Chapter 487
[Old One’s True Ending (Information)
In a time when both Doom Kaos’ and the Old One’s faction could no longer sustain the war, this is the realistic ending devised by Old One.
True Ending: Old One left a unique privilege, ‘Complete Retriever’ when he collided with Doom Kaos. After Na Seon-Hu acquired it, he destroyed Doom Kaos’s faction and started collecting the remaining powers in the Old One’s group.
Right before the last battle against Doom Kaos, Na Seon-Hu forced the Old One to promise three things. However, his real plan was to retreat from the fight when the Old One joined the war as promised.
Nonetheless, the Old One did not appear, contrary to the promise when the final battle between Na Seon-Hu and Doom Kaos began. Na Seon-Hu suggested to Doom Kaos that they fight after they collaborate in eliminating the Old One.
Then, the device hidden in the privilege ‘Complete Retriever’ started to work by the authority of Old One, which neither Na Seon-Hu nor Doom Kaos expected. Na Seon-Hu tried to suppress the immense power on the verge of explosion from the inner world, but despite the help of his aide, he failed.
The explosion led to the destruction of not only Doom Kaos and Na Seon-Hu but also of the entire Saint Dragorin. The only thing left in Saint Dragorin was a Tree of World under the protection of the Old One. The tree absorbed the power from the explosion, Na Seon-Hu, and Doom Kaos.
Doom Kaos managed to escape, but there was no sign of resurrection from Na Seon-Hu as his physique and mentality were already ruined. The Old One, who was busy collecting their power, had no choice but to chase after Doom Kaos.
Instead, Old One stopped the battle that was taking place on Na Seon-Hu’s mainland and began preparing for the next war by mobilizing all mankind. The war between Doom Kaos and Old One entered a new phase.
The end. 」
I was right. What the Old One wanted to leave me was not the divine realm, the System Administrator. Originally it would have been a much-downgraded version, the ‘Complete Retriever.’
Although I had already assumed that, the exhilaration that came to me suddenly made me laugh. The apostasy of Saint Cassian and the intervention of Doom Kaos were both favorable situations for me. The old battles had been creating variables, and even the Old One couldn’t deal with them.
The war of the two gods was creating a new god, me!
***
The True Ending Old One had hoped for was already a failure. That was his old plan. He was definitely in an urgent situation to modify the plan as Saint Cassian’s betrayal was unexpected.
Familiar names stood out in the next page and the page after. One of the prophecies stated that the Great White was alive, and the one I confronted before colliding with Doom Kaos was White, not Green. The remaining prophecies have undoubtedly become useless records.
I commented, “Your ancestors have gathered quite a lot.”
The old dwarf answered as if he had been waiting, “Our tribe sacrificed the most when Saint Cassian fought against the evil god.”
The battle between Saint Cassian and Old One took place in the area traditionally occupied by the old dwarves. If the records had been torn to pieces, then they must have been scattered most in the vicinity.
I read through the remaining records. The war and prediction edition were documented on the first pages to convince me, and all the parts after them were tutorial parts. Blueprints began to show up frequently.
From a certain point, something appeared.
[A Part of Saint Cassian’s Records
Category: Educational
Source: Species - Dwarf
Target - King Foyer]
[You have obtained the blueprint ‘Magic Engineering Defense Device (SS-1).’]
I dropped it in front of the dwarf’s face.
“It must be the boundary,” I stated, trying to hide my joy. The real treasure was something else. The Old One’s True Ending and even the numerous blueprints acquired were nothing compared to this!
“I have given you everything without missing anything.”
“Tell me. Do you think your barrier will be safe from me?”
The words from my mouth sounded as if I was grinding because I was suppressing my pounding heart. The old dwarf had been cautious about every word he said, and especially the answer he had to give this time did not come out even with a long pause.
When I struck the boundary, I felt something similar to the operation of the skill from it. Just as the skill recharged itself, these barriers had a power to recover themselves. That was why the dwarf could not answer easily. Any answer would provoke me, leading him to a life-or-death situation.
“I will consider your silence as an answer.”
When I responded that way, a bigger ripple spread in the dwarf’s pupils. I left him confused and entered a certain area.
[You have entered System Administrator mode.]
[You have zoomed in on the blueprint ‘Magic Engineering Defense Device (SS-1).’]
The ancient text written in the style of Saint Cassian started filling my view. There were even drawings that could be considered blueprints. The area I had to modify was not that difficult. I could leave the abilities of the formless and colorless barrier as they were and only change the color overlaid upon it into transparent.
There was no need to delve into the principle of motion. The domain of divinity was different. There were infinite possibilities, and reactions in accord with my thoughts started to occur. Each letter squirmed as if imbued with life, and minor changes began taking place on the blueprint. Life filled the entire blueprint.
[You have completed editing the blueprint ‘Magic Engineering Defense Device (SS-1).’]
I stretched out my fingers in sync with the time.
[You have created ‘Odin’s Records.’]
It was just making a single sheet of paper, and the XP I spent could not be converted into numbers anyway. However, the content enclosed within was worth investing any amount of XP. A slightly modified version of Saint Cassian’s existing records appeared in my hands.
[Odin’s Records (Miscellaneous)
Numerous sentences in the Dragorin language and multiple pictures are crammed onto mainland paper. It closely resembles a copy, slightly modified from one of Saint Cassian’s Records.]
“Ah…”
The dwarf stared at it in awe, his mouth hanging wide open and his eyes blinking rapidly without him realizing it. Multiple points created a plane, instead of bursting through the space. When a sheet of paper was created in this way, the word that a dwarf could think of would indeed be ‘creation.’
It was not just the paper. Creating a level-one physical body would not require much effort. If I used the soul of a dwarf as a material, I could make an exact copy of this old dwarf. The delusion of two with the same memory claiming to be the real one would no longer just be a delusion.
The Old One had dropped such power on me.
“I heard you represent the entire dwarf tribe,” I said.
The dwarf finally shifted his gaze back to me. “That is correct.”
“Then, you will be able to make the decision right here,” I answered, handing over the copy. The dwarf took it with trembling hands. He seemed to have noticed a slight change in the copy.
I continued, “There is no need to be surprised. I am giving you a chance to beg for mercy.”
“...Please go ahead.”
“I will have to put that device on my mainland. You seem to have already secured enough material. The size of my homeland is larger than your underground domain. If materials are lacking, then I will make up for it separately.”
He pointed out, “That is no different from asking us to dismantle our barrier.”
“Wasn't that barrier created to stop me? If you beg for mercy, then it has already served its purpose. You can be free from me just by fixing your device and moving it to my homeland. Isn’t this a satisfying trade for both of us?”
“Please give me some time to think…” he said plaintively.
“You clearly said with your own mouth that you represented the tribe.”
“Our barrier was not just to stop you.”
“You are quite narrow-minded as someone who knows the prophecy. You are simply dull, not careful. What else can threaten you if it’s not me? Orcs? Elves? There is nothing to say if they are the Greenwood species.”
I narrowed my eyes. “The only servant the evil king, the Old One, has left is the Great Red. Even the Spirit Kings are overwhelmed as they are dealing with my girl. You will have no problem coming to the surface now. Of course, that is only if I free you.”
The old dwarf took my words seriously. When I told him there would be no issue for them to come out to the surface, his eyes deepened. I gave him time to think because I knew the burden of determining his own kind’s fate better than anyone else. If he still refused, then there was nothing I could do.
I didn’t break the barrier as that would only waste precious mana stones. I had no choice but to wait five nights for the gate to open and then enter.
The dwarf looked at the copy, then slowly lifted his head toward me. He seemed to have made a decision.
“There is one condition.”
What? Condition?
I felt the blood vessels on my forehead pulsating. I didn’t get a headache only from entering the Realm of the Ultimate.
He said plainly, “Please be our god.”
“...”
“Please allow us to worship you. It is not just because I doubt that you will keep your promise.”
I pointed out, “You would know who is above me. Worshiping me is no different from serving the demon Doom Kaos.”
He shook his head and said, “You will be the only one for us. Please. Please, allow us.”
I shrugged. “Okay, fine. It is up to you, but I won’t be doing anything for you.”
He nodded. “Giving us freedom is enough.”
“You will see about that.”
[You have activated Gate Formation.]
I opened a passage to the mainland, retrieving the Absolute Warzone. A blast of superheat rushed out immediately. The flaming eye that broke in turned its attention to its surroundings after staring at me.
It was a swift motion, fitting for someone in the Ender section. He came out, detonating a fireball. The superheated flames that sprouted all around blocked the entire field of view.
Roaaaaaar—
The fire was in sync with his will, similar to how my lightning bolts were controlled by me.
Soon, Jonathan looked at me. He was still wary. He gave a nod, and I responded to him by shaking my head side to side.
“What is this?” Jonathan asked while looking down at the dwarf as if he were about to kill him.