Chapter 67: Endless Death Cycle
"And after all this time..."
"It seems the game has finally begun."
The two stared at each other as the wind rustled gently through the air, making the old man’s robes flutter softly. Yet he didn’t seem fazed by it in the slightest.
Amon’s danger sense surprisingly remained calm.
It was so eerily calm that Amon almost believed the man posed no threat to him. However, the moment he tried to sense the old man’s rank, he realized he could sense nothing at all.
’That can’t be possible...’
Amon immediately rejected the thought.
He had witnessed the old man appear out of thin air with his own eyes, so how could he possibly be an ordinary human?
Amon could only conclude that the man had concealed his strength, and even his danger sense couldn’t pierce whatever method he was using.
Suddenly, the old man smiled.
It was a strange, unsettling smile.
One that sent a chill crawling down Amon’s spine.
"You cannot sense my strength because I don’t exist anymore."
The old man spoke gently, as though addressing his own child.
"What do you mean?" Amon suppressed the impulse to leave using Close Yet So Far and asked curiously.
"I’ll show you."
Before Amon could react, the old man was standing directly in front of him.
Amon felt reality distort ever so slightly.
The next instant, two fingers gently tapped against his forehead.
His perception twisted violently.
It felt as though his soul had been ripped free from his body.
Amon’s soul floated effortlessly in midair.
Glancing downward, he saw his body still standing there beneath him, clad in the leather jacket and Butcher’s mask.
It was as though his physical form had been frozen within a single moment of time, unable to move even slightly.
The president’s expression was frozen in the exact same manner.
Amon looked around in confusion.
Then a voice drifted into his ears.
"Let me take you to the beginning of it all. To where the game started."
Amon was perplexed, but with no way to resist, he could only listen.
The moment the old man’s voice faded, reality distorted once more.
Then Amon witnessed a calamity unlike anything he had ever seen.
Countless mountains crumbled.
Rivers burst apart and flooded the land.
Cities lay in ruins.
Monsters roamed freely, slaughtering every human they could find.
The monsters seemed to possess some method of tracking people down, ensuring that not a single survivor escaped their grasp.
Humanity fought back.
But it was all for nothing.
In the end, mankind was destroyed.
Yet a single building remained.
Inside that building stood only a boy and a woman.
After countless years passed, they slowly rebuilt civilization.
The world advanced rapidly, and Amon watched thousands of years flash by in the blink of an eye.
Before long, ruin descended once more.
The planet was plunged into an abyss-like hell, reducing the world to the same devastated state as before.
Yet there was one striking similarity.
No matter how many eras passed.
No matter how different humanity became.
Whenever mankind reached the final vestiges of its existence, two humans would disappear and reappear within the tower.
The tower seemed completely cut off from reality itself.
Even the monsters could not find it.
Over time, after the survivors procreated, they would begin searching for ways to leave the tower.
And once they finally succeeded, the tower would disappear.
Vanishing as though it had never existed.
Silently waiting for the next end of humanity.
Again and again.
It was always the same.
And despite humanity changing in countless ways throughout the eras, its destruction remained inevitable.
Amon’s heart trembled at the sight.
The words spoken by the monsters echoed through his mind.
Their desire to destroy this world.
And now this vision.
He finally realized this wasn’t the first time it had happened.
In fact, it had likely happened for an incomprehensible length of time.
’How is this possible?’
The question escaped no one in particular.
Yet his heart was filled with alarm and unease.
A suffocating pressure settled over him.
He had seen hunters surpass SSS-rank before.
Yet none of them had been capable of stopping the calamity.
The Watcher’s voice echoed once more.
"At the end of each era, only two people can be preserved by the Watcher’s Tower. One male and one female, to usher in a new era of humanity. Due to the laws of the world, no race can ever truly be destroyed.
"Because of this, humans can never truly disappear. This is the duty of the Watcher, as it has been for countless years. Toward the end of every era, the Watcher is tasked with finding a successor to protect the next generation until the end. And you, kid, are the one I’ve chosen."
Amon took a moment to digest the words.
Frowning slightly, he asked evenly,
"Toward the end of an era?"
A faint sigh echoed through the void.
"Yes. The world is already heading toward imminent destruction. It is your duty as the Watcher to protect humanity until the very end, leaving your soul behind to choose the next Watcher once your time is up."
Hearing those words, Amon finally understood why he couldn’t sense the old man’s strength.
It also made him realize the burden the man had carried for who knew how long.
For a brief moment, a trace of sympathy surfaced within him.
Then another thought tugged at his mind.
Amon carefully chose his words.
"Is it possible to save more people?"
A voice filled with sadness answered.
"No."
"Many have tried, and they have all inevitably failed. The destruction of this world is something far beyond our control. Even after attaining godhood, it is impossible to escape the shackles of this world."
Amon’s response came immediately.
"Then I just have to surpass godhood."
The old man let out a bitter laugh.
"If only it were that easy."
Amon’s brows furrowed.
The old man continued.
"After wiping out all the creatures in this world, the highest rank one can attain is godhood. Surpassing it is impossible."
Amon’s expression gradually turned cold.
Impossible?
That word didn’t exist for him.
Based on what the old man had said, he would eventually be forced to choose between his wife and daughter.
There could only be one surviving male and one surviving female from each era.
In essence, either he and his wife would sacrifice themselves.
Or they would sacrifice their daughter.
Neither option was acceptable.
"No one can take me away from my family. Since the gods want destruction, then so shall it be."
Amon’s gaze was firm and unwavering.
But beneath that calm exterior, his heart churned with killing intent.
"Such killing intent..." the old man murmured.
Amon reminded him of his younger self.
But even back then...
The old man released another sigh.
He had once been exactly like Amon.
Until reality had forced the truth upon him.
The woman he loved.
Everything he cherished.
All of it had been lost in the previous era.
Whenever he recalled those memories, a trace of helplessness surfaced within his heart.
After a third sigh, the vision dissolved.
Amon’s soul returned to his body.
The old man spoke in a meaningful tone.
"Don’t try to change what must be. Going against fate will only hasten humanity’s destruction. Accept things as they are, young man."
Amon’s eyes remained cold.
He continued staring at the old man even as the old man’s figure dispersed into the wind and vanished.
...
Author’s note: Thoughts on the Chapter? Also, there will be quite a lot happening in this arc as we approach the climax of it all. I promise you all it will be one of the most epic scenes you’ve witnessed. Who do you think Amon will choose to save between his wife and daughter in the end? Find out as the novel progresses... feel free to comment your guesses below. Thank you.
