Chapter 306: Archibald's Secret (Part 1)

  Later, Archibald sent me and this seal back to Nighon. Unfortunately, this blood bead, sealed by both ancient elven secret arts and The Black Star, was something even I could not break. The only way was to use the life of a person who, like Archibald, had the brand of The Black Star in their body and could fully accept the aura of The Black Star to continuously weaken the seal's power.

  "To be clear and lofty, to be detached from the world." This was the message Archibald left for the Necromancers. Those who could enter Diya Valley were the outstanding elites among humanity. Those who could truly possess such a state of mind would not exhaust themselves to practice that meditation technique, nor would they pursue anything. They were the best guardians for that sword. Every Necromancer, upon accepting the brand of The Black Star, could feel the sword's aura. Needless to say, they all understood what it was. But once the heart is obscured by desire and other things derived from it, one would be drawn to that sword. If such a person could still master the meditation technique that unifies the mind, it meant their soul had already become one with those things born of desire, and they could now resonate with The Black Star. That is why Archibald left such a path.

  "Now, you should understand why the path Archibald left was a road to death. Neither Archibald nor I wished for anyone to truly pull out The Black Star."

  "I only understand one thing." Ethan had been listening quietly, and now he suddenly spoke. He was laughing, half in angry laughter, half in bitter laughter. "Archibald is either crazy in the head or was just bored with nothing to do. Since that's something that can't be touched, why not just explain everything clearly? Leaving some damn prophecy, being deliberately mysterious, making everything now a complete mess..."

  "You understand nothing, little one. Your ability to think, your perspective, and your breadth of mind are not even comparable to one of Archibald's toenails." Hot, scorching air from Moriel's nostrils blew onto Ethan, and he felt his hair and eyebrows curl at the same time. "Don't you dare use your intelligence and values, which are no different from a monkey's, to self-righteously judge beings superior to you. That is what I hate most about humans."

  "In the era of the great Elven Empire, the elves' magical arts and technology were far beyond what you human monkeys can compare with now. Their understanding of the nature of Armageddon Blade was much greater than Archibald's, but what happened in the end? The result was that they still took up that sword. Because the very meaning of that sword's existence is for people to use it. Do you understand?"

  "I don't understand," Ethan shook his head honestly.

  "That sword is condensed from countless desires, emotions, wills, and souls. Desire is not just the directly expressed greed, but pursuit. Whether it's elves or humans, they all look towards higher, better, and further places. They will pursue more things, greater power. The continuous accumulation of desire will eventually tilt, degenerate, and collapse, giving birth to the despair, anger, and killing intent that follows. And these are precisely the aura contained within that sword."

  "As long as living beings are alive, they will have desire. With desire, there will be this sword, and they will use this sword. This sword is the gathering of death, but it is also one with life itself. Death is not the opposite of life, but an inseparable part of it."

  "The development and progress of living beings is like building blocks stacked higher and higher, but no matter how high, they will eventually collapse under their own weight and height. That sword is actually a valve. When a stack of blocks reaches a certain height, it lets it collapse in advance, preventing it from becoming so high and heavy that it falls irretrievably, allowing space for the next stack of blocks to accumulate... Before the Elven Empire, there seemed to be an even more ancient culture, then the Elven Empire, and then the world of you humans now. Perhaps in the future, some other race will rise... The Black Star is both destruction, yet it also brings forth new life. This is the principle of this world's cycle. Do you understand?"

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  "I still don't understand," Ethan still shook his head.

  "As expected, little monkey." Moriel did not seem surprised. The corners of her dragon's mouth seemed to sneer, but the hot air she exhaled scorched Ethan's skin. "Even five hundred years ago, I didn't quite understand this either. This was what Archibald told me... Hmph, I have to admit that although he was a human, he also had his admirable points..."

  "But he was, in the end, just a person. Even after seeing these truths, even after seeing the trajectory of all things, he was still unable to completely transcend his identity as a human. He knew it was futile, knew that day would eventually arrive, yet he still couldn't resist thinking of some tricks to delay it. He knew that if I destroyed that sword, humanity could at least survive for a few more thousand years before the sword recondensed, but he still had to desperately try to stop me for the people right in front of him."

  "What surprised me the most was that he could have transformed into a Lich to exist almost forever, but he never did. In the end, I didn't even know how he died."

  "Even though I can see those distant truths, see the tracks of all things, I am ultimately just a weak human, just a grain of sand in the great river of this world and time. To properly be a human, to properly do what a human can do, to struggle, to be weak, to be helpless, and finally, to die just like everyone else. This is what I want to do, and the only thing I can do."

  "When I heard these words from the strongest among humans, for the first time, I felt that perhaps humans are not such lowly creatures." Moriel no longer looked at Ethan, but narrowed her eyes, seeming completely immersed in her own memories. "What an annoying fellow... If any other dragons knew that the incomparably proud princess of the Black Dragon clan would actually be a little moved by a human, it would truly be a strange matter..."

  "I think I'm starting to understand a little..." Ethan nodded thoughtfully.

  "Oh?" Moriel looked at him with some surprise, sizing him up for a moment. "It doesn't seem like nonsense. It seems you truly understand a little."

  "Then what he said... the meaning of 'the one who has gathered power will pull out The Black Star'... does it mean someone like me who possesses the Leaves of the World Tree..."

  "Like you?" Moriel was stunned for a moment, then a rolling, thunderous laugh rushed from her wide-open mouth. "What, you think you have power?"

  Ethan's mouth was open, but he could say nothing. Moriel's laughter made his ears ache.

  "Don't make me laugh. The 'power' in Archibald's words, how could it have the same meaning as the 'power' you scurrying fellows talk about? In your eyes, power is just a fist to beat people with, magic to blow people up with, the magical fluctuations rolling in your body, the thickness of your muscles, is that it?" Moriel shook her head. Although Ethan couldn't understand her expression, he imagined it was the same as when humans looked down on and sneered at things like mice and cockroaches. "In the eyes of you later generations, Archibald's level is actually the same as a rogue who only knows how to fight and be fierce? Is his perspective stuck on those things? I truly feel it's not worth it for him."

  "Do you know what the true power of humanity is? Let me tell you, it's desire. Humans' minds and magical talent are not necessarily higher than elves', their physical strength is far inferior to beastmen, and their lifespan is but a few short decades, yet they could develop to their current state in such a short time because of desire. To pursue madly, to expand, to devour, to pursue higher and better—this is the reason you could develop to this stage."

  "This continuous accumulation of desire will eventually lose control. To constantly pursue higher and stronger, to the point where one's own essence is obscured and twisted by things born of desire—this is precisely the aura within that sword. This power gathers, concentrates, mixes and blends, and then degenerates. Whether it's out of ambition, revenge, despair, curiosity, or something else, in the end, someone will pull out that sword." Moriel extended a dragon claw and pointed at Ethan. "This is the difference in perspective and breadth of mind. Archibald spoke from a human's perspective, while you stand on your own fists to understand."

  "You should be thankful that what you held before was only the sword hilt. Your heart is fundamentally not in tune with the aura of that sword. The power of the Sunwell and the Leaves of the World Tree can protect your body from the power of the hilt, but once you touch the complete sword body, I guarantee that within three seconds, you will become a mummified corpse, then shatter into a pile of fragments."

  "Archibald is indeed much stronger and more outstanding than all of you, but he is, after all, just a person. What he said was his own speculation, not a divine oracle that can decide the direction of this world. It's just that you weak and contemptible fellows usually need a high-and-mighty prophecy to guide your direction, so you just misinterpreted his words according to your own ideas."

  "Then... what are the Leaves of the World Tree and the Sunwell? I once heard of them among the elves..."

  "Hmph, those are nothing but the self-righteous ideas of those pointy-eared fellows. After the Elven King was controlled by the Armageddon Blade, they exhausted the energy of all their elven mages to use magic to create several items, thinking they could be used to fight against the Armageddon Blade. The Leaves of the World Tree and the Sunwell were two of them. I have to admit those fellows' magical arts were indeed brilliant. Combined with their understanding of the Armageddon Blade, they actually created the Leaves of the World Tree, which was similar in nature and its power was in conflict. But the power of this thing was no match for The Black Star, and they did not have time to use it. In the later cataclysm, a small group of elves survived with these things..."