Chapter 322: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (10)Ste unfolded the Realm of Stars.


    It felt like being in the middle of the universe, butpared to the actual temperature of space, this ce was quite warm.


    <strong>[It’s a relief that you seem willing to talk.]</strong>


    Ste gave a grotesque smile with her human mask.


    <strong>[Scary. Why don’t you rx your expression, Mr. Han Seong Ho?]</strong>


    <em>Your face seems scarier, though…</em>


    Ste began to speak with a smile.


    <strong>[You seem to have a lot of questions. Shall we start with Veronica Aslius?]</strong>


    I wanted to hear whatever she had to say, so the order didn’t matter.


    “Do you know why Veronica Aslius was here?”<strong>[She came looking for me. All the way here.]</strong>


    The star that Veronica said she would follow must have meant Ste.


    <em>But how did Veronica know about Ste?</em>


    <strong>[It was a variable. I didn’t expect that Ozma had hidden within that archwizard’s essence. I can’t foresee when someone who has grasped the level of transcendence changes the future.]</strong>


    Ozma.


    Hearing that name, I immediately understood.


    <strong>[Veronica Aslius realized Ozma’s presence within her and had a conversation to uncover the truth.]</strong>


    This cleared up the mystery of the note Veronica left for me a thousand years ago.


    It said that the one who sealed the Evil God would be helping me, but if I wanted to live…. I shouldn’t trust that person.


    Ozma must have been moved by Veronica’s insight and told her the truth honestly.


    Ozma had known about Ste’s n long before the birth of the Primordial Ice Sovereign and had already made a deal. She must have known that I, as the Second Ice Sovereign, would be chosen to defeat the Evil God.


    <strong>[Veronica took her own life, cast out Ozma, and came all the way to the Nether to find me. She probably heard from Ozma where I would be. Her purpose ining was to hear the story directly from me.]</strong>


    My vision shifted abruptly again.


    I saw a vision of Veronica, looking perfectly fine, approaching the giant gate of the Icy Lake.


    <strong>[Veronica was a human who wasn’t part of my n, so I didn’t bother meeting her.]</strong>


    “Wait, how was Veronica floating above the Icy Lake? Don’t the dead fall into theke?”


    <strong>[She was a naturally gifted ice wizard, known as the Primordial Ice Sovereign. So, she received the protection of Lucifer, the demon in charge of the Icy Lake, which prevented her from falling in.]</strong>


    “Oh.”


    In the scene before me, as Veronica opened the door, the starry sky greeted her.


    <strong>[Lucifer intended to teach her the ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon], and make her the gatekeeper of the Icy Lake. Just in case, he needed someone to prevent the criminals or monsters from the Icy Lake from crossing into his domain. Normally, he would handle it himself, but as you know, Lucifer is bound by Nephid’s power and unable to move.]</strong>


    Ste raised her index finger.


    <strong>[There, Veronica foresaw something.]</strong>


    “Foresaw? What?”


    <strong>[That you, Han Seong Ho, woulde to receive the ultimate ice magic, [Ice Moon], in order to defeat the Evil God.]</strong>


    <em>She predicted I woulde?</em>


    <strong>[So Veronica made a deal with Lucifer. She asked that if someone could surpass her and open the gate to the Icy Lake, he should pass on the [Ice Moon] to them.]</strong>


    In the vision before me, I saw Veronica speaking to the demon Lucifer.


    I couldn’t hear her voice.


    <strong>[Lucifer agreed, and Veronica became the gatekeeper, tasked with stopping those who would pass through. She took on this role and helped you as her mission, believing it to be the most valuable thing in seeking the truth and rejecting lies. Since I appreciated her desire to assist my n, I also shared the truth she sought.]</strong>


    I finally understood the meaning behind Veronica’s enigmatic smile.


    Everything made sense now.


    “You used that, didn’t you? Leaving a message for me through Dorothy.”


    <strong>[To defeat the Evil God, I’ll use anything. And with a bonus option with Alpha, there was no reason to refuse. From the start, I gave you the choice. It was you, Han Seong Ho, who chose toe here.]</strong>


    My vision shifted again, revealing Ste.


    I couldn’t be mad at Ste for what happened with Veronica. In fact, Ste had helped fulfill Veronica’s wish.


    Then.


    “The truth…. Veronica left saying she would chase after you and cast away falsehoods. What did she mean by the falsehoods and the truth?”


    <strong>[I see. Now let’s talk about what that truth and those falsehoods are.]</strong>


    Ste turned her head to the side.


    I saw a radiant, indistinguishable figure molding Nephid with a mysterious power.


    <strong>[I suppose I should start with this. Nephid is a being with the power of creation, a masterpiece of the Creator. She was born to restore order to all transcendents.]</strong>


    “The Creator…”


    <em>Could that being be one of the gods worshiped in religions like Christianity, Buddhism, or Im?</em>


    <em>Or is it something I don’t know about?</em>


    <strong>[Since it was created for that purpose, Nephid possessed the potential of the Authority of Godying, an authority designed to deal with great transcendental beings. Nephid was destined to awaken this authority in times of crisis. However, Nephid developed her own will, chose her own path, and eventually became a Demon Lord.]</strong>


    My vision changed, showing a female demon in ck leading demons and destroying worlds.


    It was the Demon Lord, Nephid.


    <strong>[Nephid’s potential, fueled by her will, grew excessivelyrge, bing an unexpected threat even to the Creator. So the Creator decided topletely eradicate Nephid, who had betrayed His will. The Creator built a stage and battlefield to trap and destroy Nephid, then lured her there.]</strong>


    “Then the world in the game…”


    <strong>[You could think of it as a kind of case created topletely end Nephid. From a human perspective, it may seem like a false world without any inherent value.]</strong>


    Ste smiled.


    <strong>[So, the will of the higher beingsbined, and that world was given a special character.]</strong>


    “What kind of character?”


    <strong>[It allows beings like me to foresee the future.]</strong>


    <em>Is the ability to see the future limited to that world?</em>


    <strong>[Originally, the future is designed to be unobservable unless under special circumstances. It’s the absolute effect of divinew. But the world created to eliminate Nephid was an exception, allowing the future to be seen.]</strong>


    Just like there are rules and exceptions inw.


    So, even among them, suchws existed.


    <strong>[That’s why the strongest humans in that world, aside from you, the Primordial Elemental Kings, could see fragments of the future.]</strong>


    “That’s how you were able toe up with this n.”


    Human history.


    Ozma and Dorothy.


    And M?rchen Academy, too.


    Everything was part of a n to defeat Nephid.


    The values I held dear meant nothing to the gods.


    The world I belonged to was a chessboard.


    Everything on the chessboard was just a piece in the game.


    <strong>[Exactly. And as a fairy, I was chosen by the Creator and given a mission to defeat Nephid. Nephid can consume everything, and as she devours gods, her power will grow beyond imagination.]</strong>


    To put it crudely, it was like cleaning up the Creator’s mess.


    The Creator probably didn’t intend for this either.


    <strong>[The only way to defeat the current Evil God Nephid is for Ian Fairytale to cut her down with the divine-powered Luminous Sword. But that’s not easy. It was difficult, so a n was made.]</strong>


    “Part of that n was developing ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?, right?”


    <strong>[Exactly.]</strong>


    Ste smiled as she raised her arms to the sides.


    <strong>[Games are wonderful. They provide enjoyment to the yers, imprint the content of the game, intuitively teach the flow of the story, and thoroughly train them on how to fight against bosses, all voluntarily.]</strong>


    Ste made a heart shape with her thin fingers.


    <strong>[You could even enjoy heroine content that allows you to feel the emotions of love indirectly if you wanted to. ?Magic Knight of M?rchen? was the ultimate tool, a game no human could easily resist.]</strong>


    Ste ced her hands behind her back and gave a grotesque smile.


    <strong>[So, it wouldn’t be a problem if the yer’s soul were transferred into the game world, right? There’s a Status Window, it’s a world they already know, and they even understand the future. Instead of panicking, they’d have the courage to navigate the situation.]</strong>


    Hence the game.


    Hence ?Magic Knight of M?rchen?.


    <strong>[However, the heroines weren’t just added for entertainment. Luce Eltania, Kaya Astrea, Ciel Carnedas… ording to my n, they were individuals who needed special attention. So, I included them as heroines to alert the yer.]</strong>


    Luce was someone to be cautious of because of the「Bird Cage」ending.


    Kaya could face the「Demon God」ending and was a vessel that could harness the power of the Evil God.


    Ciel yed a crucial role in passing the Luminous Sword to Ian.


    I had a small question like, “What rules were used to choose the heroines in the game?<em>”</em> Now, I see that was the reason.


    “What about Amy Holloway?”


    <strong>[She was added simply because she was fated to end up with Ian Fairytale.]</strong>


    “I see… I understand.”@@novelbin@@


    I answered with a sigh in my voice.


    “In a world where Nephid exists with the Authority of Godying, full intervention is impossible. So you decided to use pawn pieces from another world—a world where civilization is advanced the most efficient method to defeat Nephid could be adopted… Am I right?”


    <strong>[‘Use pawns pieces’… That phrasing is a bit harsh, but yes, you’re correct. The one chosen for this was you, Han Seong Ho, who lived on Earth, in South Korea.]</strong>


    Ste lightly pped her hands.


    <strong>[In other words, the falsehood that Veronica Aslius sought to reject was this. She heard from Ozma the truth that the world was merely a stage set to defeat the Evil God, and she came to believe that the world she lived in was a worthless, false world.]</strong>


    Ste continued speaking.


    “…”


    <strong>[She must have felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.]</strong>


    I recalled the incantation of [Cocytus] that Veronica had created.


    There were many people around her. Surely, there were people who cared for her and praised her.


    Even Hilde deeply loved her.


    However, Veronica strangely felt solitude. I now understood the reason.


    <em>Nothing life held meaning in my life…</em>


    The people around her and the world she was tied to held no meaning.


    Everything that was considered precious and valuable was meaningless.


    A false world that held no meaning. All that remained by her side was solitude.


    <em>So a world with only solitude…</em>


    ...is hell itself.