Mem, Stelle, and Castorice all froze in place. This was information they had never heard before.
The audience was stunned as well.
Pollux was dead for quite sometime? But isn't she the Titan of Death?
Suddenly… All the scattered clues connected at this moment. The dragon. The girl. Castorice's curse, and that wish tied to Styxia that could not be fulfilled…
An extremely outrageous, yet most reasonable guess surfaced. That is, Castorice might not be an ordinary Chrysos Heir at all.
The blessing in her hands… might not be a simple curse.
It was likely a part of Death Titan's authority, the part related to death.
...
: Holy shit, the Death Titan staying in the underworld doesn't have the authority of death, so she can't send souls there, because that authority is in Castorice's hands!
: So this is the truth of Styxia?
: The cycle of life and death in Amphoreus has been chaotic for a long time!
: Then doesn't Polyxia basically have nothing in her hands? Everyone thinking she's Thanatos is just an illusion!
: Why would it be like this? Is it because Polyxia wants to revive Castorice?
: OMG...
: So does that mean Castorice has basically been half a Titan for a long time?
: None of that is the most important thing, the real impact of this news is on Castorice herself!
: She thought all those tragedies she witnessed were caused by death, so she vowed to eliminate death, but in reality, it was the absence of death that brought hell to the world!
...
The comments scrolled past. The audience realized just how shocking this revelation was.
For Castorice… all the roots of her suffering came from death.
But the true hell… was not born from death at all.
And when combined with the secrets Castorice had seen before… the true cause of everything was actually herself.
Though it was unclear what price Polyxia paid to revive Castorice, there was no doubt that the ability to grant death to others, belonged to the most fundamental power of the Death Titan.
And this… must be one of the prices.
On the screen, Castorice slightly parted her lips in shock, her mind in complete chaos.
"So... It's just as I feared..." she thought to herself.
Then she lowered her head, looking at her own hands. She had always hated these hands, since the day she was born until now.
And she despised even more the death they represented. She spent a thousand years understanding her past and making her resolve… only to now be told that everything she felt, everything she hated, was false.
For life… the true "order" had already collapsed.
In Amphoreus, death existed on two levels. The death of the body. And the death of the soul.
Only when both were complete could there be true rest.
So from a certain perspective… the world Castorice wanted to create had already been realized.
After the body dies, the soul lingers forever, carrying memories from before death.
Some powerful individuals could even retain full consciousness, like that scholar, like this alchemist.
Isn't that a kind of immortality?
After realizing this, Castorice looked blankly toward the river of souls behind her.
There, countless souls were drifting and gathering.
She thought of that scholar. After becoming a soul and retaining her consciousness, she had gained an endless lifespan.
But she wasn't happy at all, she desperately longed to achieve true death even in her soul state.
For that, she had waited a thousand years… waiting for a final release.
Only at this moment… did Castorice truly understand her.
Sometimes, death is not death, but a kind of release.
But back then, Castorice had come to a different conclusion, that it was precisely because death existed as an option that tragedies occurred.
She believed that if one could live long enough, all suffering would naturally fade.
That was why she once said those words.
But the truth was, a thousand years of "living" did not bring the scholar relief, only more endless, more despairing pain.
Once she understood this, everything else followed.
Over those thousand years, all the things she couldn't comprehend, things she ultimately blamed on death, now reappeared in her mind with entirely different explanations.
The elderly who sought death were not doing so because death existed in the world, but because of dignity.
The disgraced warrior who wished to die did so to avoid humiliation.
And for those afflicted with terminal illness, tormented by pain… living itself was the real suffering.
At such times, death instead became a form of protection, protecting their dignity, their honor.
The absence of death would not make their lives easier.
Castorice was completely lost. She stood there, frozen.
Unable to speak, not knowing what to say. Like someone who had devoted themselves to revenge… only to suddenly discover that their "enemy" never existed.
...
: Damn, this completely flips everything.
: Castorice is too pitiful.
: Such a kind girl, why torment her like this?
: Castorice has seen too little.
: The cycle of life and death, in an entropy-driven universe, is the true natural law, even in order, it remains the same.
: Now that Castorice has witnessed the real truth, I'm curious what she'll do next.
...
The audience felt sympathy for Castorice, who had suffered blow after blow. Because her intentions and nature were not bad.
She was genuinely a good person. And good people shouldn't be tortured like this.
Meanwhile, on the screen, as Castorice stood frozen, Stelle and Mem exchanged a glance, worried.
Just as they were about to speak, the alchemist suddenly said urgently,
"It's imperative that I bring the dragon back to the mortal realm and make it soar the skies again! I have long since prepared my alchemical matrix in the tower, although... I am still missing the most crucial material of all."
"I know that I am no longer capable of carrying out that task. Take this, all of you, and please, fulfill that great undertaking on my behalf..."
He pulled out a dark red, pulsating object from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf behind him.
Unexpectedly, Castorice reached out and took the object herself.
"Cas…" Stelle looked at her with concern.
"It's alright, Lady Stelle."
"I… we've already come this far. Finding Thanatos was our original goal, wasn't it?"
Castorice shook her head and spoke softly.
Just now, when her heart was lost, as if a hollow had been carved out of it, the alchemist's words pulled her back to reality, giving her a new purpose.
That's right. They had already come this far.
No matter what, she had to see Thanatos, to see the sister who once saved her.
Seeing Castorice's expression return to normal, Stelle didn't say anything more.
The group bid farewell to the alchemist and set off again.
After walking further, they saw, within the waters of the river of souls, Mydei violently battling the Black Tide monsters.
Mydei's mind was not entirely clear, yet he stubbornly refused to drift downstream with the river, instead forcing his way upstream.
Whenever he saw creations of the Black Tide being washed down by the river, he would swing his fists at them, refusing to stop until he had smashed the debris into fragments.
The atmosphere had originally been somewhat serious.
But the moment Mydei appeared, the mood instantly solidified into something else.
....
: Damn, that's awesome!
: Mydei's vibe is totally different from the other souls.
: No, how is this guy this fierce? Going upstream through the river of souls while tanking all kinds of Black Tide debuffs.
: He can barely remember his own name, but he still hasn't forgotten to punch the Black Tide twice.
: Why is this so funny?
: A true Strife Titan, I acknowledge him!
: Even in death, he fights!
....
While the audience was laughing uncontrollably, Stelle had already activated a barrier and pulled Mydei out of the river.
Without the constant scouring of the river of souls, Mydei's mind recovered somewhat.
"You...?"
His soul shook its head, speaking haltingly. "What are you doing here?"
"You're adventuring in the River of Souls, too?"
Stelle curled her lips and joked, then quickly explained everything that had happened.
After listening, Mydei finally let out a sigh of relief.
He had thought Okhema had been overrun by the Flame Reaver and the Black Tide.
Turns out it was all a misunderstanding. Good, good.
Immediately, his expression turned serious. "That black tide... is endless. My death... is only temporary. I will find my path of return... Go back to the world of the living... and continue my "protection." Let's go together."
Even without him saying it, Stelle would have invited him. And so, the three of them traveled together.
Along the way, Castorice asked a question.
"Lord Mydei, I have always wanted to... Why does Death reject you?"
Now that they understood the truth of death, the question became even more intriguing.
Since the authority of the Titan of Death was now in Castorice's hands, those who died in the world of the living would be trapped here, unable to reincarnate.
And not a single soul had ever escaped from this place.
The audience was just as curious.
After all, the life-and-death system of Amphoreus was like a bugged-out game, no one knew how broken the "code" had become.
Yet Mydei alone was unaffected.
Under Castorice's expectant gaze, Mydei gave an unexpectedly simple answer:
"I'm the one... resisting it. I must resist... the temptation to go with the flow..."
"I'll go against the current... and kill my way out of this cursed nether realm..."
"That is... my destiny."
This simple, brute-force answer left the audience stunned. The shock it brought was no less than the revelation about death earlier.
And once they processed it, they immediately burst out laughing in disbelief.
Damn it! They had all assumed Mydei had some kind of buff, some hidden secret, or maybe a deal with Thanatos.
They even imagined legends from Castrum Kremnos, like Mydei being bathed in the river of souls since childhood and gaining Thanatos' favor.
They truly believed it! But now they were being told, this guy had nothing.
No buffs, no secrets. Just insane strength and sheer endurance.
He was literally resisting the river of souls with pure willpower and spirit! What the hell, this is some superman stuff!
....
: Insane!"
: Even if Thanatos stood in his way, he'd still catch a punch from Mydei!
: Mydei: What the hell is death? Eat this punch!
: So 'resisting death' really just means literally resisting it, holy crap.
: This guy is ridiculously fierce. This is absurd.
: Amphoreus swimming champion, Mydei.
: If Mydei competes in swimming, just declare him the winner immediately.
: Hahaha, if anyone objects, just ask: what river are you swimming in?
: The funniest part is, the first time Mydei went to the underworld, he was a baby, his dad threw him into the river of souls!
: What a legendary baby.
: We thought he was a mechanics-based character, turns out he's pure stats!
: Who the hell assigned Mydei these stats?!
.....
On screen, Castorice was once again deeply shaken. Stelle even gave a thumbs-up. "Gotta hand it to you."
Mydei, however, didn't think much of it. To him, coming here was like going home.
After all, he had spent nine years in the river of souls as a child, one could say he was practically raised by it.
"I already know your plan. There are still many remnants of the Black Tide ahead."
"Let the person who has brushed against death countless times... guide your way..."
He stretched his neck. Before leaving, he adjusted himself slightly.
With Mydei, joining them, the journey became much easier.
Every obstacle along the way was swept aside. He even led them through shortcuts with practiced ease, weaving through streets until they arrived beneath the waning moon.
The tallest structure of Styxia stood in the middle of the river. There were no roads connecting to it.
Once again, the power of time proved useful.
Stelle opened a barrier and stepped into midair. Where she placed her foot, a massive bridge from the past appeared.
And so, under the moonlight, the group walked across the sky on that bridge, crossing the river of souls.
From the camera's perspective, it looked almost dreamlike. When they finally reached the top of the towering structure, a vast, overwhelming aura rushed toward them.
Under the deep blue moonlight, the three gazed directly at the now enormous waning moon, and within its glow, they could see the illusory source of the river of souls flowing.
"The aura of this place... We have reached the end of the Stream of Souls."
Mydei stopped, his tone grave. "If I go any further... I might lose myself. I must leave now, for the black tide still wreaks havoc in the realm of the living."
Stelle said with some regret, "Don't you want to know the truth behind Thanatos?"
Mydei shook his head and looked at Castorice.
"I seek not to enter the door of the nether realm."
"Castorice... Will you fulfill your duty for the Flame-Chase?"
Castorice pressed her lips together. She didn't want to deceive her companion, so she answered honestly:
"I… I have yet to make my decision, Lord Mydei."
Death, herself, too many shocking revelations had flooded her mind in a single day.
How could she possibly sort through them so quickly?
Mydei wasn't in a hurry. Crossing his arms, his eyes held both absolute understanding and unwavering confidence.
"No matter... Make the choice your heart desires. Even if it takes a thousand years of waiting..."
"I will continue to fight till I die... Then rise from death... till the miracle descends."
Even if Castorice refused to become the Titan of Death, he didn't mind.
Because he himself had hesitated for a long time and gone through much, so he completely understood her.
In any case, he would remain here. As long as he lived, the Black Tide would never be able to overrun Amphoreus.
And there would be enough time to wait for the next successor. At this moment, Mydei's figure, in the eyes of the audience, grew incomparably tall.
----
T/N: All 12 chaps for the past 12 days or so.
Enjoy :)