Chapter 298: Fountain of Eden [ 7 ]
Before I could even say a word, Kai spoke up:
"According to the myths and legends, this place is where the Divine Beasts had come from. A portal had once been here, or something. Look at this."
He walked ahead and then leaned down. His fingers brushed against the dusty ground, revealing a certain pattern that I hadn’t noticed was there before.
It was a pattern containing dozens of stars, swords, and banners. The banners didn’t seem like they meant anything at first, merely being blank. Yet the moment my Divine Energy flared up slightly, each of the banners that had been revealed suddenly gained a pattern.
Wolves, lions, sheep and, well... knights? I guess? There was quite the variety here. I couldn’t recognize any of it, though I could feel that it was... familiar. Yeah, familiar.
But with that sense of familiarity also came something I didn’t quite expect.
Deep hatred.
Especially toward the lion banner. The ones that didn’t have an animal as their banner felt okay-ish. The knights, I clearly hated. But stuff like mages? I actually seemed to adore. Whatever history I had back with those people seemed to be very deep.
But if what Kai was saying was the truth, then...
"What’s the point of showing me this? Do you want me to go back to my world?"
Kai shrugged. "Not really. I’m just showing you this, and I’m curious if it’s possible to reignite the portal."
I wasn’t really keen on doing that, but I decided to check it out anyway. I inspected the portal with my Divine Energy first, seeing if there was some sort of connection. Frankly, it did feel familiar, but no, there was no connection.
Then, I decided to just use my Mystic Eyes. Only then did I get confirmation that this was nothing but a mural. The energy that might’ve been used to power the portal and maintain the connection had long since disappeared.
Basically, if I ever wanted to do something, I would need to rewrite the portal’s connection from scratch, supply it with constant energy, and then deal with all the enemies that would come through.
Yep.
It was so not worth it.
"It’s impossible."
"Yeah?" Kai hummed. "I thought so. Well, it’s fine. Then here’s another thing I wanted to show you."
He reached into his dimensional ring and pulled out a scroll, tossing it at me. I caught it, and without hesitation, I flipped it open and began reading its contents, my eyes rising at what was inside this small letter.
After all, there was nothing here. I tried using my Mystic Eyes and even infusing my Divine Energy, but nothing came up. Seeing the sight from the side, Kai raised a brow in interest.
"It’s empty for you? Huh. Well, for me, it shows that you’ll kill me soon. For others, it’s the same. This scroll shows when you die, how you die, and typically, who you die from."
"..."
Why?
"Why give me this?"
He shrugged once more. "I’m curious how your lover will die. That’s about it."
My expression hardened when I heard that. Before he could even let out his casual chuckle, I wrapped my Telekinesis around his neck, pulling him closer to me and then grabbing him by the neck.
All I needed was to clench my fist and he’d be dead.
"Why shouldn’t I kill you?" I asked.
Yet I didn’t let go of his neck. His face became paler and paler, and his eyes turned even redder. Once he was purple and my Blood Sight told me he was on the verge of death, I decided to let go.
PLOP!
He fell to the ground and clutched his lungs, recoiling and gasping like a fish out of water. I just stared at him in disgust, feeling like I should’ve just ended his life then and there.
It’s not like I would blame myself for doing so...
I should just do it now.
"W-Wait!"
I paused, meeting his gaze.
"Wait for what?"
"Tsk... Wait for me to tell you why I actually brought you here. Listen, the Gods that had sealed the other Divine Beasts away had actually been on your side."
"You’re lying," I immediately said.
His brows twitched. "Okay, they weren’t on your side, but... Where do you think all that Divine Energy you guys have comes from? If you could revive the Gods and then kill them, you’d become so strong, no one would be able to rival you."
He slowly stood up, his expression turning more crazed.
"Think about it. These beings hate all of you. They just hate you a bit more. But if you can incite their revival, don’t you think you could turn them to your side, at least temporarily?"
"Do you take me for some kind of idiot?" I sighed, placing a hand over my forehead. "You’re way too loud and nonsensical."
"No, I’m not. I’m the only person who knows how to revive the Gods. If you kill me, then you will be killed by the other Divine Beasts. If you don’t kill me, then I can revive the Gods, make you stronger, and help you kill everyone. You could become the strongest being alive."
He paused for a moment, then slightly bowed.
"The Angels would be on your side. The Giants, Titans, and more. You would become an actual God. Someone unparalleled by even the Ancient Heroes who had once existed. Look... I know how it sounds, but I want you to give me a chance here."
Kai shifted his posture and smiled.
"I will prove to you that you can trust me. All I ask is that you give me the opportunity to do so. As for why I gave you that scroll... It’s because death is preventable. Give it to your lover and prevent her death."
With that, a look of determination appeared on his face as he met my eyes head-on.
"So what do you say, Amon? Would you like to gamble with me?"