Bizarre Realm-Chapter 319 - 9: The Pathway of the Gate! Gate of the Abyss! (Part 2)

Chapter 319: Chapter 9: The Pathway of the Gate! Gate of the Abyss! (Part 2)

Within this shadowy realm, there wander black giants caught in perpetual motion!

"The historical shadow of mankind?"

Shawn’s expression was incredibly shocked. In the void to either side, nearly all of human history from the Stone Age to the modern era was displayed to him in compressed vignettes. Each vignette featured wandering shadows of black giants, containing vast might and laws that Shawn could not yet comprehend.

For Non-human Races like Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Half-Elves, they have Divine Spirits (creators) first, then their civilization. However, humans are different; humanity had civilization first before the Human Pantheon was born.

Elves have Corellon’s support, Dwarves have Moradin’s, Orcs have their deity Gush, and Half-Elves have the loving Yudala, among others.

But humans can only rely on themselves.

Mankind is the only race to have birthed many Divine Spirits through its own endeavors, forming a unique Human Pantheon that even attracted ancient Divine Spirits to join.

Humans thus emerged as the prime race of destiny.

"The Domain of [Humanity]?"

Shawn ascends along the invisible steps, observing a total of five thousand steps, and the number inexplicably touches him. Each step is spaced three meters apart—not meant for ordinary people but seemingly designed for Giants, ascending to a height of fifteen thousand meters.

As Shawn progresses, he feels an inexplicable pressure; his Magic Power seems stagnant, as some unique law binds the energies here.

The historical shadows continually emerge on either side.

After an unknown span of time, Shawn finally reaches the end of the Endless Celestial Ladder. Beyond the five thousand steps, the celestial ladder turns into an illusionary shadow, not a physical reality.

"That is the future!..." Shawn suddenly has an epiphany.

In an instant.

He feels the world spinning, and upon regaining awareness, he finds himself inside a majestic, grand golden palace. It looks somewhat ruined, apparently shattered by some epic battle.

An ageless sigh resounds.

"You finally arrived."

Shawn looks up and sees the majestic, ancient bronze thrones. In the center sit twelve chairs, each more than ten meters tall. The palace’s dome is a swirling silver starry sky, its sides enveloped in a deep, void-like purple light. The figure speaking has its back facing him, resembling a desiccated giant.

Shawn softly asks, "Where is this?"

The desiccated giant serenely replies, "The Pantheon of Divine Terra."

"All who historically ascended to divinity on this planet have come here."

Shawn slowly walks to face the bronze thrones. Before him stands a desiccated giant whose skin and flesh are wilted, leaving only remnants of bones and decayed skin; its hollow eye sockets flicker with Soul Fire, staring at Shawn, sighing, "We’ve waited a thousand years for you."

Shawn gazes at the desiccated giant before him, his expression complex. The figure isn’t even a concrete entity, suspended between reality and illusion, akin to a shadow of time.

He softly asks, "Who are you?"

The desiccated giant on the throne slightly shakes its head, saying, "I don’t remember anymore. I am merely the historical shadow left behind by them; if you wish, you may call me a nameless soul, or perhaps Commissar." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"This was the final pseudonym used by a Demigod who succumbed to eternal madness."

"I am a shadow of his form."

Shawn regards the battle-scarred, desiccated giant, falling into silence.

After a moment, he lifts his eyes to the desiccated giant, softly stating, "I will take the third Door Key."

The desiccated giant slightly nods, saying, "I know."

"But before that, I have some questions for you, left by them."

Shawn silently nods, saying, "Ask away."

The desiccated giant on the throne reveals a faint smile, looking down at Shawn, slowly asking, "Which year do you come from?"

Shawn quietly replies, "2024."

The desiccated giant’s expression shows a hint of surprise, murmuring, "Has it been so long?"

"You are not from the same era as us."

The Soul Fire in the giant’s pupil flickers, seeming somewhat invigorated, gazing at Shawn, stating, "First question."

"Was the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown resolved?"

Shawn pauses upon hearing this, slightly nods, and says, "Safely resolved."

The desiccated giant seems unsurprised and merely seeks confirmation from Shawn’s mouth. After a while, in a resolute voice, it almost whispers, "Decades have passed."

"Did we win?"

"Has humanity entered a peaceful, beautiful new era? Has your generation started interstellar travel to explore the cosmos?"

The gradually impassioned voice of the desiccated giant resounds heavily within the palace.

These aren’t questions from a single person, as they hail from differing eras, separated by decades of time. During the Dark Era, several Foreigners from Earth arrived until the gray mist fully enveloped the planet, and no foreign souls entered Divine Terra afterward.

Shawn momentarily doesn’t know how to respond.

The desiccated giant stares at him for a long time, eventually sighing, "Did we fail?"

Shawn firmly shakes his head, saying, "No."

"The Soviet Union dissolved, but the red flag endures in the East."