NOVEL NEXT Chapter 477
477. Curtain Call (4)
I felt as if my eyes were turning completely white.
My thoughts are not organized well, and the indescribable whirlpool of emotions in my head cannot be put into words and is mixed in a chaotic manner.
Meanwhile, the words the God of Creation spoke were being replayed in my head one by one, as if I had pressed the repeat button on a video.
━Can you tell me one more thing?
━Even in worlds where mana does not even exist, beings with the potential to become transcendents are born.
━Despite the possibility of blossoming into divinity engraved in the soul itself, it lives and dies like an ordinary person due to lack of access to mana throughout its life.
The God of Creation said that even in a world where a highly civilized society was not even aware of the existence of mana, beings were born with the possibility of developing divinity engraved in the talent of the soul itself.
━That’s why I thought.
and.
━If the problem is that the mana concentration in that world is ridiculously low, all you have to do is to forcibly raise the mana concentration itself and select those who have the potential to become transcendents.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that it had nothing to do with me.
━There are countless worlds in the universe. Among those worlds, on the other hand, there are several planets where the concentration of mana is high, but where high-level intelligence does not live.
Isn’t that right?
━It combines a world that has achieved a highly civilized society but has a low mana concentration, and a world where there are only savage beasts but the planet itself has a high mana concentration.
Until a few decades ago, powers such as divinity or magic did not exist on Earth.
━They cause dimensional erosion in a world that has achieved a highly civilized society, unleashing monsters with mana and creating extreme environmental changes.
If an extreme environmental change had not occurred one day, with strange phenomena such as dungeons and gates and monsters pouring in, the existence of Mana might not have even been proven until now.
━When exposed to mana from other dimensions, it becomes very easy to select those with spiritual talent.
That’s why I realized it.
━They are forced to learn how to manipulate mana energy while monsters are pouring in due to the erosion between dimensions.
What is the correlation between the words of the God of Creation standing before our eyes and the abnormal phenomena, such as disasters, that have occurred on Earth?
━As a result, those who have found a way to adapt to somewhat extreme environmental changes will inevitably gain a certain level of strength and undergo evolution to make it easier to determine their soul talent.
It’s none other than…
━As time goes by, the Tower of Trials will appear in the world after going through a series of adaptation and evolution processes and forcibly bring in gemstones of talent that have even the slightest chance of becoming transcendents.
No matter how you think about it, it was clearly some kind of breeding plan referring to the Earth dimension.
Crackling—!
In an instant, my breathing became so rough that it was difficult to breathe, and my heart began to beat loudly.
I already knew that the Tower of Trials did not allow me to become stronger by investing countless resources for no particular reason.
However, despite this, the truth hidden beneath the creation of the Tower of Trials is so ugly that it makes you vomit.
‘…Is it just that I was exploited and played around in a game that the Tower of Trials was designed from the beginning?’
Even before the Tower of Trials appeared, I had been used by others according to their will.
Ever since I lost my parents in Dungeon Break the other day, I have never once deviated from the plan laid out by the Tower of Trials.
Even abnormal phenomena such as Dungeon Break were merely preliminary steps to bring about environmental changes that increased the concentration of mana in the Earth’s atmosphere… ‘
…I didn’t become this strong thanks to the Tower of Trials?’
There was no other reason why I couldn’t become stronger no matter what I did on my own.
━Well, of course, in the process, it may be necessary to temporarily restrict the growth of beings born with the spiritual talent to become transcendents so that they cannot become stronger beyond a certain level, but it is not that difficult.
Measures to limit growth.
In other words, the power of the system given by the Tower of Trials was nothing more than a trick to prevent me from becoming stronger beyond a certain level by allowing me to become an awakened person.
Even wasting seven years by not being able to become even the lowest level hunter was just what the Tower of Trials had intended.
‘…Then I─.’
All my life, I just played around on the board set by the Tower of Trials without knowing anything.
‘…What on earth did you climb the Tower of Trials for?’
Foolishly.
“…under.”
At this point, I almost burst out laughing.
“…I have one final question I want to ask you.”
In response, I barely suppressed all the negative emotions boiling up like lava and opened my mouth to speak.
[The God of Creation is willing to answer your question.]
[Hmm. You’ve been actively asking questions since a while ago. Well, you must have a lot of questions about many things. Okay, let me ask. As long as they are willing to be with me, I can give them any number of answers. ]
I knew from the beginning that I was just playing on the stage of a play planned by the Tower of Trials, so there was something I wanted to ask.
“…It is said that the phenomenon of inter-dimensional erosion promotes extreme environmental changes in the world, oppresses talented people, and summons them to the Tower of Trials.”
[ yes. ]
“…They are just unable to resist you because they have not realized powers such as divinity or mana. If there is no such thing as the Tower of Trials, they can live a peaceful life. “You can’t deny that.”
[ hmm. well? I think it’s a story about a time when the world naturally disappears without being noticed by a higher god or a formal god… Well, that makes some sense. so? ]
“Are you not feeling any remorse, sadness, or guilt?”
[….]
I was curious.
If the Tower of Trials had not intentionally created dimensional erosion phenomena such as dungeons and gates, countless people would have lived in peace.
Even though I trained and pushed myself to the limit, I didn’t know if I would have suffered from a mental breakdown due to feelings of self-destruction and inferiority at not being able to become stronger at all.
“In the future, many worlds will suffer because of the Tower of Trials. Many living things will die due to inter-dimensional erosion. Even after knowing that, you…”
I couldn’t bear to continue speaking, lowered my head and trailed off, and the God of Creation slowly answered, as if he also felt something.
[The God of Creation nods his head with a bitter expression, acknowledging that what you said makes sense.]
[…Well, I guess that’s what happens. This means forcibly turning a world that has never encountered magic, let alone divinity, into hell. The mana concentration on the planet will rise rapidly, and countless people will die. ]
The God of Creation said that as if he was bitter.
[It’s truly sad. ]
But….
[But. ]
That too was only for a moment.
[The God of Creation tilts his head as if he does not understand the intention of your question.]
[─What do you mean by that? ]
A confident tone that seems to suggest that something like that is a certain amount of damage that must be endured.
“what?”
[It is certainly sad that so many worlds are suffering and so many people are dying that even the units of numbers are out of sync. But I wonder if that is something to worry about, feeling remorse or suffering from guilt. ]
“….”
[Isn’t that right? It is a great task to eliminate the wickedness of the gods from the countless worlds that exist throughout the universe. In order to save a great evil, some sacrifice is also required. There is no reason to be emotional when countless lives will be helped. ]
“What is that….”
I opened and closed my lips repeatedly, was silent for a few seconds, and then asked a question in a trembling tone, as if I couldn’t believe it.
“Do you really think so?
Because of the Tower of Trials, hell will spread across countless worlds, resulting in an uncontrollable level of human casualties.
Even those with natural spiritual talents are pushed into life-or-death hardships without any consideration at all, and they don’t feel anything?
I hoped this was something I had misheard, but the reality is cruel.
[The God of Creation is embarrassed by your shallow thinking.]
[…It’s not like you to empathize with trivial things. This is an issue where someone has to claim to be the villain. I want you to know that if you suffer from trivial emotions such as remorse or guilt, you will only end up doing things wrong. ]
This is an incredibly cold answer.
[Well, you can blame me right now. But let’s assume that some time has passed. Countless worlds will be saved. No human being will fall to his death at the whim of a god, and mortals will not be persecuted for the sake of divinity or faith. ]
In her answer, a huge emotion that could be called faith or a sense of duty was felt.
[If you also have a noble heart for the mortals in the entire universe, you would be able to intuit that this is the right path to salvation, right? ]
Is that why?
“under.”
I laughed.
“A noble heart?”
It is something that turns countless worlds into hell, ruins people’s lives and puts them at the crossroads of life and death just because they have natural talent.
Ouch-!
Is that right?
The Tower of Trials only plunges countless worlds into the abyss of despair in order to make it easier to find those with spiritual talent who may be able to become transcendents.
As the strong, they justify oppressing the weak, who are extremely weak, by packaging it up with nonsense, saying that it is their great cause or they are just pretending to be villains.
“Is this the right path to salvation?”
It was like that from the beginning.
Even before climbing the Tower of Trials, I was despised for the sole reason that I could not become stronger despite countless efforts.
If he had simply been chosen for the Tower of Trials, he would have been ridiculed and trampled just because he was a challenger from the Earth dimension without any unique technology to manipulate mana.
“…Are you telling me that as an excuse?”
Because he was a transcendental talent with natural talent, he became a clown in a play put on by the Tower of Trials.
Kkuguguk-.
“—Don’t be a damn thing.”
I couldn’t understand it.
As I clenched my hands into fists and exerted too much force, my fingernails dug into my palms and blood flowed.
When I came to my senses, I saw that I was forcing myself to stand up even though my body was staggering, with tears of blood flowing from my eyes.
Ok.
“They just package the act of playing with the weak as they please as a great cause or salvation as a piece of trash, right?”
I gritted my teeth and held on, even though my vision was blurring and my breathing was getting harder.
“Hypocrite.”
[ …. ]
Was that something that the God of Creation did not like?
[I am sure that the God of Creation has no intention of having you with him.]
[…In the end, even though I explained it to you so much, you still didn’t understand anything about the Great Work or salvation. ]
She turned back with a cold expression on her face, as if she had no more business with me.
Jump and jump -.
[The God of Creation is annoyed that he wasted his time.]
[Then there is no need to waste time. ]
Zech.
The God of Creation placed his hand on a mass of pure power that was about to become the ‘Tower of Trials’ created through the sacred realm
[The concept that forms the basis of divinity. There are only two rare cases in the entire universe, including you, that succeed in having three or more divinity, so it would be a shame to miss it… but there’s nothing you can do about it. ]
Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo co!
[Did you say he was the god of despair, fall, and madness? He too claims to be my close friend in order to become a transcendent. Even without you, there will be no problem in creating a transcendental artificially. I’m sorry. ]
The white air of divinity shines brightly.
[From now on, a being close to the transcendent will impose a new order on the entire universe. ]
Activating the divine
[The God of Creation bids you farewell with mockery.]
[Good night, Dragon God of Transcendence and Death. ]
And….
[I will use the fragments of your divinity and soul that you will leave behind at the moment of your death to good use, so you can sleep in peace. ]
The God of Creation continues speaking with a sneer on his face.
[It seems like a very foolish person who kicked away the only opportunity to ascend to heaven. I can’t wait to die….]
The moment when the God of Creation tried to elevate the ‘Tower of Trials’ in front of him into a transcendent structure.
What an enemy───!
A strange thing happened.
[─Huh? ]
It is none other than-.
[The God of Creation widens his eyes and is astonished.]
[ …What on earth is this? ]
It was simple.
The ‘Tower of Trials’ in front of you has not been able to be reborn as a being close to the transcendent and has stopped evolving at a clumsy level.
As if there was a huge obstacle to moving forward, even though the divine
[The God of Creation feels very confused because something strange has happened.]
[ …Ugh!! That’s ridiculous!! Even if you can’t become a transcendent, you should be able to create something close to a transcendent! Why has it suddenly become impossible to create a Tower of Trials? ]
The God of Creation saw this and shouted as if he was very embarrassed, but it only lasted for a moment.
[…Why on earth has the phenomenon of deterioration due to the contradiction of existence been occurring since before? There can’t be another being that comes close to being a transcendent like the Tower of Trials? What happened? ]
She turned her head and looked this way with a pale face, as if she had instinctively found the right answer in the story she was telling.
[The God of Creation is perplexed because he has succeeded in detecting that nothing exists outside the planet.]
[…Why can’t I feel the vast universe outside the world at all? ]
It seems that they have started to realize, albeit belatedly, that the Tower of Trials is nothing more than a virtual space created…
[The God of Creation looks at you and feels fear.]
[ …What on earth are you? ]
Control over divinity and mana is slowly returning.
“well.”
I answered him with difficulty, shedding bloody tears.
“Don’t you already guess that?”
[ …. ]
Just like that, I somehow walked forward with my eyes wide open, even though I couldn’t see clearly.
“yes?”
From the beginning until now.
“Tower of Trials.”
There were no options.
Haven’t we lived all our days being manipulated by the strong just because we are the weak?
However, after losing everything because of the Tower of Trials, only after the play ended and the curtain call began, I realized that, ironically, I had also become strong, not weak anymore.
Jump and jump -.
The play is over.
“I am you.”
[ …. ]
Dan….
“The sharpest weapon forged through countless trials solely to realize your ideal.”
Now, there was no intention of going down from the stage of the play created by the Tower of Trials.
The play is over, but the actors are still on stage.
Then it was simple.
Clap- clap- clap-.
In response, I slowly clapped my hands and continued speaking with a tearful eye smile.
“therefore-.”
No one can go down the stage of this play until I finish the curtain call.
That will be the case unless you choose one of the two: either commit suicide by choosing to die yourself or die by me.
This hateful applause will not end until everyone who danced together on the stage of the play designed by the Tower of Trials faces the worst death.
[The Dragon God of Transcendence and Death exudes unprecedented murderous intent and laughs twistedly.]
[─I am the closest being to the Transcendent created by the Tower of Trials.]
Absolutely.