Chapter 199
“Am I supposed to think of you as a monster? I’m just a prophet!”
I was on the brink of drawing my sword and charging in, but Miho’s calm demeanor held me back for the moment.
As I kept my eyes locked on the prophet, he sent another telepathic message.
“You were the one who used to relay messages to the Celestial Realm, weren’t you? So you’re here.”
Surprised, I turned to look at Miho. Does she know this otherworldly being? To my astonishment, the otherworldly being seemed to recognize Miho, responding slowly.
“A fox from the Celestial Realm. I didn’t expect you to come with a human…”
“……!!”
What’s going on here? While I stood frozen in confusion, Miho explained to me.
“So Woong, that being has existed since ancient times and occasionally visits the Celestial Realm. Although it’s an otherworldly race, it maintains friendly relations with the Celestial Realm and possesses remarkable intelligence and wisdom.”
“Is that even possible? I thought the Celestial Realm was at odds with the otherworldly races?”
Raising my voice, the prophet replied,
“You humans lump together all alien races under the term ‘otherworldly,’ but in reality, there are hundreds, even thousands of different kinds. Many of them see you humans as mere prey, but… I don’t harbor any evil intent towards you and believe we can coexist with the Celestial Realm.”
“……”
“What the prophet said is true. He’s special. Some might even call him a member of the Great Race.”
Shock and horror enveloped me. To think that a being from another realm is filling the role of a prophet in the frigid North, and has amicable relations with both the Celestial Realm and demons! While I stood there, stunned, the prophet continued.
“You seem to be headed to Moscow, the capital of the Arasa Empire, for some reason…”
“Actually, we’re heading to the Arctic. We heard Moscow has maps and knowledge related to it, which is why we’re going.”
The prophet’s face contorted slightly.
“That’s true. Ancient knowledge is contained there. Many ancient races reside there… What are you hoping to find in the Arctic?”
Do I really have to answer that? I glanced at Miho, who shot a telepathic message my way.
“Don’t worry. That being is only interested in knowledge, and is recognized as harmless even in the Celestial Realm. You can trust him.”
“I understand.”
I calmed my thoughts and replied to the prophet.
“To break the second seal of the Seven Luminaries’ Mākya.”
“Mākya? You wish to lift the abhorrent shadow of the Great Flood…”
The prophet responded with an expression of disbelief.
“Aren’t you scared…? Have you ever thought about what kind of being protects that second seal?”
“……”
I only knew it as a brief hint from an inscription. After pondering for a moment, I asked the prophet.
“Wait. Can you read the alien language?”
“Alien language?”
“The language unique to your otherworldly races.”
“There are many languages of sorcery. Since I don’t know what you’re talking about, please provide a specific example…”
“Hold on a sec.”
I took out the Golden Lamp and headed straight for the remains of the Water Element Divine Sword.
Pa-at!
I sliced the inscription from its base and tucked it into my wooden armor, then, using the lamp, transported myself to the Great Temple. I appeared before the prophet, placing the inscription before him, who inspected it with interest.
“You… use artifacts from demon sorcerers… that golden lamp was made by Abdul Alhazred… Quite a unique tool you have…”
“I don’t care who the creator is. Can you read this inscription?”
“Hmm. Give me a moment…”
The prophet moved his body and shifted closer to the inscription. Surprisingly quick for someone who looked dull. He observed the inscription for a while, moving his eyes about, and then spoke.
“I’ve interpreted it. Do you want to know the content?”
As expected, being of the same otherworldly race, he could interpret the full content, while I could only grasp it partially. I nodded.
“Tell me.”
“I’m curious if you can still head to the Arctic after hearing this…”
The prophet began interpreting the inscription.
“There is one who pairs with the song of darkness. The God of the cold, white silence awaits the footsteps of the wind. To the primordial North, there are no trials for those who arrive… However, for those who seek to lift the seal, you must meet the God of Silence. Draw blood to awaken the ancient bloodline and reach the altar, where only the blood of the seeker can be offered. Oh great ancient being, grant glory to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors…”
“……!!”
“I sense a question. Did you offer your blood at the altar of the Water Element Divine Sword?”
I thought about it carefully. I realized I had offered my blood because only by doing so would the secret passage leading to the Water Element Divine Sword open up.
“Yes.”
“Then you qualify to break the second seal of the Water Element Divine Sword. Only those who have offered blood at the altar are deemed worthy to reach it…”
“I already knew that. Is there anything new you can tell me?”
The prophet countered,
“Do you even know what the ‘ancient being’ hinted at in this inscription refers to?”
“I have no idea. That’s why I’m asking.”
“The footsteps of the wind, the God of cold, white silence… There’s only one being this expression points to. It refers to the [Old Ruler], who has existed since primordial times. Because he rides the interstellar winds, he’s referred to as the one who walks with the wind…”
The prophet continued,
“The Old Ruler walks on the wind.”
“Hmmm…”
“From the conditions in the inscription, I can’t tell what will happen when you meet him… But that being is not someone who can be opposed by human power…”
“Not even the powers of the Great Immortal?”
The prophet chuckled at my question.
“Can a mere mental form of an immortal really hold a candle to the power level of the Old Ruler?”
“……”
Hearing what I already knew confirmed my fears. If what he said was true, even if I found the second seal of Mākya in the Arctic, it was highly likely I’d be killed by that being. While I was lost in thought, Miho asked the prophet.
“The [Old Ruler] is said to be a being so powerful it could overturn the world, right? Then why is he merely guarding the seals of the Seven Luminaries?”
“Hmm…”
The prophet paused for a moment before answering.
“The Seven Luminaries were not created by humans; they were granted to humanity by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. That difference is enormous… In other words, the Seven Luminaries hold immense powers that could threaten even the [Old Ruler].”
“You mean…”
The prophet shared his guess.
“I cannot be certain of the finer details, but perhaps there was some sort of deal between the Three Sovereigns and the [Old Ruler], especially since Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was an exceptionally unusual being…”
“Emperor Xuanwen was an unusual being?”
“Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is the only one who ever broke a contract. And at the same time, he created a new order centered around himself. That’s why even I cannot guess their actions…”
“A contract? What contract are you referring to?”
“An ancient contract… a very ancient one. I do not know the details. It is only something I’ve heard the spirits mention frequently.”
Contract. Somehow, I had a feeling that this word would become a critical clue in the future. It seemed like the prophet didn’t fully comprehend it either, so I felt it might be worth digging into later. Shaking my head, I said,
“Wait, wait…”
“Speak.”
“If I lift the second seal of Mākya and don’t die at the hands of the [One who Walks on the Wind], will I be able to confront the [Old Ruler]?”
“That’s definitely possible. Didn’t I explain that already?”
“Then how can I acquire the ancient knowledge located in the capital of the Arasa Empire? Is there a map to the Arctic there?”
“Look for the library there. The ancient library should have it.”
“How do I find it?”
Suddenly, the prophet sealed his lips tight. When Miho and I looked at him in confusion, he responded with a bit of irritation.
“I’ve already shared everything worth sharing… Now it’s time for compensation…”
“Compensation?”
The prophet’s eyes gleamed.
“That’s right. I’ve painstakingly accumulated my knowledge over thousands of years, and you think you can just take it for free? I have to receive some form of compensation…”
“That sounds fair…”
After all, the knowledge I’d obtained thus far held a value worth its weight in gold. But what could I offer to appease the prophet? Tentatively, I pulled out a gold bar from my wooden armor to show him.
“How about this? It’s pure gold.”
“Put that away… it’s utterly meaningless.”
“How about this? It’s Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”
“A greatly condensed lump of Qi… But it’s still less than trash to me.”
Why is he so picky?!
As I grumbled internally, the prophet seemed to be getting more annoyed too. He wore an irritated expression of his own.
“Fine. If you have nothing else to present, I’ll take my leave…”
Wiying!
At that moment, a strange passage appeared as space warped. Clearly, as a being who had lived for eons, this otherworldly being knew some impressive spells. It struck me that if he disappeared through that passage, I’d never find him again. I hastily shouted,
“Wait! Wait! How about this?”
“What is it?”
In an instant, I pulled out the Grimoire. I always carried the Heavenly Secret, so I excluded it and retrieved the Nine Stars Main Capital I had acquired last time. Though it felt somewhat regrettable, I shook off that thought.
‘After all, it’s useless to me, and I can’t even read it.’
Upon seeing the Nine Stars Main Capital in my hand, the prophet paused. His face was full of disbelief.
“No way… That’s…”
“This is a grimoire I obtained during my travels. This should have some trade value, right?”
Woosh!
The prophet dispelled the spatial passage. Then, with a notably calmer demeanor, he responded.
“Of course. The Book of Le Rue has sufficient value…”
“The Book of Le Rue?”
“It’s a grimoire that details the Evil God and his kin. Being bound in gold, it appears to be a genuine relic from the Xia dynasty… If you give it to me, I will provide you with information.”
“What’s Le Rue?”
“It’s a sunken underwater city where the Evil God dwells…”
So, it’s that kind of item? I felt intrigued but tossed the Nine Stars Main Capital to the prophet. He flicked through the book, inspected it for authenticity, and then said,
“Do you know where you obtained this precious item?”
I shared the story of battling the Giant Tentacle Toad in Thunder Valley and discovering this grimoire in a cave behind it. The prophet seemed impressed.
“You went to the trouble of setting up a guard for the Moon’s Beast… Such strange beings.”
“Moon’s Beast?”
“The monster you fought is a demon that lives behind the Moon. Originally, it doesn’t belong to this world…”
“Well, that makes sense.”
It seems the prophet has extensive knowledge about otherworldly beings. And it appears he’s not aligned with the Demon Subduing Hall.
After securing the Nine Stars Main Capital, the prophet continued,
“Since I have received a considerable payment, I’ll open a special ‘door’ for you… You will directly reach the ancient library.”
“A door?”
The prophet’s eyes twitched as he emitted a strange, green aura into the air.
Crackle!
Whooooom –
“……!!”
In that moment, a massive passageway emerged right in the middle of a grand hall. It seemed this prophet possessed the ability to handle time and space at will. As I stared in awe, the prophet said,
“You can now enter.”
“Awesome. This means I can get to the ancient library of Moscow, right?”
“If you have grimoires or artifacts from the otherworldly races, come back, and I will exchange knowledge accordingly.”
“Of course. But can you open a path to the Arctic?”
“My space techniques work on the same principle as that lamp… I can’t open a door to places I’ve never been.”
“Hmm, it can’t be helped.”
After all, grimoires wouldn’t serve any useful purpose for me. Now, I could trade knowledge with this knowledgeable otherworldly sage!
“Oh, can you trade for things other than knowledge?”
“That depends on the price…”
“Got it. How should I address you?”
“You can call me the Prophet.”
Satisfied to have a new trading partner, I stepped into the spatial passage.
Pa-at!
When Miho and I entered the passage, we soon arrived at a massive library. Miho gazed in wonder.
“So this is the ancient library.”
“Indeed.”
There were no traces of humans. It felt as though time had stopped long ago, and the air felt stagnant. It appeared to be a secret space preserved by ancient technology for safeguarding books.
I pulled a few books from the shelves filled with them and began to read. However, I was quickly left grimacing.
“Ugh. Is this ancient script…?”
It wasn’t in the language of the otherworldly races. It wasn’t Cyrillic either. It looked like a completely new language, so it seemed I’d need to acquire yet another language to decipher these books. Miho, noticing my glum expression, patted my back and said,
“Come on, at least we made it to the capital of the Arasa Empire, right? Let’s go out and explore Arasa.”
