Chapter 38: Hell Is in the Heart
Lowering his head, Joshua said in a low voice: "Great, remarkable—but equally insane!"
In response, Eagle let out a breath. He too lowered his head again, gazing at those tiny organic molecular structures. What arose in his heart was no longer doubt, but an inexplicable shock.
"Truly great... Such a grand conception and plan, it's hard to imagine it was designed by Black Mist, an existence that only knows destruction." The old Pope murmured: "Where is the insanity? It has practically become a creator, shaping a brand new world, manufacturing a civilization it desires!"
Joshua took a deep breath. He cast a somewhat cold gaze around this murky, dark sea, finally resting it on the old Pope. He said in a chilling tone: "Your Holiness, stop being so compassionate!"
"To shape a brand new world, how much information and experience is needed? Think of that galaxy, such vast Steel Force, and countless broken, incomplete world prototypes. What do you think those are? Toys of the Black Mist Mother Entity? They are all its experimental subjects, damaged, unusable experimental subjects!"
"How many worlds did it destroy, how much energy did it collect, how many mistakes did it make, how many lives did it waste, just to create this sea of creation? A million years? At the speed the Black Mist destroys civilizations and spreads outward, this World Star River wouldn't even be enough for a single meal!"
Eagle immediately understood his mistake. He sighed, not knowing what to say: "But you, for this... most primitive life, begged the gods to strip the Alpha Sanctuary from the Black Mist Mother Entity. This energy was all your accumulation."
"Regardless of how many worlds the Black Mist destroyed, how many times it experimented to create this new world and ecological environment... life itself is innocent."
Joshua closed his eyes: "Moreover, the Sanctuary Civilization was never wrong."
"Yes, the Sanctuary Civilization itself had no fault."
"If fault must be assigned, then the only mistake was creating the Black Mist... just as the mistake of the Radiant Civilization was opening that Gate of Myriad Realms."
When Joshua and Eagle left the deep seabed and returned to the continent of the Alpha Sanctuary World, the old Pope looked down at this deep red sea—under the specially modulated environmental influence of elements and Black Mist, primitive life might appear within thousands to tens of thousands of years, then rapidly evolve over millions of years into a complete living world. The reborn Sanctuary race would be created by their own creations.
It was practically a fateful cycle, like a ring.
"But in the end, it was still the Radiant Civilization that first opened the Gate of Myriad Realms."
He murmured in a low, heavy tone: "If... none of this had happened."
This was the second, or third time he had said this. Perhaps Eagle himself didn't realize this subconscious guilt and regret, but Joshua, who had been silent all along, couldn't take it anymore.
"Your Holiness, from the moment the Black Mist Mother Entity was sealed, you started saying these things." Joshua stopped his flight away from this world, hovering in midair, standing atop the high thermal steam clouds, speaking in a tone mixed with helplessness and irritation: "When did you become so pedantic? Yes, the Radiant Civilization, the Sage, and the gods created the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, opened the Gate of Myriad Realms, and then over four hundred Abyss planes collectively invaded—we all know the origin of that final war. But what does that have to do with fault?"
"The Myriad Realms Project was the path the Radiant Era prepared to advance toward a multiversal civilization. And this project, from the very beginning, was maliciously sabotaged by the Abyss and the Evil Gods. Our ancestors' civilization was thus destroyed—Your Holiness, do you not feel any hatred toward Chaos in your heart, instead blaming yourself?"
For the Radiant Era, Joshua had never held any reverent awe. He always communicated with any existence as an equal. Facing Eagle, who frowned as if about to say something, Joshua paused without hesitation, continuing in a slightly angry voice: "Someone destroys your plans, ruins your home. These monsters come from afar, destroying all towns along the way—yes, those affected civilizations have the right to resent us and our ancestors, to curse the baseness and arrogance of us and the Radiant Civilization. But you cannot, I cannot, no one of the Falling Star Civilization can ever think that way, not even a trace!"
As he spoke, his voice grew louder: "This isn't some failed magic experiment that blew up the entire spacetime domain. This is evil existences actively invading us! Not hating the disorder of Chaos and the Abyss, but blaming a civilization's instinct to progress?!"
"Fine then, stay in a small world, be a closed civilization forever, never take a single step into the Void, starve to death in place like famine, and create another Famine Evil God!"
"No, Joshua..."
Eagle raised one hand, pressing it painfully against his forehead. He said in a low voice: "You know, that's not what I mean—I just never imagined that the war between our ancestors and the Evil Gods had affected so many worlds, so many civilizations... I never imagined that the reason the entire World Star River is so dim could, could have a part of us in it..."
The old Pope recalled that deep-space observation result again. The dim, empty star river model had carved the deepest mark into everyone's heart at that time, and even he, a Legendary expert, was no exception.
Or rather, precisely because Eagle was a Legendary expert, a representative of the strongest mortals of Mycroft Civilization, that lonely, bewildering pain and that invisible mark were carved deepest.
If—if only—
"If only things hadn't come to this, how wonderful it would be..." This was the old Pope's final sigh.
But there is no "if only" in the world.
Hearing Eagle's words, Joshua clenched his fists. A nameless anger, suppressed in his heart since long ago—since the Black Mist Mother Entity was sealed—began to surge. A layer of golden-red flames flickered across the surface of his body, as if about to burn fiercely with its master's rage. But the flames were suppressed, replaced by a low roar that shook the clouds: "It's already happened! The Sanctuary Civilization was destroyed, over a thousand years ago, and countless more civilizations were destroyed by the Evil Gods!"
"What can we do? Pray for them? Mourn for them? Say we sympathize with them, regret this outcome?"
"Should we apologize, broadcast to the entire Void, say it was all an accident, that we didn't mean for this—should we just fucking bow our heads, grovel to this damned multiverse, and say, 'Yes, it's our fault'?!"
Don't fucking joke around!
Joshua didn't look at Eagle. Instead, he turned his back to the land of the Sanctuary World, took a heavy step forward, and walked toward the Void beyond the world.
"Surrender to this damned multiverse?"
His tone was terrifyingly suppressed, his voice itself seeming to tear the atmosphere apart, shredding everything: "I will never, we will never, humanity, all intelligent life, will never, never, and should never say that."
"We agonize here for a thousand years, ten thousand years, a hundred million epochs over whose fault it is, and the cycle of destruction still won't change! The sorrowful wheel of Chaos and Order turning won't stop!"
"The tide of Evil Gods is about to sweep the multiverse again, Eagle, Your Holiness the Pope. Who is your compassion for? Even if I only mention the worlds I know that were nearly destroyed, I can name several—do you love your own compatriots, or do you love otherworlders?"
A long silence.
Only the roar of steam storms rolling through the atmosphere screamed in the high sky.
Eagle's throat moved. The old man's face instantly aged further, but in the end, he closed his eyes, opened them, and said in a deep voice: "You're right... I am the Pope of the Mycroft people. I am, and always will be, and only that."
"I'll go first."
With that, the old Pope transformed into endless light, piercing through the Void in an instant, leaving the Alpha Sanctuary World.
And Joshua remained where he was, alone, lowering his head to gaze at this atmosphere, ocean, and land. Gazing at this world mixed with filth, crimson, and scorched black.
Saint Eagle chose to love his compatriots.
And the Sage chose to love the entire multiverse.
Everything was his own fault, so he had to bear all the consequences, end the origin of all mistakes.
Unable to face this destruction, the Sage fled his homeland in disgrace. He could no longer tolerate the existence of Evil Gods and the repetition of Chaos. He wanted to go to the center of the multiverse, to end this cycle, to eradicate all sorrow from the root.
Who could say this idea was wrong? It's just that the Falling Star Era has to drink the bitter fruit brewed by predecessors.
Joshua silently stepped forward, left the Sanctuary World, arrived outside the world barrier, and reappeared within the core seal.
[Despicable... Mycroft people!]
The Black Mist Mother Entity noticed the warrior's appearance. It didn't know what Joshua and Eagle had done in the Alpha Sanctuary, but it would definitely assume the worst. So this vast, angry, ancient existence, sealed of all its special superpower abilities, once again extended its tentacles, slamming fiercely toward Joshua!
But all this was meaningless. Without black body absorption, Void energy-gathering wings, gravity well disturbances, or those strange and terrifying weapons, pure mass impact was laughable to Joshua in his neutron star form, a negligible breeze. The warrior even turned around, indifferently exposing his back, then reached out and touched the Alpha Sanctuary World.
"Listen."
He spoke like this, whether to the Black Mist, to this world, to the already destroyed Sanctuary Civilization, or simply to himself. Joshua said in a calm tone: "Everything is over... Everything has just begun."
"Even if you don't want it, it's useless. You are dead, destroyed, your civilization and race no longer exist, unable to resist our plundering. We will decompose and absorb your civilization, culture, and knowledge, turning them into our nourishment."
"We will move forward, the food in our bellies providing energy. We will move forward, your thoughts becoming our new beliefs."
"We will remember the suffering you endured, pick up the burdens you carried. Perhaps insignificant, perhaps silent, perhaps just a fleeting moment, a brief wave, but you will become a part of us."
"And then we will continue walking."
Joshua didn't mind the Black Mist Mother Entity's roar, didn't resist its increasingly violent but actually weakening attacks. Bearing countless strikes, he turned and strode toward the transparent part of the seal.
Despicable or arrogant.
That's how civilization should stride, singing toward the end of the multiverse.
—I will tread this starry sky, burn away all darkness. I will destroy all Evil Gods, destroy all Chaos. I will pull out any possible masterminds from the cracks of the Abyss, then burn them into quarks and throw them into a black hole.
We will pay the price for the mistakes of our ancestors. They are no exception. Everything they have done will eventually face retribution.
By me, to settle all this.
Joshua closed his eyes. He passed through the transparent seal. Countless complex patterns condensed behind him, finally resealing it. He opened his eyes again. The entire multidimensional seal began to rumble and vibrate—boundless, immense energy was being input by Joshua's main body at the core of the seal, used to strip the Alpha Sanctuary World from the Black Mist Mother Entity.
And the Black Mist Mother Entity's resistance was unexpectedly weak. It seemed to know the warrior's purpose, knew they had done nothing, knew why the Mycroft people wanted to strip the Alpha World from its body... So it helplessly, reluctantly, painfully let go.
The Alpha Sanctuary World was the light in the Black Mist, the light in the darkness.
This was the Eternal Darkness Light of the Black Mists and the Mother Entity, darker than darkness, more alluring than hope. It was because of this that the Black Mist Mother Entity couldn't escape, couldn't leave its place, even facing destruction without fear.
This world was the Eternal Darkness Light of the Sanctuary Civilization, of the Black Mist.
What about ours?
"Teacher... what's wrong with His Holiness the Pope?"
Joshua heard Priest's confused and uneasy voice suddenly beside him. He turned his head, glanced at him, and said softly: "Nothing. His Holiness just realized that self-blame is meaningless... All we can do is fulfill our responsibility as humans, as members of civilization."
Joshua led the still somewhat tense and confused Priest out of the multidimensional seal. They crossed layer after layer of spacetime seals, passed checkpoint after checkpoint. The warrior said in a unhurried tone: "Priest, you once begged me for absolute protection."
"Yes, teacher." The young warrior nodded firmly, without hesitation: "I still remember it clearly."
But Joshua shook his head: "Priest, protection is never absolute."
"No matter how solid the guard, how long the persistence, it will become fragile over time, gradually destroyed. Even worlds, planets, stars, great civilizations, comparable to the Evil God Black Mist, their end is nothing more than this."
The warrior said softly: "If you want the people or things you want to protect to be safe forever, there is only one way."
"That is to destroy your enemies, all of them, not a single one left."
"..."
The two returned to World One. Priest stayed there to continue his training, while the warrior connected to the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground here. A few seconds later, powerful spacetime force twisted heaven and earth, and in an instant, he arrived at the Void outside the Mycroft World.
My heart is a hell filled with destruction and slaughter.
Without teleporting directly into the world, Joshua slowly approached the barrier of the Mycroft World. He gently reached out, pressing his palm against the world's shell, his movements incredibly gentle, as if a human gently stroking a potted plant in their palm, touching an incredibly fragile, precious artifact.
That's why I sincerely love all this.
This lovable...
World.
—Volume 14, Eternal Darkness Light·End
The update will be a bit late, and I'll talk about the plot.
I need to organize the next outline, see how to wrap up better. Also, I've been updating so much that I don't know what to write anymore.
This volume actually omitted quite a bit of plot. For example, there should have been Priest's Elite Squad, who accidentally discovered the demiplane entrance to the Grand Database through high-altitude exploration rockets. Ignorant and fearless, they planned to teleport up using spacetime spells, but the coordinates shifted, nearly entering a black hole. Not only that, but the spacetime vibrations attracted the Black Mist. However, in the end, they managed to enter thanks to the Database's automatic guidance system... In short, what's missing is the exploration team's plot and some of the Black Mist's plot. So when the Black Mist attacks, it might feel a bit abrupt.
But there's really no other way. Subscriptions dropped by more than half. Who would dare to keep writing like this? But I probably understand what readers like to see now. I'll try to pay attention in the future. Indeed, perspectives that aren't the protagonist's should be written less.
As for the attitudes of Joshua and the various Mycroft World Legendary experts and gods, it's actually very simple. Even if they apologize, it's useless. The dead can't be resurrected. Since worry and regret are meaningless, why not be realistic and just do what you should do? They are already such strong experts. How could they still have meaningless emotional fluctuations?
The problem isn't about right or wrong, what the Black Mist's purpose is, or trivial, meaningless matters like whether the Falling Star Era should bear the Radiant Era's mistakes... The most important thing is, standing on the standpoint of a certain civilization, you should do what a member of that civilization should do. The Black Mist is like this, and the Mycroft people are like this.
I don't like writing pure villains, whether it's Fatlervi or the Black Mist. And Joshua isn't a pure savior or great good person either. He has always said he's not a good person, just someone who happens to do good deeds.
That's about it. According to the outline, "Burning Steel Soul" still has five volumes left. I will maintain an update of 12,000 words per month until completion. (This month, I've already written 57,000.)
PS: I swear, I haven't been playing Monster Hunter recently. Really, I get motion sick from 3D games. People who have me as a friend can confirm!
EX Illuminating the Path Ahead
Starfall Year 839, March 29th, Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, Salt Sea Plain.
This was a desolate area with no geological features. A catastrophic magic strike from a battle long ago had completely erased the large magical building built here, the [Hainamut Prophecy Hub], from the surface. Its aftermath melted everything, eventually cooling and condensing into a plain covered with toxic crystalline salt.
And the 'Hainamut Prophecy Hub,' which originally collected multiversal information to calculate and even predict the future, had no warning of this.
Not to mention the detailed course of that past war, the Salt Sea Plain had undergone great changes. Over a year ago, when the Starfall Mycroft Civilization began redeveloping the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, several Legendary experts took action, forcibly degrading all toxic substances on the plain. The Nature Mentor, cooperating with the Fairy Empress, jointly applied the blessing of natural divine power here, allowing a special transcendent plant that could live in high acid-base environments to begin sprouting on this land.
A year passed, and green had already spread across the plain reflecting the crystalline salt's light. Judging by this growth rate, it would take only decades for them to cover the entire Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground.
However, behind this green lay deeper secrets buried.
Just beneath that small patch of vibrant green plants, three kilometers deeper than their roots, there was a strange, completely artificial underground cavity. It was a perfect hemisphere, with a flat floor and a spectacularly curved dome. Layers of deep green plant roots supported this supergiant cavity with a radius of five kilometers. Countless vines could be seen hanging from the plant dome, forming pillars as solid as iron.
This was the base for the Nature Mentor's transformation of the entire Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground's natural environment—a supergiant natural domain deep underground. In other words, the interior of the cavity was actually the 'inside' of the Nature Mentor.
"Be careful not to break any roots or vine pillars."
Joshua entered this cavity through the guidance of natural force. He heard Galannod's clearly joking voice: "Otherwise, it will hurt me."
"I'll be careful." The man replied very seriously—which made the Nature Mentor feel rather bored. Her will chatted with the warrior here for a while before returning to her main body in the Mycroft World.
And Joshua walked toward a huge wooden research institute at the center of the underground dome.
With Joshua's speed, he quickly entered the institute. Many elven scholars could be seen hurriedly pacing between various laboratories and information databases, not even noticing the warrior's arrival. Joshua went straight to the No. 2 Large Practice Hall at the center of the institute. He opened the door without hesitation and directly asked the people inside: "What are the results?"
Everyone inside had already known of Joshua's arrival when he entered the cavity, so they weren't surprised. It could be seen that the Psychic Dominator William and the Psionic Legend Stanley were discussing technical issues in low tones with the soul model suspended in the center of the room. A black-haired young man, Nameless from the Siberia World, was standing in front of the model, seriously reading an analysis report.
Hearing Joshua's words, Nameless, now his employee, was the first to look up. He first nodded, then shook his head: "Hard to say."
"Still no solution?"
Hearing this, Joshua couldn't help but frown, walking to the front of the soul model: "Are the problems of the Grand Database Guardians really that serious?"
It could be seen that the soul model phantom placed in the center of the room was not what a normal human should look like. Various parts showed strange changes—some areas had hyperplasia, some had atrophy, and some were excessively swollen, even erasing the soul structures of other parts.
"Their souls have indeed been completely, almost irreversibly twisted and alienated..."
Nameless lifted his head from the report. Several consecutive weeks of high-intensity work had left his body somewhat tired, but his eyes were still energetic.
He didn't exchange pleasantries with Joshua but directly raised the report in his hand and handed it to Joshua: "It's hard to imagine that someone would transform their own soul and body into such a terrifying form. I thought Soul Puppets were the limit."
"And even Soul Puppets are forcibly transformed by others, but these people did it to themselves voluntarily. Such determination and ruthlessness are truly shocking."
"But this situation is not untreatable."
The First Practice Hall was responsible for the environmental transformation and planning of the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground. The later-established Second Practice Hall was responsible for the rescue and subsequent treatment of the guards in the Unified Grand Database.
Half a year ago, after the Black Mist Mother Entity was sealed by the Mycroft gods and many Legendary experts, they discovered the demiplane entrance in the accretion disk of the black hole in World One. After considerable effort, the gods finally moved the Grand Database back to the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, to exist as the 'moon' of the sacrificial ground plane.
After opening the Database, preparing to welcome their compatriots who had been separated for a thousand years, everyone was surprised to find that, in order to survive in the extremely harsh environment around the black hole, the Grand Database guards had resolutely applied numerous terrifying, even twisted transformations on themselves. These transformations allowed them to maintain a certain level of rationality and inherited knowledge while as much as possible maintaining 'survival,' and only survival. Undoubtedly, this transformation nearly made them no longer human.
To save these compatriots who had sacrificed so much, the major factions rarely had any disagreement and decided to jointly treat them, reversing the consequences of various transformations and restoring the Grand Database guards to normal humans. But this work encountered a major problem from the start: after a thousand years of continuous, long-term transformation, this twisted soul and body form had been fixed. They were 'born this way,' not the result of subsequent transformation. Facing the descendants of these original Grand Database guards, even Legendary experts found it difficult to save them while maintaining their original will.
The original Nameless technician, now Nameless 'Lotram,' was originally a high-level technician specializing in Soul Puppets. He had also read many Siberian texts. Over the past half year, with Joshua's support, he had been absorbing the soul studies and necromancy knowledge of the Mycroft World. He was now considered an authority in this field, which is why he was invited by the Second Practice Hall as a technical external aid for the rescue work.
"Can be treated?"
Hearing Nameless—others called him Lotram—reply, Joshua felt somewhat encouraged. He asked: "How specifically?"
At this time, William and Stanley, the two Legendary experts in psychic and psionic fields who had been communicating on the side, finished their exchange. Without any formalities, everyone directly entered the main topic. Among them, William, being more familiar with Joshua, stepped forward, pointed at the soul model, and spoke first: "To be honest, this solidified transformation, which even involves the soul, is very terrifying. Its essence is similar to the most extreme 'blasphemous curse,' which twists the subject's body. Such boldness is truly astonishing—look, even the soul core has been eroded."
Then, the Psionic Legend Stanley, an old man with a meticulous appearance and a serious, dignified face, took over the conversation. He frowned and said: "So we believe that you need to join forces with us, simultaneously working on both the body and soul aspects. Through the connection between the two, we can reactivate the body and soul's self-healing instincts while transforming the body, allowing it to grow into a complete soul."
On the other side, Nameless also nodded: "But this is just the beginning. After roughly repairing the soul, we also need to give them a new body to nurture the soul, which, though generally healed, is very fragile. The original body was too harshly transformed, very unsuitable for a normal human soul to reside in."
"Based on my expertise, I personally recommend creating a puppet body for them. Although a flesh-and-blood body is full of vitality, it's not stable enough... I hate this technology, but it does have its advantages."
With that, the three of them began discussing various characteristics of the soul again. Joshua could only shake his head, reminding them: "You are the experts. I won't discuss the specific treatment process. But in the next few days, I will have an avatar in the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground. If you need me, you can summon me."
With that, he ignored their thanks and looked at the twisted humanoid form on the other side of the soul model.
That was the body model of the Grand Database guards—a form that roughly looked human but had no bones, a soft, mushy lump of flesh.
A thousand years ago, the Unified Grand Database was knocked out of its own world.
To adapt to the harsh environment of constant darkness, strange gravity, ultra-high radiation, and scarce material resources, the surviving guards transformed their bodies and souls using the most extreme methods.
They used near-curses, or even curses, to deform their bodies and twist their souls. They inscribed all the knowledge and common sense they needed into their bloodlines and souls, into their own and their descendants' memories, ensuring they could almost permanently maintain this knowledge to repair the damage and errors in the Grand Database and maintain its existence.
But because of this, their bodies became formless slime monsters, as low gravity required no skeletal support and didn't consume many mineral resources. Their body surfaces were covered with tumors, ganglia, strange tentacles, and fungi, showing no resemblance to humans at all. This form even made them forget what 'walking,' 'seeing,' 'hearing,' and 'eating' meant, because they had no legs, no eyes, no ears, and no mouth.
They wriggled and floated, adhering themselves to the ground. They observed the world through energy perception and mental communication, absorbing nutrients from fungal beds through pits and tumors on their outer skin.
How strange, ugly, twisted, and nauseating a form.
And also so great.
"If we hadn't found them in the first place, we truly would have had no way."
Gazing at this ugly yet great form, Joshua said in a low voice: "But we have found them, so we must do our utmost to heal them. This is one of the few things we can do for these maintainers of civilization's heritage."
Joshua left the underground cavity.
The laboratory inside the Nature Mentor could simulate various natural ecological environments through natural force, allowing for various practical experiments. It was a dream workplace for all related technical personnel. The Nature Mentor herself often used her power's characteristics for self-improvement and evolution. The only pity was that this ability was not suitable for combat in other worlds. Galannod, when in her homeland, was the strongest. The only way to slightly reverse this disadvantage was to condense a large-scale natural domain, like creating the underground cavity.
Joshua walked out of the Nature Mentor's 'inside,' walking along a long vine passage. He didn't accelerate deliberately, walking like an ordinary person.
As he walked, he looked up, his gaze somewhat scattered on the flat passage ceiling.
Starfall Year 839, another new year. Many major events had occurred this year.
The Alpha Sanctuary World had been removed from the Black Mist Mother Entity's body by the gods. This world was now located at the center of the spacetime domain where the original Black Mist was, floating in that small galaxy. The primitive life inside the Alpha Sanctuary World was being carefully protected and observed. This was one of the few world-class laboratories for understanding the early creation of a high-magic world, the birth and evolution of life. It was an extremely valuable research data source and ecological preserve.
The Alpha Sanctuary World rebuilt by the Black Mist was almost a brand new world. The high-concentration energy brought by the Great Magic Tide accelerated the condensation and development of those primitive organic bodies. Microorganisms identical to the Sanctuary Civilization's ancestors had already begun to take shape.
The Black Mist couldn't create the creator's civilization, so it recreated the entire creator race.
From microorganisms to the final creator prototype, it had arranged everything—beneath the completely destroyed shell, a new world full of hope was gestating.
One of Joshua's avatars was stationed there for a long time. If anything happened, he would quickly transfer his main will and awaken around the Alpha Sanctuary.
As for the Black Mist.
According to Nostradamus's observations and predictions, after the gods sealed the Black Mist Mother Entity, there might still be some scattered Black Mist in the multiverse, such as Black Mist sent to explore distant places, Black Mist defeated and sealed by other civilizations, etc. These Black Mists might continue to roam in the Void, threatening various worlds and civilizations. He proposed actively seeking out these scattered Black Mists and annihilating them all.
But through analyzing the Black Mist Mother Entity's original program and structure, everyone discovered that child Black Mist, having lost the mother entity's database and energy reserves, would find it difficult to survive alone. Without self-storage structures, child Black Mist couldn't move freely unless in a high-magic world or near a Void Great Maelstrom. They needed to regularly replenish energy. Most importantly, they had lost the ability to split. Once a mass was lost, it was gone forever. So they weren't treated as a high-level threat.
Furthermore, even if a child Black Mist mutated into a new mother entity, these child entities without databases would need far more than a thousand years to grow to the level of the current Black Mist Mother Entity.
Besides this, the Imperial Foreign Exploration Department had launched two more exploration missions. This time, luck was better. The eighteen worlds explored were all safe, with no special circumstances. Two of them were even primitive life worlds—one had just developed to the point where primitive amphibious marine life was stepping onto land, and the other had an oxygen surplus, with giant arthropods roaming heaven and earth.
But because they were too primitive, except for the giant arthropods being quite tasty, they had basically no colonization value. In other words, they weren't suitable enough. Maybe the Fishmen would like them. At least, when Joshua looked at the Fishman High Priest's expression at the time, Godar clearly showed interest. But strangely, the Golden Dragon King also showed a thoughtful expression... Could it be that he likes eating grilled crab?
Speaking of which, Joshua also confirmed one thing: the current Empress of the Empire, Emperor Israel's legitimate wife, was, in terms of seniority, the niece of this generation's Golden Dragon King. But this wasn't surprising at all, because when chatting with the Fairy Empress last time, the warrior accidentally learned that the entire Diamond royal family could be considered direct descendants of the Empress's lineage from that year. Of course, spiritually, the fairy imprint still condenses in the royal family's souls.
The bloodlines of the magical world are really chaotic. Isn't there a normal human like my Radcliffe family? Joshua thought.
Walking out of the underground cavity passage and into the forest of the Salt Sea Plain, Joshua didn't choose to go home directly. Recently, Firefly and Lin were leading the students of Winterfell Academy in organizing the academy's winter sports meet and the beginning-of-year practical assessment. As judges and referees, the two were hosting the activities and arbitrating various matters.
No. 3 had been invited a few days ago by the Sage Faina, Nostradamus, Barbarossa, and others to use her special existence form to quickly parse various encrypted data in the Unified Grand Database. The Artificial Intelligence Girl's computational power was mostly used for this.
If the warrior went home now, at best he would eat and walk with Black and Xiao Guang. But in reality, these two playful kids had probably already sneaked out while he was away, looking for Ivan, Amira, and others, or going out with Lisa, Syndicate, and others to do missions or play somewhere. Joshua didn't consider himself a demon and couldn't bear to interrupt their fun, so he planned to settle accounts after they finished playing, adding a bit more training.
So now Joshua felt like he had nowhere to go.
And at that moment, a mass of formless spirit, an indescribable will, emerged from the other end of the Void. Only Joshua could see and perceive it, and it gradually condensed into the image of a silver giant serpent.
The Steel Serpent Carlis appeared beside Joshua. It slowly coiled around Joshua's shoulder and asked somewhat puzzledly: "What are you thinking about, friend?"
"I originally planned to wait until you entered the Void to find you, but I noticed you were just standing here in a daze, so I descended on my own."
Joshua, noticing the Steel Serpent, didn't stop its increasingly human and intimate actions. He slowly walked on the salt sea, stepping on the gray-white crystals... After a long time, the warrior finally said in a low voice: "Carlis, I have a question."
"Hmm? Go ahead." Carlis shook its head nonchalantly: "If I can answer, I will."
Joshua's gaze didn't waver. He looked straight ahead—at the empty, flat crystal plain—and then said calmly: "Have you ever resented us?"
This question was clearly beyond the Steel Serpent's imagination. It couldn't help but pause for a moment, repeating: "Us?"
"Yes. The Sage, the Mycroft Civilization of the Radiant Era, us, the Mycroft Civilization of the Falling Star Era."
Joshua almost never hid his thoughts, and this time was no exception. He stepped over pieces of salt crystals and said softly: "To be more specific, do you hate and resent the Mycroft Civilization that brought the Evil Gods here—to the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground—and created the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground, opening the Gate of the End?"
A long silence fell. Only the rustling sound of Joshua crushing crystals could be heard.
A wind blew, raising countless dust. The Steel Serpent Carlis finally broke the long silence.
"Hatred... resentment... such human words."
It murmured in a low voice: "Too much understanding of human nature for a World Will... But how should I put it? Perhaps you cannot understand."
Carlis slightly turned its head, meeting Joshua's gaze as he also turned. It spoke in a strange, heavy tone: "The Sage and the Radiant Era, you later inheritors may not understand, or only understand a part of it. But I, who lived in the same era, know, know many things about him."
"He once helped many worlds, saved many worlds." Carlis said, word by word, very seriously. It seemed to be reminiscing, its gaze even scattering: "Joshua, just like what you are doing now, the Sage always tried his best to help the surrounding worlds."
"But in that era, the World Star River wasn't as dim as it is now. It was thriving, with countless vibrant worlds communicating and interacting with each other—naturally, there were also many worlds in trouble. And the Sage traveled through peaceful worlds, helping those that had encountered difficulties."
"During that time, he spent a very wonderful time, meeting many very interesting friends. Of course, he also encountered many very common difficulties, faced very tricky and terrifying enemies."
"He fought Chaos and Evil Gods more than once, even saving many worlds several times when almost no one knew about it. But he didn't think much of it, believing it was something everyone would do, an ordinary small matter."
The Steel Serpent's tone was heavy. It tightened its body and closed its eyes: "Even building the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground was to better help other worlds... even to devote all his strength to help all civilizations in the entire multiverse."
"Is he an evil person? Of course not. The Sage was the most perfect, purest, most benevolent, and most powerful existence I have seen in my long life. He seemed to exist to save this dark multiverse, born with the authority of countless goodwill and worlds. His power had almost no selfishness—anyone who tries to morally condemn him either has ulterior motives or has a heart too dark to bear such pure light."
Joshua listened silently to Carlis's words. He had now stopped walking, standing in the center of the Salt Sea Plain. Looking around from here, front and back, left and right, it was all a vast plain with no end in sight. Standing here, there were no roads, no directions, and even the boundary between heaven and earth had disappeared.
And Carlis continued: "Of course, saying so many good things, praising the Sage's glory so much, doesn't mean I don't hate him."
It opened its eyes. Its red snake pupils held a pure, burning light: "Of course I hate him."
The Steel Serpent's tone carried a trace of sorrow. It said softly: "The Carlis people were my children. Their extinction is etched into my bones. No matter how many times the Sage helped me, this one mistake alone is enough for me to regard him as an enemy."
Hearing this, Joshua's hands slightly relaxed, then slightly clenched. The warrior raised his head high, his eyes invisible, his expression and thoughts unknowable.
"But."
Carlis and Joshua raised their heads together. After another silence, it said softly: "But...
But Joshua, my Flame Rekindler.
Do you know? No matter how deeply etched the hatred, it is nothing but dust, an insignificant ripple in the multiverse. The more you witness the rise and fall of civilizations, the birth and death of worlds, the more you should understand this.
To be stuck on this, to be stuck on this dust-like hatred, and then to harbor malice toward everything around you, to reject, to destroy, to go mad wanting to annihilate all existence—what difference is that from an Evil God?
To be stuck on this, unable to free yourself, you will never move forward, never avenge the Evil Gods that truly destroyed my children."
The Steel Serpent coiled its body, coming to the warrior's arm. It lifted the warrior's hand, meeting the lowered Joshua's gaze. The World Will, Carlis, said sincerely and calmly: "Flame Rekindler, don't dwell on this. You don't need to care whether what's in my heart is self-blame or hatred. You don't need to care about my attitude toward the Sage and the Radiant Era."
"You just need to keep moving forward, keep getting stronger, do what you are doing now—help worlds in trouble, destroy Chaos's conspiracies—that's enough, more than enough."
"I will help you with all my strength. We will help you with all our strength. All great wills will gaze upon you together, just as they once gazed upon the Sage, watching you walk your own path."
Carlis's head gradually approached Joshua's forehead. It stopped speaking. A gentle, vast, calm, and grand will extended toward Joshua.
—This is a contract without words, a promise without speech—
Forehead to forehead. Colorless light began to rise in the center of the Salt Sea Plain.
—Please—
Slay all Evil Gods
Annihilate all Chaos
Flame Rekindler, fulfill the covenant you made with Steel and Fire. Please burn away darkness and evil, become a light in this hopeless multiverse.
Illuminate us like a torch, illuminate the path ahead.
————
The inconspicuous light dimmed.
Joshua and Carlis's foreheads separated.
"I understand."
The warrior said softly. He raised his head, looking at the end of the world. Joshua placed Carlis, still coiled on his hand, on his shoulder.
Very heavy—
Though it has no mass, being pure spirit.
But still very heavy.
Heavy beyond compare, as if the karma of an entire world were placed there.
But this feeling was not unfamiliar.
Because behind the warrior, there were still many, many worlds.
Carlis, Ilgna, Bloodmoon Abyss... one by one, illusions appeared and dissipated. Grandia, Chronos, Siberia... one by one, karma entangled.
They turned into long chains, into heavy boulders, dragged forward by Joshua. To this day, who knows how much time has passed. And now, it's just adding a Sanctuary Civilization and Black Mist. This doesn't affect anything, because the warrior's goal has never changed from the beginning. He clearly knows what kind of earth and path he has stepped on.
"Listen well. I'm not doing this for you, deciding to eradicate all Evil Gods."
"I'm doing it because I want to, so I'm going."
Joshua said calmly, drawing a low laugh from Carlis. At the same time, he stepped forward.
This step had nothing to do with any karma, any guilt, any burden or responsibility. This step, Joshua took only for himself. The warrior would continue to walk like this, until an unknown end.
Yes.
He would do some things.
And these things would change the world.
Then, what would happen.
That is the story for later.