Chapter 130: Turtle Shell - V

Looking through the enchantments beneath his feet and peering into the supposedly secret passageway further below, Aventine fell into thought. Outside, the Beast Humans continued to sacrifice themselves, one body at a time, to ’distract the Space Mage and keep him preoccupied.’ In the secret passage below, the leaders of the 16 Claws were advancing with haste.

However, none of these things concerned him at the moment.

His earlier comprehension of certain things, particularly his statement about <Fate>, had triggered something that now lingered within his gaze.

A golden screen—far grander than the beautiful white version he’d receive from his Divine Branch contributions—had appeared silently, yet oozing magnificence.

[You have tread upon a mystery of existence and comprehended a minuscule portion of a universal Law!]

[Law of Fate Comprehension: 0.42%]

[Congratulations, Hunter Aventine Tidea! The Gaea System applauds your divine might!]

"Heh," A chuckle had inadvertently escaped his lips in amusement.

Indeed, perhaps <Fate> made a mistake.

With this message, Aventine could further leverage [Absolute Awareness] and advance this mysterious comprehension.

What would happen if he completed his understanding?

Was he the only one dabbling in this mystical pursuit?

Aventine couldn’t help but ponder deeper into things.

With the <Law of Fate> comprehension he’d just cemented into his mind, many of the plans he’d just started crafting suddenly deepened with a layer of blood.

After all...

The main point of comprehension that Aventine had gained...

Was an understanding that, with the Gaea System in hand, he had the capacity to continuously devour the fates of others.

And how would he do this?

Slaughter.

The Gaea System was an object of constant entropy, never tending towards disorder and always recycling every piece of energy with perfect efficiency. Thus, everything he killed would contribute to his growth in the form of Levels. Even the elusive, enigmatic existence known as <Fate> was also being recycled somehow.

It was something that <Fate> intended to use against him, but it was quite an astounding concept to be able to recycle something as immaterial as its threads.

Why was that?

Aventine had figured it out with his recent comprehension. Unlike his usual inquiries, this particular knowledge came naturally, as if gifted by meeting this certain level of understanding.

There was no consumption of mana on his part.

It was an achievement gained outside of his Gift alone.

’The Gaea System should be a product of Earth—of the world that had given birth to an ability related to [Omniscience]. From what I can deduce, Earth should have been the womb where such a power would inevitably be born. Or could it have already been born in the past...?’

Aventine was unsure.

But his escape had created a variable.

’Now that I’m in Fleim... That single variable has been multiplied and exponentiated. The Gaea System, which seems to be built upon something from yet another world aside from Earth and Fleim, has created a unique interaction with Fleim’s <Laws>.’

What was that power from another world?

’It should be... [Omnipotence], no?’

Aventine’s intuition agreed with his thoughts. Apparently, there was no other power capable of forcefully maintaining absolute order, capable of single-handedly restraining the inevitable end that Earth’s universe was destined to approach.

Thus.

’The combination of the womb of [Omniscience] and some tiny piece of [Omnipotence] gave birth to the Gaea System.’

Aventine intuitively understood this truth.

And now that he faced the approach of a bunch of A-Rank Beast Humans... he felt a certain coldhearted inclination born of this comprehension.

A wry smile appeared on his face.

"So, is my path forward... A path of slaughter?"

Of blood, flesh, and bone.

Of lives snuffed out en masse.

Aventine closed his eyes and shifted his sight to view the mysterious threads of <Fate> entangling him. Looking at the grey and white wisps accompanying every drifting, shackling string, he could feel his comprehension of the <Law of Fate> grow a little.

"Hehehehehe,"

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His laugh was tinged with a hint of insanity and dark delight.

"Hahahaha!"

Gron, who was worriedly looking outside in fear of the Beast Human onslaught, shuddered.

What was happening?

Was Aventine going mad?

"...Hey, is... Is there something wrong?" Gron couldn’t help but ask.

Aventine’s obsidian eyes were gleaming in a vibrant azure, leaking liquid mana. "Ah, well, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just that... This world of yours is truly cruel."

"...Huh?" Gron frowned.

Fleim was a world where <Fate> governed all things, and all beings within were caught in its web, unable to free themselves.

A world where one was never truly free.

A world where even the greatest, strongest beings—the gods—were nothing but slaves.

"See, these Beast Humans attacking us are truly pitiful. They’ve been backed into a corner, and their only way out is to kill me."

Aventine sighed, "Alas, I cannot allow that. Though I do have the option to save them... Something will stop me from doing so. I don’t know what that something is, but if I do try... I will be the first one to be crucified before being reduced to ashes.

"Then, these Beast Humans would follow after me and suffer extermination."

Gron displayed an expression of confusion. What was this young man talking about all of a sudden? Why did it seem like he’d been hit by an existential crisis?

"So... Uh, what’s going to happen now?"

"...A massacre." Aventine’s words sent a chill down Gron’s spine. It was said in a way that bled with excitement. "Since they’re all allegedly fated to die, I’ll create a massacre that can satisfy my curiosity."

A slaughter to analyze <Fate>. The shiniest thing that Fleim had to offer. It sounded as if Aventine was barely holding in his laughter.

"Ah, how fun!"

—BOOM!

Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from Aventine... and Gron felt as if a thousand eyes looked in his direction, peeling through every layer of his existence.

Looking for whatever could kill him in the swiftest manner possible.

Then, Aventine spoke again.

"My fellow human, Gron Gaven."

His voice was plain, but it continued to make Gron warier each time his voice resounded.

"Have you heard about how an <Act of Blasphemy> usually comes about?"

"...No, I have not," Gron admitted. "What do you even mean by an <Act of Blasphemy>? Why invoke mana to refer to it?"

Aventine laughed. "An <Act of Blasphemy>, specifically, is to go against the gods—and therefore, to go against <Fate>. With an extreme sacrifice, one can forcefully break the machinations and schemes that bind one’s life to a cruel or undesirable end."

It was time to break out of this turtle shell of contemplation and strike with full force. At first, Aventine had wanted to act within his capacity and go with the flow that <Fate> dictated for him.

But that fantasy swiftly shattered when his levelling plan was abruptly torn apart.

So, he changed his mind.

"And why are you telling me this?" Gron still struggled to speak from the pain that kept erupting all throughout his body. "What does it have to do with me?"

Aventine placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If you ever find yourself in a situation where all hope is lost... It is because <Fate> schemed for your downfall. Therefore, <Blasphemy> would be your only way forward."

One by one, elemental Magic Circles appeared around Aventine’s body. The flair of the legendary <Archmagus> Daimyuon seemed to overlap with his figure at this moment.

Gron, hailing from the Grand City of Laquer, could attest to this sight.

"I want you to bear witness to this moment where I commit an <Act of Blasphemy>," Aventine said, chuckling slightly. "Watch, and maybe you can mimic it yourself if you so wish."

** *

Grevira and the other leaders of the 16 Claws were only a dozen meters away from breaking into the heir’s room above.

Just as they approached the final corridor, they felt a massive surge of mana in their surroundings.

"This...!"

One of the leaders exclaimed in fright, their fur standing on end.

Before they could react—

—BOOM!

A huge, rumbling explosion shook the world above them. Dust and debris rained down on their bodies, swiftly depositing a layer of dirt.

"...!"

Grevira’s eyes shook. A flash of expectation crossed her gaze.

This was perfect!

"The Space Mage is attacking!"

And, judging by the sheer magnitude of the mana released, it was an attack worthy of several A-Rank mages all at once. He was going all-out.

Grevira suddenly charged.

"Everyone! We must strike now! Charge in while he’s distracted and tear him to pieces!"

—AWOOOOO!

One of the leaders, a Beastman with a hulking body and spiky black fur—a Wolfman—suddenly howled.

"Let me lead the charge!"

—Crack!

The floor where he stood shattered as he rushed up the inclined corridor. The metallic clangor of his extended claws hummed with a rush of mana.

His body swelled along with his aura.

[Physical Enhancement].

[Greater Physical Enhancement].

[Rapid Charge].

[Steel Claw Art: Ripping Stone]!

Four Martial Arts layered upon him, multiplying his inflated A-Rank physical stats worthy of a beast in humanoid form.

Then, his arms tensed. Blood rushed through his veins, and mana surged along every fiber of his being.

With five steel claws extending from both hands, the Wolfman first slashed with his left hand—

"HAH!!"

And then his right—

—BOOM!

And the ceiling above him erupted upwards, shredding stone, marble, and revealing hundreds of intricate enchantments—their secret weapon to force the Space Mage to stay.

"Face me, thief!"

The Wolfman roared in accompaniment with the havoc he’d caused.