NOVEL NEXT Chapter 147: It's Already Too Late
The memories about "Helios" are somewhat blurry, as if some mysterious force is veiling them, shrouding everything in a layer of mist and making it all vague and indistinct.
However, Charlotte could still deduce from the shifting light and shadow and the faint images what might have occurred in that era.
Golden sunlight rose slowly, and wherever its brilliance touched, all things withered, and life ceased.
A brutal divine battle erupted, with the Sun God "Helios" fighting against many, defeating and devouring each of the attacking mythicals, until... the last silver deity.
Silver, that signifies the power of the moon.
Moon God—Artemis.
Charlotte saw "Helios" raise the Divine Sword, saw Artemis kneeling on the ground, gazing up at the sky, as if saying something.
The Divine Sword fell, piercing Artemis' chest, but Artemis, in turn, embraced "Helios"...
Silver light exploded, and the two deities plunged into endless darkness. Then, a bright silver moon rose, gradually stained with blood, the towering blood moon overlooking the earth like a cold indifferent eye, while a scarlet beam of light descended from the sky!
Boom——!
The Sun God "Helios" was hit directly.
The terrifying aftermath scattered, turning everything around into dust in an instant.
Lands shattered, seawater flooded, and the entire West Continent was obliterated by this blow descending from the heavens!
...
"Blood moon..."
Gazing at the fleeting scenes in the blurred images, Charlotte's gaze slightly concentrated.
Although these were just unclear images, she felt as if she sensed a familiar power from that familiar blood moon.
"Is it Lilith in real history... or..."
Charlotte was filled with doubt, falling into deep thought.
As she delved deeper, the images on both sides of the staircase grew even blurrier.
Of course, the era also seemed even more distant.
Charlotte could vaguely discern that it seemed to be Helios' memories from the prosperous era of elf civilization.
She saw the prosperity of the elf civilization and also witnessed the rise of the Elf Gods.
Ultimately, the memory fragments on both sides of the staircase halted before an ancient scene.
It was an ancient altar, painted with symbols representing the "Creator God" from the elf culture.
Devout elves prayed toward the altar, golden light emanated from it, and eventually... the light fell on a pair of young elf siblings at the back of the crowd...
...
The memories of "Helios" ended here.
And Charlotte reached the end of the staircase.
Before her stood a majestic and solemn Divine Hall.
She was no stranger to this hall; it was the eternal resting place of the Holy Royal Court Gods, the "Eternal Temple" that Charlotte had visited before.
The grand doors of the hall opened slowly, and Charlotte cleared away her scattered thoughts, stepping in.
Inside the temple, it was resplendent and magnificent.
In the awe-inspiring sacred hall, divine thrones were arranged in a fan shape like a conference room.
Gods in various attires sat on them, their Divine Robes adorned with various Holy Emblems and patterns, representing all sub-gods in the history of the Holy Royal Court.
However, Charlotte's steps paused slightly.
It was nothing else, though each of these "gods" wore different attires, and though these gods represented different laws, their faces... were the same.
The face of "Helios."
They seemed unaware of Charlotte's arrival. No... rather, they were not independent beings at all.
They had... long been assimilated by "Helios."
All the assimilated gods' gazes concentrated in one direction, the center of the hall, the highest point representing the "Main God."'s Divine Throne.
There, dressed in the Main God Robe, the Creator God Haral sat quietly.
However, behind the throne stood another figure.
It was a beautiful silver figure, standing behind the throne, eyes closed, back slightly bowed, gently wrapping white arms around "Haral's" neck.
That was... Moon God Artemis.
"Haral? And... Artemis?"
Charlotte's gaze slightly focused.
Upon hearing Charlotte's voice, the "Haral" on the throne slowly raised its head, revealing a pair of golden eyes.
They were indifferent, cold golden eyes.
But when he met Charlotte's gaze, a faint wave of humanity quickly spread through them, revealing some complexity:
"Teacher..."
Charlotte let out a faint sigh of relief.
Her greatest fear was that Haral's self had been completely overtaken by "Helios," but fortunately, Haral still retained his self-awareness.
However, he indeed was no longer the same as Charlotte remembered.
Based on everything she saw entering the Divine Soul Space, Charlotte could roughly determine the reason—he... had already regained Helios's memories.
Honestly, after seeing Helios's memories, Charlotte had many doubts that needed resolving.
But she knew it wasn't the time for that now, and Haral might not even be able to answer her queries.
For now, the most crucial thing was to help Haral regain control of his body from "Helios."
As for Artemis behind Haral...
Charlotte instantly recognized that this was merely a shell without a Divine Soul.
She... had long since fallen.
Charlotte felt a bit sad.
Strictly speaking, she wasn't particularly familiar with Artemis, though she had met her while crossing through history, she always felt that Artemis seemed to avoid her.
Charlotte even always thought that Artemis definitely had some big secret.
But no matter what, she could be counted as Charlotte's friend from another era.
This Moon God in memory, though powerful, never displayed arrogance, and was always courteous and respectful even toward Charlotte, who was a demigod at the time.
But now, she also, like Sea King Oshen, fell into Eternal Sleep.
Taking a deep breath, Charlotte suppressed the sorrow in her heart.
She looked at Haral, and said:
"Haral, since you're awake, come with me to reclaim the control of your Divine Position."
But Haral did not move.
"Haral?"
Charlotte repeated in confusion.
Haral lightly exhaled, his expression somewhat complicated:
"Eternal Night... Teacher, it's already... too late."
Charlotte was slightly startled.
As if realizing something, her expression subtly changed, and she quickly looked at Haral.
With crimson and golden eyes flickering with light, she saw on Haral's body, phantom chains appearing and disappearing, extending from many "assimilated" deities, tightly binding him to the Divine Throne.
Platinum-colored Divine Power wound around the chains, and beneath that Divine Power, a chilling white mist spread, mostly blocked by the silver brilliance surrounding Haral, but some had successfully connected with Haral.
This is... Primordial Power!
Charlotte's expression faintly changed.
She realized almost in an instant what had happened to Haral.
Haral had long been eroded by Primordial Power, and was suppressed here by "Helios" using other mythical positions!
As for Artemis... judging by the lingering power of this Moon God, she was likely to have chosen the latter between the mad "Helios" and the rational reincarnation of Helios, "Haral."
She ultimately stood with Haral, taking on the role of a protector.
And now, she sacrificed her Divine Soul Power, using the Moon God Power, which also held a Primordial Aura, to isolate the primordial erosion and Helios's suppression outside!
But even the Moon God couldn't isolate everything.
She had already fallen, and even if she sacrificed her lingering power, it could only keep Haral's self-awareness.
In other words, only two paths await Haral now.
One is to be completely devoured by the Primordial Power, allowing the will of Creation to fully revive in him.
And the other is to be completely dominated by "Helios," and then embraced by Helios into the primordial, ascending to the so-called "supreme."
Both paths are dead ends.
Haral cannot resist the will of the primordial, and neither can Helios.
Whether the will of Creation directly revives or mad Helios ascends to "supreme," the endgame... is actually the return of the Creator.
Haral persisted in this way, delaying.
Until... he held on until Charlotte's arrival.
Looking at Haral's calm expression, feeling the continuous gathering of Primordial Power on him, Charlotte's expression was faintly dazed.
She had a bad premonition in her heart.
She had a feeling...
That a similar scene seemed not to be the first time she had encountered it.
Even though Haral hadn't spoken yet, Charlotte had a feeling that she... seemed to know what he wanted to say, what he wanted to do.
And she instinctively resisted such a development.
That development was like fate, as if someone was intentionally pushing it, not giving her a choice.
"Eternal Night... Teacher."
Haral spoke.
"No, it's not time to give up yet, pull yourself together!"
Charlotte interrupted him.
With that said, she unleashed her crimson Blood Divine Power, at the same time summoning the Primordial Power she had long mastered, transforming it into swords, cutting at the chains attempting to erode Haral.
But she did not succeed.
The chains were easily severed, but as soon as the Divine Power dissipated, they reconnected.
Unless Charlotte constantly maintains the flow of Divine Power, but that is nothing more than a temporary measure, for the Primordial Power continually gathers towards Haral, ultimately not only failing to stop anything, but possibly even dragging Charlotte herself into it.
"Eternal Night Teacher, stop, this is my destiny, our destiny, and... the destiny of history and the world."
Haral said.
Charlotte's expression was complicated.
And Haral, ultimately, uttered those words that seemed like a nightmare:
"Savior, devour my power..."