Only God
Chapter 325 - 282 We’re just humans!

Chapter 325: 282 We’re just humans!

After the sea of fire, the multitude of trees slowly descended, and the dense aroma of ash wafted through the air as tens of thousands of inhabitants of the Royal City knelt on the ground, madly kissing the trees that had sheltered them. They knelt and prayed, giving thanks to the mercy of Forest God Lipo.

Lipo stood atop a giant tree, holding a spirit deer, gazing toward the distant Palace.

The Palace was situated high, also the closest part of the Royal City to the sea of fire. The once majestic palace walls cracked in the intense heat, melting into sticky clumps, and the nobles and ministers inside huddled together in panic.

And upon the throne, King Seleucus also trembled, unable to steady himself.

"Realizing one’s own limits... how difficult it is for mortals."

Lipo said with a cold laugh.

Desiring to reach powers unreachable by mortals, longing for glory admired by all, even aspiring to replace the Divine... Mortals always harbor myriad illusions, their limited perspectives often making them forget the reverence they ought to maintain.

Only when disaster strikes do they learn remorse, and undergo profound changes, becoming completely unrecognizable from before.

Lipo had no intention of punishing King Seleucus seated on the throne, for to the immortal Divines, sovereignty always changed hands from one generation to the next, much like the cycles of leaves, while only the Divine Statue stood forever inside the hall, before which each crown-wearer must kneel and make offerings.

Compared to this king who harbored delusions of Eternal Life, Lipo was more concerned about that mysterious witch.

During their encounter years ago, she had mentioned a term in his presence—"Law."

"Law..."

Back then, using a broken antler of the spirit deer, she had led herself into the Secret Forest, where besides plotting to stop the Fire God, she also spoke of the Divine she served.

"What exactly is ’Law’?"

Endless questions filled Lipo’s mind, but no one could answer them for him.

"Lord... which God is called ’Lord’?"

This rare title slightly stirred the memories long sealed away by Lipo, yet thousands of years were enough to bury memories under mountain-like dust.

Lipo always felt that he had heard it somewhere, yet could not remember.

"Nevertheless, it’s time to return to the Country of Divines, to head to the Golden Hall, to deal with the Fire God."

Muttering to himself, the Forest God turned and led the spirit deer into the canopy, his figure disappearing from sight.

Inside the Royal City, tens of thousands of mortals continued to kneel and pray, praising the greatness of the Forest God, unaware of who truly saved them.

............

............

King Seleucus rose from his throne, walking down in a daze.

The scepter in his hand trembled, and the crown atop his head was askew; this king appeared far older than an ordinary person.

His once vibrant red hair had lost its vitality, now stiff and greasy.

The nobles and ministers had not yet recovered from the chaos, the floor underfoot scorchingly hot. King Seleucus saw the Palace in front of him, ruined by the fire sea unleashed by the Father God.

The splendor he spent half his life forging was so inconsequential and trivial before the might of the Divines, as insignificant as ants.

In the sea of fire that had swept through the Royal City, King Seleucus finally understood that, even as a Demigod, he was still mortal.

He left the palace, despondently heading for the Flower Garden where he once lingered.

In the Flower Garden, everything had burned,

even the once annoying thorns had turned to nothingness.

He awoke from his dream of Eternal Life.

He knelt on the ground, the lake in the Flower Garden nearly dried up, leaving only a few shallow puddles.

Once, this king could see his reflection in the broad waters of the lake, but now he could only clearly see his own face in the shallow puddles.

The shadows of post-disaster survival enveloped him.

King Seleucus knelt, his mind filled with memories of the Queen who had passed away, the repeated admonitions from the Father God, and his own past promises.

Eternal Life...

A thing many dream of.

King Seleucus looked up, anguished and struggling...

"Eternal Life..."

"Eternal life is but a void!"

Huge clouds passed over the sky, casting the Royal City into shadows. A breeze brought the scent of ash. Nothing remained in the Flower Garden. The King’s own pursuit of eternal life had almost led to the destruction of the Royal City.

King Seleucus gazed at his reflection in the puddle, the muddy water reflecting his aged face.

"Who are you?"

He asked the reflection, his voice trembling.

The reflection did not speak; it merely mimicked King Seleucus’s every move.

Watching the reflection in the water, King Seleucus wondered how many people, like himself, pursued eternal life.

Centuries later, people would marvel at yet another king’s pursuit of eternal life, not knowing he was merely repeating his own tragedy.

In their predecessors’ era, people had already sought eternal life.

After a long while, King Seleucus muttered,

"Recognize yourself..."

The reflection mimicked his movement.

Tears burst forth as King Seleucus looked at his aged self and finally erupted, crying out loudly:

"Seleucus, recognize yourself!"

"Future generations, recognize yourself!"

Seleucus was like a wounded beast, recalling his past as if a beast licked its blood-stained fur.

In the Celestial Kingdom, the Divine were so majestic, so high above, Demigod Seleucus often gazed up at the dignified Divine Statues, misbelieving that his stone statue could stand alongside them, misbelieving that he, like the Divine, could possess eternal life.

And the only lesson he received was...

Recognize yourself.

King Seleucus’s body trembled as he saw his own aging, his own insignificance. The king tensed his entire body, releasing a grief-stricken cry:

"I recognize!"

He recognized the insurmountable chasm between mortals and the Divine.

He recognized how insignificant mortals were, like ants, and the admired kingship was nothing but decay in the eyes of the Divine.

He recognized that eternal life was nothing but an emptiness, a void of emptiness, an emptiness of void...

At that moment, Seleucus felt as insignificant as an ant, kneeling and whole-heartedly admiring the power of the Divine.

Mortals could not endure eternal life.

He finally realized,

Eternal life was merely an illusion,

Death was the true path.

After a long while, King Seleucus slowly stood up from the ground, his head bowed, and he slowly walked back to his study.

He took off his crown, set down his scepter.

In the mirror of the study, Seleucus once again saw himself. Silently, he slowly spread out a sheet of papyrus and, picking up a quill, he wanted to write something on it to warn future generations.

He fully accepted the fate of death.

The papyrus, yellowed and blank, awaited the mortal’s writing.

His fingers trembling, the quill nearly touching the papyrus several times, King Seleucus could not bring himself to write any words.

Seleucus blankly stared at the papyrus in front of him.

For a long, long time...

Finally, he wrote down a sentence,

"Do not ask why we cannot escape death,"

"Understand,"

"We are merely human."