Ch.333110. Make Yourself a Lamp and a Torch as You Move Forward (2)

# The Prophet Ahred

The story of how he, once a follower of the Black Star which preceded the Black Sun Cult, systematized those teachings to establish the Dark Star Cult and declared a conquest of the demon realm would only be revealed much later.

Even then, some parts are considered unofficial history and dismissed as exaggerations or fabrications.

However, the Dark Star Cult regards it as official history.

Ahred was his name in the Middle Eastern region, commonly known as the Red Sand Zone.

Interpreted differently, that name was Aurezah.

This was recorded in the memoir of a daughter from the Eluni royal family, who had been integrated into the Enbrave family—a bloodline of the Berk Imperial House, the Clan of the Radiant Emperor.

Most importantly, the 16th century was when this daughter lived, and her memoirs gained renewed attention precisely because their factual structure was remarkably clear.

Especially regarding the tale of the holy sword newly embedded in the imperial central region.

The mystical holy sword, once wielded by the hero who saved the continent, Rueld Brendiar, had become lodged in what was then the imperial plaza.

Yet at that time, no one could pull it out.

Not even the clan of the Radiant Emperor was an exception.

Afterward, the plaza naturally became one of the many holy sites representing the empire and even a pilgrimage destination.

While it remained inaccessible until the end of the 16th century, from the 17th century onward, anyone could approach it.

Some historical scholars cited this as another symbol of the era when imperial authority declined and the rights of common people rose, but…

“……”

And that sword remained embedded in its place even after the 20th century.

And without exception into the 21st century.

Even as the empire declined and countless nations rose and fell.

As it was also an important symbol of the Berk Empire, all those who later claimed to succeed the empire began to fixate on the territory where the holy sword was embedded, which, along with other holy sites and sanctuaries, gave rise to countless conflicts.

And.

Even until the moment when the entire territory and region passed to races other than humans, those who dreamed of empire, the Irenis Order, and the Reformed Order that reestablished the corrupt religious order all equally held the conviction and hope that the master of the holy sword would emerge from among them.

…It became a kind of legend in itself.

It was an element that could not be explained even by magic, and even transcendentally advanced magical engineering could not analyze why it could not be pulled out or what was causing it.

Therefore, it must be a miracle of god!

…Or could it be a curse?

“……”

And.

Eliya finally grasped it.

Her body was battered and broken, and around her swarmed countless monsters and demons ready to devour and tear her apart.

But as soon as she grabbed it, light suddenly burst forth from the rusted and hardened grayish-white sword.

And at that moment, she saw him.

A man with blue eyes and slightly darkened skin wearing a black hood, looking at her with an inscrutable gaze.

“……”

Simultaneously.

*Thud!*

Aurezah, who had just embedded the sword, saw—as if in a waking dream—the sight of the empire’s vastness and glory completely decayed into ashes after several centuries.

And within that, the figure of an utterly small and fragile-looking girl.

However.

…The jet-black sword in her hand stood out with striking clarity.

As if telling him what he should do next.

“……”

He could return to the order and pursue something again.

But that would be, in a sense, not a good direction.

His existence would become a myth and foundation, and they would pursue the right path according to the messages left by Aurezah, following them as if worshipping them for that purpose.

Perhaps this could be like a great curse, or perhaps an unreasonable demand and mission where they might all soon fall into corruption.

But now it would be different.

If they corrupt and lose direction, from now on, it would be entirely their fault.

Unlike before…

Now, “it” would no longer be able to wield or control us.

“Godalf.”

Since his sister disappeared, he had felt empty and stifled, as if he’d lost half of himself.

In previous lives, they had been husband and wife, and though not blood-related, they had lived as brothers and sisters…

But most of those lives were filled with pain, anger, injustice, and curse.

“…Eras.”

Perhaps this pitiful woman is also a fool caught in that cycle.

I feel sympathy for her.

Though forgiving or ignoring her is another matter entirely.

“When the time comes, she’ll be entangled naturally.”

Causality is a fearsome thing.

Even Kariel, because of causality and connection, is still pursuing such a difficult life as a human rather than ascending to godhood.

No, perhaps what he seeks isn’t so noble or splendid.

“Yes. Next…”

There’s still work to be done.

Though it may be a spare life, his existence, even if spare, could overturn the world several times over.

So perhaps he should pursue what the Dark Star Cult couldn’t accomplish.

What if he were to pursue what no one else could achieve?

“……”

Dressed in black rags with his hood pulled low, Aurezah left the plaza like the wind, without revealing his presence to anyone.

Shortly after.

“Huh?”

What’s that?

It was just seconds after the discovery of the immovable holy sword in the imperial plaza.

And the daughter of the Eluni royal family, who came to examine it, was able to hear part of the story as the crown prince’s lover, and briefly recorded it in her memoir.

****

And.

“Ahred.”

Visiting the Red Sand Zone, Eliya encountered a small underground shrine there.

An underground temple located halfway up the harsh rocky mountain of red sand, where the prophet Ahred was said to have descended.

Why he established his base here and trained for over a decade while barely eating or drinking is actually unknown.

There are no records.

One can only make light conjectures based on the records of his followers and disciples.

But even those were mostly flimsy.

His teachings were considered heretical for the time, and unlike the Irenis Order, his disciples were not as steadfast as those of Irenis.

Nevertheless, some core foundations of his teachings remained.

The dead are judged by their lives and reborn.

The good and evil done in life return in full, and until resolved, neither liberation nor escape is possible.

To resolve this, one must only realize, correct oneself, and achieve ascension.

His teachings are classified into these three principles.

The unfortunate point is that the methodology to achieve this was not passed down.

And since some content was similar to what could be found in other religions, the general public didn’t consider it special.

However.

Since suspicions arose that he might be the same person as Aurezah, the originator of the Dark Star Cult, exploration, excavation, research, and reexamination of him occurred simultaneously.

Because the Dark Star Cult was…

The arch-enemy of the Eastern sages and divine beasts.

And the demon kings and divine lords who stood shoulder to shoulder with them.

…The one who overturned the world.

The being who shattered the heavens.

As he was considered to possess martial arts and divine status perhaps even greater than the Heaven-Defying Demon Emperor, who belonged to the same sect.

Therefore, his reexamination began from the East, and as the commotion spread to the central and western regions and around the world, his reexamination was conducted busily.

And as even the Enbrave family of the Radiant Emperor’s clan, who had lost their country in decline, pursued this with the intention of regaining their family’s prosperity, his existence was widely discussed over a century.

…And as Eliya met the last bloodlines of Enbrave, she came to understand more clearly why they were obsessed with Aurezah.

Perhaps because Aurezah might have been an Enbrave as well.

“…Elhermina.”

Eliya unconsciously murmured that name.

It wasn’t a name that resonated much with Eliya, but once, that name, that existence was such a huge barrier for Seras.

The life as Seras now feels like a distant dream to Eliya.

But…

The fact that all of those things weren’t just nothing… was clear.

That’s why she had come this far.

The underground temple where Aurezah was said to have spent his last moments.

Specifically, they say he laid a carpet under a barren tree in the sandy plains of the Red Sand Zone and passed away leaning against a rock.

And his disciples enshrined him here… but the state of the temple was far from normal, possibly due to grave robbery.

It wasn’t even that impressive in size to begin with.

Anyone would think it was simply a cave or rock grotto that had been hollowed out, so shabby it was.

However…

‘I’ve seen this before.’

The Seven Peaks Mountain Range, was it?

When I went there, I found the holy site that became the foundation of the Dark Star Cult and Black Sun Cult, albeit belatedly.

There was something similar there too, a flat temple-like structure with an incense burner.

Just larger.

“……”

Why had she come here?

Her mind and soul now possessed more than sufficient experience and training.

The resulting skill and crisis response ability, and the patience and perseverance to clearly demonstrate all of this.

But is that enough?

Although she had crossed thresholds, overcome many trials, and skipped some.

Even though she had become so powerful that she had nothing to envy in this era.

Yet, overcoming the world’s crisis with just this seems distant.

That’s why she might be harboring another hope or expectation.

When she grasped the divine sword embedded in the center of the plaza of the fallen city, she saw.

A man who seemed to know she would come, looking at her intently.

Even the sight of him nodding and gesturing for her to follow.

…If it was just a dream, there’s nothing to say, but what else could she do? There was no other way at the moment.

“…I don’t know.”

She lay down indifferently.

It had taken a long time just to get here, and there were no answers even after arriving.

Perhaps that’s why fatigue crept in unnoticed.

“……”

Eventually, unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, she closed her eyes, promising herself a brief rest.

No, she just continued breathing deeply without even realizing her eyes had closed.

When she opened them, somehow her whole body felt refreshed.

“Hmm?”

Wasn’t she supposed to be holed up in a rock cave?

The sky is bright, and the surroundings are lush with vegetation, unlike the Red Sand Zone.

The greenery isn’t abundant but it’s definitely there, and the ground is quite… thick for a pile of hard rocks.

And it’s black, no less.

“What is this now?”

Eliya posed an incomprehensible question to herself as she got up.

Then she walked along what seemed like a stone path… and reached that place.

A wide-open plaza.

On the stone ground and the open rectangular plaza…

He was there.

“……”

A skinny man wrapped in a light red robe resembling the sand of the Red Sand Zone.

When he opened his eyes, which had been closed, a blue light gently swirled within them.

His abundant black hair braided down is truly impressive, but because of his slightly darker skin tone, she almost didn’t recognize him at first.

He definitely…

‘He resembles…’

He somewhat resembles Kariel.

Not a lot, but in appearance and atmosphere. In any case, there’s… quite a resemblance.

Deep and dark, yet never unpleasant or anxiety-inducing…

Yes, like that of the night sky.

As if concealing everything, as if embracing, as if encompassing.

On the other hand, as if covering or excluding everything, such a…

“You’ve come.”

He takes a deep breath.

Inhaling alone took him dozens of seconds, and exhaling took twice as long.

“At last…”

“…?”

While Eliya was puzzled, she suddenly opened her eyes wide.

She realized that until this moment of meeting her, he had been sitting with both feet placed on his knees.

And moreover, he was floating in mid-air.

Even now.

Even with one leg extended down, he was still floating in the air.

“You are the last.”

“…?”

“With this, I too can lay down my burden.”

After saying that, he placed his bare feet on the ground and stood upright, saying:

“I hope you don’t die crushed under that burden.”

“What?”

Something is about to begin.

Eliya’s almost prophetic intuition was vehemently warning her of this.