Chapter 505. Can’t Cry (3)

A cause was always necessary to reach a result, like how one needed to drink water to quench their thirst. Thus, in order to end this war, one needed to gain their opponent’s surrender. The universe, all those within it, the world…everything that made them up was part of the law of causality. There was no exception to this law like how there was no result without a cause.

In order to reach a desired result, one needed to provide an appropriate cause and produce a matching event. Right after humanity and the League defeated the Abyss, the Sernitas were at a point where they couldn’t achieve the result they wanted through whatever means. But with their contract with the universe’s will and the promise they got from it, a new possibility was presented to them. It was akin to a student entering a college through methods other than the national entrance exam. They could thus go to a school they wouldn’t have been able to get into even with a perfect score. Furthermore, much less a perfect score, they only needed to fulfill the minimum requirements.

Thus, the Sernitas pondered what cause they should set up in order to achieve the result they wanted. They decided to return to their foundations and rethink everything. They thought about why they had given up on the utopia they had created and set out to wander around the universe. They weren’t complete and wanted to become an existence more perfect than any other. With this conviction, the many became one. Being reminded of that, the Sernitas realized that they weren’t complete from birth, and that they were existences meant to be incomplete from the beginning.

They had thought that they would become perfect if they made up for what they lacked continuously while wandering around the universe for tens of thousands of years, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. After getting some results, they finally realized that they had been approaching the matter in the wrong way in the first place. There was no hope of them achieving their goal from the beginning. No matter how much they added to an incomplete form, it would still be incomplete. In the end, they couldn’t reach perfect completion.

Thus, they needed to change their way of thinking and change the foundation that was the core of their existence. First of all, they needed to find an existence that, unlike them, was born complete. With said existence as the core, they needed to restructure the information they had collected until now. Then, based on an already perfect existence, they would become even more perfect and more complete. And after becoming an existence more perfect than any other, they might be able to accept even Chi-Woo. Rather than adding perfection to imperfection, they would simply be adding perfection to perfection.

The answer was decided for them. They needed to start over from the beginning. To do this, they needed to fulfill one condition: find a perfect existence that could accept Chi-Woo. The Sernitas debated fiercely about it. An existence closest to completion. Some argued that since there wasn’t one, they needed to give birth to a new existence by combining the information they possessed. Others refuted the idea, asking if they were going to repeat the same mistake from the past. And during this passionate debate, they were able to find an answer from a surprising source—Bael’s memory.

After reviving Chi-Hyun’s information from her memories, the Sernitas fell into a dead silence. Bael had fought Chi-Hyun as an enemy and also fought alongside him as a comrade. With these experiences, the Sernitas were able to vicariously witness Chi-Hyun’s existence and couldn’t hide their shock. They knew Chi-Hyun was strong on Liber, but they had assumed that he was of a similar realm to them. Yet he wasn’t. Chi-Hyun had progressed in a perfect environment and his existence far exceeded the Sernitas’ expectations. Who could’ve guessed that one could become this perfect?

The Sernitas were especially shocked beyond belief in one particular moment. They had never seen an existence more perfect than this anywhere across the universe, and after witnessing that scene, the Sernitas immediately came to a conclusion that everyone unanimously agreed to. There was no ingredient better than Chi-Hyun, and he would be the one to become the base of their new vessel. The fact that Chi-Hyun was Chi-Woo’s blood-related sibling also played a key part in the Sernitas’ decision. Like how hospitals asked for volunteers from family members foremost when someone needed an organ donation, it was definitely a plus that the two were closer to each other than any other person. The Sernitas had no reason to look elsewhere when all signs pointed to Chi-Hyun.

From then on, the Sernitas immediately got to work. In order to eventually contain Chi-Woo, they decided to accept Chi-Hyun as part of them first. Thus, they pretended to target Chi-Woo when they were aiming for Chi-Hyun all along.

Chi-Hyun’s mouth gaped slightly open. Though Bael hadn’t explained everything to him, he was able to deduce the situation clearly with his brilliant mind. He understood that the Sernitas planned to trap him, absorb his information to form a new vessel, and then use this vessel to contain Chi-Woo. By making these series of events happen, they would gain the cause to reach their desired result.

It was unbelievable, but since the law of causality that ruled the universe was personally intervening in this situation, the unbelievable became a possibility. The ball was already rolling with Chi-Hyun’s entrance to this place. This was the starting point that Bael had talked about. Now, the Sernitas would have to bring about the next event and the one after that until they reach their final cause. This was the future that the law of causality had promised to the Sernitas. In short, the nest was the vessel that would absorb Chi-Hyun and contain Chi-Woo in its final form.

Chi-Hyun’s eyes narrowed upon seeing a moving and breathing coffin-shaped nest. The situation was truly complex, but one could summarize it in simple terms. In other words, the Sernitas’ future would go up in smoke as long as Chi-Hyun destroyed the cause that the law of causality had promised to the Sernitas. Everything would return to the original point. Though he didn’t have any mana remaining in his body, his heart was still beating, and it wasn’t like he had no more strength left.

Chi-Hyun drew out his life force and swung his fist. A ball of energy fired like a bullet, but it passed through the nest and disappeared. Like what had happened with Chi-Woo, Chi-Hyun’s attack didn’t reach it.

—It’s useless.

Bael seemed to be telling Chi-Hyun not to waste any more of his precious life force.

—I told you. That is the result or the future that will be activated after a specific series of events.

Bael continued.

—Thus, it’s not even a definite future. It’s something that may or may not exist in the future. How can it be reached by you, who are in the present? The past, present, and future flow simultaneously, and they are moving at the same speed.

If the speeds at which they flow change, they could meet or grow too far apart. Thus, in Chi-Hyun’s present point and time flow, it was a future he could never reach—especially if it was a future that wasn’t definite. In short, he was trying to fight something that didn’t yet exist in the future, let alone the present.

—But it’s not like there’s no way at all.

Bael continued.

—Though you can’t hit something that doesn’t exist, you can make it exist first. Then, you’ll be able to crush it or rip it as you wish.

Chi-Hyun laughed humorlessly. In other words, Bael was saying that he should make Sernitas' future definite first. As a proper cause formed, the nest would gain proper structure. Though he couldn’t strike something that didn’t exist, he would be able to do that as soon as it came into existence.

—Well, even if you do that, it’s not certain that you will be able to free yourself from the present and reach the future, but…

All in all, she was telling Chi-Hyun to stop wasting any more energy and give up his information—at least until the Sernitas could guarantee a cause for their future and aim to bring about the next event. It was basically a checkmate. Though it was completely against his wishes, Chi-Hyun had no choice but to play into their hands. Whether or not Chi-Hyun wanted this, the Sernitas were fully intent on making it happen.

Chi-Hyun was beyond baffled and speechless. He had wondered what in the world the Sernitas were preparing—who would’ve thought that they had laid down the groundwork to force things to flow in the way they wished for?

—So, what are you going to do?

Bael asked.

—Are you just going to give up like this?

She whispered right by Chi-Hyun’s side.

—No, you won't. There's no way.

—In the first place, didn’t you come knowing it was a trap? Normally, you wouldn’t have even fallen for an obvious trap like this. But you came for one person—your brother.

Bael’s lips slightly curved. Then, she turned toward the next world point as if she was telling him to follow her. Chi-Hyun appeared conflicted. He seemed very unwilling, but in the end, he helplessly moved his feet.

“…”

He took one step forward, and his view changed completely.

***

“What?”

Laguel lowered her head in the face of the visitor. There were hardly any occasions where a great angel like Laguel who managed the Celestial Realm would have to bow, but there were always exceptions. It was because the lady in front of her was a member of one of the Twelve Celestial Lights, Ho Lactea. And furthermore, she was a hero whose reputation had once rivaled members of the Choi family. She was Elrich. Even such a great hero had a look of disbelief on her face right now.

“Why did that child…Chi-Hyun…should the truth be confirmed first…?”

“It is the truth, lady Elrich.” Laguel bowed and replied. “We confirmed the truth multiple times on our end. As someone who is in charge of assisting him, I personally checked the facts, but…” Laguel trailed off, but Elrich didn’t even need to hear the rest. She knew better than anyone else the kind of person Chi-Hyun was. After looking speechless for a while, she regained her senses and cleared her throat.

“I see. Let me talk to my husband.”

“Thank you. We’ll give you another call soon, so please, before then…I humbly request your assistance.” Laguel bowed politely again before turning into light and disappearing.

Left alone, Elrich let out the sigh she had been holding in. She stood in front of a tightly closed door and finally placed her hand on the doorknob. After breathing in and out, she clutched the knob tightly.

“…”

In the end, she couldn’t turn it.

***

Chilly air flowed early in the morning. Chi-Hyun lay on the bed like he was dead, but soon opened his eyes when an alarm blared inside his head. He pushed himself up on reflex and sat on the bed in a daze for a while. Then, for some reason, he slumped back down on his bed. He didn’t stay that way for long. After murmuring a short curse word, ‘…shit’, he got out of bed quickly. He grabbed the coat hanging on a rack and sloppily hung it over himself before stepping out of the room. He saw his mother, Elrich, waiting for him, but he was about to walk past her without acknowledging her.

“Chi-Hyun.”

“You don’t have to give me corn—”

“Let’s talk.”

Chi-Hyun stopped before he could open the entrance door.

“…But I’m busy.”

“It won’t be long.”

Chi-Hyun turned to look at Elrish. His hand was still on the doorknob.

“I heard from Laguel,” Elrich said after clearing her throat. “Is it really true?”

Chi-Hyun simply stared back at his mother wordlessly.

“Did you really kill the innocent…in the world that you recently went to?”

Chi-Hyun tilted his head. “Innocent…?” His tightly pursed lips finally opened. “Who can say? They didn’t appear innocent to me.”

Elrich felt her heart drop. “So…that must mean you’ve really committed a slaughter.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Chi-Hyun tilted his head and spoke in a tone like he really didn’t understand. “I simply eliminated potential threats. Rather than a slaughter, it will be more accurate to say that I took a prevention measure.”

“I wouldn’t have brought it up if that were the case,” Elrich’s voice gradually rose.

“They deserved to die,” Chi-Hyun replied nonchalantly. “In order to maintain their authority, they gathered and put their whole nation in a crisis. Is it wrong to get rid of people like that?”

“Yes, it’s wrong,” Elrich said firmly. “You are a hero. A hero who saves a world in crisis—not a murderer who kills anyone who acts against your whims and arbitrary standards!” Her voice was steely as she addressed Chi-Hyun, who didn’t shy away from staring at her straight on. “You are not supposed to do any more than what you are expected to do. If you intervene more than necessary—”

“Then things would become too bothersome.”

Elrich was stunned into silence. What did he just say?

“Crisis comes to every planet—it’s something that’s been proven with countless cases,” Chi-Hyun continued calmly. “Even if I can’t completely prevent a crisis, it’s better to postpone its arrival. And since I wiped out those guys…hm, I think nothing much will happen for at least 500 years.”

Chi-Hyun continued, “Considering how there is usually a 200-year peace between the crises, I’ve secured more than twice peace time. Isn’t that all right then? I mean, if you look at things long-term, it’s beneficial for everyone. For that planet, the Celestial Realm, and me…”

Unable to bear hearing him any longer, Elrich was about to yell at him when a low voice interjected.

“Choi Chi-Hyun. Can you really be sure of your judgment?” It was Elrich’s husband, Choi Su-Ho’s voice. “Can you really be certain that among the people you killed, there was not even one innocent soul?”

In response to his father’s reprimanding tone, Chi-Hyun rolled his eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know. I think so, but even if there’s one, we can call that necessary sacrifice for a greater cause.”

Choi Su-Ho doubted his own ears. “You…” His mouth opened and closed while his forehead creased. “You haven’t been listening to us at all.”

“Yes, because it’s a bit bothersome to hear.”

Su-Ho laughed humorlessly. “Since we are being bothersome as you said, are you going to kill both Elrich and me too?”

“If you two are potential threats who can trigger a crisis on Earth, then, yes.” Chi-Hyun didn’t even have to contemplate the question and smirked immediately after responding. “But outside of that situation, why would I?” Then Chi-Hyun shrugged off his mother’s hand and turned the doorknob.

“You are going to become a demon lord at this rate.” Chi-Hyun could hear his father’s voice from behind.

“A demon lord…” Chi-Hyun blinked and stroked his chin at the unexpected remark. “That…may not be too bad.” Though he murmured to himself, both Su-Ho and Elrcih clearly heard him.

“…What?” Su-Ho asked angrily. He wanted to scold Chi-Hyun for joking in this situation, but couldn’t. It was because Chi-Hyun didn’t look like he was joking at all; it seemed like he was seriously considering the idea. In the end, Chi-Hyun nodded and walked out of the door with quiet footsteps; Su-Ho and Elrich had no choice but to stare blankly at him as he left.