A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 313

Chapter 313: Breakdown and Repair (1)

Creáto was looking up at the lighthouse under construction at the Altar. The majestic height of the long structure—rising in the middle of the Land of Destruction as if to touch the sky—would more appropriately be called a tower, yet the Altar stubbornly insisted on calling it a lighthouse.

"... What is the purpose of this tower?" Creáto asked the construction supervisor, who was a high priest of the Altar.

"It is a lighthouse," replied the high priest of the Altar.

“I am aware. I am asking what its purpose is.”

This lighthouse was the only structure on the surface of the Land of Destruction, and therefore, it was a major undertaking for the Altar. All of the Altar's increasing workforce was being poured into it.

"First, it connects to the Capital. With this, we can corrupt nobles or knights blinded by power."

The Altar had recently been secretly delivering a potion to the Mage Tower and the Knights' Order. It was an elixir that, upon consumption, would unlock human potential and artificially elevate their very limits.

"The side effects will be severe, won't they?" Creáto replied, twisting his lips with a sneer.

"No, there will be no side effects."

"By what means could that be true? You, the Scarletborn, whose very history is stained with the creation of human chimeras."

"You may analyze it yourself. Human chimeras were certainly our error, but they were a necessary process. Without that track record, our Altar would not have been maintained until God's coming," replied the high priest of the Altar, pulling out a potion from inside his robe.

"Beyond the portal's function, then?" Creáto inquired, slipping the vial of blue liquid into his pocket.

"It is to conduct observations of stars and comets."

Does that mean that it is an observatory? Creáto thought.

"Are you infatuated with astrology?" Creáto said, a sneer barely suppressed on his lips.

"This lighthouse attracts comets."

"... It attracts comets?" Creáto replied, a subtle hardening in his features.

“Yes, that is correct.”

Creáto, who had been glaring at the priest with a smile spread across his lips, then moved his eyes to the lighthouse.

"And what happens if it attracts comets?"

"We can reset the continent," Quay replied.

Quay appeared with his voice, and the priest immediately fell to his knees before the ancient being who called himself God—no, who desired to be addressed as God—as Creáto watched him in silence.

"Comets, you see, each possess their own names and unique characteristics, for they are beings brimming with the mana of the universe," Quay added, pointing to the night sky.

However, Quay was somehow different today, as his usually overflowing composure was replaced by a stiff and expressionless face, as if he were angry.

"Has anything happened to you?" Creáto asked.

"You're showing interest in me?" Quay replied, his eyebrows rising.

"Because you are different from your usual self."

"... Perhaps it's because I just heard something too arrogant," Quay said, then gave a chuckle, approaching and standing beside Creáto. "I never knew Deculein would be a follower too. This is unexpected."

“... Deculein?”

"Yes, he believes in God too."

Deculein had certainly brought up God, specifically the ancient God in whom Quay placed his belief.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. Deculein is the epitome of an unbeliever," Creáto replied.

"No, he said he is searching for God."

“Fod God?”

"Yes, the God who is not I. The God I served in ages past. Although He is already dead and gone," Quay said, lowering his head and giving a bitter smile.

"Does that trouble you?"

"Yes, Deculein claims to know the name of God that even I don't know."

Quay did not know the true name of God, as when God was alive, he had never dared to even ask for his name.

"Creáto, could it be true?" Quay asked, peeking his face up to look at Creáto.

"Why ask me? If you are to become a God, shouldn't you know everything?" Creáto replied, dumbfounded.

"Rather, that is the very reason why," Quay said, a sigh escaping him. "I have an intuition. I feel the correct answer to every situation, and the coming tides of the future are revealed to my eyes."

The providence of the universe, the continent's end, and its future regeneration—all of which were already within Quay's clear mind—a phenomenon known as God's intuition.

"However, that is the reason why I believe Deculein's words are true.”

The moment Deculein said those words, all the anger seething deep within Quay's heart and his inability to display his aspect as a God were due to that reason.

"Deculein knows God's true name."

Quay had an intuition that it was verily true.

"... Creáto," Quay continued, taking Creáto's hand and raising it towards the sky. "Out there, in the distant universe, comets wander."

At this moment, Quay might even be afraid of what He would say to him and if, indeed, as Deculein suggested, God were to appear once more and Deculein were to find Him, thus discovering Quay, who yet served Him.

"If this lighthouse captures that comet, it will pull it in with a speed unimaginable to humans."

What will He say to me? What wisdom will He share? Am I, curious about such things, descending into merely being human rather than God? Quay thought.

"... The continent will shatter," Creáto replied.

"Yes, every breath of life, except you will burn away, and only the souls I have preserved will remain, awaiting regeneration," Quay said, chuckling. "The moment is approaching."

Once the lighthouse was complete and the comet's period approached, Quay would cleanse this continent of all its original sin.

"Before that, what if my sister invades?" Creáto asked.

"I can stop it. I know the correct answer," Quay replied, chuckling.

Quay answered with composure, once more looking skyward, but with a dense mist clouding his heart, his expression quickly grew conflicted as Deculein's voice incessantly echoed in his thoughts.

“I believe I even know the true name of God.”

"... The true name," Quay muttered, then shook his head and laughed. "I believe I'll know soon anyway. Both God's true name and your true name."

***

At the Imperial University's affiliated Knights' Order, Yulie lay in bed reading a book. It was a magic book recommended by Professor Sephine, a theoretical book intuitive enough for Yulie, who knew no spells, to easily comprehend.

"... It is resonance, then, that holds such significance? Hmm, hmm," Yulie muttered.

Yulie, now understanding, briefly put down her book, as mana resonance was basically the power of resonance between one's body and mana, and resonance, in essence, was the degree of closeness between mana and the body.

"Hoo..." Yulie murmured, sitting into a lotus position and drawing up the mana within her body.

Whoooosh...

In the freezing blue cold and its icy concentration, with her eyes closed, Yulie, however, brought forth a different scene—a basic stance, a unique swordsmanship she had never seen before in her life, one that was absent from any existing swordplay manual.

However, the man executing it had revealed only one form before disappearing. Yulie was now consumed by curiosity regarding the next sequence, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"... Deculein," Yulie muttered, speaking his name.

Since Deculein was the individual responsible for Yulie being under the curse, she could not go to him directly, and Josephine and Zeit would disapprove.

“... Shh.”

At that moment, a very subtle noise came from below the open window, and Yulie's ears perked up.

“... Be careful.”

The clock read eleven o'clock at night.

In other words...

"It's past curfew already," Yulie muttered.

The knight’s radar activated at someone’s highly suspicious stealth and movements that seemed to betray them, while Yulie quickly put on her coat, placed her hat on her head, and pressed it down, her small head allowing the hat to completely cover her face.

Swish—

Yulie stepped over the sill of the open window, pressing herself against the dormitory wall as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Using her superhuman senses, she located the recent location of the cadet group and stealthily trailed them.

Moving silently, leaving no footsteps, she passed the dormitory and arrived at a forest behind it—the Forest of Darkness, a training ground shared by both the Mage Tower and the Knights' Order.

“The forest...”

Yulie hesitated for a moment, but her nature made it impossible to ignore so she advanced inside.

Ruuuustle— Ruuuuuustle—

Proceeding through the forest, where leaves swayed eerily and an unpleasant mana overflowed, Yulie became even more filled with suspicion.

For what reason did these cadets come to this place? If they are discovered, they will certainly be expelled, Yulie thought.

Regardless, Yulie, who had been following the traces like a detective, paused without warning at a certain point.

Thud.

Cadets, five in total, were seen gathered around a well in the forest’s heart, performing a ritual with their hands clasped together while chanting an unknown prayer.

“Barqpagy. Cugody. Spqugy.”

What was held in their hands was a scripture and a piece of paper, the scripture in an alien language, but a closer look at the paper revealed...

The revelation, Yulie muttered.

The revelation, the Altar's book of prophecy—which was the greatest problem of the current age and the Empire's main enemy—was in their hands.

That meant, of course, that while it remained only a suspicion...

Whooooosh—

An enemy? No, if it were an enemy, there would be no reason to keep me alive, floundering in the darkness, Yulie thought.

Swish— Swish—

— Do not move. Do not open your mouth.

— Now, speak slowly. What is the reason you came here.

— Your voice reaches me clearly. You have my permission to speak.

— ... I followed the cadet because I was suspicious.

— You seem like a cadet as well.

— ... Yes, that is correct.

— Then do not interfere. You could have died today.

— ... By any chance, who are you to speak such words to me?

— I am one with greater responsibility than you. Breathe every time you speak. Do not forget to breathe.

— ... Yes, but what is this darkness?

— Every day, a rather noxious veil spreads in the Forest of Darkness. Therefore, entry has been strictly forbidden.

— ... How do you know that? Can you please tell me who you are?

— ... Those are the Altar. The Altar has coiled itself within the university. Immediate action seems necessary. Please tell me your name.

— This is not something that is within your capacity. Nor is it a matter that will be resolved by mere reporting.

— ... Pardon me?

— Even now, there are an excessive number of individuals within this university cooperating with the Altar.

— It is because of the potion you witnessed. With one vial of that potion, one can gain over a year of achievement.

— ... Over a year?

— Indeed. Those who have partaken of power and talent with undue ease cannot easily release it. I suspect the number approaches half.

— Half?!

— Therefore, do not trust those around you too easily.

— ... Let us cooperate.

— Did I not just tell you not to trust those around you—

— ... I will not choose the Altar's potions out of convenience, and of course, I don't know who you are yet, but you also seem the same.

— I am not so weak as to seek the cooperation of a mere upstart like you.

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