If I were to fail to fulfill my destiny, the despair and betrayal I felt on the day when my son, who was to inherit the task of completing humanity's extinction, struck me down and broke my horn was indescribable.
Still, perhaps he could not bear to kill his mother, for after breaking my horn, he banished me from the Darklands.
The hornless demon king lost all her power. I could no longer control the demon race, and they no longer followed me.
Only later did I realize that my son had banished me from the Darklands as a final act of mercy towards me. Had I remained, the demons who had escaped my rule would have tried to kill me.
I was left powerless, unable to use my magic, knowledge, or strength.
The pain of having one's horn broken was worse than death for a demon. For a time, I suffered immense pain from the place where my horn once was.
Did I come to my senses and realize my mistake?
No, I was simply furious and indignant.
I was heartbroken.
To have lost everything I had built over such a long time, to have been so close to achieving my goals, only for everything to be destroyed by my own son – the thought filled me with rage.
I could not die like that.
It was too infuriating.
It was too heartbreaking.
It was too unjust.
I did not want to admit that everything was over.
I knew not how, but I sought revenge. I wished to reclaim my throne with dignity and fulfill my uncompleted destiny against my son, who had brought such humiliation upon me.
I searched for a way for a hornless demon to regain power.
Realizing that I needed to become immortal in order to amass power over a long period, I became a vampire. As a vampire, I would accumulate the power of other beings within me, growing stronger once more.
I traversed both the Darklands and the human realm, taking the blood of many powerful demons, mighty magical beasts, and strong humans, sometimes engaging in life-threatening battles to seek the blood of the strong.
Upon hearing rumors of individuals who had achieved the pinnacle of vampire power in the ancient far north, I sought out the vampire lords, obtaining the power of a Vampire Lord, and thus became one of the Tuesday Clan.
Even after that, I took the blood of countless beings.
I devoured everything in my path, again and again.
So many consumed beings formed a mountain of corpses, and the blood I absorbed flowed like a river. I had devoured something for a very long time.
At some point, I had no choice but to become the head of the Tuesday Clan.
The previous head, who had grown weary of living and had given up on the world, said this as he passed on his position to me:
"Is it not time to put an end to the slaughter for the sake of slaughter?"
"Even if you drink the blood of every creature in the world, your thirst will never be quenched."
"Consider whether you truly desire what you seek." And with that, he closed their eyes.
It was a thought I had never considered before.
For a very long time, I realized I hadn't thought at all.
At some point, I had become an entity driven solely by instinct, killing to kill, drinking to drink, and growing stronger for the sake of strength.
I aimlessly wandered the world in search of powerful blood, but my original desire for revenge and purpose had vanished, buried deep within the passage of time.
I was still not enough.
Not enough to face the Demon King.
Not enough to reclaim the throne.
While I continued to slaughter for the sake of growing stronger, the throne of the Darklands had already changed hands.
The son who had broken my horn and banished me had long since met his end, and I only recently discovered that his daughter had become the next Demon King.
I had become a purposeless vampire, an immortal wanderer, roaming the continents in search of blood.
Why must the throne of the demonic realm be mine again?
Why must humanity be annihilated?
Why had I ever desired such things?
It had all become unknowable.
Lost in my obsession with strength and the pursuit of blood, I had become a mad vampire, consumed by an insatiable thirst.
I had realized far too late that my vague desire for revenge and the throne had already disappeared.
The power born from mountains of corpses and rivers of blood resided within me, but I had discovered far too late that I wanted nothing to do with it.
Even if countless tyrants sacrificed their people with their misguided actions, ultimately, it wasn't my hand that killed them.
As a tyrant, I sacrificed numerous demons, and after becoming a vampire, I piled up mountains of corpses with my own hands once more.
There was likely no one in this world who had caused more slaughter than I had.
It wasn't atonement, but having lost the meaning behind it all, I no longer engaged in slaughter.
Roaming the world in search of blood, I had become lost in emptiness, drifting aimlessly once more.
Without a purpose or a destination, I moved about like a wind that had lost its bearings, touching wherever I landed.
Sometimes in the Darklands, sometimes in the lands of humans.
Despite having lived for such an immense length of time, it was only then that I truly saw how beings lived.
When I was the Demon King, demons were tools and humans were enemies.
As a vampire, all beings were merely ingredients for strength.
Only after losing all my desires was I able to observe the living world without any purpose.
The way humans lived.
The way demons lived.
I watched them without purpose or reason, simply because they were there before my eyes.
Despite having traversed countless lands and consumed the blood of innumerable beings, it was as if I was seeing the countless sights I had witnessed for the first time.
One day, I crossed mountains; another, I walked through snowy plains; and on other days, I passed through deserts, straits, and jungles, observing the myriad ways in which countless beings lived and the various forms they took.
As everyone lived their lives, each seemingly similar yet distinct, I took in the landscapes of those lives.
I knew just how great a sin I had committed and how many lives I had destroyed.
I had shattered and ruined countless lives and foundations by gathering things that could have been more beautiful, or were already enough, in the insatiable bag of desire.
I am a sinner who learned the way to love something far too late.
A hideous and cowardly vampire who only realized the worthiness of love for those things after losing all rights to love and cherish them.
So, I thought to myself.
The mountain of sins I have built up is too great; the day when it can be covered by good deeds will never come. At the very least…
At the very least…
Let's not accumulate any more sins.
My life remained uncertain, as it always had.
I no longer drank blood, but I still aimlessly wandered the world, watching over something, trying to help someone as best as I could. However, I was cautious not to overstep my bounds.
I had no right to accumulate good deeds.
Showing a very small, almost imperceptible, amount of sympathy to someone was the best I could do.
That was how I spent my time, in indifference and acquiescence.
As I lived through the long, endless days of my uncertain existence, I eventually heard such a story.
The war between the Darkland and humanity was drawing near.
For the first time in a while, I felt confusion.
In that war, where countless people were bound to die, I didn't think that I, a forgotten Demon King and ancient vampire, would have a role to play.
However,
I did feel a sense of duty.
As the Demon King who once brought illness to the Darkland with tyranny.
As the Demon King who wished for the end of humanity, who hated humans.
As an Archdemon, a very ancient origin.
I felt a sense of duty that I should at least watch over the war, even if I couldn't play a significant role.
It couldn't be said that there was no sense of kinship left for the diluted and vanished blood of the Archdemon.
I believed that even if I couldn't provide the greatest help, offering a small amount of support, like barely holding the hand of a distant descendant, was what I had to do.
So, I sought out Valier and joined his ranks.
I wished for the war to conclude without shedding much blood. Regardless of whose victory it might be, I believed that the only good in war was in it ending swiftly, as it only resulted in bloodshed.
As I expected, I took on a rather unremarkable role and watched the progress of the war from a distance, far from the battlefield.
And then… as the war was drawing to a close.
On a certain day when the war had already ended far away from me.
A young boy opened the door to my shop and entered.
When that boy realized who I was.
I was…
I had a feeling that I was destined for something.
——
Having finished her long story, Eleris looks at me.
In a place where the Demon King would never appear, Eleris met me.
What could have crossed her mind at that moment?
Although she had never intended to take on any role, when the fallen Demon King of Darkland, her distant descendant and the last of her lineage, came into her embrace.
Eleris must have felt an intense destiny that she could not remain a bystander on the outskirts of the incident.
"As for the story after that… you know it already."
Eleris is a long-forgotten ancient Demon King.
Even the previous Valier knew that Eleris was a Lord Vampire but didn't know she was an ancient Demon King.
Now, I finally understand all of Eleris's actions.
The behavior and gazes that came out with a motherly attitude every time she dealt with me, could it have originated from such feelings?
The previous Valier would have already taken the position of an absolute ruler as the Demon King.
But since I was clumsy, lost my memory, and didn't even have proper abilities, Eleris must have been worried about me no matter what I did, and she couldn't help but worry if I would get hurt or die.
Eleris, who had been a tyrant, couldn't have been a proper parent.
So, when she dealt with me, she might have tried to give me some sort of affection that she couldn't give to her child at that time.
There had been times when I wondered if Eleris was similar to my mother, but it turns out she was a similar existence.
An Archdemon turned into a vampire.
That was Eleris's true form.
Though she lost all the power of an Archdemon, she was still an Archdemon at her core.
That's why she stood by the Demon King's side to watch the end, or victory, of the demon world established by the Archdemon.
"There's something I've been curious about for a long time."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Now that I knew Eleris was my ancestor, I wondered if I should address her differently. But since she still called me "Your Highness," it didn't seem necessary to sort out the titles.
"Did you have a husband then?"
"Yes."
I had been curious about this for a long time, and now I finally got to ask.
"More importantly, how do Archdemons, being such a small number, maintain their species?"
Currently, I am the only Archdemon. If you were to include Eleris and Charlotte broadly, but strictly speaking, I am the only pure-blooded Archdemon.
Had Eleris married another Archdemon?
Had the number dwindled down to this point?
Eleris looked at me quietly as if asking if that was my question.
"Archdemons can procreate with any species and that… um…"
"I get what you're saying. You don't need to explain further."
"Yes… of course, I don't have accurate information about what exactly is possible… but generally… and it's also very difficult for Archdemons to have offspring…"
Seeing Eleris fumbling for words, I thought I understood what she meant.
Archdemons can, well…
Do it with just about anything.
Uh…
Is that how it is?
I can't understand why…
It's unclear where it begins and where it ends.
It's terrifying.
Terrifying, really!
It might be better not to know who Eleris's husband really was!
So, that's why Eleris and the others haven't said much about who I like or anything like that until now…
"As generations pass, the blood of the Archdemon gradually weakens."
Now I understand why my demon control ability is so weak.
We walk down into the underground of the Demon Lord's castle.
"When I heard that Your Highness wanted to prevent a great tragedy in the future… I dared to think, perhaps atonement is possible."
I told Eleris all my secrets.
About the Gate Incident that will occur in the future, that it will be a great tragedy for all beings, and that I want to stop it.
That's why I got involved in the search for Akasha.
"Of course, I know that no matter what, the mountain of sins I have accumulated cannot be cleared away… But if it's possible, if I can contribute even a little to prevent that future tragedy. Maybe I can alleviate, even just a tiny bit, the weight of the slaughter and sins I've accumulated… I dared to think that way…"
Eleris seeks atonement, but she knows that to desire it for herself is both extravagant and repulsive.
Yet still, she thinks that if helping me can alleviate her sins even a little, she will cooperate for her own sake.
She would be afraid to take anyone's side in a war, but this is about saving everyone.
So Eleris hopes my words are sincere, and she helps me.
"Your Highness…"
"Yes?"
"I believe it is fortunate that I have met you, no matter how this turns out. That you wandered the human-filled Imperial Capital and found me, it is my luck, and your luck… That's what I believe."
That our meeting is lucky for both of us.
Hoping and believing that, Eleris speaks, and I continue to support her as we descend the stairs.
"It might not have been luck that brought us together."
"…"
I put more strength into the arm supporting Eleris.
Our encounter in the shop in the Imperial Capital was the beginning of this entire story.
If I hadn't met Eleris, I might have wandered some street in the Imperial Capital and lived like a beggar or been caught and hanged for being a demon.
If I hadn't met Eleris, I wouldn't have been able to enter the temple, and none of this would have even begun.
Can our meeting be considered lucky for both of us?
Will it be remembered as such?
I don't know.
Nevertheless,
"Even if it wasn't luck, I'm confident I won't regret it."
I won't regret any of this.
"…"
Upon hearing my words, tears welled up in Eleris's eyes.
——
Soon, we were able to arrive at the underground bunker of the Demon King's Castle.
It was certain that we had arrived before Antirianus and the Archlich.
Eleris had regained some strength, having somewhat recovered by now.
"If the way to break through the Quantum Maze and reach here is the same, do you think they can also break through the maze and come here?"
"I'm not quite sure about that."
I didn't know for sure whether only Archdemons could reach this place.
The important thing was that after me and Charlotte, Eleris could also enter this place. Since Charlotte, who had only half a soul, could come here, it was certain that the Archdemon who had become a vampire could enter this place as well.
Eleris and I headed toward the library.
Roswin had coveted the grimoires Charlotte had taken from this place, committed a murder in the palace, and headed for the Lich's tomb.
So, once Antirianus betrayed us, he was bound to find a way to reach this place soon.
Before that, we needed to retrieve or burn the grimoires.
"Still, it feels… such a waste to burn them…"
"I'm a magician too, so it's regrettable that I can't retrieve them… but we don't know what will happen when Akasha is completed…"
Eleris and I sighed in front of the library.
"Maybe it's right to burn them if there's something like the magic Archlich used."
"I suppose that's one way to think about it…"
I knew that magic was powerful, but just imagining what would have happened if that meteor had crashed into the ground made me feel dizzy.
Of course, it was even more absurd that Harriet had managed to stop it.
Magic in itself was dangerous, and it was better not to have such high-level magic in the world.
It might be better to burn the grimoires than secure them, considering that such grimoires might be lying dormant somewhere in this library.
As I gazed at the library for a moment, the title of a certain book caught my eye.
[Understanding the Orbital Structure of Meteor Clusters through Celestial Observation and Dimensional Gate Opening through Orbital Calculations]
It was an incredibly thick book with a rather long title.
What was this?
I wasn't sure, but was it my imagination that this felt somewhat similar in context to that magic?
I pulled out the thick book.
"Your Highness, here…"
Eleris seemed to have discovered something as well, holding up a book from somewhere.
The book Eleris held had the same title.
[Understanding the Orbital Structure of Meteor Clusters through Celestial Observation and Dimensional Gate Opening through Orbital Calculations]
Eleris stared blankly at the grimoire I was holding.
"It seems to be the same book…"
"…Indeed."
We had pulled out exactly the same book from completely different bookshelves.
A strange shiver ran down our spines.
Charlotte had taken a considerable number of grimoires from here not long ago, and I had seen the pile of books scattered throughout Roswin's house.
I had clearly seen that their scale was far from ordinary.
So, there should be at least one or two empty shelves here.
"Why… are all the bookshelves…?"
However.
Every bookshelf that came into my view was completely filled without the slightest gap.
——
Past experiences flashed through my mind.
The same book in the hands of Eleris and me. It was probably a magic book related to meteor summoning.
When I first discovered this bunker with Charlotte and Turner, I tried to find a magic book in this library that could improve Charlotte's condition. For example, something dealing with souls.
I found a book on soul manipulation right away.
The second time I visited with Eleris and Lucinil, I tried to find another version of soul manipulation to show Lucinil.
I found the demon-language version of soul manipulation straight away.
And Eleris found the magic book that designed this labyrinth, called Quantum Maze, right away.
And now.
I tried to find a magic book similar to meteor summoning and found it immediately.
This library.
Strangely enough, there are many magics.
Oddly enough.
Could it be?
Have I been mistaken all this time?
Eleris and I stared at each other blankly.
I turned my gaze to one of the library's bookshelves.
Could there be a magic book about fireballs?
As I shifted my gaze, a book caught my eye.
[Understanding and Application of Basic Destructive Magic of the Fire Element – Fireball]
Although relatively thin compared to other magic books, there was a book on fireballs.
"These books on the shelves are changing in real-time."
"Yes… definitely…"
Whenever I tried to find a magic book, that book would be on the shelf at some point.
That's why I could find them right away without wasting time.
Eleris and I both turned pale.
I never wanted it before.
Because it would be in the hands of others.
I didn't get curious because I thought so. I didn't think there would be information about it here.
But now.
I want to know.
No, this bookshelf will tell me.
What is Akasha? Is there a magic book or something with information about Akasha?
I looked around once again.
But there was no book in sight.
Is there no material about what Akasha is?
No, is the keyword wrong?
Is it possible that there are not only magic books but also other books?
Anything else would be fine.
A record or document about Akasha, even if it's not a book about magic. Is there something?
Anything?
As I looked around again, there was a book in sight.
A notebook-like object bound in red leather caught my eye.
I took out the book, but there was no title.
I opened the book.
After seeing the first page, I couldn't help but hold my breath.
[My son. Never use Akasha for destruction.]
That single sentence.
It wasn't numerous complex theories and explanations, but that one sentence that explained everything to me.
"Eleris…"
"Yes… Your Highness."
Unknowingly, I had been searching for Akasha, even though it was already in the palm of my hand.
Akasha is an artifact.
And naturally, I had thought that an artifact would be an object.
But it's not an object.
"I think… this bookshelf, no… not just the bookshelf…"
I look around the library.
"This space… itself… seems to be… Akasha…"
Akasha was, indeed, a space.
Chapter 428 This is a bonus chapter from the donations
All the efforts to find Akasha had been in vain, for it had already been in my grasp.
It was only then that I could finally understand everything.
Why there had been only one mage in Cantus Magna.
What kind of deeds the surviving Valier from the original work had done.
[My son.]
[In every magic in the world, there is a certain degree of principle embedded. The Fireball spell contains the principle of generating fire, the Lightning Bolt spell contains the principle of discharging current, and the Homunculus research contains the principle of creating life. How about magic that deals with cold and heat, magic that summons water, and magic that makes plants grow?]
[In all magic of the world, there is a certain degree of methodology for implementing the principles of the world using mana as a material.]
[If one could succeed in gathering enough of the world's principles to no longer require anything else, if there were a magical tool that could do this.]
[Through it, one could create a single world.]
[A tool of creation designed to concentrate principles and logic from the world's magic to compose the world.]
[Akasha is such a thing.]
[I cannot know the origin of Akasha. Perhaps the mages of Cantus Magna had picked up and used the shell that the five gods had created for the creation and left somewhere, or it might have been an artifact that the founder of Cantus Magna had hoped to complete and then left for future generations to continue to complete.]
[Of course, if they had not foolishly tried to kill me and covet my magic, I would never have known about Akasha.]
[The process of stealing Akasha while deceiving their eyes was complicated, but in the end, I succeeded, and now I can dream of a different paradise than before.]
[A paradise achieved through creation, not the peace obtained through the extinction of humanity.]
[However, I cannot be certain of anything as I cannot know how this war will end.]
[My son, if you are reading this, it means I no longer exist in this world.]
[I, your father, who knows your temperament best, have prepared something for you, but I cannot know whether it will function properly.]
[My son, only the Four Heavenly Kings, you, and I know about the whereabouts of Akasha and our true purpose. Do not speak carelessly about Akasha. Cantus Magna has self-destructed after the disappearance of Akasha, but remnants may still be searching for it.]
[Also, if humans learn of the existence of Akasha, it is only natural that they would covet it. Even if we tell them what we intended to do through Akasha, they will not believe us. This war, which is fought because both sides want peace, is the very proof that trust between the two cannot be formed.]
[If I die and Darkland is destroyed, walk the path of completing Akasha rather than seeking revenge through it. Humans have always been our greatest, most dangerous, and most powerful enemies. The path of annihilating them will be more difficult than leading the surviving brethren to paradise through creation.]
[The completion of Akasha was within reach.]
[We have always fought for survival. Now that there are other alternatives, we have no reason to desire war and destruction.]
[I am uneasy entrusting Akasha to your hands, but if I were to die, you would be the only Archdemon. You alone can lead our lost kin.]
[Remember this: if you activate the incomplete Akasha recklessly, doom will come.]
[Never be swayed by petty revenge.]
[My son, I implore you.]
[Complete Akasha.]
I gently closed the final note of the late Valier.
Eleris, having read the contents, looked as if she doubted her own eyes.
"The Demon King… didn't want war…"
The vanished memory of Valier.
Within it already lay the answers and clues to everything.
That's why I've come this long, winding road to finally reach Akasha.
Akasha itself is a tool that records the principles of the world, and when all principles are recorded, it can create a new world.
There was no portal to another world.
The other world is created.
Through the instrument of creation called Akasha.
It's clear what Valier, who survived the Demon War and fled to this bunker, did.
The foolish and incompetent Valier Junior could never have completed Akasha.
Revenge and anger would not have granted him the power and wisdom.
Valier Junior, embracing revenge, would have struggled in this underground to find a way to complete Akasha, only to eventually realize it was impossible for him.
And then,
Exhausted by his vague revenge and his own incompetence, he activated the incomplete Akasha in despair.
The imperfectly created world, the monsters born from its unfinished laws, started to enter reality.
That must be the Gate Incident.
[Event Completion – Murder Case Tracking]
[Acquired 5,000 Achievement Points.]
[Additional Reward – Acquired 10,000 Achievement Points.]
[Challenge Completion – Identifying Akasha's Identity]
[Acquired 50,000 Achievement Points.]
Now I understood why the challenge's name was 'Identifying Akasha's Identity' rather than 'Finding Akasha'.
Akasha had already been found, and it was necessary to discover what Akasha was.
[Challenge Completion – Finding Cantus Magna]
[Acquired 30,000 Achievement Points.]
Cantus Magna had already perished. Unaware that Demon King Valier had taken Akasha, they fell apart while searching for the vanished Akasha.
Roswin, who had infiltrated the Royal Magic Department, was the remnant of the disappeared Cantus Magna.
There could be only one reason he suddenly committed murder and went to the Tomb of Lich.
Among the spellbooks Charlotte brought to the Royal Magic Department, there must have been a spell that only existed in Akasha.
He must have been beside himself.
The magic that could only be found in the vanished Akasha was discovered.
Thus, he killed the mages and tortured them to find the source, but in the end, he could not determine it, so he headed to the most likely place – the tomb of the Lich.
His goal was not to secure the grimoire and insert it into Akasha.
He came to retrieve the lost Akasha.
His achievement score exceeded 100,000 in an instant, and he reached the final destination of everything.
The answer to everything, in the end, was too simple.
"By doing nothing… it could have been resolved…"
Cantus Magna had long disappeared, and at some point, Darkland became the master of Akasha.
The trigger for the Gate incident was Valier.
So, if I do nothing, the Gate incident won't happen.
Eleris cautiously embraced me.
"Your Highness… at least, we have discovered the truth like this…"
"Yes, I suppose."
Before the incident erupts, we just need to stop everything from now on.
Doing nothing is enough.
We are not too late to realize this. We should be grateful for that alone.
I grabbed Eleris's arm.
Yes.
We have reached the final destination and conclusion of everything.
To prevent anything from happening, we just need to live as we are now. Without any conspiracy or plan, just living in the temple.
Once we deal with issues concerning the followers of the Demon King and the Demon forces, there will be no more impending threats.
We must carefully consider how to handle Akasha.
In the past, Valier wanted to create a world with Akasha where humans and demons would not oppose each other. He wanted the eternal end of battle.
However, just as humans did, Valier did not trust humans.
The humans would not have believed Valier's statement about leaving for a new world using Akasha. Instead, they must have thought that the humans who coveted Akasha would snatch it away.
Akasha is a magical tool that can bring destruction to the world if misused.
So, until their death, the Four Heavenly Kings and Valier would not have spoken about Akasha.
They trusted Valier Junior and, perhaps, believed in the advent of the Demon King who would resurrect through Charlotte's body.
And the one who prevented the advent of the Demon King was me, his son.
Only the Four Heavenly Kings and Valier knew the truth.
"Now I understand why the human, Larken Simonstite… sided with Darkland…"
The first human Heavenly King, Grandmaster, and the master of Saviolin Tana, Larken Simonstite.
In some circumstances, Valier either captured Larken Statement or he sought Valier.
The eternal end of the battle is through perfect separation between the two.
He agreed with Valier's thoughts and sided with Darkland.
Because that would be an even better outcome.
However, the Great Demon War occurred, and the heroes killed the Four Heavenly Kings and the Demon King.
The hero party might have heard the truth about Akasha from the Four Heavenly Kings, or they might not.
In the end, the battle took place, and the hero party died along with the Four Heavenly Kings of the demon world and the Demon King.
The hero party might have fought to reclaim the Akasha after hearing about it, but the details are unknown.
That's why it's possible that the Four Heavenly Kings did not join forces but instead faced the hero party one by one in an attempt to persuade them.
However, the truth is now unknowable. The truth of the battle is beyond my comprehension since it took place outside my awareness.
What has happened has already happened.
The Akasha is in my grasp.
But this place is not only known to me.
Charlotte and Turner already know of this location, and Charlotte has even decided to supply the royal family with the magic books found here.
She may not have realized it yet, but Charlotte will undoubtedly discover that this place is incredibly strange.
What will happen if the Imperial Royal Family learns about the Akasha?
It is unknown.
But it cannot be left like this.
There is no reason to delay any longer now that everything has become clear.
This is an extremely dangerous artifact, possessing infinite utility, and it might be the object capable of putting an end to all discord between demons and humans.
I might have to complete the secret wish that Valier couldn't achieve, which was given up by Valier Junior in the original work.
If Charlotte unknowingly meddles with the Akasha, it's not inconceivable that she could cause a gate incident.
"There must be a way to move the Akasha to another location, but for now, I have to find out later…"
It was certain that chaos would ensue since I disappeared from the Lich's tomb.
"First, I must return to the Imperial Capital."
The longer it takes me to return, the more uncontrollable the situation will become.
——
"The tool of creation…"
On the outskirts of the battlefield.
Antirianus quietly listened to the story while facing The Archlich.
"Yeah, it seemed like you guys had the Akasha without even knowing what it was."
The Archlich Lukren had come to the Lich's tomb because it contained magic that had been independently developed within the Cantus Magna.
Upon discovering traces of the Akasha, Lukren thought this was his last chance to retrieve it.
Why couldn't the Cantus Magna be found until now?
Why had Lukren come to the Lich's tomb alone?
Antirianus finally understood the whole situation.
The Cantus Magna had been robbed of the Akasha, and they were unable to determine who had taken it, which led to mutual suspicion and ultimately their destruction.
Moreover, it wasn't someone from within but the former Demon King Valier who had stolen the Akasha.
And the current Demon King had been unaware all this time that what he held was the Akasha.
"If you cooperate in retrieving the Akasha, I'll forget about what you've done. Tell me, Antirianus, where is the Akasha?"
If he cooperated in finding the lost tool of creation, all past events would be forgotten.
Antirianus tilted his head slightly upon hearing Archlich's words.
Leaving aside whether to believe him or not, there was another issue.
"Lukren, why do you want to become a god?"
"What did you say?"
"Do you think becoming a god would be enjoyable?"
Lukren narrowed his brows, as if he didn't understand Antirianus' words.
"It's about becoming an absolute being, controlling everything according to my will and making everything function as I desire."
"So why would you assume that would be enjoyable?"
Antirianus smiled faintly.
"Joy and pleasure in life and the world come from their unpredictability."
"Do you think that having the omnipotent power to control everything according to your will, a world that moves only according to your will, and the ability to turn everything to dust with a mere gesture would bring you happiness?"
"Well, it might be fun for a short while."
"But soon you'd lose interest."
"At the end of a process of discarding, recreating, discarding, and recreating, what would remain but boredom?"
"What would remain but boredom?"
"If the dreams that Cantus Magna has nurtured thus far have been delusions of the pleasures of being a Creator… it's terribly disappointing."
"The world is enjoyable when experienced as a creation. Regardless of the world you create as a god, if you encounter it not as a creation but from the standpoint of a creator, what appreciation could you possibly gain other than admiring the technical solidity of well-crafted objects?"
"Without despair, sadness, pain, anger, hatred, or animosity, there can be no joy, ecstasy, indulgence, pleasure, or love."
"Lukren, the world is chaos, and I love that chaos."
"Being the master of chaos would ultimately be a very boring endeavor."
At Antirianus's words, Lukren was at a loss for a response.
"You madman, you're refusing the path to godhood?"
"If you're going to use the Akasha for such a boring task, I can't allow you to have it."
Antirianus smiled.
"I told you, Lukren, I'm curious about what the Akasha is, but I never said I wanted it for myself."
Antirianus raised his staff.
"At least the boy I know would find a more interesting use for the Akasha than you."
"Antirianus… you insane old man…"
Still suffering from the aftereffects of using large-scale magic, Lukren was no match for Antirianus at the moment.
There was only one reason for rejecting the path to godhood: it would undoubtedly be dull.
Lukren saw madness flash in the golden eyes of the old vampire.
"Lukren, will you show me despair one last time?"
The embodiment of madness beyond good and evil.
"Show me the pain, despair, and wretchedness of having my long-dreamed desire end in such a place."
A mad sorcerer seeking despair and passion.
"Considering how long I've waited, you've shown me a terribly boring dream. Shouldn't you at least scream properly for me?"
Antirianus raised his staff.