Chapter 249

“What is that?”

Yanid tilted her head. The child seemed to have genuinely never heard the name “Phoenix” before.

Among monsters, the Phoenix is so famous that there’s no place in the world where it’s unknown. Even children from small, isolated tribes with little contact with the outside world know about the giant bird that sets the sky ablaze.

But the girl, who had been captured and raised by the Hilrae Church, seemed to be hearing the word “Phoenix” for the first time today. The Evil God hiding behind her whispered something, likely explaining what the Phoenix was.

[What kind of creature is that?]

In the human world, it’s so famous that unless you were kidnapped at a young age and spent your life imprisoned, there’s no one who doesn’t know about the Phoenix. But a dragon who had been dormant for a long time naturally wouldn’t know. Azahadaka had no connection to the Phoenix whatsoever.

“I…”

“That bird you released nearly burned down the entire Citadel. Many people died or were injured, and if left alone, even more would have suffered. I couldn’t just stand by and watch. I was the one who defeated it.”

Before she even met us, I had already defeated the Phoenix.

That fact doesn’t change. You can cover it up with lies, but that’s just deceiving yourself.

Roka tried to claim that she had defeated the Phoenix in my place, but I didn’t let her. You can pass on merits to others, but you can’t pass on something that would earn you resentment.

Even if that person is someone you’ve never met before, it’s the same. Especially Roka! I could never do that.

“I used that miracle you blocked to defeat it.”

I wasn’t worried that she wouldn’t believe me. The person who witnessed the first time I used the Milky Way Blood to hold back the night was none other than Grimudo, standing right in front of me.

Having experienced the power of the miracle firsthand, she wouldn’t doubt my abilities.

-You defeated the Phoenix? By borrowing the power of the being behind you?

Oberta looked at me with some surprise, but Yanid and Azahadaka just had blank expressions. They had never heard of the Phoenix or seen it, so they just accepted it.

The Demon King, however, simply looked at me with calm eyes. So calm that it was hard to tell if he was angry or not. There was no emotion to read in his gaze. Even his voice was steady, without a hint of disturbance.

“I still remember that miracle. It made me realize once again that I am a mortal being. But to withstand such divine power with a human body… It’s no simple feat. Are your eyes like that because of what happened back then?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve answered two of my questions, so now ask me two things.”

Whether he’s not angry or just holding it in, I don’t know.

If it’s the latter, that anger will eventually explode toward me. It’s just a matter of time. Still, I don’t regret telling the truth.

But more than that, did he just count my short answer as answering a question? I wouldn’t call him generous, but he’s definitely not someone who nitpicks over small gains.

‘It seems like he did have some affection for the Phoenix.’

I don’t know. That person has lived a life incomparably longer than mine. He must have his own standards and perspectives, but since I’m not his confidant, I can’t possibly understand them.

“Grimudo, do you know about the Cycle? I came to you to find the answer to that. The meaning behind that single word is surely more than what’s written in the dictionary, but I still don’t understand its deeper meaning. But perhaps you might know.”

His expression changed slightly for the first time. After a moment of silence, he chuckled.

“The Cycle is a term I use to refer to a certain phenomenon, so of course, I know its meaning. It’s surprising that you even know the word. Did the being behind you tell you? No, probably so.”

So, the Cycle is a phenomenon, and it was the Demon King who started calling it that? Then it’s not a term used by the angels.

I felt that coming to him wasn’t a mistake after all. As I waited for his answer, I soon realized he had no intention of speaking further and chuckled.

He had noticed that the one-question-one-answer session had just ended. I wouldn’t call him stingy, but the Demon King isn’t exactly a generous person either.

I had asked if he knew about the Cycle, not what it was. To find out what I wanted, I’d have to use another question.

“What exactly is the phenomenon you refer to as the Cycle?”

In fact, both he and I had anticipated this question would come next. The Demon King, without showing any surprise, reached out and pulled something toward him as if summoning it.

Then, from beyond space, a round object appeared in his hand. All our eyes turned to the spherical object.

“A map?”

Roka tilted her head as she looked at the surface of the round object. It seemed like she was seeing it for the first time. And honestly, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

[It’s a spherical model of the planet Pyros. But it’s quite different from what I remember. There should only be two continents, right? Why are there so many?]

“Exactly. There are two continents. The Eastern Continent and the Western Continent. Even I know that.”

Roka scratched her head with a confused expression. Even Yanid nodded in agreement, as if she knew this much common knowledge.

There’s no point in asking why. Since ancient times, the world has only had two continents. The Eastern Continent and the Western Continent. Beyond that, no matter how vast the world is, it’s generally accepted that no other land exists.

Some mages from the Magic Tower claim that there’s another polar region below—the South Pole, opposite to where we are—as a third continent, but without anyone living there, it’s a meaningless claim.

Whether the South Pole is a continent or just ice over the ocean, there are no humans or other races to interact with. There are no resources worth coveting, and even if there were, it’s too far to reach.

We are located in the northern hemisphere of this round world, while the South Pole lies across the vast southern hemisphere, requiring a long voyage to reach.

With no land to resupply along the way, without maximizing the use of magic, you’d starve at sea before ever setting foot on the South Pole.

But thinking differently, people are truly remarkable. Great explorers have managed to overcome these harsh conditions and discover the South Pole.

No matter how vast the world is, if it’s reachable by ship, there are always people who will visit. That’s why the planet model Grimudo showed us couldn’t possibly have so many continents.

‘Two in the southern hemisphere. Three in the northern hemisphere. If there were five continents, someone would have discovered them by now, right?’

If the continents were really there as depicted, someone would have already found that land. After all, people are trading with the Eastern Continent across the vast ocean.

But no one has ever mentioned such land existing. It’s hard to assume that sailors wouldn’t have discovered a landmass of that size.

Assuming that sailors wouldn’t have found a landmass of that size is difficult.

“Once, there were six continents. In my time, there were already five. And now, only two remain. The Citadel you mentioned is one of the last remnants of the third continent that disappeared.”

The Demon King spoke calmly, listing dry facts, but I felt chills hearing it. I wasn’t the only one. The Evil God couldn’t hide his shock.

[Continents disappeared? Unless it’s a geological change, how is that possible? Even we can’t destroy a continent! That’s fundamentally beyond the scale of what living beings can do… Wait.]

For a moment, the dragon and I locked eyes. When the word “continent” came up, one thing naturally came to mind—the very thing we’re standing on right now, the Arctic.

[If life can be this massive, maybe it’s not impossible.]

“Strange. Another question has arisen. Why do you look as if you’re realizing all this for the first time? Didn’t you dragons already suspect all of this?”

[What?!]

Seeing the dragon’s confusion, the Demon King tilted his head.

“You dragons, unable to deal with the Primal Body, eventually abandoned this world and left for the sea of stars beyond, didn’t you? You even sought my advice back then, so I know well. Surely, you didn’t really not know, did you?”

The Primal Body.

It must be referring to that massive lifeform beneath the Arctic.

And based on the information I’ve gathered so far,

the subject of the Cycle phenomenon is likely that Primal Body as well.