Chapter 61: The Fork in Fate

The worst happened…
Belial personally stepped in to stop Sos’s actions, causing the Immortal Kings to feel a surge of panic. Though they had anticipated this, witnessing it happen firsthand still filled them with shock.
Yet, they were powerless. Not only could they not break through the fierce attacks of the Gushavos warriors, but even if they could, what right did they have to stand before Belial?
After the Collapse of the Death Realm, the Immortal Kings had lost their pride in immortality. If Belial wished, he could kill them in an instant.
With a flash, Sos vanished and reappeared about ten yards away from Belial, watching him warily. To the Immortal Kings’ surprise, Belial didn’t seem to intend to attack Sos right away. He glanced briefly at his right hand, then at Sos, clearly puzzled.
“You already possess the Source Power…” Belial said lightly, his tone friendly, as if speaking to a friend.
“Yes! Only then can I stand before you!” Sos nodded, without any intention of hiding anything—there was no need for such secrecy.
“Heh, is that so?” Belial smiled faintly, pulling back his hand. Looking at Sos, who remained on guard, he said in a mocking tone, “Subconsciously keeping your distance from me… Are you that afraid of me? Or does this distance give your weak mind a moment of peace?” He shook his head disdainfully. “How foolish. What does this distance mean to me?” Before he finished speaking, he vanished from his spot.
Belial’s disappearance shocked Sos. Suddenly, sensing something, he leaped forward and turned instinctively. Sure enough, where he had stood before, Belial was now there, wearing a mocking expression.
Damn it…
Even though he also possessed the Source Power, his reaction was still half a step slower than this guy’s…
Sos frowned, secretly channeling magic to prepare for a sudden attack from Belial.
But to his surprise, Belial didn’t seem to intend to act immediately. He tilted his head, his complex gaze fixed on Nina, who was fighting against the First Demon God and Tyrant of Thunder, Bal, in the distance. With a sigh, he said, “Sait Town is a beautiful and peaceful village…”

“Hm?” Looking at the nostalgic expression in Belial’s eyes, Thors was momentarily stunned and relaxed his guard slightly, agreeing, “Yes, the people there were very kind…”
“The baker’s wife…”
“Oh, back then Nina was working at that bakery. Every day, the baker’s wife would give us the leftover bread as dinner. She was a truly respectable and kind person!”
“Heh,” a faint smile appeared on Belial’s cold face as he nodded and said, “Yes, for orphans like us, although the bread was cold, it still tasted delicious…”
“And there was the fat old man at the tavern. Though he seemed strict on the outside, he was also a good person…”
“Mm,” Belial nodded in agreement and said softly, “I remember working in his shop for a while. In that somewhat dilapidated tavern, I drank my first mug of beer in my life…” He paused and looked at Thors, asking, “Do you know there’s a lake behind the town?”
“Of course. I often went to that small lake. By the lake…”
“To sleep, right?”
Thors was stunned and said with a faint smile, “Yes. It was very quiet there, without any noise. I liked that environment. But I couldn’t stay there for too long, otherwise…”
“Otherwise, she’d get angry…” Belial sighed softly. “I thought we could keep it that way forever. Ah, it’s really regrettable. That place was still our hometown, but it was destroyed by the orcs. After barely escaping that disaster, we were troubled by lack of food. We were just two ignorant kids who ended up in Vando by chance…”
“Hm?” Thors looked surprised and interrupted Belial, saying in astonishment, “Wait, you mean… two kids? By chance?”
“What?” Belial looked at Thors in confusion.
“Wasn’t it just one person?”
“What are you talking about?” Belial asked, puzzled.
That doesn’t seem right…
Thors felt something was off. After thinking for a moment, he asked tentatively, “There’s a church in Sait Town…”
Seemingly not understanding Thors’ question, Belial said indifferently, “I remember the priest there was a silent and stubborn old man. Back then, I stole a few vegetables from the garden behind the church, and that old guy caught me and talked on and on…”

Thors opened his mouth in surprise. What Belial had said was indeed something he had experienced himself, but from Belial’s tone, it seemed he hadn’t had much contact with the old priest of that church, Old Charles…
Seeing the confusion in Belial’s eyes, Thors frowned and said softly, “That was Old Charles. He used to be one of the twelve cardinals of Salonia. He went there to atone for his sins… Nina and I used to live there…”
“Live in that small church?” Belial asked in confusion.
Immediately, both of them fell silent. They sensed that their experiences had diverged from that moment on.
“It was a very difficult journey for two ignorant children who stumbled upon Vando—no money, no food…”
“Haven’t you passed by that farm? Old Roy’s farm…”
After staring at Thors deeply, Belial shook his head.
Thors was somewhat astonished.
Since Belial wasn’t close to Old Charles, he naturally wouldn’t have lived in that church. Naturally, Nina wouldn’t have met the empire’s chief royal mage. After the orcs attacked Satte Town, Old Charles wouldn’t have sacrificed himself to stop Belial’s dark energy from going rogue, nor would he have passed on his sacred mark to him and sealed those painful memories…
Was this the divergence of fate? Thors was shocked.
Meanwhile, Belial continued to speak slowly.
“Vando was a big city—a city beyond our understanding at that time. In that city, only those who became mages could earn respect. For the sake of survival, I tried to enroll in the Heliorox Academy…”
“What about her?” Thors couldn’t help asking.
Belial shook his head and said with a hint of pain, “You must know how exorbitantly expensive the tuition at that academy is. To cover those huge costs, she found a job in Vando—a very hard job, in my opinion…”
“…”
“I wanted to give up many times because magic wasn’t what I wanted. I just wanted a peaceful and stable life. Then she gently said, ‘Become a mage, for the future.’ After that, I studied various spells and mastered different techniques frantically, all to gain recognition from the Royal Magic Association as soon as possible and become a royal mage, so that she wouldn’t have to work so hard… And I succeeded. At nineteen, I qualified for the preliminary exam to become a grand mage…”

Thors couldn’t help but open his mouth in shock at Belial’s remarkable achievements—becoming a grand mage at just nineteen through sheer effort was truly astonishing! Thinking of himself sleeping in class throughout his time at the academy, Thors felt somewhat embarrassed. Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, Thors asked curiously, “Then how did you meet Avi and Dia?” Strangely, Belial looked puzzled and replied, “Dia? Who’s that?” “I met her when I went to the library to cheat and make notes…” Thors stopped mid-sentence. Right, with Belial’s talent and abilities back then, he wouldn’t have needed to cheat on Ancient Magic History, so naturally, he wouldn’t have met Dia, that girl who resembled Nina so much… Seeming to notice the surprise in Thors’ eyes, Belial smiled faintly and said, “Avi… do you mean Ravia Vayel Verti Vomisli? She is indeed an outstanding woman, but my relationship with her isn’t as close as yours—it’s more like a competitive rivalry… The Ravia I know is the queen of Altak; even ignorant and savage barbarians fear her. She never compromises with any force and always upholds the justice in her heart… Ah, what a troublesome person! But I’m curious why she in this world is so weak and feeble…” As he spoke, he gave Thors a look filled with unexplained depth, making Thors feel awkward. Could it be because of him again? “What about Allen and Scott?” “Allen, Scott?” Belial thought for a moment before nodding. “I haven’t had much contact with them, but they must be interesting people…” Thors was stunned for a moment before gradually realizing that at that time, Belial’s mind was only on Nina, on strengthening his own power to gain a noble title and improve Nina’s living conditions. He didn’t have time to interact with Allen and Scott—he hadn’t even met Dia… “Then, war broke out, and a man filled with hatred for this country appeared…” “Argus?”

“Ah,” nodded Belial with a light laugh, “Many powerful magicians were deployed back then. Unfortunately, as a member of the Royal Magicians, I too had to become an enemy of that guy… At that time, I was a student of Heliorox, studying in Vandel. From an ancient text, I learned about the existence of Source Energy—Source Energy, even the embodiment of laws. While researching, I met Vandel’s Grand Elder. At first, he wouldn’t speak to me, but after some time… Hehe, the Grand Elder had a very bad habit—he wanted his research to be accepted, recognized, and widely spread. Through his incessant chatter, I gradually understood how to control Source Energy and also acquired the Grand Elder’s knowledge of spatial magic… Then, I defeated Argus after great hardship. But it was then that the Apostle power within me awakened…”
“…”
“Argus was eventually taken back to Salonia for trial, and so was I… How ridiculous. Without me, could they have defeated Argus? I was the hero of that war, yet I waited to be tried like a prisoner. The believers in Salonia, those stubborn old fools, would never listen to your defenses. They believed only they were absolutely just in this world, and any dark force was evil and must be punished…”
“And you…”
“I chose to embrace Slos’s power, destroyed half of Salonia, and fled that place with her…”
“You!”
“What? Is there something wrong?”
Thos fell silent. He gradually realized that many of the things he had experienced, Belial had not. He didn’t have Old Charles, so there was no separation from Nina, nor the experience of losing his memory. During his time in the academy, to ensure Nina had a good life, he studied magic frantically to strengthen himself, so naturally, he never met Dia either.
As an outstanding student in the academy, Belial never had the chance to meet Professor Hode, and thus, he never developed those relationships with Aibel or Vandel. Without Old Charles, Father Andrew would naturally not treat Belial differently, and the priests of Salonia certainly wouldn’t be kind to this apostle filled with dark power.
And so on… That initial slight disagreement had already made their paths diverge further and further apart.

Belial had lived for one person from beginning to end. Could the fate of the same person really differ so greatly in different worlds? Thoros couldn’t help but feel emotional.
“Do you understand now?” Seeming to notice Thoros’s sigh, Belial said calmly, “When I lost her, I lost the entire world…”
“So, you’re willing to destroy the world just to bring her back? Using the Holy Spirit Stone in your hands?” Thoros asked with a frown.
“Yes!” Belial glanced at Nina, who was fighting against the First Demon Lord Baal in the distance. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and silently used a hidden force to send a Gushawos warrior attacking Nina from behind flying far away. Then, under Thoros’s astonished gaze, he spoke without hiding his intentions, “Everything I do is to bring her back—my dearest…” He paused for a moment before continuing, “My dearest sister. For that, I’m willing to traverse time and space, I’m willing to destroy the world…”
Glancing at Nina in the distance and then at Belial, Thoros frowned and said, “But there’s also Nina in this world…”
A hint of confusion and pain flashed in Belial’s eyes. He shook his head heavily and said in a deep voice, “They’re different. She’s different from her—just as I’m different from you!”
“If they’re different, then why did you secretly help her just now?”
Belial fell silent, smiled self-mockingly, and murmured, “Yes, why?”
Looking at Belial’s pained and confused expression, Thoros couldn’t help but say, “Stop it, Belial. Even if you can bring her back, she won’t be accepted by this world like you are. Do you really want to see her suffer from soul decay just like you?—It won’t be long before she dies anyway!”
“How ignorant!” Belial looked down on Thoros with contempt and sneered, “You have no idea. You know nothing. Indeed, you’re right—her soul isn’t accepted by the laws of this world. Then let me ask you: what if the laws of this world collapse?”
“Huh?”
“Ignorant!” Belial laughed coldly and said disdainfully, “Do you think I have time to play around with you here? I’m just waiting—for the moment this world collapses. Until then, you’re nothing but toys to pass the time!”

“You!” Sos couldn’t help but show an angry expression. Then, as if he heard something in Belial’s words, he asked strangely, “Will this world collapse?”
“Oh, yes,” Belial nodded without hesitation and said calmly, “The collapse of the Death Realm has already created cracks in this world’s balance. Soon, these cracks will widen, the barriers between spaces will gradually disappear, and energy storms will clash across various realms. Before long, the entire Third World will collapse and return to its original chaos. At that time, time will stop, and our one second will become eternity in this world… By then, I’ll be able to revive her and make her an immortal being!”
“What about you?” Sos asked in a strange tone.
Belial fell silent for a moment before speaking in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, “I will die, just like you… And not even my soul will remain. That’s the price of becoming an Apostle. You should be grateful to me—at least your soul can live a little longer in chaos, to watch me completely disappear from this world, right?”
Hearing the sadness in his tone, Sos felt he couldn’t be angry with this guy at all.
“Is it worth it?”
“Worth it? You’d ask such a stupid question!” Belial sneered and looked at Sos mockingly. “Stop looking at me with that pitying gaze! I will indeed die one day in the future, but I’m willing to do so. From the moment I embarked on this path, I was prepared for it. But definitely not today! Hmph! The fate I’ve seen says I’ll die today. I wonder who will be able to kill me, Belial?! You? Hmph, you can’t do it!”
“But I must stop you!” Sos said firmly.

“Oh?” Belial shook his head with a smile, sizing Sos up from head to toe before saying indifferently, “It seems that with the Power of the Source in your hands, you think you can defeat me with that power? But haven’t you forgotten something? You have the Power of the Source, but I do too—and moreover, I can fully utilize the power of Sloth… I’ve warned you before: the power of the Apostles is illusory, unreal. With just a thought from the Ancient Will, the Apostles will lose all their power… To control this power forever, one must devour it, using one’s own will to overcome the Ancient Will! But you didn’t do that. You were afraid, fearful, cowardly. And I, Belial, have the courage and determination to devour and control the Ancient Will. Do you really think you’re qualified to stand before me? Hey, what do you have to fight me with?”
“You’re too arrogant, Belial!” Looking at Belial before him, Sos suddenly understood how Ravia must have felt back then.
“Arrogant? No, this is conceit!” Belial sneered as he looked down at Sos arrogantly. “Do you think I don’t know about your attempts to predict my actions through astrology? Foolish! The reason I didn’t change my destination as you wanted was simply to see what tricks you’d try. Your so-called army is nothing but a pastime to me, including you…”
Hearing this, Sos instinctively became wary.
Seeing Sos’s cautious expression, Belial smirked disdainfully and said mockingly, “Don’t worry. I have no intention of ending this game right away, let alone killing you now… I’ll save you for last—this ‘me’ of this world. That’s my special treatment for you!”
“You bastard…” Sos couldn’t help but clench his fists.
“Don’t move. Don’t do anything rash,” Belial warned, waving his index finger at Sos. “If you can’t resist taking action, don’t blame me. Just like I said, help me pass the time until the moment I’ve been waiting for arrives!”
“You bastard!” Sos gritted his teeth in anger, but dared not make any move, for he had no doubt about the truth of Belial’s words.
“Hey!”
Beside the two of them, the pawn puppets [King] Cain and [Light Governor] Beship had already drawn their weapons, ready to prevent either from taking extreme actions.
At this point, the battle was at a stalemate.

After losing the lives of thousands, the various armies of the Alliance finally developed a sense of coordination. The souls of the great magicians and Vandor’s dark magicians also gradually became able to communicate with each other, especially the Holy Crusaders of Salonia and those two cardinals. The human coalition, once acting independently, slowly overcame its initial difficulties and became unified in action—warriors serving as living shields, while magicians either granted them various defensive effects or organized intense attacks, temporarily suppressing the assaults of the Guusavos warriors. There was only one person who took no action throughout the entire ordeal: Jerry Belford, the president of the Royal Magic Association, invited by Vandel to deal with Belial, and the apostle of Greed, Mammon. He seemed to have his own plans. ——Meanwhile, at the Flores family estate in Sassen— Vincent Flores, a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Sassen nobility and the future ruler of the Flores family, sat on a sofa with a glass of red wine in hand, holding his lover—his maid—who spent every night with him. Watching Vincent Flores treat her as his mistress Lilith, the maid’s eyes showed pity, yet she had to play the role of a submissive Lilith. However, she failed to notice the faint red glow in Vincent Flores’ eyes as he gazed at the sky outside, nor the cold smile on his lips. “I think today will be a pleasant day, won’t it, Lilith?” “Y-yes!” “Hehehe, it will be very pleasant, indeed…”