Memory Reaper's Ascension - Chapter 205: The Great Corruption (II)

Chapter 205: The Great Corruption (II)

Ishiki stood silently in front of that particular carving… his mind racing through multiple things at a time.

The purple flames of Sorrow’s Edge flickered as if responding to his mounting dread, casting writhing shadows that made the carved figures appear to move.

He tried to remember everything he knew and make sense of it all.

’The world tree corrupted the gods… no. The gods had always been corrupted… because they were players and the system gives everyone a corresponding corruption to their titles.’

’So the Gods were the ones who corrupted the world tree. And the World tree held such power that it Corrupted this whole world instead.’

’This… I haven’t seen the Demigod talk about demons or withering beasts. Actually I haven’t read anyone mention them in the earlier parts of the history. So, these things appeared because of the Event of the Great Corruption?’

Impatient and curious, Ishiki saw the next image and his body instinctively took two steps back.

The next image showed the world after the great corruption. The skies were completely black with a single celestial body in the void.

Below there was something that looked like a line. It was thinnest at the top parts and it grew larger and thicker the lower it went and then it ended at the ground with thick roots all around it… trapping the gods.

But one of the gods fled away.

Ishiki’s eyes widened in horror as he realized and remembered where he had seen this.

’*This… this is the exact scene that I saw everyday in the Crimson canopy!!’

It was indeed the scene that showed a line in the skies that became thicker as it went down and ended somewhere far beyond the horizon.

It was always the World tree that had withered down.

He shook his head violently and came back to reality. There was a line etched under it.

“After that the Demons started appearing all around the world… My father-Mandecium had successfully escaped from the fate that claimed the other gods and he was the ultimate winner of the war. Even then he was not able to get his hands on the fruit that the world tree bore.”

“Soon after… Mandecium started killing humans within Aethelburg as he was overwhelmed by his desires. I raised my blade against him and he sealed my powers and me within this place.”

This was where the Demigod’s knowledge about the outer world ended. But there were still carvings that went on like.

“The day I was sealed… I felt massive tremors and they went off pretty soon. At the end i could feel it most certainly… my father, the Great God of Reality – Mandecium was dead.”

Ishiki went rigid after reading that line. He broke free from his paralyses and gulped hard… there were more carvings. It was not over yet.

But starting from this point it was all written texts without a single picture.

“I… It has been 30 years since I was imprisoned here and I finally saw a glimpse of the Outside world for no matter how short it was. I somehow connected to my brother’s brain today while chanting random things. It was a surreal experience. and I have gained knowledge… a lot of it. I do not know If I will ever be free… because I cannot die like a normal human.”

“But I do hope that I will someday be free and I am leaving this here for someone who would read it.”

“My brother is dead as well… he has been petrified by the divine curse of the Great Old one. My brother… the Angel of greed had taken my name and made up a false story that our father was dangerous and he killed him for that. But the truth is that he had also become an awakened and wanted to become a complete god.”

“He killed our father and stole his heart which had fused with an eye of the Great Old one. The orb’s… unfortunately there was only one of them and the other has been lost since a long time.”

“To become the true Emperor of Aethelburg one must have both the orb’s. without them… the throne would not accept the ruler.”

“My Brother tried to save himself by removing the heart… but he had failed nonetheless. In his desperation he even channeled the souls of every human on Aethelburg.”

“The second orb is indeed in the Secondary Ring… under the cathedral. From his memories I saw that he destroyed the original seal and rebuilt it only to fail at opening it. To anyone reading this… please destroy the bindings done by my brother and free the people of Aethelburg.”

“My Wife’s name was Sylvanna… please free her as well.”

Ishiki was at a loss of what to think about all this. His mind was way too much jumbled up. The truth of Aethelburg was finally before his eyes… and a staggering revelation as well.

’The artificial sun was not the Angel’s heart… but it was Mandecium’s heart and it was the second orb as well. The throne would not recognize anyone without both the orb’s as its ruler. So that means that the dragon is not the Emperor and killing him would not end the Scenario.’

’Where is the Other orb? If Renji was the one who had stabbed the heart… then that means the orb is with him? what is he planning?’

He looked at the last line with a heavy heart… the mission had already been accomplished. Renji… whatever his intentions were had actually freed the people of Aethelburg from a torment.

Just like he had saved countless players from earth from falling into the trap of finding their loved ones on this City of dreams.

’And the truth was that it all started with greed. What is the Truth of the World tree? Why did the gods fight for it? And what is exactly the Neural Matrix system?.’

A myriad of questions formed in Ishiki’s mind. And suddenly he chuckled at a particular detail.

The Angel of Greed… was always heartless.