Chapter 120 - 120 Memory Fragment

120 Memory Fragment

In the 14th Void Sovereign’s domain, the deeper meaning of the Lighthouse of Hope was the concept of a shore that could never be reached. Hope was precious because it couldn’t be reached.

Therefore, unless one had the soul imprint of the owner of this place, no one could cross the Sea of Despair to reach here.

This was also why Valk told William that the Father of the Crows’ soul fragment was a circus ticket.

The four Void Sovereigns who had placed their bets on Coles followed the mark he left behind into the tower. They transformed into their appearances as believers and sat on stone chairs, looking around the surrounding round table hall with interest.

“I thought that you had completely absorbed his remaining power before we came in… Are you still not used to betrayal? Or do you need our help?”

Beatrice, the Whispering Empress, muttered softly as if She was dissatisfied with the other party’s efficiency. Her face was covered by a layer of black muslin, and She wore a pitch-black crown.

A pale man with a noose around his neck, bulging eyes, and a slightly purple tongue waved his hand elegantly like a fallen leaf. Then, he said in a rising and falling cadence,

“After all, a thousand-year-old friend is about to turn to dust. Wouldn’t it be too unromantic not to give him such private time?”

The Pale Poet, Pock, was the Void Sovereign who wielded the authority of hanging and drowning. His Moon Realm, Wanderers’ Graveyard, symbolized all suicides and accidents in Currere. Legend had it that all drowned people would see his figure floating in the water before they died.

Among the Void Sovereigns, Pock could be considered as the one possessing humanity.

Of course, the so-called humanity was only relative to the moral standards of the Lunar Monsters.

The Lady of Starvation, Camilla, said, “There’s still plenty of time. After all, that person hasn’t arrived.”

“Absorb the power of the remains first.”

As Beatrice spoke, She threw a blood-stained dagger at Coles.

“Let’s begin.”

The simple dagger slid along the obsidian round table to Coles’s hand. The latter picked it up and found it cold to the touch.

“Betrayal,” Coles muttered.

It was unknown if he was repeating the Whispering Empress’s words or saying the dagger’s name.

Betrayal, or rather, the Traitor’s Dagger.

Used on an enemy, the divine artifact forged by the Whispering Empress would drain the user’s powers and provide them to the enemy, but if used on a friend, it would draw the power of the friend to itself.

The distinction between friend and foe depended on their understanding of each other.

“Ms. Beatrice, you want me to use this?” Coles asked in disbelief.

Back in the Holy Sepulchre, after Blake found out about his plan, he didn’t even hesitate to throw Judgment 4 at him.

From this, one could imagine what the other party thought of him.

“Just use it without worry. There’s not much room for you in the other party’s remaining memories.”

That was all the Whispering Empress Beatrice replied.

Coles hesitated for a moment before walking to Blake’s remains with the dagger.

No matter how much the Whispering Empress loved the act of betrayal, she could not do so for the birth ritual of the 14th Void Sovereign. Compared to his relying on a soul fragment to absorb the other party’s remaining strength, it was naturally more efficient to use the Traitor’s Dagger.

“The effect will be better if you stab him from behind.”

Beatrice informed him.

Coles had planned on doing so without Her special reminder.

For some reason, he didn’t want to see the other party’s face while doing all of this.

After circling behind the other party, he took a deep breath and stabbed the dagger in his hand into the other party’s body through the gap in Blake’s armor.

The cold dagger instantly became scorching hot, burning his palm like a soldering iron.

Boundless power was transmitted to his body through the dagger, accompanied by scattered memories that constantly flashed through Coles’s mind like fragments.

That was what had sustained him to this day.

…

“I heard that there are hundreds of Lunar Monsters in the sewers. Are you sure you don’t need a helper?”

A gray-haired, silver-eyed man wearing an apprentice robe and holding an inferior magical medium warned him.

“Thank you. I’m more used to taking revenge myself,”

he replied after removing the huge sword tied to his back.

“Are you planning on solving all the problems yourself?” the person continued asking.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he kicked open the barricade and walked into the darkness.

…

Two wounded men leaned against the dirty sewer wall. Around them were the corpses of monsters that were constantly turning into black salt crystals and dissipating.

“I already said that there’s no need for you to… meddle…” the man said as he coughed.

“You died here the last time I didn’t meddle,” the gray-haired magic chanter replied.

“Last time?”

“Ahem, it’s probably a dream.”

The man didn’t ask further. He turned his head away and looked at the spider-shaped Lunar Monster bound by shadows at the end of the sewers.

“Why didn’t you kill it too?”

“Do you see that sword? This is the goal of their trip, a weapon that can completely eliminate them. If you agree to our suggestion now, this sword will be yours.”

…

“When the end is near, we will begin to watch. We are lonely lamps in the long night, silent blades in the darkness, and a firm high wall in front of the calamity. When doubts arise, we are determined; when hatred is overflowing, we are merciful; when the end is near, we are fearless…”

…

“…I summoned all the Judges here today because I have something important to announce. I will leave you forever…”

…

“Blake, you and I will control the authority of the 14th Void Sovereign together. As long as we advance as a Void Sovereign while the Moon Realm is sealed off, we can monopolize the emotions of the entire Vic Continent and strengthen ourselves. When that happens, even if the seal is unlocked one day, we can…”

“This is the reason why you did this? You didn’t hesitate to kill tens of thousands of Thorn City citizens for this?”

“To save the tens of millions of people in the Vic Continent. You should know better than me that this isn’t all the people who will die every month because of a war.”

“Coles, is this all because you removed your Crowman seal? I never knew you were so crazy.”

“It hasn’t been unsealed. Everything I say and do is out of my personal will.”

…

“Blake, I can’t do this. You don’t have much will left. If I let you stir up a storm in the Shattered Sea now, you will…”

“Not now, but from now on, until either of us dies, the storm will always protect your country.”

“I can’t do that.”

“But I have to do this, Remides. This is the only thing I can do for you now—leave a spark of resistance. No matter how long it takes to ignite it.”

“Are you still convinced that the Presiding Judge will return?”

“Since it’s already confirmed that he’s not dead, he will return, just like how he returned to the sewers of Blackrock City and saved me back then. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to last till he arrives this time.”

“…Then, if he really returns, what do you wish to say to him?”

“Sorry, I couldn’t do more.”