Chapter 6: Existences Beyond Understanding (II)

The Ancient Will…
Although not a magician specializing in ancient magic, as a professor at the Heliorox Magic Academy, Professor Hode knew somewhat about the Ancient Will.
The Will refers to memories or ways of thinking that cannot be altered or controlled, or fragments of souls. They exist eternally in an eternal lower-dimensional world, influencing our world through unknown means.
Of course, the souls mentioned here are not human souls—human souls are too fragile and weak to exist eternally on their own.
It is well known that black magicians are those who lack faith in deities; they consider legends of gods to be absurd and baseless. Yet they acknowledge that throughout history, there may have been immensely powerful forces that balanced the world.
In a sense, however, the [Will] is closer to the world’s origin, [Chaos]. Once, a magician used a hierarchical tree-like structure to categorize parallel spaces.
[Chaos], as the original world, belongs to zero dimension. It may be smaller than a grain of sand, but it might contain all matter in the world. In this world, there is no other matter or life.
Including energy, it is a world of absolute prohibition and eternal immutability.
Beyond zero dimension, the world develops linear worldlines from a single origin, which can be seen as the process of world formation. Similarly, one dimension also lacks life, but the most fundamental substances that constitute the world are born here, with [elements] being one such example.
After one dimension, the worldlines that make up the world expand from lines into planes—this is two dimensions, which can be seen as the transformation of [elements] into [matter], such as soil or rocks emerging from pure earth element.
It is only in three dimensions that space can truly be called such, as the three vector units of length, width, and height are finally in place—though it does not include energy decay. Thus, three dimensions can also be referred to as [the absolutely prohibited space], where the first life forms emerged and gathered, such as the Ancient Will…
And then there is four dimensions, which is the most fundamental world we inhabit, with energy decay added to the three vector units of length, width, and height.

As far as humanity knows, the fifth dimension, or five-dimensional space, encompasses almost all existence—whether it be the three vector units of length, width, and height that constitute space, the decay of energy, or the new vector unit representing the rate at which the world evolves. Life born in the [Absolutely Prohibited Space] is conventionally defined as [gods], as they are never bound by time. In other words, their energy never increases or decreases; they are eternal beings. It is worth noting that this is why the Gungro and Vantoro vampires are considered to violate the laws of the world: they are life forms born in a four-dimensional world yet possess an immortal existence akin to that of gods. However, in reality, they are merely infinitely close to being eternal and can still be killed. But [gods] are different—they exist eternally in three dimensions and are unaffected by energy decay. Although the white magicians of Salonia strongly oppose black magicians defining gods in this way, in a sense, [will] is akin to gods. They can be seen as a collection of countless thoughts, ways of thinking, or forces and elements. When they develop wisdom due to their powerful existence, they can be called [gods]! This is the conclusion drawn by black magicians, who are the closest to gods, regarding the essence of the world. Thus, when Professor Hodde heard the words [Ancient Will] from Argus, he was momentarily stunned, because the Ancient Will is a [Great Will] formed by countless [wills], and in a sense, it is akin to gods… No, they are gods in a certain sense. Although this may overturn many people’s beliefs, the usual concept of [gods] is merely a general term for [powerful eternal beings]. For example, the phantom visible before Professor Hodde now—Mammon, the Ancient Will formed by countless greed and desires—can be regarded as a god who controls desire. “How is this possible…” Staring at the massive phantom behind Argus, Professor Hodde could hardly believe it. Although he had long known there was a very powerful being behind Argus, he never imagined it to be a [god]; he thought it was just a particularly powerful demon.

“Is it that unbelievable?” Argus laughed heartily, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, saying with a teasing smile, “You’re the first to see it, Hodd Kendi! — Even in my battle against that great mage, I didn’t use this power. Impressive! You can be proud of that!”
Hearing Argus’ mocking words, Professor Hodd snorted coldly, staring at the massive phantom and frowning, “What a joke! — Is that guy really a god? Are you insulting my knowledge?”
“Hm? So you know about it?” Argus was slightly surprised, then shrugged and said with a smile, “Professors from the Rexox Academy are truly extraordinary—knowing things like the Ancient Will… That’s good; it saves me from having to explain further. — You should understand now, right? You can never defeat me, because behind me… is a god!”
Staring quietly at Argus, Professor Hodd shook his head slightly and said calmly, “It’s ridiculous! — Just a phantom that can’t even form a physical body, claiming to be a god. You’re truly insane, Argus!”
“What? So you didn’t know?” Disappointment appeared in Argus’ eyes as he shook his head and sighed, “I thought we could have a somewhat equal conversation… How disappointing, Hodd Kendi. It seems you’ve only opened the door to the world but haven’t taken the step forward yet.”
“What do you mean?” Professor Hodd asked, frowning.
“Don’t you know? Gods and our world are two completely different worlds. The world where gods reside is far older and purer than ours. Although they can interfere with us, they can’t come directly to this world. If they want to descend here, they must rely on some medium… To completely cross dimensions and break through spatial barriers isn’t something that can be done easily!”
“Is that so?”
“Of course,” Argus said with a slight smile, glancing at the sky, “For those great beings to come to this world, there are two ways: one is to temporarily come here through a host’s body, but that’s utterly meaningless. Not only is their power restricted by this world, but once the host dies, the hard-won connection to this world collapses entirely…”
“Like you now?” Professor Hodd asked, frowning.

Argus fell silent for a moment, not answering Professor Hod’s question, before continuing, “The second method is to completely shift dimensions. However, the laws of this world dictate that one must sacrifice most of their power when crossing dimensions to adapt to this world’s system. Even gods, upon arriving in this world through dimension crossing, see their power diminish over time and cannot exist eternally. This is a fundamental law of the world that cannot be changed. That’s why we need the medium I mentioned earlier—to open a pathway through dimensional space in some way…”
“A pathway?”
“Yes. Using powerful and pure energy to replace one’s own energy consumption in order to enter this world… In other words, what you see now is merely a projection, not the whole truth…” As he spoke, Argus glanced at Professor Hod. Seeing the deep distrust in his eyes, he shook his head and sighed, “The limitations of your mind prevent you from fully accepting all this… It’s a pity, Hod Kendi. You might be considered the strongest human now, but you’re still just a human. Ignorant and foolish as you are, you have no idea about higher existences…” With that, he let out another long sigh. His expression showed genuine disappointment, not pretense.
“Ignorance or foolishness—none of that matters,” Professor Hod said firmly, pointing at Argus. “All I want right now is to kill you!”
“Oh my, what terrifying intent,” Argus said with a light laugh, holding his forehead. Then, looking at Professor Hod with self-mockery, he added, “It’s ironic, really. To be hurt to this extent by a human like you—something even those two old guys couldn’t do!”
At the mention of the “old guys,” intense anger flashed in Professor Hod’s eyes. Just as he was about to act, Argus suddenly raised his right hand.
“Wait,” Argus said, raising his hand to stop Professor Hod. Pointing at himself, who was exhausted and severely injured, he smiled and said, “If we keep fighting like this, even I might die…”
“Hm?” Professor Hod froze, frowning in disbelief. “You don’t expect me to spare you, do you?—That would disappoint me greatly!”
“Oh my, I’m being underestimated,” Argus said with a self-mocking smile. Glancing at Professor Hod, he added playfully, “I won’t disappoint you!—Though the outcome is already determined, as a reward for your courage, how about I show you the power of a god?”

“The power of gods?” Professor Hode showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“No, no, no,” Argus seemed to read Professor Hode’s thoughts. He shook his finger and said with a light laugh, “It’s not some boring notion about destroying the world. That’s just a legend to deceive ignorant kids. You can’t really believe that, right?”
“You…” Professor Hode frowned. Looking at Argus’s confident and calm demeanor, curiosity welled up in him. He spoke in a low voice, “Then what is it?”
“It’s a power beyond human understanding!” Argus said. He took a deep breath. When he raised his head again, a faint red layer appeared on the surface of his pupils. At the same time, a shadow behind him also opened a pair of identical faint red eyes.
What kind of eyes were those? They seemed to possess some kind of magic. Professor Hode couldn’t force himself to look away. Somehow, he felt the surroundings dim instantly, enveloped in endless darkness. Those increasingly larger faint red eyes seemed to become the entire world.
Professor Hode felt dizzy. When he came back to his senses, he saw Argus looking at him with a strange smile.
“Illusion?” Professor Hode became alert immediately. But to his surprise, Argus didn’t do anything unusual. He just kept staring at him.
“Illusion? No, no, that’s not an illusion,” Argus said with a smirk after shaking his head. “I could have taken you out in an instant, but as I said, to reward your courage, I want you to witness the power of gods!”
Looking around, seeing that he was still by a river outside Sasson City, Professor Hode frowned and sneered, “How bold. Your so-called ‘power of gods’ is just that ridiculous illusion? Is that your confident trick to deal with me?”
“How ignorant and foolish,” Argus sighed and shook his head. Then he raised his right hand, looking at the two flickering flames above his fingers, and said calmly, “Illusions are just tricks to deceive other creatures. So don’t mix up the power of gods with illusions!” He glanced at Professor Hode with a teasing smile and asked, “By the way, what did you see just now? From those divine pupils…”
“…” Professor Hode opened his mouth slightly, lowered his head, with a look of disbelief, as if recalling something.

“Desire is an unfulfilled ambition, or greed. Have you heard of Israel Okardi’s ‘On Sin’? He said that humans are actually the most evil creatures in the world, living for various desires—money, power, status, vanity…” As he spoke, he raised his right hand and looked at the two clusters of greenish flames dancing above his fingers, then said calmly, “You’re the same, Hod Kennedy!”
Looking at those two flames, Professor Hod suddenly had a very strange feeling, as if he were peering into the depths of his own mind.
“Desire is inevitable for all living beings.” Glancing at Professor Hod, Argus gently flicked his right hand, and the two greenish flames slowly drifted to the ground. After swirling in the air, they gradually took the form of two figures.
“How… is this possible?!” Staring at those two figures, Professor Hod’s eyes widened as if he had been struck, and he stepped back two times.
One of the figures was a boy who seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with furrowed brows and a gaze filled with intense hatred. The other was a young man in his twenty-five or twenty-six, whose hatred had faded, replaced by what seemed to be a longing for something.
But unbelievably, both of them had exactly the same appearance as Professor Hod.
“Is this a illusion?” Professor Hod instinctively glanced around, then at Argus, who was sneering. Raising his head, he pointed at the two figures and demanded in a deep voice, “Who are you?”
“Hod…”
“Kennedy!” the boy and the young man said in unison.
“How is this possible?!” Professor Hod stared at them in shock. He didn’t sense any magical fluctuations from Argus indicating an illusion, but if it wasn’t an illusion, how else could he explain what was happening?
What worried him even more was that, looking at those two figures, Professor Hod had the illusion that they were looking at him.

Glancing at Professor Hodde, whose expression had changed drastically, Argus laughed heartily and waved his finger, saying, “What’s the matter, Hodde Kandy? Can’t understand what you see? Illusion? No, no, no—nothing so boring. Magic is just a force that deceives the world. But magic itself is also bound by the world. Only the power of gods can escape the constraints of the world’s laws! —But then again, you’re indeed an honest person. Truly remarkable. I wanted to give you a more direct understanding of the power of gods, but well… enough already! —You should thank me, because I’ve given you a chance—to face your true self!”
Looking at the two of them solemnly, Professor Hodde frowned and asked, “What do you mean?!”
“What do I mean? Haven’t you guessed it already?” Argus said with a teasing smile, pointing at the boy and the young man and smiling. “They seem quite dissatisfied with you!”
As if in response to Argus, the young version of Professor Hodde stepped forward, raised his finger, and said in a slightly childish tone, “What are you doing, Hodde!”
Hearing that voice, which was extremely familiar from his memories, Professor Hodde seemed to shudder and murmured, “What… what am I doing?”
“I asked what you’re doing!” The young Hodde seemed very angry, with a fierce expression on his face. He shouted, “Shouldn’t your enemy be Salonia? Killing those damned guys to avenge our mentor is what we should do, not having these boring duels in such a pointless place!”
“Hey, what do you mean boring duel…” Argus put on a pretended pained smile and said helplessly, “If you keep talking like that, I’ll get a headache!”
The young Hodde turned to Argus and said coldly, “I’m not talking to you. Shut up!”
“Hey…” Argus smiled with interest, looking at the stunned Professor Hodde and teasingly said, “Oh my, it seems you were quite rebellious in your youth. That’s really surprising!”
“Strangers, stay out of this!” The young Hodde shouted angrily, seemingly ready to fight. Argus shrugged and stepped back a few steps, spreading his hands to show he wouldn’t get involved.

“Isn’t that right?” Young Hod turned to look at Professor Hod again, spreading his hands and saying, “Don’t forget, our mentor treated us like his own children, teaching us magic and life. But our beloved mentor was killed by those damned Salonians. Didn’t we swear to take revenge?! Have you already forgotten that unforgettable hatred?”
“I…” Professor Hod looked somewhat at a loss.
“As I thought, you’ve forgotten. I’m so disappointed!” Deep disappointment appeared in the young Hod’s eyes, as intense fire elements gathered like a vortex in his raised right hand.
Just then, the younger version of Professor Hod reached out and pressed down on the young Hod’s right hand, saying casually, “Well, we should at least give them a chance to explain!” With that, he looked up at Professor Hod and smiled, saying, “Oh, Hod!—Your expression seems confused. Is it strange to be called that by yourself?”
“…” Professor Hod opened his mouth but didn’t utter a word.
“Silent? Since when have you become so boring?” The young Hod shrugged and smiled self-mockingly. Then his smile gradually faded, and he spoke in an unusually serious tone, “Hatred and such are unimportant… Brat, shut up! But people should have their own goals, right? We swore to become powerful magicians, didn’t we? To make those who look down on us realize their mistakes… The son of a grocery store owner is utterly insignificant!—Hey, you haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“…”

“Tch!” Glancing at Professor Hod, the young Hod sneered and said, “I truly admire your willingness to sacrifice a part of your life for great power. But haven’t you gone too far? Old Dean, old dean—since when has that old man become more important than our own lives? He merely offered a hand when you needed help, yet you’ve worked for him for over a decade. Surely that debt should have been repaid by now. Staying in Vandel with his granddaughter gives us a better future—someday, we can become respected great figures… But what have you done? Out of some trivial hatred for that boring brat beside me, you’re desperate for power, to the point of damaging your soul. You might never become a great mage in this lifetime… Brat, shut up! And now, to repeat the same mistakes for that old man again… Is avenging that Agus man really more important than making those who look down on us realize their mistakes? Hod! If that’s what you say, then I think I need to make you see things differently!”
With a roar, powerful magic surged from the bodies of the young Hod and the adolescent Hod. The fire elements they could control were on par with Professor Hod’s.
“Your mission is revenge! Without revenge, you have no reason to exist!”
“There’s no need for revenge at all, but you’ve forgotten our goals. I’m so disappointed!”
The fierce adolescent Hod launched the attack first, using Flare Flash. Behind him, the young Hod employed a new version of Flare Flash—dual power.
Was it an illusion?
Professor Hod’s thoughts paused for a moment, but the overwhelming murderous intent and intense magic fluctuations proved it wasn’t a joke.
“Boom!”
“Boom! Boom!”
A series of explosions instantly shattered the once peaceful night by the river. The fierce fire elements transformed the entire area beyond recognition. It definitely wasn’t an illusion!
“Bear!” Professor Hod reappeared elsewhere. Glancing at his destroyed left half, he used his will to restore his body with fire elements, but his mood was extremely heavy.
It really wasn’t an illusion…

“It seems you’ve already accepted it?” Argus, who had been watching from the side, smirked mockingly before shrugging and speaking in a strange, inexplicable tone, “My master, the Ancient Will—Mammon, possesses the power to control people’s hearts. No matter how deep the desires hidden in their hearts or the evil thoughts lurking within, nothing can escape his gaze. He has the power to expose all such desires. Those so-called world-destroying powers? They’re nothing but ignorant and trivial ideas of humans… How does it feel to fight against your true self? Wow, you’re holding back? Hey, you’ll die! Their strength is on the same level as yours… Oh, how ruthless. You can still bring yourself to kill when facing your true self? It’s a shame… Whether you get hurt or they get hurt, the outcome is the same!”
As Argus said, whether it was the youthful version of Hode, the adult version, or Professor Hode himself, if one of them got hurt, the other two would suffer the same injury. After all, they were all one person. Perhaps, as Argus said, the outcome had already been determined.
“Amazing! You could definitely become the strongest human now, but it’s only temporary…” Argus stood by, watching the fight and clapping in approval from time to time.
Meanwhile, Professor Hode, in the midst of the battle, was under immense pressure. Facing two opponents who knew him all too well… Of course, they were formed from Professor Hode’s own desires—how could they not understand his habits and ways of thinking?
“What’s wrong, Hode? After giving up hatred, is this all you can do? It’s ridiculous! You should be stronger!” the youthful version of Hode kept shouting.
“Mm, hatred is unnecessary, but reasons like ‘for the country,’ ‘for the world,’ or ‘to protect what that old guy safeguards’ are just too boring… You think the same, right? Tch! Don’t you? It’s time to wake up from your illusions, Hode!—How about we team up to get rid of that annoying brat? Then go kill those who look down on us? You no longer have time to earn their respect, so just kill them. Tch, not saying anything?” The adult version of Hode shook his head in disappointment, accelerating the speed of his Flash ability.
“Huff…” Faced with two opponents of the same level, Professor Hode’s mental energy was rapidly depleting. Unable to attack them, he could only use Flash to evade. In just over ten minutes, his mental state had already begun to show signs of confusion.
What kind of power is this?

Could the guy behind Argus really be the so-called god? Impossible—how could such a ridiculous thing be true? But this… it’s not a illusion; it’s definitely not an illusion! Not to mention Flame Flash, even the two-gravity version of Flame Flash is only known to him and his apprentice Thos in the whole world—no one else understands it, so how could they use it so skillfully? And those words… Could they really be… their true selves? “Ah,” Argus said with a half-smile, rubbing his forehead and shrugging, “Getting distracted during a battle isn’t something like you, Hordendy, would do!” As soon as he finished speaking, there were two loud booms—Professor Hord’s body was largely destroyed by fierce flames, but immediately afterward, the fire elements repaired his injuries. As a level achieved by dark mages through fantasy, [Elementalization] is a power that completely transcends human limits. “Tsk tsk, what an incredible ability. I never thought humans could rely on magic to achieve power almost on par with dark undead. But your mental energy is being consumed heavily. What would happen if you couldn’t control those fire elements? I’m really curious!” Argus chuckled. As Argus said, Professor Hord’s body began to show slight, irregular vibrations, indicating that his mental energy could no longer fully control the fire elements that made up his body. After all, fire elements are one of the most fundamental elements of the world and aren’t something that can be easily controlled. In the following dozen minutes, Professor Hord’s emotions remained unstable, leaving him at a severe disadvantage in this constrained battle, completely overwhelmed by both the young and adult versions of Hord. “Boom!” With a loud explosion, the young and adult Hords used Flash to leave the explosion zone simultaneously, leaving Professor Hord, whose mental energy had been damaged, with no choice but to brace against the impact. Yet, he too suffered severe injuries—strange cracks appeared all over his body, and tiny particles could be seen peeling off him.

“Clap, clap, clap!” Argus walked over while clapping, looking at Professor Hode lying on the ground, panting, and saying mockingly, “What a wonderful fight! But I feel like you were stronger before. Is this what belief is?” With that, he went over to Professor Hode, knelt down, and sighed in a peculiar tone, “I’ve said it before—the outcome was predetermined; you just didn’t believe it! Still, you’re the most admirable person I’ve ever met. If we weren’t in such opposing positions, maybe we could be friends…”
“Friends with a scumbag like you?” Professor Hode sneered, gasping for breath.
“Hehe,” Argus smiled nonchalantly before switching to a serious tone, “You can never defeat me, Hode Kendi. It’s not about strength. The key is that behind you there might be an unyielding belief or a vow to avenge that old man, while behind me is a god! That’s the real reason determining who wins between us! Stop it—I can spare you!”
“Spare me?” Professor Hode’s face showed surprise and mockery as he laughed loudly, “A guy like you actually says he can spare me?”
“Why not?” Argus smiled faintly, his eyes holding a strange look, and sighed, “The essence of the world is nothing but a hierarchical structure like a tower. The higher you go, the fewer people can understand it, and of course, the more boring it becomes. Destroying Riox might be the thing I regret the most now. Hehe, it’s not repentance—just growing increasingly bored. There are too few guys like you…”
“Hmph, your words are even more annoying than you are!”
“Hehe, is that so?” Argus smiled nonchalantly before saying playfully, “Let me tell you something. You might be able to hurt me, even badly, but you can’t kill me. Because behind me is something powerful enough to shake the entire world. From the start, we weren’t on equal footing. Only an [Apostle] can kill an [Apostle]!”
“An Apostle?” Professor Hode’s eyes showed surprise.
Argus seemed to realize he had said too much and smiled faintly, “Don’t worry about it! I just meant you can’t defeat me!” With that, he glanced at the young Hode and the teenage Hode approaching and said mockingly, “Still not stopping? It’s not a pleasant feeling to be killed by yourself!”

Glancing at Argus, Professor Hodd took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice, “Then let me tell you something as well…”
“Hm?”
“You’re an asshole, a complete jerk!”
Seeing Professor Hodd’s triumphant smile, Argus showed some surprise in his eyes. He shook his head, stood up, and said calmly, “I leave it to you!”
In fact, Argus didn’t need to say anything—Young Hodd and Adult Hodd had already approached Professor Hodd.
Looking at the two figures who represented his deepest desires, Professor Hodd sighed secretly and said to them, “I’m sorry!”
“Hm?” Young Hodd was stunned for a moment before sneering, “Don’t you naively think that a simple apology can make up for everything? You, who have given up that hatred, have no reason to exist at all!”
“That’s true,” Adult Hodd said in a mocking tone, “Our lives have been such failures—we’ve always lived for others, only to be killed by ourselves in the end. What a tragic fate!”
“But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Professor Hodd said with a forced smile, “Although I’ve made many mistakes and have many regrets, I’ve never regretted my path. I’ve always been firm about it—both in the past and now…”
Seeming to grasp the deeper meaning in Professor Hodd’s words, Young Hodd and Adult Hodd showed surprise in their eyes, and the intense fire elements around them gradually dissipated.
“If only you had the same determination when it came to revenge…” Young Hodd sighed deeply.
“Hey, there’s no need for revenge. It’s about pursuit! —But I appreciate your realization. You could have become a great person—what a shame…” Adult Hodd showed a genuine smile.
“Hm?” Argus, who was walking toward Lily, suddenly sensed something was wrong. Turning around, he saw Professor Hodd’s body on the ground emitting a faint white, dangerous glow. His expression changed instantly as he flashed in front of Lily, using all his dark powers to create a barrier.
“Damn it, that guy actually…”
Before Argus could finish speaking, there was a loud “boom,” and a sudden, immense force with crushing pressure swept in. Argus felt a buzzing sound as the shield formed from all his dark powers gradually cracked under that force.

“Damn it… Mammon!” With Argus’s roar, darkness from somewhere gathered rapidly to form a huge shadow that protected both Argus and the little girl Lily.
Fierce flames swept through the entire area like a hurricane, growing increasingly intense until they turned into white flames as bright as sunlight. These merciless white flames vaporized everything in their path—soil, rocks, even the water in rivers. Soon, the flames shot into the sky, lighting up the entire horizon.
“…”
It took several minutes before Argus’s vision returned from its temporary blindness. When he looked around, his face was filled with shock.
An area of two to three thousand yards around them had turned into a deep pit. The rocks, soil, and water seemed to have been completely vaporized. Even forbidden spells probably wouldn’t have such power.
Hod Kendi…
“Is that guy dead?” Frowning, Argus used his mental powers to sense Professor Hod’s location. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and stared intently at the flames still burning fiercely in the depths of the pit.
“Can’t even this kill you?” The flames gradually took the form of Professor Hod. Compared to his previous erratic movements, he was now much more stable.
But Argus could clearly sense that the man before him had very little mental energy left.
“Was it really necessary to go this far?” Argus patted the frightened little girl Lily on the head and spoke in a strange tone.
“Who knows,” Professor Hod sighed slightly, shaking his head self-mockingly. “I’m just a mediocre magician… the son of a country grocery store owner who happened to learn magic. I have no outstanding talent or special experiences. To avoid being laughed at, I used forbidden methods to gain power, but that prevented me from advancing further and becoming a great magician… I’m just an unqualified apprentice, an unqualified professor, an unqualified husband…” He glanced at Argus and said with a bitter smile, “An unqualified avenger…”
“Is that so?” Argus smiled faintly, pointing at his own crumbling body and saying mockingly, “But no one has ever been able to hurt me this badly—not even those two great magicians! You should be proud of that!”

“That annoying tone again!” Professor Hod shook his head slightly. Then, his body gradually shattered and disintegrated into the most basic form of fire element. With a tinkling sound, a ring slowly fell and landed in the giant pit.
Night returned to silence once more, but Argus still stood there, staring at the ring on the ground, quiet and silent.
It was several minutes later before he let out a soft sigh. Looking up at the brilliant starry sky, he said in a mysterious tone, “Humans are such fragile creatures. Aging, disease, accidents—anything unexpected can take their lives… Humans are truly fragile and insignificant beings!”
But…
Hod Kendi is indeed a terrifying man!
Hey!
Your failure isn’t due to strength, but because of the height we stand at…
As just a human, using human ways of thinking and a human worldview to fight against me, how could you possibly defeat me, an Apostle?
The power we bear is utterly different!
Behind you is only faith, while behind me is God! The omnipotent God!
So rest in peace, carrying that hint of regret, heading toward the ultimate destination of life…
In that regard, you’re much luckier than me…
My destination is nothing but eternal darkness…
Once I die, everything will end. Who will care?
It’s so boring and sad…
But it doesn’t matter anyway. Before long, everything will end!
This country, this world…
And me too…
“Tch!” Letting out a sigh, Argus finally felt the intense pain all over his body. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he muttered, “What an irresponsible guy… Damn it!”
“Uncle,” little Lily asked curiously, “Has that man left?”
“Oh, he’s gone. His name is Argus!” Argus said indifferently, frowning at his wounds.
“Ar… Argus?” Lily tilted her head.
“That’s my name!”
“Should I call you by your uncle’s name? But…” Lily hesitated.
Argus grew impatient and snapped, “Call me if I tell you to, you brat!”
“Ugh…”
“Damn it!” Glancing at Lily, who was crying softly from fear, Argus angrily scratched his hair and growled, “If you dare cry, I’ll throw you back… Wipe it off. Don’t you want that delicious cake?”

“Uh… I want it!” The little girl nodded shyly and raised her dirty sleeve to wipe her tears. Seeing her use her dirty sleeve to wipe her tears, Argus shook his head helplessly. Instinctively reaching into his pocket, he felt the still-slightly-wet handkerchief, and his previously slightly gentler expression turned cold again as he said indifferently, “Then wipe them off! — And don’t cry so easily from now on!”
“Oh…”
“Hmph! An annoying brat!”
“Um, Uncle… Argus, can we go now? This place…”
“Hm!” Glancing at the ring once more, Argus sighed softly and said in a somewhat lonely tone, “It seems things will get even more boring and lonely from now on, don’t you think, Hodd Kendi? — Ugh! Damn it, this injury is worse than before, that bastard!”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry about it, brat!”
“It’s Lily!” The little girl Lily corrected in a resentful yet fearful tone.
“Tch! — Stop talking!”
Just as Argus was about to make Lily leave, a roar filled with intense anger suddenly came from afar, as if the entire sky trembled at that roar.
“Argus!”
Argus instinctively turned to look and saw, over two hundred yards away, a huge shadow large enough to cover half the sky slowly opening its eyes. It was a pair of familiar pale red eyes…
In the huge pit beneath the shadow, a teenager-looking boy was staring intently at Argus, with deep darkness swirling around him.
Facing those similar huge pale red eyes and that pure, profound darkness, a layer of cold sweat appeared on Argus’s forehead.
“Hey, what’s going on? So the God of Luck isn’t on my side at all…”