Chapter 488: Calculation and Mission

"Click, click, click..."

In a certain realm of the void known as Sura, the being hailed as the greatest mage in history hovered within a vast expanse devoid of any solid footing. He gazed down at a massive, impossibly thick chain. At this moment, the chain—crafted from a material that defied categorization—was emitting sounds in an irregular rhythm, trembling ever so slightly.

Though one could not perceive its true scale from afar, a simple comparison would reveal that such a chain could never exist within the material world. Even if one were to merely construct a chain of this magnitude and set it upright, almost all the matter in the material world would crumble under the sheer, terrifying weight of its own mass.

To set such a colossal chain in motion required power of an indescribably staggering nature. Even now, this chain, which plunged deep into the bedrock of the void, was being tugged and shaken by some entity struggling far below.

"Do not be impatient. Once the third node binds you completely, you will be pulled up. The abyss-born creatures that came for you have long since been disposed of; the very existence of these invaders provided us with the justification to reshape the material world."

Sura spoke to himself in the air, his gaze fixed on the entity at the bottom of the void with an emotion so complex it could not be simply labeled as hatred or affection.

"Basaka, have you made contact with them? They are a vital link in our confrontation with the rebels on the continent, and the key to disposing of that Night God Church archbishop named Wang Yu."

He turned his head to converse with the spires floating in an interlocking formation beside him, questioning the orcish consciousness that had been responsible for the combat command of the Utopia organization.

"His consciousness collapsed due to the feedback loop while influencing the God of Light. I am now responsible for the remainder of the command, Sura."

Yet, the voice that answered Sura this time was not that of the orc, but a calm, solemn female voice.

"Has Basaka perished? I understand. Domino, Basaka's mission is now yours. You have already received the truth, have you not?"

Sura was not overly surprised. His emotional fluctuation regarding the demise of his comrade was near zero, as if he had anticipated it all along. Once Basaka was gone, a successor would naturally step in to take over his original tasks.

"I have received it. I will see this through. The battlefield is confirmed to be the Ash Wilderness, is it not?"

Domino confirmed the assertion. As she took over the matters previously managed by Basaka, the surrounding towers began to fly, speeding toward the positions they were intended to occupy on the future battlefield, where they anchored themselves.

"Yes, the Ash Wilderness. The intelligent races on the continent will inevitably discern the location of the third node, and they will certainly choose to prevent us from forging it. This is exactly what I want: a trap that is not a trap, and the final, decisive confrontation."

Sura spread his hands. The white-haired youth knew full well that the Five-Race Alliance could pinpoint the location where they were forging the third node, but they would likely never guess the method of its creation.

"This campaign is essentially prepared for that special existence. After such long-term planning on the continent, every action and decision of theirs can be seen as a foregone conclusion. Only that special existence... I cannot be certain of him."

Discussing this battle—which could be considered the final one—and the significance of its existence with the woman named Domino, Sura’s words carried an undisguised wariness.

"The power he has displayed is far less than that of the entity below, but in a sense, he and that entity are the same thing: an intruder who should not be in the world we inhabit."

"Three nodes—that is my estimate of the necessary power to ensure his death. Compared to the entity below, he has one massive weakness: he is simply too much like a 'human'."

"Whether it is the records we have collected of his deeds or the probing during the battle that just concluded, all point to this. He is logical. Just like the final form of an abyss creature—that is, the 'Dragon God' on that giant dragon island that we were supposed to deal with."

"Guiding him will be simple. The information he receives is one-sided, and he has things he cares about. Therefore, he will inevitably participate in this campaign."

Explaining the most important target of this campaign to Domino, Sura made clear why he was so vigilant against Wang Yu and how he intended to handle the fellow.

"......... Sorry, I fell into a moment of cognitive confusion. I will rethink what you just said."

Domino’s reply did not come quickly. A long silence filled the void before she spoke again. Domino indicated that she had not been able to listen to and process the content of Sura's words; her mind had seemingly fallen into a state of entanglement and self-doubt.

"It is fine. As long as you can understand it. Because this truth, aside from myself as the executor, must remain in a state of cognitive restriction for all other members of the Utopia organization. Only then can we use or influence the powers of those gods. You are the same."

"However, having seen that truth, you should also understand whether what we can ultimately achieve is the utopia we seek."

Sura spoke calmly. Domino’s self-doubt was a normal occurrence. Aside from Sura himself, all other members of the Utopia organization were kept in a state of deception and cognitive limitation. Only when they were needed to control a portion of power was this truth revealed to them.

These candidates were chosen in advance—like Basaka, or Domino at this moment. However, there was indeed a certain probability that they would fall into chaos and collapse upon receiving this truth and realizing they had been deceived for so long. At such times...

He silently mobilized the power of the consciousness within those towers, condensing it into execution tools similar to the daggers used to "slay" gods, though with far less power. He would not hesitate to kill these companions.

"So even our organization, striving for a utopia, must rely on deception and concealment to sustain itself? But perhaps that is precisely why we must continue to strive for that goal, to build a true utopia. In that sense, we must even thank the thing beneath the void that forced us to lose our power."

However, the words Domino spoke after a sigh caused Sura to withdraw that power intended for execution. Words could be false, but the power manifested through cognition could not deceive.

Sura could sense Domino’s power, which had extended to him through her cognition: "Forging the Utopia."

This was the belief held by all members of the Utopia organization, giving these beings—whom Sura had collected over a vast span of time—a power similar to that of the followers of those gods.

Even for these chosen members who wielded the power gathered by the Utopia organization and other technological constructs like the towers, the "truth" told to them by Sura remained one-sided and limited. This ensured that these members would not betray or deviate from the organization's path.

"I leave this to you. I need to go notify the other members."

Sura waved his hand, signaling for Domino to take charge of the advance deployment of the battlefield. A gateway appeared, the spatial coordinates were tampered with, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished to a distance far away.

"Relying only on lies and deception to sustain us? Yes, that is exactly what we are: weak, selfish, and forever incapable of mutual understanding, huddled on this shackled earth beneath our feet, waiting for a catastrophe that could descend at any moment, just like the entity at the bottom of the void."

"A lonely boat in a vast sea—that is what the intelligent races are now. No lighthouse, no direction; even within this small boat, there is nothing but division and strife. How many tragedies and sufferings have arisen from this internal lack of understanding and conflict? A future left to its own devices will be one of desperate, silent darkness."

"Only by forging a utopia can we carve out that path which belongs to us all. When that time comes, there will naturally be no more deception or lack of understanding. Even if there is another invasion as powerful as that, with our unified strength, we will no longer need to worry."

The words lingered on Sura’s lips. It was unclear to whom the white-haired youth intended to convey them; perhaps it was merely talking to himself, nothing more.

……

"Damian, let's go. To Alastair. Even taking the main road, it will still take us four or five days to get there. Hurry up and pack your things; we’re leaving with the next convoy."

The urging of their boss came from outside the small wooden hut where Damian and his two companions lived. The wagons loaded with goods were already prepared outside, waiting only for the remaining members of the caravan to board before departing.

"Just a moment, almost done. I have a few more things to handle here."

Damian replied loudly, pushing a heavy, sealed chest under the wooden bed in his quarters. He tapped a spot on the bed frame, and a dull glow flashed, sealing and concealing the contents beneath with magic.

He stood up, grabbed the luggage on the nightstand, pushed open the wooden door, and stepped out. He climbed onto the wagon where the other members of the Night Church’s subordinate merchant guild were already seated.

"Your luggage isn't much, how did you take so long to pack?"

The dwarf sitting next to him asked Damian in a boisterous manner. The former member of the Lightless Secret Sect, now an employee of the Night Church’s merchant guild, didn't have much luggage under his seat—just three bundles that could be easily handled with one hand. It shouldn't have taken long to organize.

"I had to help my two friends who went to Alastair early bring the things they left behind. They were in such a rush when they went there, and they weren't sure if they would stay long, so they left quite a bit behind. It took a while to find everything."

Damian answered with a smile, explaining why he had spent so long packing.

"I see. But your two companions certainly have a good eye, knowing early on that Alastair is a good place. We only just thought to go there now; they’re very well-informed."

The dwarf nodded in sudden realization, then began chatting with him about Alastair. They, too, had only received notice from the merchant guild in the last few days to head there.

"Indeed. They often use the prayer communication network to send me news about Alastair. It really is a very good place, both in terms of resources and governance. After all, our archbishop is from there."

Damian rubbed his arm, giving the dwarf a brief description of Alastair.

"Oh, that’s true. It’s really something to look forward to. It sounds like it fits the kingdom of my dreams. Are you staying there from now on?"

"I suppose so. But it depends on the outcome of the war."

As he responded, Damian could feel the mark Sura had left on his arm becoming increasingly active as they drew closer to Alastair. This was his mission...