Chapter 600 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

"What? What kind of nonsense is this? Isn't this something that happened in the past? It's within 'Elder Sister's' memory, right? Then how did she find me? Could she possibly have foreseen my existence? "This is a message I offer to the King of Humans. Whether you reach this place or not... If you are seeing this, it must surely be you." Whether or not he would come, only the King of Humans could witness this spectacle. The first saintess foresaw my existence. "Which means, she also predicted that I would have the ability to read minds." "Light is the element of knowledge and understanding, but observation and comprehension are the realm of humans. I am the demon of light and knowledge. Whatever your situation may be, if this scene is observed, then I too will know." "What kind of deceptive ability is that?" Is she observing me because I am observing this memory? Even if it's true, it's too bizarre. It doesn't make any sense. "Hold on. I still don't believe it. Isn't this a trick? Some kind of illusion hidden within Elder Sister's memory?" "And you, who perceive humans closely, would also know that this is the truth." "Tch." That's right. This is 'Elder Sister's' memory. So I can understand her emotions, but not the first saintess's thoughts. In other words, this is a scene that only existed in the past. Is it really true? Is a few thousand years in the past speaking to me now? I can't believe it. Prove it. "Then how about we play rock-paper-scissors for more certainty? If you can truly see the future, beat me at rock-paper-scissors." "I regret to say that I cannot answer such a request. The future is like a shadow on the water's surface. If you reach in, it ripples violently. The more observers there are, the less accurate and more blurred the future becomes. That is why prophecies are difficult to share with others." "What? Avoiding the challenge? That's too cowardly an excuse." However, I can guess what she means. If this is truly a past image, she wouldn't be able to respond to every spontaneous action of mine. The past cannot be altered. Too bad. I had planned to initially show scissors and shamelessly change it after seeing what the first saintess threw. But proposing rock-paper-scissors is a spontaneous action she wouldn't have foreseen. Then, the first saintess responded casually. "I will choose scissors. Decide the outcome as you wish." ...I got caught. Though I may not have won rock-paper-scissors, I outmaneuvered her. Even intentionally drawing is downright villainous. "Tch. Alright. I'm not a man who desperately seeks victory against a woman." Because even if I tried desperately, it seems unlikely that I could win. The power is too overwhelmingly deceptive. Declaring defeat as if I were yielding, I looked around and asked, "What about Elder Sister?" The first saintess gave a sorrowful smile. That expression spoke volumes more than words. "Was it an ambush? Did they blind us with light and strike our backs? Even so, it wouldn't have been easy." "My warriors have mastered internal energy. They are the strongest by far in this era." In 'Elder Sister's' memory, internal energy appeared as suddenly as a fox rain. Initially, no one was aware, but all of a sudden, everyone knew of it. Knowledge unknown even to the king's warriors at the forefront of civilization was suddenly widespread. It could only be thought of as artificial. As if being interrogated by my inquisitive stare, the first saintess nodded. "Yes. It was I who discovered internal energy." "Why internal energy?" "It is the power that humans derive purely by honing their skills without the intervention of deities. The pinnacle of discovering profound enlightenment within oneself. No means are necessary for obtaining power except self-sacrifice." The origin of internal energy is the life force. It is processed into the form of 'qi' within the body and used consciously. The first saintess synthesized fragments of miracles that even exceptionally talented individuals only occasionally uncovered through seemingly meaningless dedication into a singular skill by gathering all traditions and knowledge. "Then there's no need to risk taboo to gain power." "There will always be those who seek power. Those filled with desire will not resort to taboo if there is a better path. Of course, with the internal energy I created, billions may die... Yet, even so, I believe it's something that must be maintained." Order, born from communion with humans, mocks birth. The cries of newborns won't be a plea to the world but rather a test of the survival of their tender lives. Order, consumed by feeding on humanity, makes humans adversaries. Henceforth, humanity will fall into an ouroboros cycle, devouring one another just to avoid being consumed. Order, grafted onto humanity, denies humanity's existence. The boundaries of the species will fade, and humans will find no reason to preserve themselves. Thus, the first saintess erased them all. She spread the knowledge of internal energy and designated all opposing witchcraft as taboo. I scratched my head in response. "Don't worry. A tool is just a tool. Internal energy was a useful tool, and thanks to it, more lives were saved than lost. It's definitely more useful than other taboos." If more people had died due to internal energy compared to those who were saved, humanity would have perished. I tried hard to comfort the first saintess, but regrettably, it seemed my words didn't reach her. She still wore a saddened expression. "You still speak this way. That what I created isn't a path but a tool, and it's up to those who use it." Or did it convey too well? I scratched my head, continuing to speak. "Didn't my words comfort you? Oh, I spoke with the intention of reassuring you." "The divine, principles, and internal energy. Are they still nothing more than mere tools? Even now?" "Even now, you say? From the start, they were made that way and used that way, so they're tools, right? Whatever you say, the essence doesn't change." I wondered why I was having this conversation. In front of the creator, no less. "After all, you were the one who created it. You should know better than anyone else. Why ask such questions?" The first saintess responded wistfully. "Are you aware of the fourth taboo?" "You mean heresy?" "Yes. When many see, feel, and learn the same things and grow in such a way, they begin to observe the world with a unified mindset... This unity sets them apart from others. They share power through a strong bond. The reason the Luminous Cult could acquire such advanced knowledge and insight was through the ritual of sharing vision by plucking out their eyes." The first saintess confessed frankly that the Luminous Cult shared vision and knowledge in this manner. It sounds bizarre, but I'm not surprised. I've already witnessed such a method. The unified arcane used by communication soldiers in the military— a distinct result of heretical practice. Not just heresy, but they were involved in research on devouring and grafting too, making it truly a nation of taboos. "I, too, received foresight from the future's Grand Celestial One. With that knowledge, as the Transmission Keeper, I realized that these taboos could reshape humanity. The three taboos—devouring, grafting, and communion—would only bring suffering and pain to humanity. However, the last one... is different." Yet it would be unfair to label the military nation as the ‘axis of evil committed to taboos!’ The saintess Yuel of the military nation, what did she learn? The strict discipline and systematic training for devoted nuns in the convent. She adapted it slightly into the military's style, leading to the creation of communication soldiers. “To avoid harming each other, to not be jealous, to not covet, to not deceive, to not torment—rules that are acceptable and protect one another. If all humanity believe in and adhere to these rules, sharing a collective consciousness and acting on that belief, I believed it could transform all humans into more noble beings.” Indeed, the greatest heresy in the world is the Celestial Religion. Those who share the vast consciousness of the Celestials and believe and follow it. Avoiding taboos, those who adhere to the codes set by the first saintess are the believers and the strength of the Holy See. That peculiar power called divine strength is also brought forth through the unique yet not unique arcane of the Celestial. “If there comes a shared consciousness among all people, it means the transformation of all humanity, including the king of humans." The first saintess stood waiting at the spot where the king fell, ambushing 'Elder Sister.' As a result, an existence like mine came to be. "However, no matter how far I looked into the future, it seemed impossible for all humans to embrace the ideals I desired." What a grand dream she had—wishing to transform humanity itself. Such a vision that no one had dared imagine. Even the most reckless individuals I've met only aimed to change the king of humanity, not humanity itself. "Yes. Humans still remain the same. Principles, orders, laws, ideologies—all are used as tools for their actions. Even when sharing kindness or expressing hatred, they always affix a justification. As if that makes them some rational, higher-order beings." "Despite being no more than beasts?" "Yes, still no more than beasts." Or did they almost succeed? In the future that Shei saw, the king of vice emerges. Whether that's the future the first saintess wanted to prevent, or a twisted version of a future she wished to bring about, I can't be certain. "Demi-gods alter the framework of the world. My foresight becomes distorted by them. The conclusion I thought was ideal becomes, under a demi-god's gaze, the right action." "Did you foresee even your failure?" "That was not foresight. It lies in the realm of prediction. I cannot comprehend other demi-gods either. If the world's framework is drastically altered, if the future I envisioned was tilted from the start, I, too, may not recognize the tilting." Even if one can see the future, it remains from the perspective of humans. In an era where the very gaze of humanity is inverted, determining right from wrong becomes impossible. Even if the first saintess seems godlike, there were limits to her perspective. "In the end, you were human as well." The first saintess smiled, responding to my words. "From the very beginning, that was the case, my king."