Only Death and God's Judgment Are Inevitable

In the God-Servant City.

Candles specially made by the Oil Temple were inserted into the chandelier hanging in the palace chamber. As they burned, they emitted a strange fragrance that calmed one's mind.

The chandelier and pillars were gilded, and the candlelight reflected off them, casting a dark golden hue that accentuated the palace's luxury and grandeur.

Pure silver cutlery adorned the long stone table, and a gentle breeze lifted the curtains, brushing against Henir's shell.

King Henir gripped the Yinsai scepter with both hands, his once-proud form now hunched and frail, nearly folding in on itself.

He had been injured while quelling a rebellion with Prince Weishi in his youth. He hadn't felt it much when he was young, but as he aged, all the pain erupted.

An attendant carefully approached him and whispered.

"Your Majesty," the attendant said softly, "it's time for your meal."

King Henir waved him away; he had no appetite.

He was considerably older than Stan Tito, becoming king when he was nearing middle age, and it took many more years to unify Yinsai.

Now, weakness and illness had begun to entwine themselves around him.

King Henir switched hands to support himself with the scepter, only to find that even his movements had become stiff due to the hardening of his shell plates.

"Ah!"

"I have truly grown old!"

His voice, when it came out, was hoarse and dry.

No matter how powerful, no matter how much he possessed, no matter how all the Trilobite Men were changing according to his will.

Yet when faced with the passage of time and years, he seemed so fragile.

The prince, who had been standing silently behind Henir, suddenly spoke: "Father."

"You are still young. All of Yinsai hopes you will lead us forever."

Henir waved his hand: "There's no need for such self-deception in front of me."

He turned around: "When you become king, you must be more cautious. Listen less to such nonsense. One must know oneself."

"A mistake is a mistake, and old age is old age."

"You can refuse to admit defeat, you can refuse to admit mistakes."

"But you must be clear and discerning in your heart. Otherwise, you're not a king, but a puppet manipulated by others."

At his son's urging, he sat at the table and began to eat.

But after a few bites, Henir could eat no more.

Somewhat weary, he lay down on the long chair and fell asleep. His son beckoned to an attendant, who brought a thin blanket to cover Henir.

Faced with their current life, everyone felt that they had once been a group of savages living in a primitive age.

Even those who were once kings couldn't enjoy what a small country noble could now.

In just a few decades, the entire world of Yinsai had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The power of miracles, true to its name, had brought miracles to everyone.

Henir lay on the long chair and had a long dream.

This dream was deep and heavy, making him feel as if he had fallen into the deep sea, unable to surface.

He dreamed of his younger self, riding the powerful Ruhe beast, the Burrowing Demon Worm, piercing through the sea surface.

Ah! In those days, he had been so vigorous, his eyes blazing with ambition.

At this moment, a messenger from God's realm suddenly appeared before him. He was somewhat frightened and flustered but pretended to be calm and composed.

Even when facing God's messenger, he still proudly wanted to maintain his dignity.

He couldn't remember clearly what the messenger had said to him at first.

But he did remember one sentence.

"Henir."

"You will eventually grow old, and you will eventually lose everything."

"Only the realm of God is eternal."

"One day, you will regret the choice you make today."

Then, he dreamed of the Star Luo Queen.

He saw himself accepting the queen's conferment, and he also saw the scene of the Sky Beast losing control and killing the Star Luo Queen.

He dreamed of his father, that aloof and cold tyrant, in whose eyes even his own son was nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed at any time.

He dreamed of the King of Sele, whose head he had cut off with his own hands, and his desperate gaze and final curse.

Finally, he dreamed of an indistinct figure.

It was a completely featureless shadow, standing on a boat, quietly watching him.

"Henir."

"I am waiting for you."

Henir awoke from his dream with a start, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Who was that?"

"No, it was just a dream."

After a long while, he finally calmed down.

"Henir!" he asked himself. "Are you... afraid of death?"

He stood up, had an attendant call for his son, then walked out of the palace with him.

Looking at the world outside, he suddenly spoke.

"Let's go for a walk."

"Let's... see the sea, and also visit some old friends."

His son wanted to advise against it, after all, given Henir's status, as well as his physical condition and age, going to sea was quite a dangerous thing to do.

But Henir's next words immediately cut off his son's objections.

"This might be... the last time I see the outside world."

Henir sounded somewhat melancholic, his words full of weakness and helplessness.

"When I was young, I always thought the whole world was at my feet, that I could control everything."

"Who would have thought."

"That one day, even wanting to go out for a walk would become such a luxury and precious thing."

On this day, a large ship arrived at the Island of Mist.

Many people disembarked, led by a tall middle-aged man, slightly younger than Sandean.

He had the facial features of the Hosen family, but also the shell characteristics of the Xilong family.

The newcomer was Henir's son, who would be the king of the next generation of the Henir dynasty.

Under Haru's guidance, they entered a great hall where Sandean was embedding the "Sugar Ritual Array" stone tablet into the hall's wall.

This was the Temple of Truth. Whenever a new derivative ritual array or divine technique appeared, a stone tablet would be placed in the temple.

"Great Sage of Truth."

"King Henir wishes to see you. He longs to see you, his old friend."

Sandean didn't turn around, sitting atop a ladder.

"What does King Henir want to see me for?"

"I am no longer the High Priest of the Sky Temple, nor do I belong to the Henir dynasty anymore."

"Moreover, I won't leave this place, nor do I intend to set foot in the realm of Yinsai again."

Sandean considered himself a wanderer beyond Yinsai and the Abyss. He was merely an inheritor of knowledge, and after giving up his position as High Priest of the Sky Temple, he had no intention of intervening in any power struggles between the two.

From behind the prince, a male Trilobite Man wearing a black robe stepped forward.

"So," the figure said, lowering his hood, "I came personally."

A familiar face was revealed under the hood—it was Henir.

Sandean immediately turned his head to look, surprised. He never imagined Henir would come to see him in person.

He hurriedly descended the ladder.

"Your Majesty?"

"How did you come here?"

The two men looked at each other, both feeling the passage of time in the other.

The last time they met, Sandean was still a somewhat naive youth, while King Henir was in his prime and at his most glorious.

Sandean observed King Henir for a long moment, then said with a heavy sigh, "You've grown old."

Sandean spoke as directly as ever, not caring if his words might offend the king.

The two walked around the Island of Mist. Henir gazed in wonder at the Temple of Truth that Sandean had built. He watched the priests and Abyss knights who had come to learn at the temple, their diverse backgrounds a testament to the temple's inclusive nature.

Here, there was no distinction of power or status.

There was only knowledge and truth.

Henir finally fully understood why Sandean had left the Sky Temple: "Is this Stan Tito's ideal?"

Sandean shook his head: "My teacher's ideal was for Trilobite Man civilization to enter the next era. Building this Temple of Truth is my ideal."

"I'm not as great as my teacher, nor do I dare to imagine such a grand ideal."

"Building such a temple of knowledge is the limit of what I can do."

Henir: "But you are an important force driving civilization forward. You personally ignited the light of miracles."

The two talked about many things, and finally, Henir spoke of the purpose of his visit.

His voice was somewhat heavy, his gaze serious as he looked at Sandean.

"Sandean, I want to know if there's any way to avoid it when the final judgment comes."

At this moment.

King Henir's eyes revealed a fearful look.

He had thought he had never feared anyone in his life, calling himself one who swam against the current.

But as he approached death, as his body became fragile and powerless.

Faced with that immortal deity, he felt more and more awe.

What power in this world could be greater than eternity?

He feared entering the realm of God, he feared accepting God's judgment.

He had done too many inglorious things in his life, he had too much darkness that couldn't be mentioned, even though he also had much light and greatness.

He couldn't be sure if his light could outweigh the darkness of his life.

But he equally feared becoming a masterless spirit, forever wandering outside God's realm.

Sandean looked at King Henir, seeing the fear and terror in him.

At the root of it all.

All this fear stemmed from one name.

Death.

He sighed, realizing that even a being like King Henir could become so fearful and fragile when facing life's final challenge.

But in the end, Sandean shook his head, refusing King Henir.

"You're asking an inheritor of the saint's will to tell you how to avoid God's judgment?"

Sandean said to Henir: "Your Majesty!"

"In this world, you can have everything when you're alive. You can rule over all beings from on high, you can enjoy all the treasures and miracles of this world."

"But only death and God's judgment are inevitable."

"No matter who you are."

"Whether king, noble, commoner, slave, or denizen of the Abyss Kingdom."

"No one can escape these two things. King Redlichia couldn't, King Yesael couldn't, my teacher Saint Stan couldn't."

"You."

"Can't either."

Henir had expected this. He wasn't surprised; perhaps he had just come seeking an answer.

He finally asked Sandean.

"You say my end."

"Will it be a beautiful dream?"

"Or an eternal nightmare?"

Sandean bowed to King Henir: "That, only you yourself know."

"People can deceive others, but they can't deceive themselves."