Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 373 : Divine Blood (1)

“A mermaid… is that truly a mermaid?” Penia whispered in astonishment.

The Observer, seemingly accustomed to such reactions, remained impassive.

“It has been a long time,” Alon’s voice chimed in, drawing her attention back.

“Indeed, it has,” she replied.

“You anticipated my arrival?” he inquired.

“I expected it,” the Observer responded calmly. Her gaze briefly swept over Radan, Penia, and Evan standing behind Alon before she spoke again.

“I must ask your companions to wait here for a moment, if you would.”

“Is that necessary?”

“Yes.”

Alon turned slightly to glance back, and the three behind him nodded in unison.

“Understood.”

With their assent, Alon nodded. The Observer immediately extended a hand toward him.

Wooong~!

A soft, resonant hum filled the air as a sphere resembling a bubble enveloped Alon’s form.

“I shall guide you immediately.”

Without further explanation, the Observer descended beneath the surface, leading Alon into the abyssal depths.

After a brief passage of time,

“We have arrived.”

They had reached the Observer’s domain.

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. I will take my leave now.”

“...Wait, leave?” Alon questioned, surprised.

The Observer nodded. “Yes. You will not be speaking with me this time. Furthermore, there is a message to be delivered.”

“A message?”

“From above,” the Observer stated, turning away before Alon could ask more.

She then plunged into the unseen abyss.

“Do not be overly concerned. I will return shortly after your conversation concludes.”

With those parting words, she vanished instantly.

Still somewhat adrift in thought, Alon shrugged and turned around. As the Observer had stated, his meeting was not with her.

Alon proceeded deeper into the naturally formed cavern. Soon, a familiar chamber came into view.

It was a place from which the sky was clearly visible, even within the deep-sea darkness.

The chamber itself showed no discernible alterations from his previous visit.

The sole change was the sky above.

Alon silently gazed upward at the world’s sky. Where stars had once gleamed with brilliant light, the familiar constellations were gone. Only the profound blackness of night remained, with a solitary, graceful moon suspended within it.

The stars had completely vanished, as if they had never existed at all. Alon had, of course, seen a starless night sky before. From the moment he regained awareness, he had been informed of the stars’ disappearance. Upon regaining his mobility, he had confirmed this observation with his own eyes. Yet, despite this…

Alon stood motionless for a considerable time, his gaze lost in the silent, moonlit expanse. The sky, by its very nature, offered no measure of the world’s turmoil. Still, for reasons unknown, it felt… tranquil.

Eventually, Alon resumed his journey, moving beneath the dark firmament and venturing further inward. He located the altar he had previously encountered and placed the curved jade he held upon it.

Wooong~!

A faint resonance emanated, accompanied by a pervasive sense of sinister magic. However, unlike his prior visit, he did not exhibit panic, awaiting events with composure.

“.......”

Soon, a spirit in human form materialized before him. It was a soul forged from condensed sinful magic.

[You have successfully gathered them all.]

Before Alon could respond, the predecessor spoke.

Alon inwardly acknowledged her words with surprise. “Yes, how did you know?”

[After all, I was the one who instructed you to gather them, was I not?]

“......”

“Hm.”

[That was merely a jest.]

As Alon’s expression shifted to one of awkwardness, the predecessor offered a faint smile and continued, [In this current state, I possess a heightened ability to perceive such matters.]

“You sensed it through incredibly subtle wavelengths?”

[Precisely. Now, might I have those items?]

Without a word, Alon presented the objects he carried: The Mask of the One Who Walks Forward, The Crying Blessing, and the Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One. The predecessor accepted them silently, arranging the three artifacts into a triangular formation upon the altar, beside the curved jade.

[We shall commence with this arrangement.]

Then, as sinful magic coursed into the three artifacts, a dark sphere began to materialize above the triangle. Following this…

Pssht—

A black thorn shot directly towards Alon. The speed was instantaneous. Had he been betrayed? Could he react? Even if unable to react, could he survive? A torrent of thoughts flooded Alon’s mind in a single moment as he held his breath. Yet, alas, there was nothing Alon could do. The thorn, originating from the sphere, moved swifter than his own thoughts. Just as Alon tightened his jaw—

Craack—!

The black thorn impacted something. “....?” “Huh?” It wasn't his body—but rather, something positioned behind him. And then—“!” Alon felt it. The dark entity behind him was gradually dissipating. “What is this?” As Alon stared numbly at the dispersing black smoke, he turned his gaze towards the predecessor. She responded calmly, [It would be most accurate to refer to it as a Watcher.]

“......A Watcher?”

[Indeed. The Watcher who has been observing you throughout this entire period.]

Alon looked behind him. The entity that had possessed a distinct form was now entirely gone. “Could you elaborate?”

[Certainly… hm?]

The predecessor, who had been nodding, suddenly fixed an intense gaze upon Alon. “......Is there something else?”

When Alon inquired about her peculiar behavior, the predecessor merely studied him for a moment before stating—

[No, it is nothing.]

She shook her head and turned away.

[It will take a little while before you meet Him, so let’s talk for a bit.]

Acting as if nothing had transpired.

***

Alon’s mind was in utter disarray.

The divinity that had vanished.

The essence of divine blood.

The profound secrets of this world.

And now, this Watcher she spoke of.

There was an abundance of matters demanding contemplation.

Yet, the predecessor remained silent.

Or perhaps, she appeared to be lost in thought.

Contemplating where to commence her explanation.

Following a prolonged period of reflection—

[We shall embark from the very genesis.]

“...The very genesis?”

[Indeed. My attempts to convey it simply proved insufficient. This is not an ordinary tale for you, after all. It is not the kind of narrative one can encounter from just anyone.]

As Alon’s gaze met hers, the predecessor offered a nod.

[This chronicle pertains to antiquity—an era long preceding the Age of Forgotten Gods.]

“...?”

Alon’s eyes flickered in bewilderment, but comprehension dawned swiftly.

He had received a similar account once before, from the Observer.

Could it be that a past even more ancient than the Age of Forgotten Gods exists?”

‘It is true. Although I did not witness it firsthand, I am convinced of its existence.’

‘And why do you believe so?’

‘Because the former Observer—my mentor—perceived that ancient past and bequeathed her final testament before her departure.’

These were the words the Observer had uttered when Alon first encountered her.

Recollecting these statements, Alon turned his attention back to the predecessor, whose expression remained serene.

[In a past exceedingly distant, two great nations graced this continent.]

[The first nation had attained spectacular advancements through magi-engineering, its might ascending to the very heavens.]

【The second nation, guided by the precepts of a mighty deity, had unearthed the method to imbue laws into the fabric of this world.]

[Their names were the Illanef Empire and Babylonoya.]

“!”

Alon’s eyes widened dramatically.

While Alon had heard the name Illanef from Rine, the name Babylonoya was already familiar to him, even without that introduction.

“Babil... Roya...”

The words slipped from Alon’s lips unconsciously.

It was impossible for him not to know.

For anyone choosing the path of a magician within Psychedelia, the term “Babylonoya” was an unavoidable encounter, as the incantations and hand seals integral to magical restrictions drew their origins from it.

In fact, Alon himself had performed such a restriction years prior, utilizing a ring.

Even as a torrent of thoughts surged through Alon’s mind, the predecessor continued her narrative.

[You have likely surmised it already, but the incantations and hand gestures you employ—]

“They originate from Babylonoya, do they not?”

[Precisely. More accurately, they are attributed to the ‘god’ who inscribed these laws into existence. Or perhaps... it would be more fitting to refer to it as the essence of divinity—Divine Blood (神血).]

“What?”

A look of astonishment registered on Alon’s face.

However, this shock was fleeting.

Swiftly refocusing his thoughts, he began to draw connections between the information concerning the two nations she had presented.

The Divine Blood of Babylonoya.

Magic.

Magi-engineering.

Illanef.

Sin.

Pluto.

“Impossible.”

[............Indeed, it appears you have already grasped the purpose of the Divine Blood through Sin’s revelations, rendering a step-by-step explanation unnecessary.]

Observing the dawning realization on Alon’s face, the predecessor offered a smile.

[Yes. Precisely as your intuition suggests. Babylonoya served as the genesis—a creation born from the Divine Blood with the aspiration of achieving true godhood.]

“And Illanef was—”

[The impediment that stood in its path.]

A memory surfaced abruptly in Alon’s mind.

It pertained to Ulthultus—or more precisely, his encounter with the Mad God.

To Alon’s knowledge, this entity was an outer god from the Forgotten Era.

Yet, he distinctly recalled Babylonoya.

In fact, the very reason he accepted Alon’s challenge to battle was a direct consequence of Alon uttering the name Babylonoya.

Despite this, Alon refrained from interrupting, allowing the predecessor to proceed.

[The two nations devolved into warfare. Both Babylonoya and Illanef sustained immense casualties. Had this conflict persisted, both realms were destined for utter annihilation.]

“So, in the end, they annihilated each other?”

[Negative.]

“No?”

[Correct. The two nations ceased their conflict at the precipice of mutual destruction. The Divine Blood harbored no desire for the cradle it had fashioned to become meaningless, and Illanef, too, possessed a stratagem that necessitated time.]

Though she admitted ignorance regarding the precise nature of that plan, the predecessor continued.

[Regardless, the two nations halted their war just shy of utter obliteration. By some means, they endured. However—]

She executed a slight shrug.

[Illanef and Babylonoya ultimately met their demise.]

“They could not withstand it after all?”

[Incorrect. Even with impending doom, both nations possessed the capacity for resurgence. The laws that the Divine Blood had inscribed into the world had bestowed temporary omnipotence upon humankind.]

The predecessor moved with measured grace, settling herself upon the altar.

[Furthermore, the magi-engineering, which had achieved such celestial advancements, had granted humanity a measure of power far exceeding its rightful bounds. Consequently, both nations underwent rapid recovery as time elapsed. And then—they were annihilated.]

“A second war, then?”

[Negative. The two nations were not extinguished through conflict. As I stated—they were destroyed.]

“...By whom?”

In response to Alon’s inquiry, the predecessor fell silent.

After a brief interlude, she finally articulated her answer.