Clockwork Bride

Page 337

Before he could finish speaking, Hayden tapped the ground with his staff, teleporting. Mitra's mind was in turmoil, and for a moment he couldn't stop him.

Hayden had instantly teleported to the highest point of Ashina Castle, the top of the castle tower. This was the closest point to the spatial rift in the sky.

For twenty years, he had been eager to know what Asmodius had summoned today, and how to use this fact to further understand the power of the Outer Gods, to defeat the new gods of capital, and to save the world. Now, Hayden finally understood—he got it.

Asmodius didn't actually summon anything. She merely created a precondition that allowed for the summoning. And for the summoning to succeed, one necessary condition was still missing.

So Hayden now has to do something crazy.

He raised his staff to the sky and shouted:

"elelohimelohoelohimsebaoth! elioniechadiereiechadonai!"

"O Highest Heaven, God beyond the stars! Hear my wish!"

Hayden said,

Let a miracle happen!

422: On the Wheel of Fortune

The magic worked.

Moreover, the power of this magic was stronger than any spell Hayden had ever seen in his life.

Immeasurable magical power surged from Hayden, spreading across vast stretches of time and space.

The indescribable colors were completely beyond the scope of rational explanation. With the force of a hurricane erupting and with his prayerful call, they widened further in the already gaping sky, opening up a wind tunnel. The crack first expanded, then became a large, round hole.

A circular hole suddenly opened in the sky, and a ring abruptly appeared on the surface of the physical universe—it was an extremely bizarre sight. But it really happened.

A soft, emerald-green light overflowed from the round hole, brighter than the sun. Then, the source of that light also peeked out from the heavenly gate He had created.

It was as if the universe had finally unveiled its hidden veil, revealing its absurd and unbelievable true face, coming from the other side of the curtain of time and space, and a corner of [truth] was finally revealed.

The miracle Hayden had called for has come true.

What was so indescribable and confusing before is now clear.

The first thing you see is the wings, enormous and exquisitely beautiful wings covered in feathers. Ten million wings, the feathers soft, like sculptures.

What's puzzling is that these wings also have eyes on their feathers; each feather has a beautiful eye in the center, and there are many, many more.

And now there are billions upon billions of ever-growing eyes watching over everyone present from above.

Among the thousands of wings were four rotating jade rings. All four rings were of the same design, with rings nested within rings, slowly and continuously rotating, projecting colors that humans could not yet comprehend.

Within the four rings, a dazzling light, a radiant light, brighter than the sun, envelops everything. It begins as light, flowing out like water, illuminating all around, and its source is her—no, no, no, the source is something far greater. Before that thing, all living beings in this world seem like mere specks of dust adrift in a storm.

The light grew even brighter, and with it came the wind. The wind had been blowing continuously since the light appeared in the sky. The sound that echoed in people's ears was the thunder of the birth and death of stars. The light transformed into lightning among the nebulae, white, the purest snow-white, like a throne formed by a million giant serpents coiled and intertwined.

Beyond this world, there exists a light that transcends everything on earth, sharper than a sword, capable of piercing the soul and spirit, even the deepest longings. It has appeared here.

Before this light, everything in the world is but insignificant dust, theoretically unworthy of attention or concern. Yet, countless eyes are mesmerized as they gaze upon all living beings on earth.

So the battle on the ground, even within Ashina Castle, ceased. Monsters, gods, and humans alike now looked up, stunned and bewildered by the visitors from beyond the universe. Their intricate complexities surpassed the comprehension of mortals.

Asmodius laughed first. She stopped fighting Angela, because it was no longer necessary.

"Hoo...hoohahaha!! How about it, you clever monkeys!! No matter how many times you win, I'll be the one laughing last. All your efforts are in vain, in vain...!! Hahahahaha!!!!"

The red dragon let out a frantic, strange roar, as if it were boasting and showing off. Unfortunately, all that could be gleaned from that roar was a sense of helpless emptiness.

She celebrated destruction amidst destruction, hoping for an even greater end with despair and hatred.

"Dear sister, how are you feeling now?"

She longed for Angela's suffering and desired to see Angela's defeat.

Unfortunately, Angela felt neither pain nor defeat. She did not continue to pursue Asmodius, but merely looked up at the sky, gazing at the enormous creature that emerged from the heavenly gate, and revealed a look of sudden realization: "So that's how it is, so that's how it is... So, this is my name."

Now that things have come to this, she has remembered her real name. This is a good thing, but it also means that the closing moment is approaching.

So Angela was more concerned about Hayden's side than the sky, and turned to look over there.

At the top of Ashina Castle, atop the castle tower, Hayden was, of course, also staring intently at the indescribable light overhead.

The Outer God… or rather, the tentacles of the Outer God, the true messengers, have descended.

He summoned this being called an Outer God by his own decision. But what were the true intentions of this god who came to earth?

Probably no one knows. Hayden, as always, made a reckless decision on the spur of the moment, something he was well aware of. But at least this time he won't regret it.

Like many others present, at that moment, he looked up, awestruck by the infinite mysteries of the universe. Light poured into his mind like knowledge, filling Hayden's head to the point where he could understand his own insignificance. The thunder—the thunder was a human voice, so immense that sound could not contain it, so vast that words could not describe it—yet Hayden's mind was still filled with words, words placed there by the divine power itself.

A mind-numbing sense of omnipotence.

A chilling sense of happiness.

He was seeing things that the human eye could not see and hearing things that the human ear could not hear, and it was almost enough to crack his skull.

So, perhaps it was fortunate, because other people arrived soon after.

"Loki."

Even while distracted by receiving radio waves from outer space, Hayden still heard the person's voice. Without needing to turn around to confirm, he knew the person behind him was so excited that it felt like their entire body was on fire.

Mithra had also caught up to the top of Ashina Castle's keep. And he looked clearly furious. But Mithra was Mithra after all; aside from shouting at the beginning, he remained silent for the rest of the time.

It was a silence more piercing than harsh words, scorching Hayden's back.

He had already realized and understood what Hayden had done.

...So, Hayden will give him the answer now.

"Although I am from the future, I am not really clear why your theory of developing technology and productivity, which sounds wonderful, has turned into a terrible world four hundred years later."

Hayden said,

"So, in the past twenty years, I have been observing you from the sidelines and I have not seen any major problems. On the contrary, the more I observe, the more puzzled I become. I know the bad outcome, but I don't know the cause or the process."

After all, Hayden really didn't have any knowledge of economic theory or anything like that. This chaotic world is already lacking in such theories.

“Killing you might solve the problem, but it’s not necessarily the case. Besides, it’s obviously unreasonable to kill you for something you haven’t done yet, and I’m also worried that messing up the laws of time will cause problems…” Hayden shook his head at this point, “But all of this seems to have gone off on a tangent? Ultimately, my wish summoning this time wasn’t for these complicated righteous causes.”

"I simply cannot allow Angela to be ruined by the devil or by you. That's all."

That's it.

In the end, Hayden summoned the Outer Gods not to save the world or fight the Great Evil, but simply for Angela. Once such a crisis presented itself, he disregarded everything else.

This is truly... an awkward situation that even Hayden himself knows in his heart.

"So, it's all because of this mechanical doll, because of this Outer God messenger who possessed the doll and brainwashed you."

Mitra said dryly,

“Alright, I won’t blame you. It’s pointless to blame someone who’s been brainwashed. Loki, I’m going to capture you and send you back to the Putuo for mental treatment. Then I’ll mobilize the entire army to fight this extraterrestrial entity that you summoned.”

"Why is this necessary?" Hayden looked up at the enormous object in the sky. "It did not attack us."

Not only that.

Although that indescribable thing appeared on the battlefield, it has done virtually nothing so far. It merely startled everyone. Aside from that, during the few moments they've exchanged these words, it has only done one thing:

He fanned a gust of wind in the sky with his countless wings. That wind transformed into emerald green ropes, binding Asmodius on the ground.

"It's this again!?"

Asmodius was clearly very dissatisfied, but even with her combat power almost equivalent to that of a modern-day Bodhisattva, it was meaningless in the face of the breath of the indescribable thing. The thing in the sky blew a breath and bound her tightly, all five heads tied together, leaving her bound hand and foot on the spot.

Aside from that, it did nothing else. It simply floated in the sky, quietly watching, and being watched by the people below. Its light dripped onto everyone's skin and into their eyes, allowing each person who saw it to gain some understanding. Depending on each person's personality and understanding, what they could understand would probably be different.

"Why do you insist on attacking Him? He didn't attack us first; instead, He knocked Asmodius down."

Hayden gazed at the thing in the sky and that terrifyingly light power, without turning around, and asked Mitra directly.

“I know you doubt these extraterrestrial gods. I also know your doubts are valid. I know that fallen gods from beyond the heavens have caused immense disaster and suffering to our world. But—but don’t you think it’s like a cosmic monster attacked Earth, and now you’re treating the giants of light who came after it as enemies? I’m not saying it’s illogical; it’s actually quite reasonable. But do we really have to fall into this kind of clichéd narrative?”

At this point, Hayden himself sighed.

“An alien chasing after another rebel alien, even using your example, cannot be considered friendly evidence,” Mitra said coldly. “Outer Gods are a threat to our world.”

His words were resolute and unwavering.

Mithras relentlessly sought to establish the Outer Gods as enemies of humanity, invaders of this world. Was this fear unfounded?

Even Hayden believed that this was clearly not the case.

"Why?" He still didn't turn around, still looking at the things in the sky, and asked at the same time, "Everyone will see different things in the Outer God. What do you see that makes you so sure? Tell me."

This time, Hayden's words finally silenced Mitra for a moment. This was quite rare.

After a brief silence, Mithra spoke: “I see the end of the world. I see our world burning in the flames of catastrophe.”

Well.

This was an unexpected yet reasonable answer.

However, we should work together to find the right way to avoid that future, instead of... Before Hayden could respond, Mithra continued, "I have seen the end of many worlds."

…………ah?

"Beyond our universe, there are countless universes. My eyes see countless universes in the cracks of spacetime, all destroyed or plunged into eternal damnation because of things related to Outer Gods."

Mithra's face darkened.

"There is a vast, boundless land devoid of life, a world where all life has perished, and only the Dark Peacock King sits on his throne of nothingness."

"A world where a seven-headed, ten-horned dragon sits high in the sky, toying with the joys and sorrows of humankind as if playing chess, and deciding the fate of mortals by simply throwing dice."

"I have also seen many worlds that, after developing to a certain point, were deemed utterly sinful and beyond redemption by the Outer Gods, and were eventually burned to ashes by flames and disappeared forever."

"I saw an ancient magical empire in a parallel world, attacked by the Peacock King, sent by the Outer God, with countless disasters—darkness, insect infestations, plagues, droughts, and even the killing of children from every family in the entire country!"

His vision was far broader and farther-reaching; he saw far more than Hayden possessed. At least Hayden didn't have the ability to see into parallel worlds through spacetime rifts.

Hayden was a little confused when he heard this—what on earth is this parallel world's father-in-law doing? —But he still scratched his head and said, "It sounds like either a fallen angel messed it up, or he's really beyond redemption? It shouldn't be too serious..."

“The point is,” Mithra interrupted Hayden, “that these Outer Gods have no right or reason to judge our world! Why should we be judged according to their standards?”

"Since it has this intention and this capability, it is a threat to our world! We must defeat its vanguard scouts, seal them off, and develop the technological means to kill them and defend against further attacks!"

Oh……

Actually, Mitra's words now made a little more sense than before. Hayden was starting to understand what he meant... but there were two minor issues.

(Actually, Hayden also vaguely thought of a third question: What standards did the Outer Gods, and Angela, the so-called "observer," use to determine the exam scores? And how did they decide to collect the papers and completely destroy the world? What were their criteria for judgment? Hayden hadn't figured it out yet, but Mithras probably didn't care about the answer to this question anyway.)

“The Outer God we’re talking about is likely the root of all parallel worlds, all possible universes. Even if you want to resist Him…” Hayden pointed to the colossal object above his head, “this alone is stronger than several bodhisattvas. And you’re saying it’s a mass-produced product! How are you going to resist it?”

Mitra shook his head: “I have a way. I see a way. That thing can’t directly interact with our universe, just like you can’t put an aircraft carrier in a bathtub—that’s the reason these Outer God messengers exist. Give me time… four hundred… five hundred years at most, and I can advance our technology to the point where we can defeat all the Outer God messengers.”

"After that... directly confronting the Outer Gods themselves, or rather, expanding outwards, might be a bit difficult. But given enough time, we can definitely elevate all of humanity in the end. That will certainly be enough." As Mitra spoke, he no longer seemed to be speaking to Hayden, but rather to himself. "Ten thousand... a million years? That's right, as long as the souls of all humanity can be continuously reborn, they can grow infinitely! Even if they die, they can immediately return to new bodies to continue learning, receiving training, and fighting! In this way, given enough time, all of humanity will become awakened beings, transcendent beings, stronger than angels!"

Uh

Hayden now understood why Mithra later came up with the concept of "reincarnation".

“Very persuasive,” Hayden said, referring to Mithra’s rhetoric, not the content. “But there’s another problem. You have this idea, this plan, that’s good. But your plan will really drag all of humanity down with you. Are you sure everyone wants to go along with this?”

“Of course they will support my plan.” Mitra frowned. “My actions are not motivated by self-interest or personal desire; everything I do is for the world, for the people of this world, for the greater good. How could they not support me?”

Hayden was almost speechless for a moment: "Uh, I just don't support you."

“Isn’t this exactly what it means to be brainwashed by the Outer Gods?” Mitra shook his head. “You don’t even realize that you’ve been brainwashed and that you need to undergo psychological treatment.”

Ok.

Now everything is clear.

Hayden basically understood everything.

Mithras's thoughts and words were very pure, firm, and straightforward. It was perfectly normal and reasonable for him to doubt the Outer Gods, doubt Angela, and simply not believe in her.

...So, was it wrong for Hayden to believe in Angela, and in the origins of Angela? Presumably not, at least Hayden didn't think he was wrong. He believed in Angela's gentleness and love, and in the freedom she granted him.

At this point, both sides believe they are right. It's likely that Hayden can no longer prove himself right to Mithra; it's simply beyond comprehension.

If Hayden hadn't been wary of Mithras before, and instead of merely watching him for the past twenty years, had instead vigorously promoted the goodness of angels and Outer Gods, perhaps things would have been different? Maybe. But Hayden didn't do that, and that was probably his mistake.

But there's no going back now.

"Is that so...?"

Hayden sighed.