Chapter 334 – Episode 334 ― Nothing Lasts Forever (9)
Episode 334 – Nothing lasts forever (9)
— You are not afraid of death. That’s interesting.
It was only then that Roan realized belatedly that he was emitting holy power from his entire body.
My body trembled. Because he openly showed his will to resist Maseok.
However, Bültz’s magic stone did not seem to be interested in such things.
— I and my kind lived forever. Her death was a long way off, and I thought it better to waste every free moment she had anyway. So she signed a contract. Rather than wasting my strength on trivial matters, it would be better to use my strength for my queen. But…
The brief silence that followed felt like a sigh to Roan.
— It has already become meaningless to people.
Time for dragons and people is different.
So it was a natural result.
He still remembers the oath, but now there are very few beings left who remember that promise.
— Only that guy’s contract remains.
A contract of ‘greed’. The promise the dragon made for his beloved became like an anchor that kept evil spirits in the world.
He too was someone who looked at the world of God. He shrewdly realized what he had done, what he needed, and now it was all meaningless.
— If you destroy this, you won’t be safe either.
Wültz is afraid.
A thought suddenly crossed Roan’s mind.
He wouldn’t have said such a thing because he was truly worried about Roan’s safety.
— This contract has that much power. It cannot be destroyed with any amount of force. It is a divine contract. Furthermore, it is difficult for mortals to even approach.
“What are you worried about?”
– Worry… ?
Roan’s words were cautious.
However, upon hearing his gentle question, Bültz asked back in a shaky voice, as if he had been stabbed by a sword.
— I’m worried…
The heat surrounding him had already subsided considerably. The energy of starlight surrounding Roan’s body has also calmed down a bit.
The magic stone is emitting only a faint light like when Roan first entered here.
The dragon’s magic stone thought for a while and slowly answered.
— I see. Am I worried about the end of destruction? .
There is no one he cared about anymore.
Even man has already forgotten his promise.
Even a life that is close to a myth has an end.
And he passed the ending on to someone else.
— If this magic stone disappears like this, my power will pass to him.
That was the promise.
We capture as much of Bültz’s last strength and existence as possible and preserve them in his last magic stone.
And the moment Wültz wants to end the contract, the power returns to ‘greed’.
— In that case, I…
Wültz’s voice sounded gloomy.
— You can’t go where she is, she’s forever…
The weight of ‘eternity’ that the dragon speaks of is extraordinary.
His eternity is like the word absolute.
Roan finally realized what Bültz was afraid of.
All life on earth returns to the world of God when that moment ends. I don’t know what it was like in the world Roan was in, but at least it was like that here.
‘Greed’ is not God.
He replaces the existence he has gained with power. So there is no life around him. Roan, who shared the view of ‘greed’, knew this better than anyone else.
The soul returns to the place where Goddess Laurecia is.
I don’t know if it stays in that world or goes through reincarnation and comes back to earth, but that cannot be Bülz’s final destination.
The almighty dragon is concerned about that.
‘What on earth is his love like?’
What kind of affection is it that can buy you thousands or tens of thousands of hours, and is so devoted to something that you can bet the rest of your life on it?
Roan erased his thoughts for a moment and spoke.
“I have the power that the Goddess gave me.”
Roan focused his power on his hands again.
Now Wültz is shaking.
“With this power, all artifacts that contained the power of ‘greed’ were destroyed.”
The light of the magic stone flickered faintly. In human terms, it would be like the eyebrows trembling slightly.
— Did Laurezia tell you to do that?
A low ringing continued.
— She’s sacrificing too much, too. A contract made by agreement between two parties cannot be broken until the appropriate price is paid.
A coolness appeared on Roan’s indifferent face. I had guessed it, but the dragon’s words were confirmation.
After loading once, Roan remembered the image of the goddess whose light became faint every time the magic stone was sealed.
But what the goddess wants, what she wants, is not giving up.
“No matter what I lose, ‘greed’ must disappear. People can stand on this earth through their own strength. The era of being swayed by God and giving everything is over.”
— Then what about you?
The gloomy voice contained a faint smile. It wasn’t a laugh.
Aren’t you also an apostle of God?
However, Roan did not get angry or depressed about it. This new life itself was already a blessing and opportunity for him.
Without Laurecia, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
A faint smile spread on Roan’s face.
Because being chosen by the goddess was the only consolation in his shameful life.
“I started with the Goddess. Of course, this might be the last trace of me. But I left the people I cared about here.”
Roan suddenly remembered someone’s back.
A memory that now seems like a thing of the distant past.
Will I be able to show him a shameful side now?
“If they live their lives behind me, then I think I’ve done my job. The king… And isn’t God like that?”
— I see. Is he the king of the demons? Are you saying that the king of demons is here to save humans? Hmm. Interesting.
There was a hint of interest in Wültz’s voice.
— You mean you don’t want me to break the contract. Then what are you going to do?
“I will destroy the magic stone.”
If there had been a body, Wültz might have trembled.
“That is the strength I received from the goddess. The power to remove traces of ‘greed’ from this world and make things go where they belong.”
— … Yes.
It was an unexpected statement for Bültz, who had never thought that someone could destroy this contract.
Surprise gave rise to anticipation. It wasn’t a big thing, but even a small piece was enough for him.
Wültz thought it had been a very, very long time since he had flown in the sky. It’s been a while since my body disappeared.
When was the last time you saw the sky itself?
Where to be.
As a dragon, the only place I could place my head was the sky.
That’s how strong his lover’s presence was in his long life. He was so precious and special.
However, time passes.
Even to those who are close to God, they are merciless.
Now is the time to step down.
— Laurecia’s power is not omnipotent. There will be that much reaction.
Roan was horrified when he saw the shape brushed against the magic stone.
Flash.
A long, black shape was reflected in a large spherical magic stone.
The fast-moving figure was fixed in the center, extending from the top to the bottom of the magic stone.
The black thing that looks like it split the magic stone in half.
It’s the pupil.
The dragon is watching you from the brink of death. Asking, are you ready to handle this too?
I broke into a cold sweat, not sure if it was because of the heat or the feeling of intimidation.
Roan clenched his fists and withstood the power of such a god.
“I am ready.”
If the magic stone contains a soul, where will the soul go when the magic stone is destroyed?
The ambiguity of death is a primal fear for all life.
It might be a scary thing even for Bültz, a dragon. That’s probably why he worries about the goddess and himself and asks about his resolve.
Strengthening my resolve.
Roan raised his hand.
Her white fingertips, where her sacred power is concentrated, shine dazzlingly with starlight.
If the magic stone disappears, where will the soul go?
Unless you go to a place where there is ‘greed’.
If you can’t return to godhood.
At least to the place where the being he wanted to protect until the end went.
I wish I could go to the place where the dead go.
We still don’t know what this magic is used for. But I knew that I had to use this magic at this moment.
A spell to bring back a dragon bound in a contract.
“The beginning of a star.”
A white but not cold light surrounded Roan’s hand. The black eyes that filled the magic stone for a moment became smaller like dots and soon disappeared.
As if closing your eyes in front of that light.
The magic stone was engulfed in the light of the goddess.
Roan’s feet trembled.
However, Roan’s hand did not come off the magic stone.
The touch of the magic stone became increasingly cold. As if life is slipping away.
All light disappeared except for the magic stone that the magic touched. Darkness filled my vision.
What supports this space is the magic power of the magic stone, and the center is the consciousness, or soul, of Bültz contained in the magic stone.
As the gigantic presence passed through my hands, it began to disperse like a lie.
At the same time, a feeling of helplessness is conveyed.
The power of the holy power was sucked out horribly. Although it is not visible, Wültz is clearly disappearing.
‘Is this magic that liberates beings who have been captured by ‘greed’?’
But you can’t stop the magic. Roan became nervous.
We must destroy the magic stone before this space disappears completely.
According to the forest fairy elders, Amilie and Fiora, the magic stone is proof of the contract.
The temple where the magic stone was stored has already been swallowed up in the deepening darkness.
What comes with darkness is the fear of the end.
However, Roan continued to infuse his holy power. A rather familiar task. It is the same process as when the relics remaining in the world were destroyed.
In the quiet darkness.
Under the starlight, which is the only light source, the magic stone crumbles like sand.
‘Please.’
This space disappears completely, and the magic stone is destroyed. Which one is faster?
How long can this body endure?
The holy power remaining in Roan’s body was being consumed at an alarming rate. When holy power or magical power suddenly disappears from the body, a feeling of helplessness weighs on the body. Something that has already been experienced in the past.
Roan seemed to sense the signs, so he bit his lip.
That moment.
— Keep your word. I will be kind to Laurecia’s predecessor.
Bültz’s distant voice rang in Roan’s head. Roan widened his eyes.
Before I even thought about what his last words meant.
Suddenly my vision cleared.
I feel like it has become brighter. However, the light did not actually become brighter.
It was an illusion that occurred when the dark space suddenly changed into a space filled with light.
‘… Stone wall?’
Roan focused on his fingertips while scanning the reflection at the edge of his vision. The smell of dust assaulted her nose. At the end, there was also a faint lingering scent of wood.
Old stone chamber.
‘Starlight’ filled the stone chamber.
Roan’s hands were shaking. It was proof that his holy power was beginning to reach its limits.
‘Goddess.’
Roan prayed without even knowing.
And in an instant, the power rises.
‘How… ?!’
Unable to overcome the momentary surge of power, the magic stone fell apart.
Rumbling —!
A vibration that shook the ground followed and struck the stone chamber.
