Otherwise, you can find another savior.

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The controversy surrounding this point alone proves the significance of the Battle of the Temple of Time.

“Salvation…” Shiomi lowered her eyes. “We already know that the planet that has now been reduced to a blank sheet of paper is a world about a hundred years from 2017. Does this mean that even if nothing happens, human history will still come to an end in a hundred years?”

“This possibility exists, which is why we need to address this destruction,” Taigong Wang said. “What the Goddess Nuwa hoped for was for the existing world to continue normally, so that future humans would either perish naturally or continue to evolve, eventually leaving the cradle of the planet and embarking on a vast journey to the stars and the sea.”

Scáthach understood this motivation and wholeheartedly agreed: "That Earth Mother Goddess is surprisingly gentle in her approach."

“If it weren’t for its gentleness, how could it have refined the five-colored stones to mend the sky and save humanity on earth?” Taigong Wang said. “But this crisis called the bleaching of human reason has also given other beings who are eager to make their move an opportunity. Beast Koyanskaya, who currently controls this area, wants to use the bleaching of human reason to achieve her own goals.”

Then, he reminded the group to pay attention to the canyon ahead.

As tide saw them passing through the forest and preparing to cross the mountain path ahead, there was a nearby canyon that they needed to bypass.

“Please observe carefully the strange creatures in the canyon and tell me what you see,” said Taigong Wang.

As requested by Taiko-no-Wang, Shiomi and the others did not immediately cross the mountainous area, but instead approached the cliff, from where they could see the strange relatives in the canyon.

What used to require telescopic equipment or close proximity to see inside the canyon, they could now see clearly simply by enhancing their eyes with magic.

“They are all… creatures I’ve never seen before…” Morgan murmured in surprise.

I can't sense any aura of a fantasy species, but it's not a creature from this planet either.

Its body resembles that of a sheep, but its limbs, especially its feet, are more like those of a bird.

Or perhaps it has a dog-like body, but a squirrel's tail, rabbit's ears, and the same bird's feet.

"It's not based on mystery, but on entirely new life forms that are truly rooted in the earth." Shio saw through the essence. "Such beings exist throughout the entire canyon, exceeding the number of Extraordinary Kin. What exactly are they?"

"Let's get to the conclusion first," Taigong Wang replied. "They are not native to this area, but they are the most numerous creatures here, and no other life forms will attack them. These creatures are at the top of the food chain here."

“They are numerous, in groups of three to five hundred, yet we don’t see them feeding at all.” Scáthach looked thoughtful. “How do they feed?”

“This is, after all, a settlement. Hunting is mainly carried out in the forest and river areas, and there are individuals who are specifically responsible for hunting,” Taigong Wang explained casually.

"Functions?" tide saw them were taken aback.

“That’s right. First, they have families, and then they form villages. Each one can do its own job and contribute to the community, except for individuals as small as children. They are social animals and have formed one society after another,” Taigong Wang explained.

Shiomi squinted: "But they are not mutant humans who have adapted to this environment."

"Not only that, apart from those strange relatives. All life here, whether wild beasts, birds, fish, or the flowers, plants, and trees you can see now, are not beings that have existed or ever existed in human history." Taigong Wang smiled, but his tone was unexpectedly serious.

“I have a question, Your Excellency Taigong Wang,” tide Jian suddenly asked.

"Speak freely." This expressed Taigong Wang's attitude of speaking frankly and without reservation.

"Humans have lived for millions of years and become the most prosperous species on the planet, establishing the era of primates." Xi Jian stood up and looked at the life in the canyon. "If one day, all the humans on the planet disappeared, but everything else remained the same, what would happen to the planet?"

In response to his question, Taigong Wang gave a definite answer:

"If that day comes, a new species will replace humans among the other life forms on the planet, becoming the ones who determine the future of the planet and inscribe its history."

Chapter Thirteen Power

Taiko no Wang's answer was not beyond Shiomi's expectations.

The gods who ruled the planet, along with countless fantastical beings, retreated from the surface with the Age of Gods. The environment of the planet's surface, this "woven fabric," began to develop and stabilize in a direction more suitable for human survival.

The age of gods has ended; the age that truly belongs to mankind has only been going on for two thousand years.

But if humanity, having established such an era, were to disappear from the planet, yet the planet itself were still alive... the answer would be as Taigong Wang said.

Just like the plains that extend from this canyon.

nobody.

There was nowhere to be seen, not even a trace of a person.

Listening to the sound of the wind, there were no creatures speaking clearly.

Looking around, there are no creatures that possess culture or civilization.

Although there are creatures that exist at the top of the food chain and have huge communities, there are no creatures that reign supreme and develop as primates.

No, there is no creature that can be called "human".

Even if there are creatures that form groups like humans, humans themselves leave no trace.

There was no sense of immigration or camping.

The traces of human activity that would have been present in the original Tunguska forest are nowhere to be seen here.

The raven familiar, circling in the canyon and darting through the forest, shared what it saw with Shiomi's mind. It then shared its vision with Morgan and the others through a magical pathway.

Here, all you see is a world teeming with unknown flora and fauna.

A sacred place for creatures that did not exist on the original Earth.

"So... in this realm of supernatural phenomena, they are the life forms that have replaced the primates?"

Shiomi stood on the cliff above the canyon, looking down at the strange creatures gathered together, and asked Taigong Wang a question.

“That’s one way to understand it, but not entirely. After all, they didn’t fulfill their responsibilities as primates; they merely stood in the position that humans should have occupied,” Taigong Wang replied.

"Is that so?" tide Jian remained noncommittal.

It's beautiful here, peaceful and serene like a paradise. You can't even see the struggles and battles between life forms; they just quietly exist in this environment, existing simply to continue.

It could even be said to be a utopia in another sense.

“This pristine scene is merely one form of existence in this special realm. Here, there are two forms of existence,” Taigong Wang added.

"Two kinds?" Morgan asked.

"One type is the scene you are observing right now, which I call the realm of survival. It is the natural circle itself, where there is no violence above the food chain, and it is a paradise full of life." Taigongwang explained the truth in detail.

Scáthach raised an eyebrow: "If there are only two forms, although I haven't seen them yet, I can already guess. If this is a pure symbol of life, then the other should be a realm infinitely close to death, or perhaps death itself manifested?"

“That’s right,” said Taigong Wang. “Following the path I’ve planned for you, you will arrive at the next destination. But it’s getting late now. I wonder if you want to continue your journey, or—”

Xi Jian stood up and looked back at the mountainous area behind her. Although it was a mountain, there was a spacious area where people could rest for the night, and even a shallow cave that could accommodate a few people, which could be used to deal with any windy or rainy weather.

The premise is that... in this strange realm, besides the strongholds of physical weapons, there will also be weather changes with wind and rain.

"Well then, I'll go tidy up and get the camp ready," Artoria said, turning and walking away.

“Without anything, you probably won’t be able to pack anything,” Morgan reminded him. “I’ll help you pack, and while we’re at it, we can take the camping supplies out of the imaginary pocket.”

The two turned and went to the open space near the hillside at the back to start tidying up the campsite.

Only Scáthach remained, accompanying Shiomi as she watched over this realm of survival.

Why Koyanskaya created such an environment remains unknown.

But without humans, a planetary habitat might look like this.

Shiomi wouldn't go to such extremes as to believe that this is the correct attitude for the planet, and thus deny the existence of humans.

He was still thinking about the question he had asked at the beginning.

The planetary surface that was supposed to be blank was actually the planet Chaldea observed a hundred years in the future.

The inevitable extinction of humanity.

Even other life on the planet perished, leaving only the planet itself intact.

It will likely be a long time before new life forms, capable of adapting to this new environment, emerge from the planet.

Seeing this future, Goetia chose to start over, seeking guidance from his Lord to shape a history of humanity that would never perish.

Therefore, it would even be necessary to destroy the existing human order.

Following the Grand Order's mandate to "protect humanity," Animusphier chose another path, one that he still cannot discern the true nature of.

"Is the extinction of humanity inevitable? Or is it that humanity cannot avoid the path to destruction before it evolves to the point where it can leave the cradle of the planet?" Shiomi asked quietly.

"This is a very long-term question," Taigong Wang said. "It's something that Western magicians have been trying to protect and maintain since before the Age of Gods. It's a nautical chart to ensure that humanity can exist longer, more practically, and more prosperously."

This is what the magic world calls "human reasoning".

"Of course, mere longevity, practicality, and prosperity are not enough. Only the 'possibilities of the world' that allow humanity to develop in the most diverse forms can be called the way of humanity," Taikomo added earnestly. "You have already witnessed the significance of possibility in the Atlantic Lostbelt, haven't you?"

“I understand, but you haven’t answered my question yet, Lord Taigongwang,” Xijian reminded him helplessly.

"This is not a question I can answer for you. To the people of this era, I am merely a shadow etched in history. I can help the people of this era, but I cannot make decisions for them." Taiko no Momo chuckled and raised his finger, pointing at Shiomi. "But you are different. You truly belong to this era, living in this era as a human being. Whether extinction can be avoided, whether humanity can continue into the future a hundred years from now... you have the right to help humanity choose and continue. No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it power."

"Power... huh."

tide Jian raised her hand and looked at it.

The weight of that word seemed to fall heavily into my palm right now.

Chapter Fourteen Reflections

As night fell in the Otherworld, Artoria had already lit a campfire in the mountain camp area.

Although I wasn't afraid of the cold, the warmth of the fire after it was lit dispelled the chill of the night and still brought me joy.

"Where did you go?" Scáthach poked at the campfire with a branch and asked Shiomi, who had just returned from outside.

"I've set up a small array to strip the spirit veins of their control." Xi Jian clapped her hands and sat down on a rock by the campfire. "When we set off tomorrow, the spirit veins here will be free from Koyanskaya's control."

By gradually reducing Beast's control over the spiritual veins, they create a sense of urgency in the other party.

Initially, only the area around the stronghold of Ivan the Terrible's reappearance was manageable, but as the area being taken away increased, Koyanskaya would try to reclaim it.

If she still refuses to leave the core area and handle things personally, she will inevitably continue to prepare for battle there.

The problem is that they failed to collect the species from the seven Lostbelts as planned, and did not obtain enough power to ascend.

In the end, it was just the unfinished Beast, Koyanskaya, and it's hard to say how much power she had.

"Given that the creatures here are all unknown species, we haven't engaged in hunting or fishing." Morgan brought over a bowl of porridge with meat and vegetables. "This was made with supplies brought down from the ship."

"Thanks a lot."

tide Jian held the bowl of porridge, blew on the edge to cool it, and then picked up a wooden spoon and began to eat in small bites.

“I must say, even under these circumstances, your cooking is still so good,” Scáthach commented on Morgan’s food.

Morgan said with a hint of pride, “I learned all this from my husband during our pilgrimage. He’s been so good to me; he never lets me do any of the rough or tiring work unless I ask for it myself.”

"Did you survive those lonely years by relying on Tianxi?" Artoria asked, "Just to save Britain, to save those... fairies living on the island?"

“It’s not called enduring hardship, nor is it lonely.” Morgan shook his head. “When your heart is filled to the brim with one person, it’s hard to pay attention to the changes and suffering around you. Whether it’s the hostility or hatred from the island fairies, even if I know it’s there, it will always vanish before it reaches me.”

"He who bears the nation's shame is called the master of the state; he who bears the nation's misfortune is called the king of the world," Scáthach said, pursing her lips.

Hearing her say this, Morgan, who understood the point, nodded in agreement.

“To be honest, I was indeed in pain when I first lost the Rain Clan, my adoptive parents, and my sister. But after a long time, and with my husband’s help to heal all my wounds, all that remained in my heart was a little knot in my heart.” Morgan looked at the porridge in the bowl. “Later on, I almost didn’t understand why I did it, but I remembered my initial ideals, which led to that outcome.”

It is both his own ideal and the wish entrusted to him by the Rain Clan.

Although all his ideals and wishes were ultimately shattered, Morgan did not regret it. Instead, he accepted the outcome as what remained after six thousand years of effort.

Moreover, it's already quite remarkable that I haven't lost my most precious possession.

"So now you're switching to supporting my beloved disciple's path?" Scáthach asked with a smile, "The ideal of saving the world, saving the history of humankind."

“It’s a wife’s duty,” Morgan readily admitted.

At this moment, Artoria noticed that Shiomi hadn't said anything. She turned her gaze and found that he was keeping his head down, silently eating his porridge.

There was still a bowl of piping hot porridge, which was soon emptied.

"What are you thinking about, Tianxi?" Artoria asked.

This question not only interrupted Shiomi's immersive thoughts but also broke Morgan and Scáthach's casual conversation.

"No, it's nothing." tide Jian looked up and hesitated before replying, "This porridge tastes very good."

“The point isn’t the taste of the porridge, but what you’re thinking.” Morgan looked into his eyes. “The state of the survival domain is indeed something you care about.”

tide Jian nodded slightly: "It's not just about survival. It's also about what happened today... It's like suddenly understanding the full meaning of my birth. I feel a little indigestion, but I can accept it calmly."

"And then you feel a great sense of responsibility?" Scáthach asked.

"Hmm." Shiomi put down her empty bowl. "If we maintain the status quo, the destruction of humanity is still inevitable. What should we do? What kind of future should we create to be the right choice?"

“I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question.” Artoria shook her head. “All I can think of is to preserve the wonderful humans as records so that they can be passed down to future generations.”

“What the Demon King has chosen is to reshape the history of all mankind.” Morgan looked at him gently. “What my husband wants to choose is to maintain the existing world while avoiding the path of destruction.”

Without a doubt, that would be more difficult than giving up or rebuilding.

To guide humanity out of the dead end of destruction.