Chapter 394: Guilt and Burden

Several minutes later, Atlas’s eyes snapped open in the empty, separate space where his body had been floating. He briefly observed his surroundings before lowering his gaze, his mind returning to the last sentence his mother had spoken before her soul form faded away.

For a moment, he remained completely absorbed in that thought, with the same words seemingly repeating inside his mind over and over again. He didn’t even consider anything else during those moments, as though his thoughts had become fixated on what she had told him.

Eventually, Atlas shook his head and dismissed those thoughts for the time being.

’Main body...’

The second self’s voice suddenly entered his mind, startling Atlas for the first time in a while. He arched an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the unexpected contact, before responding with an irritated tone. ’What? You need something?’ There was a brief silence before the second self replied in a rather weak voice.

’...No, it’s nothing. Forget I asked.’

Atlas didn’t respond immediately. Both of them fell silent, leaving the connection between their minds completely quiet. After a while, Atlas closed his eyes and tried to clear his thoughts, organizing the overwhelming revelations he had received over the past few moments. Eventually, he spoke again.

’...I can’t decide what to do.’

His words reached the second self, whose eyes widened ever so slightly. He hadn’t expected the main body to admit something like that so directly, and he remained silent for a brief moment before responding. ’You should follow your heart. This matter has significant contradictions if you think about it for a moment.’

Atlas nodded slightly before answering. ’I know... She didn’t send me away for nothing. She did it to save me. And even later, when she was saved by that mysterious man, she accepted his offer because she was out of options.’

’Despite everything, she still tried to save me, if you think about it more carefully.’

The second self nodded in agreement. ’Yes, I can see that.’

He paused briefly before adding another point. ’If she hadn’t agreed to that man’s offer, he could have simply killed her and searched for you himself. After all, he clearly saw more value in you than in her.’

Atlas nodded as he considered the explanation. ’Yes, that’s what I was also thinking.’

’That means she obviously understands this and made her decisions according to her own will, but...’

Both Atlas and the second self lifted their heads at the same time, their eyes narrowing as they reached the same conclusion. They spoke simultaneously, their voices carrying the same realization.

’Her guilt is overwhelming her reasoning.’

That seemed to be the most logical conclusion they could reach.

Maerith understood the circumstances surrounding her decisions, and she had clearly made them while trying to protect her son. However, the guilt she carried had become so overwhelming that she couldn’t look at those events from the same perspective.

Instead, she continued to believe that she had committed something unforgivable, even when her own explanation revealed the reasons behind her actions.

After another brief silence, Atlas spoke again. ’It seems that both mother and father know what they are doing. They are already aware that they didn’t literally sell me off to survive, but... from their perspective, the matter seems complicated and filled with guilt and burden.’

The second self nodded, although he couldn’t help wondering how the main body had suddenly developed such keen observations regarding the situation. Nevertheless, he understood what Atlas was trying to say and continued the discussion. ’You are correct. And if they have been carrying such emotions for years and years, it must be a significantly bigger matter to them than it is to us.’

He paused before continuing. ’The pressure they are dealing with while staying with that person... I can already imagine them suffering through all those years, even after that man took your mother as his disciple.’

Atlas nodded in agreement.

He hadn’t overlooked that aspect of the situation either. His parents were apparently still living under the influence of that mysterious man, and whatever guilt they carried had remained with them throughout those years. Even if he could understand their decisions, that didn’t mean the burden they had been carrying would simply disappear.

’This also means clearing their guilt and making them understand the problem will be quite difficult. On top of that, I think there is more to this regarding the term ’them’ and my parents.’

The second self nodded again, as he had been considering the same possibility. There were still too many unanswered questions surrounding those beings and the circumstances that had led to his parents’ current situation.

’At least you could clear up your greatest hurdle of believing your mother and yourself.’ Atlas remained quiet for a moment before the second self continued. ’I think it’s best if you focus on growing stronger now. Every problem you are surrounded by has only one answer: Strength. You have overcome the emotional part, and now it’s time to overcome the part that requires brute force.’

A faint smile appeared on Atlas’s face as he listened. His thoughts had gradually become clearer, despite the overwhelming revelations he had received. He still had countless questions, and the circumstances surrounding his parents were far from resolved, but he no longer felt the same uncertainty about what he had learned.

’...I truly feel clarified now. I got to know that she is my mother, and there is also a father. For now, that’s enough. Once I am strong... everything will come into place on its own.’

Atlas finally exhaled a long breath before rising from his lotus position. He had spent enough time thinking about the matter, and there were still things he needed to accomplish. His gaze shifted toward the direction of the space where the World Core was located, and he made his next decision.

"It’s time to absorb the World Core and after that, training under the Three Pillars."

With that, Atlas vanished from the empty, separate space and appeared in another one. A World Core floated in the darkness before him, illuminating the surroundings like a distant star. He slowly approached it, observing its enormous presence while recalling the information he had read in the books within the Primartia Library.

"Absorbing a World Core individually leads to self-destruction." Those were the words he remembered from the book Galaxy and Worlds.

Yet, the voice he had encountered in the white space had specifically asked him to absorb it, which had seemed rather strange even at the time. After all, Melina had already explained the same danger to him when he was separating the World Core itself.

The information he had gathered from the library and the warning he had received had made the instruction seem particularly suspicious.

Initially, Atlas had even wondered whether that voice was attempting to kill him by making him absorb the World Core. However, after hearing the truth from his second self upon leaving that space, his doubts had gradually disappeared.

He had received confirmation that absorbing it wouldn’t put him in danger, and their previous discussion about the Black Hole within his abdomen had further strengthened that conclusion.

"According to the book in the library, a Black Hole can absorb anything. Even entire worlds themselves. On top of that, the Black Hole I have inside me possesses the properties of the Domain of Nothingness, meaning there is absolutely zero chance that I will die from absorbing a World Core."

Atlas nodded to himself after reaching that conclusion.

He had already considered the possibilities and understood why his situation was different from what the books described. There was no reason to hesitate any longer, especially when absorbing the World Core was something he had been specifically instructed to do.

Finally, he extended his right hand and gently touched the surface of the World Core.

In the very next moment...

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[A/N: Tomorrow a total of 7 Chapters will be uploaded as 2 will be bonus for the Magic castle!

Thank you again BoqorNasir for the amazing support as always!]