Chapter 794
Episode 196: The Great Serpent, Ameris (3)
In this world, there are beings born with inexplicably immense power.
The most famous among them are the Runcandel family, known for their “blessed bodies,” and the pureblood Ziphl clan, renowned for their exceptional affinity with magic. Throughout human history, these two bloodlines have long reigned as the dominant forces, ruling the world by virtue of their inherited traits.
And then there are those born with potential far surpassing even the averages of these great houses.
In other words, humans who, from the moment of birth, are on an entirely different scale.
Most of them come from humble origins, lacking special training, yet one day they suddenly rise to prominence.
Vanessa Olson, who awakened while trying to rescue her brother dragged off by a lord.
Smarion Proch, born a simple farmer’s child, who suddenly became a killer.
Hedo, who lived as a monster due to his overwhelming strength, even shunned by the underworld.
According to Ameris, the mysterious source of such power lies in the lingering will of the Sun God.
“The Sun God, Kinzello’s lingering will is a refusal to accept his own death and disappearance. That’s why those imbued with his essence unconsciously destroy the surface world, seeking the altar to awaken the corpse of the sun.”
Hedo nodded with mild interest, unfazed. Even if Ameris’s words were true, he had already chosen his own path and purpose in life—there was nothing to shake him.
“So, just reaching the altar is enough to resurrect the Sun God?”
“Merely reaching it isn’t sufficient, but resurrection is possible. And his return means the entire world will vanish. The order you know—the very fabric of this world—will be destroyed, and all chance and necessity will disappear.”
“The god Shinura told me that the outcome depends on how the Sun God is resurrected.”
“No matter the outcome, the moment the Sun God is reborn, the world you know will cease to exist. Mortals will once again be bound by fate, and immortals will merge into parts of the Sun God. The world will be made whole again… but is that truly the right form? A world filled only with bland fulfillment, where nothing but submission exists.”
Jin and Hedo had never experienced such a world and couldn’t even imagine it.
Nor did they want to. The world they had to protect was the very land beneath their feet—the memories of loved ones, the soil they grew up on, the dreams they fought for. There was nothing worth gaining at the cost of abandoning all that.
Only those who have no attachment to this world would wish for the Sun God’s resurrection.
“That’s somewhat fortunate. From what I’ve heard, the Sun God’s cults no longer run rampant on the surface as they once did. Back then, there were far too many. I had to deal with them every day.”
“Were there no allies besides you and the ‘Good Heads’?”
“There were, but I don’t remember well. Solderet was one who accepted the new order, so he likely cooperated with me. Clam was also a conformist, but he… was fated to destroy the surface world with his own power, his magic.”
“I was once a god who governed all magic in the world. But unable to bear my own power, I nearly destroyed the world. With Solderet’s help, I sealed myself inside this mirror.”
“This seal contains the source of infinite magic—that is, myself. And the endlessly expanding magic could erase this world entirely at any moment…”
Suddenly, Jin recalled what Clam had said at the Colon Ruins.
“Clam was sealed by Solderet, but could he also be possessed by the Sun God’s lingering will…?”
“Yes. His power was enough to erase the surface world and reveal the underworld. He became prey to those lingering wills. He is another unfortunate immortal, bound to a fate he never wanted.”
An unwanted fate.
The “weight of immortality” Ameris spoke of meant being unable to escape that destiny. Until her own extinction, she had to guard the boundaries of the world.
Jin and Hedo fell silent, contemplating her role with solemn respect. Her lonely battle was far from over.
Ameris seemed to read their thoughts and smiled.
“Ha ha, you two are quite endearing. You think the fate bestowed upon me is excessive, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Someone has to do it. And sometimes, fate grants gifts. Meeting mortals like you is one such gift for me.”
From now on, Ameris had gained comrades who could remember—strong humans like Jin and Hedo, who vowed to stop the Sun God’s resurrection.
“Jin.”
“Yes?”
“Fortunately, the Sun God’s lingering will isn’t solely composed of denial of death. The opposite exists as well.”
Wills that accept death.
Among Ameris’s nine heads, four—including herself—held such wills. She bore the greatest of the Sun God’s lingering intentions.
“Not only I, but most who seek to resurrect or prevent the Sun God’s return share this. And I suspect your Runcandel family also carries the Sun God’s power. The ‘blessed body,’ was it? Your family’s traits have lasted over a thousand years. That’s not something a mortal can achieve alone. Mortals’ potential is infinite, yes, but that applies to individual ability. No matter how great, one mortal cannot strengthen an entire lineage for a millennium.”
Ameris was certain the blessing within Runcandel was connected to the Sun God or a comparable immortal.
“Could it be Solderet’s blessing? Our family didn’t exist when the Sun God was around.”
“The Sun God’s blessing can transcend time and space. But even if not him, Solderet could grant such a blessing. Among immortals capable of blessings lasting over a thousand years, only the Sun God, myself before slumber, Solderet, and Helluram qualify. It can’t be a witch, and I doubt it’s me, so it must be one of the two. Or maybe both.”
“Either way, our family will never stand against you, Ameris.”
“Good. The Ziphl, who likely received a similar blessing, are already my enemies. Even if their goal isn’t the Sun God’s resurrection but recreating the Origin Stone, their essence seems no different. Moreover, they exploit the Sun God’s residual energy and even priestesses, making their crimes severe.”
“Ameris, would you consider joining our alliance?”
Surprisingly, it was Hedo, not Jin, who made the sudden invitation.
“Is some blood oath required for joining?”
“No. It’s a fellowship built on trust.”
“Then I shall join. This will be an enjoyable game.”
Ameris accepted the offer readily. The Balmel Alliance had just gained an invaluable ally.
“By the way, Jin, you mentioned someone is bringing demons from the underworld to the surface. Orgal? I don’t recall that name among the demons.”
Ameris had been uneasy about this for some time.
As far as she knew, the boundary had never been breached since she fell asleep. In fact, Jin and Hedo were the first to awaken her.
“There is only one entrance to the underworld here. Yet someone is secretly pulling mortals from below to the surface… How audacious. I don’t know what trick they used, but I must find them, question them, and punish them. How many demons have they summoned?”
“I can’t say for sure, but it’s likely no more than ten thousand. However, only about ten are strong enough to pose a real threat.”
“So they’ve been sneaking in like petty thieves, gathering dust. Using that steel dimensional gate ability you mentioned.”
“Probably.”
“Hmm… Anyone with dimensional travel power enough to connect surface and underworld wouldn’t escape my notice. I must recover my memories quickly.”
“Ameris, about 500 years ago, there was the Holy Kingdom War on the surface. Countless demons appeared then, making it the largest war in human history before the Beast God War. We were able to find this place thanks to memories from my ancestor who fought in that war.”
“That’s plausible. A witch intervened in that war. With an artifact from the immortal Zito, she likely used it to secretly bring mortals from the underworld to the surface. But she didn’t open the gate herself.”
“I see. Do you remember anything about the immortal Zito? Our alliance is investigating him as well.”
“Zito was an immortal who wished to become the new order. He sought to rule the world through pain… A madman best avoided. Even when I had nine heads, I couldn’t guarantee victory against him. I don’t recall how he died.”
The longer the conversation went, the more Jin felt the blockages in his mind clearing.
Though her memories were incomplete, the more Ameris recovered, the easier it would be to understand their enemies’ intentions.
“Darling!”
Suddenly, Sandra’s voice rang out. She had been waiting at a distance but, curious, came over first.
“Oh? Darling, who’s this woman? You keep acting like a flirt… uh.”
Hedo quickly covered Sandra’s mouth, and Jin introduced the companions who had gathered in the pit to Ameris.
“Valeria Hister and Sandra Zipple from the Balmere Alliance, and Shuri from the Crimson Jade Temple.”
[Valeria Hister. So you’re the record mage Jin mentioned.]
“Yes, I’ll be assisting Ameris in recovering his memories from now on.”
The moment Valeria slightly bowed her head, Ameris sensed a powerful aura of the Sun God lingering within her—an energy so intense that not even Orgal or anyone from the Sun God’s faith had ever detected it before.
[Hmm… You carry a type of spiritual presence I’ve never encountered before, Valeria Hister.]