[Vol. 8] Chapter 201: The Secret Behind the Serpent’s Immortality
Even after being countered by a few sharp words, the young man named Ashnard didn’t get angry.
He simply lowered his head and looked at the broken sword in his hands, speaking softly as if to himself.
“Even if a broken sword is reforged, it can never return to what it once was. The past is already gone, and the decisions we made can never be undone. I can’t go see Bevis. If he finds out that a part of Tartanos’s origin… still holds a piece of my lingering soul, it will shake his sword heart. And that might change the outcome of the battle happening outside right now.”
“Is that so? But I think… whether he knows or not, the outcome won’t change at all~”
Ashnard paused for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle again.
“Seems like you have a lot of faith in yourself and your companions. That’s a good thing. I really can’t see through you or that golden-haired girl. So, why did you come all the way here? You’re not just here to chat with me, are you?”
“I didn’t mean it that way... But fine, that’s close enough.”
The priestess girl shrugged, not bothering to argue over the details. Instead, she calmly changed the topic.
“For me, seeking out truths and secrets is already reason enough to act. If there’s a simpler way to solve a problem, there’s no need to make a big fuss about it. And that Sword Saint is busy right now, we’re not exactly close, so I can’t just walk up and ask him, can I?”
“So, your main motivation seems to be just one word, curiosity. That actually reminds me of some powerful beings I used to know… Are you perhaps one of the Mythical Species?”
“Who knows~”
The girl didn’t give a straight answer. Ashnard just smiled in return. His figure, flickering in the firelight, seemed somewhat hazy, like an illusion. This small chamber lit by the campfire felt completely disconnected from the grotesque, snake-like tunnels outside...
And yet, it was the final stop on the entire path.
There was no doubt that heartbeat they had been hearing the whole way here, it came from this young man’s remaining soul. Ashnard, or perhaps more accurately, the "heart" of Tartanos.
“Well then, since we still have some time, and you came all this way alone because you’re interested in the past… I suppose chatting with you is no problem. May I ask your name?”
“Violet.”
Ashnard nodded thoughtfully.
“Alright then, Miss Violet. Tell me, how much do you know about a being called the World-Devouring Serpent, Jörmungandr?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me put it another way. Do you know why the World-Devouring Serpent can never truly die? Why even after being killed again and again in its battles with the gods, it always comes back, throwing the world into eternal darkness every time?”
The black-haired girl looked at him with some surprise.
“So you’re saying… you know?”
The secret behind the serpent’s immortality was something even Seth, the Goddess of Earth, had failed to uncover. That’s why the ancient gods had been unable to stop the serpent from constantly returning, no matter how many times it was defeated.
But from Ashnard’s tone, this was clearly not a question. He already knew the answer.
Ashnard gave a small nod.
“At first, of course, I didn’t know. But now that I’ve merged with the [Serpent’s Blood] and become the [Heart] of Tartanos, I’ve come to understand some secrets that normally no mortal should ever know. If Miss Violet can bring this information out, it might be just in time. I can faintly sense it, the day of its return is drawing very near. If possible, let those with power start preparing.”
“Sounds like something pretty interesting~”
Violet smiled, not giving a clear opinion, but her expression finally showed a spark of genuine curiosity.
“Go on then, if it’s really valuable, I won’t take your information for free.”
Ashnard didn’t seem to understand the deeper meaning behind her words. He simply sat up straighter, his tone suddenly more serious.
“Actually, the way most people understand the World-Devouring Serpent is completely off. The Serpent is not just an immortal monster, it was never meant to refer to a single creature. It’s a concept, a legacy, a special kind of role or position passed down across time.”
“When the original World-Devouring Serpent died, its body was split into five parts, the Scales, the Shed Skin, the Blood, the Fangs, and the Heart. Each of these parts represents a different trait of the Serpent and carries its own inheritance. Any living being that comes into contact with one of these parts, and survives the test of its power and will, gains the chance to become the next Serpent.”
“That’s the truth behind why the Serpent keeps dying and coming back over and over again. The Serpent never truly dies, because its legacy never disappears. As long as living beings still exist in the world, it’s only a matter of time before someone randomly finds one of the five parts. Whether they succeed or fail, the chances keep building up. Sooner or later, a new World-Devouring Serpent will be born again.”
“It’s always been this way, and it still is.”
“A legacy, huh...”
Violet looked thoughtful. That was interesting, something she had never heard before.
Even Sethlin, the ancient goddess who had lived for tens of thousands of years, only knew that the Serpent was a being that couldn’t be truly killed.
No matter what, it would eventually return. That’s why the gods had chosen to seal it away together, instead of wasting their strength trying to destroy it again and again.
But sealing it wasn’t a perfect solution either. It only delayed the return, stretching out the time between each reappearance.
Sethlin had always assumed that the sealed Serpent, realizing it would never escape, chose to destroy itself and start anew. But…
Ashnard’s version of the truth gave Violet a brand-new perspective.
If what he said was true, if the Serpent wasn’t a single being, but a legacy that passed its power on to others…
Then many things suddenly made a lot more sense.
Even without knowing exactly what those five Serpent-related items were, or how they could turn others into the World-Devouring Serpent.
If they had the ability to seek out living hosts on their own and scatter again after their host died, then sealing really would be an effective method.
Because it seemed obvious, as long as the current Serpent was still alive, the next one would never appear.
But that raised a new question. If there were five different items related to the Serpent, and each one could create a new Serpent…
Then why, according to Sethlin, did every single Serpent in history always seem to have the same powers?
Shouldn’t there be five different forms, not just one?