Chapter 375: Divine Blood (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 375: Divine Blood (3)
“Who... are you?”
In response to Alon’s question, the Previous Observer—no, the blue-eyed entity—spoke.
[Don’t be so guarded. I’m the one this friend wanted you to meet in the first place.]
“...That was you?”
[Yes.]
“Then why did you hide your identity?”
At Alon’s pointed question, the entity wore a faint, inscrutable smile.
[There are many reasons, but explaining them would take too long, so I’ll keep it simple. Half of it was a prank, and the other half was a test.]
A test.
[Oh, don’t worry. You passed. I have no reason to harm you. Though that would have been true even if you hadn’t passed.]
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
Realizing Alon was telling her not to speak in riddles only she understood, she chuckled softly and turned around.
[Sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken with you—no, with anyone—so I got a bit excited. Honestly, I’d love to keep chatting like this for a while longer.]
But let’s leave it at that, the entity added, turning its gaze toward the altar.
The black smoke that had been billowing out vividly just moments ago had grown noticeably thin.
“...Is there a limit?”
[It’s unavoidable if you want to converse with an existence of my caliber.]
The entity shrugged and spoke as if to reassure him.
[Still, it’s not like we’re so short on time that I can’t tell you what you need to hear. Well—it might be a bit tight for you to ask questions, though.]
What do you want to do? she asked with a smile.
Alon let out a sigh. It seemed asking questions would be impossible.
“I’m listening.”
[Good.]
After some time had passed.
[—And that’s it. I’ve told you everything I can.]
The entity finished its explanation.
[Well then, see you next time.]
“...Is there a next time?”
[Of course there is. Provided you truly move to seek salvation—no, to protect those you hold dear.]
With those final words, the blue light within the Previous Observer’s eyes began to fade. Very slowly.
[Oh, shall I give you a gift?]
She suddenly made a proposal.
“A gift?”
The two blue eyes stared intently at Alon.
[If you want to uncover the secret of your emotions, find ‘The One Who Peeks In.’ That fellow will tell you the secret.]
Just as Alon, startled by the sudden remark, was about to ask for clarification—
The blue glow completely vanished from her eyes.
And then.
[...? What...?]
“....”
Alon found himself facing the Previous Observer, who had returned to herself. Her face was clouded with bewilderment.
Alon eventually let out a small sigh. He tried questioning her just in case, but she seemed to have absolutely no memory of what had happened.
“Thank you for your help.”
[Don’t mention it. I don’t recall doing anything, but I’m glad if I was of assistance.]
“...By the way, are you not going to tell me the identity of that person—the blue-eyed one—who possessed you?”
He asked because the Previous Observer seemed to know who the blue-eyed entity was.
[If that person did not reveal it themselves, there must be a reason for it.]
“I see.”
No information was forthcoming. Alon nodded for now. His curiosity hadn't vanished, but he doubted she would answer even if he asked again. Above all, he had already gained much.
“I’ll be going now.”
He left a brief farewell.
[But, can you get back up?]
“I was told I could go down once the conversation was over.”
The Previous Observer hummed in thought for a moment before leading Alon to a specific spot on the altar.
[Could you come over here for a moment?]
“This is...?”
[It’s an artifact.]
There lay a conch shell crafted from blue gemstones.
[If you use this, you’ll be able to go straight back up without assistance. Please hand it over to that friend once you’re done.]
Alon nodded and stepped out of the room after a final goodbye.
Standing in the dark abyss, Alon infused mana into the conch shell in his hand.
Woooong!
In an instant, a spherical barrier formed around him. Before he even had time to marvel at it, the sphere moved through the abyss toward the surface as if it had a set destination.
A moment later, light began to seep in from above.
And then.
Splash—!
When Alon finally broke through the surface of the sea, he saw Ladan and Penia looking utterly dumbfounded.
“...S-so—what I’m saying is... if you have time... come visit this place later.”
“...Why would I?”
...Along with the sight of the Observer aggressively flirting with Ladan.
“....”
What is this...? The thought flashed through Alon’s mind.
* * *
After returning from witnessing the Observer’s flirting(?).
“Brother, I’ll take my leave here as well.”
“Right.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll see you again soon!”
Alon watched Ladan depart with a vigorous salute, tilting his head slightly. He wondered if there would really be a reason to see him again so soon.
However, Alon soon shrugged and boarded the returning ship.
“Wow, I didn't expect her to suddenly hit on Ladan like that.”
“Indeed....”
“Is Ladan’s face the type that works on women?”
“It’s a much more positive face than yours. He’s obnoxious, but he is handsome. He might be fatal to women who have that specific taste.”
“I’m fairly fatal myself, aren’t I?”
“...You’re fatal in a different way.”
“What?”
Penia and Evan immediately began trading barbs as if they had been waiting for the chance.
[Kyu—]
[Hmph, it’s just because they all lack an eye for quality.]
Blackie and Basiliora, perched on Penia’s and Evan’s shoulders respectively, added their own comments.
Amidst the chatter, Alon briefly recalled the events from a moment ago—the story he had heard from the blue-eyed entity.
“Whew.”
The story he heard consisted of roughly three parts.
First was the identity and purpose of the Divine Bloods.
Second was regarding the Divinity that had disappeared from Alon.
And finally, it was the story about ‘Creation.’
The voice of the woman, who had spoken fluently as if she already knew what he wanted to know, replayed in Alon’s mind.
[Since time is short, I’ll be brief. The ‘Divine Bloods’ you are facing are beings of this world. To be precise, they are those who possessed the potential to become gods in a destroyed world.]
‘Gods of this world?’
[Yes. You’ve entered the Strange Gates, haven’t you?]
‘...Don’t tell me.’
[That’s right. The Strange Gates are fragments of those worlds. Everything you saw inside the Strange Gates can be considered the appearance of a destroyed other world.]
Alon let out a small sigh. In truth, he had felt suspicious about the Strange Gates in Psychedelia, but he hadn't thought deeply about it.
Psychedelia was a game. And in the game, the role of the Strange Gates was merely to serve as dungeons for the playable characters to grow.
Of course, because the worlds inside the Strange Gates were so diverse, there had been players who dug into such lore before, but no one would have imagined there was such a backstory.
Even Alon, who vaguely knew there was something more to the Strange Gates, hadn't realized such a truth was hidden within.
‘...Gestation as a god, then.’
Alon continued to recall his conversation with her.
[As you know, the Divine Bloods have one goal: to become gods.]
‘Aren’t there already many gods in this world?’
[If you’re talking about the Outer Gods of the forgotten era, they aren't gods. They are merely ‘humans’ who happened to exploit the principles of this world.]
[The proof is that they are neither omniscient nor omnipotent. Well—the same goes for the Divine Bloods.]
‘...Then what is the difference between the Divine Bloods and the ancient Outer Gods?’
[The Creation of Heavenly Law.]
‘Heavenly Law... Creation?’
[It’s exactly as it sounds. Each Divine Blood possesses their own law. They don't just call upon the laws of this world like a Magus; they literally operate as the law itself. Just like that Divine Blood who passed his power to you.]
‘Creation of Heavenly Law....’
Alon felt goosebumps despite himself. If her words were true, it meant that all the Divine Bloods who had fallen possessed power similar to that level.
However, the reason Alon’s face didn't darken upon hearing this was, naturally, because of what they discussed afterward.
[Of course, you don’t need to worry too much. Not all the Divine Bloods who fell have as much power as that fellow. Even the fallen gods have stages.]
‘...Stages?’
[Yes, stages.... I don't have enough time to explain each one, so I’ll keep it simple. Based on current power levels, you could probably defeat someone at the first stage.]
‘The situation isn't great, then.’
[It seems that way if you look at it simply. But it’s not the case if you look closely.]
‘Why?’
The Previous Observer in his memory continued with a playful smile.
[There’s a reason.]
[First, even though the Divine Bloods have fallen to the surface, it takes time for them to fully manifest. In fact, no Divine Bloods have appeared yet, right?]
‘That’s true.’
[They’ll likely start moving only after more time has passed. The stronger the power, the longer the preparation for manifestation takes. So, you have time.]
‘Are you telling me to get stronger during that time?’
[Exactly. You have a very good opportunity and potential.]
‘...I’m just a human, though.’
[If you really think that, it’s a pity.]
‘What?’
To Alon’s question, she replied:
[You’ve obtained that fellow’s ability. Although it remains true that you need to significantly increase your proficiency, you’ve ultimately become able to wield a ‘Heavenly Law’ that you didn't create yourself. In other words, if you play your cards right, you’ll be able to wield two laws, unlike other Divine Bloods—]
That was her answer.
[—Because you, too, are Divine Blood.]
‘...What?’
He couldn't understand. It was only natural. He knew about the Divine Bloods, and he had already heard the truth about this world from The Burdened One.
‘They are not gods. They are merely mutants that appeared in this world. To begin with, no life born in this world can ever become a god.’
‘Because the life of this world was not created to become gods.’
The words of The Burdened One surfaced in his mind. The voice that had calmly stated the truth without a hint of falsehood seemed to ring clearly in his ears.
‘...Humans born in this world cannot become gods, can they?’
To Alon’s subsequent question, the entity replied:
[Correct. Those born in this world are not qualified to become gods. Perhaps a few special existences aside, at least that’s not you.]
‘Then—’
[However—]
So calmly.
[—You weren't born in this world, were you?]
She created yet another ripple.