Chapter 486
The dwarf’s eyes told me how long he had lived. The wrinkles all over his face also indicated that he had lived much longer than any dwarves.
However, when he referred to the Old One as an evil spirit, I wanted to know his exact location. Unlike his eyes which were filled with wisdom from life lessons, the power from him was so faint. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that I barely felt anything.
[You have completely seen through the subject.]
[Dwarf Who Lost His Fighting Spirit (Species)
He is seeking mercy.
Level: 1]
“Please accept this.”
The old dwarf handed me the record of Saint Cassian. He looked serious as if he was performing a solemn ritual. Nonetheless, I couldn’t shake off the suspicion that he could be a sacrifice that the dwarves had picked.
The power holders here and the founders of the kingdom, famous swordsmen and wizards who left their names on a page of history all had been devoting their efforts to Mana training for the same reason. Mana was the power of the Old One, and it was the basis of the order of this world because the strongest means of seizing or maintaining authority was by using one’s own strength.
However, the dwarf who stood before me as the king of his species had not trained in any way. I grabbed his face and forcefully turned it toward me.
“Eup!”
Even a little force would make his whole head burst. The dwarf couldn’t breathe as I gripped his lower jaw. There was no resistance, and it was brave of him not to drop the records in the midst of all this.
“You, the so-called king, have not trained in Mana. I doubt if you are actually the King Foyer,” I said as I looked down at the dwarf’s eyes filled with terror.
He seemed very desperate, so I let go of his mouth. The old dwarf started to straighten his pain-wrinkled face and posture. Then, he opened his lips and blood flowed out.
“Mana is the power of the evil god. Only those who do not know the truth accept it. Do not doubt me. I am the Foyer you are looking for. I am asking for your mercy on behalf of my people. How can I make you trust me?”
I demanded, “Open the boundary before I break it myself.”
If his claim was true, then the king himself was staking everyone’s fate.
However, that was only an ideal case as the reality was totally different. The dwarf had no other tricks. He was not only facing me alone, but there was also no weapon hidden on his humble figure.
I frowned again at the sight that I had never seen from the Greenwood species, orcs, and Awakened. It did not matter whether the belief of the old dwarf was good or bad because it did not affect my choice.
It had always been like that. If my decision guaranteed the safety of the mainland, then I did not differentiate between good and evil. From the beginning, I didn’t have any other choice. There were many other forms of ‘murdering’ besides slitting one’s throat with a knife. The fate of humans was determined by my word even before the Day of Advent, so this unimportant dwarf was…
The dwarf had chosen the wrong person. Mercy? What was mercy?
“Then, please look at this first. Please… mercy…”
He held out the records again, and I said while snatching it, “Even if you hadn’t offered it, everything in the underground…”
[You have obtained Saint Cassian’s Records.]
…
[You have obtained Saint Cassian’s Records.]
“Everything you have, including your lives, is destined to come into my hands.”
The dwarf was not flustered. He lowered his head and replied, “Saint Cassian also stated that in the records. He said you would exterminate our kind.”
The story of the dwarf was listed on the first page of dozens of records.
[A Part of Saint Cassian’s Records
Category: Prediction
Source: Species - Dwarf
Target - King Foyer]
「...In the far future, the Dwarves will not escape wrath just like the Orcs. It will begin in the era of King Foyer.
Your resistance will be powerless. The throne made of gold will melt down a molten red, and even the strong warriors will follow fate with the melted throne. The poor people of the kingdom will be sacrificed as they blankly watch the downfall of the great mountain of your splendid civilization, Umbert. What is more pitiful is that there will not be a single corpse left. The hardened blood on your land will be scattered into dust, and the only thing flowing on the torn earth will be lava.
Believe me. Do not doubt. I have clearly seen the Doom Man who will slaughter you on that day.」
The dwarf interrupted, “That is the great mountain, Umbert, that Saint Cassian mentioned.”
There was a hill with a sturdy peak when I followed his gaze. However, rather than a brilliant civilization being in place, it was left wild in its primitive state. The first thing I did as soon as I confirmed it was to activate the Absolute Warzone domain because Doom Kaos and Old One would be watching all of this.
In the process, the old dwarf became silent.
I ordered, “Continue.”
“Our ancestors had planned to establish the foundation of the kingdom in Umbert. However, they chose the underground after hearing Saint Cassian’s words and created three absolute laws for their descendants.”
He gulped his saliva and added, “First, do not interfere in the affairs of the above ground as it will invoke the wrath of the evil god. Second, do not train in Mana as it will lead to the extinction of the race. Third, despite doing all of that, always be wary and prepared for external invasions. The power contained in the mana stones will make it possible.”
He spoke as if he was confessing the sins of his people. He then paused, waiting for me to turn the page.
The next record was about the war, and it was a continuation of the records I had seen before. The reason why the Awakened could not find it no matter how hard they tried was because it was right here. There was no way they could find it as the dwarves had been hiding it for a long time to prepare for today!
[A Part of Saint Cassian’s Records
Category: War
Source: Species - Dwarf
Target - King Foyer]
[...Afterward, I also realized something about the mysterious death that White faced. Poor White had glimpsed His plan ahead of me, and it was obvious that he had come to know what he shouldn’t have known.
I could vividly imagine how White would have trembled. I deeply empathized with the fear that White must have felt as he headed for the battleground with Doom Entegasto. He had to feel the terror of being killed by the hands of his father who had given birth to him, and I, too, could not escape from the same feeling for a while. The one who killed White and even extinguished his soul was He, our father and creator.
What followed was an unspeakable sense of betrayal. His plan was more horrible and malicious than the Demon King’s. How could he contemplate exterminating all the beings he had created?
He denied everything we had protected. All of us were denied our existence. I screamed and screamed in front of the Tree of World.
What is recorded from now on is everything I have seen and come to know. It is the despair and disaster that our distant descendants will encounter. Through this record, you will notice the evil in His grand scheme.
You will find out what he is trying to make Doom Man, a being that has not yet come, do by sacrificing us. When you discover what He is trying to achieve by sacrificing Doom Man, you will inevitably empathize with the betrayal I felt. You will figure out his identity.
Before moving on to the next chapter, remember his name ‘Doom Man’ once again. Remember that our Lord Lacryma originated from evil. A being who plans to massacre all creatures for the sake of victory of his own body cannot be described other than the word ‘evil.’]
When I read the last sentence, a familiar feeling wrapped around me.
[You are reading Saint Cassian’s Records.]
[You have successfully read the intense memories of Saint Cassian contained in the document.]
[Forty percent of the Old One’s True Ending is included.]
[* This is a part of the Good Ending, True Ending, and Bad Ending of the Old One.]
[Old One’s True Ending (Information)
Information Completion: 70%
Secured Keywords: Death of Na Seon-Hu, Escape of Doom Kaos, Tree of World (Purification Device), Annihilation]
The page evaporated from my hand.
“Ah…”
The dwarf couldn’t hide his surprise at that moment. After all, it was known to have been enchanted by a preservation magic by Saint Cassian that could not be destroyed by anything. I picked it up, looking forward to what the dwarves had prepared for the next chapter.
[The last page of Saint Cassian’s Records]
[Thirty percent of the Old One’s True Ending is included.]
It was the last page.
「I am sad. Our Lord’s real name is neither Lacryma nor System, but the Old One. Do not be fooled by His alias. At the end of the old battle, the Old One gave up what he should not have given up. He abandoned his creatures.
Now you know about His grand plan. In the end, I, too, will not be able to avoid the same fate as White, so this is my last record and resistance. I left everything I knew that could be a strength to you here. Even if I die, I must pass this on to you. So learn and use it.
Resist to the end so that His evil plan does not go as planned. Unite without distinguishing races and be ready for the time when you encounter the one who will bring blood and darkness. The malicious evil god, who was once called our Lord. 」
[You are reading Saint Cassian’s Records.]
“It has been a long time for our tribe. Our ancestors had to make many sacrifices to keep the absolute law, but now we know that those sacrifices were not in vain. That is why I am begging for your mercy.”
The dwarf was missing one important fact. He was probably too ashamed to say it, and I understood why. Nonetheless, the direction chosen by the ancestors of the Dwarves and that were adhered to by their descendants was completely opposite to Saint Cassian’s last will.
I said while looking at a fairly large pile of records, “You and your ancestors did not let anyone know about this truth. Although you worship Saint Cassian like a true saint, you did not follow his last will. You monopolized the truth.”
The dwarf replied, “Our ancestors were wise. Thanks to them, you are currently listening to our tribe’s words, right?”
The records in my hand then vanished.
[The combination of the information read so far has been completed.]
The last page also evaporated.
[You have completed the information ‘Old One’s True Ending.’]