Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

744 Chapter 744- River Of Destiny & Pride's Authority (3)

"If I can't even purge the evil in front of me, there is no meaning in escaping. Just kill me, I would rather die than live while enduring this kind of shame" Godwin proclaimed, his tone was still as unbending and defiant as even after suffering from all that humiliation.

Simon was inwardly a little impressed by the spirit of this knight. It needs to be mentioned that he was continuously using the dark magic to corrupt and break the mind of the knight. However, Godwin's resilience and spirit was far out of ordinary and was not something that could be broken easily.

That kind of mental fortitude, not just anyone can cultivate it. It was a pity that he was his enemy.

"Since you desire so, then I will gladly grant you death" Simon flashed his jagged teeth and brought his sword up.

Although he was impressed by his opponent's resolve, it didn't mean that it changed anything. Both of them were still enemies and it would have been him in Godwin's place had he been weaker.

In his case, his end would have been even more miserable. There was no place for compassion, kindness or mercy here. It was the survival of the fittest.

Simon clenched his sword tightly, activated his skills and brought it down on Godwin in a stabbing motion to finish him for once and all, when—[Quickly back away from him]— a voice sounded in his head.

What was going on?

Instinctively, Simon moved away from Godwin using [Flash Steps] and stared at the latter. At the very instant he moved, the space around Godwin started crumbling, golden light overflowed from his body and started flowing into the void.

[The Fragments of [■■■■■■■■■] has detected a threat to its wielder's life. The exclusive power of the Third Solstice will be temporarily activated].

A notification arrived in front of the puzzled Simon. The other party suddenly started acting weirdly and then there was this notification. Could it be that Godwin still had another trump card up his sleeve?

What was the Fragments mentioned in the notification? Before Simon could ponder about the sudden inexplicable situation, he felt a powerful invisible force locking onto him and pulling him towards the place beyond the shattered space.

[Detected that you are pulled towards the unknown domain. All progress will temporarily halt]

Another notification notifying him of the bizarre event appeared in front of him.

What was going on? What was the unknown domain? Simon tried to resist the pull; however, in front of that force, his resistance amounted to nothing. Soon, he was pulled into the place beyond the fractured space and disappeared there along with Godwin.

Space slowly mend itself and the world of the Sixth Trial returned to its former peace. The Abomination sealed by the pillars, continued to roar endlessly; however, there was no one to hear its cries.

.

.

Inside the unknown domain, Simon opened his eyes to find himself in a vast black realm. Hidden and untouched by the light of the stars, the place appeared to be an enigmatic void where the very fabric of reality seemed to fold in itself. It was very difficult to make any sense of this place since one's perception didn't work here.

As Simon gazed around blankly wondering where this place was, his eyes inadvertently moved towards a vast river that stretched endlessly. It was a breathtaking sight that defied all logic and comprehension.

Like a shimmering tapestry of liquid silver that wove through the very heart of this endless expanse, the river flowed with raging currents. Simon seemed to see something inside the waters, it was blurry as if it was shrouded in mystery.

The waters of the river was both ancient and timeless, a conduit of fate that transcended the boundaries of worlds and dimensions. It was as if the river held the collective consciousness of the universe within its depths.

Its surface glistened with an otherworldly radiance, its currents flowing with a hypnotic grace that defied conventional understanding. It felt like a living entity, a repository of destinies, and a guardian of the past, present, and future.

The River of Destiny held within it the profound and the mundane, the extraordinary and the ordinary

—all coexisting in a harmonious dance.

As Simon stood at its banks marvelling at the magnificent scene that lay in front of him, the voice within him spoke once again.

[The River of Destiny… be careful not to get swept by its current. Once you enter the River of Destiny, you will never be able to get out, your life in this progression will be forfeited. Also, make sure not to gaze at your own past or the future; otherwise, you will receive a tremendous backlash. Don't say that I didn't warn you at that time].

The voice stopped sounding after they said their peace. Simon did not have to think much to know who that voice belonged to. It was the voice of none other than the Second Fragment.

This thing that had suddenly stopped all communication with him ever since he woke up from his comatose state. For it to talk to him once again, it could only mean that the place he was in was that dangerous.

Simon increased his caution as he tried to make sense of what was in front of him. Thanks to the second Fragment, he at least understood that the river in front of him was called the River of Destiny.

The River of Destiny had no end to its flow. Its horizon remained elusive, a distant mirage that beckoned with promises of undiscovered realms and untold tales.

The River of destiny seemed to defy the very concept of time, where past, present, and future intertwined seamlessly. Yet, this river was not singular in its nature. It was a nexus of tributaries, each one branching out in every conceivable direction.

These tributaries represented worlds, realities, and destinies—each a unique story waiting to be unfolded. They flowed together in chaotic harmony, an ever-changing symphony of possibilities.

What Simon saw inside its water was the past, present, future and the various possibilities of the destinies of others. The River of Destiny was a reflection of the universe itself, a mirror that revealed the souls and destinies of beings across the vast cosmos.

Then there was also the various unknown life forms swimming inside the depth of its waters. From titanic creatures more than hundreds of thousands of kilometres big to small jellyfish looking creatures, all kinds of mysterious and enigmatic lives can be found in here.

There were also numerous Koi fish running against the current of the river. From golden-yellow, to red and black, there were all colours of Koi fish there. Even the Yin Yang koi fish that Simon summoned inside his dungeon, was from this place.

As Simon gazed into the river, images started reflecting on the surface of the water, faces, both familiar and unknown, appeared in the river of destiny. Each image showed a story both fulfilled and unfulfilled, like a life waiting to be lived.

It was as if the river held the very essence of existence within its shimmering waters. Simon also saw the faces of his friends from his past life, their destinies and the life they led. Their past, present and future all flowed inside the River of Destiny.

Simon who was enthralled by the inexplicable thing in front of him, suddenly recalled the appearance of a particular woman. Would she also be here? What possible lives could she have led if she didn't meet him?

Simon suddenly became curious. His steps subconsciously brought him very close to the vast River of Destiny. Just as he was about to extend his hand in a trance to find the destiny of the woman who was very close to him in his previous life, the voice of the Second Fragment sounded inside his head again.

This time its tone was a little frantic and outraged.

[What are you planning to do? Get away from the river, do not even think about touching it or else you will die. The river may look still from the surface but make no mistake, its currents are flowing at a speed that you can't even begin to perceive at your current level. One mistake and you will be turned into nothingness forever flowing in the river of destiny].

The voice of the second fragment woke Simon out of his daze and he hurriedly retracted his hands back.

What was he trying to do just now? Was he trying to touch the river of destiny? If he got swept by its current, then… just the thought of it sent shivers down Simon's spine and he hurriedly backed away.

[Don't just stay there standing in a daze, quickly get out of here. This place isn't something someone of your level should come in contact with. Time holds no dominion here, for past, present, and future are all merged in the existence that is the River of Destiny].

[To traverse these waters is to witness the birth of galaxies and the fall of civilizations with but a glance. You might feel like only a few seconds have passed here, but days or even weeks must have passed by in the outside world. If you stay here any longer, you will be affected by its Mnemonic Pull again causing your memories and state of self to slip away. By the time you wake up from it, it will already be too late. If you get it then get a hold of yourself].

Simon nodded his head and cleared his mind. The fact that he was pulled into the Mnemonic Pull of the river of Destiny, without him realising it, spoke volumes of the danger of this place.