Elden: Ring of Calamity

Chapter 551 Saint
"And what about you?" After a long silence, Lucia finally said softly, "As the initial 'seed' of this plan, located at the source of the ley lines, the energy impact you will suffer will be heavier than that of Marika. In other words, you, who are most eager for revenge, will die before all your enemies."

The Queen continued to stare intently at him, and upon hearing this, she slightly raised the corner of her lips and said, "I thought you wouldn't ask this last question."

Lucia ignored her.

She lowered her head, pressed her cheek against his chest, closed her captivating eyes, listened to his heartbeat so close to hers, and exhaled deeply, saying, "But thank you for your answer."

“But in my world, Katpera is long dead. Half of her died a thousand years ago on the morning when a meteor pierced the sky, and the other half died a hundred years ago on the midnight when Marika betrayed me.”

Lucia remained silent, only slightly tightening her arms around her.

"She told you about the history of the Forbidden War, didn't she?" The Queen quietly savored the warmth and said in a gentle tone, "For someone like her, you, who bear the legacy of the ancient dragon royal family and are also exceptionally talented, are the best partners of this era. So, as long as you reach the point where you should know certain truths, she will tell you everything you need to know almost without reservation."

"Everything I need to know?"

"Everything," the Queen laughed mockingly, "because our Eternal Queen will only conceal that one percent of insignificant truth from places you don't need to know."

Lucia opened one palm, divine power surging forth, golden light representing the divine art of life and black flames representing destined death silently swirling around his palm.

After gazing at the two distinct beams of light for a moment, he waved his hand to dissipate his divine power and said, "I have never trusted her completely, but after you healed my primordial wound last time, some doubts have become clearer—why do you, known as the 'Queen of Death,' possess god-level attainments in the realm of the laws of life? According to the well-known history of the borderlands, that should have been a power unique to Marika."

"Before Radagan appeared, she was the sole representative of the will of order. Even though she didn't have a magic ring like the one that could materialize the laws in the material world, her control over the laws of life made it impossible for anyone to steal her power."

"So after thinking it over, there is only one reasonable explanation: you are actually the previous holder of the Law of Life before Marika."

He lowered his gaze, staring at the stunningly beautiful face that had instilled fear in countless powerful figures throughout the past millennium, and said, word by word, "In other words, if that upheaval hidden beneath the surface of history had not occurred, you would have been the eternal queen who reigned supreme over the world."

The vast spatial barrier now contained only the two of them. A silent stillness lingered between them for a long time before the Queen suddenly chuckled. She pointed a finger at his brow and succinctly commented, "Outrageous."

“Alright,” she patted his arm, gently pulled away from his embrace, stretched lazily, and sighed, “Anyway, I’m neither as far-sighted as her, nor did I promise to tell you everything early on, so now I can only fill in that one percent of boring truth for you.”

“Remember the village I mentioned to you? Before all the stories began, we all lived there—a place that was once called Shadow Isles, but is now known by a few in the know as the Shadowlands.”

"Some say it's the origin of all the roots of the Furnace Tree, others say it's the cradle of the ancient gods, but for me and Marika, it's just our hometown, a village with nothing memorable except for the warm hearth, sweet apples, and a nagging old woman."

"Three thousand years ago, the first meteor shower descended upon Shadow Isle. The Night People brought the worship of the Moon Goddess. Our ancestors became the first Moon Goddesses in the borderlands. Because of their innate long lifespan, wisdom, and excellent magical talent, they were appointed by the three Moon Goddesses as the earliest Night Witches and founded the Eternal Cult with the Night People."

"As time went on, the miracles performed by Selene, Pandya, and Luna attracted more and more ancient people. At that time, there were no humans in the borderlands. Those ancient barbarians with scales and horns built settlements near the shaman village, worshipping the shamans, who were few in number but far more powerful than themselves, as messengers of the gods, hoping to receive the gods' grace through years of loyalty and service. Of course, they also achieved their wish. Under the guidance of the Eternal Church, the civilization they built grew to a height that was originally unattainable, but that was later."

"More than eight hundred years later, the second golden meteor shower accompanied the Five Fingers Metil to the borderland. He also chose Shadow Isle as his first stop, but he did not choose to directly compete with the Eternal Cult for faith. Instead, for a considerable period of time, he silently demonstrated the 'tolerance and love' of a deity, standing behind the Ancient Dragon Dynasty and creating the glorious and prosperous Star Moon Civilization together with the Eternal Sages."

"At that time, the Eternal City, towering in the center of the Altar in the north, was far larger than Rodel today, and the Sky City, high above Ningmgford in the south, was an unparalleled miracle of creation. Every Star-Moon People was proud to live in that brilliant era. Although there were conflicts among the various races, it did not hinder the rapid progress of civilization. Our footsteps crossed the sky, the sea, the mountains, and even the once-insurmountable Sea of ​​Fog, spreading the seeds of civilization to every inch of the wilderness. Even the so-called 'unbelievers' on the other side of the Sea of ​​Fog who do not submit to the king's rule are, upon closer examination, descendants of those pioneers."

"Everyone believes that it is only a matter of time before the civilization of the borderlands breaks through the dimensional barrier and, like the gods who descended from the heavens, ventures into the starry sky. The gods, who nurtured all of this and are as loving as parents, should also be happy to see this happen. Thus, mentors and scholars all over the world are working day and night to advance the study of the laws. The gods of the Eternal City, the Sky City, the Giant Court, the Ude Dynasty, the Ancestral Spirit Civilization, and even the Kingdom of Death are all silently assisting behind the scenes. Perhaps in just another hundred years, the barrier between mortals and gods will no longer be insurmountable, and we will be able to go against the current along the path of the laws, just as you said, and truly understand the origin of the world's operation."

"As the saintess of that generation in the Witcher Village and the future pope of the Eternal Temple, Marika and I naturally regarded this as the most important mission of our lives. At least, that's what we thought when we left the Witcher Village and went to the Eternal Temple for training."

"At that time, the village received news that the Eternal City was about to hold a magic tournament and announce a groundbreaking magic. Envoys and tourists from all countries, from every corner of civilization, were converging on the world's largest city in the center of the continent. We set off three days earlier than planned, just to have a good time and experience the liveliness that the village had never seen before."

The Queen lowered her head, her face as bright as the moon, and her shoulders trembled slightly beneath her white robe. "But right there, we saw the calamity star that pierced the sky, we saw the shattering of Sky City, and the fall of the Eternal City."

(End of this chapter)