Chapter 257 – "It"

“Important matters?”

Punk gazed solemnly at the Projection. He could sense the gravity and seriousness in the Projection’s words this time, feeling the weight of the atmosphere. It seemed the forthcoming information would be far from trivial chatter.

The Projection’s speech remained mechanical and rigid, yet its tone had deepened considerably, its pace slowed significantly. Every phrase seemed imbued with profound mystery, each syllable chanting like earnest teachings from ancient spellcasters:

“It”!

“In this Multiverse, before Ao fell into slumber, he created ‘It’ to maintain the cosmic operations in place of the dormant Overgod.

‘It’ monitors the every move of countless lives according to Ao’s design. ‘It’ incites wars, brings destruction, sows chaos, and proclaims order. ‘It’ also grants new life, celebrates creation, bestows miracles, and whispers the unknown.

While eradicating ‘disobedient’ beings, ‘It’ nurtures compliant ‘favored ones’. ‘It’ manipulates conspiracies, wields overt schemes, interferes with minds, and influences reality. Treating the cosmos as a chessboard and all things as pieces, ‘It’ maneuvers across the game of time, lingering beyond the layout of space.

‘It’ takes cosmic balance as its ultimate goal, mediating all imbalances.

‘It’ views freedom-seeking beings as enemies, scheming against all opponents.

‘It’ can imperceptibly gather the minuscule into the macroscopic—a vast process undetectable and unstoppable.

‘It’ can also reduce the macroscopic to the microscopic, even under watchful eyes, without concealment.

‘It’ is never confined to form yet bound by Ao’s rules.

‘It’ can act recklessly and lawlessly, but nothing ever deviates from the final objective, nor violates the ‘ultimate’ principle.

‘It’ is both beginning and end, traversing the vast ocean of time, never sparing its presence even in the ‘nothingness’ of the ‘River of Forgetfulness’.

Yet ‘It’ possesses no wisdom, only rigidly executing plans and mending flaws under programmed commands.

‘It’ can be evaded, deceived, ignored, or disrupted.

But no being below the Legendary tier can glimpse its form. Even those fortunate enough to cross the Legendary threshold can only cautiously survive in ‘Its’ presence, never daring to slacken.

‘It’ is so immensely powerful that without the protection of a Floating City, one can only hide desperately before its unmatched might. Facing the overwhelming tidal wave, even the mightiest mage or warrior would struggle to avoid being overwhelmed and left in disarray.

Remember, inheritor: unless you reach the Legendary level, never attempt to seek ‘Its’ traces. Unless you possess Netheril’s pinnacle creation—the Floating City—never dare to challenge ‘Its’ authority.

In the face of fate’s tides, you cannot endlessly evade, for there is no escape.

But you must not arrogantly provoke, for the consequences are beyond your bearing.

Seek survival amid ‘Its’ cruelty, probe ‘Its’ every shift, remain vigilant against ‘Its’ schemes, and seize every opportunity ‘It’ leaves behind… Only then will your Legendary path not be abruptly severed. Only then will your existence not be wholly controlled by ‘It’.”Do not evade, for from the moment you step into the Legendary realm, there is no turning back. “It” is the inevitable nemesis of all Legendary Experts.

Do not be careless, for in your struggle against “it,” you can only devote all your efforts to hiding and surviving. The slightest negligence will lead to inevitable and irreversible doom.

Do not underestimate “it,” for it wields powers beyond your comprehension and governs rules that belong solely to itself.

Do not fear “it,” for its power is confined and restricted by this universe. Its authority must remain even more concealed than its existence.

“It” is known as the River of Fate, its waves are called “Fate’s Surges,” and its roars are termed “Fate’s Tides.”

Avoid uttering its name; do not lightly draw its attention.

Remember, wisdom is always your strongest weapon, knowledge is always your greatest power, will is always your most crucial foundation, and the spirit of Netheril is your most potent driving force.

Lastly, do not forget your heart—go forth and pursue the glory of your own Netheril.

The Projection’s words concluded, but its peculiar, almost melodic tone lingered in Punk’s mind, resonating deeply… reaching into his very soul.

“Is this a warning left behind by the Grand Arcanists of Netheril?”

Punk asked solemnly.

“Yes, inheritor. The great Netherese Civilization, which once stood above ‘Fate,’ has been destroyed. ‘It’ has lost its greatest enemy and shed its strongest shackles. And no one knows what ‘it’ has become after countless years since Netheril’s fall, once riddled with flaws. If you wish to understand ‘it,’ survive under its pursuit, or even oppose and overthrow ‘it’! You must seek out the information yourself.”

“Alright, this warning is very useful. Though I don’t know if I can reach the Legendary level, it’s better to prepare in advance than to be caught off guard, right?”

“…If you don’t reach the Legendary level, then there’s no need to worry about ‘it,’ as ‘it’ certainly won’t bother with ants that can’t even attain Legendary status—unless one of those ants has a minuscule chance of becoming part of its ‘Tides.'”

The Projection explained to Punk with utmost seriousness.

Faced with the Projection’s explanation, which no matter how you looked at it carried a hint of mockery, Punk could only shrug helplessly.

“Sounds great. ‘The River of Fate…’ Oh, that name shouldn’t be spoken lightly… ‘It’ surely has no interest in an ‘ant’ like me. After all, ninety-nine percent of Master-Level Casters die while advancing to Legendary. I suppose to ‘it,’ beings below Legendary are just destined to die sooner or later.”

“No, to ‘it,’ most Legendary beings are also just destined to die sooner or later. Not all Legendary Experts have the courage to face ‘it.'”

“…………”

Puck raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Projection. As a Master-Level Mage, he naturally disliked being called an ant, but… at present, he truly lacked even the value to attract the River of Fate’s attention. For Punk, who had no certainty of advancing to Legendary, this was undoubtedly a good thing, but he couldn’t help feeling somewhat displeased inside.”Very well, very well. I’ve already taken this important reminder to heart. May I leave now?”

Punk ultimately gave up on further contemplation regarding the “River of Fate.” After all, the Legendary realm remained far too distant for him. What Punk cared more about now was… when he could finally leave this tiny “Trial Grounds” that didn’t even have air, and go outside to check whether the fruit pie in his storage ring was still edible.

(End of Chapter)