Chapter 282
An Explanation
|The Great Ancients are extraordinarily powerful entities, but they are not as powerful as the Outer Gods.|
Cain's voice echoed calmly through Arthur's mind, measured and deliberate, as though preparing him to comprehend a truth far heavier than it seemed.
|There are clear ranks in this universe.|
|First Rank: Outer Gods.| |Second Rank: High Priest.| |Third Rank: Lower Priest.| |Fourth Rank: Great Ancients.| |Fifth Rank: All other weaker entities.|
|To explain things briefly and precisely…|
|You know that whenever you defeat one of the Great Ancients, another automatically appears afterward.| |But… do you know the laws governing the Great Ancients themselves?|
Arthur slowly exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke, his eyes fixed on the dark sky above him. He thought for a moment, searching through his memories, but he could find no clear answer.
|All right.|
|There are several laws, some of which you already know.| |Such as one-on-one combat.| |And that the battle must take place solely between the Great Ancient and their opponent.| |If the opponent surrenders or fails to appear for the battle, an entire constellation is destroyed without hesitation.|
|However, there is a higher law… one more dangerous than everything mentioned before.|
|When you defeat the strongest Great Ancient, no other Great Ancient will appear after it for a very, very long time.|
Arthur slowly raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
|Gizguth… the grandson of Azathoth.|
|He is the strongest Great Ancient to have ever existed.| |His rank is just below that of the High Priest, but above that of the Lower Priest.| |However, because of his lineage and origins…|
|He is supposed to transform directly from a Great Ancient into an Outer God.|
|The other Great Ancients ascend gradually:| |Great Ancient Lower Priest High Priest Outer God.|
|But Gizguth… because of Azathoth, he is only permitted to leap directly to the rank of Outer God.| |Do you understand now?|
Arthur fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
"So… Gizguth is currently the strongest Great Ancient." "He is even above the Lower Priest." "And since I killed him… no other Great Ancient will appear after him anymore."
|Yes.|
Arthur extinguished his cigarette between his fingers and sighed deeply.
"That means my next opponent…" "Will either be a Lower Priest." "Or perhaps… the High Priest himself." "Cthulhu."
|Yes.|
Arthur smiled faintly in mockery.
"What a damn cursed life, honestly."
|Are you only realizing that now?|
Arthur chuckled softly despite the pain that plagued his body.
"All right, all right… I suppose this is normal." "What matters now is…"
He tried to stand up, but his body betrayed him. Pain pierced his muscles and bones, forcing him to remain where he was.
"Lord Arthur!" "Where are you, Lord Arthur?"
The goblins' voices echoed through the dark, black forest, tinged with worry.
"I'm here."
They hurried toward the sound, but suddenly stopped, frozen in place.
Standing before them was a young man.
He had long black hair and dark black eyes in which faint golden sparks flickered.
Dark, exhausted circles lay beneath his eyes, and blood trickled from his mouth.
His black clothes were slightly torn and stained with blood.
"Who are you?" "What have you done to Lord Arthur?" "Tell us where he is!"
Their angry shouts grew louder.
Arthur sighed wearily.
"You idiots… It's me, Arthur."
The Next Day
Rimuru returned from the city, bringing four dwarves with him to help rebuild the village.
"Where's Arthur?"
He asked as he calmly jumped down from Ranga's back.
One of the goblins led him to a dilapidated hut.
"Damn… This pain is killing me."
Rimuru heard Arthur's voice before he even reached the hut.
"No… It's not killing me. But this body… damn it, I'm not used to it. It's fragile… weak."
Rimuru opened the door and stepped inside.
Arthur was bare-chested, examining his new body with a calm yet displeased expression.
"Oh… You're back, Rimuru."
He smiled faintly and began putting on his clothes.
"Just… how did your appearance change like this?"
"Is that really your question?"
Rimuru hesitated before speaking seriously.
"No. What happened to you, Arthur?"
Arthur sat on the hard wooden bed, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.
"I was ambushed at the village gate. I lost my original body… and my power. Using a spell I knew from my world, I transferred my soul into this nearly dead body at the last moment."
Rimuru's words came rushing out.
"Who did this? And how? You're so powerful that even Tempest himself trembles at your aura! What kind of being could do something like this to you? And also… you're not from this world, are you?"
Arthur smiled at him, amused by his eagerness.
"I don't know who did it. Nor do I know how powerful they are. And to tell you the truth… if my power hadn't been sealed by that spell, no one would have been able to stand in my way."
He paused for a moment.
"But that spell… was something else entirely."
"What do you mean?"
"A sacred spell. A mighty one. Even I… in my Supreme Form, couldn't break it."
"Supreme?"
"Nothing… Forget about it."
He continued calmly.
"As for the soul transfer… it's simply a technique I learned in another world. It can only be used once. And that's the end of it."
He did not tell Rimuru the whole truth.
He did not mention that Cain was the one who had made the transfer possible.
After all, he had not yet reached that level.
Nor did he mention the sensation that had crept into his heart when he touched that spell:
Sacred runic lines…
The aura of a great ruler.
(A title, not a rank.)
Even at the peak of his power, when he had easily destroyed Gizguth…
He still would not have been able to break it.
---
You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:
telegram:
miraclenarrator
tiktok:
miracle_narrator
instagram:
miracle_narrator