Soul of Searing Steel

Chapter 946: That Which Never Changed

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Ring World was a great manmade construct orbiting a star with substantial synthetic living zones, a form of world suitable for human inhabitation. The former world of Xillia—the present Bloodmoon Abyss and the world where the luminous humanoid, or Light’s true form dwelled—had been filled with ether. Even the continents were all floating islands, their oceans unrooted aerial realms.

The sun of that world had withered in the distant past. The civilizations inhabiting Xillia hence joined forces in moving the floating islands; their plan was to combine their continents into a ring near the sun. There, they would do all they could to obtain heat and light and keep surviving... naturally, the plan failed as the entire world met its end by the unholy ritual of the Black Fog’s main body, finally becoming a blood moon that hung in the skies which was also Light’s original form.

Moreover, some of the inspiration was also gained from the Evil God of Fertility’s memories, where an infinite world ring was built around the Initial Flame. Joshua had absorbed those ancient memories, and drew out the specifics of the Ether Ring World with the gods and otherworldly champions.

Firstly, they would look for a world filled with ether—preferably one with Flame which had long since died, as it would allow them to skip the part of killing a star. Then, they would purify all substances from the world to create absolute ether vacuum. After that, they would ignite a brand-new star of special matter, adjusting its brightness and gravity, and bless the star with attributes of Void Behemoths, hence creating a controllable living sun. Finally, they would build a ring, and use the ether world’s special attributes to maintain the ring’s stability and construct.

In fact, the ether demiplane where the conference hall for the General Assembly was built upon was a product of their trials. It was precisely thanks to having most of their efforts spent on crafting the ring world that the Mycroft civilization appeared nonchalant about the General Assembly, having only sent Vahina and Barbarossa to oversee the event.

“The ring design is deliberate. As much as it is acceptable, we could certainly create countless worlds that orbit the star without forging such a massive ring, though it is necessary.” At present, Joshua appeared to be muttering to himself as much as he was explaining the matter to Nostradamus. “The ring is the residence and the fundamental aspect for a spell, while the entire ring world is actually the foundation of a massive world-scale spell. On the other hand, the star would merely be the energy core of the spell, with the Seven Gods coming forward to bless it with divine power after I established the ring base.”

The warrior then looked up towards the distant golden star that was gently ablaze and added mildly, “All life that dwells upon it is a part of the spell, the entire world being a supreme spell like no other in history, shrouded in the domain of absolute Silence... this domain even completely blocks divine powers—in other words, the transmitting meme. After I place a layer of black matter barrier upon it, the Seven Gods and I will work together to send it into the galactic remains of the Silent Void, absolutely ensuring its safety.”

“Nostradamus, it’s last hope before despair and the hope we leave for the future. Whatever happens, the seeds of Order would live in absolute darkness.”

“...The future, huh.” Nostradamus sighed softly in return, finally understanding why Israel had not informed him about the matter—if this world was the last shelter of the Mycroft civilization and every other civilization of Order, it had to be maintained as the mother of all secrets.

Perhaps none would have even known about it until the final evacuations, since everyone had understood Joshua’s suggested theory of meme concepts that he in turn informed everyone about. They should not relay any excess information if unnecessary, similar to how widespread information of the Evil God would have undoubtedly drawn Evil Gods.

Nostradamus himself would have never been aware if his dimensional spells, which accelerated the construction of the ring world, was not required, just like how Barbarossa and Vahina remained uninformed. While the two Legendary champions could well had deduced that something vital had been kept secret from them, both of them were wise enough to hold back unnecessary curiosity.

“So you’re saying, Joshua, that even you don’t believe that we could win?”

After deliberating for a moment, Nostradamus sighed and gave a pained smile. “To actually prepare ‘hope’ right now, even readying to move the world into the Silent Void...hahaha, and here I thought that everyone is basking in the glory of conquering other civilizations and relishing the delight of the vast realms in the Multiverse.”

“No, I believe I would win.” Joshua shook his head firmly at his friend’s doubt—the Giant God’s turning head stirred massive gravity waves as he spoke with a deep voice, “To fight is to gain triumph. Although I wouldn’t deem imagining defeat before victory wrong, preparing to have one’s entire race evacuate before the fight has even begun would mean that there is no vigor in one’s struggle.”

“Even so, Nostradamus...” Joshua’s voice suddenly became mild as he turned, his planet-sized eyes staring at the old mage who was merely the size of an ordinary human while speaking calmly, “There will always be those who do not want to fight.”

There was a long silence, and Nostradamus said nothing. Joshua, too, paused for a long time, before turning and continued while watching the star, “The fight against the Evil Gods in the future would be grueling like no other, a war against the apocalypse where one would have to put everything from the line—life, soul, ideals and even purpose...did you know? This is the major extinction that our generation would be facing and should have came earlier on, but it could have been the Sage’s slaying of Fertility that repelled that particular wave, preventing the Evil Gods from coming in full force.”

“But it’s coming once again, stronger and more numerous than before. They would be countless, and their bodies would block out the sun just as they could bend worlds and shatter stars. They would leave everything in darkness and death, including the galaxies.”

“This is the enemy we would have to face.”

At those words, Joshua laughed despite the depressing mood, his voice quaking the ether vacuum. “That is not an enemy everyone would dare to face, and only a madman would stand up against them. Furthermore, not everyone in a civilization could be as crazy like I am to laugh out loud when thinking about such matters.”

“When the time comes, I will lead every lunatic and fool who would dare to unsheathe their blades against the despair and battle against the fanatical Evil Gods. We will fight to win, and certainly not fear death... but what about the others? Those who are normal and powerless, fearful of death and ruin, and only wanting to live out their lives, growing and learning in safety and stability?”

Noticing that the old mage had closed his eyes, Joshua followed suit and said quietly, “That is the bulk of our civilization—the bulk that lives on.”

“We fight for those people to protect them. We cannot reverse causality so they would be crazed and would shoulder the price, forcing them to become as crazy as we are.”

Those who want to fight could fight with us. We will cut down our foes in courage, fighting darkness and Chaos to the very end.

Those who cannot or would not fight naturally have to live on and live well, to do their best and survive however they can.

They would not only have to stay alive—they must live well with vigor and honor, growing in health to nurture the next generation of lunatics and fools, grooming the new generation who would be arrogant enough to believe that they could defeat despair, crazily challenging the apocalypse and assuming the path of no return with great folly.

Not everyone in civilizations could be wise. There must be those who were rational and those who were insane—only such civilizations were healthy.

“Such is hope and the future.”

Joshua opened his eyes to watch the great ring construct before him and said, “It’s also a last-ditch hope that would get every person willing to fight to battle without restraint.” For such a hope, the weak would become courageous, those who fear pain would fear not even death. Hope changed people and granted them bravery, just as hope and bravery killed. Still, those killed would have done so willingly, for they were fighting for the future.

“I would never demand for anyone to understand myself as well I do, since only I would yearn for conflict in this way.”

Moving slowly, Joshua and Nostradamus began to circle the world, pulling dimensional masses while the Giant God began to synchronise with the Seven Gods outside the world as if strolling, delicately adjusting the entire world’s ether density and ensuring the balance of the cycles.

“It’s only in battle,” the warrior spoke simply and serenely while molding the world, “that I feel the meaning of life.” Nostradamus looked up. He seemed to have heard the profound sense of isolation in those words, even if the warrior’s tone conveyed a hint of vague delight instead of such emotion...the old mage was however sure that it was no illusion.

“Not quite, Joshua.” After a moment of silence, Nostradamus then spoke—the old man who had known the warrior over fifty years said in a low voice, “That’s where you’re greatly mistaken.”

The Giant God’s gaze was drawn. He looked at his friend questionably while Nostradamus stroked his beard and continued calmly, “Although I definitely don’t understand why you yearn for your battle so much since, for me, fighting is just a means, not an end... but I understand you.”

“All of us understand you.”

“Just like how you understand the mortals’ reluctance to fight and the voices of dissent in civilization, would mortals not understand a warmonger?” the old mage asked, shaking his head. “Old codgers such as myself don’t want to actually fight either. I still wish to continue the reformations so that the Empire would have better and more complete social policies. I also don’t want to die early by engaging Evil God in a mortal struggle, since I have more important things to do... so, do I really not understand you? Am I unable to comprehend a person who enjoys fighting, while still embodying courage and ideals in the face of a foe like no other?”

“This is unreasonable,” Nostradamus snorted.

Civilization was a process where individuals understood each other and worked together to grow. Though there would have been tens of thousands of repulsive misunderstandings and conflicts in that process, just as people could never really reach mutual understanding but slowly bonded and adapted to each other amidst pain instead, how would humans have worked together or shared knowledge and skill if they had not tried? How would society and civilization have grown and progressed then?

Therefore, Nostradamus said calmly, “The ring world is a great plan. You’re right, Joshua, even if you hold conviction of your victory, hope must survive too... and it is precisely knowing that there is hope and a future that warriors willingly wield their blades in the name of tomorrow... I understand the plan you and the Seven Gods have made.”

“I understand you, Joshua. You are a warrior—there’s nothing unusual about that, is there?”

***

Joshua did not reply. He was still silently adjusting the ether flow of the entire world, ensuring that it cycled on in absolute stability. The old man did not break the silence either.

It was after a long time and his task had finished when the warrior stopped moving. He looked up slightly—Joshua’s gaze transcended the outer shell of the world that was not covered in Black Matter towards the boundless ocean of stars in the Multiverse. Half of it was the dark Silent Void, the remains of infinite former galaxies. The other half was the radiant, dazzling stars, the Multiverse that lives until this day.

“Fighting...is simply a means.”

He murmured, before laughing quietly.

Right.

Fighting was simply a means. To the Takurian Grand Patriarch, Imperator Amos and every intelligent individual or civilization of Order in the Multiverse, fighting could only be a means. Perhaps fighting was a means too for the gods, the Evil Gods, the Wise Ones, the other meme lifeforms, or even the mastermind entity.

But to me, fighting is...

With that thought, Joshua slowly closed his right hand, placing his thumb between the Silent Void and the Multiverse to divide darkness and light, ruine and existence, Chaos and Order. His finger parted the gloom and the bright, the cold and the warmth, death and life. He divided every dichotomy and all that contrasted—for those were the origins of conflict.

The warrior then stared at his thumb as if studying.

“In the very least, now and here...”

After a long time, the warrior lowered his hand. His eyes were clear, without the radiance of divinity or the dimness of Chaos memory, and in that very moment, every residual effect from the Evil God of Death all dissipated that not even the silver halation of Steel Strength remained.

There was only belief of unparalleled pureness in the warrior’s crimson eyes, and he quietly said, “I’m still me.”

“I have not changed.”

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