Chapter 415: The Pitch-Black Sun
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 415: The Pitch-Black Sun
"On that path, you will not find the happiness you seek."
The ethereal shadow spoke in a soft, drifting voice.
"The happiness I seek?"
Muen paused, murmuring to himself, "What is the happiness I seek?"
"Is the happiness you desire not right there?"
The phantom pointed.
The sun-drenched path grew even more enchanting. Flowers swayed in the gentle breeze, grapevines hung heavy with lush leaves, and the beautiful courtyard sat in a state of serene perfection.
Muen finally realized that this path represented the very scene he had always dreamed of.
No danger.
No suffering.
No death.
None of those terrifying, chaotic things.
In a courtyard filled with fragrance, he could lie in a creaking rocking chair, feel the gentle wind on his face, and admire the peaceful scenery, spending his life in leisure and joy.
To live.
And to be happy.
"Right... that is exactly what I... have been pursuing."
Muen felt himself sinking into that sunlight, that warmth.
Without hesitation, he turned and began to walk toward the sunlit trail.
"Muen..."
Sunlight spilled over the tips of his toes, but his footsteps faltered once more.
He had heard another voice—a familiar voice, but one coming from the depths of the darkness.
"You must come back."
Amidst that soft, pleading whisper, a faint, humble light flickered like a guttering candle in the distance.
Muen gazed at the weak candlelight far away, then turned back to look obsessively at the beautiful world within his reach.
First came confusion.
Then, a sudden realization.
It was as if countless things cherished deep within his heart had been awakened by that call, flooding into the depths of his mind.
"It really is beautiful here," he said.
"Yes, it is beautiful," the phantom replied. "This is the image you have imagined countless times in your mind. Naturally, it is the scene you find most beautiful."
"But it’s too quiet here, isn't it?"
Muen’s azure eyes reflected the empty courtyard. He spoke softly, "It’s lonely and cold. It feels as if I am the only one here."
"If you wish, you can naturally add whatever you want to it. You are the son of a noble Duke; there is little in this world you cannot achieve."
"But..."
Muen turned his head, gazing once more into the depths of the darkness. He spoke with total sincerity. "The people important to me are all over there, aren't they?"
"...Yes."
The phantom flickered slightly, as if sighing in contemplation. "They are all over there."
"If I choose this path, can I still go back to that side?"
"No. Those in the darkness may return to the light, but those who have returned to the light only to plunge back into the darkness will meet an unavoidable death in utter despair."
"How terrifying," Muen sighed. "Looking at it from another angle... can they come here? Can they come into this light?"
"They cannot," the phantom said. "They are all tightly bound by the Web of Fate. They are caught in the torrent of destiny and cannot extricate themselves. Therefore, they can never set foot upon this path. Never. These two paths are destined to be parallel, never intersecting. Once you step onto one, you can only wave goodbye to the other."
"Even the son of a Duke can't change that?"
"No. Before fate, the son of a Duke is far too insignificant."
"Then why was I able to break free? Why do I have the luxury of choice?"
"Because..."
The phantom looked up.
"The two strongest existences currently among humanity are watching over you together at this very moment. The two of them are enough to sever the shackles of fate for you, allowing you to become a carefree son of a Duke once more—an ordinary person who will never again encounter an Evil God. Decades from now, you would pass away happily, surrounded by family and flowers."
"I see."
Muen understood now.
Combining this with that inexplicable feeling of being "scammed" from earlier, he began to realize why this "sun falling from the sky" miracle was happening.
It had to be that damned old loli again, trying to pull something on him.
No wonder she had smiled so brilliantly when they said goodbye in the flower sea. Dammit, she had dug this pit from so far away.
As for the Pope... he had cleaned up such a massive mess for the Church; surely the man owed him a huge favor.
Though, he wasn't sure if he’d be resented for making off with Liya...
"Heh, if this were a few months ago, I would have been overjoyed," Muen sighed, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
"But now... looking back, I’m not alone anymore. The people important to me are all over there. Even if this place is filled with flowers and warm sunlight, how could it ever be called happiness?"
In the darkness, the road remained grim and terrifying, rugged and difficult, filled with the unknown.
That path would certainly not be easy, but Muen knew that someone was waiting for him there.
"Besides, I just talked a big game about killing that bastard Love God. If I just tuck tail and run now, I’ll be too pissed off to sleep for the rest of my life."
"Is that so?"
The phantom flickered again, seemingly smiling. "Then go where you wish to go, Muen Campbell."
"Yeah, I'm going."
But Muen seemed to remember something. He suddenly turned back to look at the phantom.
"By the way, I haven't asked why you went through the trouble of setting this whole scene up. Logically, since you've been watching me all this time, you should know exactly what I would choose... right, Black Book?"
Abruptly, Muen called out the phantom's name.
"...Yes."
The phantom showed no reaction to the name "Black Book," merely answering softly:
"I knew you would choose this. However, I still needed to ask you myself.
"Because... this is your last and only chance to choose. Once you step onto that path, you will never have another chance to regret it."
"I see... You're gentler than I imagined. It's just a pity I can't see what you look like."
Muen cast a regretful glance at the phantom, whose gender was indistinguishable, then waved his hand and walked into the darkness with a light heart.
"See you in a bit."
"Yes... see you in a bit."
*
The moment Muen stepped onto the dark path, the entirety of the darkness began to tremble.
Only then did Muen realize that the surroundings were not pure darkness—they were black fire.
A fire that was both strange and familiar.
The flames suddenly contracted upward, gathering a momentum that seemed capable of destroying the world.
But at the moment the flames contracted, a brilliant, milky-white light erupted from the center of the fire.
So clear... so holy.
*
"Eh?"
Liya looked up in a daze at the crystal floating before her.
The crystal, which had been contaminated by countless resentments, suddenly burst forth with an extremely bright light.
That rich, familiar glow made Liya’s body tremble.
Feeling the vast, holy power within the light—passing through the crystal into her body, and then through her connection with Muen into him—Liya murmured in shock:
"This is... Holy Light Baptism!"
*
The milky-white Holy Light, acting as a sixth power, forcefully inserted itself into the black flames.
The flames churned once more, and eerie colors intertwined and fused amidst the violent surge.
As time passed, everything seemed to gradually stabilize into a balance.
Yet Muen had an inexplicable feeling... that something was still missing.
*
Flip.
Deep within Muen’s consciousness, the ancient black book turned its pages. A single page detached itself automatically.
The page was densely covered with imprinted unknown symbols and patterns. It transformed into a streak of light and flew rapidly into the flames.
This was... the seventh power, one that even Mela had not anticipated.
*
The book continued to flip rapidly. Between the blurs of pages turning too fast to see, ancient script recorded from a long-forgotten era seemed to surface on the paper.
[Only rules can leverage rules.]
[Only an Evil God... can kill an Evil God.]
Amidst the brewing of the seven powers, something truly unknown was gradually taking shape...
*
BOOM.
A thunderous roar nearly tore his consciousness apart.
Muen’s vision plunged into pure darkness once more, but the violent tremors all around made him feel as if he were experiencing the destruction and rebirth of a world.
Suddenly, Muen felt an inexplicable connection form with something, and he felt as if something was watching him.
So, he opened his eyes.
The intertwining and fusion had stopped. All that remained was a calm sky.
As Muen tilted his head back, he saw a newborn sun rising upon that sky.
A black sun wheel, like a pure black hole, swallowing all light.
A pale corona, like a divine crown, surrounded the sun wheel, expanding and contracting.
Majesty and eeriness coexisted in a way that defied description.
It was... a Pale Crown Pitch-black Sun!