Book 2: Chapter 535
Thud.
The video cut off there.
The faintly glowing light vanished without a trace, and the rippling waves also stopped.
The small disturbances at the spring had disappeared as if they were never there.
“Is it over just like that?”
The collaboration between the Red Knight and the Sun God, ‘The First Apocalypse.'
The unfolding events were unexpected, but what really mattered was what would happen next.
Lukas needed to see the scenes that followed. Perhaps then, he might understand more clearly what ‘Apocalypse' meant.
However, even as he submerged his hand into the water and pictured Pale's face in his mind, no change occurred.
“Was it a one-time use thing?”
[It seems there's a limit on the number of uses. It probably recharges over time.]
“……”
With no other option, he withdrew his hand from the water. Drops of water fell from his damp palms.
…Was he becoming anxious?
Lukas splashed his face with the water. Having a physical body was certainly beneficial. External stimuli like this could awaken the mind.
He wiped the water off his face and asked.
“How long does it take to recharge?”
[A day.]
The words of The Beginning Wizard flashed through his mind.
Once a day, he was supposed to visit this spring.
“He must understand everything about this spring perfectly.”
[That would be the case. …Hmm.]
Residue murmured thoughtfully.
[This is something even I didn't anticipate. I never expected the Sun God to be collaborating with the Red Knight…]
“Didn't you have any clue?”
[No. Frankly, the scene we just witnessed feels more like a fabrication than reality.]
Lukas thought of the Sun God.
“…I don't know much about the Sun God, but he seems more moderate compared to other Rulers.”
[What are you trying to say?]
“If he's a God, maybe it's not so strange that he would cooperate with the Red Knight─”
[Heh heh. What an amusing load of nonsense.]
Residue chuckled.
[He is the most hot-tempered among the Rulers.]
Hot-tempered?
That was a word that didn't seem to fit the Sun God. Rulers might mimic emotions for amusement, but the Sun God was different. He always restrained himself from even pretending to express, and he was quiet.
Residue chuckled briefly and continued.
[It's just that his boiling point is extremely high, so it's rare to see him visibly furious…]
“…I don't understand.”
Lukas's gaze returned to the spring.
“What exactly does The Beginning Wizard expect from me?”
Was it called the Spring of Wisdom? This was no ordinary spring.
It was a sacred treasure, rare enough that even Residue was encountering it for the first time, unique across all universes. Perhaps aside from The Beginning Wizard, the wizards of Magic Planet might not even know of this spring's existence.
And yet, here Lukas was left.
The explanation was minimal, and he wasn't even told how to use it, but clearly, The Beginning Wizard expected something from him.
[It's obvious. There's a scene he particularly wants you to witness through this spring.]
“……”
Residue's advice was indeed helpful at times like this.
Lukas's perspective wasn't necessarily narrow, but Residue had a step wider view. It was only natural for someone who always ruled from the highest places.
“A scene he wants me to witness?”
[What that might be, I don't know. But The Beginning Wizard said he would return in a week.]
After a brief pause, Residue muttered in a meaningful tone.
[Six times. You must make meaningful use of these six opportunities to see through this spring.]
* * *
Lukas then sat down heavily in a nearby clearing, staring intently at the spring lost in thought.
‘What scene do I want to see?'
As always, he asked himself.
Though Pale's face came to mind again, he roughly understood her situation. Of course, he was curious about what happened after her encounter with the Red Knight and the Sun God, but he felt it would be a waste to use these precious six opportunities just to observe Pale.
‘Apocalypse.'
The words of the Red Knight,
‘The First Apocalypse' lingered in his mind.
It is closely related to the ‘five forms of Apocalypse' that the Exile witnessed. This much is clear.
“Does it mean that Apocalypse will strike five times?”
I don't know.
At this point, all I know is─
[Is that a habit of yours?]
A nonchalant voice interrupted his thoughts.
“What?”
[Every time you think deeply, you pose as if you are meditating.]
“…Hmm.”
Lukas looked down at himself.
Indeed, it was a somewhat grandiose posture for mere contemplation.
[It's good to be lost in thought, but you've just barely reached the Magic Planet that you so desired. It wouldn't hurt to look around a bit.]
“…Well, yes. I've memorized the coordinates of this forest anyway.”
He had realized something else. The space known as Magic Planet was not entirely part of the Void World.
Its texture was different from that of the typical territories of the Void World. It overlapped faintly with another dimension, making it impossible to enter this place without using a special method.
‘Handling space and having a high understanding are skills that are indeed required.'
It was certainly the work of The Beginning Wizard.
Lukas stood up.
For now, he decided to put his concerns aside and explore the Magic Planet.
* * *
The place Lukas headed to was the hillside village he had visited on the way.
Although he could reach it instantly using spatial movement, he chose to retrace the path he had come.
[Because showing up suddenly would make them wary?]
“That, and since there's plenty of time, it seems better to look around.”
[Indeed.]
Lukas looked up at the sky.
“Did you notice? It seems this territory has day and night. I'm not sure if I should call it an artificial sun, but the sun did move.”
[Hmm.]
“There are clouds in the sky. Maybe at night, we might be able to see the moon or stars. There's also temperature, and the wind blows… In the forest where the spring was, it seemed devoid of life, but just by walking a little distance anywhere…”
Lukas flipped a large rock. Beneath the moist mud, he saw a wriggling worm.
“…I might even find insects.”
Among the territories Lukas had visited, the one most resembling the Three Thousand Worlds was the Flower Mountain governed by Yang In-hyun. However, he could not shake off a certain eerie feeling even there.
Even if it was made by a master craftsman with all their heart, artificial flowers cannot have the vitality of real ones.
But this place was different.
[Unlike the Void World, this seems to be a place where life exists. Did they attempt to replicate the Three Thousand Worlds?]
“Hard to say. To call it a mere imitation, the completeness is too high.”
Lukas murmured his speculation.
“It feels as if this territory itself came from ‘outside.'”
Around that time, the hillside village came into view. People were visible.
They were still busy with their daily tasks. Lukas suddenly stopped walking.
[What is it?]
“…Just feeling a bit nostalgic.”
He seemed to have recalled such scenes before, but it was a bit blurry. He was surprised by that fact.
So there are still memories that I have forgotten.
‘Is that natural?'
If he remembered all the information he possesses perfectly and completely at all times, it would be difficult for Lukas to maintain his personality.
[Nostalgic?]
“No, it's nothing.”
There wasn't even a fence around the village. Proof that there were no external threats. Naturally, he wasn't stopped from entering.
Lukas walked through the village that seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Somewhere, the wholesome scent of bread wafted through the air.
“Can they also make food here?”
[It seems so. Hmm, it appears that your hypothesis is gaining strength.]
He sat on a fence that only reached up to a child's waist, looking over the village with solemn eyes.
“……”
Just then, a cool breeze blew.
Lukas quietly faced the wind. There was a strangely nostalgic feeling to it. For a while, he sat there as still as a statue.
It's strange.
Until just moments ago, his head was swirling with thoughts of the spring, the First Apocalypse, the Red Knight, and the Sun God, but now he felt as if none of that mattered.
Then he sensed someone's presence.
“Hello.”
The greeting came boldly from a boy with dusky skin.
When their eyes met, the boy grinned.
“Here.”
He suddenly offered something. It was rye bread.
“Why this?”
“Eat this, mister!”
He handed over the bread as if passing a burden, then dashed away. Lukas looked down at the hard bread and took a bite.
Crunch.
[It's almost like a rock.]
“Indeed.”
* * *
The sun had completely set.
As Lukas speculated, the night did exist on Magic Planet.
The lights that had been illuminating the village went out one by one, and soon all were gone. Conversely, the sky brightened significantly. The array of stars could well be called the Milky Way.
There was a miscalculation, however. There was no moon in the night sky here.
“……”
He observed Magic Planet in depth, though brief.
It wasn't just idly sitting on the fence. Lukas had come to a realization about the structure of Magic Planet, and thus, he could only come to one conclusion.
“It's a nice place.”
“Thank you.”
An elderly voice responded.
Lukas wasn't surprised as he turned around; he had been aware of his presence since the moment he first laid eyes on this village.
From a distance, the feeble old man in shabby clothes might not seem remarkable aside from his gentleness, but Lukas had identified him as the most potent wizard of the village.
“Who are you?”
“I am ‘Sellun', the village chief, but to a guest like yourself, it might be easier to understand if I claim to be a Truth Seeker.”
A Truth Seeker, huh.
“What business does a Truth Seeker of Magic Planet have with me?”
“Business, per se? I just thought you looked lonely watching the moonless night sky by yourself, and came to keep you company.”
“……”
“Was I being a bother?”
“No.”
“That's good to hear.”
Sellun smiled gently and sat on the fence a little away from Lukas.
Lukas then turned away from him and spoke.
“You said you were a Truth Seeker.”
“Yes.”
“I'm curious, Truth Seekers are those who wander in search of answers. What principle do you pursue? What sort of truth is it that you call yourselves Truth Seekers for?”
It was a question Lukas had since he first heard the term Truth Seeker.
From Lukas’s perspective, the term Truth Seeker was both fitting and unfitting for a wizard.
If it were merely about pursuing the truth, I might understand, but if they pursue deep inner practice and contemplation of life's suffering, or religious enlightenment… then they are far too detached from the kind of folk that wizards are.
Most wizards do not seek answers from within themselves. What they observe is always the external, namely the world.
Then, Sellun laughed.
“What we seek is a way to overcome fear.”
“Fear of what?”
“Apocalypse.”
Lukas’s gaze halted.
“To face it, one must not waver under any adversity. It involves building a solid wall in your mind. Think of it as a border, creating your own little world filled with your dogmas. We've learned that this is the only way to survive the Apocalypse.”
“…Is that knowledge exclusive to Truth Seekers?”
“It used to be. But now, every wizard here is aware of it.”
Lukas fell silent at the weight of those words.
Everyone in Magic Planet, without exception, was a wizard.
He sat on the fence watching their daily lives.
…The man wiping sweat off his brow from hard labor, the woman stretching pleasantly as she gathered laundry, the elderly couple supporting each other as they climbed the hill, and the boy who shyly handed over the rye bread,
─All were aware of the Apocalypse.
[It's an unsettling place.]
For the first time, Residue expressed his precise feelings about Magic Planet, and Lukas looked up at the sky once again.
Indeed, the notion of a moonless night sky felt somewhat eerie.
*****