CG Chapter 121: The End of the Melody
The cracks in the sky spread rapidly, fracturing and breaking this fragile world into countless shards. No, it would be more accurate to say that what broke was the illusion that had been keeping Tom prisoner thus far, and with it, Tom became free again.
As the false reality crumbled, Tom was finally able to see the truth hidden under the facade of beauty, the endless cycle of suffering, and the illusion of mercy.
Before him stood a colossal white tree, its roots spreading outward like a vast, tangled spiderweb of black and white, stretching across the blood-red sky.
The sight alone was enough to scare most people, but what was truly bone-chilling was the fact that some of these roots had dug deep through the flesh of a middle-aged man, keeping him in place as if he were under a never-ending nightmare.
That man was none other than the person Tom had stayed by in the illusion, an adventurer, a great man, a heartbroken husband, a lost soul.
But more importantly, he was…
Seeing him in that state, Tom's expression darkened with disgust.
"What a disappointment."
His voice was filled with contempt as he took in the pathetic sight before him.
"A legend has truly fallen. I suppose this is the fate of all those who chase their dreams. They either die, crawling and struggling as they try to reach them…"
His lips curled into a cruel snicker.
"Or worse, they become nothing but another pitiful, hollow soul with no purpose."
His voice rose in a cold, mocking tone.
"Isn't that right, Bon Vincent? Don't pretend you can't hear me."
Shudder!
The air felt extremely cold at that moment.
Then, the man's eyes flickered open.
Two pitch-black, lifeless, soulless eyes that lacked any semblance of life.
Remembering how bright and full of life Bon Vincent's eyes had shone inside the illusion, Tom couldn't help but chuckle. Now, they were nothing but endless pits of despair.
But his actions didn't seem to affect Bon Vincent in the slightest, as he spoke indifferently in a voice that was even uglier than his eyes.
"Give up. There is no point in what you are doing. Even if you somehow manage to take me down, you will become exhausted and weak once the seven gods' avatars descend."
"You can still walk away. Return and rule the world outside. No matter your sins, you can still be given another chance."
"Besides… you wouldn't want to see your empire fall, would you? The people suffering. At least, show them mercy."
Tom placed a hand over his stomach and let out a loud laugh as if he had just heard some kind of bad joke.
"Mercy, you say?" Shaking his head, he said,
"Was it mercy when you gave up on chasing the truth? Was it mercy when you left everything and everyone who believed in you? Was it mercy when you became a puppet to the beings you hated most?"
Some might wonder why Tom did not simply cut Bon Vincent down instead of wasting time talking.
The answer lay in the nature of the place he was inside.
Due to the energy and radiation emitted from a world source, its presence rapidly mutates the surrounding rules. For that reason, most worlds instinctively place their world cores in a safe, faraway, and isolated miniature realm that is connected to the actual world once they reach a high enough realm.
And the nature of this world's realm was Dreamland, a place where anything you can think of would turn into reality.
The best example of this was the illusion Bon Vincent had been keeping himself inside, all so he could continue seeing that woman.
But to Tom, this was not a dreamland.
Instead, it was more of a sheep farm, where the people were nothing but cattle, and Bon Vincent, a mere guard dog.
That was why Tom wanted to break him mentally before taking over the world core to ensure that no one would disturb him as he absorbed it.
But his instincts told him that this task would not be so simple, which was why he was opting for the safer option.
During his time in the illusion, Tom had formed a deep understanding of both the man Bon Vincent had been and the puppet he had turned into.
After all, during the illusion, he had worn the skin of his sworn brother.
All of that made the process of breaking Bon Vincent's mind much simpler.
No matter how much he tried to look indifferent or uncaring, his continued existence inside that illusion proved otherwise.
Tom's voice dropped to a calculated whisper as he spoke in a voice laced with venom, with no other goal but to break Bon Vincent down.
"Long ago, I realized something."
"Men are weak. They are creatures of emotion and faith in an illusory authority. Many are swayed from the goals they swore to reach by the slightest bit of temptation."
"They lose themselves in useless delusions such as love and false power. But there are those rare few who, despite the difficulty, the pain, and the harshness of the road, keep going. They keep fighting to reach their goal… or die trying."
"Even you, who swore to explore this world and beyond, to know all that is to be known, have fallen. And for what? The lap of the first woman who showed you some affection?"
Shaking his head, Tom suddenly started laughing, looking like a madman on the verge of breaking into madness.
"Should I feel disappointed that you gave up? Or should I pity you? The sight of a man who has fallen so low… reduced to nothing but a sheep, drained of his energy at the well of another."
His laughter died down, and his voice turned cold, his words cutting like a blade as his eyes shone with bloodlust.
"Well, I suppose I should thank you. Because I will be using that energy. Your energy. And the energy of this entire world as a stepping stone to reach my goal."
The moment his speech ended, the expressionless mask Bon Vincent had been keeping finally began to crack.
His once-unshakable indifference faded, and, for the first time…
Irritation took its place.