Chapter 161: What exactly... have I forgotten?
"Noah, Your Excellency, it seems..."
"This round, I’ve won."
At this moment, in Noah's eyes, the figure of the boy whose body had already been torn apart—
Actually overlapped with the image from many years ago, the one he had personally witnessed—the very first Shoreguard, who died with a smile, that despicable thief who stole the Fireseed.
Even though their identities and circumstances were vastly different, worlds apart...
They had spoken the exact same words—
"This round... I’ve won."
Was it truly you all... who won?
What was about to be destroyed was merely an incarnation of himself, while what that first Shoreguard had lost back then was his actual, true life.
With such a balance of interest, anyone could easily make a decision.
Yet, that original Shoreguard still uttered those words.
With a smile that did not seem false—genuinely happy.
...
Within the yellowish sea water that evaporated in an instant, every cell and Magic Factor that composed Noah’s Incarnation of Bounty was exposed to the searing impact.
Emerald light surged upward—this was the power of Bounty at the Legendary Realm, forcibly healing and restoring the cells that were annihilated by the impact... But just as healing completed, they were once again obliterated.
Such a cycle of annihilation and restoration repeated hundreds of millions of times in a fleeting moment. Within seconds, the remaining Bounty power was rapidly exhausted, causing the "Origin Leaf" at the core of this incarnation to gradually wither, emitting a warning of imminent collapse.
But the soul known as Noah—whose Spiritual Consciousness had been severed from the main body to control this incarnation—was now silently watching that moment of annihilation, as if his entire being and mind had been consumed by that dazzling Brilliance.
Some shattered, long-forgotten memories suddenly resurfaced in Noah’s mind.
It was a matter from a long, long time ago.
So ancient that it spanned several Eras... when the gods still walked the earth, and humanity had not yet become the rulers of the world.
It was an age of darkness and oppression for humanity, existing merely as vassals to the Mythic Beings... struggling to survive amidst the Divine War that devastated heaven and earth.
Perhaps a mere unnoticed aftershock during a clash between Mythic Beings could destroy an entire human tribe.
However, during those years, from one insignificant tribe, emerged a nameless and dull-witted human.
He believed that though humans lacked fangs and claws, had no powerful spellcasting talents nor long lifespans, no bloodline Supernatural Powers... if they were to resist those powerful Mythic Beings, they must rely solely on the power of knowledge.
Even if, in the beginning, the knowledge passed on was nothing but a few insignificant experiences—such as hunting skills, herbal formulas, or fire-making techniques.
As long as it could be passed down through generations, with the passage of time and the progression of civilization... improved, completed, and enriched by each generation—
Then one day—
A tiny seedling could grow into a towering tree...
And the initially faint Spark could become a wildfire, igniting the whole world.
Thus—
Under the guidance of that nameless man, humanity discovered the Higher Sequence Tiers that could make them Extraordinary Beings, and discovered the Night Blade that manifested from their Mental Image—comparable to the Dragon Language Magic of the Ancient Dragons and the charming Eye of Allure of the Vampires.
In this way, the once weak humans finally gained the capital to contend with the Mythic Beings.
Rising from Humble Origins, they defeated many declining Mythic Races as the Mysticism receded, becoming the new masters of this continent.
Noah was born during that time, at the end of the Age of Gods.
He had personally participated in humanity’s conquests, annihilating the Mythic Races one by one and becoming rulers of the world.
He had also followed that first human leader, the nameless fool who created the Extraordinary System and opened the path of knowledge inheritance... basking in the people's flowers, applause, cheers, and glory upon their triumphant return.
That glory was so dazzling, so blazing, like a blessing.
And precisely because of the unwavering belief in that glory, and admiration for that leader...
When that nameless fool discovered the cycle of the Eras and proposed the creation of the Gravekeepers to watch over the Spark of future generations—
Noah chose to join without hesitation, abandoning his life in the First Era, rejecting the pleas of family and friends...
He lay dormant in a cold grave, and when he awoke, the world had changed. Everything and everyone he once knew was long gone, all for the single goal of "reinforcing the future."
Yes...
Back then, wasn't he just like that first Shoreguard, like Cisel... like Rast before him?
For the sake of some vague and illusory dream, they had abandoned everything and stepped onto the path of becoming Gravekeepers.
That burning initial ideal, compared to the boy before him, was in no way inferior...
Believing in the power of knowledge.
Believing in the potential of the future, entrusting his unfulfilled mission to later generations.
Believing that persistent perseverance would ultimately be rewarded, and that one day, after countless days and years of accumulation, it would finally build into a towering structure.
To sever the endless cycle of fate, and redeem human civilization from that hellish world.
Such a dream could not be denied by anyone. No one could overturn it. It still lay deep in his heart... a thing that neither gods nor fate could ever take away or defile.
But...
When exactly did he begin to forget this initial ideal?
When did he become petty and servile... using any means necessary for the sake of immortality, becoming the abominable creature he was now?
Even going so far as to personally raise a blade against the humans he once swore to protect, all to follow the rules of Era succession, to draw closer to eternity and the Order of the World.
So then—
The one who betrayed the original belief, the real traitor... was it the Shoreguard, or the Gravekeeper himself?
The final trace of Bounty power faded from Noah’s Incarnation of Bounty.
What was he so lost over, what had he missed?
If he could just look back, and reclaim that forgotten original dream—wouldn’t that be enough?
"What exactly..."
"Have I forgotten..."
This whispered question, without a listener, had yet to be spoken.
And the searing Brilliance had already carried everything away to another world.