No one knew that, just like Iapetus, who had accidentally seen a corner of the future, another ordinary mortal had seen his fate at the end of his life. He prophesied in this forgotten corner of the world, and then dispersed with the wind and sank into the dust.

Descendants may come here thousands of years from now, but they will only wonder why only such a skeleton is left in the city washed away by the flood, and they will not remember who he is and what he did. Only the stone slab that was placed in the temple may be able to bear the traces of his existence and truly live forever.

On the other side, in the ruins of the city, two teams that had escaped the catastrophe left separately. Because of their different beliefs, they went in different directions: one went west, in the direction of Olympus; One goes south, following the trail of starlight. However, the former had good luck, and before they had gone far, they met Hestia, who had hurried along the power of faith, on the edge of the plateau.

The goddess learned of their deeds and was grateful for their piety, so Hestia finally allowed them to walk the world in the name of their messengers. And the cluster they brought from the original flame later became the source of the flame in the fourth generation of human cities.

As humans began to multiply on the earth, whenever a new settlement was to be opened, the first thing people had to do was to attract the flames that would keep the beasts away. And these messengers, who were approved by God, became the guardians of the sacred fire in every city. Although they do not participate in the reign and only devote themselves to carving out the wilderness and banishing the darkness, they have a significant position everywhere.

As the goddess once said, she was not going to do anything, because she did not need a specific city or country to consider her a refuge. But she seems to have done everything, and there are traces of her in every corner of the human world.

On the other side, the people led by Noor are still advancing, and the angels do not plan to contact them further until they reach their destination. However, it is not known whether it is a coincidence or a guide of fate, and these migrating people meet a group of water spirits who have lost their homes due to flooding on the way.

These beings born in the midst of the water do not have a specific essence, at least most of them are. However, as nymphs born in the middle of the lake, they still need to live close to the water source. After their encounter, the surprising Noah preached to them about the greatness of the Lord and invited them to go with them to the place where the city was founded under the guidance of the stars. The elves, who had nowhere else to go, finally agreed, and were willing to become believers in the supreme god in exchange for a safe home under the light of the fire.

The last people dispersed, and as the wind and sand swept through, there was no trace of people on this plateau. The unquenchable flame burns alone, witnessing this less than 100-year-old bronze site.

When the years pass, everything will be buried in the past, only history, silently remembering everything.

······

In the blink of an eye, months flew by.

On the edge of the Aurora Plateau, the green once again covers the land, but the immaturity of it can still be clearly seen. Since the flood receded, under the authority of Demeter, all kinds of plants immediately grew at a rate of dozens of times, but in just a few months, the eastern part of the continent returned to its former state.

It's a pity that vegetation can grow, but life can't grow quickly. Except for the occasional bird passing by on the horizon, there is no sign of animal movement on this flooded land.

The earth fell silent, and everything was silent except for the sound of the wind and the sound of the leaves being blown. It will undoubtedly take a long time for the Eastern Continent to truly return to its pre-disaster appearance.

However, on this day, on the edge of the plateau, under an unknown tree, a special voice suddenly came out.

Click-

Bang –

Click-

Friction and noise came from underground, as if some life was being excavated, which seemed very abrupt in the post-flood world. The soil on the surface shook slightly, splashing a little dust.

At a certain moment, when the amplitude of the shaking reached its peak, with a muffled sound, the soil was completely broken.

The light from the outside world entered the entrance of the cave, and a figure was faintly reflected. But perhaps after staying in the dark environment for a long time, he didn't have the next move for a while. After a long time, as if gradually getting used to the light outside, the figure finally stretched out his hand out of the hole, and then pushed hard.

Bang –

"Ahem—"

"It's . Has it already passed? ”

"It's okay, it's not the worst outcome."

The robes were a little messy, so Ander casually summoned a breeze and blew the dust off his body. Although he still hadn't learned even the simplest of witchcraft, this superficial application of spirits and elements was hard for him.

And it is worth mentioning that now Ender has finally taken a step forward in meditation and reached the realm of the fourth order, and when he reaches this point, he is only one last level away from [Legendary].

Maybe ten years, maybe decades, but before mortal life ran out, he finally had a chance to explore that realm. After all, although he couldn't compare to the innate gods, his talent among mortals was actually extremely good.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Mr. Ryan left me to use by then."

Silently rubbing the puppet in his arms, Ender was a little happy. If it weren't for this parting gift, he probably wouldn't have been able to avoid this catastrophe that covered the sky and the sun.

Perhaps for a true fourth-order wizard, a flood that does not involve extraordinary power is not a big deal, they can easily swim in the sky, as long as they take care to avoid the son of the sea god and those powerful kraken, then they will not encounter any real danger, but Ender is different.

After all, he is a half-man who has only practiced 'internal strength' and does not know any 'moves', and in the face of strange beasts, he can still pretend to be powerful to deter them, but in the face of the monstrous waves, Ander has nothing to do. So in the end, he still relied on his spiritual power to stimulate the puppet left by Ryan, which briefly stimulated its miracles, and was able to survive the natural disaster.

But now, the puppet can no longer be used, and Ender is not really qualified to accommodate it after all. Fortunately, the disaster is over, and in a short period of time, there will probably be no other dangers.

Scanning his surroundings, Ender turned to the hole he had climbed out of and shouted:

"The disaster is over, so let's all come up. We've almost finished our food stockpile, so we'll have to hurry up and collect some more. ”

Yes, Ender didn't hide on his own. When disaster strikes, he is kind-natured and shelters every panicked and helpless bronze human, whether the two parties once knew each other or not, and the relationship is good or bad.

And when the flood hits, Ander also uses the power of puppets to protect everyone, and even when he is hiding underground, he is also responsible for distributing food to everyone. Now that the disaster is coming to an end, he arranged for everyone to take turns digging upwards, and he was the first to climb to the ground. He knew it was dangerous, but Ender stepped up anyway.

Since we didn't find ourselves being watched by the sea monsters in the first place, we should not have been discovered by the gods who caused the disaster. Or maybe we found out, but no one cares about us. ”

Echoed by the sound of tapping under the hole, Ender turned around and began to continue observing his surroundings. When the flood came, he didn't know how far he had been carried and where he had been reburied in the earth - the puppets' power kept them safe, but it didn't include maps or directions.

Behind him, the sounds of climbing and grinding sounded, but Ender didn't look back. The second person he arranged was the most powerful of the group, and he not only had to climb up on his own, but he was also responsible for widening the width of the pothole.

After all, not everyone is in good shape, and even among the bronze humans who are still primitive, there are many people who are fatter than others.

"Whew-"

"Lord Ander, it looks like we're safe."

Crawling out of the hole, the tall and stout middle-aged man squinted his eyes, shielded his hands from the sun, and then looked left and right.

The sun shines across the sky and everything flourishes. If it weren't for the personal experience, and the quietness without the slightest trace of life activities, middle-aged people would not even think that it had happened.

However, this is impossible, although the sun is not visible, and the survivors have lost their sense of time, but they can still roughly tell how long it has been by the consumption of food.

In just a few months, the earth was completely renewed, and only life was erased from the world, leaving no trace.

Is this God, both destruction and creation, so terrible. ’

The thought flashed silently in his heart, and the middle-aged man shook his head, and said with a smile again:

"Your Excellency, you say, will we still be approached by the gods?"

"The oracle wants to destroy the bronze humans, but we're still alive—"

"Don't worry, Uncle Cologne, it'll be fine."

With a gentle smile, Ander was still looking around. Based on the position of the sun, he could probably confirm that he should still be near the original Aurora Plains.

It was astrological knowledge, and Mr. Lane had only mentioned it once, but he remembered it well.

"The gods don't care about us who slip through the net, and we don't plan to walk as bronze humans anymore. It's hard to accept, but let's let the last era pass like this, and let's re-establish settlements together and live well in this world. ”

"Besides, I still have a gift from Mr. Ryan, trust me and we'll be fine."

Ander rubbed the puppet he had placed on his chest again, and it was truly the most legendary experience of his life. Being with God, learning all kinds of miraculous knowledge from God's mouth, and receiving such a gift, at this moment, a sense of mission arises spontaneously.

He wants to lead these people who have been saved by himself to survive and develop a truly immortal civilization. Especially when he breaks through [Legendary] and truly has the ability to use puppets, he believes that all problems can be solved.

Even if there is no woman and he can't reproduce, he can still think of a way.

"That's wonderful, Lord Ender, you're so kind."

As he was immersed in his imagination, Ander heard Cologne's voice. He smiled, intending to turn around and join him in letting the rest of the people out of the cave together.

"It's okay, speaking of which, the people behind should also-"

Snort –

The smile froze on his face, and the left hand in Ender's arms seemed to touch something sharp. The pain came from his chest, and he couldn't breathe.

Boom –

Bang –

Pulling the dagger out, Cologne faced the blood splattering with a blank face. He wiped the knife on his body and watched Ed fall to the ground.

His eyes widened, and the pain that hit him in an instant made him speechless, but looking at the person he was protecting, he still couldn't understand it.

"For."

"Isn't it obvious, Your Excellency Ander, that the disaster is behind you, and you're useless."

Squatting down, Cologne groped in Ender's arms, and soon, he found the puppet.

Tugged for a moment, but Cologne only sneered. He swung his dagger and swiped it again, severing Ender's left hand at the wrist.

"We've always had a bad relationship, haven't we, you know. The great god walks in the world as a mortal, and he clearly took a fancy to me first, but you preempted me. He taught you drama and made you noble among men; He has given you this gift again to protect your life in the midst of disaster. Maybe it could be of some other use, but that doesn't matter, now-"

"—it's mine."

Standing up and looking at Ender, who was still a little breathy, Cologne showed a look of disgust. He knew he was so despicable, but it was because of this that he hated Ender's kindness even more.

"You're a good man, Your Excellency Ender, and I'll call you that for the last time. You saved me regardless of your previous suspicions, but I treated you like this, you don't understand, don't you? ”

Holding up the puppet and looking at the blood stains on it, the corners of Cologne's mouth curled. He looked at the puppet, as if to Ender, and even at Ryan, who had been rejected by him but still ignored him.

He didn't understand what it was before, but now he does. This is God's gaze from above, and in His eyes, all beings are equal, but only 'equal'. for all things are the same except Him.

"In this world, after all, only unscrupulous means can win in the end. You see, I'm going to win now. ”

"The law of the jungle is the nature of life!"

Seeing that Ender's aura completely disappeared, Cologne looked at the puppet in his hand again. But no matter how much he observed, he couldn't see anything special about it.

In desperation, he had to put this matter aside for the time being. Before leaving, he took one last look at Ender's body.

"If the legendary reincarnation really exists, then take my words to heart, naïve young man. So if you have a next life, you will definitely thank me for the warning. ”

······

Turning away and taking off his bloody clothes, Cologne reflexively took out a gold box from the hole. In the face of his companion's inquiry, he only hastily explained, saying that there were other dangers outside, and he would have to deal with them with Ender, and he would need to wait for a while, but the problem was not big, and they didn't need to worry.

Although there is not much food, it is enough to spend an extra half a day, and Cologne is also a craftsman, so he is already tall and strong after holding a forging hammer for a long time. So whether there is any doubt or not, people still choose to believe his words.

Back on the ground, Cologne opened the box and placed the puppet inside.

For a moment, he couldn't figure out how to use this thing, and when he was underground, in the face of everyone's curiosity about his supernatural powers, and in the face of panic in the face of divine punishment, Ender finally explained that after this treasure from God was used once, it could not be used again for a short time, so Cologne only regarded it as the norm.

However, no one knew if there were any other problems with the puppet, so he held it in a gold box. Gold was rumored to have the ability to insulate certain influences to some extent, and although he didn't know about it, he learned the same.

Placing the gold box on his chest, Cologne breathed a long sigh of relief. Before, his spirit had been tense. Although he tried Ander in various ways, confirming that although the other party could play some strange tricks, he really did not have great power, but until he completely watched Ander lose his breath, everything was still unknown.

Maybe the other party is lying to him, he can actually call thunder and lightning and easily fight back; Maybe the other side has some hole cards, like this puppet that has never been heard of before; Or maybe the puppet has other special powers, and even the god who gave the gift may come down in person. Thankfully, nothing happened.

It was not until this moment, when the puppet was put into the box, that this thrilling and unusual plan came to an end.

"I really told the truth, I can only say that you really deserve to die."

"The deception of the sacrifices, the gratitude that people first showed to you when you were underground, and then the complaints that followed, and even my past enmity against you. If that doesn't make you see the world clearly, then you might as well give me the opportunity. ”

Glancing at the hole on the side, Cologne smiled disdainfully. He didn't believe that no one saw that there was something wrong with his hurry, but the 'smart people' chose to remain silent. Maybe when the news of Ender's death is revealed, a few not-so-'understood' guys will jump out and question him, but that doesn't matter.

Without the Creator, without the sacrifices, without the rules and regulations of the original bronze human social system, now, in this new land, everything has returned to its primitiveness.

And with weapons in his hands, he is tall and strong, and he is the rightful ruler. He will use the fate of those few who don't 'understand' to tell others who has the final say here.

Picking up Ender's body, Cologne walked off into the distance. In any case, speculation was just speculation, and he hadn't planned to make a bold show that he had killed Ender. And as long as they don't see the evidence, many people will convince themselves.

"Humph!"

Looking down, Cologne noticed that Ender's eyes seemed to be looking at him, so the next moment, he did not hesitate to destroy them.

It's just a matter of living, but what else can you do after you die?

Throwing the body into the distance, Cologne returned the way he came, and it was time for him to solve the 'internal problem'. In the empty field, only Ender's body was dumped on the ground, his empty eyes staring at the sky.

The sun and the moon rotate here.

······

Click-

Click-

Click-

Late at night, the moonlight shines on the earth, and everything is peaceful and peaceful. Selene, the goddess of the moon, drove her galaxy through the sky, and if she had good eyesight, she could see another person beside her.

The two stayed together, which made the moonlight a little more mysterious. Those beings who are born with extraordinary perceptions can perceive that there is a special power in the light that is different from the usual, and it makes them feel extremely comfortable.

But none of this has anything to do with the humans who survived. After dealing with two uninteresting guys, the remaining humans quickly came to an agreement. Ender dies while fighting the beast, and the beast is wounded and flees. As for the strange beasts that come from this empty world, who knows.

When night falls, people who have finally seen the light of day go to sleep. Cologne slept alone on a bluestone, the gold box on his chest.

Although he didn't know how to use it yet, Cologne didn't want to let this treasure leave him for a moment. Whether awake or asleep, he had to keep it by his side.

However, at the quietest time of the night, a peculiar noise came from inside the box.

Click-

Click-

Click-

Click-

For a long time, at a certain moment, as if to adapt to something, the golden box slowly opened a crack, and a wooden figure poked its head out of it. After observing the outside environment, it seemed to realize the safety of the moment, and then crawled out of the box completely.

It looked at the moon in the sky, then at the sleeping crowd. No one noticed it, after all, there was nothing nearby except moonlight.

Click-

Click-

Click-

Twisting crookedly, the puppet came to Cologne's head. For the tiny one, the 'huge' head was so much larger than his body that it had climbed to the top of the mountain. Fortunately, the night was very dark, and today's experience did make Cologne very tired, so until the end, he did not wake up.

Click-

Standing on Cologne's cheek, the puppet tilted its head. It stared at the sleeping middle-aged man and slowly stretched out its hands. It seemed to want to stick its arm into the other's eye sockets, but in the end, after a long silence, it did nothing.

Not because it still has good intentions, but at this moment, it has a better idea.

Any life needs strength to survive, and it is no exception. And now, when it survived in this particular form, it finally understood why it had to step into the transcendent realm to use puppets.

But it was too late, and since it didn't get on the right track at the beginning, it had to try to make up for it in other ways. And all this is inseparable from some kind of special energy.

The night covered everything, and with the sound of joint rubbing, the villain crawled back to his 'new home', only when he returned, it had a thin notebook in its hand.

Its infinite paper once recorded every scene of the villain's opera, and now the new one will naturally be no exception.

Click-

Click-

The sun rises and nothing seems to have happened. A new day has arrived, and no one knows what kind of future will greet these survivors.

(End of chapter)