r18novel Chapter 310: The Trial of the Primal Council
Chapter 310: The Trial of the Primal Council
"The ultimate place of creation and end."
—Temple Inscription
[Time: Unknown]
[Location: The Primordial Council? Temple of Judgment]
[Status: Cosmic-level energy field detection in progress...]
They stood before the temple, silent for a long time.
Ares gripped the rune sword tightly. The ancient power permeating the air gave him the feeling of being watched by countless eyes in the shadows, eyes that were both indifferent and scrutinizing.
Wagner's hand was already gripping the battle axe, ready to cleave through any obstacle in his path.
Selena carefully observed the energy fluctuations of the temple, her expression growing increasingly grim: "Ares... the existence of this temple violates all known laws of physics."
She projected the data in front of her, and the information on the screen flickered wildly, as if it were being interfered with by an unknown force: "It was not built, but appeared out of thin air, as if the universe itself spontaneously 'generated' a record point at a certain point in time."
Ares's gaze sharpened, and he said in a low voice, "If this temple was created by the universe itself, then this place might be... the origin of all laws."
Wagner chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "The origin of the laws? Doesn't sound like a good place."
He was right.
At that moment, the gate slowly opened.
The massive door opened automatically without any external force, revealing the scene inside.
—Perhaps it cannot be called "the world".
They saw an endless sea of stars suspended in the darkness, each star emitting a faint glow. At the center of the stars, an indescribably vast council hall stood in the void, like the core of this universe.
In the very center of that hall stood nine enormous thrones.
The footsteps of Ares, Selena, and Wagner echoed through the temple as they stepped into the core region of this universe without hesitation.
The moment they entered the temple, an aged yet majestic voice rang in their ears, carrying an irresistible pressure:
“Mortals, you have crossed a boundary that does not belong to you.”
“You will face the final judgment of the original council.”
The light on the nine thrones slowly illuminated, and nine blurry figures appeared on the seats.
Their appearances are difficult to capture clearly, as if they exist beyond time and space, and the majesty they exude is suffocating.
Selena's holographic scanner completely malfunctioned at this moment; all the data was fluctuating wildly, making it impossible to analyze the energy levels of these entities.
"Who...who are they?" she asked in a low voice, her tone revealing an undisguised awe for the first time.
Ares's gaze swept over the nine thrones, his voice low and deep: "If I'm not mistaken... they are the original rulers of the universe."
Wagner frowned: "So... it's the true 'god' of the universe?"
"God?" A voice on the throne chuckled softly, the voice neither male nor female, filled with a strange resonance.
“Mortals, it is utterly ridiculous of you to use the word ‘god’ to describe us.”
"We are the creators of the primordial laws and the guardians of the cosmic order."
“And you… are disruptors of order.”
Ares' expression remained unwavering. He stared directly at the figure on the throne, his tone resolute: "We simply want to uncover the truth."
One of the figures on the throne leaned forward slightly, his eyes flashing with an unreadable light: "The truth? Can you really bear the weight of the 'truth'?"
Nine voices rang out simultaneously, creating an irresistible resonance:
"Ares, do you admit—you have destroyed the universe six times?"
The air fell silent instantly.
Selena and Wagner's pupils contracted slightly, and they turned sharply to look at Ares, whose expression remained calm and unchanged.
He slowly began to speak: "If this is your judgment, then it proves that the cycle of the universe is indeed a game set up by humans."
"Hmph." A figure on the throne snorted lightly, seemingly having anticipated his answer. "You don't deny it."
Ares said calmly, "The truth is, I cannot deny it. Because I have no memory of it. But your very existence has already proven it all."
An eerie silence filled the air.
Then, the figure on the other throne slowly spoke:
"Now that you have broken the spiral of fate, it means that you have stood on the opposite side of the rules of the universe."
"Therefore, the original council decided—"
All the light converged at that moment, and the voices of the nine figures echoed throughout the temple like divine pronouncements:
“Ares, Selena, Wagner—you will be stripped of your status as ‘Guardians,’ banished from the cosmic order, and exiled to the ‘Boundless Land.’”
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Wagner's battle axe emitted a deep hum, Selena's fingertips gripped the energy weapon tightly, while Ares made no move, simply gazing silently at the figures on the nine thrones, his eyes so deep they seemed to pierce through their very essence.
"So, this is your final decision?" Ares spoke slowly, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"You want to erase us from the cosmic order?"
The nine figures remained completely unmoved, their voices like the cold laws of the universe:
“You are no longer part of ‘fate’.”
"Fate needs no variables."
"The variables of fate can only be erased."
Celine's face completely changed.
"...What's the difference between this and the things we fought against before?!" she roared. "Your so-called 'Primordial Council' is nothing but a means to maintain your own rule!"
Wagner gripped his battle axe, a dangerous glint in his eyes: "I've wanted to shatter these damn 'higher-dimensional beings' for a long time. Ares, are we going to do it or not?"
Ares' fingers slowly traced the hilt of his sword. Finally, he raised his head, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"In that case, let's... completely destroy this 'fate'."
He suddenly drew his rune sword, its blade slicing through the air, causing the entire Temple of Judgment to tremble violently.
The figures on the nine thrones finally showed a slight tremor, and their voices resounded throughout the universe:
"Mortals, have you chosen to be enemies of the universe?"
Ares's eyes were icy as he slowly spoke:
"No, it is you who chose to become our enemies."
"Mortals, have you chosen to be enemies of the universe?"
—The Original Parliament
[Cosmic Record Log]
Time stamp: Expired
Coordinates: Exceeding the measurable range
Status: The fundamental laws of the universe are fluctuating abnormally, entering the highest alert level...
Warning: Stored data may be distorted; phenomenal logic instability...
Ares's sword sliced through the air, the starry sea trembled, and the entire Temple of Judgment erupted with indescribable energy fluctuations in an instant.
Wagner's battle axe was already raised high, and Selena's energy device was quickly adjusted to the highest output mode.
However, the beings on the nine thrones remained unmoved.