Chapter 417: Cataclysmic Prophecy
"Indeed! The information about your safety is our secondary concern. They have another objective and I hope you three listen to it carefully."
The Pope's expression turned serious as he addressed Zero, Saintess Amelia, and Mia. It was evident that the message from the Elven prophetess held a significant purpose beyond mere safety precautions.
Zero, Saintess Amelia, and Mia exchanged puzzled glances, their curiosity piqued by the Pope's cryptic statement.
The Pope, his voice filled with both urgency and caution, spoke again, breaking the silence that enveloped the room.
"The Elven prophetess has foreseen a cataclysmic event that poses a threat to the entire world. They say that a looming darkness seeking to devour everything in its path is soon going to be born. They believe that in the near future, something capable of extinguishing every living being will come into existence."
The Pope revealed the information contained in the message. However, Zero, Mia, and Amelia did not react much to the horrifying content.
"And you believe it?"
Zero asked skeptically. He didn't believe the message.
The reason behind their lack of belief became apparent – Elves were not known for attacking other races like Devils, but they were not entirely benevolent either.
Even if the Elven prophetess foresaw the destruction of another race, they would never warn them. They had not warned anyone when thousands of Gates opened 200 years ago, engulfing the world in monsters and destruction.
While they didn't warn other races, they were aware of the impending disaster and made preparations. During that incident, the Elves undoubtedly gained the most advantage, surpassing Devils and Humans in power.
Although they had become one of the strongest races at that time, they refrained from attacking other races. Many believed this was because Elara, their prophet, could see the consequences of attacking Devils or Humans.
If the Elves truly cared about others, they would have warned everyone two centuries ago. Thus, the message of the world's destruction appeared to be nothing more than a fabrication.
Zero, though skeptical, acknowledged that there was still a chance the prophecy could be true. The destruction witnessed a hundred years ago was immense but not world-ending.
If the impending cataclysm reached that level of devastation, there was a possibility that it could be genuine.
After all, if there were some form of annihilation capable of wiping out the entire Edolas, the Elves, for their own survival, would warn and try to prevent it.
The main question remained though was "Is there really something that could bring about the end of the world?"
Even if the Devils and Humans decided to go on a rampage and destroy everything in their path, it would be nearly impossible for them.
Even Rank-SSS creatures would find it difficult to obliterate the entire world. Although given enough time, it might be possible to extinguish everything, history had shown that even they were not capable of such a feat.
Even the mighty dragons were slain if they were deemed an enemy by the world.
So, was there any creature capable of such destruction? Or was the cataclysmic event something caused by a group of people?
Hence, Zero asked the Pope whether he believed the prophecy. If the Pope did, there must be a reason behind his belief, something that Zero was unaware of.
However, even with his knowledge from the novel, Zero had no information about events beyond that point. Hiro and his team were merely challenging Duke-level Devils and were on their way to confronting the Demon King.
He had no idea what happened after that. Based on what he had read, there was no mention of this cataclysmic event that would bring about the world's destruction. Thus, Zero believed that the Elves might be lying.
"I understand that such information cannot be trusted, especially coming from the Elven nation. However, we cannot dismiss it entirely," the Pope solemnly stated.
"I have been informed that a similar message has been sent to The Authority and many other races. It would be strange if this message were merely an elaborate prank."
Zero contemplated the new information he had received.
It came as a surprise, but it also added a layer of validity to the message.
If the Elves had indeed informed many other races, it wouldn't simply be a falsehood to deceive them. There had to be some truth in their words, even though it couldn't be completely trusted.
"So, why did they have to include the message about our safety? And why wait for us? Does this involve us in some way?" Zero inquired.
The message might be true or false, but what connection did it have with them? Why did the message mention their safety?
"I believe that by sharing this information, they are attempting to gain our trust. To demonstrate that Elara does possess the ability to foresee the future. Moreover, it does indeed involve the three of you," the Pope continued.
"Not only does the message contain information about the cataclysmic event, but it also states that the three of you are to be sent to the Elves' Domain."
""Huh?" "
The three of them exclaimed in surprise. They could understand the message being sent to the Pope, but they couldn't comprehend why the three of them were being called to the Elven nation.
(Do they expect us to save the world?)
Zero jokingly wondered, drawing parallels to novels and games where heroes were prophesied to save the world.
Alternatively, it would make more sense if they summoned Rank-SS and other powerful individuals to combat the impending catastrophe.
"Your Holiness, does the Elven prophetess foresee that we would be capable of saving the world, or is there another reason?"
Saintess Amelia asked. She shared Zero's thoughts. Why mention them and summon them if the world was in danger?
There could only be one reason, and that was if they were the ones who could potentially save the world. However, Saintess Amelia found it hard to believe, as she didn't see herself possessing such abilities.
Although she thought it was implausible for her, Mia, and Zero, who were all exceptionally talented, to surpass the capabilities of a Rank-SS hero.
"If it were solely based on this, I would dismiss such a message. While I have no doubt about your talents, they are still insufficient to handle an event of cataclysmic proportions, as described by the Elven Prophetess," the Pope explained.
"And it's not just the three of you. It seems that the Elves have requested the immediate transfer of all talented individuals to the Elven Domain."