Half a month… It means that once the plan is paused or canceled,we would forever miss the deadline.Will the people on the floating island really persist on even without me?
Also, what should be done on the demons" side? With Valkries"s connection gone, would the fragile agreement with Sky Lord shatter as a result?
Not to mention the Sky-sea Realm above Mist Island and the problem of actually entering the Bottomless Land.
Darn it. If only I can pa.s.s these information out! Roland"s mind raced, attempting to find a way to overcome the predicament, but he failed to come up with any workable plans despite a prolonged period of thinking. Unlike any of the previous dangers he faced, he was unable to reverse the situation even if he were to destroy the Oracle before him.
Roland already could sense that this was not a matter that could be solved by a single person alone.
"I… don"t understand."
He said after a long period of silence, "In the beginning, all of you treated me as a destroyer that needed to be eliminated because the Dream World threatens the rules set by G.o.d, to the exaggerated point of destroying millions of years of acc.u.mulated development. Yet, for just one instance of abnormality, you are helping me enter the Divine Domain. Were all the developments from before suddenly worth nothing?
"That"s not the only laughable point. Since G.o.d can turn the Dream World to nothingness at any time, why didn"t He do so in the beginning? Don"t tell me that He holds compa.s.sion!" The more Roland spoke, the angrier he became as his voice kept rising. "Countless races have killed each other in the name of the Divine Will, to the point of extinction. Apart from weathered bones and ruins, nothing is left. What kind of acc.u.mulated development is this!?
"As for you—Epsilon. Since you plan on betraying G.o.d, why not go all the way? Lan did it to escape her shackles, but what about you? If you only wish to receive an answer, I don"t mind bringing one more person to the Divine Domain. When the time comes, you can ask G.o.d as many questions as you want!
"Saying baffling words and doing incredulous acts, is this the unique characteristic of those who crack themselves up to be Oracles and G.o.d? You can"t even compare to mortals! At the very least, mortals know what they want clearly!"
However, Epsilon did not show any signs of anger.
She was not like the past Oracles, turning extremely sensitive and resistant when it involved problems with G.o.d. She even revealed a look of understanding after hearing what Roland said.
The Oracle walked in front of Roland, the gap closing to the point of being just a body"s length away.
"For you to ask these questions proves that you are just one step away from the answer."
The distance couldn"t be considered safe for both Epsilon and Roland, but the latter apparently didn"t take it to heart.
"However, if you do not take that last step, that distance would be no different from an infinite one." She looked up at Roland. "The greatness of G.o.d depends on what He has done, and not how many people know of it. Besides, the differences in civilizations will result in views and knowledge being completely different. Therefore, it"s understandable that you are unable to comprehend. In addition, I"m different from Lan. I"ve never betrayed G.o.d Almighty. Please remember that.
"Finally, if you are already prepared, you can take that step now—" With that said, Epsilon slowly reached out her hand to grab Roland"s arm, placing it on her chest.
"What are you doing?" Roland reflexively retracted his hand.
"Isn"t it obvious? Retrieve the astrolabe, and finally allow the Dream World and the Divine Domain to intersect. You should be very familiar with this process," Epsilon said calmly, as though it had nothing to do with her. "The Fallen Evils and Erosion bodies were my creation, and the cores are tightly connected together. Once you absorb the astrolabe, their magic powers will be pulled into that world. Such ma.s.sive powers will be enough to make the Dream World expand again to complete the final step. When the time comes, the intersecting Realm of Mind will become the new Erosion, but this time, it"s the Dream World invading the Divine Domain, and you—will face G.o.d."
"Wait." Roland stared at her in astonishment. "Don"t Oracles live because of this blob of magic power? Without the astrolabe—"
"I"ll die." Epsilon smiled. "But that"s only limited to the concept of death you have. As a part of G.o.d, as long as He isn"t destroyed, we will exist forever. What disappears is the body named Epsilon."
"Even so, will you be able to hear the answer?"
"No… asking it is sufficient."
With that said, she closed up her fingers and stabbed her palm into her chest before pulling out a dazzling blue blob of star jade!
Fresh blood splattered, some even landing on Roland"s face.
"Cough… Take it and enter the Divine Domain. Everything you want to know… Cough… can be found there."
"You…" Roland was stunned. He never expected such a sudden turn of events, but with it already done, any hesitation was meaningless. If Epsilon was right, at the moment the barrier was erected, the Dream World"s flow of time had far exceeded that of reality. Even if he waited for the Oracle to die and remove the barrier, it would be half a month later.
The only thing he could do was trust in everyone on the floating island.
With this in mind, Roland took a deep breath and grabbed the astrolabe.
The blue light grew brighter as though it was burning its last ounce of energy. As though stimulated, the heat wave inside surged out ferociously, and in that blinding radiance, he looked towards the Oracle who had blood seeping down the corners of her lips.
"I wish to ask you one last question—do you think the destruction of the world is inevitable?"
"Yes… Unless you can… defeat G.o.d Almighty." Epsilon"s voice was already drifting away. "But it"s impossible to defeat G.o.d. That is… a predestined ending from the very beginning."
"But you still changed your original decision!"
"All of you… have worked hard for so long, so you shouldn"t vanish without knowing why… Being able to take that final step… is praiseworthy itself." Epsilon coughed out another mouthful of blood and barely forced a smile. "Since destruction is the end… and is destined, why should I… take any more pointless actions?"
"That"s not what you really think." Roland glared at her, enunciating each and every word. "Lan wished to escape her restraints, and you wish to seek the answer. I do not know what was restraining her, nor do I know what questions you would like to ask G.o.d, but there is one thing I"m sure of, your hopes changed, isn"t it!? It"s because both of you have the same look in your eyes—"
"Sorry… That is the second question…" Epsilon closed her eyes with a smile, and when the blue brilliance reached an extremum, she slightly opened her mouth, as though she was about to say something. But before Roland could take it in carefully, the blinding light had devoured everything.
…