Chapter 224: Side-story  - Story of the long forgotton past

“N-ngh... no...”

The crystal that encased him had disappeared but Pheriknoa couldn’t move. He couldn’t even cry. As he came back to his senses from overwhelming grief, it wasn’t sadness that first came to him.

“AAAAAAAAHRG!”

Pheriknoa activated forbidden magic. The incomplete magic found during his Bio-Engineering studies that burnt his soul, power, and his level to empower him with the power a grade higher.

Pheriknoa broke the wall at once and moved up. The wall of Beta that no humans could overcome without the Divine Blood was destroyed. Pheriknoa charged at the golden figure approaching without hesitating.

The figure was irritated. He would’ve already broken the arms and legs of this insect and had extracted the memory to present it to <Ra>, only if he kept the promise. Their race considered a promise as the most holy thing. They lied without hesitation and had no problem doing evil deeds, but they always kept their promises. But he couldn’t keep the promise. That’s why he didn’t do anything to Pheriknoa.

The golden figure decided to take this chance to ease his guilt.

<Go to sleep for now.>

“Ugh...”

He had broken the wall but he was only a Beta. He was no match against the priest who was an Alpha. Pheriknoa fell down and the golden figure approached him to examine.

<Fool... using such dangerous magic.>

The man had fallen down to the lowest of its rank at once. Lagaope also felt it. The body’s power dropped from Duke to Baron within seconds.

Besides, he was going to burn to death if left alone. The priest stopped Pheriknoa’s power decreasing and regenerated his body. He then read the memory as he planned. Fortunately, the memory contained a very good present.

<Hehe... so an Alpha did hide his energy after all this time.>

They knew about the existence of the being as there had been a clash of Alphas outside. But they could not go out as they had to fight against Aksarai and the Drakuns and after that, they could no longer feel the presence of an Alpha. But <Ra> did not go out easily. If an Alpha decided to hide its power, there was no way for another Alpha to find them. They could not search the land while Aksarai’s barrier was in place, but this man’s memory gave them the exact location. There was an Alpha of great power in hiding.

With this knowledge, it would surely break the power balance between Aksarai and <Ra>. The priest was certain that the great <Ra> would be victorious.

The golden figure then sent a message telepathically to the fainted Pheriknoa. Pheriknoa could not hear it but Lagaope was able to hear it clearly.

<You will live... although your life will not recover my pride for not keeping my promise. But I think you will not be so happy that you lived.>

The figure smiled ominously and teleported the man to the side of the laboratory. It was the place where the figure saw from the memory.

Pheriknoa was then discovered by his fellow researchers and taken back to recover. Or they tried to, before Broxianel from afar was covered in a streak of golden light. Then a red light surrounded by thunderous lightning descended from the sky and silvery flash came up from the ground. The gold, silver and red light began to mix with the destructive noise and explosions.

Pheriknoa looked at the Divine Nation being destroyed into dust with a dumb look. The Divine Nation was then destroyed within an hour.

“Haha...”

Pheriknoa looked at the dense fog of clouds. The continent had disappeared and the sea had evaporated. Lava hail flowed at the laboratory and Pheriknoa’s fellow researchers all ran away. But he did not run. He wanted to die.

‘It’s all because of me.’

He killed his lover. He leaked the information about the God. He had led the Divine Nation to its destruction.

He wanted to die, but he didn’t even have the power to do it. His magic destroyed him and he could barely breathe. The steam and the heat came swooshing in, but it did not kill him.

‘Well... I guess I won’t have anything to worry about.’

Pheriknoa laughed hollowly. The side effect of the magic was still there. It wasn’t the body that was the problem. It did get weaker, but he was recovering. The problem was the memory. His soul had also been destroyed, and his memories were fading. Within a day, he would forget everything.

Pheriknoa thought it was fortunate. He would forget all the painful memories.

But he also thought it was unfortunate. He would forget all of his friends and the will to get revenge...

‘Ha, what a fool.’

Pheriknoa decided to consider it as fortunate. The Divine Nation had been destroyed and there were few humans left. There was no way to take revenge. These were beings that destroyed the continent. There was no way he could fight against them. But he felt something approaching.

“Whew...”

A man came out through the steam. Pheriknoa looked at him curiously. He couldn’t understand where he came from. He was coming from the direction of the destroyed continent. But Pheriknoa wasn’t interested.

He lost everything. He was enraged. but he was now left with hollow sadness. There was nothing left in him.

The man looked at Pheriknoa and grinned.

“Why do you look so sad? You seem like you’ve lost your world.”

Pheriknoa looked at the man and looked away. Then he spoke to him.

“Go away. I will lose my memory soon.”

The man did not go away however. He came up next to Pheriknoa and sat down.

“Well, we have enough time to talk then.”

“...?”

Pheriknoa was confused but nodded.

‘I only have one day to remember... I guess it’s better if someone at least hears my foolish action.’

Pheriknoa wanted someone to blame him for his actions. His actions had killed millions. But there was no one left to blame him for it. He wanted everyone to know, everyone to blame him.

“Hey... do you know what I’ve done for past three days?”

Pheriknoa began to speak. He anticipated the man to become enraged at kill him. But he didn’t do as expected. He laughed it off.

“That’s not much. Don’t blame it on yourself. It’s all because of those Lukra bastards.”

“...Lukra?”

Pheriknoa was confused. He had never heard of the name.

“Oh, you don’t know their name? They’re evil beings. Oh, and there’s one called Drakun. They’re a little better but they’re all bastards.”

Pheriknoa couldn’t understand. The man then spoke to him.

“So... is that it? That’s not too interesting. I’ll tell you mine.”

“...”

“Well, I haven’t told this to anyone but it’s better if someone remembers it. Make sure you make write a book or something later. I assure you that it will sell well.”

Pheriknoa sighed. His memory was going to fade away soon. He would even forget that he met the man. But he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even have the power to do it.