[Vol. 7] Chapter 288: The Sticky Threads
“...?”
Just as Violet was deep in thought, she suddenly felt a strange discomfort, like something unknown was watching or interfering with her. This uneasy feeling passed directly through her spiritual awareness, even piercing the protection of the [Eternal Light of Protection], and made her instinctively raise her head to look up toward the far top of the crystal-like golden barrier.
For the first time, her eyes met the "gaze" of the giant swirling vortex in the sky, a core that looked both like an eye and something grand beyond description.
Ah… so this is what Fate really is.
There was no fear, no panic. Even the sense of mystery that she had felt at first slowly faded as she got closer and began to understand. When truly face to face with its presence, Violet felt unusually calm. All that remained was a clear, instinctive understanding of something she couldn’t fully explain.
…Sticky.
Countless threads of fate and cause-and-effect from the past, present, and future, woven together into a massive tangled mess, wrapped around her like an invisible spiderweb. Just by looking at it, she felt as though invisible ropes were tightening around her body, making it hard to move.
That enormous “eye,” larger than a city… the endless dark clouds that covered almost every corner of the plains… they weren’t real clouds, nor were they illusions made from magic or tricks.
They were the result of countless fates. every choice and every result in the history of the world, all gathering together into one massive form. When such a thing appears in the real world, it becomes something heavy and dirty like this, a super-causal entity beyond time.
It’s the shadow that touches everything but is seen by no one.
It is the dark side of the [Tree of Creation].
This is… the [Wheel of Fate].
The stronger a being is, and the longer they live, the more they care about their own destiny. Because once someone becomes immortal, free from aging or even the limits of life itself, these invisible threads become even more dangerous than they are to ordinary people.
That’s probably why, even though they had the power to resist it, the gods of ancient times still avoided any contact with the [Wheel of Fate]. They feared it. Because of that, the agents who served fate were often ignored and pushed away, forced to find their own paths.
Now that she was standing in front of it herself, Violet finally understood what those gods were so afraid of.
Dark clouds filled the sky. The heavy dusk pressed down over the city. Just one glance at that swirling eye in the sky was enough to cause countless sticky threads of fate to rush toward her, like hungry sharks that had found a sweet meal.
Gods are beings that exist beyond fate and cause-and-effect. Their bodies are pure and untouched by the world’s filth, constantly cleansing away any leftover “waste” from their existence. But because of that, they actually become ideal targets, drawing in “dirty things” more easily than normal living beings.
It’s just like pouring black ink into a pool. The ink always spreads toward the clearest parts. Fate works in a similar way.
Right now, the leftover, filthy pieces of fate, those that didn’t belong to Violet, and didn’t belong to anyone anymore, were flowing toward her like water breaking through a dam.
These remains, built up over the world’s long history, finally found a way to escape. They reached out to her, sticky and tangled like threads of string, making Violet instinctively feel sick and disgusted.
The [Wheel of Fate] is a spirit of law and order, it doesn’t have a will or mind of its own. That’s why even when it takes in all this messy fate, it still works without issue. But for living beings with a mind, it’s different. That may be the very reason why the “Rules” never allow “Fate” to gain a mind or self-awareness.
The world’s fate is simply too vast and complicated. No single being, not even a god, could ever carry it all.
“Hmph!”
Just as the sticky fate-threads were about to touch her, Violet gave a sharp shout. The gem at the top of her [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart] lit up with a powerful glow. A wave of divine energy burst out like fire, burning all the nearby threads to nothing in an instant.
The heavy, sticky air around her vanished. Even breathing suddenly felt easier and lighter.
“As I thought...”
Violet nodded quietly to herself.
Fate is hard to deal with, but it isn’t unstoppable. Just like how the [Agents of Fate] use special shields mixed with space and fate magic to protect themselves, Violet had also learned how to interfere with fate after her trip to the Ancient Spirit Realm. That was the reason she had the courage to get involved and investigate the [Wheel of Fate].
After successfully blocking the strange influence from the giant eye in the sky, Violet felt a bit more at ease. In the middle of all this chaos, she glanced toward “Carinvega,” who stood not far away. A soft glow shot from her staff, and the attributes she had taken earlier returned to Carinvega’s body.
As her power returned, the red-haired girl immediately felt refreshed. The crack in her body at her fingertips healed on its own without effort. She looked down at herself by instinct, then glanced at the priestess with a slightly helpless expression.
[Even if you return my power, my current form still isn’t strong enough to fight my real body head-on. You really are a powerful god. You can even block the effects of Fate for now. But if you can’t stop my real body from locking onto me…]
Seeing that she was about to start a long explanation again, the priestess quickly waved her hand, telling her to stay focused on the situation.
After all, the black lightning in the sky was still raining down on the [Eternal Light of Protection] with endless strikes. It clearly wasn’t the time to be having a relaxed chat.
[Alright, alright. When did I ever say I needed your help? Just stand quietly at the side and get ready. Honestly, this whole situation is still within my expectations.]
[Within your expectations...?]
"Carinvega" tilted her head slightly, but as expected, she stopped just before taking action. Still, she couldn’t help giving a reminder.
[I understand your power now. To be honest, you're more than capable of holding the defense. But you still lack something sharp enough to break the stalemate. Even if your opponent can't defeat you right away, are you planning to stay by my side forever, keeping your full defenses up like this?]
“Hmm… strong defense, but not enough attack, huh...”
Even though it was a rather blunt criticism, Violet didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she nodded with a soft laugh, as if she agreed completely.
[You're right. After all, I’ve always been a priestess. I’m the team’s shield, healing a bit here, casting some buffs there, that’s about my limit. Fighting weak monsters is fine, but those hot-blooded battles where you go all out against strong enemies? No thanks~]
The red-haired girl frowned slightly, sensing there was something deeper in those words.
[So...?]
Violet smiled faintly.
[So, I’ve been training my own "spear" too. She’s very sharp, like blazing golden flames that never go out. She’s powerful and full of energy, strong enough to burn away all this darkness in the sky.]