Ch.371The First Miracle. Ainsess Plains (1)

Finally, the army of the Sun arrived at the Ainsess Plains.

This Ainsess Plains, which had bestowed the first miracle upon humanity during the era when darkness had fallen—a time without light or heat—was surprisingly devoid of people.

To be more precise, there were people, but few who lingered.

In truth, this was understandable. The Ainsess Plains were incredibly vast, and the ruins where the miracle occurred were so small that unless one looked carefully, they appeared to be nothing more than a pile of stones.

After a million years had passed, it seemed that even with magical powers used for maintenance, they couldn’t overcome natural weathering.

As a result, while most historical attractions typically had crowds of people lingering to observe them, the Ainsess Plains had so little to see that visitors left quickly, making the place appear generally empty.

One might call it high turnover… In any case, it was a rather shabby place to be called an attraction. On the vast plains stood only a solitary ruin, surrounded by food stalls selling meals and drinks, lodging facilities, and souvenir shops. This created an atmosphere quite different from other attractions where large urban areas were built alongside or around the landmark.

It was almost like looking at a newly pioneered village.

“Well. Thanks to that, it’s perfect for landing the ship. Prepare for landing.”

“Yes, sir!”

Though the urban area was small, it was sufficient to feed and house the Sun’s army of 200,000. Considering the number of tourists visiting the attraction, adding just 200,000 more would be like adding one more spoon to a dining table.

“Initiating landing procedure.”

“Gas compression confirmed. Decreasing altitude.”

“Switching propulsion to minimum output. Deploying landing gear.”

“Landing gear deployment confirmed. Current altitude 300 meters… 250 meters… 200 meters…”

Whirr… Clank.

The good thing about standing on the bridge was hearing these conversations that fulfilled a man’s fantasy, happening in real-time and without pause.

After feeling the light impact of landing and confirming the ship had completely touched down, Viktor summoned his party members. Before leaving, he called the legion commander and ordered him to send the soldiers outside for three days of rest.

For soldiers whose sense of self was gradually disappearing due to his power, the most effective method to use them to their fullest was to ensure they were separated from the Sun at each attraction.

Just as regular soldiers could develop mental illness if confined to barracks for months, giving periodic vacations allowed their sense of self to escape from divinity, if only slightly.

Fortunately, since the urban area wasn’t large and took only three hours to traverse from end to end, the soldiers could run freely across these wide fields.

Though doing so in military uniform might get them mistaken for crazed deserters.

Whoosh…

“Your Majesty, preparations for disembarkation are complete.”

“Then let us proceed.”

Soon the hatch opened, and the Iron Walker party, along with the honor guard, set foot on the Ainsess Plains.

*

“Thank you for visiting this humble place. I am the guardian who protects this insignificant land.”

“Rise, guardian. You have performed your duty well thus far.”

Despite his words, Viktor couldn’t help but somewhat agree with the terms “humble place” and “insignificant land.”

Managing a ruin that clung to this vast land like discarded chewing gum for one’s entire life must surely be an easy task, but hardly a fulfilling one.

“Clear the people away. I need to see the ruins myself.”

“If you wish to see them…?”

“I mean to discover if my powers work on ruins from the Dark Age. Stay back, just in case.”

“Ah. Understood.”

At Viktor’s words, the guardian prostrated himself once more, bowing his head deeply.

The honor guard began cooperating with the local sentries to control the crowd, and guards in white and blue uniforms started evacuating people beyond a certain perimeter.

The reason for such strict measures was largely because, unlike previous attractions, the ruins of Ainsess were from the Dark Age.

They say where there is light, there is shadow, but the darkness of the Dark Age was deeper than any shadow.

Unlike a shadow, which exists because something else exists, could the Sun decipher the miracle bestowed by the primordial darkness that existed because nothing else did?

And if not, what would happen? Even for a god, finding the answer to this question would be impossible.

Unless one tried it directly.

“My lord, the evacuation is complete.”

“Hmm.”

As if confirming the Sun’s anxiety, the honor guard commander reported that the “evacuation” was complete.

Before his eyes now stood the thinned and weathered ruins from a million years ago.

Too shabby to be called an attraction, but one moment of carelessness could lead to unknown consequences.

As Viktor entered the now-empty ruins, he suddenly felt a very strange sensation.

“What is this feeling… Some kind of dissonance… unease? It’s hard to describe precisely…”

How to put it? Like knowing there’s a cockroach in your house but never seeing it again—that unsettling feeling. Like hands that have become slippery and sticky from using too much hand sanitizer. It was a sensation closer to “foreign matter” or “discomfort.”

“…”

Viktor carefully placed his hand on the ruins and began infusing his power.

“…It’s absorbing it?”

This feeling of being sucked in rather than injected was something he had never experienced before. Like filling a large water tank, Viktor considered removing his hand but ultimately decided to continue infusing his power after careful deliberation.

It was an act born from the arrogant belief that he could handle whatever might emerge.

And with that, Viktor’s consciousness successfully made contact with “something.”

*

“What are you?”

“…”

“Who are you?”

“…”

“Answer me!”

In the deep darkness, Viktor was having a dialogue with “something.” Or more precisely, he was attempting to have a dialogue.

It looked human but wasn’t human; it had a human form but wasn’t a person—a strange figure… Like something from the uncanny valley, a doppelgänger trying to imitate human form, instinctive revulsion filled Viktor’s spine.

“L…i…gh…”

“…”

“S…h…i…n…e…”

“You’re… speaking.”

Rather than speaking, its mouth was grotesquely distorted as if assembling characters.

Like babies who don’t know how to pronounce letters properly and whose pronunciation leaks and twists, its actions contained no malice whatsoever, but that made it all the more terrifying.

And slowly… it began approaching Viktor.

Not wanting to make discriminatory statements, but it was like looking at someone with severe intellectual disability, with no discernible intelligence.

Chaotic human proportions like a child’s drawing. A gaping mouth containing only black emptiness. Was it a being created by humans, or was it once human?

Regardless of its appearance, this “something” continued to reach out and approach Viktor.

Imitating the awkward toddling of a child walking to its mother or father, it was approaching to embrace Viktor.

Suddenly, Viktor remembered how it had struggled to say “light” and “shine.” Did it instinctively crave light too? Viktor took a deep breath and firmly embraced the human-like something approaching him.

“A…h…”

It feels mushy.

Rather than human skin, it had a texture more like squid, sending chills down his spine, and the hands and arms wriggling on his back made him shudder.

But he didn’t let go of the embrace. Somehow, this something he was embracing resembled someone.

Gradually, light and heat began to transfer.

Darkness is illuminated, cold is warmed, and slowly light begins to return to the world.

“W…a…r…m…”

And finally, as it said those words, the something slowly melted away.

Gradually but surely, like wax turning into candle drippings.

And only then could Viktor understand.

He had been able to embrace the something because that melting form resembled himself as a child.

Like his younger self who had craved the warmth of others but never received it.

That strange and repulsive form was probably not much different from how others saw him.

When he opened his eyes, Viktor’s consciousness returned to his body, and he felt a strange heat flowing from his hand.

As he grasped it, there was an immense flash of light, and Viktor was thrown far through the air, crashing into a nearby rock.