For a moment, not only Adam, but even Fudo Myoo was stunned!
Why can someone move amidst the suppression of reincarnation? And why would he do something so suicidal? Is he in a hurry to die or to reincarnate?
Even after being tempered by Angela's aura and consuming the elixir concocted by Hayden, Professor Albion's body could not withstand the clash of the strongest divine power. Its power was beyond the reach of any flesh and blood. Even a divine being would be instantly pulverized. Moreover, Professor Albion had willingly charged forward to be attacked, offering no resistance or evasion.
At this moment, after his physical body turned to dust, his "heart" and "spirit" had entered another realm of consciousness. Before his soul was pulled into reincarnation, it began to chant some special incantations.
"My end is here, my destiny is here, my life is here. My life is nothing in the face of eternity, like a shadow wandering everywhere."
"People come and go like illusions. Their busyness is in vain. They accumulate wealth, but they do not know who will collect it in the future."
Unconcerned about being pulled by the giant wheel of reincarnation, the old professor's soul only kept chanting.
At the same time, the professor's physical body had been completely destroyed. Every single cell in his body had been destroyed, not even a trace of DNA remained. His last remaining trace in the material world had also been erased.
This strangely familiar scene finally brought Adam, who had been almost stunned, to his senses—so that's it, the professor really was committing suicide! Just like Adam used the Holy Grail to kill himself and resurrect himself to become the ultimate being, the professor was now using the strongest power here to shatter himself!
So when Adam saw this, he immediately thought he understood: the professor must be going to commit suicide and be resurrected like him, releasing super-powerful energy to protect Hayden Karen and the eight million citizens here, right?
Lilith, whose thinking differed somewhat from Adam's, saw a different answer: "No, dear. Professor Albion is indeed a wise man who has glimpsed knowledge of the higher realms. His understanding of the strongest driving force surpasses ours. And this may be the highest realm."
What does it mean?
The answer is actually quite simple, because Professor Albion immediately stated it.
"Vanity of vanities. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. So why should I hope? My hope rests only on you."
This was no longer a spell. At this moment, the words uttered by Professor Albion's spirit were more like a prayer.
"That day will surely come, and the sun of righteousness will rise for the afflicted. I will not see that day, for my knowledge cannot bring me life. But the death I have chosen leads to eternity. I pray that it will be a process, bringing new life!"
The most precious thing a person has is life. But sometimes, people encounter moments when they feel that certain things are worth exchanging their precious lives for.
At that moment, Professor Albion decided to trade his life for an opportunity—an opportunity to change the world and create the future.
"A moment can be a century, and a century can be a moment. May my life make a century a moment, manifesting itself in those children! May seeds grow into great trees, and may the future become the present!"
Professor Albion's unparalleled understanding of the destiny of time and space, his research on the secret fire, the mysteries of the Tree of Life, and even the secrets of the Outer Gods, coupled with his self-sacrifice and the collision of so many god-level energies here—all of this is like a lever that can move the earth and make the impossible possible!
For change and hope!
294: Connecting to Opportunities for the Future
Hayden and Karen witnessed everything the instant Professor Albion rushed towards the point of collision of divine forces. The anxiety and even panic they felt at that moment were almost indescribable.
However, under the gravitational suppression of [Reincarnation], they couldn't even move, let alone shout; their terrified cries were trapped in their throats. Hayden and Karen were unable to make a sound or move, and could only watch helplessly as Professor Albion was blasted into millions of pieces by two transcendent ultimate forces.
Unlike Adam's selfish mindset, Hayden realized almost immediately that Professor Albion's suicide was not for the purpose of resurrecting the professor and becoming stronger. And when the professor chanted that unprecedented new incantation, Hayden became even more certain of his feeling:
This was Professor Albion's final magic, for Hayden, for Karen, for the eight million people of New Seattle, and for the future of the world. When the old professor chose death to gain transcendent power, he did it for everyone, not for himself.
In the final moment, just as Professor Albion was about to be completely shattered, the eyes of his soul suddenly opened again, focusing on Hayden. Something more than magic, a roar more deafening than an earthquake, encompassing tens of millions of books, a thousand libraries, all spoken in a single glance. It was wisdom and time so vast that it could not be fully deciphered…
...And that was the end for Professor Percival Albion.
At the same time, Hayden and Karen realized that they could move again. A surge of power did not come from outside, but overflowed from within them, filling their hearts and making their skin seem to melt away, allowing them to feel their bodies as if they were one with everything around them, as if they were one with nature.
They could feel their realm of existence expanding, their spirits growing like celestial bodies, even sensing the stars, seeing them burning steadfastly and brightly in the infinite universe, fearless, radiating light in darkness and cold. Ignorance was cast far behind in this universe, and light rose to a state of enlightened wisdom, resisting the gravitational pull of external [reincarnation], like an unshakeable force capable of resisting an indestructible power!
Therefore, [Reincarnation] could no longer suppress Hayden and Karen, no longer immobilize them like statues. Although they were still somewhat restrained, like Adam and Lilith, Karen reacted immediately. Her inner shock and sorrow did not affect her judgment or actions in the slightest. So she quickly shouted:
"Nothing in this world is eternal, nor is reincarnation! One who transcends reincarnation is the only one worthy of respect in heaven and on earth!"
Since the so-called "reincarnation" is nothing but an illusion, then the Earth Emperor, who possesses the determination and fighting spirit to rule the world and dominate everything, can certainly resist this "reincarnation." Karen released her ambitious and domineering thoughts, thus protecting all eight million New Yatu citizens connected behind her (including Pania, who was still frozen in place).
But that still wasn't enough. Even with true wisdom and enlightenment, even with a hundred years of accelerated progress in her realm, Mithra Bodhisattva was still far, far stronger than Kallen. Professor Albion's sacrifice didn't allow Kallen to directly ascend to the level of a chief god; after all, that was simply impossible—so Hayden, even with his mind still somewhat dazed, still raised the Moonlight Staff in his hand.
He must control his emotions. There will be time for him to grieve on his own when the surviving civilians no longer need him.
So Hayden said: "Sun, you who fall, you who appear, you who repeat yourself. You are indeed the best at shining, but after nightfall you also have to hand over the sky to the moon. What is there to be proud of?"
He really dared to utter such outrageous remarks. Even the Immovable King, watching from afar, found it somewhat amusing. For over four hundred years, he had killed countless wizards and ancient gods who tried to use things like dark clouds to block the sun god's power—do you even know how many times larger the sun is than the moon?
Yes, that's true from a physical standpoint, and there might indeed be a huge difference in terms of strength.
...But Hayden did indeed accomplish the impossible. As he uttered those words, the moonlight staff in his hand emitted a cool, white light. That light was far, far weaker than the sun halo of Mithra Bodhisattva... Yet, strangely enough, the moonlight emitted by Hayden was able to temporarily block the sunlight of [Reincarnation]. Just as the moon can temporarily block sunlight during a solar eclipse!
Thanks to the combined efforts of Karen and Hayden, they and the eight million citizens of New Yatu were successfully protected from the pull of [Reincarnation] and were no longer affected!
Even for Acala, this scene was utterly bizarre! The Bodhisattva's latest and greatest magic had been so easily blocked? How did they manage to block it so suddenly? Just because of an old man's self-sacrifice?! That's far too easy!
However, Professor Albion's self-sacrifice didn't actually bring Hayden and Karen any "new" creations. In reality, it was merely a super-powerful accelerator, strengthening only their existing fundamentals—those they had learned before but never had time to delve into and master. Now, the hundred years Professor Albion had given them had brought these fundamentals to their peak. This pinnacle of fundamental skills, allowing them to fully utilize and reach their original abilities, was enough for Hayden and Karen to protect themselves amidst the aftershocks of the [Reincarnation], and even safeguard the eight million citizens of New Seattle!
This is the acceleration of a hundred years, the power that Professor Albion pulled the future and transformed it into the "present" for them!
Of course, if Fudo Myoo had deliberately aimed the True Fire of the Sun from the Cycle of Reincarnation directly at Hayden and his companions, the outcome would likely have been different. However, Hayden and Kallen did not interfere with Fudo Myoo's actions; he had only come to deal with Adam and Lilith. Now, all the gods in the world were watching. If Fudo Myoo had arbitrarily turned his attention to Kallen and Hayden, the situation would have been far from pleasant, and the Peacock King and his consort might have intervened…
...Nevertheless, Acala still couldn't help but think: (Should I just kill these two young people without thinking? They're so young yet they can resist reincarnation. If I let them go today, it might ruin the Bodhisattva's great cause in the future!)
Unfortunately, the Eight Great Vidyarajas were all super-adjusters whose genes had been specially modified before birth to make them fully combat-oriented deities. They were naturally extremely skilled in combat, but not adept at thinking about things outside of combat, especially troublesome politics. The bodhisattvas deliberately designed them so that once they started thinking about politics, their thinking efficiency would decrease.
Even more unfortunately, too many unexpected situations led him to think about political issues, causing Fudo Myoo to forget that he had just been fighting!
After receiving the power of Mithra Bodhisattva, Fudo Myoo possessed god-level combat strength. At their level and realm, there should have been no flaws to be found in battle. However, Professor Albion, Hayden, and Kallen did a series of incredible things, which distracted Fudo Myoo from thinking about politics and the future, creating a small gap in his perfect combat state.
Adam and Lilith did not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created by the old professor and Hayden Karen.
"You dare to be distracted while fighting me?! Immovable King! You shall die by my ultimate punch!"
In the blink of an eye, Adam lunged forward. Lilith's song and love propelled his power, and the adoration and worship of hundreds of thousands of Brain Gods also fueled his charge—Adam held nothing back, unleashing his strongest punch ever, his ultimate, final strike, with ultimate power and perfect form!
Such power was overwhelming, even Adam's own golden body couldn't withstand it. Before the punch even landed, his right arm, which was striking him, exploded mid-attack, and more cracks appeared all over his skin. But Adam didn't stop, because this punch was delivered with all his might. Compared to any of his previous attacks, this punch was at least three times stronger... no, five times stronger!
So fast, so powerful! Even if Fudo Myo-o had been mentally prepared, he couldn't have anticipated that Adam's punch would be so fast, so fierce, so terrifying! Although Fudo Myo-o immediately raised his divine sword to defend—what could a mere Myo-o possibly have to withstand it? Even if Mithra bestowed power upon him, it would be absolutely impossible!
When Adam and Lilith unleashed their strongest killing punches, the destructive power of that punch blasted Fudo Myoo's entire body into a bloody mess—exploding and shattering him! Truly and completely shattered!
Whether it was Hayden and Karen who were nearby, or the gods watching from afar around the world, they were all stunned at this moment!
The strongest symbol of power in the Mithra Group, the most powerful war god under the command of Mithra Bodhisattva, was actually killed by a new god who suddenly appeared! Even his brain, heart, and bones were blasted into powder—Fudo Myoo was actually killed with a single punch!!
This is terrible! This is really terrible! The divine order of the entire world, the authority of Mithra, will all be shaken because of Fudo Myoo's sudden defeat.
Because a world hegemon cannot afford to lose. Even the accidental death of a general in a localized battle is unacceptable, even if he has many more reserves yet to be deployed. The other gods of the world will immediately begin to underestimate this defeated hegemon. Those ambitious individuals who dare not oppose Mithra in normal times but still wield influence will each have their own calculations—even if Mithra remains the strongest bodhisattva in the world, they will no longer be so afraid of him.
Therefore, all the gods in the world are now focused on Adam, the one who defeated Fudo Myoo.
Strangely, the damage caused to the surrounding environment by such a powerful punch was far less than expected. Most of the force didn't erupt in New Jersey; instead, Adam deliberately forced it into space.
Moreover, Adam's current condition is far from good. The punch that even killed Fudo Myoo has severely damaged his golden body. His right arm, originally made of the most durable material in the universe, has had its bones shattered due to the recoil. His entire body is covered in visible cracks. Even more strangely, Adam's regeneration rate has slowed dramatically. Even with Lilith singing in support, Adam's injuries remain severe.
It felt like Adam's "water pipe" had burst. No matter how much water Lilith poured in, it would still leak out from the crack. Such damage was definitely not minor. But exchanging severe injury for the chance to kill Mithra's Immovable King, it wasn't a bad deal, right?
...However, they then discovered that although Fudo Myoo had been annihilated, the sun above Neo-Yatu and the wheel around it had not disappeared. The cycle of reincarnation was still in operation, still pulling the severely injured Adam and Lilith into the golden wheel.
Moreover, a closer look at the rotation of that golden wheel reveals something terrifying happening. Under the sunlight, the mangled remains of Fudo Myoo, blasted into a pulp, suddenly begin to change. Things that were thought to be dead begin to regenerate and reassemble under the influence of the sunlight and the wheel's rotation.
All of this was as if the giant wheel of reincarnation was turning back time. In just ten seconds, Fudo Myoo, who had just been killed by Adam's punch, was resurrected, and it seemed as if he had never been injured at all!
Because the so-called "reincarnation" is essentially a magic that brings life into death and the dead into new life. Since it is "reincarnation," the annihilated Fudo Myoo can certainly return!
By now, the gods watching were almost numb with astonishment—tonight's events had been far too unbelievable. Mithra had actually developed a technology that could instantly revive even a Myō-ō (a powerful deity) blasted into millions of pieces in battle, restoring them to full fighting strength! How are we supposed to fight wars now?!
In contrast, Adam, who had just unleashed his final attack, clearly lacked the strength and condition to deliver another punch. If Mingwang revives in ten seconds, Adam and Lilith will undoubtedly be doomed.
Fortunately, ten seconds was enough for Adam to do something interesting.
He didn't pursue the enemy while Fudo Myoo was casting his resurrection spell, because that would be pointless. Instead, Adam paused for a second, looking at his own injuries and the Mithraic sun in the sky that seemed to possess infinite power.
At that moment, he seemed to have made up his mind.
Then he flew into the air above New Jersey, above where Hayden and the others were, and addressed Hayden and the capitalist gods who were watching:
"I, Adam Smith Apsara, hereby designate Hayden as my heir. I designate Hayden to inherit all my tangible and intangible property, including all my shares in companies and all patents held in my name."
……ah?
Aaaaaaah! ?
"My will has just been notarized through StarNet at the World Corporate Court and is now in effect."
Under the watchful eyes of all the gods in the world, Adam calmly and seriously finished reciting his witty remarks.
In this day and age, even will notarization can be done instantly online, and when done by a god-like being, it's completely unstoppable. It's so convenient!
295: Cause and Effect
"I, Adam Smith Apsara, hereby designate Hayden as my heir. I designate Hayden to inherit all my tangible and intangible property, including all my shares in companies and all patents held in my name."
Tonight, in this small city of New Jersey, so much has happened that has surprised and even astonished the gods. So much so that when they heard Adam's "last will and testament," their senses, usually reserved for surprise, were perhaps numb.
A will? With what you've done today, what kind of will do you think you can make?
While some might want to criticize this, the capitalists, especially the Mitra Corporation, largely acknowledge the rule of playing a game together—that society, in essence, can only continue to function by everyone abiding by the rules. Therefore, at this moment, although the capitalists worldwide are somewhat speechless, they still immediately begin calculating the possibilities and consequences this will bring.
Karen reacted quickly, almost immediately sensing a potential problem. She clicked her tongue and stepped in front of Hayden, speaking to him through their mental connection: "Adam is trying to drag you down with him. Before he's even killed by Fudo Myoo, or even before he's dead, Mithra will be dealing with you, his heir."
Of course, the Mitra Corporation could disregard Adam's will or find other ways to deal with it; their lawyers would always find a way. However, regardless, this would require the Mitra Corporation to pay some price. And if they didn't want to pay that price, the simplest solution… was, of course, to quickly eliminate Hayden, this inexplicable heir.
Therefore, in Karen's view, Adam's actions before his death were a setup to frame Hayden. He must have wanted to use this method to drag Hayden down with him and be killed by Mitra, or at least to cause Mitra some trouble and annoy Mitra.
The logic itself isn't flawed. Karen always knew Adam was the most selfish person imaginable. Dragging others down with him before his death, and disgusting Mithra—these were all perfectly reasonable actions for him…right?
As Karen's husband and closest friend, Hayden could certainly understand her thinking. But now, Hayden looked up and met Adam's eyes in mid-air, only to see that Adam's eyes were as deep as the sea, and he didn't seem like someone who wanted to drag others down with him.
Their eyes met only for a moment, but Hayden realized that Adam wasn't trying to frame him, nor was he trying to use him to annoy Mitra. What...what was Adam really planning?
Since leaving university and entering the workforce, Hayden had long lost touch with his former best friend, Adam. As intelligent as Hayden was, he now couldn't understand why Adam had done what he did… unless… perhaps?
Regardless, time continued to pass. Ten seconds had passed, Fudo Myoo had been resurrected, and Adam's injuries remained severe, like a broken water pipe. The cycle of reincarnation continued to spin, threatening to tear Adam and Lilith apart together. Hoping that Adam could deliver another punch was clearly impossible.
In any case, Adam and Lilith are about to be killed by the resurrected Fudo Myoo. As a prophet, Hayden can already sense this.
And what about Adam?
He actually knew it very well.
In truth, after delivering that final punch, as the ultimate life form, he already sensed it. His destiny, his very life, had vanished with that one blow. Adam had no future.
He will die soon. No one, in heaven or on earth, can save him.
He, Adam, could clearly sense his own impending doom. This feeling was actually…quite…interesting.
Therefore, he did not pursue the enemy while Fudo Myoo was resurrecting and casting, because it would be pointless. Instead, Adam hesitated for a second, then looked up at the Mithraic sun in the sky, which seemed to possess infinite power.
He could no longer defeat the sun, could no longer climb to the top of the world. This was his death, his end.
He spent thirty years desperately trying to climb the social ladder, resorting to any means necessary—selfish, ruthless, and cruel. All his efforts were driven by the desire to transcend being ordinary, to rise above others, and to change and control his own destiny.
Today is the end; everything is over. His selfishness, egoism, ruthlessness, coldness, effort, struggle, intelligence, planning, striving, and desire... all are useless. Adam has no chance of reaching the top; he has only nine seconds left to live.
And an opportunity to choose.
Do not lament, my dear husband.
Lilith clung to his back like wings, chuckling softly in Adam's mind.
This world will soon end. You and I will simply die a little sooner than this world.
Soon, whether it's the peacock family or the arrogant Mithras, all life in this world will be wiped out like trash. For the messenger of that cruel god has arrived.
Upon hearing this, Adam finally couldn't help but ask himself in his mind: "Why do you seem so happy? Didn't you want to restore the old divine dynasty? Now we're all going to fail."
"The restoration of the dynasty is merely my means of taking revenge on the new gods of capital." Lilith's answer was straightforward. "The messenger has already arrived and is still observing this world, and she has clearly seen much. That's why I said this world is definitely doomed. In that case, I am satisfied."
So, my dear, you need not lament. Ultimate death is simply non-existence. Everything will equally return to nothingness.
Adam said nothing. But he couldn't help thinking that these demons had truly lost their minds. Although she'd been talking about the power of love lately, her way of loving probably couldn't even compare to Mithras's "mercy." No wonder they both lost. Even in terms of "love," they lost to Mithras.
But at least one thing was true: his crazed, devilish wife was right. Adam now had only nine seconds left to live and one choice to make. He could simply die like this, waiting in the void for the whole world to be swept away with him. Since everyone lost everything, there were no winners, which wasn't so bad.
Or perhaps Adam actually had another option… but if he chose that option, the final victory might go to someone else, instead of everyone losing together. Adam, who had been planning, striving, and yearning for victory, might have inadvertently allowed someone else to obtain the spoils he so desperately desired.
Therefore, Adam certainly wouldn't choose that. Because he is the most selfish person... but selfishness also has its origins and reasons. If he were to lose even his own self, the result of this selfishness would only be a loss for everyone, bringing him no benefit whatsoever. So what's the point of selfishness?
The devil couple communicated with incredible speed, their dialogue and thought process lasting less than a second. So Adam had nine seconds left. What... should he decide?
Reason has become useless. He can only make decisions based on intuition and emotion now.
So at this moment, Adam finally understood something.
That's why he was able to deliver his will in just nine seconds and quickly have it notarized in the company court via StarNet.
As for whether such a will is actually useful, well, let Hayden worry about it and fight for it. Anyway, Adam will be a dead man soon.