though it was his first time seeing it, Zeke seemed to know what this tree was, fossilized like stone.
'The ancient beings that form the Distorted Constellation.'
The forgotten constellations that don't exist, yet still exist. Those constellations had gathered to form this massive tree. Zeke lost himself for a moment, staring at its majestic appearance.
Then someone appeared before Zeke.
"Zeke Draker."
Zeke turned his head at the voice calling his name. A man wearing a robe and holding a staff stood before him.
Zeke spoke as if he had expected this after hearing the voice that called his name.
"The Final Sage, Jiemens Apollion."
Having absorbed the memories of Jiemens Apollion sealed within part of the Demon King's soul, Zeke had conversed across timelines with another Jiemens Apollion from a different timeline. He existed as the Final Sage trying to prevent Ragnarok, the world's end.
And since he too was one of the characters from the missing stage, he could enter Zeke's unique domain.
Jiemens Apollion slowly removed his robe's hood. It was the same face as the Jiemens Apollion that Zeke had seen in past memories as the The Fallen King of Impiety.
He spoke while looking at Zeke.
"I thought you might be able to come here. After all, you're the One Who Crossed the Walls, the only being who can cross between stages."
Zeke spoke while looking at the Final Sage.
"Was my coming here also part of your preparations to prevent the apocalypse ?"
The Final Sage shook his head at his words.
"As a sage, I can know many things. But there are things I cannot see. Your fate is one of them. It's natural that I cannot see it, as you are one who defied fate to begin with."
He paused, slowly looking Zeke over before speaking again:
"The same goes for the Sun God who will lead to Ragnarok."
Even the highest constellation that transcends everything cannot see Zeke's future. That's why Zeke could move according to the role he chose for himself on the stage set by Apollion.
Zeke spoke while looking at the Final Sage.
"It was none other than Arthur Draker, the avatar of Sun God Apollion, who guided me here. If I'm an unpredictable being, I don't understand why he led me here."
The Final Sage gave a bitter smile at his question and said:
"When one who knows everything encounters an incomprehensible being they cannot grasp, they show two reactions. First is to eliminate them entirely, second is to try to use them somehow."
Zeke furrowed his brow at the Final Sage's words.
"Apollion is trying to use me?"
"What better move could there be than drawing someone with indefinable, incomprehensible power onto your stage and making them move according to your intentions? It might lead to an even more splendid ending than originally planned."
The Final Sage, still wearing a bitter smile, tapped the ground with his staff.
WOONG!
Suddenly the white space where Zeke stood changed.
'This is?'
Below Zeke's feet, he could see the vast sea and the view of the central continent.
When the Final Sage tapped his staff again, the entire continent grew larger as if rushing toward them.
The continental landscape became even more distinct in Zeke's eyes.
RUMBLE!
With a thunderous roar, massive lightning struck past where Zeke and the Final Sage stood.
Hundreds of lightning bolts struck various parts of the earth, and huge storms swept everywhere.
The continent split, mountain ranges collapsed with lava gushing out like rivers from within.
As the air pressure rose, the atmosphere crushed everything on the ground, and the temperature swung wildly between extreme heat and cold, making it impossible to grasp.
Looking at the central continent that had become uninhabitable, Zeke was speechless.
The Final Sage spoke while observing the scene:
"This is the state immediately after Ragnarok."
Ragnarok, the end of the world.
Zeke couldn't help but be shocked that the post-apocalyptic world looked so devastating. He was left speechless at the sight that was no different from, or perhaps even more terrible and desolate than, the demon realm he had seen.
After staring blankly at it for a moment, Zeke said to the Final Sage:
"Is this... the future Apollion wants?"
The Final Sage shook his head at his question.
"Destruction is the beginning of new creation. Apollion will continue to repeat destroying the world and creating new stages until he achieves his desired result."
"Desired result? What exactly does Apollion's desired result mean?"
At Zeke's words, the Final Sage paused briefly.
Then he pointed somewhere with his staff.
Surprisingly, something was forming in the middle of the destroyed continent.
TZZZT!
Masses of light gathered at an amazing speed and created a form.
Zeke couldn't help but be surprised at the sight.
'A tree?'
A golden tree took shape and began to grow rapidly until it reached the sky.
As its branches spread in all directions and thick leaves formed, it looked as if it would envelope the entire continent.
Soon, golden light rippled and scattered from the tree.
WOONG!
The light scattered from the tree spread across the broken continent.
Amazingly, the damaged continent began to slowly recover.
The split earth was restored, lava solidified to form mountain ranges, and the temperature stabilized to create livable weather.
Seeing this, Zeke wore an expression of incomprehension.
The miracle created by the scattering golden tree was identical to the power of the Great Purification that he possessed.
Zeke spoke while looking at the Final Sage.
"How does that tree have the power of the Great Purification...?"
The Final Sage slowly spoke:
"This is one of the 'Absolute Laws' created by the Primordial Light."
Zeke asked with a puzzled expression:
"Absolute Laws? What does that mean?"
"While it's true the Primordial Light was killed by Apollion, not everything of his disappeared."
The Final Sage raised his staff to point at the sky.
In the night sky filled with brilliant stars, something faint could be seen existing.
A tightly woven golden net.
It was separating the physical world from the universe.
Zeke realized what this net was.
"Could that be... the Karma Restriction?"
The Final Sage nodded at Zeke's words.
"It's another Absolute Law that prevents beings from other dimensions from entering the physical world. The Karma Restriction and the Great Purification. Apollion keeps repeating the world's destruction and creation endlessly to break free from these two laws created by the Primordial Light."
Zeke furrowed his brow upon hearing the Final Sage's words.
"Then are you saying Apollion's goal is to break the Absolute Laws created by the Primordial Light?"
The Final Sage nodded at his words.
"Yes. Apollion wants to erase the stage of the physical world created by the Primordial Light and establish a stage entirely of his own making. Only then can he become the true Creator."
Currently, Sun God Apollion's stage was essentially built upon the stage created by the original Creator, the Primordial Light.
So even when Apollion tries to end that stage, it returns to the beginning due to the Absolute Laws.
The Sun God, dreaming of perfect creation, has been endlessly repeating destruction and creation to break free from this.
Zeke clenched his jaw after hearing the Final Sage's words.
"...He kept repeating such acts just for that reason?"
"It's quite an important issue for the celestial constellations, including Apollion. Because it means they're still bound to the Creator, the Primordial Light, unable to escape from his shadow."
Even the celestial constellations who ruled and controlled everything couldn't escape the Absolute Laws left behind by the now non-existent Primordial Light, and this was a great complex for them. In the end, they used the Absolute Laws inversely to break free from those shackles.
They exploit beings of the physical world to extort karma and destroy them when production decreases. After all, according to the Absolute Laws, when the Great Purification occurs, the physical world is restored to its original state.
Then the constellations create civilizations in the physical world again, extorting karma to grow their power. During this process, the Absolute Laws created by the Primordial Light gradually weakened, and the constellations intended to repeat this endlessly until they surpassed the Creator's power.
Therefore, Sun God Apollion wanted his stage of destruction and creation cycle to continue without issues. In this process, the demon realm and the Demon King were essential roles for continuing the stage's story.
In this situation, when an alien existence like Zeke appeared, the original story deviated from its path, and the stage didn't proceed according to its intended finale, causing problems.
The Final Sage looked at Zeke and said.
"To Sun God Apollion, your existence, Zeke Draker, is important in many ways."
Zeke questioned with doubt.
"What do you mean? Important? Aren't I just a nuisance?"
The Final Sage paused briefly as if organizing his thoughts, then spoke again.
"The appearance of an alien existence like you could be seen as a sign that these Absolute Laws will break."
Breaking the Absolute Laws set by the Primordial Light, that was the Sun God's purpose in repeating the stage for ages.
The Final Sage continued.
"However, he must also feel great fear of your unpredictable existence. For all that time, there was never a role that deviated from his expectations on his stage. But now there's a being who invaded the stage by crossing the wall."
Since it was impossible to know whether Zeke was a harbinger of breaking the Absolute Laws or an unexpected variable, Apollion's attitude toward him had to be dual-natured.
That's why Arthur Draker, the Sun God's avatar, didn't kill infant Zeke but instead gave him the name Draker and raised him as his son.
Zeke asked the Final Sage.
"Final Sage, you witnessed Ragnarok in your timeline. From your perspective, what kind of being am I?"
Zeke paused briefly before meeting his eyes and continuing:
"Am I one who will end Apollion's stage, or am I a harbinger who will break the Absolute Laws set by the Primordial Light?"
The Final Sage was silent at Zeke's question.
After a long while, he slowly spoke while looking at Zeke:
"Zeke Draker, I cannot answer that question."
Zeke furrowed his brow at this long-awaited response.
"Because you cannot read my fate?"
The Final Sage shook his head at Zeke's words.
"No, the opposite. There's no need to read fate. There is only one conclusion that can prevent the finale, Ragnarok."
He spoke while looking at Zeke:
"Zeke Draker, you must become the Demon King and irreversibly destroy this world."
The Final Sage continued in a somber voice:
"That is the only way to end this terrible tragic stage."