342 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 342: How Can One Not Be Enraged! However, his anger could not find release. Even after mastering divine power, the path to ascension remained elusive. Moreover, attaining the demigod's realm with magic only increased his mana thirst. Rooting out those spreading disrespectful rumors would merely shorten his remaining time on the continent. Thus, he was forced to make a choice. Abandon the human race and pursue the path to ascension beyond the devil's territory. Or stay in the world, accept the fall from grace, and once again acknowledge the limits of his lifespan. And so, he rejected both options. Fleeing from the 'traitors' seemed to be the heart of any option he faced. If there was no path to tread, then creating one on his own would suffice. From then on, he encouraged the humans to have faith in the Nine Gods. His change in stance was grounded in the essence of divine power. Divine power was akin to seeds sown by the Nine Gods in the world. The flower that blooms from consuming human potential ultimately matures into a fruitful harvest that returns to the divine. Thus, he intended to position himself as the representative of faith and personally consume that 'fruit' meant for the gods. If his abilities alone were insufficient, he would ascend by appropriating the power of those betrayers. With that plan, he founded the cult of the Nine Gods. Over a span of a hundred years, his plan seemed to be a success. As the "Unified Pope," he was the ruler of humans and a peak of the Nine Gods’ worship, often referred to as another god. He believed the rewards he deserved and the interest on those rewards were finally in his grasp. In the sweetness of the power he tasted belatedly, he underestimated both the traitors and the gods—only realizing this too late. While he extended his lifespan by embracing divine power, his connection to mana waned. Instead, he focused more on manipulating the human 'mind' to gather divine power and transcending the 'dimensional' limitations. Oblivious to the turmoil beneath him, he devoted himself to his ascension. A fatal misstep. As he gathered the 'sacrifices' necessary to seize a hint of ascension and began the ceremony, eight archpriests who had been assisting the rite betrayed him unanimously. He was taken by surprise, as he had never imagined that his once-devoted underlings would turn against him so abruptly. Upon seeing their faces, the reason for his blunder dawned on him. They were no longer his followers. They were those who possessed the bodies of his subordinates under the guise of 'Apostles', containing elements of the traitors' personas. They had stabbed him in the back. Of course, even focused solely on ascension, he was a supreme being. Under normal circumstances, the shards of gods, barely sending slivers of their power and personality to his realm, wouldn't have been a match for him. Yet, at the precipice of ascension, with nine-tenths of his power bound to the rite, the situation was different. Despite this, he managed to handle all the 'Apostles'. The cost was unbearable. The divine fragments meticulously gathered were lost. The majority of the power which was rightfully his was scattered to the winds. A rare opportunity vanished into nothingness. The gods who forcefully created these 'Apostles' must have suffered significant setbacks themselves. This was his only solace. His craving grew more intense because of this. Within the nonsense uttered by the Apostles accusing him of blasphemy lay a hint. His method wasn’t wrong. Without their interference, he could have become a far more 'powerful' deity than those traitors who had ascended first. However, the strain from dealing with the Apostles and the distortion of the ritual inflicted irreparable injuries upon him. But there was a yet greater issue. With the collapse of the cult’s leadership, the organization he painstakingly built would scatter, though it might eventually regroup. The gods would thoroughly erase his traces. In humanity's history, his name too would be obliterated, in accordance with the will of the gods they worship. This signified the death of the soul. A true annihilation of character, denying all the achievements of Arcane Saint Zibrik Kassel. Indeed, no texts contain any mention of the first demigod of humanity, Zibrik Kassel. It was strange that the one who instigated the Great Migration of other races a millennium after should remain unrecorded. He did not wish to vanish without a trace. He longed to leave potential behind, the possibility that—if not him—another might rise to the peak of humanity and crush those traitors as a human god. Hence, he gathered the remaining divine fragments and his last strength to leave a legacy. To whoever was worthy, they would hear his voice and claim the power hidden within his legacy. Flash. Once again, a brilliant white light spread. Logan could only recognize he stood alone in a white space much later. Immense amounts of information—the rapid experience of an absolute existence's life—flooded his mind, making it hard to regain his senses. 'This is unbelievable...' Only after sorting his chaotic thoughts did Logan realize he was still in an unknown space and sensed someone standing before him. – Are you conscious? A man with red hair and red eyes. An unusual appearance not seen in anyone outside Maclaine’s direct family. The middle-aged man, likely resembling Logan when he grew older, spoke to him. Now, Logan could be certain who this man was. “…Zibrik Kassel?” – Yes, my descendant. “…Descendant?” – Do you not see it? If you have witnessed my memories, you should know I do not speak falsehoods. “…It seems so.” The appearance he had glimpsed in those memories was indeed similar. In the deluge of overwhelming events, he paid little heed to the subject's appearance. – "Red eyes and hair—these unique traits were designed to be specifically inherited. They will remain eternal across the generations from my son to his descendants. Is it not true of your family line?" Logan's expression hardened at these words. Indeed, the unmistakable features passed down solely to the Maclaine direct line of males were peculiar. Within the family, they would jokingly mention it perhaps being traces of ancient magic. Of course, such legendary bloodlines came with no special abilities. “…I am from the Maclaine family.” – "The surname does not matter. The magic was meant to be passed to the legitimate successor from my eldest son. If circumstances prevented that, it would go to the closest kin. This appearance proves your eligibility to inherit my legacy." “Bloodline, you say?” – "Both lineage and ability are necessary. In your past life, you lacked the ability, so my voice did not reach you." “!?” Logan was startled by this revelation. – "Why are you so surprised? I—or rather, the fragment of my soul left in this legacy—have always been with you in your previous life. It is due to my intervention that you are here, ensuring the power did not fall to an undeserving individual." “Aha…!” Logan couldn't help but exclaim, as Zibrik Kassel, the ancestor's spirit, smiled. – "Does that not convince you?" “What?” – "Even the Nine Gods cannot reverse time. Yet, by consuming a portion of divinity retained in this legacy, I have brought you here. Had my will been wholly fulfilled, you would have undoubtedly become a deity surpassing those traitors." Logan nodded with difficulty, feeling the subtle anger in Kassel's voice. – "In your past life, you were quite insignificant, yet you now come to claim my legacy. Remarkable. I expected that, even if you changed everything possible, your brother would inherit from me." Logan's expression hardened again at those words. Throughout his previous life, while fleeing with the holy sword, he regretted countless times that if the sword had gone to Ronian instead of him, it might have changed the fate of the country and the family. If the spirit before him spoke the truth, knowing that wasn't surprising. But one of the most important questions remained unresolved during their conversation. 'Is he unaware of the change in my talent after my return? And the divine sword technique—how is that possible?' When he was about to ask, his ancestor spoke before Logan had the chance. – "No matter. All turned out well. Though only a fragment of the divine power remains in the sword, take it and seek the Supreme Bracelet. With it, you have the potential to receive my power and ascend to godhood." The Supreme Bracelet. The mention of it didn't bother him much, as he had a strong suspicion of what it was. Yet the words that followed were shocking in their unexpectedness. “A godhood…?” – "Indeed. You could potentially become a supreme deity, crushing false gods beneath your feet." As Zibrik Kassel's spirit finished speaking, his form blurred, and a small, radiant orb appeared in his hand. – "If not for the power spent on your return, this alone could have imbued you with the strength of a demigod. It's unfortunate, but nonetheless, you can achieve power near that of a great magus. Take it." These words were an irresistible temptation. His reasoning about the magus seemed beyond the standards of the current era, further drawing him in. But Logan didn’t ignore the nagging unease at the back of his mind. “All thanks to you, ancestor. The change in my talents post-return made everything possible. I owe you my gratitude. The swordsmanship passed through the family was extraordinary, too.” – "…As your ancestor, it was my duty. Think nothing of it." He didn’t seem to know about the divine sword technique. ‘Why doesn’t he know? I practiced it countless times in front of the sword after my return, imprinting it into memory.’ It was odd. Although the spirit's face was blurred, there was an unmistakable sense of surprise. Logan's wariness grew. “Is there anything I must do in exchange for this legacy?” – "Not in this world. Merely become a god, crush the traitors, and prove the greatness of Zibrik Kassel. That is all I ask." Though the rage in his voice seemed genuine, Logan, with newfound suspicion at heart, could not be easily swayed by temptation. “How do I replenish the divine power diminished by my return?” Logan tried to steer the conversation, but his ancestor's spirit didn’t offer details. – "Once you take it, you shall naturally understand. Such strength resides within my legacy." Even through the blur, the spirit's smiling face was evident. The lasting impression of a great hero, seen through his life's story, was unmistakably present. And yet, that made it even more peculiar. Though perhaps unintended, Zibrik Kassel showed Logan too much—memories vividly recalling major life events as if he were right there beside him. In those memories, Kassel wasn’t such a person. “All this handed over freely to your descendant seems unlike you, doesn't it?” He grew up knowing he was the best. His goal of breaking limits stemmed from the tarnishing of that self-belief, and for such a trivial pursuit, he abandoned his family and tribe. His efforts for humanity later were because he viewed them as his 'possessions'—unwilling to relinquish what he considered his. Furthermore, the spoils the Nine Gods, whom Kassel called traitors, gained during the war with the dragon, were things he too had witnessed. He failed to gain anything only because, as a fledgling demigod, his understanding of those domains was less profound than that of the ancient supreme beings. Yet, he called them traitors simply because he wasn't taught those insights. – "…Let's just say the grudge against the traitors runs deep." Above all, he was someone who would do anything to achieve his purpose. To the extent of rendering the continent inhospitable to other races and spreading false faith to elevate himself to godhood. He was a man of immense ambition. Not someone who gives away freely without an ultimate goal. Furthermore, 'In the memories he showed, the only child was that gaunt eldest son barely glimpsed after ending his seclusion.' For most people, the greatest joy in life is said to be having children. Yet, throughout the memories chronicling Zibrik Kassel's life, the mention of offspring was scarce. And now, he's willing to sacrifice everything to pass things down to his bloodline? Moreover, Logan felt something odd about the aura of the power concentrated on the ghostly hand. Though it was hard to tell if it was divine power, he had a strong sense of what part of it seemed to be. “In my judgment, Ancestor, you don’t seem like the type to leave vengeance to others. Perhaps the divine power you’re offering is actually your soul itself?” Had he a physical body, it might have felt like a sharp dagger piercing his core. The ethereal form wavered visibly, growing even fainter. – "…Do you think you can absorb the power to reach godhood just by accepting the energy?" “So you want me to house your soul.” – "You and I will share. The body belongs to you." “And the soul will belong to you, Ancestor.” Despite his remarkable achievements in this life, they paled in comparison to the demigod realm he witnessed in Zibrik Kassel's memories. Wielding world-changing power required more than just physical might. Could he, in his current state, withstand even a portion of a demigod's soul? 'Certainly not.' The moment Logan's expression hardened, A sense of urgency seeped from the spirit's voice. – "Do not squander this once-in-a-lifetime chance with futile suspicions, descendant." There was no outright denial. Not rejecting such critical words and merely diverting the topic. For some reason, it seemed the spirit of Zibrik Kassel couldn't outright lie. 'Time to push on his known weakness.' With a cold smile, Logan posed one last question. A memory glossed over in its critical moment. Overlapping with the grotesque scene Varos had created at the end of his past life. “Were the sacrifices you used to ascend to godhood… human?” The ancestor did not answer.