Monsters Will Die if They Are Killed

Under the Holy Mountain of Dawn, the vast and boundless sea of ​​scorching lava is still quietly churning deep underground, just as it has been for hundreds of years.

But when Ishar arrived here, he was keenly aware that this place was slightly different from the center of the world in the past.

host?

The knight looked up at the center of the lava sea in the distance. He was surprised to find that his master, who had been sleeping and would only wake up for a moment when someone came to see him, had actually woken up at this time.

【You are here, Ishar. 】

Sensing the arrival of his knight, a gentle young man's voice sounded from the lava throne: [You're here just in time. 】

When Ishar arrived around the throne, he saw that in front of the throne, there was a four-color light curtain flashing. The four elements formed a three-dimensional map. The elements on it continued to alternate and cycle, thus forming a world.

At a glance, Ishar could see that it was exactly the elemental distribution map of the world he lived in!

The blue sea surrounds the brown continent, the blue wind circulates around the sky and the earth, and the fire burns in the depths of the earth and the top of the sky... In addition, in every corner of the world, elements are reincarnating alternately, The rotation goes on and on.

Originally, this should be the truth between heaven and earth, the normal state of the world cycle, but Ishar could see that on the two continents of the Holy Fire Continent and the New World, a total of six mighty blue torrents were converging and sinking into the south. In the distant sea of ​​meditation - and there, the extremely rich blue has become as deep as ink, as if it is pregnant with something, giving people an extremely uneasy atmosphere.

But on the lava throne, the white-haired boy wearing the sun crown was smiling. He stared at the picture in the light curtain in front of him, smiling happily and gently.

Ishar was stunned by this.

This was the first time in more than two hundred years that he saw the Lord he believed in smiling so broadly.

Ever since the knight became the Blessed One more than two hundred years ago and met God with excitement for the first time, the image of the Lord of Fire has always been gentle and gentle in his heart, like a winter bonfire or the warm sun in the morning. Like, giving everyone a warm presence.

But flames are flames, and the sun is the sun. No matter how close you are to people, you will get burned if you get too close. If God were to walk in this world, the place where he would be would have clear skies and dry land. Therefore, for the sake of his people, God chose to stay alone in the center of the world under the Holy Mountain, in the lava sea deep in the earth, isolated from the public.

Even if God descends, God is always high in the sky. As the second sun, He does not directly descend to the ground. Apart from smiling, He will not express any unnecessary joy, anger, sorrow, and joy to avoid being disturbed by his own thoughts. The power that arises is rampant and affects others.

And now, such a gentle god is actually smiling so happily...

Who and what could make the Lord smile so happily? It must be said that Ishar was a little jealous in his heart, but soon the black-haired and golden-eyed knight gave up such meaningless thoughts. He half-knelt on the ground and reported to the Lord of Fire.

My lord, are you aware of the sudden large-scale criminal riots in the eastern region? The local priests said that they heard the oracle of the Lord of Judgment...

[Oh, I already know. 】

The young man on the throne nodded slightly. He raised his head with a smile and looked at the top of the rock above the lava sea: [He is here. 】

【He is back. 】

[Although a long time has passed, he has indeed returned! 】

Then, Ishar heard that the Lord's tone became a little regretful.

[But unfortunately, he came back a little late. 】

[The plans of the children in the sea are almost completed. 】

My lord, are you talking about the plan of those rebels? Their ascension ceremony is about to be completed?!

Hearing this, Isal, who was half-kneeling in front of the Lord of Fire, immediately stood up and asked angrily: Please allow me to lead the team out immediately to crush their delusions!

[No, and, come here, kid. 】

But the Lord of Fire shook his head and rejected Ishar's request. When the knight approached him with some confusion, the white-haired boy stretched out his hand and pressed it on Ishar's forehead.

The touch is not as hot as the sun as imagined...the warm and soft touch in the center of the palm is like a real human being.

For a moment, before Ishar could think anything more, a burning pain suddenly appeared on his forehead - the pain disappeared in a flash, as if it was just an illusion, and he stood motionless, standing like an iron tower. land.

When the Lord of Fire lowered his hand, a red flame mark appeared on his forehead, with divine power pulsating in it, releasing clearly visible majesty.

Then, the Lord of Fire looked at Ishar for a while, nodded with satisfaction, and then said: [Let them become the God of Water. 】

[Only in this way will the rioting water element return to its place and return to the reincarnation of order. 】

What?

Hearing this, Ishala, who was still thinking about what God left on his forehead, was stunned. He immediately frowned and said: How is this possible!

Those thugs in the sea clearly intend to subvert the existing elemental cycle of our world! They cut off the original rotation process and want to violently turn the elements of the entire world into water elements!

They even plan to start some sort of 'Deep Sea Age', completely turning our world into something completely unknown... How can this be called a return to one's place, a reincarnation of order?!

The Lord of Fire shook his head, and there was no hint of anger toward the people of the sea in his gray eyes.

[This is indeed their purpose - but this is indeed the reincarnation of order. 】

In the mind of the white-haired god, there emerged the figure who appeared and left abruptly long ago, rejecting the soul of water and the soul of earth and becoming a god.

He said with some nostalgia: [The power of the water soul is extremely powerful. No matter what era, there is a large amount of water element appearing in various forms. Even in the era of blazing fire, it is surrounded by white steam. 】

[If those children in the sea do not accept the soul of the source water, which has become increasingly chaotic, then perhaps decades or hundreds of years later, the primitive and crazy God of water will appear. At that time, He was not even a human being and would not understand our order. He might even set off a huge wave of destruction that we could not stop. 】

Why can't it be stopped?

Hearing this, Ishar was immediately confused. He clasped his hands and asked the Lord of Fire: My Lord, you are a god, and you are a god far more powerful than those pirates and any newborn gods - except In addition, there is the Lord of Wind, the Lord of Judgment... With the three gods working together, how can any pirate or the naturally born God of Water be able to stop it?

[But the Lord of Wind will not take action. 】

But the young man looked at Ishar calmly, and he calmly told the secret that had been concealed for hundreds of years: [His soul has left this world long ago, leaving only the last traces of thoughts and body, forming a network of consciousness, connecting the air. The minds of the people maintain order. 】

[And I, most of the time, will not stay in this world - just as you have seen every time you come to see me in the past, it will take a long time for me to return. 】

Ishar was stunned. Although he knew about this situation, he had never thought of it being like this: Then, why?

The knight asked at a loss: Why did the soul of the Lord of Wind leave this world, and Lord...

【Very simple. 】

The Lord of Fire sighed, and the white-haired boy raised his head. His gaze seemed to be able to see through the top of the rock and the world, straight into the void, becoming distant and with a hint of sadness: [Our world is too far away from other worlds. Far. 】

[Around our world, there are ruins and dust left behind after the world was shattered. Apart from us, there is no other world... Not only that, Ishar, the world itself has a lifespan, and the lifespan of our world is particularly short. If you act recklessly in it without any scruples, there will be no order. reincarnation, so who knows if it can last for decades or hundreds of years? 】

As if intentionally telling him, the Lord of Fire looked at his divine benefactor, and he could see Ishar's extremely shocked gaze, as if his worldview was shattered.

He chuckled lightly and looked away. The young man turned his head and continued to look at the elemental light curtain in front of him. He said lightly: [For the sake of countless people, the God of Wind left his body as the core of the consciousness network, and he used his soul to escape. world, wandering in the void, looking for a new world suitable for habitation. 】

[And I am also searching in the ruins of the world around me, looking for usable world dust to fill the holes in our world. 】

[Neither the Lord of Wind nor I can stay in this world for a long time, so we guided the birth of the Lord of Judgement, maintained the order we designed, and ensured that you can maintain a friendly and caring heart when we are gone. ...]

When he said this, the Lord of Fire seemed to recall the rebellion more than a hundred years ago. He couldn't help but sigh: But unfortunately, there are loopholes in that order. 】

In addition, in the young man's mind, the scene he saw when he escaped from the barrier of the world and came to the void emerged in his mind.

It was the endless gray fog that enveloped the entire world. ’

The gray mist enveloped the world. It originally absorbed the dust of the surrounding world and filled it into every corner of the world, maintaining the existence of the world of Tartadis. However... just before the God of Wind and the boy himself came to the world Outside, most of the gray fog receded, leaving only a few residues that no longer enveloped the world.

The Fire Lord's memory is clear. He knows that the gray fog is the symbol of the era of the rotation of elements, and is also the hand behind the labyrinth of the underworld and the change of eras... But now it seems that its real power is to maintain the existence of the entire world! If it weren't for the reminder of the gray mist, he wouldn't have known that he could also collect the dust of the world in the surrounding void to extend the existence of the world of Tartadis.

What is Gray Mist's attitude towards them and their civilization?

The boy didn't know.

Moreover, it is no longer important.

After withdrawing his thoughts, the Fire Lord looked at Ishar.

He said calmly: [You will inherit my position and become the new God of Fire. 】

ah?

At first, Ishar was a little confused. He was still immersed in the shocking news that the life of the world is not long. So at first, the knight did not understand what his god meant-- But soon, after understanding it, his face was filled with shock. He immediately paused on the spot and said at a loss: Wha, what?!

On the lava throne, the Lord of Fire looked at Ishar with a smile: [You are a good boy, Ishar. For two hundred and thirty-seven years, since you became the Blessed One, you have been working seriously for the people, solving difficulties and solving problems for them. 】

[You have grown up from the grassroots level and become a God-blessed one along the way. You perfectly understand all the keys to the operation of our order. It can even be said that you understand it better than me, the designer of the code. 】

No, God, I don't...

[No, you understand. 】

When Ishar was trying to say something, the God of Fire stretched out his hand to signal his knight not to say anything at this time. Then, the young-looking god turned his head and looked at the central part of the Holy Fire Continent, which was rapidly normalizing. The elements rushed forward and he said calmly: Besides, you are also the only one who upholds my way until now. 】

[Don’t refute, Ishar, don’t you still know? Most of the Blessed Ones, since they gained great power, no longer want to obey the commandments I have set. 】

[They want to enjoy glory, wealth and their own rights... Of course, because I still exist, they still cannot eat luxurious food, so some of them have taken great pains to make luxurious food popular and become nothing. Luxury - this is really not a wrong thing. That's nice, isn't it? I didn't even expect that this precept of mine could have such an effect. 】

Having said this, the God of Fire laughed, but there was no smile in his eyes: [Among the blessed ones, there are many who pursue greater power, and even more who pursue power. There are too few people who just want to eat something delicious. 】

[I sincerely hope to make the world a better place so that everyone can live happily. There are too few blessed ones who want to maintain such order and are not afraid of fighting. 】

The young man on the throne raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. He closed his eyes tiredly and sighed: [They all want to become gods, but they are unwilling to find their own way, and instead peek at my power. 】

[So, I have appointed you, child. 】

Ishar was still stunned at first... Indeed, even he himself knew that there were many people with evil intentions in God's Blessed One. Since the rebellion more than a hundred years ago, God's injustice and weakness have been shown. Later, many of the blessed ones changed their minds.

But soon, because he was anxious and uneasy about the Lord of Fire's words, the knight suddenly became a little angry.

I'm not a child! My lord! He frowned, shook his head angrily, stretched out his hand and pressed it on his chest: I am your knight!

What imperial decree? What inheritance is your position? My lord, are you going to give up your position as a god?!

The Lord of Fire opened his eyes, turned his head, and stared at Ishar calmly. The two sides looked at each other, and Ishar's mood gradually softened.

Until the end, he took a step back in silence, and then said blankly: But... why?

[The existence of the God of Water is necessary, but the soul of source water repels the holders of other elemental souls. Before it is tamed, I have no way to catch it - our powers interfere with each other, even in A blind spot formed on the sea. 】

Saying this, the Lord of Fire sighed tiredly: [And for some reason that I am not very clear about, the power of those children on the sea expanded too fast. It seems that there is an invisible power that does not come from our world. Just like helping them behind the scenes... Originally, in my plan, it would take those children hundreds of years to slowly find the whereabouts of the Soul of Source Water, and by then, I would be able to slightly smooth out the order in the Holy Fire Country. , and then formulate a brand new teaching covenant to make up for the previous cracks...]

[But now, the over-expanded soul of the source water meets the over-expanded power of the people of the sea... I don't know what the final result will be, but maybe the newly born water god is so powerful that it can replace the elements. The order of rotation, otherwise there are so many of them, even more than me, the God of Wind and the God of Judgment combined. 】

[The existence of the God of Water is necessary. But if those children in the sea are really allowed to become water gods, then they will definitely choose to counterattack the mainland. At that time, because I have been collecting the dust of the world for hundreds of years to maintain the world, I did not accumulate much power. , I’m afraid I can’t resist it. 】

Having said this, the white-haired boy smiled freely. He stretched out his hand and straightened the divine crown on his head. He said nonchalantly: [They have never guessed how I plan to deal with them. I have always thought about what I will do. I will not send my divine helper and many priests to attack them. 】

[Let’s not talk about the fact that many of my blessed ones have different intentions. They have made a lot of preparations. The sea is their home field, so even if you go to attack, there will be many casualties, and the whole world will be weakened because of this. How can I The civilization that was built easily will be completely destroyed. 】

【I don’t want this. 】

The Lord of Fire's tone was calm, and his voice echoed in the sea of ​​lava, leaving Ishar speechless: [And love is the strongest plan. 】

[Those selfish children will never think that I don’t mind dying at all, I just want to create a better order so that everyone can live in a better world. 】

[Based on this, they will never be able to guess and prevent my plan. 】

My Lord...

The knight was half kneeling on the ground. He felt that even if he was in the lava, he could not stop the cold feeling from spreading down his spine.

Ishar stared at the young man in front of him, the god he worshiped, and murmured: You, you mean...

The god stretched out his hand and gently touched the head of the knight whom he regarded as his child. He smiled and said: Although I don't have much power, I have been in and out of the void for many years, and my soul has already been tempered to be extremely powerful - as long as the time comes, I burn my own soul. No matter what the plans of those children are, how can it stop me from suppressing their souls and recovering the soul of the source water? 】

[As long as I am not afraid of falling, then my power is enough to burn out all their centuries-old plans. Even if the power accumulated by the Water Soul is far greater than mine, it cannot stop me from redefining the era based on this - God of Wind The soul of the wind has been entrusted to me, and the soul of the earth... In short, when the four souls gather together, the real god will be born. It will definitely be an era that is far more perfect and beautiful than the current era. 】

Saying this, the young man touched the burning mark of fire on Ishar's forehead, and he smiled happily: At that time, you will become the new Lord of Fire, or in other words, The god of four souls gathered together - Ishar, you are my successor, fulfill my ways and establish a new order. 】

But after hearing this, Ishar was not only not happy at all, but also turned pale.

The Blessed One stood up, took two steps back, avoided the Fire Lord's hand, and then growled: Why?

God, why do you have to do this kind of thing and force me with this kind of responsibility?! How can you be so presumptuous...tell your death?!

Faced with Ishar's accusation, the Lord of Fire just shook his head slightly: [I'm not forcing you, Ishar, but if you believe in me, you should do this. 】

Aren't you just using your faith to force me?

Ishar was in disbelief. He waved his hands, with a strong sense of rejection: I believe in you, and I hope you will always be on the throne of God, leading us forward like the sun!

I would rather die for you than for you to die for us!

At the end of his words, Ishar gritted his teeth, stared at the god sitting on the lava throne in front of him, and said word by word: My lord, do you want a dog that can only obey your orders, or a dog who can The knight who died for you?!”

Even the Lord of Fire did not expect Ishar's willingness to resist so firmly.

In the Temple of Fire, almost all the blessed ones are longing for more powerful power or rights. This is not a bad thing, but the basic ambition of people. People who are eager for progress should not be harsh, even if Some of them are trying to seize the power of the Lord of Fire, which is not a big deal.

The white-haired god originally thought that Ishar would happily take over this responsibility, and take over this huge and enviable power of everyone - it was the gathering of four souls, which was beyond ordinary gods, and could even pass through. The power to a higher realm - he didn't expect that the other party would be so loyal to him that he could refuse this temptation.

Why?

The god's memory went back, and he recalled the scene nearly three hundred years ago, at the beginning of the elemental calendar, when he was still in the world and led the first people of fire to build their homes.

At that time, there was a boy who was following behind him.

[Child, why are you following me? 】

The god at that time leaned down, asked the other person gently, and wiped the sweat from the child's head.

The ignorant boy said rather naively: The city you built for us is so big and beautiful. I have never lived in such a big and warm house!

So I want to learn. When I grow up in the future, I also want to build many, many bigger and better houses for you and everyone!

Ishar has indeed built many temples for himself.

Over the years, he has been busy at the grassroots level and built many 'houses'.

I built the foundation and the frame, but the order of this world, the flesh and ornamentation of this house, they themselves built.

——Because God has built a beautiful order for humans, humans want to defend this beauty.

In other words, what Ishar wants to follow may not be a god who, in his opinion, wants to give up his responsibilities, so he is angry... In fact, what he is following is actually the one that allows everyone to A happier path than before.

Just like himself - he walks with himself, so he believes.

The reason why I follow...maybe it's that simple.

There was a long silence, and then the god laughed softly.

【I don’t want either. 】

He still smiled gently and looked at Ishar as always: What I want is a wise man who can accompany me and open up the way forward - I don't need a dog who doesn't know how to question me, and I don't need a person who only knows how to question me. A knight who will die for me - I need a comrade who can understand my thoughts, understand my teachings, and follow my ideas. 】

[What I need is that after I leave, someone can raise my flag, retake my position, and maintain the country and order I created. 】

【I need such an existence. 】

understand……

Repeating this word in a low voice, Ishar stared blankly at the Lord of Fire in front of him who could still laugh. He could not understand why a god could give up his life so easily. He laughed softly at first. Then he laughed loudly: What understanding?! We can't understand each other. A father can't understand his son, and a daughter can't understand her mother!

My Lord, your church is secretly disobeying your will! They are flirting with pirates, they are greedy for your power and authority, and they have evil intentions, let alone believe in you!

What exactly do you want? Understanding? This is even more incredible than your request for our freedom and lives!

The god stared at the other person in silence until Ishar's voice echoing in the sea of ​​lava gradually dissipated and became calm.

And amid the bursting sound of lava foam, He simply said: [But this is faith. 】

[I need that after I suppress the four elemental souls and determine the era, a new Lord of Fire will appear to stabilize order and protect the survival and happiness of all people - he can continue to collect the embers of the surrounding world as the foundation of our world. Fuel to maintain the existence of the world, and to sacrifice oneself at the most important moment to create a new era. do you understand? Becoming a god is not a gift, it is my requirement for you. 】

[Ishar, if you love me more than my way, it means that you do not believe in me at all, but only worship me and love me. 】

[The distance between faith and worship is farther than heaven and earth. 】

[Do you believe in me, or do you just worship me? 】

The voice of the Lord of Fire caused the elements of the entire lava sea to boil.

The majestic power of the fire element stirred in the center of the world, causing the viscous magma to set off layers of waves, slapping and intersecting with each other, and splashing sparks all over the sky.

Ishar felt the burning mark on his forehead. He trembled and stared at the Lord of Fire staring at him in front of him, and then he couldn't help crying.

He had begun to accept it, but it was still difficult to let go. The knight walked towards the lava throne step by step and murmured: God, is this the only way? Is this the only way to go? Is there no other way for you? To calm the turbulence of this element?

[Of course there is, but I can only choose to sacrifice myself. I have no right to let others sacrifice for me, even if that person is willing to die for me. 】

And the Lord of Fire laughed. He stretched out his hand and pressed it on Ishar's forehead again. The scorching mark of the God of Fire was imprinted on him. The young man said calmly: If you want to change something, just do it yourself. If you can do it, The only existence that is sacrificed without sin is oneself, otherwise it would be a mistake. This is what I learned in the past era. 】

【but now……】

And when he said this, his expression couldn't help but become a little complicated. The Lord of Fire raised his head, and he looked straight ahead in the distance. His gray eyes seemed to be able to see through the thick rock crust and see directly into the distance, where he was slowly approaching. Huge fluctuations.

The far side.

July 5, Year 307 of the Elemental Calendar.

In the middle of the Holy Fire Continent, on the avenue close to the Central Holy City, there was a huge group of people walking.

Their clothes were simple, their faces were full of sorrow, and most of their bodies were mutilated, with either broken hands or broken legs, or marks on their faces.

But now, their limbs are all new and can be used freely, as if they had never been lost.

Righteousness!

High-pitched and loud cheers rang out, and the sound of waving flags sounded in the wind.

A dark-skinned old fisherman carried a flag. His eyes were bright and his will was lowered. Old Chuck waved the flag, and then shouted: Justice!

Later, the entire team also shouted in unison: Justice! The voice echoed throughout the sky.

It can be seen that this old fisherman who lost his hands in the past now has a pair of white new hands - although he has not experienced the wind and frost, and even has blisters from waving the flag for a long time, he still refuses to let go and still waves vigorously.

The gray-haired priest walked at the front of the team. Ammon led the team of these 'sinners' forward, striding forward towards the central church.

There is no need for your own god to walk ahead.

As those who walk with God, the apostles of judgment will open up the way forward and fulfill the way they identify with.

At the end of the team, Su Zhou followed everyone, watching the team continue to grow and move forward firmly.

Then, he seemed to notice something. The young man turned his head and looked confused.

Is that you? Elias?

Seemingly noticing the Lord of Fire's gaze, Su Zhou lowered his head sharply and looked into the depths of the earth. The purple-green dragon pupils seemed to be able to penetrate the thick earth to the very center of the world.

Then, he laughed: Long time no see, I'm back!

——You are back, teacher.

In the sea of ​​lava, the God of Fire, who had been sitting on the throne for a long time, slowly stood up and left the seat of lava under the shocked gaze of Ishar.

This is the first time in two hundred years that He has left the throne of God and set foot on the earth.

[I think there is no other way. 】

The god in the posture of a young man looked up at the rock dome and murmured in a low voice: [But for that person, maybe nothing is impossible in the world. 】

But even so, He just smiled, smiling indifferently.

[But I can't put my hope in other people. I must try to transcend this reincarnation myself, even if the cost is death. 】

[Let’s go, Ishar. 】

With that said, the God of Fire stepped towards the passage leaving the core of the world and the lava sea, while the knight followed closely behind the god.

[Let us go and greet the god who has finally returned. 】

It took me a long time to write and revise it... It is indeed a bit late, but it is at least 8,000 words.

There will be an update tonight