IRM Chapter 148

Ji Chi ran all the way toward the abyss. The distance from his position to the abyss wasn’t very long, but a breath mixed with indescribable emotions choked in his heart, making his entire chest explode with pain.

He stopped at the edge of the abyss, trembling as he took deep breaths. His ink-black pupils and the abyss gazed at each other, both filled with heavy emotions.

The sea of bones stretched endlessly, the underworld river flowed on, and the Land of Buried Bones was so silent there wasn’t a single sound. Yet the countless skulls and tombstones covering the ground silently told of the once vigorous and earth-shaking resistance that had occurred.

This time, no one would stop Ji Chi. He knelt at the end of the underworld river and slowly immersed both hands into the silent black river water.

The water of the underworld river had no physical form, no temperature. It was composed of obsessions and memories. The intangible river water touched Ji Chi’s skin and immediately merged into his flesh and blood.

Countless memories of the deceased from their final moments surged through Ji Chi’s bones and spread throughout his entire body.

“I didn’t! I didn’t kill them! They raised me, they were the family I loved! I just… I just wanted to save them… Was I wrong? If I had never possessed half-angel bloodline, they should have been able to live happily…”

“I will use my life to protect the Demon King’s castle, because this is the last place that accepted me…”

“From the age of five when I was rescued and brought back to the church, I’ve lived in guilt and pain every single day. I was willing to burn myself into a sun to warm the world… But Father, I admired you so much, so why was all of this a conspiracy? All these years, was I really just a sacrifice that could be abandoned at any time?”

“Chloe never wanted to hurt anyone. Chloe just didn’t want to be alone anymore. Chloe… I wanted to see the prosperous world, just one glance would have been enough…”

“Nana, big brother Linton can’t protect you anymore… After you grow up, you must leave this small town and go outside to earn lots and lots of gold coins…”

“Snow Wolf Valley can’t hold out anymore. Aqi, take the children and leave… You don’t want to leave? That’s fine too. We Wolf Riders are best at charging forward unstoppably—let us gallop through the snowy mountains and die there! It’s just a pity… we couldn’t see the world beyond the fortress with our own eyes…”

“The next beast tide is coming soon. Silvia has already died in battle in the Beast God’s embrace. I will carry on her will and shed my last drop of blood on the snow plains. Are you willing to follow me? Snow Plains Expeditionary Army?”

“I am willing to offer my life to protect you, my mother tree, so why are you still withering? Is there truly nothing I can do?”

Sorrow, regret, pain… Familiar voices flooded into his mind, nearly drowning Ji Chi in the formless waters of the underworld river. He pressed hard against his neck, gasping for breath. For a moment, it was as if he struggled together with the dead souls in the mire, ultimately swallowed by darkness in despair.

“Ji Chi…” Amid the endless despairing emotions, a gentle call suddenly came. Ji Chi lifted his tear-streaked face, urgently searching for the source of that lingering attachment.

It was a snow-white little wave that briefly tumbled in the river water before disappearing from sight, but Ji Chi still clearly sensed it.

“Ji Chi, you’ve already worked very hard. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us… This is already enough. No matter how it ends, you must live well…”

It was the Beast God’s voice. At that time, They had stood atop the snowy peak, looking at Ji Chi not far away who was exhausted like a dog, collapsed limply on the Wolf King like a dead fish, and smiled faintly. Their usually sharp-as-a-blade gaze was tinged with the gentleness of sunset, Their ethereal thoughts mixed in the wind and fell all the way into the underworld river.

The gentle release gave Ji Chi courage. He returned the remaining memories in his hands to the underworld river, raised his hand to wipe his face, then turned his head to look resolutely toward the abyss.

“All beings are equal, light and darkness are born together. I once heard this verse, it seems to have been in the first Principles of Magic class,” Ji Chi said softly.

The God of Death had been watching behind him for who knows how long, and only now replied. “This is not a verse. It was the continent of the past, the truth of the world.”

“The truth…” Ji Chi lowered his eyes, watching the endless river water plunge into the abyss. He slowly nodded. “I understand. I will find it.”

“If you can’t find it, then fight for it. If you can’t fight for it, then create it yourself.” Ji Chi stood up, relaxed his hands and opened them, turned his back to the abyss, closed his eyes and fell backward into the darkness. “This is a real world. There shouldn’t be a predetermined main storyline.”

The God of Death watched as his figure disappeared into the depths of the abyss, remained silent for a long time, sighed, and also stepped forward, vanishing into the boundless darkness.

Death was actually a kind of mercy. What was truly difficult was struggling to escape fate.

And in this controlled world, everyone was striving, falling into the abyss, rushing toward the light.

No one had ever reached the bottom of the abyss, and no one knew what exactly lay beneath it. Ji Chi fell in the darkness for a very, very long time, so long that he once forgot his own existence.

Suddenly, a brilliant light floated up beside him. Yuan Yuan appeared at his side, the sphere missing one facet urgently pointing in a certain direction.

Had he found the divine authority? Ji Chi looked up. His vision had been enhanced by the light spirit, his pupils flashing with tiny fragments of light, allowing him to see the blurred scene before him.

The underworld river falling like a waterfall had reached its end. Large amounts of river water gurgled into a black crystal. The black crystal was only palm-sized, quietly suspended in the depths of the abyss, accepting all the memories of the deceased.

Ji Chi reached out and cradled that crystal in his palm.

The last [Life and Death] divine authority, silently bearing heavy longing.

Ji Chi took the demon sword from his back. The scabbard slowly receded, and the last ugly crack appeared clearly.

He gently stroked the blade with his left hand. The golden power of creation led the divine authority to fill the ravines, and the demon sword finally became whole. Even in the pitch-black abyss, one could see its radiant flowing appearance.

After Ji Chi obtained the [Life and Death] divine authority, Yuan Yuan also became a complete sphere. Seven kinds of light flickered and blended within the sphere, finally blooming into fragmented flowing light, forming a sphere that reflected the starry sky.

Ji Chi held the complete demon sword and didn’t put it back in the scabbard, because at the moment he obtained the divine authority, he saw what the bottom of the abyss looked like. A dazzling ray of light appeared at the bottom of the abyss. The light grew brighter and brighter, leading to a land of eternal day.

At the same time, his last skill also lit up.

[Congratulations, player has completed hidden quest: Light in the Abyss]

[Congratulations, player has acquired Rogue skill]

[lv.max Born with the Dark Night]

Light and darkness born together—the bottom of the abyss was the highest point of the continent—

Yura Summit.

The Angel Kingdom in the clouds, below Yura Summit.

An old ten-winged angel with an aged face looked up at the towering temple atop Yura Summit, furrowed his brows tightly and said angrily, “I want to see the Great Archangel! You have no right to stop me!”

The divine attendant blocking his way kept his eyes lowered, gently yet firmly refusing him. “I’m very sorry, Your Excellency the Chief Angel, Lord Akangie is listening to the divine oracle and does not allow anyone to disturb him.”

The old Chief Angel held back his anger, trying to speak calmly. “I have something very important to discuss with him. If I can’t go in, then have someone relay the message.”

The divine attendant still had that impervious appearance and repeated, “His lordship does not allow anyone to disturb him.”

The old Chief Angel became angry. He was truly furious, and the white feathers on his wings instantly bristled. “Did you even hear what I said?! What exactly is going on in the temple?! Why won’t you let us go up? Five years! The angels haven’t been able to set foot on Yura Summit for five years! What exactly is the Great Archangel doing?!”

The old Chief Angel grew angrier as he spoke. If Yura Summit weren’t surrounded by a divine barrier, he would force his way up right now. “Look at what absurd decisions the temple has been issuing these years! Inexplicable prayers! Forced believers! Chaotic order! Is the Great Archangel truly thinking about the future of the angels and the church?!”

The old Chief Angel’s accusations were so unsparing that the divine attendant’s expression turned cold as he looked at him eerily. “Everything Lord Akangie does is based on the will of the Divine Lord. Are you questioning our great God of Light?”

The divine attendant suddenly spread the eight wings on his back. Although his status was one rank lower than the old Chief Angel, because he served at the God of Light’s side, the light element essence in his body was pure and concentrated, and his strength was not much inferior to the old Chief Angel’s.

The old Chief Angel had been forbearing for many years, but this time he didn’t want to retreat anymore. He also took out his wand and confronted the divine attendant. The atmosphere below Yura Summit became tense for a moment.

Just as the two of them were about to fight, a rainbow light pierced through the sky above Yura Summit. Like a falling meteor, carrying overwhelming force, it plummeted straight toward the towering temple—

The old Chief Angel and the divine attendant stopped their movements, stood dumbfounded with mouths agape, and watched in shock as the rainbow light struck the temple’s dome, then burst forth with a deafening roar!

The Angel Kingdom, the God of Light’s main temple, collapsed.

In the blinding rainbow light, a silhouette backlit by the glow half-knelt and rose from the ground. He stood up and walked step by step through the chaotic ruins toward the divine throne above.

“Nice to meet you. What a pity we must part forever.” Ji Chi raised his eyes and looked coldly at the man controlled upon the divine throne, saying softly.