Chapter 368: About the Sins (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 368: About the Sins (6)
"—!"
Alon opened his eyes to find himself in a void of pure, featureless white.
He couldn't tell which way was up or down.
He stood in a space so blindingly white he couldn't even discern the ground beneath his feet. Staring blankly into the expanse, Alon thought to himself:
‘Did I fail…?’
Failure.
In truth, death had been knocking at Alon’s door in those final moments.
His body, having pushed the Art of Defying Heaven to its absolute limits time and again, could no longer withstand the strain. He had also completely exhausted the divine power required to manifest the Divinity of the Primordial Elf.
Yet, he had chosen to defy heaven once more.
It wasn't simply a reckless gamble with his life; it was based on a calculated risk.
‘…I’m certain divine power gathered at the very end.’
When Alon recalled Elivan’s voice, his plan was clear.
At the final moment, he would activate the Art of Defying Heaven while simultaneously drawing upon the awe of the gathered soldiers to fuel the Divinity of the Primordial Elf.
He was certain that the troops present would provide at least the minimum threshold of divine power needed.
As he stood lost in thought,
“!”
Alon realized a familiar figure was standing before him—
“…Elivan?”
—It was Elivan.
As if he had been waiting for Alon to call his name, Elivan turned his head. His face was exactly as Alon remembered it from their last encounter.
A cheerful smile played on his lips.
His clear, untroubled blue eyes gazed back at Alon.
“Just what—”
Alon started to speak, but his lips merely trembled.
He didn't even know where to begin or what to ask.
Should he ask if they were dead?
Or where this place was?
Or perhaps, why he had become a Sin?
His mind was a whirlwind of confusion.
Unfortunately, Alon didn't have much time to deliberate.
“I’m sorry. But for the sake of the ‘next’ time, this was the only way. So…”
No—
“I’ll leave the rest to you.”
He didn't even have a moment to spare.
“Wait—!”
Alon cried out instinctively at Elivan’s parting words.
He still hadn't decided what to say. He knew time was running out.
But if this was truly the end, there was one thing he absolutely had to tell Elivan.
“Thank you.”
Alon had struggled to prevent the world's destruction, yet he had never truly staked everything on it. Even knowing that the end was nigh, he hadn't been willing to throw his life away.
And that was because of Elivan.
Because Elivan was the protagonist of Psychedelia.
Because he was the hero destined to save this world.
Knowing Elivan existed allowed Alon to keep a step back from the crushing pressure of impending doom, even as he worked to stop it.
He was expressing his gratitude now.
Until this moment, Alon had found relief and solace simply in the fact that Elivan existed.
Solace against the terror of the future.
Perhaps that sincerity reached him.
Elivan stared intently at Alon. His smile remained the same.
However,
“Please, don’t say that. Whether then or now, the one being helped…”
He looked a little more satisfied.
“…was always me.”
Just as Alon was about to return the smile—
“—Father.”
“What—?”
An agonizing pain surged through his entire body.
“Urgh—!?”
Alon’s eyes snapped open as the pain overwhelmed him.
He gritted his teeth against a scream, feeling as though his body were being torn asunder, and forced himself to look ahead.
The Abyss still loomed in the sky.
The Milky Way still shimmered within that Abyss.
Below, the earth where thorns had once sprouted was now a desolate wasteland of gray ash.
And in that ashen world stood The Burdened One.
His appearance had changed.
Most of his armor was shattered. Only the hilt of his sword remained; the blade had been snapped off halfway.
He looked like he couldn't possibly continue the fight.
“Ah—”
Despite the sight, a low groan escaped Alon’s lips.
The Burdened One was indeed in a wretched state. The Sin that had been fighting alongside him had also stopped moving, likely due to the damage The Burdened One had sustained.
However— Creeeak.
Alon saw it.
The Burdened One’s body was slowly, ever so slightly, beginning to regenerate.
[Can you shoulder the karma of Sin?]
As Alon wondered what to do, the voice of the Sin reached his ears.
Alon stared at him in silence. The words were the same as before.
“…….”
Alon’s lips parted and closed repeatedly.
In truth, he knew what answer he had to give. Given the circumstances, there was only one possible response.
And yet, he hesitated.
Even without knowing the full picture, he couldn't be certain if agreeing to those words was the right choice.
When the silence stretched on, The Burdened One gazed quietly at Alon and began to speak.
[We have taken countless lives until now.]
He spoke calmly.
[There was a time when we filled the continent with the blood of those we slaughtered.]
Indifferently, he continued his tale.
[Once, we took the head of a mother holding a broom to protect her child.]
[Once, we crushed the body of a son holding a hoe to protect his elderly mother.]
[Once, we obliterated a priest offering prayers to protect orphans.]
[Once, we split a soldier in two as he charged to protect his lover.]
Once—
Once—
Once————
The Burdened One’s voice dispassionately recounted the truth of what the Sins had done.
There was no pleasure in it.
No excitement.
No guilt.
And no joy.
In the voice of the Sin speaking of so much death, there was only one thing to be felt.
An emotion so intensely contradictory.
So paradoxical that everyone present couldn't help but feel a momentary surge of doubt.
[We killed those we were meant to protect.]
A sense of duty.
That was what radiated from him.
“…Why?”
To Alon’s question, the answer followed.
[To stop ‘The Watchers.’]
Alon stared at the fragments of truth revealed before his eyes.
* * *
[This world was originally created for the birth of a God.]
[That is the true nature of this world.]
New fragments of truth, things Alon had never known, began to pour into his ears.
[That is why this world can become a ‘God’ through ‘Faith.’]
Something that couldn't be learned in Psychedelia.
[Every intelligent being raised on this continent exists solely for the birth of a God.]
Something he hadn't discovered even while living here.
[And upon the birth of that God—]
The truth of this world.
[—it is destroyed.]
At the information flowing quietly from The Burdened One’s mouth, Alon instinctively felt a question rise and spoke.
“…There were already ‘Gods’ in the previous era.”
[Are you referring to what you humans call the Forgotten Age of Gods?]
“Yes.”
[Those were not Gods. They were merely mutations that appeared in this world. From the beginning, no life born in this world can ever become a God.]
“Why?”
Alon asked immediately.
But,
[Because the life in this world was not created to become Gods.]
The answer was so simple and clear that it silenced him.
[The life in this world exists only to offer faith to ‘The Watchers’ who descend upon it. With that, our duty ends.]
However—
[The one who awakened us realized one fact amidst the desperate truth of this world.]
“…….”
[The fact that they do not descend unless the population exceeds a certain number.]
“…Ah.”
A low exclamation escaped Alon.
‘What I wanted to protect was humanity.’
At the same time, the voice of Sloth flickered through his mind like a passing memory.
And with that, Alon finally understood.
The truth of this world—
[The Sins went mad.]
[Greed erased its own emotions out of the agony of killing what it had to protect.]
[Jealousy became unable to maintain its own form.]
The truth of the Sins.
[Sloth turned its eyes away from the hideous reality.]
[Pride, despite its noble birth, eventually allowed its own intellect to regress.]
The Burdened One looked forward with a stoic expression.
[I ask you once more.]
[Can you—shoulder the karma of Sin?]
The question came again.
Alon remained silent.
At first, he hadn't understood what the Sin was talking about.
The second time, it was the same.
But this time, he understood. He knew what the words meant.
He understood what it meant to shoulder that karma.
“…….”
The Sins had taken countless lives, and because of that, they had broken.
Of course, their actions could never be justified. Even if it was a choice made for the sake of the world, their deeds had sown terror and screams among many.
Nevertheless, the Sins had maintained this world by taking upon themselves the resentment and sins of everyone.
That was why they were asking.
Would he shoulder the world they had protected by committing sins and incurring hatred, and end this cycle of reincarnation?
Would he step forward to save the world, carrying on his back a karma that would crush him if he failed?
That was what they were asking.
“…….”
Alon’s lips thinned.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
In truth, Alon had never once thought about taking on such a massive responsibility.
Not when he saved the children.
Not when he dealt with the Outer Gods.
And not when he faced the Sins.
His goal had never been something grand.
He just wanted to do what he could.
To live a comfortable and enjoyable life in a place where the threat of destruction had vanished.
That was all.
…No, perhaps things had changed a little.
Alon turned his head. Behind him, he saw familiar faces.
He saw Yutia, Deus, Line, Seolrang, and Ladan.
“…….”
He saw Ryanga, Historia, and Nangwon.
Though she wasn't here, Magrina was there too.
…What Alon wanted—
Was to live in peace with those he had built bonds with.
That was it.
Alon reaffirmed his purpose.
Even in this situation, the word 'salvation' felt awkward to him. The idea of 'saving the world' felt impossibly distant.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't a Hero.
But even so, there was only one thing he had to do for his own small purpose.
“Yes.”
Alon nodded.
With unwavering eyes.
Gazing steadily at The Burdened One.
He made his declaration.
And then.
[I see.]
The Burdened One replied.
His voice was calm, but for some reason, he sounded relieved.
Satisfied.
…And grateful.
Then.
[…If that is your choice, then so be it.]
The Burdened One’s body began to crumble into gray ash, drifting away.
Along with him, the Sin that had been frozen until a moment ago also began to scatter as gray dust.
[I leave the rest to you.]
At The Burdened One’s words, Alon hurriedly raised his voice.
“…I have something to ask.”
[What is it?]
“Who exactly are The Watchers?”
In response, The Burdened One raised his broken sword toward the sky.
Alon’s gaze naturally followed the blade upward.
The sky had already returned to its original night state.
What he saw was the Milky Way floating in the deep blue night sky.
“…?”
He felt a sense of confusion.
He looked at the sky where the sword pointed, but there was nothing there but the Milky Way.
The Milky Way, shining brilliantly and illuminating the earth.
However.
[There are things that can only be seen once you reach the truth.]
At The Burdened One’s words, Alon, who had been staring blankly at the sky, suddenly remembered something he had heard once before.
‘…Does it look beautiful to you?’
At the very beginning.
When he had followed the Observer in Laxas.
The words the Observer had spoken with a wistful expression.
‘There are things that can only be seen once you reach the truth.’
The very words The Burdened One had just spoken.
And then.
[There are many names for them.]
“…?”
The world began to transform.
[There are many ways to describe them as well.]
The beautiful Milky Way spread out before Alon’s eyes began to slowly change its form.
[The people of the ancient East called them Arbiters.]
No.
[The ancient elves called them ‘Those Who Stand Above the World Tree.’]
That wasn't it.
[The ancient kingdoms sometimes called them those of Divine Blood. But the Illanef Empire, which discovered their origin, and the Aberrant Blood that destroyed the empire,]
It wasn't that at all.
[They described those who would use this world as a cradle for gestation like this.]
It wasn't that the form was changing.
It was simply—
“!”
—that Alon was finally able to see the truth.
It wasn't a Milky Way.
Those weren't stars.
It was—
[Divine Blood (神血).]
“…Eyes—?”
They were eyes.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Thousands of eyes, large and small.
Filling the night sky.
Each with a different shape.
And yet.
[T҇͋̅ḣ̌͠a̛͊́n̄̌̏̓̿͡k͋̽̍̐͋͡ y͐̇͊̈́͞o͗̓͡m҇̏̀̀̿u͆̐͠ t̀̓̋͐̕h̓̓̈́̌̚͝a̒͒̈͆͡n͋̽̍̐͋͡k͋̽̍̐͋͡ y͐̇͊̈́͞o͗̓͡u]
[F̃̍͝ȋ͂͐̏̕̚n͒̇̽̄̔͝a͊̅̋̓͡l̽̊̏̅̕l̔̑̅͂͑͡y҇̌͐̌͌ w͂͌̕̚e̍̈̒͝ d͋̽̍̐͋͡ĕ̈́͠s͌̀̀͞c̈̑̿͐͡e͌̀̀͞n̈̑̿͐͡d͒̈͆̋̿͞ t̓̋̓͒̕ŏ͒̚͠ ẗ́̓̏͠ḧ́̓̏͠e҇̃̾ s̛̎͊̊ử͆̀͆r̛̉͆̀͆f̛̉͆̀͆ả̛͆̀͆c̛̉͆̀͆e]
[Ŵ̅͒͠ĕ̍̅̃͡ h͒̈͆̋̿͞a̓̋̓͒̕v̆͒̚͠ĕ̍̅̃͡ b̈́̓̏͠e҇̃̾e̛̎͊̊n̛̉͆̀͆ w̛̉͆̀͆ả̛͆̀͆ỉ̛͆̀͆t̛̉͆̀͆ỉ̛͆̀͆n̛̉͆̀͆g̛̉͆̀͆ ở͆̀͆ử͆̀͆r̛̉͆̀͆ b̛̉͆̀͆ẻ̛͆̀͆n̛̉͆̀͆ẻ̛͆̀͆f̛̉͆̀͆ả̛͆̀͆c̛̉͆̀͆t̛̉͆̀͆ở͆̀͆r̛̉͆̀͆]
[Ĭ̇̀͌͠ w̓́͆͆͡a҇̌͐̋̊n҇̅̏̒t̄̄̈̏̎͆͡ t̐̀̆͡o̊̑̀͗͡ b̊̀͞e̓͑̀̀̕̚c͒͋̑͋̕o͒͋̑͋̕m͒͋̑͋̕e͒͋̑͋̕ Ĭ̇̀͌͠ w̓́͆͆͡a҇̌͐̋̊n҇̅̏̒t̄̄̈̏̎͆͡ t̐̀̆͡o̊̑̀͗͡ b̊̀͞e̓͑̀̀̕̚c͒͋̑͋̕o͒͋̑͋̕m͒͋̑͋̕e͒͋̑͋̕]
[K҇͊̏̊̽͋r҇̔̿̍͛̀r̛͒̑r̒́͞r҇͊̔̈̎̚ȓ̊͐͞r̐͊͝r҇͂͂͂͊r̃͌̔́̋͡r͗̈́̾͝ṙ̔̒̈́͝r̐͑́͝r͊̎̅̓̎̕-̛͂̽͛]
[S̏͒̃̿̀͡e҇̃̃̈ë̛́̄͆̽ ẙ͊̇̚͝o̾͑̽͐̕u͗͊̑͋̕ o͗̓͡n҇̏̀̀̿ t͗̓͡h͆̐͠e҇̃̾ s̛̎͊̊ử͆̀͆r̛̉͆̀͆f̛̉͆̀͆ả̛͆̀͆c̛̉͆̀͆e]
Every single one of those eyes, filled with a deep, unsettling joy, was staring down at Alon.
“…….”
Gazing at the living being who had finally witnessed the truth.
As if they were amused.