Chapter 128: Lost Paradise, Cleared!
A fire-stealer?
Hearing Noah’s words, Rast couldn't help but pause slightly in surprise.
Come to think of it, this was also the first time he had come to understand so clearly the philosophy behind the Gravekeepers.
Although he couldn't verify it, Rast could feel that on this point, Noah was not lying to him.
At the end of every era, there would be a cataclysm to conclude the epoch, a final calamity that destroyed an entire civilization—or what people called the Great Catastrophe.
This could also be proven from the current world’s exploration of the Nightworlds by the Night Travelers...
Six eras, seventy-two Nightworlds, each Nightworld corresponded to a disastrous segment of past history.
And each era's final Nightworld, the so-called "Nightworld Remnant," was in terms of strategy difficulty and the level and scale of extraordinary participants, far beyond the ordinary Nightworld echoes.
These were supremely difficult challenges that required all Night Travelers in the present world to join forces, paying the price in blood and fire to possibly conquer them.
In fact, according to records Rast had found in the Arcane Tower… in past conquests of the final Nightworlds and Nightworld Remnants of each era, there had been more than one case where legendary Night Travelers perished.
Therefore, the terminal calamity Noah spoke of likely did exist.
If one were to compare the development of civilization to a living organism, then it too would have a life cycle: sprouting, growth, flourishing, aging, and decline.
Only, when civilization entered its irreversible dusk phase, the final stage of its life.
Every legend born within that era, every leader of civilization, would make entirely different choices.
Some would choose to accept it calmly, quietly welcoming the death of civilization.
Some would abandon the civilization itself, drifting above the river of history, overlooking the rise and fall as cold recorders and witnesses, watching the times shift, the civilization change... and some, like the Gravekeepers, would even accelerate this process to conform with the natural laws.
Others, however, would reject this predestined end, and burn themselves like kindling for the faintest sliver of possibility—such as the Shoreguards.
These were the different choices made by different legends when facing the end of civilization.
There was no right or wrong, only differences in stance and philosophy… but because of that, once these two ideologies collided, there would no longer be room for mediation.
What followed could only be a war of blood and fire.
And war never ended until death.
However, compared to all of that...
What truly concerned Rast was instead what Noah had told him about the Shoreguards.
The founder of the Shoreguards was a traitor among the Gravekeepers?
And, according to Noah’s account, this founder had even stolen a "Fire Seed" from the Gravekeepers.
To make even such an ancient legend reveal traces of hatred and coldness when speaking of it... it could be seen that this "Fire Seed" must have been something of extreme value.
It held extraordinary significance, even for legendary powerhouses.
Rast had the intention of further probing for information, but it was clear that Noah had no intention of explaining more on the subject.
And when facing a legend, if Rast showed too much curiosity, it would naturally arouse suspicion and wariness.
Even so—
In truth, Rast already had a guess in his heart regarding the so-called "Fire Seed".
It only remained to be confirmed.
“So, you should understand now the reason I descended on behalf of the Gravekeepers.”
Noah’s indifferent voice echoed in Rast’s ears again.
“What we pursue is not only the immortality of life, but also the eternity of civilization.”
“And in order to persist long into the future… the alternation of epochs and their eventual demise, the destruction and rebirth of civilizations, are necessary processes.”
“But the Shoreguards, led by Sisel, seek to break this law that has persisted across many eras—”
“For the sake of that foolish, moth-to-flame delusion, they act recklessly and without restraint, to the point of madness, disregarding the greater future entirely.”
“Therefore, the Shoreguards must be eradicated—”
“Before this era’s civilization truly offends the heavenly laws, brings about catastrophic backlash, and causes irreversible consequences.”
He paused briefly in his speech.
“On the other hand, the despicable traitor and thief must also be punished.”
“To reclaim the ‘Fire Seed’ we lost from the hands of the fire-stealer.”
Rast showed an appropriate look of shock mixed with confusion.
He hesitated for a moment, then still asked.
“Lord Noah, I have another question.”
“When facing the Shoreguards, why don’t we Gravekeepers use greater power to directly suppress them without reservation?”
“As far as I know, the current Shoreguard organization isn’t even strong, with only Sisel as its sole legend.”
“A mere legend should be insignificant compared to us Gravekeepers.”
“Heh.”
Rast felt a heavy gaze fall upon him.
It lingered for a long time before finally moving away.
“We Gravekeepers, though existing outside history, do not erode or decay like mortal beings under the flow of time, nor do we age and die.”
“But in exchange, during the vast majority of each era, we can only observe and record events in the present world, not interfere.”
“And should we wish to interfere, many restrictions apply.”
“Just like those gods confined beyond the ‘Scorching Heaven Threshold’... though they are true deities, they cannot descend freely into the world, and can only send their powers through believers, sacrifices, and rituals.”
Noah’s voice grew deeper.
“If it weren’t for such severe constraints, how could scum like the Shoreguards have survived in the shadows for so long?”
“Of course, this restriction imposed by the world’s laws will weaken with the advance of civilization.”
“When the end of an era arrives, all restrictions will lift.”
“At that time, whether we Gravekeepers or the gods trapped beyond the Threshold, all will descend upon the world at full strength… gods will walk the earth.”
“But by then, it may already be too late to undo the Shoreguards’ deeds.”
“Right now, although civilization and this era are already declining, they have not yet reached the point of destruction.”
“So, the restrictions may have loosened, but they are not completely gone. My arrival is already the limit... among the Gravekeepers are those stronger than I, but they are even more constrained.”
“Besides—” Noah paused again. “Since the first generation stole the Fire Seed, it has been passed down and strengthened through generations of Shoreguards…”
“Although there is only one person, Sisel, who holds the Fire Seed now, he is no ordinary legend.”
Scorching Heaven Threshold?
Those gods were trapped beyond this so-called "Threshold", so they couldn’t descend freely to the world?
Rast silently engraved this knowledge in his heart. These were secrets he had no way of learning before.
At this moment, Noah retracted his ethereal, distant gaze and looked back at Rast.
“Of course, these matters don’t concern you much at the moment.”
“Though rare, each era has its own legends… and as for seeds with the potential to become legends, their number is several times greater.”
“But not every legend is invited to join the Gravekeepers.”
“However, you, at this moment, do indeed qualify to walk with us.”
Noah looked down at Rast, the plants in the courtyard flourishing around him, brimming with verdant vitality.
“For the sake of survival and eternity, the Shoreguards must be erased.”
“There must be a battle between me and Sisel… but that won’t happen right away. Both he and I must prepare and gather strength.”
“What you must do… is to, before then, use the Death God’s Holy Grail you forcibly contained as a medium, and take full control of the remaining power in this Death God’s corpse, making it your own.”
His gaze once more fell upon that distant, dusky, illusory ocean—that abyss formed from the Death God’s remains.
Rast followed Noah’s gaze toward the Abyss—
Deep within the illusory ocean of Death God's blood, at the abyss’s end that devoured all light.
There came a faint, almost indiscernible aura, strangely familiar to Rast.
It was Akxia’s aura.
Though Rast had used Sisel’s Light Dagger to pierce her heart and retrieve the Death God’s Holy Grail from within.
As a Transcendent of the Death God’s higher sequence, even after losing the Holy Grail and the power to control the Death God’s remains, Akxia’s status wouldn’t fall due to years of crystallization.
Possessing the ability of the "Pale Body", Akxia’s form had no vital weak point. Even a pierced heart couldn’t easily kill her.
At this moment, the former Queen of the Underworld lay quietly asleep at the bottom of the Abyss, like Sleeping Beauty.
To others, this abyss would be fatally dangerous—a single drop of divine blood would cause assimilation and destruction.
But to Akxia, it was like a peaceful haven, no different from her palace in Paradise.
“That is, after all, the remains of a true god. A centipede dies but never stiffens—how much more so for an ancient Death God…”
“Such a great being could return from just a shred of flesh, given the right opportunity.”
Noah too seemed to see through the abyss and the sleeping girl within.
“Even though you forcibly contained the Death God’s Holy Grail, you should have sensed by now—it only treats you as a container, a temporary host…”
“It’s parasitizing you, constantly trying to erode, pollute, and assimilate you… and if you can’t resist, if the Holy Grail takes control—”
“Then, even if you ascend to legend through the Death God’s remains, even touch divinity… you will no longer be you. You’ll be the old Death God, resurrected in your shell.”
“But, with her, that changes.”
Noah’s voice followed: “This Queen of the Underworld, Helen… from birth she housed the Holy Grail, yet was never rejected, harmed, or eroded like those who dared reach for divine power.”
“She is an extremely rare existence, a vessel born to hold the Holy Grail. I even suspect she is a lifeform born from the traits shed by the old Death God—or a new life nurtured from his remains.”
“In a sense, she is the child of the old god, a divine-blooded descendant—the Death God’s daughter.”
“If you forcibly house the Holy Grail and bear the full might of the Death God’s corpse, you will merely be a vessel for his rebirth.”
“In front of a god, human self-awareness is as lowly as dust, easily crushed…”
“But, if you make her the vessel, and when the Holy Grail’s erosion of your body reaches the perfect moment, use the blood of the Death God’s heir to complete the ritual…”
“Then you might shift all the side effects onto her, the sacrificial vessel.”
“Fully gaining the divinity and authority within the Death God’s Holy Grail, and fully obtaining the right to control the god’s remains.”
Noah’s voice softened: “Though this only grants the Holy Grail’s divinity and authority, not the direct power of the god’s corpse… it won’t raise your rank or strength much in the short term.”
“However, in this way, you’ll be able to completely avoid all risks, as well as the possibility of the Death God’s consciousness awakening within you.”
“At that time, the path to Legend, and even to the Divine Realm, will be fully opened to you… Given time—perhaps a few years, or even a few decades—you will definitely become a Legend, or even a deity, without encountering a single hindrance or obstruction along the way.”
“And the power on that divine corpse won’t go to waste either. Although the divine power still retains remnants of the former Death God’s will, making it too dangerous to absorb directly…”
“You can still pilot that divine corpse to assist me in wiping out the Shoreguards.”
“Although several eras have passed and the power on the Death God’s remains has already faded to less than one-tenth, unleashing Legendary-level strength from that corpse in a short time will still pose no problem.”
The old man who spoke like a gardener sounded gentle, yet his words carried an indescribable allure.
“Once the Shoreguards are wiped out, I will use the merits of aiding me in their eradication and retrieving the ‘Fire Seed’ from the Fire Thief to recommend you for admission into the Gravekeepers.”
“To have contained an Ancient God’s Holy Grail without any side effects and to become one of us Gravekeepers… possessing eternal life, standing above the long river of time and history, no longer bound by aging, illness, or death.”
“One day, you might truly ascend the divine throne and become the new Death God.”
“Perhaps you may even surpass that former Death God.”
…
“The ritual to help you truly contain the Death God’s Holy Grail using Queen Helen of the Underworld as a sacrifice requires a long period of preparation, and the ritual itself must also await the proper timing.”
“Additionally, I must search for more allies to aid in my battle against Sisel.”
“While I prepare, you shall stay in Paradise or the Abyss, and attempt to contain the Holy Grail as much as possible to deepen your resonance with it.”
“Also, the vacant throne of the Underworld Nation should be claimed by you.”
“When the day comes that you step into the Divine Realm and embark on the path of the Death God… the deceased in Paradise will naturally become your believers and the source of your divine power.”
“You need not worry that Sisel will make another move against you… Someone like him has far too much to consider. He treats mortal emotions—those illusions like ephemeral dreams—as shackles that bind himself.”
“As long as my whereabouts remain uncertain, he must both guard against the forbidden creatures of the sea and worry about me wiping out the entire Shoreguard organization. He wouldn’t dare to leave the headquarters of the Watchtower.”
“There might be other Shoreguards sent to hunt you, but to you right now, Paradise is your domain. Even though you forcibly contained the Holy Grail… those people shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to you.”
Noah’s final words disappeared with a swirling, twisting shimmer of light around him.
When the surroundings settled once more—
Rast found himself back in the royal city of Paradise.
“What’s going on? Why did that palace in the inner city suddenly collapse and vanish?”
“Logically, for such a massive structure, even if it did collapse, there should be ruins left behind. But someone who braved it to take a look said the palace site was completely empty.”
“Queen Helen couldn’t be in danger, could she?”
Though night had already fallen, and this era lacked the brilliance of future sleepless cities—
The streets of the royal city were still filled with the panicked voices of citizens.
These residents of Paradise naturally knew nothing of what had just transpired atop the suburban peak… They only knew that, for some unknown reason, the royal palace at the center of Paradise had collapsed.
It had vanished without a sound, not leaving behind the faintest trace.
Blending into the noisy crowd, Rast subtly made a gun-like gesture toward his temple.
In the next instant, light flickered and vanished in his eyes.
With that act of mental suggestion, the self-hypnosis Rast had previously cast upon himself was also lifted.
This was a necessary procedure.
Though he had agreed with Sisel from the start to infiltrate the Gravekeepers as a mole—
When facing a Legendary-level Gravekeeper, even the slightest fluctuation or ripple in his heart might be detected and expose his true intent.
Although he had full confidence in his acting skills, he was up against a monster who might’ve lived for several eras—no level of caution would be too much.
So, from the moment he truly stood before Noah, Rast had hypnotized himself.
He had genuinely immersed himself into the perspective of a Gravekeeper… Because he had once personally experienced erosion, he deeply feared the decay and collapse that came with time, willing to sacrifice everything for eternity.
All of the experiences and emotions Rast described to Noah—including his inner journey and transformation—were real… He genuinely believed the Shoreguards were wrong and agreed with the philosophy of the Gravekeepers.
The only thing missing was the memory of Canaan.
If it weren’t for “Canaan” and Xiao Ai—
Then Rast, who had gone through hundreds of years of cycles in Deep Blue Port and had firsthand experienced soul erosion and collapse… might truly have walked the path of a Gravekeeper.
Only then could he have fooled a true Legendary Gravekeeper.
Of course, Rast wouldn’t fully and unconditionally believe all the information Noah shared.
After all, they had only just met.
Although after containing the Death God’s Holy Grail, he had gained value in Noah’s eyes and a basis for cooperation—
If he blindly believed everything Noah said, he might end up getting sold and still help count the money for it.
For instance, Noah said the reason the Gravekeepers didn’t send their entire force to annihilate Sisel was due to the cycle of the Era, which limited the power of the Gravekeepers and divine descents…
Such a limitation likely did exist—after all, if true deities could freely descend, the Sixth Era would’ve already been reduced to rubble. It wouldn’t be barely surviving with just Sisel as its pillar.
But was Noah really the only Legendary who had come from the Gravekeepers?
Even Noah admitted that Sisel, who held the “Fire Seed,” couldn’t be measured by ordinary Legendary standards… So, in order to eliminate Sisel, could the Gravekeepers really afford not to keep backup forces?
Furthermore—
If the sole goal was to eliminate Sisel and retrieve the Fire Seed…
Then why did the Gravekeepers send Noah, a member of the “Abundance” Sequence?
Rast wasn’t unfamiliar with the long tier of the Abundance Sequence. It was also commonly seen among the Night Travelers of the present. Fran, Shiltina’s late best friend, had also belonged to this Sequence.
The “Abundance” Sequence excelled at support, healing, medicine, and logistics… but had clear shortcomings in direct combat.
If the Gravekeepers truly wanted to annihilate Sisel, they should’ve selected a Legendary with greater offensive power.
Besides—
The “Abundance” and “Death God” Sequences, which governed the authority of life and death—
They seemed like completely opposite powers, yet they were both parts of the same rules—born of the same origin.
So, was Noah’s explanation, and the ritual involving Akxia as vessel and sacrifice, really just for allowing Rast to harmlessly contain the Death God’s Holy Grail and use the divine corpse to help take down Sisel?
Or… was Noah also pursuing his own interests through all of this?
As his thoughts raced, Rast’s gaze drifted toward the direction that the citizens nearby were all looking toward.
“And also, to fill that vacant throne… to become the new king of the Underworld Nation, of Paradise…”
Rast looked toward the center of the royal city—where once stood a grand palace, now just a hollow void—and chuckled softly.
“In that case—that’s practically dancing on little Grey’s face in mockery.”
“That little one will probably hate me to the bone. She might even be so furious she won’t sleep properly.”
“But if you truly want to become a qualified leader of the Shoreguards in a short time… then this is a price you must pay.”
Rast paused in his murmuring.
“After all, whether it’s me or Leader Sisel—”
“The time we have left to remain by your side, little Grey—”
“I fear, won’t be much longer…”
In the next moment, Rast lifted his head.
Above the pitch-black sky, a faint starlight suddenly descended.
Under his gaze, the starlight intertwined with the veil-like night.
And then—like the night sky—it gently wrapped around Rast and the entire broken world.
Amid the thickening night and fading consciousness, lines of glowing blue text drifted across Rast’s mind.
【Nightworld Quest — “Era Remnant: Prologue to the Battle of Legends (Lost Paradise)” has been cleared】
【Current mission score rating: EX】
【Mission rewards have been distributed】
【Your Sequence Tier: “Tower” has reached the fourth rank】
【You have obtained the emblem attire: “The Unwritten Fairy Tale” and “Insignia of the Betrayer’s Wings”】
【Civilization Epic Event — “Battle of the Shattered Coast” has begun】
【Current historical node has been locked. Night Traveler, please choose whether to leave Era Remnant or remain】
【Reminder: Upon leaving the Nightworld, aside from emblem attires recognized by the Nightworld, all phantom items obtained in the historical remnant will become unusable illusions】
【Upon your next entry into Era Remnant, you will return to the locked historical node to continue the Civilization Epic Event】