Chapter 212: Because That’s You (2)
“It’s a hypothesis. I could refine it more if I talked to Lucy, but this is roughly what I think. You know that Artshever is you, Risel, right? And he’s also said to have gone through thousands of resets. In the end, the story goes like this. The Originator within the source of parallel dimensions develops a Parallel Dimension Eruption Ability. This ability can create new parallel dimensions from other possibilities that could arise from his actions. To put it in extreme terms, even whether or not he plays a breath-holding game can create a parallel dimension.”
“So?”
“We need someone well-versed in dimensional studies, but since he’s unconscious right now, it can’t be helped. Forgive me if it’s crude. Anyway, once that ability is activated, all the information of this world is copied. Information that will be used to create a new world. In magic, they sometimes call this the Fundamental Element. In essence, it means ‘the element that makes up the world’. Metaphysics is difficult to explain, so anyway, when it’s copied and transferred like this and settles, a parallel dimension is created, ta-da! At this point, an error occurs. In the process of information copying – copy transfer – settling, a problem arises in the settling part. So, a part of that eruption ability also goes to the separated individual. An innate part that should be called Dimensional Transfer. That’s why I think Artshever might have fallen into a near-eternal reset. Caught in the ability to create parallel dimensions, like a small boat drifting in a strong current, he’s adrift in parallel dimensions.”
There are many terms that are difficult to understand, but I think I roughly understand the situation.
If you understand it in the context of a copy of a document equivalent to a national secret being created all at once, and a part of it being leaked and endlessly circulating among people, it’s not such a difficult concept.
In the end, does this mean that Artshever is an illegitimate child born from an error in this world?
Aila shrugged and said,
“It’s a hypothesis, a hypothesis. But I think the possibility is high.”
“Well, considering who came up with it, it’s bound to be.”
“Was that just now praising a smart friend, or a doting father’s bragging about his daughter?”
“Think whatever you like, my daughter.”
And Aila and I burst into laughter looking at each other.
Despite knowing the truth, this is the kind of relationship Aila and I have. It’s hard to put into words, but just like all the other intimate relationships people always form, it’s ‘this kind of relationship’.
“I think I can see my unfortunate future……”
Levidian sighed, pressing her temples. At her words, Aila laughed and said,
“Oh, come on, unfortunate? It was a harmonious family. The two of you were so harmonious that your daughter felt lonely, but a family can only be harmonious if the parents are harmonious. Hehe.”
“So stop talking about that…… I haven’t regained my sense of reality yet.”
Certainly, Levidian is a bit weak when it comes to surreal stories. I think it’s probably because she stands at the pinnacle of realistic power.
It’s something she’ll have to experience in a decade or so, so let’s stop teasing her and get back to the main topic.
“So, are you saying Artshever is a mistake made by God?”
“In my hypothesis, yes.”
“Hmm, alright. Let’s keep that in mind for now. But what’s his goal?”
“How would I know? I said it was just a guess. And you can easily make that guess too. I bet even if you told Namia or Joey, you’d come to a similar conclusion. Unni, what do you think? If you had to live for over thousands of years, going through over 1,600 deaths, what would you want to do?”
“Hmm……”
Levidian had a serious expression on her face as she pondered. Can even she, who’s weak to surreal stories, come up with something? If we follow Aila’s questioning method, that’s the conclusion we arrive at.
Eventually, she said,
“If it were me, I’d want to die. If I had to live one life continuously, it might be different, but if it’s repeating life, there wouldn’t be any meaning in life itself. Risel said it before. That he feels a little bit of emptiness. If Artshever is Risel, they’re the same person, so wouldn’t he feel the same?”
“Right? I think so too. But Risel, what do you think?”
The arrow of the question pointed towards me. Actually, most of my thoughts are the same as Levidian’s, but there’s a slight difference.
I said,
“Wanting to die…… I think he’d probably think about that after about the 100th time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This kind of speculation is also possible. People who have lived one life, or like me, are living their second life, would think he wants to die, but would he really? If he’s experienced that many lives, wouldn’t the emptiness of life or the longing for death that we think about have been greatly reduced? At the very least, he wouldn’t think much about his own death. Because he’ll come back to life again.”
“Wouldn’t think much about it?”
Levidian tilted her head. I added a bit more explanation for her.
The process of a person guessing another person’s feelings usually begins by reflecting on their own experiences. Someone who has experienced even a little bit of the pain of loss can roughly guess the loss felt by someone who’s experienced a breakup or the loss of a parent.
However, in the case of Artshever, who has lived over 1,600 lives, there’s nothing to compare it to. I could probably think about it a bit more deeply, but I don’t think he wants to die.
If I were in the same situation as Artshever, I would only think about such things after about 30 repetitions of life. And it would take about the 100th time to give up on that.
Would someone who has experienced every kind of death in the world, natural death, death from illness, death by fire, death by starvation, death by falling, death by accident, and still hasn’t died, be obsessed with dying?
I wouldn’t. If I really wanted to die, I’d rather find another way.
“What kind of method?”
“Well…… I think we need to take a bit of a leap in imagination……”
“Take a leap or a jump, just tell me. I’ll listen.”
“Yes. First, let’s discard the ridiculous hypothesis that he finds meaning in his life by enforcing justice in all parallel dimensions. Just looking at what he’s done so far, it doesn’t seem like he’s acting with such noble intentions. Maybe the opposite is more likely.”
“The opposite?”
Let’s look at the essence of why the knights of justice and heroes who defeat demon kings in stories are praised.
Viserin Herduke, my ancestor and the Originator chosen after this parallel dimension became the source, is praised continent-wide. Why? Because he saved the continent from being tormented by demons and monsters.
And the characters in stories also mainly take on the role of saving the world from crisis.
Why are they praised?
For upholding justice?
Let’s stop with childish stories. How can you uphold different values for each person? Then why are they praised? The reason is simple.
They allowed the world to continue.
They preserved the place where they lived and allowed them to continue living there in the future. Or they opened the door to a better future.
Now, let’s apply this to Artshever.
Just looking at what he’s done so far, he’s walking a path that has little to do with the continuation of the world. Summoning demons, instigating wars, and driving the multiverse where Aila lived to the brink of collapse.
In the end, he’s working towards the destruction of the world, not its continuation, leading to a somewhat absurd and leaping imagination.
The conclusion of that imagination is this:
“He’s trying to destroy the world, to kill himself as well.”
“Destruction?”
“Yes. To be precise, he wants to destroy all parallel dimensions, eliminate all possibilities of resurrection, and embrace death. This kind of speculation is possible. What do you think, Aila?”
Aila smiled serenely. It meant affirmation.
“It’s almost the same as my guess. If I can’t die, I’ll kill the world to make me die too. Just like the world I lived in, that bastard seems to be quickly looking for ways to disrupt the balance of the world.”
“With just the power of an individual……?”
“Unni, even if it’s just an individual, he can be considered the strongest among those currently alive. If he uses all the skills he possesses, even you would lose. And with his abilities, he could plunge the entire continent into war. Can we say for sure that such a thing has never happened in his 1,600 lives? The guy who even stopped time when he came to my world?”
Aila hardened her expression. She brought up something she had clearly been thinking about but hadn’t mentioned because the timing wasn’t right.
“As you may have noticed, Unni, this world is currently the source of parallel dimensions. All future parallel dimensions will branch out from here. But what if this world is destroyed? It’s as obvious as seeing fire what happens to a tree with rotten roots. At least all the worlds where Artshever, or rather ‘Risel’, exists will be destroyed. In other words, there will be no place for Artshever to ‘reset’. What happens then? Then he can finally die. Or he might think this way. This world that has caused me so much trouble, just disappear. This is simpler and easier to understand. Well, we won’t know his true intentions unless he tells us himself.”
“My thoughts are the same. If he can’t find a way to die, it would be better to destroy the world.”
Levidian listened to our conversation with a blank expression, then shook her head for a moment and wore a serious, contemplative look. In the meantime, Aila and I drank tea and waited for her thoughts to be organized.
“I understand. It’s the same as the romantic attitude of ‘if you won’t love me, I’ll kill you’, right?”
“That’s a strange example.”
“You’re right.”
Levidian smiled as if she had regained some composure. Being able to joke is quite important.
Clap, clap. Aila clapped her hands, signifying the end of the discussion.
“So, everything we’ve discussed so far is just a hypothesis. As Risel said, unfortunately, there’s no way to understand that bastard who has lived through countless lives, and we don’t know why he’s interested in his other self, Risel. And the theoretical part of the ‘reset’ I thought of is also just a hypothesis. So let’s end it here, and discuss the theoretical part when Lucy wakes up, and let’s focus on finishing the remaining war. And at the end of this war, we’ll have to have a showdown with Artshever and his unpleasant companions.”
Levidian and I agreed with Aila’s words. That’s right. Everything we can come up with now is just a hypothesis. So let’s think about something more practical for now.
She’s not just saying that because she’s another version of my daughter, she’s a really smart and good friend. Her words are always helpful.
However, I had a lump in my chest.
There’s definitely something we’re missing.
What is it?
June 1st, 378th year of the Imperial Calendar.
It’s not desirable to burden someone who has just woken up from overwork with serious concerns without giving them time to rest, but sometimes the situation forces us to do so.
Lucy listened to all the hypotheses Aila and I had come up with, with a somewhat tired face. (When we mentioned that Artshever was another version of myself from a different parallel dimension, he said, “No wonder I felt like punching him every time I saw him……” and almost got hit by me.)
He thought for a moment and then said,
“Aila, about that Parallel Dimension Eruption Ability, did you figure that out on your own?”
“I referred to various documents. To be honest, before I came to this parallel dimension, I was well over twenty years old. At that age, you would have read a lot of things, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, that’s true. Anyway, it’s amazing that you figured it out on your own. That’s ultimately what our school aims for.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Huh, is that so? I learned something I didn’t know.
Lucy crossed his arms and said with a serious expression.
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