Chapter 248
Chapter 248
Chapter 248
The Three Goddesses of Fate (2)
"……."
It was hard to believe.
Of course, he had been somewhat convinced.
There was no way such a vivid and vast world could be a place created like VR.
But questions remained.
Then... what exactly was the original novel that 'Kim Seong-jun' had been reading all this time, ?
Euryale looked directly at Rudian and said:
—You and Berus are the same yet different. That is why your existence can be called the great god Berus' adversary.
"What does that mean?"
She continued with a dark expression:
—He... believes that the future of this world converges in one direction. He considers it an unchangeable flow of fate.
"……."
—That is why he desired even greater power to change what even he, who is called a great god, cannot change.
"Even if the result is the destruction of this world?"
—Yes.
Euryale nodded.
—Conversely, you know that the future converges in one direction, yet you believe you can change it. In fact, the butterfly effect you caused has now become a storm sweeping across all dimensions.
"……."
—But that's absolutely not something just anyone can do. Even if they knew the future.
Sometimes Rudian would have these thoughts.
Ah, this is clearly a power that could be subject to the restrictions of causality, so why is there no effect at all?
Previously, Diablo had pointed out that the threads of causality applied quite loosely to Rudian alone, and Rudian had casually dismissed it at the time, thinking good things were good.
Because he firmly believed that all questions would be resolved when he met the Creator God.
'But now....'
Euryale was saying that even when everything was over, Rudian would not be able to meet the Creator God.
"Then I'll have to find another way."
Although he had spoken as if throwing everything to Euryale, having come this far, Rudian had no intention of giving up.
"If it's really true that I can do what no one else can do as you say, then there must be a way."
—…….
She did not answer.
She just bowed her head and remained silent.
It was Metatron who broke the awkward silence that lasted for several minutes.
"Euryale, wait there for a moment. I'll soon...."
—It's alright, Metatron.
However, for some reason, Euryale shook her head.
—The reason we asked you to deliver this message was not to ask you to release our confinement. It was to prevent you, Metatron, from rashly clashing with them.
"What? What does that mean!"
Metatron exclaimed in great surprise.
—You must leave us alone and help them with all your strength.
"I can't do that!"
—That is the way for everyone to survive.
The three goddesses of Fates knew.
Even if they told him not to, if no other measures were taken, Metatron would rampage independently and be drawn into Berus' intentions.
—Even if Berus' barrier has loosened, it takes great power to pierce through imaginary space and project form here.
"……."
That great power... would not simply be a consumption of power.
The three goddesses of Fates were originally beings who had gained the power of 'fate' in exchange for having virtually no combat ability despite being called deities....
To create this current situation, there was probably a sacrifice of life or divinity involved.
—We have already made our resolve.
The fact that Euryale came out alone, not all three goddesses, was proof of this.
"But...!"
—You just need to win. We still judge the odds of victory to be low, but if it's the uncertainty that person possesses, it should be enough to stake our fate on.
At that moment, Euryale's form began to become increasingly faint.
Rather than Berus' power growing stronger, it was correct to see that the three goddesses' power had reached its limit.
—Please tell him information about the Machine God Deus, and everything he wants to know. That is the last hope for victory.
Euryale looked at Rudian one last time and said:
—May you be able to meet the Creator God.
With those words, her form completely disappeared.
"……."
Even without battle, it felt like a storm had passed.
After Euryale disappeared, Metatron turned his gaze toward Rudian.
He clearly looked troubled.
"Hmm...."
Certainly, with things having turned out this way, Metatron was in the most complicated position.
No matter how great a being he was, it would be difficult to maintain a poker face in such a situation.
Rudian let out a low sigh.
"Haah...."
He clearly looked panicked about what to do.
The three goddesses he had risked his life to save had refused his help, accepting suicide instead.
Now he was in a position where he had to cooperate with those he had been fighting against all along, changing faces.
"Metatron."
"...Speak."
"We... no, I cannot trust you, who backstabbed us even after deciding to cooperate."
"……."
"So just provide the information Euryale mentioned and disappear."
"That's...."
"However, whatever actions you take after that, I'll decide not to particularly care about."
The last words were Rudian's way of showing consideration for Metatron.
"...Fine."
After Metatron agreed, Rudian briefly sent his companions away.
"And... that's that, this is this. It's time to keep Euryale's word."
Originally, they should have immediately returned to the heavenly realm to proceed with Heaven's Fall, but for now, there was something more important.
"Come out, Adi."
—…….
Adi, who had always popped out promptly when Rudian called, appeared late, somewhat shrunk for some reason.
"Then let's start the story."
"...Good. I'll tell you everything I know."
Thus, Adi's identity, which had remained as an easter egg in the original work until now, began to flow from Metatron's mouth.
***
Metatron and Adi's eyes met.
"This fellow is most likely an avatar of the Machine God."
"...Avatar?"
He nodded.
"The Machine God's main body has been sealed ever since the new genesis began. His functions were split into six parts and scattered throughout the world, and among the seven great gods, only Berus knows this."
"Why don't the other seven great gods know this fact?"
"Because Berus deliberately concealed it. If he sets his mind to it, no one in the heavenly realm can escape Berus' intentions."
"...Why?"
"Because he was the only one who tried to keep Berus in check."
"……."
Rudian rolled his eyes and glanced at Adi.
Adi still said nothing.
"Does that mean Adi was defeated by Berus?"
If he had been defeated like that and sentenced to record erasure by Berus, then the excessive lack of information about Adi made sense.
But Metatron denied those words.
"No, the Machine God sealed himself without fighting Berus."
"...Sealed himself?"
"I said he kept him in check, but he didn't actually take action. This is in the realm of speculation, but... in a situation where the Outer Gods and Demon Gods were excessively silent, he seemed to think he was the only one who could stop Berus if he went out of control."
"……."
"And he made some kind of contract with the Creator God and sealed himself. After that, those who followed him worked in secret throughout the world, vowing revenge against Berus."
Huh?
Could it be....
"What were their names?"
"I believe... they used the name 'Adora'."
WHOOSH!
Rudian's body quickly turned toward Adi.
Certainly, when they first met, Adi had introduced himself as a creation of the Adora civilization....
"Are you saying it's the opposite?"
—…….
Adi said nothing.
Whether he couldn't or wouldn't, a strange silence continued.
However, for some reason, Metatron said this:
"Even if you interrogate him like that, you probably won't gain anything."
"What?"
"Most of his memories would have been sealed and manipulated."
"……!"
Rudian began to become increasingly confused about Adi's identity.
'Certainly this guy back then....'
In the first meeting with Adi, there was exactly one number that was accurately mentioned.
As if possessed by something, Rudian asked Metatron:
"What happened 3,000 years ago?"
"The Unrecorded War."
Very occasionally, but very occasionally, it had been mentioned in passing by those who had lived through that era.
However, that part was completely blank in human history.
It was from a time much earlier than the Continental Alliance when the Tyrant Emperor Galdran was still alive, during the civilization reconstruction period, so almost no traces remained in human history.
"Between whom and whom?"
"The Outer Realm, Demon Realm, and Heavenly Realm were all tangled up together, fighting without distinguishing friend from foe... it was a somewhat shameful war."
***
After that, Rudian obtained a lot of information from Metatron.
He had such vast information that he truly deserved to be called the heavenly scribe, and he answered almost all questions except for a few.
After all business was finished and Metatron disappeared, Rudian had a private conversation with Adi and asked:
"Adi, do you really have no memories?"
—I'm sorry, Master.
Adi bowed his head dejectedly.
As if programmed not to answer such questions, Adi consistently avoided this topic thoroughly.
"Well, fine. Someday there will come a day when you tell me the truth with your own mouth."
—…….
"For now... let's go do what we need to do."
Whether Adi was sealed during that war 3,000 years ago, or sealed together with the Machine God Deus' main body, Metatron could not provide an answer to this part either.
But except for matters concerning Adi, Rudian had obtained most of the answers about the current situation.
WHOOSH!
Rudian and his companions moved their steps toward the heavenly realm once again.
And....
Seeing the completely empty angels' position, they realized that Michael had proceeded with the plan as scheduled.
Rudian's party was merely a supporting role, not the main part of the plan.
Even if they hadn't been there, Heaven's Fall would have proceeded according to the original plan.
"What are you going to do?"
To Maria's question, Rudian answered without hesitation.
"Let's go straight to the Pantheon."
The location of the Pantheon was impossible not to know.
If you found the place where divine power gathered and condensed most in this heavenly realm, that would be the Pantheon.
And when Rudian and his companions reached the Pantheon.
—These damned creatures dare to rebel!
"Fight for freedom!"
They saw hundreds of thousands of angels filling the sky, engaged in battle with the gods of the Pantheon.
Naturally, with one or two gestures from the gods, low-ranking angels died in droves.
At least the second-rank angels, heavily armed with mythical-grade artifacts according to Rudian's plan, were buying time by holding back the gods' ankles.
'Where are the archangels?'
According to the plan, the archangels should have broken through the Pantheon's core and headed toward the Creator God's temple while the others bought time.
However....
"You're finally here."
"……!"
Before they knew it, a beautiful woman dyed entirely in black had appeared before Rudian.
Skin pale as snow, and a dreamlike appearance as if clothes had been woven from darkness itself.
Even in the heavenly realm, there was only one 'goddess' who had dyed herself black like this.
"North...!"
One of the seven great gods, North of Darkness.
She, who should have entered the ritual to advance the Great Liberation Day, had suddenly appeared and was blocking Rudian's party!