ocean-life Chapter 172
Chapter 172
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 172
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Unlike the busy days before, it had been unusually calm.
Now, it was time to depart for where the "Stairway of the Gods" was located.
In the early hours of dawn, when all the lights in the estate were extinguished, Kane prepared to leave Rehinar with Ray, leaving a note behind in his room.
It was at that moment—
“Son.”
Duke Carl emerged from the shadows.
“Where are you going at this late hour?”
Kane froze, caught off guard by the unexpected appearance.
He quickly scrambled for an excuse.
What could he say to explain where he was going at such a time?
Before Kane could respond, Ray’s voice cut through the silence.
“We have some unfinished matters to resolve.”
Ray, too, had briefly lived as Kane.
Though it had only been for a few days, Ray was also treated as Duke’s son when he arrived here.
Perhaps because of this, Ray candidly spoke of their intentions.
“...So, the two of you are sneaking off together?”
Duke Carl had come to treat Ray like a son as well.
Over the past month, a great deal had changed, major thing was the Relationship between the Duke and Ray.
“Please think of it as a short trip,” Kane said softly.
The Duke looked at the two of them, assessing their resolve.
“Shall I accompany you?”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s not a dangerous matter, so you don’t need to worry.”
“If you say so, I won’t stop you any further.”
The Duke placed a firm hand on Kane’s shoulder.
“Go safely.”
“Yes,” Kane replied, bowing his head slightly.
As Kane and Ray began to leave, the Duke called out again.
“Son, don’t take too long. I’ll be waiting for you.”
The words seemed to be directed at both of them.
Kane and Ray exchanged a smile.
They waved briefly before disappearing beyond the castle walls.
The Duke watched their retreating figures and murmured to himself.
“I hope your pain will finally come to an end.”
With a face full of longing, he turned and returned to his chambers.
Around a round table, seven individuals wore expressions of disinterest.
They were noble beings who resided in the highest realm of the heavens: The Celestial Realm.
Their faces showed clear displeasure at being forced to witness something so trivial.
“How do these humans plan to ascend the Stairway of the Gods?”
“What is the King thinking? Do any of you understand?”
“If we knew, would we look like this?”
Their confusion was evident.
The Stairway of the Gods was the pathway connecting the mortal world to the heavens.
And now, it had been opened.
A place that had remained sealed for hundreds, even thousands of years.
Today, that pathway was made accessible.
It was the decree of the Celestial King.
The Celestial King, the ruler of the heavens.
The supreme god.
“The Celestial King’s interest in this human named Kane stems from a single reason: the Proxy we chose has harbored heresy.”
“How dare a lowly creature!”
“A wretch like that dares to challenge the gods?”
“We’ve let them rise too far. Every now and then, we need to crush them to keep them in their place.”
“If the Celestial King truly intends to make Kane his Proxy, I’ll personally see to it that his mind is properly reconditioned.”
A brutish-looking figure spoke with cold resolve.
At that moment, a man walked into their midst.
“Celestial King.”
Everyone rose from their seats to greet him with utmost respect.
This man was the ruler of the heavens.
He took the head seat at the round table and gestured with a wave of his hand.
“Be seated.”
He appeared remarkably young—his face seemed to belong to someone in their 30s, with golden hair.
Though all the gods present looked youthful, the Celestial King appeared the youngest among them.
“You are all aware that the Stairway of the Gods has been opened, correct?”
The Celestial King’s anger was palpable.
The Seventh Rank god had committed the unforgivable sin of defying him.
At that moment, all the gods except the First Rank dropped to their knees, bowing deeply.
“We... we have deceived you, my King!”
“We feared that the Teverland Continent would be destroyed, so we committed a grave sin.”
“Please... grant us your forgiveness...”
“You fools!”
The First Rank god’s jaw hung open in disbelief.
“Are you admitting your crimes now? After hiding them all this time? You reckless, insolent wretches!”
The gods began confessing their sins.
The Celestial King listened silently.
Teverland was a space created by humans from another world.
The gods had watched with curiosity as this new world thrived.
They had enjoyed observing the lively creations of humans, but then signs of destruction emerged.
The human who was supposed to act as the god’s proxy and spread God’s word had begun harboring different ambitions—dreams of ascending to godhood.
Meanwhile, another world was attempting to erase Teverland altogether.
The Seventh Rank god had proposed an idea to the other gods:
“Let’s summon a hero from another world to save Teverland.”
But the other gods were unenthusiastic.
“Why should we meddle in something so trivial?” they had said.
The Seventh Rank god, however, had stoked their competitive spirits.
“And so, you all joined in doing something you shouldn’t have,” the Celestial King said, his voice steady.
“We were swayed by the Seventh Rank’s persuasion...”
“And because he warned us that he would resurrect from hell and return to this realm...”
They feared him almost as much as they feared the Celestial King.
While the Celestial King was the ruler of the Celestial Realm, he had been one of their peers—a high-ranking god.
Even so, his power had rivaled the King’s.
If he truly returned, they knew they would not escape unscathed.
Overwhelmed by their fear, they had felt compelled to act.
Even if it meant secretly using the King’s power, they had to prevent the King’s brother from returning to the Celestial Realm.
The Celestial King’s gaze bore into them as he asked,
“Did you think I couldn’t protect you?”
“N-No, my King!”
“We would never think such a blasphemous thing!”
“We were simply... worried...”
“Then tell me, how did your wager turn out?”
“Pardon?”
“What... do you mean by that?”
“Your wager,” the Celestial King clarified. “I’m asking which direction it went.”
“Ah!”
The gods exchanged uneasy glances, silently debating who would dare to speak.
The Celestial King pointed to the Second Rank god.
“Second Rank.”
“The majority believed it would fail. However... only the Seventh Rank believed it would succeed.”
“Why?”
“I assume it’s because he wanted to believe in the one he brought forth himself.”
The Celestial King nodded in understanding.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, the Seventh Rank god—who had turned to dust and vanished—was resurrected.
“Gah!”
“I will decide your fate once the World’s Line returns to its rightful state.”
“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The Seventh Rank god pressed his head to the ground.
The Celestial King’s nature.
None of them could ever predict his thoughts.
Using the King’s authority without permission was a crime punishable by annihilation without exception.
Yet, the Seventh Rank god had been spared.
What could it mean?
As the Celestial King turned to leave, he paused and looked back at them.
Then he spoke.
“Would it be acceptable for me to join the wager?”
“Pardon!?”
“I’ll place my bet on the heroes succeeding.”
Leaving those words behind, the Celestial King disappeared as calmly as he had come.
The high-ranking gods were left stunned, their faces frozen in disbelief.
For the Celestial King, who had always been a mere observer, to personally participate in the wager was a monumental event.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]