Brain bloom

"I've thought about it carefully, and the lineup I just proposed isn't perfect enough," Mori said earnestly, arms crossed.

"what?"

"Of course, we should unleash the curse and crush it before it destroys the world. We should also be able to gather more powerful beings and accumulate even greater strength... like humanity's preparations against the imitation of the primordial evil."

The ancient demon king listened patiently, wanting to shout but suppressing it deep in its throat. It genuinely preferred solving problems with violence, and if it were asked to personally tear apart the curse that tormented it, it would be more willing than anyone else.

At that moment, a motionless background figure came to life, and Olster, suppressing his excitement, spoke.

“Wait a minute! I told you, that curse, like your daughter, is fighting against its fate; it doesn’t want to kill anymore.”

"Yeah, and then what?"

"I racked my brains, but I couldn't find a way I was entirely confident about. But... it seems we have another way. Think about it carefully, everyone. After I unleash the curse, what else can I do besides fight?"

Sen Shi and the Ancient Demon King looked at each other, both of them bewildered.

“Of course we should talk to it! Talk to it about whether it’s willing to stop destroying the world,” Olster growled, proclaiming his suggestion.

"……what?"

"that's it?"

"Yes, we're a bunch of fools using traditional thinking, and that's wrong! This isn't just any ordinary curse; it seems to have a real soul, it's unbelievable. In that case, wouldn't it be better if we talked?"

The Ancient Demon King and Sen Shi both fell silent, finding the idea utterly absurd. Seeing the attitudes of these two important figures, Olster, whose suggestion wasn't made on a whim, dusted himself off, stood up, and walked to Yuan's side, seemingly trying to prove himself.

"Let's give it a try. Let me see if we can awaken the consciousness of the curse and have it talk to us."

"You can do that?"

"Hey, that's not simple, of course there's a price to pay. This is my destiny magic, I'm quite confident in it."

Upon hearing the term "fate magic," the ancient demon king became cautious. Because, with very few exceptions, every nation and every extremely powerful being possessed at least one fate magic spell, yet throughout history, very few fate magic spells had ever been truly used.

Because it represents fate, and fate is often unpredictable.

"cost?"

"The God of Craftsmanship's magic of fate..."

"Now that you've restored the City of Clocks, you must have seen that book, right? It's the blueprint for the City of Clocks... That's the product of my failed fate magic. Sigh, how frustrating."

Sen nodded. The tattered book seemed mysterious and all-knowing. But it was indeed incredible, constantly collecting knowledge, and with its mere volume, it was like a vast and endless library, incredibly learned.

Is this supposed to be a magical thing, a failed attempt at the magic of fate?

"Back then, in order to forge the Clock City, I used the Fate Magic 'Soul Echo' once. This magic can resonate with the soul of things. But the result is uncontrollable; it may be able to communicate with us normally, or it may... become strange."

"Why was the design a failure?" Mori asked.

“You should know that it’s constantly absorbing knowledge, right?” Olster’s expression was awkward at the moment, but it was as if he was reminiscing about something. “It’s not to satisfy the thirst for knowledge, but to create a new world. Isn’t that terrifying? From the very beginning, that book had a grand dream: to absorb all the knowledge in the world, to rule the world with omniscience, and to become an unparalleled god.”

Mori was startled: "That powerful?"

The ancient demon king pondered for a moment, then exclaimed, "It seems it really can be done. If it becomes an 'omniscient' being, it can be sublimated into a true god... or even more terrifying."

"And then what? Did this berserk guy manage to do it?"

"No, at that time it hadn't absorbed any knowledge yet, but it knew how to take advantage of my lack of sufficient resources to use the magic of fate and rely on it. It was so arrogant and domineering in front of me that it was really hateful."

Looking at his wry smile, Mori immediately imagined what he was doing:

It was probably a book still in its infancy, flying around in the sky, constantly saying to the gritting-teeth Olster in a cheeky voice, "I'm going to become the god of the new world. Thank you for creating me, you weak true god. If you're not happy, then hit me!"

"Haha, what happened next?"

"Later..." Olster said in a flat tone, "The Rose Queen found its chattering annoying, so she made it behave."

Mori suddenly realized where the book's docile yet fearful demeanor when he chatted with it at the library came from. It has to be said, the Rose Queen is truly invincible; no wonder the Four Seasons' reputation is so terrible.

Temporarily forgetting the fact that her soul had already dissipated, Mori focused his mental energy back on the present moment.

"Are you planning to apply that curse to us too?"

"Yes. At that time, just like the Book of Blueprints being dominated by a soul, the cursed soul will probably take over Wish's body."

"...Isn't this very dangerous?" The Ancient Demon King immediately sensed something was wrong. "They actually want the cursed consciousness to take over my daughter's body. If that fails, no, no, no, this won't do!"

Olster snorted and waved his hand, explaining to these clueless customers with the meticulousness of a master craftsman.

"Of course I understand all the risks, and I will handle all the details well. I will make three preparations. First, if the magic succeeds, we can negotiate with the curse and move it with your sincerity. It will probably give up and leave quietly."

"That sounds so ridiculous!" Mori blurted out instinctively.

"The coffin bearer is right, and I think it's utter nonsense..." The ancient demon king nodded repeatedly.

“I’ve already said it, this curse is also fighting against its own fate; it doesn’t want to kill.” He repeated his research findings in a low growl, Olster’s obsession and cunning growing even stronger. “And, I have two more points to make, so listen carefully—”

"Second, if the magic fails, I will extract the curse from her body, which is not difficult for me. But this will trigger the third, which is the unavoidable... battle with the curse."

Looking at the ancient demon king's fluctuating appearance, Mori made a summary.

"In other words, let's have a good talk with the curse first and see if it can die on its own. If we can't reach an agreement, then we'll drag it out and beat it up."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Didn't you say the curse was particularly powerful..."

"Didn't you say you could gather even more talented people? Actually, the lineup you proposed before already seemed feasible to me. If we can continue to strengthen it, then we can say we're very confident."

Sen nodded, thinking that it might be feasible.

“Moreover—” Earlier, while Olster was deep in thought, he had obviously overheard the conversation between Sen Shi and the Ancient Demon King, “Your Excellency, the Primordial Evil, weren’t you already prepared to sacrifice yourself?”

"I see. If I can't kill it, then I'll..."

Olster nodded silently, while Mori stood to the side with his arms crossed, wondering to himself how they had come back to this point again.

The poor ancient demon king always made up his mind, then felt a surge of hope and thought everything was so wonderful. But then, hope would be shattered again... and he would make up his mind again... Mori felt helplessly that it was perhaps even harder to endure than wishing.

Finally, the ancient demon king agreed.

“Alright, go for it. Craftsman God—from that distant era to the present, I still have a deep impression of you, because you always manage to create miraculous things, one feat after another… Okay, I believe you can succeed!”

“But one success often requires ten failures.” Olster nodded seriously.

"...Can't you just reciprocate my trust?"

"I am a meticulous man."

Sen interrupted them: "So how many people should we gather? Where should we get them?"

“You have a lot of influence, coffin carrier… We need you to go and ask for help from Fernanda… but I will give you a lot of reward afterwards.”

"it is good."

"I will summon all the powerful figures from the Demon Realm, along with one or two old friends, plus myself. And then there's your side... and Princess Dandelion? That'll make ten true gods, that's terrifying. Probably. And... with you here, Coffin Bearer, that's where my confidence comes from."

Unlike when he forced himself to trust Olster, without a word, the Ancient Demon King looked at Mori with unwavering trust. The strawberry girl before him was either the interest of Eden Bank, a being of the Four Seasons, a reborn soul of the Primordial God, or a terrifying monster capable of slaying him.

Mori nodded solemnly, thinking that even if she had to use her beauty to seduce him, she would have to make the curse leave obediently.

……

(ps.)

Actually, I just combined the previous two updates into one larger chapter; it's really not that I'm being lazy and switching to a single update...

Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo. )

Volume 1, Chapter 387: The Palace?

Thus, the matter of wishes was fully discussed and could be temporarily concluded. There wasn't much they could do, but they had a moment of leisure to catch their breath.

Mori smiled, wanting to cover Yuan with a blanket woven from time, so she could continue to sleep carefree in this cold winter. Although a curse would accompany her, that curse was also fighting against its own fate. They were like old friends, walking hand in hand from the moment they were born.

"Wait a minute," the Ancient Demon King stopped Mori.

"what happened?"

"Give me two minutes, I want to take another look. Although... she often goes out to travel and train, it's usually in the Demon Realm, where I can monitor her at any time. But... how should I put it, even after watching her for so many years, I still want to see her more."

Every word of the ancient Demon King was imbued with his true feelings. Mori shrugged and tactfully walked over, but this wouldn't be the last time—Mori touched his heart and sincerely believed it.

Perhaps it was the lingering echo of a deity who died young, still resonating within Moritoki's soul? Or perhaps her own will was inherited from the primordial god; Moritoki suddenly possessed an independent perspective that transcended the world. Not from her own observation, but from a higher place, as if her soul could break free from her body and look down upon the entire world…

To take in any detail that should have been concealed, and the rules that constitute the world.

A divine perspective? Perhaps. Therefore, she vaguely realized a strange law: if you try to think something should be a certain way, then it will be that way.

Therefore, she eagerly awaits the day she wakes up.

At that time, relying on the fact that he saved her life, he would try to win her over to his side. Without the curse, her strength would be an insurmountable shield, protecting Mori from the clutches of the Four Seasons. This was her little selfish wish, which she hadn't mentioned to anyone yet.

After the ancient demon king had looked at his girl enough, he reluctantly but decisively sighed and walked away. Only then did Sen cover her with a blanket and gently say goodbye for their reunion.

……

"—Then, after I've helped you save that little human girl, please turn the clock, won't you? Supreme goddess, noble and beautiful coffin bearer."

Olster sat there cross-legged like a prodigal son. He tried to mask his inner turmoil with sarcasm, yet a hint of regret still lingered in his voice. After all, the silent world he had created and which had existed for so long was about to perish.

“I said no.” Mori said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"The Rose Queen is gone, so what are you still hesitating about and waiting for? Alas... she has already met you, and her waiting was not in vain. It's just that... you are not the one she was waiting for."

Mori ignored him, because the so-called "person who turns the clock" was by no means a binding obligation.

Whoever planted this foreshadowing, and when, in an attempt to guide her along the path of destiny, it lacked sufficient binding force. Just like now, letting it lie quietly in the long list of titles, never to be worn again, it is nothing.

Then—she bestowed upon herself the title of God.

This is Mori Toki's will.

"King of Ancient Demons, I must now return to my holy land." She didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear to everyone. Even without its crown, it remained an evil entity, and its presence there would likely cause problems.

The ancient King of Demons countered with a question: "Would you mind if I came as a guest? If it were now, I would very much like to speak with your Pope about some matters concerning the devil."

"Oh?"

"Currently, the realm of demons is facing some troubles. Fortunately, an old friend of mine has temporarily assumed the throne for certain complicated reasons... The order of the demons needs time to be restored, but without the nourishment of souls, the losses will be quite severe."

"You want a soul?"

"I wouldn't be so shameless as to directly discuss 'how to sell souls' with the Pope. Actually, I just want him to loosen his grip a bit recently, since the devil's trade has always been strictly cracked down on, and it would be good if we could get a few more souls."