The Record of Orc Civilization - Chapter 448: The Antagonist’s Mandate

“Was that the end of the story?”

“No,” Moku replied firmly. “Shortly after his death, a caravan passed by. The leader of the caravan was a kind-hearted man who decided to stop and give the man’s body a proper burial. That delay in their journey saved their lives; a pack of desert bandits they were supposed to meet on the path ahead had just passed by, unaware of the caravan that had stopped. The kind-hearted man survived and eventually had a son. That son grew up to be a great leader who changed the world and built a magnificent civilization for all of humanity.”

“Now, do you understand the meaning of that story, my son?”

“I still don’t fully grasp it, Mother. What does this story have to do with our status as agents of destruction, or with a Creator who is supposedly All-Merciful?”

In truth, Moku didn’t particularly care whether the world was razed or not. To him, cosmic annihilation wasn’t a priority. What pricked his curiosity most was how his mother—a soul so fundamentally gentle—could accept the role of a destroyer with such chilling serenity.

“Haven’t I told you? Everything in this world has its own purpose and utility. Even a tiny seed rolling in the corner of a room has a reason to exist. Anyone who feels they are useless or without a life goal is making a grave mistake. Their very presence in this world proves how useful they are. Even if their position can be replaced, doesn’t that simply show how vital that role is? It is so essential that its absence must be filled immediately by another.”

His mother continued, her voice dropping into a deeper resonance. “In the Old World, humanity held the position of the lead actors. Everything was created for their benefit. Because of that, humans were permitted to use whatever the world offered. They could fell trees to build houses or slaughter livestock for food. Were the trees or the cattle guilty of something? No. They were cut down and killed precisely to fulfill their purpose within the world’s order. Yet, their positions remained crucial; without them, human life would collapse. That is why humans had to learn restraint and maintain the balance of nature.”

“However, in this New World, humanity is no longer the sole lead. They are merely one of many protagonists. This world is no longer a ’single protagonist’ story like the Old World, but a tale of multiple protagonists. Every protagonist has the right to control the world, and every choice they make will determine the fate of existence.”

“You, I, and all the monsters in this world are not protagonists. We were created to be the antagonists. And as antagonists, it is our purpose and our utility to destroy those protagonists—to make their lives difficult and full of suffering so that they are forced to evolve.”

Moku finally understood how his mother could accept this position without a shred of protest. She had simply shifted her perspective. As someone wholly surrendered to the Creator’s will, she accepted the role with an open heart. Like a tree being felled or an animal being consumed, she viewed herself as a small cog in the Creator’s grand design. Her existence was vital because the position of “Destroyer” had to exist, yet simultaneously inconsequential because she was merely a replaceable instrument.

“Do you understand now?” his mother asked once more.

Moku nodded. “Yes. I understand.”

A sense of awe surged through Moku. His mother had lived in the Old World for less than half of Moku’s own lifespan, yet her insight and her way of viewing the life was things Moku could never hope to match, even if he lived twice as long. She remained the same woman; the young mother who taught him with patience, just as she had when he was a toddler in the Old World.

“Now, we must return to our work. If you have other questions, we shall discuss them later. When will you open this gate?” his mother asked, gazing at the colossal object standing before them.

Moku was no longer in the meditation chamber of Capital Palace. He had fully entered the Spiritual Realm the moment he activated his Ethereal Perception. Before him stood a gargantuan gate, its peak reaching beyond the limits of sight, as if piercing the very heavens of the spirit world.

Without needing to ask, Moku knew this was the true Sixth Gate of Evolution. Once he passed through, only one step would remain before he became a perfect being—what Sabdo Palon called The Purest Form.

Moku realized that when this gate opened, the trumpets of the apocalypse would sound once more. Initially, he had thought the horn blasts heard during an Asura’s evolution were merely the manifestation of the clash between Dragon Prana and Mana. Now he understood: those sounds were markers of how close the world was moving toward the final phase of judgment.

Previously, Moku had doubted whether he was capable of being an agent of destruction. Though Wilwatikta was far stronger now, they were still no match for the Mana species of the Meer Continent, let alone the Demon race, whose power existed on an entirely different level.

But Moku knew that if he, the one playing the role of “Gog,” was already this powerful just by obtaining Ethereal Perception, he would become something far more terrifying once this gate swung open. Not to mention his mother, who played the role of “Magog”; she surely possessed a power of her own that rivaled his. With the two of them as pillars, Wilwatikta would become an unstoppable wave of ruin.

Moku placed both palms against the surface of the gate, bracing himself to push. However, he paused to look back at his mother.

“Mother, before I open it, there is one more thing I want to ask.”

His mother stared into Moku’s eyes for a long moment. This time, Moku did not flinch; there was one question that had gnawed at him from the very beginning.

“Ask,” his mother said, her expression finally softening at the sight of her son’s seriousness.

“Is the Supreme Creator… The One?” Moku asked gravely.

A smile bloomed across his mother’s face, a warm radiance that reached her eyes. “What do you think?”

Moku smiled in return. “Just as I suspected.”

With steady resolve, Moku pushed the giant gate before him with all his might.

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Bonus Chapter Event: Let’s Finish TROC This Year!

It looks like sticking to just one Chapter a day won’t be enough to hit my goal of completing TROC by the end of the year. But here is the good news: I currently have a stockpile of over 20 Chapters locked and loaded!

To speed up the releases and show my appreciation for your incredible support, I am officially opening a Bonus Chapter System!

You can unlock additional Chapters instantly by hitting any of these milestones:

– 10 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter

– 5 Golden Tickets = +1 Bonus Chapter

– 1 “Ice Cola” Gift (or any gift worth 10 Coins) = +1 Bonus Chapter

Let’s break the limits and reach the climax of the story together! Drop your stones, tickets, and gifts, and I will unleash the stockpiled Chapters. Thank you for reading and for your massive support!