Bang—!

The scene before his eyes shattered, as though crushed into dust by an invisible giant hand.

Justin collapsed to the ground, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Future Faustus is actually that powerful..."

At this moment, his heart was filled with regret.

The future he had deduced ended with him being crushed by Faustus. His future was bleak!

Justin hated the Angel King to the bone.

If not for that idiot... he would never have had anything to do with Faustus.

"Angel King, you damned moron...!"

He gnashed his teeth.

How could he still dare to plot against Faustus now?

All Justin wanted was to make amends.

"If I hand the Angel King over to Faustus, maybe I can... no, that still won’t be enough!"

His eyes flickered uncertainly. "I also have to protect Faustus while he’s still weak... Only then might he let bygones be bygones!"

...

Divine Wind Realm, Divine Descent Hall.

The heads of the major Luminari families had all gathered together.

Each of them wore a different expression, and everyone had something to say.

"Progenitor Camille’s path is almost at its end. The position of Swordlord has to be decided quickly."

"I don’t think there’s any need to decide at all, is there? Haven’t we been doing just fine without a Swordlord?"

"Exactly. The Swordlord is an outdated relic. Why should the fate of our entire race be held in the hands of one person?"

The Luminari were the strongest race in the Divine Wind Realm, with billions of clansmen.

The leaders present here represented the entire Luminari race.

At that moment, a clear voice rang out.

"In Divine Wind Calendar Year 201, the Godkin invaded our world. In Divine Wind Calendar Year 215, unable to endure the Godkin’s oppression any longer, we Luminari rose up in resistance. That year, Progenitor Camille established Lamu Palace and created the position of Swordlord."

"In Divine Wind Calendar Year 6490, which is this year, Progenitor Camille’s life-flame is about to be extinguished..."

The leaders quietly listened to these words.

They knew at least some of this history, but that did not stop them from wanting to abolish the Swordlord.

The Swordlord held the life and death of the entire world in his hands—why?

Why should their lives be decided by someone else?

Shouldn’t every person be the master of their own fate?!

One leader stepped forward and shouted, and immediately, a crowd followed him in making a racket.

"The Godkin haven’t come for thirty thousand years. I don’t think they’ll ever come again."

"Exactly. Progenitor Camille is about to enter extinction. Some people are probably clinging to the Swordlord system because they want to monopolize power for themselves, right?"

"That must be it. We will never agree to this!"

"Our lives are ours to decide!"

The leader who had recited the history of the Divine Wind Realm listened as everyone shouted themselves hoarse in opposition to the Swordlord, and his heart gradually turned cold.

He suddenly stood up and swept his gaze around the hall.

Not a single person stood up to support him.

Some pretended to be mute, while others raised both hands in favor of abolishing the Swordlord.

He alone stood there, isolated, stubbornly holding the line.

He gave a bitter smile. "Progenitor Camille endured all these years alone so that our race could survive, so that our race could preserve its dignity!"

"Who did he do it for? He did it for the Luminari! Without the Swordlord, this world will fall sooner or later. The Luminari will perish sooner or later!"

But his words were met only with a hall full of mockery.

"The Luminari will perish? So just because you open your mouth, we’re doomed? Hahahaha..."

...

On Mount Lamu, within Lamu Palace.

An old man sat motionless like a stone statue.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed in.

"Vade pays respects to Progenitor Camille!"

He was the very person who had been the only one in Divine Descent Hall to firmly defend the Swordlord system.

Progenitor Camille abruptly opened his eyes, and two dim rays of light flickered in his eye sockets.

Vade looked at Progenitor Camille, and for no reason, his heart ached.

Back then, Progenitor Camille had been astonishingly brilliant, a peerless genius!

He had long since touched the threshold of the peak of quasi-Divine-grade, just one tiny step away from crossing into Divine-grade.

But in the battle against the Godkin years ago, Progenitor Camille had suffered grievous injuries. He had never recovered, and his strength had never been able to advance even a single step further.

Moreover, every single day, Progenitor Camille had to endure immense pain.

A full six thousand years.

Progenitor Camille had carried it all alone for so many years!

At this thought, Vade felt so stifled that he could not speak.

If Progenitor Camille had not been injured back then, he would have become a Divine-grade powerhouse long ago. How would there still be any need for this damned matter of the Swordlord?

As long as Progenitor Camille remained, the Swordlord remained.

And as long as the Swordlord remained, the Luminari could live with their backs straight.

"You’re here..."

Camille spoke faintly. "How did the discussion over the next Swordlord go?"

Vade lowered his head, clenched his fists, and said in a trembling voice, "Progenitor Camille, I... they..."

"Heh..."

Camille gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "I already expected it."

"This world has been at peace for too long. No one remembers anymore what it felt like when the Luminari struggled on the edge of life and death. Times have changed."

His tone was calm. "I hold in my hand something that can blow this entire world flat. Now, no one is willing to see someone else control that bomb. They all want to abolish the Swordlord, don’t they?"

Vade lowered his head even further, his voice filled with helplessness. "Yes, Progenitor Camille."

Camille drew in a deep breath. "Sigh. I can no longer suppress the injuries in my body. Tomorrow will likely be the day of my extinction. After that, whatever happens will no longer be mine to control."

"Progenitor Camille!"

Vade cried out in a trembling voice.

Camille smiled and said, "The Luminari have had a glorious history and a brilliant civilization. While we were here, we already made this stretch of time full enough."

"After I die, I hope you can still guard this light. Do not throw away the entire soul of the Luminari just to cling to life."

Vade nodded. "Yes, Progenitor Camille."

Camille shook his head.

He did not know whether his words would be of any use.

He slowly stood up, and a sword appeared in his hand out of thin air.

It was a sword, and also a weapon capable of destroying this world. It was also a bundle of explosives hanging over the head of every living being.

Destruction or survival—everything rested on a single thought from the Swordlord!

Camille held the sword and walked to Vade’s side, then suddenly asked, "How long has it been since you last looked up at the stars?"

Vade froze. "A very, very long time. So long that I can no longer remember."

Camille smiled faintly. "Though we are all ants crawling in the dust, we still have to look up at the stars from time to time."

"Above us is the Endless Starfield. There are things there that we cannot even imagine. Perhaps it is cruel, or perhaps it is dreamlike. But as long as I think that such unimaginable places exist to be witnessed, I feel that being alive is truly wonderful."

Vade nodded.

He thought that if Progenitor Camille had not been the Swordlord, he would certainly have ventured into the Endless Starfield.

Progenitor Camille loved looking at the stars so much, yet he had never left this world his entire life.

He had not only given his life to his race.

He had also given his dreams to them.

"Go back and tell them."

Camille looked up at the sky and slowly said, "This sword will disappear from this world."

Vade trembled all over.

Camille suddenly smiled. "I will give you one sentence. I will also give it to the Luminari."

Vade said solemnly, "Please speak, Progenitor Camille."

"If you lose your humanity, you will lose much. But if you lose your mettle, you will lose everything."

After Camille finished speaking, he waved his hand.

"Go. I want to be alone for a while."

Vade nodded softly, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot.

...