[Vol. 8] Chapter 205: There Are Always the Nameless Who Protect in Silence
It was clear now, if one wanted to become the World-Devouring Serpent, it didn’t matter whether they obtained the Scales, the Shed Skin, the Blood, the Fangs, or the Heart. These were just tools, mediums used to resonate with the true essence of the Serpent. Different paths, same destination. All would eventually lead to the same final result.
As the connection with the Serpent deepened, the chosen inheritor would gain more and more power. But at the same time, that eternal and unshakable will from beyond the world would slowly merge with them and begin to influence them without them even realizing it.
This… was the price of power.
After turning into the [Magic-Devouring Flying Serpent], the earth dragon Tartanos lost its reason, becoming a mindless beast that acted only on instinct. Even so, the Serpent’s will still influenced it. And Ashnard, who chose to fuse with it and compete for control over its core, was no exception.
Ashnard, Tartanos, and the will of the World-Devouring Serpent. These three forces together made up the being that had existed beneath the Chaos Magic Valley all this time. Until now, Ashnard’s mind had always held the upper hand. But as 300 years passed, his soul gradually grew weaker, and the balance among the three began to shift.
Ashnard understood this clearly. That’s why he needed to introduce a new “presence” into the mix, someone who could disrupt the balance and prevent either of the other two from fully taking control of the Serpent’s power, which would otherwise bring disaster to the outside world.
And the person he chose... was that young scholar now lying outside.
If that group hadn’t accidentally entered Chaos Magic Valley and been devoured by Tartanos’s instincts, this task might have originally gone to the Swift Wind Sword Saint. He was strong, and his willpower had been sharpened over the years to an impressive level. He could have suppressed Tartanos more easily and resisted the Serpent’s will.
But everyone has personal feelings. Taking on this responsibility, while it would give the person great power, also meant carrying a burden they could never escape, a fate that was almost certain. Ashnard didn’t want his younger brother to follow in his footsteps. So, he chose someone else.
In a way, this was a kind of “blessing” from the World-Devouring Serpent. In terms of sheer power, it was no weaker than the blessings and protection offered by any god.
It was just... a little strange. More accurately, it could be called a blessing with a curse.
Along the way, Violet had already seen several beings who had the Serpent’s blood in their bodies for one reason or another. Their condition was always extremely dangerous, and they had almost no chance of surviving on their own. But if they did manage to survive and use their willpower to control that power, the rewards they gained would be incredible.
And those past encounters were likely just a tiny part of the Serpent’s power. Just side effects from the ruins resurfacing in the world or from Tartanos slowly awakening and spreading its influence. Compared to someone receiving the true origin power, the difference was huge and obvious.
At that moment, a question that had puzzled Violet for a long time rose again in her mind.
What exactly is the World-Devouring Serpent?
It seemed like a god, but wasn’t really one. It was eternal and indestructible, yet its existence somehow felt higher than any divine being. Even the mysterious Twilight Council, made up of gods themselves, had chosen it as their symbol.
Was it also a creature created by the Primordial Light?
If so, why would a creator make an undying being meant to destroy the world?
Violet didn’t have a clear answer. Even now, she could only form vague guesses.
Dawn had spent her life in the Spirit Realm and had almost no contact with that thing. As for Sethlin, the former Goddess of Earth, she had participated in a few campaigns to hunt down the Serpent, but according to her, the gods had only ever fought versions of it that had just revived and hadn’t fully grown. Some stronger, some weaker. They weren’t enough to give a clear understanding.
This mysterious creature, whose origin was completely unknown and who might have existed since the dawn of creation, was likely far older than even the Goddess of Earth herself.
There was even a story that the very first World-Devouring Serpent, Jörmungandr, was only slain because the Primordial Light personally intervened. Every generation the gods fought afterward was just a weaker, incomplete version.
Even so, according to Sethlin, even the weakest form of the World-Devouring Serpent was powerful enough to rival upper-tier gods. And if it ever managed to devour a broken world or two and evolve… it might very well reach the level of a Main God, or even surpass that.
That was how terrifying the Serpent truly was. It was not bound by the world’s rules, and its growth had no limits.
[World Devourer], as its name suggests, grows stronger the more it consumes. If it were allowed to continue evolving without limits, it might one day devour not only all known worlds, but even the gods and the laws of existence themselves.
It is the enemy of all living things and all worlds. That’s why, whenever the World-Devouring Serpent appears in any corner of the world, even evil gods who normally side with chaos will unite to destroy it at any cost.
So when Hen once told Violet that the Twilight Council used the World-Devouring Serpent as their symbol because they viewed it as their greatest enemy, and that they were in direct opposition to the [World Sustainers], she hadn’t been too surprised.
Although the Twilight Council’s true goals still remain unclear, it’s certain they’re not trying to destroy all worlds.
Evil gods may want to rule over everything and do as they please, but ultimately, they’re still driven by their own desires and ambitions. For example, the God of Subversion and Paradox always acts with clear intentions. But the Serpent seems to want to reduce everything to nothing. If all the worlds are destroyed, then what would the gods even have left to rule?
As Violet slowly brought her wandering thoughts back in line, she turned her gaze again to the young man in front of her, now reduced to only a soul.
His figure was becoming more and more transparent. But this time, it wasn’t because of an attack or outside influence.
“You don’t have much time left.”
“Heh, yeah… living as a mere remnant of a soul for nearly 300 years, keeping that monster quietly sleeping underground... I’ve finally reached my limit. But... at least I’ve found a successor.”
“That kid Rowan has a good heart and a strong will. With Bevis helping him, maybe he’ll do a better job than I ever did. If it’s possible, Miss Violet... I hope you’ll keep an eye on him from time to time. I dragged him into this storm, but now I have little left to offer in return.”
Ashnard shook his head helplessly, but his expression remained calm. There was no fear or sorrow, even as he faced the end of his existence.
Violet raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
“…You don’t feel bitter about any of this? After all, none of it had anything to do with you in the first place. You and Bevis just got caught up in it by accident. They say people can’t live without something to hold onto, and a soul without a body needs a strong obsession to keep existing. I’m curious, what was it that kept you going for these 300 years?”
“Were you trying to protect the world?”
Faced with the direct question, the young man simply smiled and shook his head.
“Maybe I felt some regret at the start. But after so long, most of those feelings have faded away. What’s left now... is just a simple hope.”
“I’m not some noble, selfless saint who made it his mission to protect the world. But the White Dragon King always taught us, ‘Those who stand between heaven and earth must know what they should and should not do.’ There are still things in this world I care about. And when disaster comes, who can say they won’t be caught in it?”
“I wasn’t protecting the world. I just wanted to protect... that one small light that I care about.”
“…Not the world, huh.”
Looking at the calm and honest expression on his face, Violet was silent for a while before gently nodding.
Those words might sound simple. But in truth, very few people in the world could truly live them out.
And yet... such people do exist.
Spending three centuries of life quietly guarding something they cherish. This nameless older brother of the famous Sword Saint had done just that. Just like the Qilin in the Ancient Spirit Realm, who kept silent company with a coffin deep beneath the sea for a thousand years, just to suppress a single Feather of Destruction.
There may not be many like them, but it’s because of these few protectors, and the fragile lights they keep alive, that the world can continue on.
Violet was a willful person. If she had been in the same situation, she couldn’t say for sure she would have made the same choice Ashnard did. But that didn’t stop her from feeling genuine respect for what he had done.
“Alright. I’ll remember this. But before we finish, there’s still one more question.”
“Please ask, Miss Violet.”
“Mm… do you know what those people outside are actually after?”
Understanding what the girl meant without needing her to explain, Ashnard thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.
“...About that, I don’t know much about this so-called Austre Empire, so I can’t say for sure. But I do have some guesses.”
“I think they’re probably after the Heart inside Rowan’s body. As for why... it might be related to the revival of the World-Devouring Serpent.”
“Miss Violet, you already understand the basic idea behind how the Serpent revives. It begins with one of its leftover body parts, gradually resonates and evolves, and eventually takes on the complete power of the World Devourer. That’s the most common and, so far, the only known method. But… you’ve seen the flaws in it too.”
“Setting aside the fact that the process is long, hard, and filled with suffering, even if someone does succeed in becoming the Serpent, in the end they’re just a vessel for that vast, overwhelming will. It’s not exactly giving everything away, but they definitely lose control over themselves.”
“And even then, the Serpent that’s born this way isn’t that strong at first. It has to keep devouring things, constantly fighting against nearly all life in the world, destroying everything in its path just to grow stronger. The resistance it would face is... obvious.”
He paused there, and the air inside the cave seemed to grow heavier and more serious.
“But… what if there’s actually more than one way to bring the Serpent back?”
“What if, and this is just a guess, there’s another method, one that’s more complex and difficult, but also more complete. A method that allows the inheritor to escape that cursed Will, not become the Serpent’s puppet, but instead become a brand new being, one that directly gains power equal to or even greater than the original World-Devouring Serpent. Miss Violet, what do you think that would look like?”
Violet frowned, clearly deep in thought about such a possibility, but in the end, she simply shook her head.
Ashnard mirrored her response.
“Exactly. I don’t know either. This is just a baseless theory of mine. But I can’t help feeling like the current method of reviving the Serpent is incomplete.”
“There might be others, people or beings who understand the Serpent much better, who actually do know of such a method. Why they haven’t used it yet… maybe there are certain conditions that haven’t been met, or maybe the right time hasn’t come. But...”
“I have this gut feeling, the people outside might be part of that other method. Maybe they’re just pawns, but whoever’s behind them, whoever’s pulling the strings, they must know something.”
After sharing his thoughts, Ashnard gave a small smile.
“As for what that something is, how to deal with it, or whether it’s even worth investigating... that’s for those of you who are still alive to decide. Who knows, maybe the people outside are just really kind-hearted, maybe they thought Bevis couldn’t handle Tartanos on his own and came to help.”
“Yeah, right. Like they’re that generous...”
Violet scoffed. Given the kinds of things the Imperial Intelligence Agency had done in the past, she found it impossible to match them with the kind and helpful image Ashnard was joking about. Expecting those people to go out of their way to help for no reason was about as realistic as believing the Twilight Council were selfless heroes fighting for world peace.
“Heh, well, I wouldn’t know. Three hundred years ago, this country called Austre was just a tiny place. I’d heard of it, but it wasn’t anything impressive. Who’d have thought that after all this time, it would become such a huge power?”
Having spent centuries asleep underground with Tartanos, almost everything Ashnard knew came from Bevis’s visits and whatever his consciousness could sense around the valley.
“The world is full of surprises. Like how before I came here, I never imagined this place would be hiding such a complicated past... or that I’d meet people I hadn’t planned to.”
“Heh, yeah, me neither...”
Ashnard seemed like he wanted to say more, but in the end, he just smiled and nodded, burying the rest in silence. His body, already nearly transparent, finally faded away completely, leaving behind only a quiet farewell.
“Then… I’ll leave the rest to all of you.”
As his figure disappeared, the glow of the campfire and the cave around them also faded, vanishing like a dream.
The man known as Ashnard Bernard was gone.
This time, he would not return.