Whirrrrr!
A blinding white downpour cascaded in every direction. The torrents of light swirled fiercely around six crystal pillars suspended in midair, like a raging vortex, before suddenly shifting course to converge at the center inside the pillars. The beams of light spiraled inward, merging until they formed a single, dazzlingly bright sphere.
As the sphere grew larger, the surrounding light scattered into fragments and gradually faded away.
When all the light except for the sphere had vanished, the space that had rippled like waves fell utterly silent.
But it was only for a fleeting moment.
Suddenly, the sphere at the center of the pillars began to spin violently, then erupted in a tremendous explosion.
KRAAANG!
With a deafening blast, beams of light shot out from the sphere, striking the six crystal pillars that stood encircling it with blinding intensity. The pillars absorbed the light and began to radiate a brilliant glow. At their peaks, six sacred flames ignited simultaneously, illuminating the surroundings.
Wooooooosh.
A soft hum followed. From each sacred flame, six beams of light intertwined like threads, forming a hexagram. The completed hexagram pulsed with immense magical power, causing the surrounding space to shimmer as it unleashed another colossal pillar of light.
This was the final stage in manifesting the ‘Heavenly Realm’—the nexus connecting all summoning chambers within the Hall Plain.
The towering pillar of light shot skyward, then scattered radiant streams in all directions like a fountain spraying water explosively. The falling light traced gentle arcs through the air, stitching the void with countless points of illumination that began to coalesce into some kind of shape. The number was staggering—well over one hundred thousand—too many to count.
After a moment.
“Recite. Of the light that became the Creator.”
A serene, clear voice echoed nobly through the space.
“Blessings abound; praise be! May the light be with us all!”
The summoned angels, their hair shimmering in myriad colors and their wings gently undulating, responded in unison. The magnificent display of their radiant beauty was truly awe-inspiring. Though the vast chamber was filled to capacity, not a single angel spoke out of turn, preserving an atmosphere of solemn grandeur.
“Everyone, stand at ease.”
The angel with the most wings, seated gracefully in midair at the highest point, spoke. The light that encompassed all angels—Archangel Gabriel.
“The proposer of the meeting, please step forward.”
“I am Heraes, a ninth-rank angel, bearing the command of the light.”
At Gabriel’s command, a gentle-looking angel with flowing golden hair stepped forward to the center.
“Let us begin immediately.”
“Yes. Then, as the proposer, I will humbly announce the opening of this meeting. But before that, to all gathered here in the Heavenly Realm…”
Heraes glanced around, then suddenly trailed off. She had received a subtle signal from the other angels’ glances. Gabriel, resting his chin on one hand, half-closed his eyes and gestured elegantly, as if to say, “Let it pass.”
“Then, we shall skip the formalities and proceed directly to the main topic.”
Skipping formalities—such a thing was unusual for a mere ninth-rank angel, but when Gabriel commanded, all present angels straightened their posture and focused intently on what was to come.
“This matter has been discussed for a long time. Everyone here already knows what I am about to say. So rather than repeating the same words, it would be better to show you a video first.”
Heraes extended her right arm. Suddenly, a bright cluster of light appeared in the empty air, forming a translucent screen.
“What you are about to see is footage depicting everyday life on the Western Continent. As a side note, this video was specially authorized for the purpose of this discussion. However, as you know, our helpers cannot interfere with users’ privacy. Unauthorized spying out of personal curiosity is strictly prohibited, so please keep that in mind.”
As her words faded like an echo, the massive screen flickered to life.
The first scene was a bleak, desolate place, almost like ruins. In the center, a sturdy man hung suspended in midair, his neck and limbs bound tightly with ropes. At the ends of each rope, users were laughing and holding the lines—almost as if preparing for a gruesome dismemberment.
“Pull! Pull!”
“Pull all at once! Hahaha!”
Indeed, at the command, the users tugged the ropes simultaneously. The man screamed in agony as his flesh tore. His screams continued until his neck, bound by the rope, hit the ground and his limbs were ripped apart.
“Next video, please.”
With a snap of her fingers, Heraes switched to a new scene: a bustling night street crowded with spectators.
“Ha! Harder! Harder, I said!”
“After all that high and mighty talk, look at you panting now! Stripped bare, the so-called Guardian’s nothing special! Wahahaha!”
Amidst the vulgar insults, an unspeakable atrocity unfolded. A towering man nearly two meters tall and a comparatively slender woman were locked together, both naked.
More precisely, the man was aggressively overpowering her. The woman wailed like a child, begging for mercy.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Suddenly, wild cheers and applause erupted. The man grabbed the woman’s legs and tore her apart from the crotch. She struggled, sensing the danger, but was ultimately ripped in two from head to toe. The giant lifted the corpse high, prompting another roar from the crowd.
The footage ended there.
“The man in the first video was Michael Logan, the Guardian who succeeded Lawrence, who was killed by Simon. The woman in the second was Vivian Christine, also a Guardian who followed Logan. The Guardians of the Western Continent, carefully chosen, have been murdered one after another—by lawless users.”
Heraes’ calm explanation filled the solemn chamber. “Lawless users” referred to those who disregarded laws and acted recklessly—somewhat akin to the vagrants of the Northern Continent.
“Frankly, this need not even be said. As I mentioned, these videos merely depict the ‘daily life’ on the Western Continent. So I ask you all: do you truly believe it is worth investing the Principle of Causality any longer in the Western Continent?”
She called it daily life. And it was a harsh reality. Though Simon died three years ago in the war with the Northern Continent, the Western Continent had not escaped chaos.
If anything, the disorder had worsened. From the moment the devil’s touch was accepted, the Western Continent had become a lawless zone. The death of one great villain did not cleanse it.
On the contrary, the lawless users, once suppressed by Simon, had surged forth, dividing the continent into factions beyond control.
“I have a different view, Heraes.”
A deep voice resonated from somewhere above, likely from an angel of higher rank than Heraes.
“While the death of a Guardian is regrettable, in the grand scheme it is merely a tragic human death. Such darkness is not uncommon anywhere in the Hall Plain. This is not solely a problem of the Western Continent.”
But Heraes shook her head calmly.
“The current number of users on the Western Continent barely exceeds ten thousand. Over nearly three years, more than thirty thousand users have met such tragic fates. Do you consider this normal?”
“New users can be summoned to replace the lost. The grim atmosphere can be restored to normal. Though the situation is difficult, I do not believe it warrants the extreme measure of closing an entire continent. Our helpers must simply try harder.”
“Reasonable, but ultimately like pouring water into a bottomless pit.”
“You speak with certainty, yet without evidence.”
The final voice carried a faint, cold sneer. Yet Heraes remained unshaken, her eyes filled with conviction.
“If you want evidence, I will show you.”
At her words, the paused screen flickered back to life, displaying a scene of utter chaos. The Inn of Beginnings, draped in a blue curtain. Prospective users emerged, bewildered, opening the door themselves—only to be ambushed by a group of users, or rather, lawless ones. What followed was rape, arson, murder, cannibalism…
The footage was a hellish tableau, punctuated by screams.
“You have seen it. Over the past year, we have concentrated on supplying prospective users to the Western Continent—some eight thousand in total. Yet fewer than thirty percent survive. And most of those survivors have become slaves or lawless users themselves.”
Herace scanned the room. Everyone was holding their breath, watching the footage intently. Some of the angels probably knew the user in question, while others didn’t. After all, when it came to different continents under their jurisdiction, most angels didn’t pay much attention unless something extraordinary happened.
With that in mind, Herace suddenly shifted the topic.
“I’m sure you’re all familiar with the user Kim Soo-hyun—the one Seraph has been assisting.”
Kim Soo-hyun.
The moment the name was mentioned, a faint ripple of murmurs stirred through the previously solemn hall. Even Gabriel, who had been resting his chin on his hand in apparent disinterest, narrowed his eyes slightly.
“User Kim Soo-hyun has accomplished truly remarkable feats. He has thoroughly crushed the vile demons’ schemes, allowing us to reap enormous benefits within our respective causalities. Most of those gains were invested in purifying the corrupted Western Continent. …And the results you just saw in the footage are proof. The North Continent pulled off the feat, but the West Continent pocketed the profits. Or rather, they didn’t even manage to secure those profits properly. If even half of those gains had been invested back into the North Continent, what kind of outcome might we be seeing now?”
Her words carried a sharp edge.
After a brief pause to steady herself, Herace snapped her fingers once more.
“This next video shows Atlanta, the city recently conquered in the North Continent. Here’s a glimpse of the southern cityscape.”
Suddenly, a new image appeared on the screen. The atmosphere was different from before. The city looked old and worn, but countless users bustled about energetically. Together with the residents, they tore down dilapidated buildings and rebuilt from the ground up. Everyone was sweating and working diligently.
“The contrast is staggering. One continent achieved in a matter of years what others predicted would take decades. Meanwhile, another continent is still lost in indulgence and desire, barely making any progress.”
No one spoke. There was no need. Everyone understood the stark difference between the two continents’ realities.
“In contrast, just three days ago, Guillotine—the last stronghold of the Western Continent—fell to outlaws. To make matters worse, these outlaws refuse all summons. Even summoning legitimate users now requires risking one’s life to infiltrate the temple. Do you honestly believe salvation is still possible under these conditions?”
Herace’s tone was sharp, almost accusatory.
She let out a long, weary sigh as the footage faded and the screen dimmed.
“I won’t say more. To those who embody the light, I implore you.”
Her eyes gleamed with newfound resolve. Bowing respectfully toward the highest seat in the hall, she spoke firmly.
“Make the proposal.”
Gabriel nodded once and replied in a detached voice.
Herace began.
“I am Herace, a Ninth-Rank Angel. I can no longer stand by and watch this meaningless waste of causality. At the same time, I have determined that the Western Continent is beyond recovery.”
She paused, then declared.
“Therefore, I formally propose the closure of the Western Continent.”
At last, the motion to close the Western Continent was officially put forward.
A storm that would bring great change to the Hall Plain had finally begun to stir its wings.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m glad I’ve been able to update earlier these days.
Are you readers happy about it too? I’m really enjoying it… ☞☜