CHAPTER 521

SANCTUM’S END (VIII)

Eldon didn’t think as he threw himself, still tightly holding Alana, into the vehicle. Reli, as well as another pair of arms from the inside, helped him up as she flung the doors closed behind him, shouting right after.

“Go! Go! Go!!” the engine revved and the tires screeched as the ancient vehicle turned and began moving.

After settling somewhat, Eldon looked around and realized that there were quite a few folks besides Reli inside -- three more to be precise, two men and a woman. The latter was of similar appearance to Reli, and though Eldon never met her in person, he quickly realized it was her younger sister, Elta.

Though he didn't recognize the other two men, it wasn't important; one was in charge of the wheel up front while the other was the one that helped him get inside.

"--how?" Eldon asked, the tiredness finally overcoming him as he began drawing short breaths.

“We went to your apartment complex, but you weren’t there,” Reli explained. “We spotted you on accident as we turned around.”

“...” though Eldon had many questions to ask, he had no strength to do so. Alana wiggled out of his embrace and sat up, fixing her disheveled hair, angrily glancing at her father.

“Where are we headed?” she took the role of the questioner as Reli giggled lightly. She’d only met the girl once or twice, yet that fierceness still remained intact.

“To the research facility nearby,” Reli replied. “One of my close friends works there and has contacted me, saying there are several operational ships.” though she spoke with a certain sense of calmness, it was impossible to miss the shock and terror inside her gaze. While the world around them was collapsing, they hung onto the last straw of hope.

“--can... can we escape, even with that?” Alana asked with a somewhat lowered tone.

“... I don’t know,” Reli replied honestly, sighing. “But... what other choice do we have?”

That was true. Adur was headed to the collapse -- not a figurative one, but the literal one. The planet would cease to exist. The atmosphere had already begun collapsing slowly, meaning that even if, by some miracle, the body held together, every living organism on the surface would die from exposure within a year at most.

However, chances were that before that transpired, they would be flung into the open void and left to the cold and desolate destitute of infinity.

Eldon managed to recover somewhat, sitting up and inspecting the insides once more; the vehicle had two compartments, the front, and the back. Elta and the driver sat up front, the latter furiously spinning the wheel as the world in front of him continued collapsing.

The backside also had seats, but also some room in-between that seemed to have been used for some minuscule storage. The other man and Eldon sat on that opening, both leaned on the doors, while Alana and Reli sat on the leather seats.

Gathering some strength and courage, Eldon lifted himself up with a grunt and looked outside the window. Something immediately got stuck inside his throat; the massive behemoths were collapsing into ruin, flayed like the tiny houses of cards. The debris rained upon the world, most of it infernal, as fires bellowed out from all sides. He didn't even understand how the driver was operating through this hell.

“... thank you.” Eldon mumbled faintly as he sat back down, glancing toward Reli. “You... didn’t have to...”

“... I couldn’t have just let you die, now could I?” Reli replied, smiling strangely. “Ah, these two lads are also family -- the driver is Elta’s fiance, Artur, and this serious-looking fella is his brother, Itor. I myself lucked out quite a bit since the three decided to visit me today due to some wedding plans...”

“... what happened?” Eldon asked. “To our defenses, I mean. Did... did they really destroy everything?”

“... yeah,” Reli’s expression sank as she thought back to a few hours ago when their vanguard met with the strange creatures. It wasn’t a fight, not really. It was similar to what was happening right now. “They didn’t even pause. I don’t know what those things are... but they’re definitely supernatural.”

“...” everyone fell into silence, as there was little else to say. Right now, they hung onto the last hope; chances are, they wouldn’t make it out alive. They’d be buried with the rest of their world. Forever forgotten.

Ataxia and Lino watched the vehicle flying through the inferno, floating somewhat above it. Ataxia had a remorseful, pained expression, while even Lino was unable to stand indifferent. After all, he was witnessing the collapse of an entire world. An entire planet, one much larger than Noterra, with the population being at the very least a hundredfold. Though true they didn’t have Qi like the people of Noterra, they had technology that surpassed even the Humans of Earth.

Pondering for a moment, Lino realized that something similar could have also happened there. But... why? What was the point of all this? If he projected why people warred from the surface onto the cosmos, it had to do with conquering resources and land. But, that clearly wasn’t the objective, otherwise they wouldn’t simply destroy everything without saying a word. At the very least, Lino expected them to take slaves. Yet, not even that. They killed everyone without even a hint of remorse.

“... this is bigger than I imagined,” Lino mumbled as Ataxia glanced at him. “Are they really just doing it for the hell of it?”

“... I don’t think so,” Ataxia replied. “Though my time with the Edifice was short-lived, it did say something about the galactic conflicts. Perhaps this was simply one of them.”

"No, I get the warring part," Lino said. "Think about it. If the Emperors from Noterra had the ability, wouldn't they do to other planets what they did to the other nations? Just bring them under their banner, no?"

"..." Ataxia nodded after brief thought.

“But, this isn’t really warring or conquering,” Lino said. “If the point was to simply destroy, why bother waiting for so long? Why even wait for life to spring out? No, wait--that’s it.”

“What?” Ataxia asked as he spotted the glimmer of realization in Lino’s eyes. The latter suddenly laughed strangely, shaking his head.

“Goddamn, the entire fuckin’ cosmos is fucked up.”

“What?” Ataxia asked again, curiosity swelling within him.

“Aren’t they doing what I do as well?”

“Hm?”

"Killing to absorb Vitality?" Ataxia's eyes also lit up at that moment as his entire body shuddered. "If we look at it like that, it makes sense. It makes sense why they left you alone, why they suddenly attacked, and why they didn't leave anyone alive."

“... so... you’re trying to say that all the people of Adur... were like the livestock to them?” Ataxia asked as anger surged through in his voice. It has been eons since he last felt this emotion, yet he couldn’t help himself. At the very least, all this while, he believed there was some higher purpose to his home being destroyed like this.

“I imagine it’s not the only world like it,” Lino said, his eyes growing more resentful. “If I really had gone mad and started murdering everyone, I imagine my strength would eclipse the boundary of even what I’m capable of doing now. It’s not hard to assume that someone else in the cosmos -- nay, many others -- have developed similar ways of empowering themselves. However...” he added, his brows crumpling into a frown. “I feel like there’s something more to it. If the point was to simply raise lifeforms as livestock, wouldn’t it be simpler to literally grow it? Instead of scouting the entire cosmos and hoping you run across a world inhabited by the living? Or the world with a mere potential of being inhabited sometime in the future and waiting for it?”

“...” Ataxia also relented to the last part of Lino’s conclusion, entering deep thought for a moment. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you asked the Edifice?”

“--it already used up its reserves by making me its Agent,” Lino said, stroking his chin. “Looks like you were right -- I’ll really have to rebuild it.”

“... aren’t you a bit frustrated?” Ataxia asked as a cheeky smiled fluttered on his face.

“Hm?” Lino glanced at him, tilting his head.

“You always despised being used as a puppet, yet, lo and behold.”

“... it’s different,” Lino said, smiling faintly. “You were simply an Agent-in-making, and I imagine the last resort.”

“... ugh.” Ataxia grumbled, yet couldn’t retort.

"It's difficult to explain, but my autonomy hasn't been compromised. If anything, it increased since I no longer have you regulating me. I inherited all your functions, and though it will take time to unlock them, it shouldn't take that long. However, I don't have the restrictions you had. I don't need a vessel, nor do I need to use insane amounts of Chaos Qi to manifest myself into a body, or use shitty means like Alladin to form the body."

“... ah. So you already figured out how I became my own bearer.” Ataxia chuckled. It seemed like Lino had acquired far more during the brief moment he became the Agent than he let on at first. “How strong are you anyway? The moment you became the Agent, I couldn’t read anything about you anymore.”

“... hmm, fairly strong,” Lino chuckled, glancing at him. “A few tiers above you, actually.”

"Me?" Ataxia tilted his head in confusion. Did he misspeak? After all, as far as Ataxia was concerned, even if he didn't die, he'd at most just regain his mortal body from before he became the Writ.

“I didn’t rob you of everything, old relic,” Lino rolled his eyes. “I already figured some shittery will unfold, so why would I lower the number of people who could help me? Hmm, if I assist you for a bit, I suppose you should reach roughly Ella’s level. After that, however, it’s up to you to work out.”

“... you... you can fucking do that?” Lino glanced at the shock Ataxia and realized something, causing his eyes to turn into slits. Was... was this the first time this idiot cursed? Fuck! I should have recorded it... aaiii, why do good things always happen to the unprepared? Shit...