by Feng Yue
As the golden Firebird broke, the buildings in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth that had just been restored also cracked gradually into gaps, and the glory was no longer.
If the domain of the scepter didn’t have Genesis as its core to forcibly suppress the powers that were ready to cause trouble, Mary’s powers and life forces would have probably been sucked dry by Arthur long ago.
It was like the pain of her whole person being torn apart was expanding from the inside out.
In the fiery radiance, Mary gritted her teeth, a hoarse, sorrowful whine sounding from her throat.
Countless flickering strands of music theory wove, and a fuzzy outline appeared. It seemed like a hound, but also resembled a blurred human figure. The figure reached out, gently stroking Mary’s long hair.
It seemed to be comforting her softly. Fear not, I’m still here.
Mary forced out a smile, opened her mouth, and softly whispered something in reply. The vague figure seemed to sigh and looked up at the highest point of Avalon.
The starting point and focus of the path of godly ascension.
How much more does one have to pay to end the sins of the past? It thought.
…
“Who’s there?” A voice sounded in the palace that had been swallowed up by the dark Firebird, at the core of Avalon.
In the throne room, Arthur, who was immersed in the path of godly ascension, suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had sensed something. The pitch black eyes looked coldly at the ground below the steps, a cold glint shining from them.
Below the steps, on the floor that had shattered in the fight, faint glows lit up within the grains of the marble, like streams of water converging along the riverbed. In the end, the dim glows gathered on the step where the subordinates would position themselves when presenting themselves before the ruler.
It was an alchemy array built into it according to the natural texture of the stone. If an alchemist was to witness it, he would surely be shocked by the ingenious conception.
Relying on the original appearance of the material, with some additional adornments, the embedded alchemy array could almost be said to have been naturally formed and had an unparalleled concealment ability. Had it not been activated in a special method, no one could possibly spot it.
Exactly because of how concealed it was, the array that could be set up was also relatively simple, and the most it could do… was just to project.
It was the projection of light and shadows that were left here in the past.
In the flickering light, a familiar looking youth walked out of it, and went down on a knee on the steps, like he was presenting himself before the ruler. As Arthur gazed at him coldly and darkly, the youth lifted his feminine, ladylike face, revealing his signature mysterious smile.
On the back of his right hand, the emblem of two snakes slowly emerged.
— Hermes.
Without the king’s permission, he rose at his own discretion and looked towards the throne. He sized it up in an almost offensive manner, but the focus of his gaze was slightly off, as if he wasn’t looking at Arthur, but had his gaze on somewhere empty instead.
“Oh, I see.” The youth pinched his chin and slowly nodded. “The situation has already deteriorated to such an extent. I must say that it is one of the most troublesome situations within my expectation… Also, it’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”
“Merlin?” Arthur frowned. “It’s you?”
“Ah, it’s me.” Hermes nodded casually, his smile becoming more and more annoying. “But as you can see, the ‘me’ at the moment is just a projection that has fixed responses preset and will select the corresponding segment to display according to the situation.
“When you see this series of images, I’m probably no longer in Avalon?
“No, I don’t think I will be so incompetent as to allow the situation to deteriorate to such an extent, so I’m most likely dead? Aha, will I die too? Although it does indeed sound quite ridiculous to say so, but Your Majesty, I’m afraid that when you see this projection, I am already dead. “
Arthur frowned, and a gloomy coldness spread from him, but it only served to make the projection blurry and failed to change Hermes’ expression in the slightest.
“Dead?” Arthur asked.
“Yup.” Hermes nodded, a matter-of-fact expression on his face. “Although disappointing, such is the truth — Catastrophes will die too.
“Human beings which make up the majority in the world are existences that are even more terrifying than catastrophes. Surely it’s not surprising that one day they could develop technologies of killing catastrophes. “
He paused and couldn’t help but sigh. “I regret to inform you that in the years that you were sealed, the world has changed drastically. You may be… somewhat out of date.”
Bang!
The Firebird shook in fury. The step where the subordinates would position themselves when presenting themselves before the ruler was torn apart and turned into dust from the inside out. Hermes’ figure dissipated. But soon, a similar projection shone from the ceiling, and Hermes sighed resignedly. “So many years have passed since we last met, but your temper is still as bad as ever, Your Majesty.”
The assh*le had probably known how Arthur would react long ago and had even prepared countermeasures ages ago, making Arthur’s expression turn more and more impatient.
Arthur was unwilling to waste his words on the troublesome guy anymore, and asked coldly, “Regardless of whether you are dead or alive, you went to so much trouble to leave these things here… for what?”
So, Hermes laughed. “If I haven’t made the wrong guess, you must have lost patience and asked me what the heck am I plotting, right? Such words are so saddening, Your Majesty, I am already dead, what effect can I still have on your mighty rulership?”
The projection spread his hands helplessly, “If nothing I envisioned has gone wrong, the only thing I can do at the moment is to play to my nature as court jester and come to provide my king with advice?”
Arthur’s expression became uglier and uglier, his cold eyes fixing the incorporeal projection with a death stare. After a long time, he asked coldly, “Merlin… Do you know what you are saying?”
“That’s right, Your Majesty,” Hermes sighed and said, “although I was indeed the one who provided you with the holy operation back then and also the one who crafted the whole plan. In order to satisfy my curiosity and desire to research, I created such a huge monster, it is my mistake… To be honest, it is one of my few regrets in life. But to this day, it is already irreparable.”
He was silent for a moment, then looked up in the direction of the throne, revealing a sincere expression unprecedented on him. Letting go of the superior, arrogant demeanor he wore in the past, he bowed reverently and implored, “If you must, take it that I have lost my mind, but for the sake of the world and yourself, please give up on the holy operation, how about that?”
Dead silence.
Arthur said nothing.
He simply looked at Hermes.
As if he was looking at a fool…
Hermes remained bent over in his posture of pleading for a very long time. In the end, the image trembled. He resignedly lowered his head and sighed. “Of course, for such things, I don’t even have to think with my brain to know that you definitely won’t agree to it.
“Therefore, I simply didn’t bother to set an option for the case in which you give up. Please forget about the imploration just now, it is one of my few shameful moments in life. Losing so much face even in death, I’m afraid that I can be considered the only one to do so. As for you…”
He shrugged resignedly. “Just do whatever you want.”
In the dead silence, even the dark Firebird was frozen under the terrifying chill.
On the throne, Arthur silently looked down at the virtual projection below, his fingers tapped the armrest lightly, engraving his fingerprints into the iron. “Merlin, I once gave you my trust
— A trust that no one else has ever had!”
“Isn’t the holy operation the reward you received in return for this trust of yours?” Hermes asked indifferently. “Pardon my frankness, your trust in me should not have existed from the very beginning, Your Majesty, you and I have both been affected negatively by it, unable to have peace.
“Your descendant, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, once said to me — Perhaps I shouldn’t have interfered with anything from the very beginning. Regardless of what I have done, it would only make matters worse.
“Just give up, Your Majesty. It is the only advice that me as a court jester has for you.”
Arthur was extremely furious, but sneered. “What if I say no?”
“You will die.” Hermes looked at him and said, pausing between each word, “Like me.”
Arthur snickered, as if he had seen a boring buffoon. “Hermes, have you been reduced to pretending to be a shaman like a beggar, going loony in front of clay figurines and small papier-mâché people, and saying some sensational words to attract eyeballs?”
Hermes shook his head, and his gaze… turned to one of pity.
“Let me guess, at the moment, how you are faring.” He counted on his fingers, self-absorbedly. “You have controlled the blood of Leviathan, controlled Avalon, restarted the path of godly ascension, and the final result may even be in sight already.
“Even your condition now, with the Firebird and your own strength, is enough to surpass ordinary saints, and may even suffice for you to be comparable to some small-scale catastrophes… If the time comes when you succeed, after gathering the powers of the entire Anglo and the catastrophe, in one go, you will surpass the Three Wise Man and the four living creatures in the Physical World, and will even be abreast with the Three Pillar God far away in the realm of aether.
“Then, the entire Physical World will become your territory. You will obtain power from the hands of the various nations, gain faith from the Sacred City, and turn the world into your eternal heavenly kingdom, where you are the only supreme lord… I must say, you calculated your plot well. If it was a few centuries ago, I’m afraid that it might really work.”
Hermes paused and sighed regretfully. “But now, such a plan can no longer work, Your Majesty. For the sake of our many years of knowing each other, how about I tell you some bad news?”
As he said so, the projection lowered his head, extended a hand, and fished out a well-sealed copper tube. He unscrewed it, pulled out the tobacco leaves sealed within, sniffed it carefully, ignited it with some trouble, then inhaled and exhaled the smoke.
He looked pretentious, but when he did so in the past, he was always high-spirited, but at the moment he seemed a bit defeated and dull, even dejected.
After a good while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, “— The old gods are dying.”
610 The Final Absurdity
“As everyone knows, in times of crisis, the most important presence will come from the Originator and they all possess unique specialties, such as Three Pillar God, Three Wise Men and Four Living Creatures…” Hermes continued calmly, “Amongst them, Three Wise Men was the catastrophe that was borne out of the Originator in adherence to the element of ‘mankind’. You could say that they were created from the Originator because of humans. As a result, we walk on this world with the characteristics and mindset of humans. To mankind, we might be wise men that have grasped the secrets of the Originator, but from the perspective of the Originator, we are still a part of the Originator and were merely created because of mankind. In other words, you could argue that regardless of our own wishes, we still represent a form of interference in the world by the Originator.”
He pointed at his head and continued, “This is why we are able to sense some things… Images of the future representing the changes cultivated from the depths of the Originator.”
Therefore, the way he looked at Arthur, through the shrouding fog, was one of compassion, “The golden era has already come to an end and a new era is about to come. Your Majesty, ‘the old gods are dying’, because everything will be redefined once again, including you. Perhaps, this is the moment when your worth will be determined. But without a doubt, compared to the power that is about to incite the Originator, your worth is insignificant…”
Boom!
Arthur raised his palm as he continued to be seated on his throne. He was not happy. The fury of the king has caused the alchemy array, that was hidden amongst the rocks, to break down and turn into dust. But there was no way to vent out all his rage. Perhaps, this was what pleased Hermes the most. Since he was already dead, there was no way anyone could take revenge on him. The fleeting image of the deceased continued to smoke his cigarette. After some time, he extinguished the flame and raised his gaze. Behind him, the sound of footsteps could be heard on the steps outside of the hall. The blade of a lance was being dragged heavily across the ground. The friction against the grainy surface could be heard clearly and sparks could be seen amidst the shower of blood. Someone was fast approaching.
“Looks like our long-awaited reunion is about to come to an end. Though I must say, it was not my intention that our separation should be on an unhappy note,” Hermes smiled mysteriously. A hat appeared out of nowhere, and he took it off and bowed in an exaggerated manner, as if he was bowing on a stage. “In that case, allow me to present to you the final absurdity, ‘The Death of King Arthur’!”
Bang!
Amidst the deafening crash of the lance against the ground, the image disappeared, only to reveal the silhouette of the figure that was slowly trudging into the hall. White long hair flowed under the dim lighting like burning silver. He did not kneel nor bow. He merely raised his head and barely bothered to look at the Emperor as a strange smile crept across his face and said, “Bishop of the Sacred City, I am Ye Qingxuan, Grand Inquisitor of the Religious Court of Inquiry and Marquis of the Dragon Bloodline.”
The black Firebird continued to twist and turn amidst the deafening silence. Arthur looked down at Ye Qingxuan. The stone sword at his knee was trembling.
“It has been so many years yet this world is still the same.” He flicked his finger lightly against the blade of the stone sword. He continued coldly, “Those people who insist on interfering with other people’s business are like flies. There are so many of them and all of them are just as irritating as the next. Since you are wielding the Lance of the Dragon Slayer, does that mean that Lancelot is dead?”
“Yes.”
Ye Qingxuan nodded politely and said, “It was more difficult than I expected. To be honest, I am quite grateful for this opportunity that Your Majesty has given to me. As such, since Your Majesty is so generous, will you give us a chance to catch up on old times before you decide to kill me?”
With that, he rubbed his hands and smiled cunningly. He raised his index finger and thumb to gesture a short distance, “Really, just a short while will do.”
The Firebird came to an abrupt halt. Arthur was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the stone sword before bursting into an uproarious laugh, “Maxwell, are you pinning all your hopes on someone like this? Seriously… this is really amusing. I have seen many of my old friends today. Now, it’s your turn, Maxwell. Treasure the little time you have left and say your goodbyes.”
The stone sword moaned and an old and frail soul appeared from the shadow of the blade of the sword. He opened his eyes and looked at Ye Qingxuan. There was a confused look on his face. “Why bother to come?”
“To save you, of course.” There was a firm look on Ye Qingxuan’s face. “Although manipulative elderly people are pretty irritating, I don’t dislike you. You are old, Maxwell. This type of lifestyle, where you have to constantly put your life at risk, does not suit you. Once this is over, I will take you somewhere to spend the rest of your life in peace. The house by the sea of Asgard is pretty decent. The garden is still empty and is waiting for you to grow some flowers.”
Maxwell was silent for some time before he
finally chuckled and said, “Sorry to impose on you then.”
“Hmm, just give me a moment.”
Ye Qingxuan raised the Lance of the Dragon Slayer and aimed it at Arthur. He imitated Lancelot’s pose, as if he was about to charge at any time. Although he looked clumsy and amusing, he did not feel awkward at all. Instead, he spoke in a serious tone, “I will save you now.”
By right, Arthur should also have drawn his sword in response but he could not help but laugh uproariously on his throne. He was laughing so hard that he was slapping on his knees and tears were rolling down his face. “Hahahahaha…”
He could not contain his laughter as he looked at Ye Qingxuan, “Which circus did you learn this from? You are really a rare talent. You have completely outdone those castratos and court jesters! Young man, if you kneel before me now, I will consider giving you a place in the kingdom in future.”
“My apologies.” A smile cracked over Ye Qingxuan’s face. “I don’t have the habit of pledging my loyalty to fools.”
For the past few centuries, no one has ever dared to describe Arthur in this way. Never…
In a split second, Arthur’s gaze turned cold and the smile on Ye Qingxuan’s face completely vanished. The melted gold of the ancient lance blade shimmered and the meteorite metal was awakened. The pain brought about by the heat was staggering. The hilt was no longer cool and had become burning liquid copper instead. The Symphony of Predestination has been launched. Nine layers of Sea of Aether was summoned by this terrifying force and crashed onto Ye Qingxuan’s hands. The torrent-like aether gushed into the lance. An artifact, whose potential could only be fully maximized by a musician, was finally in the hands of one. Momentarily, Ye Qingxuan almost used up all the reserves in the sub-originator in exchange for the glow of horror, which was like the breaking of the constellation. This was a weapon that was built for the sole purpose of killing. It did not matter who wielded it, nor who its target was.
Not even Arthur.
There was a streak of lightning. The burning electricity rose from the lance blade. It was as if the entire blade had lost its physical shape and had transformed into something more violent and destructive. The jolting of the electricity caused the skin on Ye Qingxuan’s hands to peel off, leaving behind a painful mass of muscle. Blood was flowing but they were instantly evaporated by the electricity.