"You just said you wouldn't interfere with natural evolution. So why are you going out of your way to warn me about this supposed crisis?" Caroll asked calmly.
"Because the impending threat to humanity's existence isn't part of natural evolution. It comes from the army of a being on my level. As for how strong they are, consider your current strength. You're barely qualified to join my army as a low-ranking Dragonborn soldier."
"..." Caroll was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "I won't claim to be the strongest among humanity, but I'm confident I rank among the best. And even so, I'm only barely qualified to join your army?"
"That's correct."
"If that's true, then there's no point in warning me. If such a terrifying force truly seeks humanity's annihilation, we're doomed without help from beings like you."
"Don't underestimate yourself. You don't fully understand the potential you possess, but I do. The surge of emotion you unleashed when we first crossed paths in the void was enough to draw my attention. And the power I granted you hasn't even been fully explored. You can become far stronger—strong enough to influence the fate of human civilization."
"Do you have a personal grudge against this being that wants to destroy humanity?" Caroll suddenly asked.
"Smart girl. Yes, you could say that. From my perspective, we're mortal enemies, though so far, it's been a one-sided perception. That being hasn't realized it yet."
"So, you've decided to oppose them just because they irritate you?" Caroll pondered briefly before testing the waters with her question, finding the seemingly lofty being refreshingly direct about its emotions.
"If you want to put it that way, fine. That being is an evil god that roams the void, consuming and destroying worlds for sustenance. Our paths are fundamentally opposed, so I see it as my enemy. But more than that, I despise its world-destroying ways."
"So, you've chosen to help humanity in its fight against this evil god?" Caroll's eyes sparkled with hope as she cautiously probed further.
"Indeed, I'll assist you, but the bulk of the effort must come from you humans. The merging of two worlds has attracted more than just one evil god, so I won't engage it directly."
"How could humanity possibly resist? You said yourself that my strength doesn't even match that of your army's foot soldiers. Most humans can't even come close to my level of power."
"Don't underestimate humanity, and don't underestimate the evil spirits you're already fighting either."
"What do you mean?"
"When faced with an overwhelmingly powerful external threat, even mortal enemies can choose to temporarily ally for survival."
"Are you suggesting we humans ally with the monsters that have been devouring and slaughtering us?" Caroll's voice was tinged with disbelief.
"I'm merely presenting a possibility. How things unfold depends on your choices—it's none of my concern."
"Humans would never join forces with those monsters."
"Don't be so absolute. While the evil spirits caused significant casualties during the world's merging, those losses, while severe, were not existential. No human truly fears the monsters will wipe out your species entirely. But the evil god's army has that capability. They could obliterate your civilization or, at the very least, plunge humanity back into a primitive, savage state. Setting aside past grievances for the sake of survival would be the wise choice. Clinging to hatred would only lead to your downfall."
"But aren't you going to help us?"
"Don't rely on me. I am a free being who roams the void. I have no ties to your world, no obligations, and no responsibility to protect humanity or your civilization."
"So, for humanity to survive, we must ally with our sworn enemies?"
"As I said, it's your choice. You may resist the idea now, but when you see the full horror of the evil god's forces, you may change your mind."
"How much time does humanity have to prepare?"
"Prepare?" The will descending upon Caroll emitted a wave of what seemed like laughter. "There is no time. The evil god's army has already arrived. Even as we speak, some human city may be under attack."
"What can we do to fight back?"
"Don't worry about that. The world itself has already responded." Through the fragment of power he had granted Caroll, the will could see faint, indescribable lights forming in the void around her, merging into her body. "With the arrival of void-born demons, the world has begun birthing its own champions."
"What?" Caroll was confused.
"From this day forth, you will experience the most tumultuous period of your life. Cherish the peace of this moment—it will become your fondest memory."
"What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly being cryptic? Can't you just explain clearly like before?" A sense of unease welled up within Caroll, and the vagueness in Muria's words only made her more anxious.
"Have you ever read stories of heroes battling dark lords? In a civilization as advanced as yours, you must have many such tales of good triumphing over evil. The mantle of destiny has now fallen upon you. You have been chosen to be a champion against evil. Amid endless calamity, you will gain the power to fight back."
The will spread outward from Caroll, scanning the surrounding region. In an instant, it observed countless lights—derived from a secondary source of origin power—emerging across the world. "To the newly born champions: prepare to face your trials."
"Tsk, the world's will has been provoked and is willing to spend so much. Those secondary origin power lights must have consumed at least two or three standard units of origin power. Enough to forge a batch of emergency legends," Muria thought, using a portion of his will to assess the human world's state. The results were better than expected.
"With the right strategy, it's entirely possible to trap and annihilate the God of Hundred Eyes' army within this world. If that happens, would the god risk sending another army to save face?"
Muria considered various scenarios. "If the first army is wiped out, the god might try a second attempt. But if the second also fails, a cautious god might retreat entirely. A greedy one, however, might try a third time."
As Muria's avatar, commanding the ghost fleet, continued its unrelenting advance across the seas, he entertained the most unlikely but ideal possibility:
"If the bulk of the God of Hundred Eyes' forces were destroyed within this world, I could leverage the world's power to suppress it directly. But such a scenario is improbable. An epic being wouldn't be foolish enough to exhaust their army over a non-critical matter."
"Thirteen coastal cities wiped out in a single day? No survivors, only ruins from catastrophic destruction?"
When Caroll received this top-secret information, accessible only to humanity's leadership, her face turned grim. Though she had mentally prepared herself, the scale of the devastation enraged her.
Coastal cities, often hubs of trade, were usually densely populated. For thirteen such cities to be annihilated, with no survivors among their millions of inhabitants, was an unprecedented catastrophe.
"This is the work of powerful evil spirits…" an exorcist remarked, immediately attributing the calamity to evil spirits upon hearing the news.
"No. This isn't the work of evil spirits. They don't have this level of power. Thirteen cities and their surrounding towns wiped out, all life slaughtered, and even the plants withered. This is unlike anything we've encountered before."
"Caroll, aren't you being too—uh—what I mean is, if not evil spirits, then what could cause such destruction?"
"There are other possibilities." Caroll wanted to reveal her conversation with the being of immense power but knew it was futile. Without tangible evidence, her words would be dismissed as madness.
"Then what is it?"
"I don't know. But I'm applying to join the investigation team to find out who—or what—is responsible."
As Caroll stood, preparing to speak further, the meeting room doors burst open. A disheveled man rushed in, his face pale with urgency.
"No need to investigate. Those monsters aren't even trying to hide!"
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