You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿-Chapter 191

Some worlds come closer to destruction simply by the passage of time.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

It is a natural law of the world that life is born and dies, but it remains a rather lonely thing, Orbis thought.

Even now, the sound of the world's edges breaking could still be heard in Orbis' ears.

34% progress to total destruction...

"...I see."

Orbis glanced at the rising number once before closing his eyes.

This world has long been sentenced to death.

At some point, an event caused the world to no longer be able to generate mana on its own.

In fact, when the mana was depleted, the dimension itself disappearing wouldn't have «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» been out of the ordinary.

Yet, this world hadn't vanished yet because Orbis and several other magicians, like puppets, forced mana from other dimensions into this world.

However, even that was still far from enough.

Eventually, this world would need some way to supply mana on its own.

Until a solution could be found or created, the only option was to continue drawing mana from other dimensions to survive.

It was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

Still, Orbis stubbornly continued the task.

The reason was simple.

Orbis was the king of this world, the strongest magician, and thus, it was possible to keep going.

If there was something that could be done, it must be done.

That was his duty.

That was the only reason Orbis still stood in this place.

In his old memories, Orbis was the king of this world.

"Then move aside."

Woosh...

The 'Dark Forest' was blocking Orbis' way.

The tree spirits that had spotted him were visibly displaying hostility.

Normally, the forest would be burned down, and anyone hiding within would be captured. But...

‘This too is part of the world.’

No matter that humans were the dominant species of this world, the world cannot be sustained by humans alone.

Also, at this point, there was no benefit in trying to destroy a domain ruled by another species. All it would do was drain the mana they held.

Killing a lower-level monster like a white-toothed worm would only return its mana to the earth. But a tree spirit that had rooted itself for thousands of years was different.

The moment the tree perishes, the spirits would declare war on the remaining humans.

To protect the few humans left in this world, such a method could not be used.

The foolish human king has arrived.

It was then.

A particularly beautiful and lush tree, a "Grand Tree," extended its branches.

Though it didn't have eyes like a human, Orbis still felt the gaze directed at him.

It wasn't an enemy's gaze, but neither was it welcoming—just an indifferent stare.

The physical form had changed, but to a tree spirit, that was merely a shell.

Orbis smiled and responded.

"I came only to retrieve something."

Go back. There's nothing left to give to humans.

Orbis calmly replied to the Grand Tree spirit.

"What I wish to reclaim is not yours. It has always been mine."

The light of the stars falls upon the earth. Yet only foolish humans try to hold onto the fleeting light forever.

Upon hearing the spirit's words, Orbis narrowed his eyes.

"Starlight... I didn't expect a spirit to still remember that child's epithet."

Accept the natural order, human king.

"My, how wise, Grand Tree spirit. If the natural order were truly accepted, foolish humans would never have ruled this world."

Humans were indeed foolish.

Perhaps, as the tree spirit said, if they had just accepted the falling light and water, following the natural order, their lives would have been peaceful.

But humans always rebelled against the natural order, driven by the foolish desire to seize what was before their eyes, bringing about their own ruin.

Yet, it was this very desire to defy the natural order that was the driving force behind miracles.

Human desire spread widely, unearthing the past of the freely flowing starlight on the land, even measuring its speed.

Instead of accepting and adapting to the natural order, they desperately tried to understand it and stretched out their hands.

That foolish desire destroyed humans, and at the same time, it advanced them.

"Then, as a king, you must embrace even that desire."

"The words of a king of a destroyed world are quite amusing."

It was not the Grand Tree spirit that answered.

From the darkness of the forest, a girl slowly walked out.

The Grand Tree spirit, which had whispered to Orbis earlier, fell silent as if nothing had happened.

It was a clear sign that it would no longer interfere.

"You're in a sorry state."

Orbis felt a tinge of pity as he saw the girl, who should have had no flaws, looking so ragged.

Whether it was because of some faint emotion still lingering in his memory or just an aesthetic sense, he couldn't say for sure.

"You've held on for quite a while. You couldn't heal yourself since you can't use magic."

Though the bleeding seemed to have stopped, Jeong Da-on's left arm, injured by Orbis' attack, was in a serious state.

If nothing was done quickly, it might rot.

In this condition, the girl named Jeong Da-on had endured a full day in the Dark Forest.

The tree spirits didn't reject Jeong Da-on, but they certainly didn't welcome her either.

Her stay must not have been pleasant.

"Still, seeing you come out on your own like this, I guess you're finally ready."

Orbis remarked as he glanced at Jeong Da-on.

There was no sign of the massive black panther-like familiar that had been by her side.

'Did you hide it away?'

Unlike the girl in front of him, the familiar, which was like a fragment of her, was a separate entity that could not be pursued through the system.

Vigilance was necessary.

Of course, no matter how the familiar was used, the result would remain unchanged.

Ultimately, this girl would once again be used as the fertilizer for the world.

Jeong Da-on had fought valiantly.

That much, Orbis could acknowledge.

It was quite amazing that, so shortly after awakening, she had drawn out Nam Seong-hee, who had been scheming in the shadows.

She had even somehow managed to get her hands on the information about Theo Yovanovitch's visit to Korea and appeared at the banquet, which had truly astonished him.

Moreover, she had forced open a dimensional rift using the Soul Core.

Of course, that sharpness had turned out to be her undoing.

"Now, you're going to die, so if you have any final words, I’ll listen."

In this world, Jeong Da-on, or rather, Lucifer, could not defeat Orbis.

That was a fate that had been sealed from the beginning.

When the girl had been a star whose light was destined to fade before dawn, defeat had already been predestined.

Jeong Da-on briefly shut her eyes tightly before opening them again.

"I have one question."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you stop chasing me?"

"Huh?"

"Did you hesitate... at the very last moment?"

Jeong Da-on's last words trembled slightly.

Orbis was starting to feel a bit of pity for the girl in front of him.

Why was she asking this question?

The Jeong Da-on in Orbis' memories, or rather, the girl from her past life, had always clung to him, longing for affection she never received.

Perhaps she still hoped that some affection remained somewhere in Orbis' soul.

Even though she was about to face death in this second life.

If that were the case, telling a kind lie before dying would not be that difficult.

"I've thought about it."

However, before Orbis could respond, Jeong Da-on spoke first.

"My familiar could have killed me the moment it made a mistake. Why did it hesitate? Ah, if you're going to say something stupid like it hesitated because of affection, shut up."

"..."

"Of course, there must have been another reason. Perhaps... a technical issue, or a lack of ability. If that’s the case, why did such a problem arise? A human king, fully supported by this world, should never lack the ability to defeat an enemy."

Jeong Da-on’s words caused Orbis to recall a distant past.

A time when a young child was just learning to read and acquire knowledge.

The memory blurred over time, but it still overlapped with the image of a child sitting on his lap, excitedly chattering about the knowledge they had just learned.

"Then, the answer is simple. You’re not in perfect condition," Orbis said.

But the girl in front of him was so different from the child in his memories.

In Jeong Da-on’s eyes, a red light flickered.

Her eyes, filled with hostility and murderous intent, were truly demonic.

Was this called growth?

Orbis smiled faintly.

"Isn't that a bit hasty?"

"It’s not hasty. I was sure of it after hiding in the forest for a whole day. You would have been better off killing me before the system of Earth found me, but you dragged it out and waited."

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"I hesitated to burn all these ancient trees."

"No, if it were you, you would have easily burned down this forest and come looking for me. In the end, your judgment is based on what is possible and impossible. Nothing more."

Orbis marveled at how sharp his little sister's mind was, even in this situation.

Just as Orbis knew his little sister well, she knew him just as well.

"After all, your power couldn’t be in perfect condition. You probably don't even know how many pieces your soul was split into."

And knowing the other person so well, Orbis had no reason to hesitate.

Jeong Da-on's eyes glowed with malice.

It was a look that wanted to cut him open with a sharp blade, an expression of final defiance.

Perhaps it was her last struggle before death.

"Souls are most powerful when they are whole. But if you split that soul into two... can you still call it a proper human soul? How pitiful these humans of this world are, when someone who calls himself king is a broken piece of a soul."

"...Interesting."

Orbis was exposed to the blade of malice directly.

It was a clear provocation, but it wasn't easy to simply ignore.

He smiled faintly as he had been treated like debris by his younger sister.

"Here I am, a mere fragment of a soul, lacking in power, and so I stopped the attack... Such a hopeful notion, isn't it?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Well, if you want to believe that, go ahead. But the fact that you’re going to die here doesn’t change."

"If you're not just debris, then what is it that makes up your soul right now?"

"Hmm?"

"Don’t you remember? I handed you the research on immortality."

Orbis didn’t respond.

But Jeong Da-on didn't need a reply, continuing her speech as if she had already decided.

"I never figured out what the essence of a soul is."

What is a human soul made of?

The soul, which wields the mysterious force called mana and forms its own world, what drives it?

That was the answer the girl had sought for a long time but had still failed to find.

"Separating the soul, gaining eternal life... I failed at all of it. If you don’t know what makes up the soul, you can't separate it. In the end, I only managed to separate a few emotions."

"...."

"But, if you succeeded in separating the soul, then you must have figured out what its essence is."

Jeong Da-on took a step closer to Orbis.

"Tell me."

Orbis raised his hand.

If she got any closer, she would certainly attack. But despite her ragged state, Jeong Da-on showed no hesitation.

"I’ve observed many souls. Some dedicated their lives to hatred but died with compassion, while others burned their lives for desire... So, what about you?"

Strangely, her voice sounded very unfamiliar.

Orbis glanced at the string of text floating in the air.

There was no change in the visible letters.

The outcome was still as certain as it had been from the start.

Nothing had changed in the situation.

The tree spirits and the familiar made no moves, remaining silent.

Then why?

"What is it that constitutes your soul now, Orbis?"

Was the little sister smiling as if she had already won?

Orbis smiled as if shaking off that notion.

It was a smile not much different from the one his sister had shown in her memories.

"...I believe I’ve listened to your will long enough."

"Ha, as expected."

Orbis was startled.

Before he knew it, Jeong Da-on had taken a few large steps forward, grabbing his hand and pulling him in.

In an instant, the distance between them had shrunk.

Jeong Da-on smiled, baring her teeth, as she held Orbis' hand.

"You’re not Orbis, are you?"