Chapter 161

Chapter 161. A New Sanctuary

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍unnamed powerhouse of the Deep Sea, who had supported the Black Priest from behind without revealing its name.

Its ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍form was blurred. But it was clear what it was doing. It began to spin its finger in a circle.

Rotation ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍piled upon rotation, and rotated again. The flow rode wave upon wave, multiplying and continuously growing larger.

Down ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍below, it must have been a small current, but as it rose upward, it expanded to a scale capable of sweeping away an entire sea region.

There ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍were no constraints. This was the flutter of a butterfly. Just as the flutter of a butterfly on the opposite side of the Earth becomes a typhoon, the rotation of a finger in the deep sea became a massive maelstrom.

‘This ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍isn’t ordinary magic. It’s a Mantra.’

[Mantra  Combination: Fine Waves Gather Strength (細波集力), Tiny Wings Become a Great Current (微翼大流).]

It was a Mantra combination he hadn’t seen in a long time. The maelstrom, surged by the Deep Sea powerhouse’s Mantra combination, was reaching all sea regions of this ocean, including Yul.

‘This is insane.’

The range easily exceeded dozens of kilometers. Due to the whirlpool, everything began to be sucked toward the center.

If he stayed still, he would be swept along and dragged down to the ‘Deep Sea,’ so he had to find a way.

Trying to oppose it with something like Telekinesis was far too insufficient.

‘I found a way.’

The skill 「Typhoon」. It was an ability he had obtained not long ago after taking down the Kraken. As he drew up all the magic power in his body, he activated the Typhoon skill.

Within the flow, his will spread like a blade, creating a gap in the maelstrom. And within that gap, the Typhoon skill operated in the ‘opposite’ direction.

The direction of the Mantra, Tiny Wings Become a Great Current, was to the right. Therefore, the Typhoon skill was activated to the left, that is, counterclockwise.

‘The eye of the typhoon… is myself!’

Rotation canceled out rotation, and the whirlpool that had been sweeping the entire sea region came to a halt. Gritting his teeth, he deployed his magic power to the maximum.

-You won't be able to hold out for long, right? This is the difference in power between you and me.

-Damn it.

Annoyingly enough, unless he regained the power of his main body, the difference in strength was clear.

-That power, you called it a skill? Do you think you can stop me with an ability handed to you by the Aeons?

The maelstrom, which had seemed completely neutralized, compressed again around the center.

-Hurry…!

Shifting his perspective, he shared Lucian's vision. There wasn’t much left of the route. As long as they could reach somewhere in the open sea, it would be over.

Above, a fierce battle was unfolding in its own way.

“It’s fish-men bombardment!”

“Fuck, who the hell stuffs fish-men into cannons and fires them! Damn it!”

The bombardment flying in from the Blind Nemesis. At first, they thought it was just gunpowder being fired, but upon seeing its true nature, the crew of the Strellock were shocked.

The fish-men’s bombardment literally involved stuffing fish-men into cannons and firing them!

“You idiots! Smash the heads of the incoming fish-men first! Those bastards are still alive even after being crushed like that!”

Naturally, the durability of fish-men’s bodies was inferior to that of iron cannonballs.

Most of them were smashed into pulp after embedding into the Strellock’s steel hull, but some of them survived until the end, regenerated their bodies, and attacked.

Seeing bodies regenerate from a half-destroyed state, the commanders were startled and finished off the fish-men.

“Bombardment from our side too! Free fire!”

The moment the order to fire freely without waiting for commands was given, the counterattack began.

In terms of firepower, the Strellock was superior. This wasn’t even comparable. Every cannon on the Strellock was a magic-engineered cannon personally modified by Lucian.

However, the Blind Nemesis possessed absurd durability. Through its biological armor, once damaged, it automatically began to regenerate.

“What the hell is that cursed ship made of!?”

“Don’t stop firing! You bastards!”

“Argh! A fish-man corpse got into the muzzle!?”

“Finish it off and pull the body out! No, don’t even bother! Just fire it! It’ll reload from the stern anyway!”

As chaos erupted alongside the artillery officer’s rough shouts, a maelstrom began to surge up from beneath the sea.

As if to block them—like saying if we can’t go, neither can you.

Yul was desperately holding it back beneath the sea, but his opponent was a powerhouse of the Deep Sea. Unless one was at least of Legendary rank, they couldn’t oppose it.

As the maelstrom below began to grow, both the Strellock and the Blind Nemesis were being swept into it.

The sea level was rising. No, it was that they were sinking below the sea level. Because of the maelstrom!

‘Just a little more…! Just a little further and…!’

The compass of the Golden Route, personally crafted by Lucian, began to tremble and soon spun wildly as if mad.

“And you’re still firing at a time like this!?”

“Fire! Fire!”

Beneath the maelstrom, a golden light was flickering. As a portal formed, a path opened leading to an entirely different world.

At the same time, the Strellock and the Blind Nemesis, which had been madly firing at each other, were also sucked into it.

-I’m going too!

-Where do you think you’re going! Do you think you can leave me behind!

-Get lost!

Avoiding the Deep Sea powerhouse that was stubbornly focusing its magic power on him, Yul slipped right into the golden portal as well.

-Damn it!

The sound echoed across the empty sea.

-It’s not over yet…….

* * *

Light. Nothing could be seen except a mass of golden radiance.

Inside was a space filled with something never seen before in this world.

“Where in the world is this….”

“I-it’s light.”

Beyond the space where golden light poured down, infinite lattice-shaped golden structures floated in the air.

The lattice-shaped golden structures had only their frames, and within them slept the pitch-black darkness of the universe.

As they moved upon something overwhelmingly cosmic, everyone lost their will to fight.

Both fish-men and humans who had been fighting lowered their weapons, and even those firing cannons stopped, staring blankly at the world beyond the muzzle.

-This is a completely different universe.

It was not the physical universe.

A space that seemed fragmented. In the universe of this world, instead of infinite darkness and starlight, countless golden lattice tile structures stretched endlessly.

Those innumerable things were likely fragments of another world.

Yul had seen something similar before, when he had looked into the interior of the Abyssal Polyhedron.

Of course, their nature was quite different, but the atmosphere was similar to this.

[Quest Complete]

-Find Paradise Everworld. (Complete)

‘Paradise Everworld?’

Wasn’t this the path to the Sanctuary? Did they have to pass through this space to reach it?

At that moment, he felt a sudden pulling force.

The golden radiance guided all beings through a powerful suction force.

At the end of it was something that looked like a part of a human body, formed in gold.

‘A hand?’

Then they were drawn toward a mass of light shaped like a human foot, and after passing through another shining golden dimensional gate, they arrived at a place with a massive island.

‘It’s the Sanctuary.’

At the very top of the island, something like a massive compass could be seen.

Instinctively, he knew. That was the Humanity Disc.

-Welcome, all who shine.

For a brief moment, Yul felt an immense divergence.

This was something only Yul, who possessed the Demon Eye of Distortion, could sense; he felt the dimensions and spaces splitting countless times.

The number exactly matched the number of all beings aboard all ships.

-That just now was….

-It was to grant each of you a private audience, so I separated the spaces.

There stood another angel with wings. An androgynous face that made it impossible to tell whether male or female, along with a peculiar presence.

No doubt about it. This one was of the same kind as the one from the Labellum bookstore.

-My name is… hm. Yes, call me ‘Guardian.’

-The bookstore owner and a guardian.

-Have you met him? Hehe. I thought as much. He’s the only one who could have told you the location of this place. One who delivers knowledge to those bound by causality would certainly be capable of speaking of this place.

The Guardian let out a soft chuckle before continuing.

-To have reached this place, such an achievement deserves a reward. I shall grant you one wish.

-I don’t need a wish. I have something to ask.

-Is it about the Sanctuary and the Humanity Disc?

-No. It’s something else.

* * *

-Welcome, one who shines.

Lucian stood there blankly, then looked around. No one was there. Neither his crew nor the enemies, nor even Yul, who had been following behind.

“You are….”

“Call me the Guardian, bearer of rightful fate.”

“I came because I have something to ask you….”

“Come along. Let us talk while we walk.”

The Guardian walked along the island’s sandy shore with Lucian.

“What do you think of this island?”

“It is a peaceful and comfortable place.”

If heaven existed, it would be here.

Even as he said that, Lucian’s gaze remained fixed on the massive compass at the far end of the island.

The compass, placed vertically like a clock, could not be seen inside, yet it was unmistakably a compass.

He stared intently at what lay within it, but from here, it could not be seen.

“I came to find my father.”

“There is no need to be so hasty. Do you know what the Humanity Disc is?”

“I heard from Yul. At the final moments of the heroes who exist in human history, instead of letting them die, they are preserved here. How is that even possible, and why do such a thing?”

The Guardian did not answer immediately.

Crunch, crunch.

Walking barefoot across the white sand, the Guardian, who was ahead, spoke.

“How much do you know about humans?”

Lucian recalled that book.

“In The Gray Baran, it says humans were born from apes.”

The ones who gave birth to the first humans were apes. And how those apes could give birth to humans was because of magic. Therefore, it said humans were born from magic.

“Then what do you think the nature of the first human was like?”

“I don’t know. Only that they must have been an extraordinary, transcendent being.”

“He was merciful. Far more than you would imagine.”

“Even though he exiled all the apes, the ancient humans?”

“They were creatures worse than maggots, yet he exiled them instead of killing them. How merciful is that?”

For a brief moment, a demon seemed to flash across the angel’s face, but it quickly vanished.

“Moved by the Creator God, he imitated Him and used his own body to construct the world. This place is his fingertip.”

“I see.”

“And he foresaw a future where humanity would be destroyed. In that future, where infinite chaos devours the world, all humans will perish.”

Chaos. Upon hearing that word, Lucian recalled what he had heard from Yul.

‘The other Yul who entered Dragon Land.’

The future Yul, who had awakened the Demon Eye of Distortion on his own, lived in Dragon Land and said that when he went out into the outside world thousands of years later, all of it had been consumed by chaos.

A future where chaos would arrive thousands of years later.

“What does that have to do with the Humanity Disc?”

“In the final chaos, order must be brought forth. To do that, it was necessary to gather all the heroes of all history.”

Among humans with high deviation values, only those called heroes among heroes could be recorded in the Humanity Disc.

“That’s….”

“Your father as well. In a certain future that is to come, the Archmage Ian Beltaine must use the magic he created himself, the Great Balance.”

Lucian's face contorted.

“For that reason!”