Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 710 The Palace of Creation (Part 2)

"Preface: 'Existence'? What is 'existence'? Perhaps in the eternal, unique, great, and unshakeable will of the Creator, there is no word for 'existence.' Yet, the 'Call of Cthulhu,' the 'Sobbing of Depthès,' and the 'End of the Odyssey' are all instances of 'existence' that once existed. Due to the supreme will, everything is incinerated in an instant, 'existence' is erased in the blink of an eye, and atoms return in a flash. The 'existence' sealed away, from its return, eternally 'exists' here, as eternally as 'existence' itself." — *The New Return of the Holy Word*

"You're reciting this tongue-twisting 'classic' passage that I've never heard before, are you trying to say that if you break the covenant with the Creator, you will disappear, right?" Wright looked at the Lord of the Night with a puzzled expression, his brows furrowed, neither believing nor disbelieving.

On this continent, in this wasteland era, anything absurd can become reality. Matters concerning gods are always unpredictable, elusive, and perplexing; even with the most comprehensive information, one may still fail to grasp the slightest hint given by a deity.

“However, since you have come here from the realm of gods, it proves that Hoshino Shota is probably, indeed, dead, right?” Wright’s voice contained a very faint but easily noticeable sadness. He looked up at the Lord of the Night’s still “delicate” body, as if begging for a negative answer.

Since the moment the divine realm was closed, the dark power within His body has been continuously supplied from countless wormhole "jump arrays" in the universe. At this moment, the Lord of the Night has not only recovered to 35% of the strength he had when his natural magical energy was abundant, but has also completely "welded" his "divinity" and soul to Hoshino Shota's almost shattered body.

Unbeknownst to him, the long robe embroidered with the pattern of "Crimson Moon and Dragon" had already covered his body, adding to his divine majesty. A layer of armor combining silver and black completely covered his chest, abdomen, and limbs, and even his hands, which could drive all dark magic power, were covered by an incomparably sturdy black cloth.

As for the youthful face that originally belonged to Hoshino Shota, only half of it remained. The other half was covered by a half-mask, which gave it an air of nobility, yet also a hint of sinister intent. That half-mask was like a living thing, constantly extending tiny, jet-black tentacles that burrowed deeply into the face, ears, and eyeballs, becoming one with them without compromising their function. The right eye still retained its human appearance, only the pupil had become an extreme black, like Wright's.

"The moment 'Blood Wolf' attacked him, he should have died. His power was like an ant trying to shake a tree, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot, before the sole leader of the 'Dedication Group.' His only purpose in coming here was to destroy the 'Crimson Domain' and prevent you from being used by 'Blood Wolf.' In fact, before coming here, he had already prepared himself to die." As the Lord of the Night spoke, he slightly raised his right hand and forcefully flung his robe backward.

In an instant, countless tiny dust particles surged into the air like a sandstorm, completely covering the "giant temple" that combined five ancient imperial cultural styles and belonged to the incarnation of the creator, shrouding it in a chaotic, dim yellow.

A few seconds later, a burst of clear blue light gushed out, effectively dispersing some of the sand and creating a strange, square space in front of Wright and the Lord of the Night, completely free from the sand and dust.

"After the 'Crimson Domain of Functionality' disappeared, the power of the Creator is collapsing. Now, the palace can no longer maintain its original appearance, and it can only temporarily hide among the 'Sand Mis'." The Lord of the Night said, stretching out his left hand to firmly grasp Wright's right arm, and rushed forward.

The surrounding air currents blew forward in an unusually strange manner, as if helping them to fall faster into the bizarre space that resembled the jaws of a wild beast. These air currents, which were completely contrary to normal physical phenomena, not only gave people a sticky, humid feeling like the deep sea, but also added an unsettling aura from "ancient gods".

Soon, Wright discovered that even though he and the Lord of the Night were flying forward at an increasingly faster speed, surpassing the best "Ashes of the Beginning" special mechanical war machine in the Crusad Federation, surpassing the Federation trains still speeding on the "Great Railroad," and even getting closer and closer to the rockets that were rumored to have been invented during the time of Ivan XXII, capable of breaking through the gravitational pull of planets.

However, that strange space seemed to exist parallel to them, visible yet unattainable. Even as they sprinted forward, their feet nearly airborne, it remained close yet unreachable.

Until a crimson moon, unique to the Lord of the Night, hung overhead, and the temple, which originally belonged to the Creator and his avatars and combined the styles of the five great empires, along with the sudden yellow sand, completely dissipated, Wright realized that they were already in the very core of this temple, or rather, the original "Crimson Functional Domain".

"The evolution of time, the evolution of the world, is never gradual, nor is there such a thing as gradual change. Even as the Creator created the world, He could not defy the 'principles' set for Him by higher dimensions. Often, changes in the world require hundreds, even thousands of years to brew before they 'travel' to the next era in an instant, within a mere decade or so." The Lord of the Night gazed at the increasingly enormous "Crimson Moon" above, his tone carrying a hint of divine resentment and desolation:

"I know that whether it's Eastern or Western divination and predictions, or forecasts made through demonic energy, the Wasteland Era won't last much longer. Humanity, the Lost Ones, and even the gods have long since exhausted their patience in this divine punishment sent down by the Creator. Do you know what happens when faith is exhausted?" Faced with the Lord of the Night's question, Wright didn't immediately respond. Instead, he pondered for a few minutes before slowly speaking:
"'Existence' will disappear, won't it?"

“That’s right.” A hint of joy appeared on the Lord of the Night’s face. “Your ‘divinity’ is enough to support you as a demigod and lead you to the position of a god. Normal humans either disdain to answer such a seemingly naive question, or they simply have endless worship for gods, just as they treat the supreme authority of humans.”

"If no one believes in the existence of a creator, according to 'reason,' He will remain in eternal slumber, eventually losing His ability to transform the universe. At that time, 'entropy increase' will widen the distance between galaxies, and the universe will expand at an accelerated rate. After all, light is the fastest 'existence' in the universe, while 'darkness' will continuously erode everything, eventually completely dismantling gravity and filling the entire space of the universe."

"At that time, civilizations in the universe will never be able to escape their star systems and will eventually be trapped on isolated islands in those star systems, right?" Wright thought of the physics he had read in his previous life and tried to continue the conversation.

"Yes, and no," the Lord of the Night said ambiguously. "This is merely a trivial process in the 'final stillness' of the universe. Ultimately, all matter will disintegrate; rocks will disintegrate, gases will disintegrate, atoms will no longer be able to condense, atomic nuclei and electrons will never be able to make intimate contact, protons and neutrons will separate, and gradually, increasingly smaller particles will disintegrate due to the 'darkness,' eventually turning into true nothingness."

"This is the ultimate result of the disappearance of 'existence'. The Creator's slumber will lead to the disintegration of the universe... I cannot control those dark energies either; they will operate according to the 'principles' of higher dimensions. In the face of the great Creator, we gods are as weak as ashes."

As the Lord of the Night spoke, he slowly walked to the center of the empty palace space under the crimson moon, and walked to the stone pillar that suddenly sprang up from the ground, and patted it a few times.

In an instant, a violent buzzing sound, accompanied by a dazzling crimson glow, filled the empty space. Countless dark purple rays and sparks burst forth, and under the guidance of the Dark Lord's dark magic power, they completely enveloped the poor stone pillar.

As the surrounding space gradually brightened, the walls made of bluestone bricks, which had been hidden in the darkness, appeared all around, their surfaces covered with dried moss and strange edges. The four marble pillars that supported the space stood at the four corners in an eerie silence, carved with anthropomorphic "ancient gods" and the holy gods worshipped by the bishops and archbishops for thousands of years. However, their bodies were based on chaos and darkness, their faces were ferocious, and they lacked any sense of solemnity or reverence, instead exuding a sense of evil and greed.

However, after the stone pillar in front of the Lord of the Night completely collapsed, apart from some scorching lava flowing all over the ground, a magnificent, indescribable chaotic sphere that shone with golden light appeared and floated in mid-air.

"I've said it before, humanity and the Lost Ones' patience with the Wasteland Era is nearing its limit." The Lord of the Night glanced at the orb of light, then surprisingly took a few steps back, and continued:

Even in the Third Age, when mechanical technology developed rapidly, humanity's faith in the gods never wavered in the slightest. But as the gods fled into the distance, death became the norm among humans and the lost, and people only began to trust themselves more and more, gradually losing their trust in the gods.

"If the collapse of [order] is not contained, the conflict between humanity and the lost cannot be reconciled, and the land available for human habitation dwindles, then the 'gods' will quickly disappear, and the Creator will remain asleep. Loss of trust means 'forgetting,' and the formation of 'forgetting' signifies the irreversible disappearance of 'existence.' We cannot expect someone who has never heard of the Creator to suddenly become His believer, can we?"

“So, what do you want me to do? Like the Federal Council, the ‘Dedication Group’ and the ‘Dark Night Investigation Team’, let me stay in Crusad and continue to save this country that is destined to fall apart, or…” Wright asked.

"I have no interest in human organizations. I only hope that you can accept the 'Creator's Mechanical Heart' that is gazing at you from mid-air, and, with the power of the gods, truly fulfill your responsibilities as a 'Orderer' in a place you deem appropriate." The Lord of the Night said, pointing to the golden, indescribable sphere of chaos.

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