CHAPTER 385: CHAPTER 201: SACRIFICE (PART 2)

In an extremely brief moment, one after another pitch-black crack appeared in the sky, carrying terrifying space distortion waves.

Each one was enough to completely obliterate a legendary body.

Some of them were merely tens of centimeters away from Shiayar, with the overflowing spatial waves slicing his skin, leaving bloody wounds on his once handsome face, making him appear somewhat ferocious at this moment.

However, Shiayar seemed to be indifferent to these space rifts.

He concentrated all his remaining willpower on the Sacred Spear, which shone its light upon the heavens and earth, paying no attention to his own body, merely allowing it to fall.

After the World Tree Fragment Plane shattered, behind Shiayar was no longer a solid metal floor, but the empty Dimensional Void.

It’s the gaps between dimensions, the voids between worlds and planes.

No one knows how long this fall will last, but... virtually every traveler who has accidentally entered the dimension gaps and plane voids has never returned.

"I admit, your ability to wield the Sacred Spear surprised me."

"However, your actions are utterly meaningless."

In that ethereal Spiritual World, the will of the Ancient Sun God returned to its senses from the initial shock of seeing the Sacred Spear.

The fully unsealed Authority of the Sacred Spear was naturally powerful, but it wasn’t something beyond his capability to handle.

Furthermore, now he and Shiayar share the same body, the same Spiritual World.

No matter how powerful the Sacred Spear’s might, it’s meaningless.

If Shiayar wanted to use the Sacred Spear against him, it would be akin to using the Sacred Spear against himself...

Aside from mutual destruction, it holds no other meaning.

"It seems, humans are ultimately humans."

"Even you, such a unique exception among humans, are still limited by your mortal flesh, influenced by the sensory hormones secreted by your bodily organs."

His words calmed down again.

"If from the start, when my true form was still asleep and my power not yet unsealed, you had summoned this Sacred Spear and fought me with all your might..."

"Given my poor condition at the time, you might have had a slim chance of defeating me."

"But your greatest mistake was being entranced by that Golden Elf, abandoning resistance, and allowing me into your Spiritual World."

"Now, even with that Sacred Spear, what can you achieve?"

"Destroy my palace? Destroy the secondary plane of the World Tree fragment? Or perhaps destroy the entire Lost Island?"

"You don’t think I’d be squeamish and care about those things, do you?"

His words became indifferent again.

Certainly, this palace, even the Lost Island, were his possessions, his domain when he was the Elf King, and the elves on the Lost Island were his people.

But in face of the allure of this perfect vessel, all those things were expendable.

To advance, he could forsake the identity of the creator and sleep on this dark and unknown island for a millennium, so why would such external matters interfere with his judgment?

The moment he entered Shiayar’s Spiritual World, he had already gained the upper hand in this game.

In his view, Shiayar’s current actions were nothing but futile struggle and resistance.

"Well, how should I say this?"

"If one were to see the challenge of being trapped on the Lost Island as a boss that a player must defeat, then your proposed plan was indeed the best choice."

"Since it’s about defeating a boss, of course, you should strike when the opponent’s in the worst condition, take them down while they’re weak, rather than foolishly waiting like a villain in a cartoon for the heroes to finish their transformation and be at their strongest before attacking."

"Based on the speedrun standard, my actions might score a zero, a classic example of playing a great hand poorly."

In the Spiritual World, Shiayar sighed lightly.

"However, the difference here—"

"Is the distinction between you and me."

"Though you speak of the path to divinity as erroneous, claiming humanity should be used to avoid madness, what you’ve done is superficial, a clumsy imitation at best."

"Or, to put it another way."

"Rather than divinity, the thought process of you fabled creatures is driven purely by self-interest, embodying pure beast nature."

"Beasts also fear when hurt, exploit the weak to the last drop of their value, and cling to the strong when they appear... How similar these are to your behavior."

His spine straightened bit by bit.

"Rather than calling you fabled creatures, it’s more like you’re just a group of somewhat advanced beasts."

"So naturally, beasts won’t understand the actions of humans—"

"Unable to comprehend that some things, even if they risk your life, must be done."

From the depths of the mental ocean came the indifferent voice: "Is this your reason?"

"For someone completely unrelated to you, whom you’ve known for only a few months, and not even of the same race, you’re willing to sacrifice your life?"

"Clearly, with your rank and ability, once you leave the Lost Island... different races, different looks and charms, different styles of beauties, you can have as many as you want."

It didn’t mind exchanging a few more words with Shiayar.

Because the process of fusion and spirit usurpation can’t be rushed; if it could defeat Shiayar with words and make him abandon hope for life, everything after would proceed much more smoothly.

"That’s merely the result of the sex impulse caused by the sensory compounds secreted by human organs when they see a beautiful opposite sex."

"Didn’t expect you to have studied human anatomy to the point of understanding even male hormones and such, should I say you’re indeed worthy of being the creator from the Glorious Era?"

Shiayar raised an eyebrow.

"Setting aside whether it’s just knowing for a few months, by your logic, it really seems not worthwhile."

"So... Master, she’s not that great actually."

"Always with a cold face, loves to pinch my face when I’m lazy in training, and enjoys watching me being bullied by Little Death from the sidelines, truly a peculiar-interest older elf."

"A flat chest just like Ennie, not to mention a bit shy and tsundere; even if she cares about someone, she never shows it in words."

"By doing this, I’m indeed giving up an entire forest for a single tree, while there’s still someone at home waiting for me to return."

Shiayar sighed deeply.

"But Master is still Master."

"Back when Ennie and I left the destroyed Ceylon, drifting homeless in the Western Continent, it was she who gave us a new place to settle and make a living."

"to let me peacefully run Silver Pa in the Empire Capital while she wanders, solitary, in the Astral Realm, I can’t do it."

"And besides, here, on the beach of this Lost Island."

"She called me—"

"’Teacher Shiayar.’"

In Shiayar’s eyes, light and shadow gradually faded.

How could he not know just how unwise and risky it was to let an ancient will into his Spiritual World?

But Shiayar had to do it.

This ancient Sun God indeed held his weakness.

If he didn’t do it, regardless of Shiayar and the ancient Sun God’s ultimate battle outcome, as long as the other had a thought, relying on that control over the Elven Bloodline, Hathaway would surely die.

And only this way.

Using himself as bait, making the other abandon the original body and enter his Spiritual World completely.

Thus, Hathaway could truly be safe.

Of course, the consequence of this was that Shiayar had to face the complete will of that ancient deity.

It also meant he lost all possibility of escape, because once the Spiritual World fell, the self known as Shiayar would cease to exist.

However—

From the beginning, Shiayar hadn’t planned to flee.

"Almost forgot that I was once called ’Knight among Knights’..."

Shiayar turned slightly, looking at the towering shadow of the Elf King within the Spiritual World.

"Because you’re not human."

"Therefore, you certainly can’t understand the noblest spirit among the eight knightly virtues of humans—"

"’Sacrifice’"