NOVEL NEXT Chapter 970: Explanation
Ryan wanted to confirm if the plan was the same as before… do not do anything too big and wait for the enemy to show their cards while humans die in the droves. However, he didn't since he didn't know any way of asking that without picking a fight.
"What was that just now?" Ryan asked.
"Chronus testing how many people can resist his powers to some extent," Zeus replied. "If he hadn't found anyone with decent skills, he would have destroyed the whole world."
"Those three sure like to waste their time, huh," Ryan said.
"It seems he has appeared in America," Isis said. "As planned, the Greek elder gods and the survivors from America will fight him. If we find any opening, we will realize a surprise attack, so stay focused. We can't waste this chance that they are giving to us."
By chance, Isis was probably talking about the fact that Chronus, Lucifer, and Ymir weren't attacking the world at the same time, as well as destroying since they had the power to do so. In any case, Ryan watched the elder gods moving, and then he used Clairvoyance to see the survivors. They're also moving to New York, where Chronus had appeared. Ryan bit his lips in exasperation when he saw Zoe and Arthur moving to face Chronus. In the end, he didn't have the right to stop them.
Chronus was the only one that Ryan couldn't imagine how he looked, but even so, he was surprised when he saw the physical form. He wasn't young or old-looking. Chronus was just a hairless man that was flying around with his eyes closed and his legs crossed in the lotus position. He didn't have any hair in any part of his body, and he was wearing a white piece of clothing that he used to cover his lower half. For some reason, he had the height of an average man.
When the survivors and elder gods began to appear around him, Chronus didn't react in any way. He just kept flying at the center of the destroyed city. That being said, he was emitting quite the powerful aura. Ryan couldn't feel any mana coming from him, but even when snow approached him, it suddenly disappeared. When the wind got close to him, it stopped blowing… was that his power to control time?
"How interesting… humans and elder gods working together," Chronus said. "The fear of extinction made you people set aside your differences?"
"That is right," Athena said. "What do you think of seeing this, Chronus?"
"I don't think that is anything aside from being pointless," Chronus replied. "What is the point of facing an enemy you don't know how to beat? You are supposed to be the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, and that is the best plan you could come up with this time, Athena?"
"This time?" Athena asked. "I'm also surprised you know me."
"You would be much more surprised if you knew only a small fraction of what I know," Chronus said. "Nevertheless, this world and your species are doomed. Whatever you might try to do or whatever you may have in mind, nothing will change this."
"How can you be so sure of that?" Athena asked.
"Because I am Chronus," Chronus replied. "I am the physical manifestation of the Absolute time. Nothing that happens or happened since I came to be escaped from my eyes. Not even the future is something beyond my vision."
Chronus wasn't like Ryan had imagined. Lucifer was quite vicious because of his nature and because he reached the apex using the power of the deadly sins. Ymir was curious, but not all that bloodthirsty considering that Odin has a grudge against him. However, Chronus was… weird. He had a physical form, but he seemed even more alien in mindset than Ymir. Like he was tired or something… was it because he could see the future?
"You are confused, and that is understandable," Chronus said. "Let me explain one thing to all of you, children of Earth. I am Chronus, the physical manifestation of the Absolute time. I can control time as I see fit, but that isn't the only thing I can do. I can travel to the past and the future by moving my conscience, and thus, I can gain the knowledge of everything that might happen and is bound to happen. For example, we had this conversation three times. Because out of millions of times, your alliance managed to subdue and convince the other elder gods for three times. After this, you will try to convince me that your people can create a better world, one where the elder gods and humans might walk alongside each other without the fear of war, but Lucifer and Ymir still stand in your way. Even if I step back, you will fail in defeating them. After destroying this world, they will continue on their quest to clean the universe of species they dream unworthy, and after finishing all species in fifty years, they will face each other. Their powers are equal, so they will both try to fool me, they will fail, and then the final unavoidable battle will happen. After a couple of years of trying to find each other's weaknesses, they will grow tired of fighting. Then they will use all their energy in a single attack, and that will cause the collapse of the universe. The notion of existence will cease to exist, and this reality will disappear and be absorbed by the void. Naturally, my very existence is connected to this plan of existence, so I will disappear as well."
When everyone heard that they couldn't help but frown… were they really doomed? If the enemies were just two, they wouldn't be able to win anyway?
When Ryan heard that, he looked confused more than anything. Chronus didn't look much like Zeus had described. While that was natural since that was the first time he saw him, he had found some traces of his actions. In any case, Ryan wouldn't accept that his life was set in stone.