113
Chapter 113
The Vampire Lord spoke.
She said that soon, every Continent except ours would sink beneath the ocean.
I asked her what the cause of such a disaster would be.
"Because another Barrier faced Annihilation, the Beings of the Abyss will... no, that's too difficult to understand. I will explain it to you step by step from the beginning so it's easier to grasp."
"Gom-gom."
I took a seat in front of the Vampire Lord.
Meeting my eyes, the Vampire Lord threw out an unexpected question.
"First of all, Teddy Bear, do you know why everyone can freely sail the seas, and why there are so few powerful, threatening beings beneath the waves?"
"Gom-gom."
I shook my head from side to side.
Of course I didn't know.
I had never even questioned it before.
After all, I had never once gone out to the ocean.
Honestly, this was the first time I'd heard that anyone could freely sail the sea or that dangerous entities were rare down there.
"The reason is the Barrier."
"Gom, gom-gom-gom?"
"I am not talking about the Barrier that surrounded our Continent, which recently faced Annihilation. I am speaking of the Barrier that blocks the deep sea of every ocean."
Aha.
So there was a Barrier in the deep sea, too.
I had learned some new information.
"And beneath the Barrier, in the deepest depths of every ocean, there is a space called The Abyss, where countless powerful monsters known as Beings of the Abyss lurk. The surface is safe simply because the vast majority of them cannot rise above the water due to the Barrier."
"Gom...."
"However, that Barrier will also face Annihilation before long. The moment the Barrier undergoes Annihilation, countless Beings of the Abyss will surge to the surface."
"Gom?!"
The deep sea Barrier was also facing Annihilation?
Just like how the Barrier enveloping our Continent had been annihilated?
How did the Vampire Lord know about this in advance?
Did she perhaps also know the reason behind the Annihilation of the Barriers?
Just as I was about to ask the question that popped into my head, Miss Vampire continued speaking right away.
"When I said earlier that the Continents of Humans would sink into the sea, I did not mean rising sea levels. I was talking about a temporary submersion caused by the Beings of the Abyss. If the Barrier faces Annihilation, a great number of their forces will trigger a Great Surge to carry out an invasion."
What the heck was a Great Surge?
Was it some kind of skill that created massive waves?
Judging from her words, it sounded like a terrifying wave that would sweep inland without stopping.
"Looking at your expression, you seem curious as to why our Continent is safe from this Great Surge."
"Gom?"
No?
I wasn't thinking about that at all.
But now that she mentioned it, I was indeed curious.
"Do not worry. This place is overflowing with those stronger than I am, so would the Beings of the Abyss ever dare to attack it? I cannot guarantee the safety of the islands near the Continent, but our Continent at least will definitely not be attacked. Even if they invade without knowing their place, it won't be an issue. If those bastards cause a Great Surge upon this Continent, the Gravity Dragon will block the waves then."
The Gravity Dragon.
Was that guy some sort of guardian of the Continent?
He didn't seem to have much of an issue with the invasions of Humans, though.
More importantly, it seemed the Beings of the Abyss were a step below our Continent's level.
As I was having these thoughts, the Vampire Lord added.
"I am saying this in case you misunderstand, but this is not a remark looking down on the Beings of the Abyss."
Even among the Beings of the Abyss,
there are quite a few who are stronger than the Gravity Dragon.
However, such beings wouldn't go out of their way to rise to the surface.
Those who leave The Abyss to invade the Continent are highly likely to be the ones pushed out from territorial disputes.
In other words, you can think of it as losers coming up as if they were chased out.
─Or so the Vampire Lord explained.
"Even so, they are definitely threatening enough, but they will not be at a level to covet our Continent."
"Gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom? Gom-gom-gom-gom-gom."
Wouldn't the Beings of the Abyss be completely unaware of our Continent?
Then it seems like they would just launch an indiscriminate invasion.
"No. The vast majority of them probably know. Among the Beings of the Abyss inhabiting The Abyss, there are quite a few who crossed over from our Continent."
There were individuals from our Continent too?
Why would they go out of their way to cross over there?
"A prime example is someone called the Blue Dragon. He is currently one of the rulers dominating a territory in The Abyss."
A familiar name popped out.
Blue Dragon. He was the Mutant Dragon that Miss Vampire had mentioned in the past.
Miss Vampire had said she never actually saw him, that his species was passed down in legends, and she didn't even know if he was alive... but the Vampire Lord knew about the Blue Dragon's recent status. I guess she didn't specifically tell Miss Vampire about it.
But it seemed that Blue Dragon guy also knew a way to pass through the Barrier.
I just couldn't understand why he would deliberately crawl into The Abyss.
"Yong-yong? Blue Dragon?!"
At the name Blue Dragon, the Little Yellow Dragon, who had been quietly listening to the story from the side, reacted.
"Is he my kin-yong? I am the Yellow Dragon-yong!"
"Grandniece, you are our kin."
"Yooong? Was I actually a Vampire-yong? The Information Window Papa showed me definitely said Yellow Dragon, though...."
"Information Window? Ah, come to think of it, I heard the Teddy Bear could display an opponent's information with his Cane. Anyway, that information isn't particularly important. What matters is that you are my nephew's daughter. Therefore, even if you are not a Vampire, you are still our kin."
It was a miraculous logic.
I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but I decided to just let it be.
Afterwards, when I asked how she knew so much about The Abyss in such detail, the Vampire Lord replied that she had also been to The Abyss before.
Was there anywhere she hadn't been?
She went to the Continents of Humans, and even adventured in The Abyss.
It seemed she was completely full of an explorer's temperament.
Anyway.
It seemed the story was all finished.
Now it was time to ask the question I had been putting off.
How did she know the fact that the Barrier would face Annihilation?
Did she know the reason why our Barrier faced Annihilation, and the reason why the other Barrier would undergo Annihilation?
***
A long time ago.
A Human who received God's favor pleaded with God.
For the safety of his descendants, and for the future of humanity.
He earnestly begged for the extermination or banishment to another world of powerful monsters that posed a threat and were impossible for Humans to handle, even if it didn't include every single monster.
Naturally, God could not fully grant that request.
Because whether Human or monster, the vast majority of lifeforms born in this world were no different from God's own children.
However, God did not turn a blind eye to the Human's desperate plea.
If anyone else had offered such an unreasonable prayer, God would have ignored it, but this Human was the only existence since the beginning of time who could hear God's voice due to his profound faith.
Thus, God sought a solution.
Unable to ignore the request, God decided to show favoritism toward Humans.
The method devised after much deliberation.
It was to divide the world into three by utilizing Barriers that living creatures could not pass through.
And so, God imprisoned the monsters with vicious natures deep within the sea in The Abyss, and drove the relatively docile but immensely powerful monsters onto a single, massive Continent.
Lastly, Humans and the monsters that Humans could handle.
God bestowed all the remaining land of the world upon these beings.
Due to this, Humans were able to achieve a great prosperity they had never reached before.
Furthermore.
The man who received God's favor, could hear God's voice, and achieved the great feat of driving away the monsters that threatened humanity established a nation while receiving the respect and trust of the people.
He was none other than the First Pope of the Holy State.
*
*
*
After the First Pope entered his holy rest.
A long time passed since then.
Reaching the present day, the Holy State had become corrupt.
There were very few left who truly believed in God.
The one called the Pope was steeped in greed, and the Clergy beneath him had also largely fallen into power and indulgence, having long forgotten God's will.
The Priests, who should have been strict and pious, chased after worldly desires.
The High Priests were engrossed in power struggles, and faith was no longer of any interest to them.
Unaware that their actions were a path directly leading to the downfall of humanity.
God did not particularly cherish Humans.
God had simply favored a single Human known as the First Pope.
When God divided the world into thirds with the Barriers.
God told the First Pope.
That if his descendants' faith remained unchanging, the Barrier would be maintained eternally, but if their faith fell below a certain standard, the Barrier would naturally undergo Annihilation.
The First Pope accepted God's will.
He thought such a future would absolutely never come to pass anyway.
Because he believed in his descendants without a doubt.
However, contrary to the First Pope's expectations, his descendants today had become corrupted, and eventually, the Barrier enveloping the Continent faced Annihilation.
Now, only one Barrier remained.
Only the Barrier blocking The Abyss located deep beneath the sea.
"Oh Lord, please watch over us and guide the lost."
Inside the Grand Cathedral.
A single Human woman offering a prayer in a pious posture on her knees.
If even her faith—the one holding the title of Saintess—were to disappear, the path leading to The Abyss would eventually open as well.
***
［Another Story］
Twins were born to the First Pope, who was favored by God.
Two children born on the same day, at the same time.
One burst into tears, but the other could not make a sound.
It was a cold, still form that couldn't even let out a breath.
The Pope fell to his knees, pouring out tears.
He had sworn never to pray for personal matters in his life, but in front of his child, that principle could only crumble.
God answered the Pope's prayer.
However, it was not the answer the Pope wanted.
Reviving the Human race does not go against the laws of this world.
But I cannot fully grant that request.
A soul did not dwell in your child's body from the very beginning.
Therefore, this does not fall under the category of Resurrection.
Breathing a new soul into an empty shell is the realm of Life Creation.
Creating a new Human life solely for you goes against fairness.
Although I love You, as the God of this world, it is something I must not do.
However.
If it is a race other than Human, it is possible.
If done so, it would not be because of your request, but merely me creating life because I desire a new race.
It does not go against fairness.
Out of so much favor for the First Pope.
God proposed this method while rationalizing it as much as possible.
Upon hearing God's answer, the First Pope agonized over it again and again.
Even staying up through the long night.
Then, he finally made a decision.
Even if the child would no longer be Human, he had to save his baby.
It was the heart of a father.
Thus, the child of the First Pope was granted new life.
A being who simultaneously received the Blessing of God and a curse.
A humanoid monster thirsting for blood, with a Mana Stone existing within its body.
This child was none other than the Progenitor of the Vampires.