[Vol. 7] Chapter 285: Why Does Fate Exist?
The one who called herself the [Agent of Fate] looked deeply at the black-haired girl. In her dim silver eyes, a small flash of light seemed to appear for a moment. She shook her head and said:
[I didn’t want to fight. If you hadn’t kept pushing me, I could’ve quickly solved the problem this body is facing and hidden myself again, waiting for the right time. But now, it’s too late.]
[~]
The priestess girl shrugged. She didn’t deny that she had done exactly that, and simply replied calmly.
[Isn’t it a bit too early to say it’s “too late”? There’s always a way out in the end, right? Besides, that scary thing hasn’t even shown up yet. What I mean is, can you tell me what’s really going on here?]
The red-haired girl let out a soft sigh. Even though her strength had been cut down to only one-thousandth by the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart], it was still enough for her to talk normally. Or maybe, she had started to respect Violet’s strength. At last, she gave a slight nod.
[You asked earlier why the role of [Agent of Fate] passed from the mythical golden lion beast to this body… The answer isn’t really that complicated...]
[...I betrayed Fate.]
“Hmm?”
The priestess girl’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but unlike before, she didn’t interrupt. Instead, she quietly listened.
She had a strong feeling that what she was about to hear might not only be deeply connected to the world itself, but also to something even bigger. Perhaps the shocking truth behind the question she had been chasing all along.
Maybe noticing the black-haired girl's serious attention, “Carinvega” gave a faint, almost unnoticeable smile.
[Do you know why the [Wheel of Fate] exists?]
As she asked that question, the [Agent of Fate] didn’t really expect an answer, and quickly continued speaking on her own.
[The future isn’t just some completely unknown void. Everything in this world, the flow of the [River of Time], was already shaped the moment it was created. And the [Wheel of Fate] is the one that watches over it all. It stands above everything, even time itself, using a power called “Fate” to make sure each world moves from beginning to end exactly as planned. Even this place, known as the Origin Realm, is no exception.]
[In other words, from the moment any world is born, the moment it will end is also already decided. The process is fixed, the start and the finish are already locked in. Not even beings called gods can change or disturb this plan. That is what true Fate is.]
“CRACK!!!!”
The moment this unspoken truth was revealed, a terrifying crack suddenly opened up in the dark sky above the iron-blooded arena. It looked as if some kind of horrifying being was outside this black space, using brute force to smash and tear at its shell, trying to break the rules of the arena and force its way in.
Both Violet and "Carinvega" noticed this immediately. But with unspoken agreement, neither of them tried to do anything about it or even mention it. The only change was that they began talking slightly faster without meaning to.
[To be honest, this is the first time I’ve heard this said so clearly, but… I’ve kind of guessed something like it before. It’s the kind of knowledge that would be called forbidden, right? If someone really dug deep into the truth behind it, I bet even gods would go insane. So I’m not going to get into that. But… what does all this have to do with you betraying “Fate”?]
[It’s connected, just not directly.]
Noticing how calm and composed the priestess girl remained, even in this dangerous moment, the red-haired girl seemed to show a little more approval in her expression, and began to explain more clearly:
[You probably know that Law Spirits are concepts that exist as pure laws. They don’t have a will of their own, but they can take form through a vessel or medium. Normally, they’re considered lower than gods, like early versions of them. But there are exceptions.]
[The Wheel of Fate is actually one of these Law Spirits. But the idea and the power behind it go beyond most gods. It’s one of the strongest spirits of all, the invisible reflection of all causes, effects, and the entire world.]
[Originally, a spirit like that should have already formed its own will and become a being even greater than a main god. But because of the rules set during creation by the Primordial Light, “Fate” was forever bound to be just a watcher, an observer that stays outside the world. It could never take on a form with its own consciousness.]
[These rules were like chains, locking up the spirit that should have been born from the [Wheel of Fate]. At first, that wasn’t a big problem. But as millions of years passed, the natural will and awareness that were slowly forming inside it grew stronger and stronger. And then, one day, after a certain unexpected event, that will broke free from the [Wheel of Fate], carrying part of its power down into the mortal world. It became a living being with its own mind.]
[That is where the [Agent of Fate] came from.]
“CRACK! CRACK CRACK CRACK!!!!”
It was as if Carinvega’s words had touched on a true forbidden truth. The thin cracks in the sky above the arena suddenly began to spread rapidly, clearly visible to the eye, reaching across every part of the pitch-black space.
The pressure from outside the arena grew stronger and scarier, and even this place, the [Iron Blood Arena], was beginning to break under the strain, showing signs of falling apart.
But “Carinvega” seemed sure that whatever was out there couldn’t get in just yet. She didn’t even look at it. Like someone making a final confession, she quickly continued to reveal the secrets.
[Just like you guessed, because it carried Fate’s power, a kind of authority that no living being was supposed to have, the [Agent of Fate] started to attract the attention and support of other life forms around it. They gave it the name [Emperor Lion Beast] based on its appearance. Over time, it became the center of a growing group, even a whole kingdom. Its self-awareness also became clearer and stronger. It even tried to use its power to make life better for others.]
[But then… Fate’s backlash came.]
[The first “Emperor Lion Beast” in history was suddenly killed by an enemy’s assassination. Its mind and spirit scattered at death, and the power of Fate it had carried naturally returned to the [Wheel of Fate]. The kingdom it had built disappeared soon after its death.]
[At that time, the [Agent of Fate] didn’t know that the assassination wasn’t just a random accident. It happened because the power of Fate that had separated and taken form had started to grow too strong, to the point where it was changing the future that was originally set in stone. That triggered the [Wheel of Fate]’s automatic system to “eliminate any variables”, bringing about a result that had to happen.]