Chapter 120 Chapter 120: What Kind of Future Can Be Considered Real?
Chapter 120: What Kind of Future Can Be Considered Real?
From the other party's words, it's not difficult at all to discern the ability of that person named Elio—he is actually more like a super-limited machine capable of deducing countless futures, able to accurately predict multiple possible futures.
It's like the simplest level would be... what would happen if I agreed to someone's request, and what would happen if I didn't agree to someone's request?
However, that person's ability is far from being that simple. The future he can foresee is probably the future that might truly happen, and it doesn't require any prior information, as if it were truly the "fate" in the unseen.
Actually, such foresight aligns more with people's understanding of something like "future." After all, the future is inherently uncertain; if you make different choices, the future you see will naturally be different.
However, the other method of foreseeing the future that Kevin was once familiar with is completely different from this... Aponia, who bestowed upon him the "Taboo," saw a future that was fixed and unchangeable—this aligns more with people's understanding of "fate."
Things destined by fate absolutely cannot be changed—such a future is undoubtedly difficult for everyone to accept, but... the future Aponia foresaw indeed seems never to have been changed, and she herself merely accepted such tragedies again and again.
For example, the collapse of the orphanage, for example, Sakura's passing, for example... the end of the previous civilization.
This ability to foresee the future is undoubtedly not a blessing from God but a pure curse—it only places tragedy after tragedy before you, making you endure suffering and attempts only to meet with powerless and painful failure in the end.
But from Kevin's personal perspective, even if someone could very accurately foresee a certain tragic future, he would never believe that the future would definitely evolve into that state—
Don't talk about how the future cannot be changed; if anything, prediction itself is already a form of change, isn't it?
After enduring countless hardships, didn't humanity ultimately succeed in defeating the Honkai?
It's just unknown whether Aponia finally saw such a future in the end...
Even though they were both Flame-Chasers, Kevin actually didn't know much about Aponia's true situation... after all, he was always the one running around everywhere for missions, while Aponia always stayed in the deepest place.
Perhaps aside from that fellow Elysia, no one would go to her without any serious business at all, right?
"How could an Aeon possibly be killed?"
What pulled Kevin back from his memories was Stelle's exclamation after hearing Kafka's key statement.
Even though it had been less than two months since she lost her memory and came into contact with this world again, this journey closely related to "Aeons" had given her considerable understanding of such beings—no matter from which aspect, they are worthy of the title of god.
Whether it's power far surpassing ordinary people or influence almost spread throughout the universe... all can prove that they are not even on the same dimensional level as humans.
"Is that so? There are many stories of fallen Aeons."
Kafka smiled slightly, looked up at Xianzhou's artificial dome, and introduced them one by one as if listing treasures: "'Permanence' the Dragon, 'Beauty' Idrila, 'Order' Tayzzyronth, 'Propagation' Tazzyronth, and... 'Trailblaze' Akivili."
"These were all names that once resounded throughout the cosmos. Now, they have disappeared, leaving only ownerless Paths."
If we extend the span of time, even beings like Aeons can fall like this. And those seemingly brilliant civilizations are far less enduring than beings like Aeons, appearing incredibly fragile in the universe.
However, compared to Aeons, Paths seem to be more tangible subjects within the Imaginary Tree. After all, even if an Aeon dies, the Path they pioneered still exists, and countless travelers can still tread upon their former Path... just like Stelle and other Nameless on the Astral Express.
Who can guarantee that these travelers walking on the Paths of deceased Aeons ultimately won't be able to keep walking until they reach the highest position once held—ascending to godhood?
"There are three methods known to humanity for causing an 'Aeon' to fall."
Without anyone else asking, Kafka continued along the topic herself: "First, collisions occur between Paths with overlapping concepts. The broader Path will absorb the narrower one—'Order' Tayzzyronth was assimilated by 'Harmony' Xipe in this way."
That's right. Since the Paths represented by "Aeons" are often philosophical concepts, such concepts must also have a scope. And a broader circle can naturally encompass smaller circles within it.
"Order" is simply a state of being well-organized, while "Harmony" refers to a state of harmony, coordination, and mutual cooperation among members within an organization or society; it doesn't solely include order... From this perspective, the concept of "Harmony" is indeed broader than "Order."
But in Kevin's view, since it is some philosophical concept, it can certainly be explained in some philosophical way as well. Then... the meaning of a certain concept could instantly become vastly different.
And since they are "Aeons," how could they simply represent concepts understood by humans?
After keeping all these doubts in mind, Kevin heard Kafka's next explanation—
"Second, divine wars between Aeons. The stronger side eliminates the weaker one—this is how 'Propagation' Tazzyronth fell. It is also what the Xianzhou Alliance, led by 'The Hunt,' traverses the star sea to accomplish... ultimately wanting to eradicate the abominations of 'Abundance' Yaoshi."
"But... why does Xianzhou want to kill 'Abundance' so badly?" Stelle was slightly taken aback and asked this question that puzzled her greatly.
"As far as I know, the alliance's predecessor was originally 'medicine-seeking envoys' who sought Yaoshi and craved blessings. They successfully saw the Aeon and received the blessing that could cure death: 'Ambrosial Arbor.'"
Kafka thoughtfully explained for Stelle: "As a result, the curse of immortality polluted them. And 'The Hunt' appeared, shooting an arrow to sever the Ambrosial Arbor. From then on, in order to eradicate the curse of immortality from the star sea, the alliance has followed 'The Hunt' in pursuing Yaoshi's traces."
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