novelraw Chapter 415 - 408 - Annihilation, Annihilation!
Chapter 415 - 408 - Annihilation, Annihilation!
Order belongs to Nanook.
The establishment of this fact meant that a great many puzzles were instantly solved:
The Antimatter Legion's destruction of civilizations wasn't merely to strengthen the [Path of Destruction], but also to align with Nanook's [Path of Order]—every new civilization destroyed meant double, or even more, power was absorbed by Him.
More critically.
The existence of the Antimatter Legion, the destructive civilizations under its command, and the vast number of slave civilizations beneath them... all of this was not an act of "weakness" in the eyes of the other Astral Gods. An Astral God who failed to fully embody their own Path would inevitably see their power's growth stunted.
Instead, it was all for the balance between [Order] and [Destruction].
At the same time.
As the gardener of the Imaginary Tree, the [Astral God of Order] required Nanook to preserve a certain number of civilizations—the Tree could not possibly abandon every branch and leaf infested by pests; the vast majority could, in fact, be saved.
Nanook, by controlling this number, was, in a sense, also maintaining the delicate balance between the Tree and the Sea.
The most staggering part was this:
For an unknown number of eons, the "rules" of the Imaginary Tree had been meticulously maintained by Nanook, and the Quantum Sea had failed to gain any advantage... This was an achievement befitting the Path of the [Astral God of Order].
Connecting these dots, only one thought remained in Lu Xing's mind:
The power of Nanook, the Astral God of Destruction, was likely far more terrifying than any of the other Astral Gods could imagine. Much more. Even if he wasn't completely without rivals, it would take at least several of the most supreme Astral Gods working in concert to suppress him.
---o---
"Annihilation."
"Why did you wait until now to make your move?"
Lu Xing once again deployed his powerful talent for "ignoring the bigger picture."
If Nanook was truly as formidable as he envisioned, there would be no escape. Therefore, there was no point in dwelling on it now. Before a victor was decided between him and Grand Monarch Annihilation, other questions still swirled in his mind, unanswered.
Judging by Grand Monarch Annihilation's actions, He didn't seem to have any intention of hiding anything.
"Why?" Annihilation repeated the question.
"With your power, you could have struck long before I reached 'Earth.' Why did you have to wait until this very moment?"
Lu Xing had ascended to the level of a Grand Monarch only after thousands of years of analyzing and evolving "Origin" and "Finality."
But before he had mastered the two Dominions of Immortality and Abundance—by absorbing the Imaginary Branch of Teyvat—he was merely a fledgling Grand Monarch. Back then, as a Galaxy-class Monarch, he was utterly incomparable to Grand Monarch Annihilation, who had been a Super-Galaxy-class being for an untold amount of time.
It was ironic, in hindsight.
Lu Xing had dared to plot against Annihilation based on a miscalculation of his power level. When his adversary finally stood before him, the Monarch, whose own power was nearing its limit, saw none of the advantages he had anticipated.
"..."
Grand Monarch Annihilation, possessing Kevin's body, didn't immediately enlighten Lu Xing. His expression shifted back and forth between solemnity and amusement.
It was like the art of face-changing.
"It is not strange," Annihilation finally said, his expression settling into a "smile." "It's not strange that you would ask such a question."
"Star-Vault."
"Before I give you the answer, how about you answer a question for me first?"
"Please, speak."
Lu Xing felt no fear of Annihilation at this moment, but he was incapable of crafting such an inscrutable expression.
"In your opinion, the [Dominion of Order] that I command..."
"Did I obtain it myself, or was it granted to me by 'Lord Nanook'?"
"!!!"
---o---
"!?"
Lu Xing was still trying to process the profound implications of that question when Annihilation spoke again—He hadn't truly expected an answer. Raising the question was more of an urge to speak his mind.
"The Final Monarch is the god of time."
Annihilation abruptly shifted the topic to the "Astral God of Finality." Though Lu Xing didn't understand his intent, he did not interrupt.
"He journeys from the 'End' toward the 'Beginning'."
"The gods know of His power, but they are ignorant of the true purpose of the Final Monarch's journey."
A sphere of intertwined black and white energy rose from Annihilation's hand.
Lu Xing possessed this Dominion, so he knew it well: this was the power of time represented by the [Path of Finality]. And that was precisely the problem. If Annihilation, who commanded Order, also possessed the power of time, then the Time Vortex surrounding Earth should never have been an obstacle for him.
Annihilation would have had no reason to use the [Will Integrator] to descend here.
"..."
Lu Xing remained silent, not daring to interrupt. The answers to everything, the greatest secrets hidden within the cosmos, were about to be revealed.
"The Final Monarch is obstructing Lord Nanook."
"From the very end of the universe, He battles His way back to the very origin of time, when the Astral Gods were first born."
"!!!"
Shock was unavoidable; it bloomed across Lu Xing's face.
"To be precise," Annihilation continued, "the Final Monarch is doing everything in His power to erase any trace of the [Path of Finality] that Lord Nanook could possibly acquire... down to the very last shred."
"Star-Vault."
"The Elio and Stellaron Hunters you have encountered are but a small fraction of the 'powerful ones' in this eon who have been granted the Final Monarch's power."
Grand Monarch Annihilation casually dropped this bombshell of a truth.
"Existences like them..."
"Throughout the vast, starry cosmos, within the flowing river of time, I have witnessed more than I can count."
"..."
Lu Xing paused for a moment before voicing his deduction.
"So."
"The Stellaron Hunters repeatedly escaping from the Antimatter Legion, and even Elio managing to withdraw safely from your grasp..."
"Correct. I was holding back," Grand Monarch Annihilation admitted without any pretense.
"Nanook still does not possess the power of the [Path of Finality], yet you, His retainer, command this very Dominion..."
"It is from Shu."
Faced with Lu Xing's question, a genuine smile touched Annihilation's lips for the first time.
"The gaze Lord Nanook casts upon the cosmos is merely 3% of His true power... ah, perhaps 5% on a busy day."
"At every single moment."
"He must divide His power into numerous parts to counter the omnipresent attacks of the Final Monarch."
"Simultaneously."
"Lord Nanook must also reserve enough of His focus to maintain the balance between the different Paths, preventing their collapse, and even to comprehend the very source of these Dominions—the fate of the Astral God of Order, who was once stronger than Him, serves as a clear cautionary tale."
From Annihilation's words, Lu Xing, for the first time, grasped the true, terrifying nature of Nanook.
"Do you think..." Annihilation asked, "that there is any difference between the methods of Lord Nanook and those of the former Astral God of Order?"
"..."
"Not knowing is the correct answer. Even I am not certain of the reason." Facing the stumped Lu Xing, Annihilation's tone was as casual as a friend sharing a joke.
"But!"
Like a bone-chilling wind, Annihilation's expression suddenly twisted into something utterly terrifying.
"There is one thing I am absolutely certain of: 'Lord Nanook' is waiting for an opportunity."
"Waiting for..."
"The opportunity for a Grand Monarch who possesses both [Order] and [Finality] to ascend to godhood."
"!!!"
---o---
"That's right."
"To be precise, before you came along, I was the only such being in the entire vast cosmos."
Annihilation's demeanor returned to a state of calm.
"It seems you don't intend to make me a 'scapegoat,' otherwise you wouldn't be revealing all this to me now."
"Of course not."
"I am telling you this merely to answer your earlier question."
"Question?"
Annihilation's candor momentarily confused Lu Xing, but he immediately understood what He was referring to—
Why make a move now?
Annihilation was waiting for Lu Xing to mature into a Grand Monarch worthy of being his equal!
Just like...
Nanook's expectations for Annihilation!
"Let me tell you another little secret," Annihilation said, lightly raising his index finger. The gesture, performed by Kevin's body, looked jarring... and utterly chilling.
"You have many avatars."
"They are extensions of your will, capable of executing your desires and serving as backups for your revival should your main body perish."
Annihilation effortlessly exposed the trump card Lu Xing had been so proud of.
Of course, Lu Xing had never truly believed such a trick would be of much use against a Grand Monarch, let alone an existence on the level of an Astral God.
"But have you ever tried severing the link deep within the soul, just as an avatar begins to form its own consciousness?"
"!?"
A theory began to crystallize in Lu Xing's mind.
"Yes."
"'Lord Nanook' attempted such a thing. Hmm... He separated a portion of the Dominions He commanded, attempting to walk a path the Astral God of Order never dared to tread."
"!!!"
"As expected. Unlike those fools from the chaotic factions, you are incredibly quick."
Annihilation's smile never faded.
"I," he declared, slowly curling his raised finger and tapping twice on a point eight centimeters directly below the center of his collarbone, "am 'Lord Nanook's' sole surviving [Path Avatar]."
---o---
"..."
The succession of earth-shattering revelations left Lu Xing temporarily speechless.
"You are hiding from Nanook."
"No... Yes." Annihilation immediately corrected his initial denial.
"No Grand Monarch in the entire cosmos is my match."
"But it is a pity."
The hand, once clenched into a fist, slowly opened.
"Even if I were to exert my full strength, I could only approach 2% of Nanook's power."
According to Annihilation's earlier account, the power Nanook displayed while rampaging across the universe was a mere 3%. Just as the "rumors" claimed, confronting an Astral God was hardly a challenge for Annihilation.
"I know why He is so powerful."
"And I, too, can become that powerful."
Annihilation's strength was clearly not derived solely from being an Astral God's avatar.
"I need..."
"To use a Path that Nanook has not yet mastered..."
Annihilation's fist clenched even tighter than before. The very fabric of space within his palm, a mere inch, was forever shattered by this simple motion.
"To ascend to godhood in a place His gaze cannot reach."
"...The power of time shields this place from Nanook's sight," the Star-Vault Grand Monarch finished, picking up on Annihilation's "grand ambition." As the full truth was laid bare before him, Lu Xing finally regained his composure.
"Just as He needs your Finality," Lu Xing continued, "you, Annihilation, also need the Paths within me to perfect your own Path, one that 'Nanook has not touched'."
"If I'm not mistaken."
"The Dominions you currently command... you should have one more than I do."
After a silence that felt like an eternity.
"Otto, correct?"
That was the truth.
Nowhere in the cosmos was there any record of a being at the level of a "False God."
The Monarch had once wondered why.
After eliminating every impossibility, whatever remained, however improbable, had to be the truth:
The False God.
Had appeared for the first time in creation.
Otto had made a deal with the Honkai Consciousness, using its power to realize his ideal. If Grand Monarch Annihilation was the mastermind behind the Honkai Consciousness, then he, in turn, had used Otto to achieve his own goal:
A new Dominion.
And through Otto, it had fallen into the hands of the Star-Vault Grand Monarch.
All the pieces fell into place. Otto's terrifying power, which had effortlessly swept away the Imaginary Divine Skeleton, and the magnificent Dominion that had caused the Imaginary Tree to sprout anew—it had all come from Grand Monarch Annihilation.
The former was "Destruction," the latter was "Finality."
"Correct," Annihilation smiled, a look of profound "satisfaction" on his face.
"Just as Nanook once did."
"I took the nearly complete [Path of Sacrifice] and split it, entrusting this power of 'everyone for my sake' to the human who could wield it most effectively."
"And you succeeded."
"No, not yet."
"At the very least, you have not yet integrated this Path into your own being."
"...Was 'Origin' a trap?"
"Indeed."
"Unlike Lord Nanook, who must maintain a delicate balance, the power of the Paths within me is far from swelling to an uncontrollable state. Accepting a portion of the former Order Astral God's legacy was a trivial matter for me."
"Naturally, I could also spare a piece of it to use as bait."
"Moreover," Annihilation added, "even after completing my 'Ascension,' as the most successful 'experiment,' my very source is far better suited to containing Paths than Lord Nanook's."
"I doubt you will possess the power to rival Him even after you become an Astral God."
"Oh~" Annihilation purred. "No need to worry. Even if Lord Nanook were to shift his entire focus to this universe, the power He could exert would not exceed 10%... The terror of the Final Monarch cannot be described with mere words."
"Is that also why you wish to shed your identity as an 'avatar'?"
"..."
Annihilation did not reply.
But his silence was the answer.
He, too, feared that as "Nanook's avatar," he would be targeted for elimination by the Final Monarch. To escape from 10% of Nanook's power was one thing; to stand against the being who embodied the "Imaginary Rules of Time" was another entirely.
"Alright."
"Thank you for the information. I believe I know more than enough now."
The Monarch's gaze burned as he stared down Annihilation.
"And now—"
"You're not going to run?" Annihilation's question did nothing to sway the Monarch's resolve.
"No. I may be slightly weaker than you, but on the matter of 'ascending' to godhood, my thoughts align perfectly with yours."
A sharp, dangerous smile spread across Lu Xing's face.
"You have all paved the path for me."
"If I don't walk it now..."
"Wouldn't that be far too unappreciative?"