abcnovels
Chapter 248.1
Chapter 248.1
Chapter 248.1
- Chapter 248 : Who will obtain the victorious future?
With her eyes still closed, Naphta channeled her magic power into the crystal ball in her hands.
“O sinner who stands before the Goddess of the Future Naphta, you shall now face judgment by the Kandaquizorte, the Future World Crystal.” (Naphta)
Just as the crystal ball left Naphta’s hand, its outline distorted and morphed into the hsape of a spear.
“The verdict of the future has been decreed. You shall be sentenced to impalement,” she declared like a judge reading a verdict.
“Interesting. Go ahead and try it.” (Anos)
The Goddess of the Future raised both hands.
Her divine magic overflowed all around, shaking the cathedral.
The crystal spear shot toward me with blinding speed.
As I twisted my neck to dodge, the spear instantly altered its trajectory, closing in on my face.
“Hmm. So you read the future.” (Anos)
The tip of the spear came to a halt just before it reached the tip of my nose.
Because I grabbed it with my right hand, stopping it mid-air.
“I can narrow the future: you were unable to grab the spear.” (Naphta)
At the moment she spoke, the spear I had supposedly grabbed slipped effortlessly through my hand.
I jumped back instantly, but the Future World Crystal Kandaquizorte moved just a bit faster, and its tip gouged into my abdomen.
“You can narrow the future, you said? I see. Indeed, once in perhaps a billion tries, there might be a time when I fail to grab it. So the power of this thing called the Future World Crystal Kandaquizorte is to limit the future to that one possibility?” (Anos)
“Kandaquizorte is the future itself. There is no way to touch the future.” (Naphta)
“Oh?” (Anos)
I drew a multi-layered magic circle and passed my right hand through it.
With my hand glowing pale blue, I attempted to grab the crystal spear, using the power of <All Creation Hand Ygg Neas>, but the spear’s shaft slipped right through my grasp.
“It seems to be quite elusive, after all.” (Anos)
The spear’s divine order prevented me from touching it.
And its ability to narrow the future allowed it to pass through my hand.
“You will never be able to pull out this spear. You have only two choices: declare your defeat now, or have your source pierced by Kandaquizorte’s spear and perish.” (Naphta)
Still with her eyes closed, but directly facing me, Naphta declared, “The choice is yours.”
“You should try looking further into the future, Goddess of the Future. I’m about to ruin that Future World Crystal of yours.” (Anos)
Without breaking her expression, Naphta infused the crystal spear with more magic.
“Your very source shall be sentenced to impalement.” (Naphta)
With a sickening squelch, Kandaquizorte pierced even deeper into my abdomen.
Yet, I remained calm, staring straight at the god before me.
“I did warn you, didn’t I?” (Anos)
The spear, which had impaled my source and passed through my body, now had its tip blackened and rusting.
“…W-What… What is happening…?” (Holy knight A)
The holy knights in front of the great holy gate looked puzzled.
“How is that man still alive after being impaled by a god’s spear…?” (Holy knight B)
“According to legend, Kandakuizorte of Naphta, the God of the Future, is said to rob anyone pierced by that spear of even all their possible futures, and destroy them…” (Mirano)
“…Are you saying that a mortal was able to resist that miracle…?!” (Holy knight A)
As the holy knights gasped in astonishment, one man quietly nodded in acquiescement.
It was none other than Bishop Mirano.
“Another miracle today as well, it seems.” (Mirano)
Stepping forward a few paces, I spoke up.
“Even if I can’t touch the future, as long as you’re attacking me, it’ll still need to make contact with me.” (Anos)
If the spear was piercing me, then it was also touching me.
“You’d better pull that spear out quickly, before the blood of the Demon King gushing from my source corrodes Kandaquizorte entirely.” (Anos)
“The Future World Crystal Kandaquizorte represents the countless futures of this world, as infinite as the very shape of existence itself. What you are attempting is a contest of who will perish first: yourself or the world. The outcome is clear as day.” (Naphta)
“Indeed, your logic is flawless.” (Anos)
With a cracking sound, the tip of the crystal crumbled away.
“My blood has the power to corrode even the world itself.” (Anos)
Kandaquizorte turned into pitch-black rust, disintegrating bit by bit into the air around us.
The Demon King’s blood could only be used against the strongest of attacks.
Without an attack of sufficient force to match its protection, it could inflict catastrophic damage on the world.
“As one would expect from the god who rules the future, you’re quite strong. But now, it’s time for you to get serious. If you don’t fully focus on predicting the future, you may meet your end here.” (Anos)
I continued advancing towards Naphta.
At that moment, the rust that had dispersed from Kandaquizorte reformed into countless shimmering crystal shards, floating in the air.
“I, Naphtha, swear to you that as long as the present exists here, the future will revive, no matter how many times it may perish. To destroy the Future World Crystal, one must eliminate all possibilities.” (Naphta)
The number of crystal fragments rapidly increased, enveloping the area like a glowing sandstorm.
“That is another shape of the world that could have been. Sinner, I sentence you to confinement in a limited world.” (Naphta)
Once the crystal sandstorm had passed, the scenery changed instantly.
I was in an unfamiliar city. Every building, every plant, every person was made of crystal.
Even the distant mountains, the canopy beyond, and the flowing rivers were made of crystal.
I could feel an immense amount of magic power from each one of them.
“Hmm. So this is a world created by Kandaquizorte.” (Anos)
“I, Naphta, swear to you that this world has been restricted so that every outcome here will be the worst for you. In this world, your victory will not be chosen.” (Naphta)
“Interesting. If it takes a whole world, then so be it—nothing less would reach me.” (Anos)
I calmly fixed my gaze on her and declared, “Come, future. Challenge me.”