Chapter 696 - 386: Eve of the Downfall (Double-Length)

The emotions expressed are probably pain, regret, and determination...

"Mena has certainly given Mephisto all she possibly could."

Rogel muttered in his heart.

If he’s not mistaken, this should be Mena expressing her longing and some other emotions towards Mephisto, the creator.

Due to the evolution of the world, Mephisto’s authority was scattered, and Mena had to disperse Mephisto’s authority to become the embodiment of the Authority of Nightmare.

But in doing so, their relationship could never return to what it was.

Mephisto clearly realized this too, but Mena seemed abnormal due to the influence of the Authority of Nightmare.

Yet, she still did not regret her decision, even playing an indispensable role in the final battle...

Rogel shook his head, contemplated for a moment, and temporarily put these trivial thoughts aside.

He looked up at the Dream Spiral in the sky.

At the top of the Dream Spiral, the sound of laughter and some special aura continued to emanate.

After several leaps, Rogel arrived at the top of the Dream Spiral.

As the wielder of the great power of the Authority of Mystery, he quickly sensed the surrounding barriers and the chaotic flow of power within and raised his hand to eliminate them.

Subsequently, Rogel witnessed a scene that rendered him silent.

Amidst the intensely rich dreamscape, Mephisto’s figure and his many friends lived intact here.

Sena, Inoto, Shalira, Rein, and even Mena...

Their laughter and leisure were carefree...

Mephisto’s whereabouts were unknown; he most likely had already fallen.

Yet, the most beautiful scene in his imagination lingered in this bizarre and peculiar Sea of Dreams in a special dream-like form.

Just as Rogel retracted his gaze and prepared to leave.

The small cloud-like dream clump in the dream suddenly seemed to sense something and turned to look in his direction...

...

Barbaric Sea Area.

A towering Divine Statue cloaked in robes stood at the island’s summit, overlooking the vast tribal city below.

In this city formed by several tribes, the emblem of the Hunting Race was particularly striking, and the Oath Stone made of special materials shone brightly under the sunlight.

Under the massive Oath Stone were countless blood-red handprints.

"Powerful Hunting Clan Leader Blade Wind, I hereby pledge, allegiance to you and your clan, joining your empire, honoring you as the sole Emperor of this Barbaric Sea Area..."

As the last Beast Race Clan Leader pressed his palm on the Oath Stone, leaving a blood-red handprint, he slowly withdrew.

"From today, Hunting Clan Leader, the most powerful person of this sea area, favored by the gods... is also the imminent first Emperor of the Hunting Empire... Blade Wind will lead everyone towards greatness and prosperity..."

The priest loudly declared the oath of the empire’s founding.

Beside him, the imposing presence grew, and Blade Wind, tall and stalwart, calmly surveyed all the clan leaders below.

Anyone caught in his gaze, whether Beastman or other races, dared not meet his eyes and could only submissively bow their heads, quietly listening to the priest’s oath.

Thinking the priest’s process too complicated or not hearing what he wanted, Blade Wind furrowed his brow and slightly raised his hand to signal him to stop speaking.

The priest, seeing this, abruptly stopped speaking, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not speak.

Clearly, this was not part of their arrangement, and Blade Wind’s actions were spontaneous and without precedent.

But Blade Wind, having founded the empire with force, clearly did not care about these trivial matters; he only cared about one thing...

"...This is a barbaric sea area."

Blade Wind slowly began to speak.

As he spoke, among the dense crowd below, not a single sound was made, enough to witness his fearsome majesty.

"We come from our respective races, possessing different talents..."

"We use sharp stones as blades, hunt giants, capture Sea Beasts, eat raw meat and drink blood, fight alone, our lifespan determined by fate, and fortune decides our full stomachs..."

"A few years ago, I did not think there was anything wrong with this..."

"Until I met the attendant of the god."

"He saved me and my brothers’ lives and brought me divine revelations, guiding me on the path forward, instructing me to lead this barbaric sea area out of wilderness and crisis, towards civilization."

Speaking here, Blade Wind’s face turned solemn, his eyes unwavering.

"Therefore, I established this empire."

"But the reason for the empire’s founding is because of our great god—the Master of the Black Tide."

"As long as we offer our faith, our master will grant us the power to cultivate, the skills to construct, and even more..."

"Furthermore, the current empire’s boundary line is by no means the endpoint!"

Blade Wind’s eyes are sharp as he gazes at the boundless sea, slowly spreading his arms.

"We will tread towards even greater paths under the guidance of the Master of the Black Tide!"

...

Rogel, being the primary embodiment of the Master of the Black Tide, naturally knew about the founding of the Hunting Empire.

Blade Wind, after all, had been enhanced with purified Demigod Blood by him.

With such body talent and his tenacious, ruthless will, sweeping through the Barbaric Sea Area in just a few years was within Rogel’s expectations.

Rogel, after waking from Mephisto’s dream, had indeed checked on his condition.

At that time, Blade Wind was already preparing to establish the empire...

After the empire’s founding.

It undoubtedly meant Rogel would acquire another territory providing faith.

This was undoubtedly advantageous for Rogel, who possessed the ability to merge.

However, despite this, Rogel’s current focus was not on Blade Wind but rather on the "small cloud clump" before him.

"Mephisto? You have not fallen?"

Rogel was somewhat surprised.

Just when he was about to leave earlier, the Mephisto in this dream suddenly stopped him, behaving unlike a mere dream.

"You could say that, but not for long..."

Mephisto just shook his head in response, speaking calmly.

"This..." Upon hearing this, Rogel frowned and was about to ask something, when Mephisto spoke first.

"There’s no need to elaborate on this; I don’t care about life or death, perhaps death would be easier for me..."

Finishing these words calmly, Mephisto went straight to the point.

"You should have already used what I left behind, seen that piece of history, right."

Mephisto’s tone contained affirmation.

Rogel paused silently for a moment, then nodded.

It seems Mephisto’s Monument of the Rambler was not coincidentally placed within the Cave.

"Who is the creator of the Cave, and what is your relationship with him?"

He directly raised this major question, hoping Mephisto would provide an answer.

"I’m sorry, but this I cannot divulge." Upon hearing this, Mephisto shook his head, again saying: "However, you will know the answer."

Rogel furrowed his brow.

Judging by Mephisto’s character, he wasn’t one to conceal himself merely for maintaining a so-called "mysterious air."

Thus, the likely reason for his reticence was singular...

At this moment, Mephisto seemed to encounter something unexpected, his body halted, then sighed: "Enough chatter, I haven’t much time left."

"You also saw my broken anchor point, that is the symbol of my limited time."

"When I exhaust my last bit of power, the threat will once again arise, transforming the beautiful dream into a terrifying nightmare..."

"After my fall, the world will enter a new phase of evolution."

"By then..."

At this point, Mephisto’s words suddenly paused, then the small dream clump he manipulated returned to its original position, no matter how Rogel called, it did not respond.

"This is troublesome..."

Mephisto evidently ran into sudden trouble, not even having time to finish his words.

This left Rogel helpless; this guy didn’t even know to emphasize key points.

Sighing, Rogel opened the game menu.

Seeing the readable save within, he sighed with relief.

"Now you better get to all the points."