Chapter 147: Determination
“So, in seven days, Chaos will arrive on this continent… the continent where humans live, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Actually, is it possible that the eastern part of this continent isn’t inhabited by humans?”
“Negative. There are human settlements scattered throughout the eastern part of the continent as well.”
Then that’s the time limit.
I’ll kill the Chaos Spawn boss before then.
“That choice is unacceptable. Your failure will result in countless sacrifices.”
“Even so, I can’t just abandon the others.”
“Even if tens of millions of lives are lost, it is still an event within this [Gaia]. However, if Chaos devours the surface and lays its hand on my life, it will reach the Seventh Tier… the rank of a god. If it becomes an [Asteron], its demonic reach will extend to other worlds ([Gaia]).”
“Tch.”
Other worlds… that means Earth (my home) for me.
Apparently, there are as many worlds as there are stars besides this one and Earth, and there are intelligent beings in them too.
The Star God’s opinion that I should be cautious is also correct.
“Ah, let me organize the information for a moment.”
To defeat Chaos, who will land in a week, I have to become stronger.
It seems that defeating the Ten Kings is the most efficient way to do that, but their habitats are far apart.
It seems that I need the [Experience Points] of five bodies to raise my [Level] to the maximum value, and even with Paula’s cooperation, it will be difficult to defeat them all within a week.
“…Huh? Come to think of it, Chaos is already at the maximum [Level], right? So why doesn’t it [Evolve] to the Seventh Tier?”
“The steps of [Arche] are not directly connected to the rank of a god. For a mortal to become an [Asteron], an extraordinary miracle is required.”
“…Then, if I may be so bold, if Kouya were to slay the Star God, wouldn’t he become a god capable of defeating Chaos?”
The Sage said something outrageous.
“Hey, hey, what would happen to this planet if we did that? I don’t really get it, but killing the consciousness of a star would have some kind of negative impact, wouldn’t it?”
“It’s a minor matter compared to the destruction of the world. If the star dies, natural [Mana] will no longer be generated, but the atmosphere and sunlight will remain, and living things can also generate [Mana]. There’s no particular need to worry about this country.”
“Come to think of it, you did propose that we could ‘evacuate here’ on the premise that the star would die. So I guess it’s okay.”
But there would be a huge mess on the surface, wouldn’t there?
Eventually, all the forests and mountains affected by [Mana] will disappear.
“You are missing the premise. The strengthening of oneself through the plunder of [Arche], and the [Evolution] of a [Species] are the tier abilities of our [Gaia]. To become an [Asteron], one must use the original tier abilities. For Fue Toukouya, the refinement of his [Unique Skill] is essential.”
“…What exactly is a [Unique Skill] anyway? There was no such thing in my world.”
That’s right. The Earth where I was born and raised is a paradise of science. There was no such thing as magic or superpowers.
I thought it was a special ability given to me by a god, but it doesn’t seem to be the case, and if you know what it is, I’d like you to tell me.
“In [Gaia], there is invariably an [Asteron], and the [Asteron] rewrites the laws of nature. As part of that, they cause tier abilities such as [Species] and [Attribute] to sprout… that is the norm. However, the [Asteron] of Earth, for some reason, has not implemented the alteration of the laws.”
The god, who had been so assertive until now, spoke with a slightly hesitant tone.
“I understand why there are no tier abilities on Earth, but then why was I able to use them?”
“It is a defensive reaction of the [Arche]. Originally, the seeds of tier abilities are within the [Arche]. They sprouted due to the stimulus of coming into contact with different laws. Your [Unique Skill] was generated in this way.”
In other words, the [Unique Skill] is an ability from Earth, and that’s why even if I defeat a god and raise my [Level], I can’t become a god ([Seventh Tier]), huh?
“Then, how can I reach the Seventh Tier with my [Unique Skill]?”
“It is unknown. I will say it again, it is ordained that one cannot reach the Seventh Tier with tier abilities. Therefore, to become an [Asteron], an act that overturns the laws of nature is essential.”
“Is that ‘act that overturns the laws of nature’ the act of devouring a god?”
“Affirmative. If it were a Demon Beast whose [Soul Accumulation Value (Level)] and tier abilities were closely linked, it would become an [Asteron] through the great feat of slaying me. If you, who can completely plunder [Soul Shard (Experience)], were from this [Gaia], you would have been able to reach the Seventh Tier by slaying just one [King Beast]… but such hypotheticals are pointless.”
“I see… so in the end, I have no choice but to kill it at the Sixth Tier, huh?”
“Affirmative.”
The Star God affirms the blunt conclusion.
Despite all the digressions, the conclusion is too ordinary. I have no choice but to do what I can.
“But maybe it’s better that way, the things I have to do are simple.”
I’ve been raising my [Level] all this time.
There’s a bit of a tight time limit, but if the opponent is my nemesis, Chaos, my motivation will double, my killing intent will double, which means my efficiency will quadruple.
When I think about it that way, it doesn’t seem like such a bad situation.
After that, I asked the Sage for necessary information such as information about the [King Beast] and my [Status], and soon the god’s activity limit was approaching.
“There are still tons of things I want to ask about Earth, but right now, time is precious. Is there anything else we need to talk about urgently?”
“Negative. From the beginning, the time I can communicate is not very long. From now on, I will concentrate on recovery.”
“Take care. I’ll definitely defeat Chaos, so please recover well.”
“…One last question. At what stage do you intend to challenge Chaos?”
Of course, the god hasn’t forgotten our conversation from earlier, and he questions me.
I thought I’d keep it to myself because I thought I’d be seen as trying to deceive him… but I guess I have to tell him properly.
I paused for a beat, and then conveyed my determination through [Telepathy].
“I’ll challenge him when I’m sure I can win.”
I couldn’t choose between the many humans and the many worlds.
I can’t easily defeat Chaos with just my Sixth Tier [Unique Skill], and I understand the opinion that I should fight after raising my [Level] as much as possible.
Upgrading my [Unique Skill] is a given.
I’ll do my best to get as close to the maximum [Level] as possible. I’ll do what I can, as much as I can, to save as many as I can.
“…Your path is one you must walk with your own feet. I have no authority to change it. I will respect your choice—I wish you good luck.”
With those words, the display stopped.
After exchanging a few words with the Sage, I opened the window of the laboratory I had entered.
–From here on out, it’s a race against time.