Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 380: It Didn’t Fall From the Sky - 1

TL Notes:

From this point onward, the translation of character names will follow the official fandom page. The following changes have been made to ensure consistency with the official style:

Huey → HughesTirkanjaka → TyrkanzyakaShay → SheiAzi → Azzy___________________________________________________________________

The mornings in Claudia always came shrouded in mist. Clouds tumbled down like waterfalls, pooling in Claudia’s reservoirs, though some refused to settle and instead spread outward in every direction. The dispersed vapor condensed into dew during the chill of the night, resting quietly upon the earth until the morning sun stirred it awake.

And when morning arrived, it rose once more as clouds, blanketing the ground in a thick haze. The picky humans might correct me and insist it was mist, not clouds, but what difference would a name make to a droplet of water? The fact that they drifted together seemed far more important.

Rumble, rumble, rumble. Thunder roared three times in succession. Claudia’s bells used gathered thunder to signal the passing of time—two hours past sunrise.

Instinctively flinching at the sound, I peered out the window and muttered,

“Damn it. Of course, in the city of clouds, they’d use thunderclaps to tell time. No one’s sleeping through that.”

“Woof, woof! Startled! Woof!”

Both Azzy and I, already awake thanks to the thunder toll, complained in unison.

The fog was so dense that the sun was completely hidden from view. They said the mist would clear around noon, letting in more light, but for now, it was no different from dawn. The lightning lamps encased in glass shone brighter than sunlight at this hour.

Because of this, most of Claudia’s residents spent the foggy mornings indoors, beginning their proper routines only in the afternoon.

“I suppose it’s because of the climate, but their lifestyle is quite similar to the Mist Duchy.”

Tyrkanzyaka gazed at the mist outside, lost in thought.

“The Mist Duchy is always veiled in mist. Even at midday, forms are obscured, and the detestable sunlight cannot reach us.”

“That makes sense. Claudia is at the edge of the cloud falls, but the Mist Duchy lies within, beyond the split in the falls.”

If anything, the Mist Duchy’s conditions were worse, not better. It wasn’t called the Mist Duchy for nothing. Sheltered beneath the cloud falls, its lands remained perpetually shaded, allowing vampires to roam freely even at high noon.

“This view reminds me how close we’ve come to the Mist Duchy... Having come this far, wouldn’t it be worth visiting?”

“If we can wrap things up properly in Claudia, I suppose we might.”

A nation of vampires, huh? I was somewhat curious.

Tyrkanzyaka had once been the seed of a demon god, but before she could fully bloom, she was cut down by the blades of the Holy Church, leaving her twisted and incomplete. Denied divinity, she wandered as a ghost instead.

Her power no longer applied universally to humans; instead, it warped into the ability to share her blood, spawning an entirely new species—the vampires.

A new race, clearly distinct from both humans and ordinary beasts.

It did make me wonder. Did the Holy Church regret giving rise to the vampires, or were they simply relieved that a demon god never emerged?

Probably the latter...

“Hughes.”

“Yes?”

Tyrkanzyaka gave a faint smile and pressed a hand to her chest before asking softly,

“Does my land hold what you seek?”

‘The thing that the King of Humans would overturn the world to find?’

I didn’t say it out loud, but I was sure she already knew.

Damn it. Lately, it felt like everyone and their dog knew my identity. Azzy probably knew from the start, so that didn’t count, but Hilde and now Tyrkanzyaka too. It had reached the point where even denying it wouldn’t work.

I guess it couldn’t be helped. Dealing with the Holy Church was bound to expose me sooner or later. At least the regressor hadn’t figured it out yet. If he did, the next regression loop would...

Forget it. No use worrying about things outside my control.

Whether I was the King of Humans or not didn’t really matter, did it? I was just... ‘ordinary.’ There was no need to flaunt my status as the King of Humans because it wasn’t worth mentioning in the first place.

“I don’t know if it does or not. I’m not particularly fond of vampires.”

“...Is that so?”

‘Ordinary humans fear vampires. If Hughes is the King of Humans, then he must speak for them all...’

It wasn’t a bad guess, but that wasn’t entirely it. Vampires were still human, in a way. It was just that—

“I find you much more comfortable and approachable than other vampires, Tyr.”

“M-me?”

Tyrkanzyaka looked genuinely surprised.

A progenitor who reigned as the Holy Church’s nemesis and instilled terror in countless humans—someone like her being called approachable and comfortable? It was the complete opposite of the life she had led.

Even if she hadn’t enjoyed it, death and slaughter had surrounded her for centuries.

But in the end, even that made her feel... oddly human.

Compared to other vampires—

“The other vampires have their own masters. You could call them kings, higher vampires who act as their desires and rulers. With beings like that, there’s nothing I can do.”

The control a higher vampire exerts over a lower one is absolute. Just as humans are bound by gravity and depend on the earth, the sensation of blood being drawn from their entire body is something far stronger than mere respect or loyalty. It’s closer to domination and subjugation, yet it’s not as simple as being a puppet, which only makes it more sinister. It’s a dependency that resembles enslavement.

That’s why vampires are so easily swayed. No matter how much effort I put into building rapport and trust, if a higher vampire utters a single word, that belief could be overturned entirely. Even desires they’ve held firmly for centuries can be bent in an instant.

Since I can only offer vampires one thing—

Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.

“But Tyr is a progenitor, fully human, and has her own desires. That’s why I find Tyr far more comfortable.”

In that sense, the progenitor of vampires is ordinary. Even after living for a thousand years, her desires remain her own.

‘...A human, huh? Anyone else might dismiss it as flattery, but hearing it from the King of Humans... it carries a different weight. Perhaps that’s why humans, the rulers of all beings, seek their king so desperately.’

Tyrkanzyaka averted her gaze briefly, then cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Comfortable, you say. Was that why you were so rude from the very first meeting?”

“Rude? You make it sound like I’m some uncultured savage. How about calling it familiarity instead?”

“Very well. You were excessively familiar from the very first moment. Thanks to that, we were able to talk sooner, so perhaps I should be grateful for your rudeness.”

“If we’re being honest, Shei deserves most of the credit. If Tyr had kept snoozing behind the sealed door of the underground armory, we wouldn’t have had a chance to talk at all.”

“That’s true. When you put it that way, everything started because of Shei. Though whether I should be grateful for that, I’m still not sure.”

Tyrkanzyaka chuckled softly and turned her gaze to the window. The massive silhouette of the Thunderwheel loomed even through the thick mist. Lightning flickered artificially as the wheel turned slowly.

It seemed preparations to slay the Thunder God were nearly complete.

“Hughes, it’s a rare sight to witness a divine servant like the Thunder God fall to humans. Are you really not going to watch?”

‘If it’s the Hughes I know, he’d never miss such a spectacle.’

If it were up to me, I’d grab some popcorn and head straight there. Even without Tyr’s grudge against the divine, the show would be worth it.

But something was bothering me.

I waved my hand dismissively.

“I’ll sit this one out.”

“Very well. Rest, then.”

‘So he’s planning something again, this time in secret. Whatever it is, I’d help if he’d only ask, but if he doesn’t want to share, I won’t pry.’

Already caught? Maybe I had become too predictable. Given how closely Tyrkanzyaka always observed me, it wasn’t surprising she noticed.

‘...And I, too, have something I haven’t said.’

Tyrkanzyaka glanced toward the cloud falls and smiled faintly.

“Citizens of Claudia, stop what you’re doing and listen. There is something you all must know.”

Before the mist had fully cleared, the Thunder Overseer’s powerful voice echoed across Claudia. The city’s residents paused, their attention fixed on the announcement. The Overseer waited until they were fully focused before speaking again.

“The Golden Mirror has stopped.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. As the meaning behind those words sank in, the people gasped in shock.

Why was Claudia the greatest city in the Allied Nations? Of course, it owed its prosperity to the power of thunder, but more importantly, it was the only permanent city in the Allied Nations.

In a land where the Golden Mirror endlessly roamed, Claudia was the only place it never set foot, making it the sole location where alchemical advancements could safely accumulate.

But if the Golden Mirror had stopped, Claudia would no longer be the Allied Nations’ only permanent settlement.

“A few brave Overseers and honored guests from other nations brought it to a halt. Thanks to them, the Allied Nations are now free from its influence.”

The Thunder Overseer hadn’t said the Golden Mirror was destroyed—likely to avoid causing widespread panic. After all, the Allied Nations had survived by harnessing the power of the Golden Mirror.

“Now, great change will come to the Allied Nations. Claudia, which has been held back by the Golden Mirror below and the Thunder God above, will finally break free of its chains and move forward.”

It was hard to believe, but the Thunder Overseer never lied. She was the strongest and greatest of the Overseers, a perfect being who had no need for petty deceptions.

“With the power of those who stopped the Golden Mirror, we will sever our ill-fated ties with the Thunder God—for the future of Claudia.”

Only then did the citizens of Claudia grasp the grandeur of the Overseer’s vision, and their cheers rang out in response.

The Thunder Overseer finished her speech, turned, and began walking away. The Thunder Guardians moved in unison behind her. Though not as powerful as the Overseer herself, they all wielded the power of lightning. Most of them had been mobilized to minimize damage when facing the Thunder God.

‘This is getting bigger than I expected. In the previous timeline, I killed the Thunder God quietly and kept it a secret. What’s going on?’

The regressor frowned at the unexpected turn of events.

“...Isn’t this a bit too dramatic? We could just take out the Thunder God quietly.”

The Thunder Overseer shook her head firmly and replied,

“Perhaps under normal circumstances. But the situation has changed. The disappearance of the Golden Mirror is bound to cause shockwaves. Ordinary people struggle to accept sudden changes, so we need to ease them into it now and minimize future chaos.”

“Oh, because of the Golden Mirror.”

‘So that’s why it feels so different this time. The Golden Mirror’s disappearance changed everything. This timeline really is different in so many ways. Well... I did get rid of the Demon God.’

He allowed himself a brief moment of pride as he reflected on his achievements. There was still much left to do, but he felt a sense of satisfaction at the progress he had made.

“You need to prepare as well, Golden Overseer. With your abilities, you and I must lead everyone forward. This event marks the first step.”

“...Understood.”

Peru, trailing slightly behind, clenched her teeth and quickened her pace to walk beside them. Watching her unsteady steps, the Thunder Overseer frowned slightly.

“You don’t look well. Someone who must lead others can’t afford to be in poor condition.”

“Don’t worry. This happened because I fought the Golden Mirror, so it can be treated. I’ll figure out a way.”

“That’s reassuring. For now, let’s focus on what’s ahead.”

The two Overseers and the regressor headed toward the Lightning Tower, the symbolic structure representing both fear of the Thunder God and humanity’s determination to overcome it. They were ready to sever their ill-fated ties with the Thunder God once and for all.

Once they had left, I slowly made my way toward the Lightning Tower.

The Lightning Tower. A massive structure standing 50 meters tall. It wasn’t just built to absorb lightning; its interior housed various facilities powered by lightning energy.

The Thunder Overseer had shown me the farms, but there was more—mills to process harvested crops, forges that infused lightning into steel, and workshops producing tools from these resources.

The resources produced in the tower flowed outward, sustaining Claudia. As long as there were workers, Claudia could function smoothly. Compared to wandering the wilderness of the Allied Nations, Claudia offered stability, making it a beacon of hope for the powerless.

However, the Thunder Overseer only accepted wolf-kin with children, so Claudia was filled with newlyweds and mothers with infants. Even they had to leave once their children grew up.

The city prospered, but most of its inhabitants were destined to leave.

And those who stayed behind...

A guard spotted me and leveled his spear. Lightning crackled menacingly between the split tips of the spearhead, like ink coursing through a pen.

“Who goes there? Identify yourself!”

“I’m a guest of the Thunder Overseer. You’ve seen me before, right? I came here with her.”

I ignored the crackling spear as though it weren’t a threat and calmly stepped forward, revealing my face.

Coming here with the Thunder Overseer yesterday had paid off—the guard recognized me and lowered his spear.

“My apologies. What brings you here?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you just hear? We’re ending the Thunder God’s reign today.”

I replied as if it were obvious he should already know. Flustered by the unexpected situation, the guard stammered.

“O-Of course, but the Thunder Overseer took the lift to the top of the tower.”

“Oh, really? I must’ve misunderstood. I thought I had to use the stairs to get to the top.”

As someone unfamiliar with Claudia, I had naturally gotten the directions wrong. I was supposed to take the lift to the top with the Thunder Overseer, but instead, I entered the tower thinking I had to climb the stairs.

It was a typical mistake for an outsider who had never used the lift before. The guard pieced the information together and accepted my explanation—exactly as I had intended.

“Sorry about that. I’m not familiar with the layout. Can you point me to the stairs?”

“The lift will come back down soon if you wait.”

“Stairs are fine. I’m already late, so I need to hurry. The stairs and lift won’t make much difference.”

Of course, that was a lie. Stairs were one of humanity’s worst inventions, and climbing them was practically self-torture.

But I wasn’t planning to go up anyway.

“If you’re a master of martial arts, the stairs shouldn’t be a problem. They’re over there.”

“Thanks.”

Without a hint of suspicion, the guard pointed me to the stairwell. I gave him a nod and headed toward the entrance.

Behind me, the loyal guard saluted and called out,

“We’re counting on you! Please end this for Claudia!”

“Don’t worry. It’ll all be over by today.”

I waved casually before disappearing into the stairwell... and immediately sprinted down the stairs instead.