307 The God Of Knowledge, Wisdom, Fate, And Existence [2]
I waited for a moment before speaking out loud, almost in the same authoritative tone as the God before me, "Well, I also wanted to talk to you. But sure, you go ahead first."
Joeveirian put his hands elegantly behind his back as he looked down on me from his high-rise position.
After a bit, he said in a somber tone, "Do you know what you're even trying to do? You've already been warned once. I advise you to get stronger instead of searching for the reason for your fractured memories."
I sneered before proceeding to answer the man in white robes, "And just like I had disregarded that warning, I'll ignore your advice too."
"You don't know what you're doing, you foolish mortal! You don't know what you are trying to awaken!"
While he clearly used some sharp, grating words, his tone was anything but. To me, he somewhat sounded on edge for some reason.
A God… scared of something?
For some primal reason, that thought did not sit right with me so I decided to come right out and ask it.
"Why? What's so wrong if I want to know what transpired with Lucas before I came to this world and over his body? Listen, I am not a master of the topics related to transmigration, but these memories in my head aren't natural. I can feel it. What am I doing wrong if I want to investigate it?!" I asked.
"You're on a path to discover things that should be left untouched. That's what you are doing wrong. Take my advice, Lucas. Turn away, return to your Master, and try to get as strong as you can before the end of next year. Only I know how much you'll need the strength you cultivate now, so do not waste this time playing detective," Joe stated in a stern tone.
"If you're that worried about my future then you tell me! Just tell me who is the reason for the fractured memories in my head?! Does Lucas have a recollection of his life in other timelines, if so then, why? Tell me did Lucas know someone will take over his body in the future? Is that why he wrote all those journals?!" I inquired.
Joeveirian massaged his eyebrows before yelling down at me, "If I tell you all that, then what would be the point? In those journals, the original Lucas asked you to stop prying, didn't he? So at least heed his advice if not mine! Drop this obsession and get stronger."
I lingered for a moment before replying in an even tone: "I will when you tell me."
Joeveirian looked at me for a moment.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally clenching his fists and shouting, "I can't. I can't intervene."
I scoffed at his answer. "Haa! Isn't it too late for you to say that now? You killed me, twice by the way, threw me into a magical world of your novel, and then gifted me with a golden finger that encourages me to change your plot."
Joeveirian gritted his teeth and continued to add on his previous statement, "I can't intervene anymore–"
"Why?!" I yelled.
"Because even I can't change the fate I have already weaved," Joeveirian exploded. "Not without destroying my Authorityover it. Fate can't be changed lightly. You don't understand the intricate complexity of the Red Threads. Everything is connected in this world. Everyone's fate affects one another – their births, their lives, their deaths, no matter how insignificant, leaves a mark."
I stood there still for a couple of seconds.
Only silence hung in the hall before I finally uttered some words, breaking it.
"...So, you were the one who weaved it, the Fate of that world, I mean?" I asked.
Joeveirian didn't reply immediately. Just like me, he took a couple of seconds before opening his mouth.
"Yes," he replied in a firm tone. "That and all the other worlds and their inhabitants."
Joeveirian gestured to all the shelves in this hall, his fingers lingering to point at books in them.
As I followed his gaze and looked around, Joeveirian said, "I'm the author of worlds, the creator of realms, the preserver of fate and existence… and the destroyer of all."
"That means the fate that awaits me and the people of the world I live in…" I drew in a deep breath.
Joeveirian nodded in affirmation. "I am to blame for it all."
"...Why?" I asked, trying to at least appear as calm and collected as possible. "Why would you create a hell like that?"
Joeveirian looked away and said in a straight tone, "You won't understand even if I tell you right now."
"I don't need to understand anything now!" I exclaimed, finally unchaining my suppressed emotions. "We are living in a hell you created! You're the reason for our suffering! That's all I need to know!"
"Sure," Joeveirian shrugged. "Let's go with that. Yes, Lucas, I am the cause of all your past, present, and future suffering. What will you do? What can you do?"
"I will change my fate! I will change the fate of that world!" I declared.
Listening to my words, Joeveirian burst into a fit of laughter. "You, a mere mortal, will change the fates woven by me?"
I yelled back, "If you're not observing me with your eyes closed, you'll see that I have already achieved much of my goal! I have changed my fate! Quinn is now on my side, and so is Grace! Their fates are already different! I'll soon have Ella, Aster, Chase, and all the main characters working for me—"
Joeveirian chipped in to cut me off before I could finish my sentence. "Ohh! You poor thing. You think you've changed their fates, have you? You think you've changed your own fate?"
As a frown appeared on my face, a smile formed on Joeveirian's lips. He looked at me with a mixture of pity and amusement.
Just as I was about to ask him to explain himself, the God before me spoke up.
"You failed to stop Nero from unleashing his Gift before the world, twice. You failed to stop the Massacre of Silveserine. If that wasn't enough, you also lost your duel with Nero. You may have stopped Quinn from changing sides, but his role is already fulfilled. Liz is mortally injured just like she was supposed to be in the future and Nero has acquired the Seer Of Unknown."
As Joeveirian's words dreadfully began to settle in, my first reaction was to try and retort. To tell him that I had still changed a lot of things.
But in the end, my argument remained stuck in my throat. The reason for that was probably because I knew that whatever I had done wasn't enough.
My efforts weren't enough.
My results weren't enough.
"Fate can't be broken… not at least without paying a hefty price for it," Joeveirian said. "You can change its course, you can alter a few events, but in the end, fate will arrive all the same."
"So there is no way to change my fate?" I asked, a hollow feeling slowly nestling in my heart.
"Of course, there is. Didn't I tell you already, even fate can be bought with the right price," Joeveirian commented.
A frown appeared on my face. I had heard that somewhere… Did I once say that?
My train of thought was suddenly broken when the God before me continued.
"Of course, whether or not you can pay the price is actually questionable. The easiest way to do so is to kill a divine being."
"A divine being?" The frown on my face deepened.
"Yes, generally a divine being's fate is so massive that killing one of them will impact everything in the world."
Dropping my head, I looked down and started thinking over Joe's words. A divine being, he said. Where would I even meet one?
Joeveirian stopped and lingered for a moment before continuing, "But the fate that you want to change is too complex and vast for it to be changed by even that. If you want to change your fate, then you'll have to kill the one who made it."
My eyes widened as realization dawned upon me. I slowly looked up to face God, who still eyed me from above.
"Yes, you'll have to kill me."
Without a speck of hesitation, I instantly tried to summon my spear. But soon found out that I couldn't do it.
Joeveirian laughed as he said, "You dared to step into my domain, and try to kill me… here?! No, Lucas. Unfortunately, killing me won't be easy. If anything, it's impossible."
"If that's the case then why did you bring me to this world?! What is my purpose?!" I yelled out.
"Purpose? Lucas, this is your punishment. I will watch you, the mortal who insulted my creation, suffer. I will see you try, and make changes to the plot, but fail in the end! In your last moments…"
Joeveirian abruptly stopped as if he made a mistake and quickly corrected himself, his tone growing ominous and cruel.
"...Until your last moment, you'll entertain me in my solitude. That'll be your glorious purpose, Lucas. You'll entertain me with your survival, until the apocalyptic ending I've written for you arrives."
Left devastated by those words of finality, I somehow pushed aside all my rational thoughts and lifted my hand.
Extending an open palm toward Joe, I uttered a silent chant and cast my fastest and strongest magic spell, [Flame Lances].
Without holding anything back, I conjured seven pillars of incinerating blue flames around me.
As Joeveirian raised an eyebrow, I sent my Flame Lances hurtling forward at him with a mental command.
In a burst of speed, the lances reached the God draped in white robes, exploding upon impact like missiles and sending massive shockwaves rolling throughout the hall.
High on the throne, it appeared as though a sun had spawned. Brilliant blue flames raged beneath the rising mushroom cloud.
I had little doubt about whether my magic would work here in the throne room of Arcadia, but since I could feel mana in this place, I thought about at least giving it a try.
In the next moment, however, any joy I felt when my spell hit Joe vanished.
"Nice try…"
A booming, authoritative voice rang out through the world, and the blue flames were instantly snuffed out.
Joe's figure became visible once more through the thin plumes of rising black smoke. Clearly, my strongest spell had no effect on him.
Joeveirian, like the God he was, continued to look down at me, savoring his apparent superiority as he added, "But it will take you to live through thousands of lifetimes to kill me."
With that, he flicked a finger in my direction, and the next thing I knew, I was gazing at the vast blue sky above me.
My entire body was flipped—no, not my whole body—just my head!
He... He severed my head!
Just like when he killed me the last time, the last thing I saw before darkness claimed my vision was a vicious grin plastered on my killer's face.
†
As soon as Lucas' detached head hit the ground and rolled away with a thud, the remnants of his body vanished from this divine realm in a cascade of ethereal light sparks.
Suddenly, as if awaiting that signal, the God draped in heavenly white robes began to cough up blood and staggered back, collapsing onto his throne tiredly.
"This man will be the death of me."
Casting Time Reversal and Parallel Timeline Rebirth to transmigrate him had already exacted a great toll on Joeveirian.
He suspected that now he had just enough life force to endure only a few more years at best.
The throne of Arcadia would then be without a ruler...
...And that meant breaking Heaven's Gate would become much, much easier.
"This won't do," Joeveirian muttered, wiping the smeared blood from the corner of his lips.
He exhaled deeply before settling back comfortably on his throne. After a while, he extended his hands forward and started moving his hands in a st
range, erratic motion.
God returned to crafting his grand plan, weaving the threads of fates, forging the cosmic destinies... and writing the stories of existence itself.
