Chapter 222 - 219: Immortalize Oneself

Chapter 222: Chapter 219: Immortalize Oneself

As these words ended, the Secret Realm seemed to shift on its own. Hama Pi felt a slight sense of weightlessness as its vision blurred.

When its vision cleared, it was already in a special place within the Secret Place’s architecture: the hearth lounge.

Few people had ever come here; only Doudou would often visit to barbecue.

But one had to admit, the space before the hearth was perfect for conversation, especially with a little fellow like the Ear-Piercing Monster, who was full of schemes.

Although it was daylight outside, within the Secret Realm, any environment was possible.

A fire was already blazing in the hearth. Despite the hot weather outside, here it only brought a feeling of warmth and comfort.

In the dim light, a few old-fashioned sofas were scattered in semicircles around the fireplace.

At Qin Xiaoxia’s gesture, Hama Pi hesitated for a moment before sitting on a comfortable sofa, just as Qin Xiaoxia had.

Now, only Qin Xiaoxia and Hama Pi remained, but its state of mind did not relax.

It was still thinking about what had been said earlier.

’That just now... it wasn’t an illusion?’

Hama Pi’s heart was now pounding, and it didn’t know how to describe what it was feeling.

’Did the powerful Magic Controller suddenly change locations just to avoid "Comir"?’

Seeing that the other being didn’t speak after it sat down, it couldn’t hold back any longer.

"The Six... the Six Great Order Laws, shouldn’t they be..."

"Shouldn’t they be just Laws? Shouldn’t Comir be just a personification of the Law? Is that what you want to ask?"

The Ear-Piercing Monster timidly looked around, afraid that Comir was nearby. It dared to think such things, but it didn’t dare to ask so directly.

Qin Xiaoxia had no desire to frighten it further. It would be beneath him to state the obvious if it wasn’t necessary.

"Did you think we didn’t know that an Akenis like you is just a third-rate nobody? Do you really think we care about the things you possess?"

He sat up from the sofa and leaned down, closing the distance with the Ear-Piercing Monster.

"As an Akenis Merchant, Hama Pi, what is your dream?"

The question stunned the Ear-Piercing Monster for a moment. It couldn’t quite follow this powerful being’s train of thought. ’Weren’t we just talking about Comir?’

But as a life-cherishing Akenis, Hama Pi naturally didn’t dare to press the issue when the other being didn’t elaborate, especially when it vaguely sensed a world-shattering secret hidden behind it all.

And when it came to dreams, almost every Akenis was the same.

"I want to gain immense wealth through trade!"

"And after you gain that wealth?"

"Of course, I want to get ahead in life, to show off in front of those guys in the merchant guild who look down on me, to grind them all under my heel, to find more beautiful mates, to enslave more..."

"Enough!"

The dream was so straightforwardly corrupt. It would only get more sordid if it continued.

Qin Xiaoxia’s sharp rebuke made Hama Pi even more anxious, but it had only stated its true dream.

Before, it might have dared to spout nonsense, but ever since learning that Comir might actually exist, the immense pressure made it impossible to lie.

To be honest, Hama Pi’s fear was nothing compared to that of the Eye of Void back then. As they say, your position determines your perspective. A being on the Demon Eye’s level had a much deeper understanding of the world and the Laws. Its fear after learning of the "True God" was beyond ordinary comprehension.

Hama Pi’s feeling, on the other hand, was simply the pressure of facing a great personage—except this personage was possibly the most supreme being within its scope of understanding.

If the True God of Order truly existed, then the ones who absolutely could not show any falsehood before it were undoubtedly Comir and Windsor.

"So, in short, besides wanting to enjoy yourself, you’re looking forward to that sense of accomplishment? Making everyone who once looked down on you see you in a new light, and then, once they try to curry favor with you, plunging them into ruthless despair?"

Hama Pi’s eyes lit up.

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s exactly it! I’m determined to bring despair to all those who once looked down on me!"

On a sofa in the darkness nearby, the Red Demoness chuckled, covering her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

’This Akenis is quick to plagiarize concepts.’

Regardless of what others thought, Hama Pi itself felt that summarizing its long-winded dream into these two short sentences was far more stylish. Later, after some learning, it would use a new word to describe this feeling: "clout."

"Heheheh..."

Qin Xiaoxia laughed upon hearing its grand ambition. To the Ear-Piercing Monster’s eyes, the laugh sounded neither happy nor mocking, but it was strange.

"Um... Great Magic Controller, what are you laughing at?"

The laughter gradually subsided, and Qin Xiaoxia looked at it, shaking his head slightly.

"How boring. One hundred out of one hundred Akenis Merchants have the same dream. That’s why the Akenis are still looked down upon, no matter how impressively they develop."

The words were harsh, but Hama Pi couldn’t refute them.

Qin Xiaoxia had stated an undeniable fact. No matter how resourceful Akenis Merchants were, even to the point of conducting trade across worlds, in the eyes of outsiders, they were still just vulgar, profiteering merchants—useful when needed, but not worth a second thought when they weren’t.

Even Mumu had spoken of the Akenis with disdain when mentioning them to Qin Xiaoxia.

"We’ve also made efforts to raise our status!"

This unwritten rule was known to all, but Hama Pi’s words sounded weak. Every Akenis cared only for profit and never paid much attention to anything else, including the life or death of their kin—unless that kin was a beautiful female.

"Is that so? Is it really?"

The voice from across held a hint of pity, as if some words were being left unsaid.

In the past, even if someone had asked, Hama Pi wouldn’t have cared about such things; it was no skin off its back. But today was different.

The being it faced was at the apex of its understanding. This Magic Controller before it, who dared to speak Comir’s name without any honorifics in the very place where Comir had appeared, was anything but simple.

Thinking deeply about anything can be frightening. Qin Xiaoxia had created just such an atmosphere for the Ear-Piercing Monster, forcing Hama Pi to ponder why he was asking this question.

Within the Secret Realm, the Red Demoness’s power was slowly filling the hall.

In the dim room, Hama Pi’s gaze flickered and shifted with the warm flames of the hearth.

It tried hard to reflect on its own past and the past of the Akenis.

From culture to tradition, from childhood to learning, from independence to venturing out into the world...

"Have you found it, Hama Pi? That aura of death!"

Qin Xiaoxia’s voice sounded faintly, yet it didn’t interrupt Hama Pi’s train of thought.

In this magical environment where all emotions were amplified many times over, hearing that voice made Hama Pi suddenly feel flustered.

It suddenly realized that the entire Akenis Clan, for who knows how long, had been exuding a strange, musty stench from beneath its seemingly prosperous merchant culture—a stench so strong it felt like it could actually smell it.

Its memory had never manifested so wondrously. Hazy white scenes began to appear before its eyes, and as it recalled more, more images materialized.

Some were from its childhood, some from its adulthood; in some it was a bystander, in others a participant.

Yes, their small figures were active in every corner of their own world, and the capable ones were even active in other worlds.

Everything was obtained through trade. It seemed convenient, but... how long had it been since they had shown any spirit of innovation?

The entire clan revolved around trade. Those who couldn’t become merchants were slowly weeded out. Whether they died or something else happened to them, Hama Pi didn’t know.

There were no artists, no great heroes, no powerful Magic Controllers apart from those relying on external means, not even a single decent cook.

For many Akenis, the concept of family ties had grown increasingly faint, and their numbers were growing.

Wealth and self-interest—the Akenis had gained much, but it seemed they had lost even more.

The long-standing clan mindset had constrained Hama Pi’s imagination. It couldn’t identify more problems, but it instinctively realized something was wrong with its clan.

This process of recollection and association lasted for a full two hours without interruption. The Red Demoness’s power in the Secret Realm continuously amplified these feelings, to the point that Hama Pi gradually became pessimistic.

It seemed even the thrill of gaining wealth had become tasteless, leaving a sense of depression from having lost its dream.

"This world you have come to is a place of dark tides hidden within the Void. No one has ever been able to find it."

Qin Xiaoxia’s voice suddenly broke Hama Pi’s train of thought.

"This world is so precious that beings like myself and Comir are willing to lie dormant here for countless years, just waiting for an opportunity!"

Hama Pi saw the powerful being break into a smile—one filled with a benevolent mystique that made its heart race.

"You are the luckiest of all Akenis, to have accidentally arrived in this world before the coming of the Dark Tide!"

"Let me tell you what true accomplishment is!"

It watched as the powerful being stood up from the sofa. The firelight cast his shadow, stretching it long into the darkness.

"True accomplishment is doing what others cannot, changing a destiny that seems unchangeable, becoming the first and most important turning point in a new history—to be remembered by history, to make yourself immortal!"

The voice started soft, but by the end, it was like rolling thunder in Hama Pi’s ears, striking its heart again and again with powerful blows!