Only God
Chapter 472 - 412: The Real Fault

Chapter 472: Chapter 412: The Real Fault

Schiller had never set foot in Hell. His understanding of it came entirely from hearsay. Under the layers of descriptions, Hell was like a land of inherent despair, with a barren red landscape, where people were punished for their sins in life until they were completely redeemed and could ascend to Heaven.

Without having seen it firsthand, relying solely on hearsay, an angel could never imagine what Hell was like.

"After all, only the fallen and sinful go to Hell."

Schiller muttered.

Angels were created pure and innocent, directly originating from God’s spirit. How could they ever fall and become sinful?

Schiller was well aware of this.

But the clearer he knew it, the more intense his curiosity about Hell grew.

Thus, he shared his thoughts with Kara, who was also a Great Angel. She had four arms and four legs, and a back adorned with six pairs of wings. Despite her strange appearance, she did not seem twisted. Instead, she was extremely beautiful because she conformed to the golden ratio.

Schiller’s appearance was no less magnificent than Kara’s. It could be said that all eight Great Angels were the most captivating beings among the angels. Everyone flocked to them. Schiller’s upper body was human, while his lower half was serpentine, and his tongue was indistinguishable from a snake’s. His back also had six pairs of wings, the symbol of a Great Angel’s status.

"You want to go to Hell?"

Kara was shocked,

"What’s wrong with you?"

Schiller simply nodded seriously.

Kara waved her four arms, trying hard to sketch the terrifying aspects of Hell. Gesturing, she said,

"Schiller, think it over. No angel has ever been there. Remember, Hell is divided into nine layers. On the first layer, the sinners are light offenders, receiving the lightest punishment, for petty theft and minor wrongdoings in life. It’s perennially dim there, swept by cold winds, sometimes even bone-chillingly cold..."

Kara tried her best to depict Hell based on what she had heard from others.

The deeper the layer of Hell, the heavier the punishment the people there received. There were knife points, molten lava, seas of fire... On the lowest layer of Hell, there was pain that one could never grow accustomed to, enveloped in despair, where even experiencing it personally made it hard to accurately describe with words.

"What is that?"

Schiller couldn’t help asking.

"Nothingness."

Kara lowered her voice, slightly trembling,

"Nothingness... Apart from yourself, there is nothing.

Some compare it to the pain of loneliness,

but it’s far more than that. Loneliness at least lets you recognize your own existence. But at the depths of Hell, you lose all senses except for your thoughts..."

"Schiller, I can’t imagine what that feels like... It’s the nothingness of nothingness."

Kara’s words were not an exaggeration.

In Heaven, there were souls who repented in Hell, clearing all their sins and coming here.

"I remember... it seems like no soul has ever stepped into the ninth layer."

Schiller flicked his tongue and asked,

"Kara, where did you hear about it?"

Since the dawn of Hell, nearly no soul had ventured to the ninth layer after death. Even the fallen Six Gods were mostly found between the sixth and eighth layers of Hell.

"Of course, it came from Solamus,"

Kara said matter-of-factly,

"Schiller, who else do you think?"

Schiller was slightly startled, and then his eyes darkened.

That name was particularly grating to him.

Schiller’s breathing grew hurried.

In his mind, Solamus’s figure began to linger, entwining like a nightmare.

Kara didn’t notice Schiller’s subtle changes and advised,

"Schiller, I know of your curiosity about Hell, so I advise you to dismiss the thought. That is a place only for the fallen.

Just think, Maisy went to the Mortal World and still suffered greatly. If you go to Hell... the consequences are unimaginable."

Facing Kara’s earnest advice, Schiller was lost in thought, completely dismissing it. His mind was filled with Solamus’s figure, a fire of envy igniting in him, burning fiercely.

On one hand, Schiller felt that this envy was so ugly, it shouldn’t appear in an angel, but he couldn’t suppress this envious heart. He felt that even if God’s mission came upon him, he would inevitably compare it with Solamus.

Once the fire of jealousy ignited, it was nearly impossible to extinguish.

I really should make a trip to Hell.

Schiller said to himself in his heart.

Whether it was out of curiosity about Hell or a desire to cleanse the deep-seated envy within, Schiller longed to make that journey.

To that place... only meant for the fallen.

Kara watched the silent Schiller, unable to wait for a response, worry evident in her eyes.

Then, Kara seriously asked,

"Schiller, do you really want to go to Hell? You better not do it."

Suddenly, Schiller looked up sharply, his smile radiant,

"No, I maybe won’t, Kara.

I think... I should reconsider my decision."

In front of another Great Angel, Schiller flicked his serpentine tongue, casting a trivial lie.

...

...

Nimirda had been secretly summoned by the dual kings for several days, making Po Han, who was dispatched to supervise the Elf Prince, uneasy.

The society of the Undersea Kingdom was somewhat similar to the Nus Kingdom. They didn’t have the so-called nobility found in other races, only hereditary monarchy, acting as the unifying and spiritual symbol of the entire kingdom. For this reason, the Unihorn King was deeply beloved by his people.

Yet, a king such as this had died a wrongful death due to a personal grudge, something no one could accept.

"You Merfolk will not get the result you want, and we Logos people won’t either."

Po Han murmured these words, his fishtail slightly swaying.

What Nimirda said was not without reason, but his attitude showed no remorse. Despite being both openly and secretly insulted by Po Han these days, the latter remained unshaken.

This only fueled Po Han’s anger even further.

A moment later, the sound came from the prison door, the lock opened, and the prison guards pushed the Elf Prince Nimirda back inside. Po Han composed his expression and nodded at the guards, who then locked Nimirda back into the dark, sunless cell.

Po Han scrutinized Nimirda as he returned to his cell and sneered,

"My Prince, the air outside must be fresher than here."

Nimirda let out a cold laugh and nodded,

"Indeed, it does not reek of fish like here."

Po Han grabbed the bars of the cell and asked harshly,

"Murderer, what did your King tell you?"

Nimirda closed his eyes and spoke slowly,

"I have no need to tell you...

But then again, it won’t harm to tell you.

My father is considering exiling me over the seas, and whether I live or die, it shall be left to the will of God."

Po Han’s face showed excitement upon hearing this.

Being exiled over the seas meant the Prince would fall into the hands of the Merfolk.

By then, the Merfolk would be able to execute him.

Suddenly, Nimirda added,

"Don’t celebrate too early, your people want more than this."

This statement was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water,

freezing the Merfolk Po Han’s expression.

As an envoy, he was fully aware that his people wanted more than just the execution of Nimirda; they also demanded that the Elves accept the faith of the Merfolk—in proclaiming the Water God Angel as the daughter of the Lord.

Po Han knew this was undoubtedly a challenge to the common beliefs between the two races.

His voice trembled as he changed the topic and accused,

"You speak so easily, do you not feel any guilt?! You are a disgrace to Prophet Al!"

Nimirda then opened his eyes and said,

"I am guilt-ridden, I confess my sins to God every night... I regret my impulsiveness.

But, what of it?

Guilt doesn’t help in this matter."

Po Han could hear that there was not a hint of guilt in his tone.

Nimirda sighed and spoke slowly,

"Spare me, Merfolk Envoy, I have long been prepared to atone with my life, but I was blinded by fury at the moment, I didn’t realize how important my own life was, nor could I see what the Whale King meant to you... unless God himself judges, there will be no good outcome."

Upon hearing this, Po Han’s expression twisted with anger, but he had to admit, Nimirda was right, the rift between the two races and within the Elves would not be resolved by Nimirda’s death alone.

The entire cell suddenly fell silent, filled only with the sound of dripping water and a pervasive smell of fish.

After a long while, Nimirda suddenly spoke,

"However... I have thought of a method."

Po Han abruptly looked up, suspiciously observing the Elf Prince.

Nimirda approached the bars, lowering his voice,

"Currently, within the Elves, many are dissatisfied with the Merfolk, and they ’rally’ around me, there have been rumors that someone is secretly preparing to break me out, to let me see the light.

They uphold me as their leader, which is not my wish.

Rather than that, you might step back on behalf of your race, accept the Kings’ decision on my exile, then take me to your Kingdom, where I would kneel and beg for mercy, repent before God, and ultimately pay the proper price."

The voice of the Elf Prince was highly bewitching.

Upon hearing this, the envoy Po Han was greatly tempted.

Even as brethren, the differences between the two races could not possibly be reconciled in a short time, so supporting the dual Kings of the Elves on Nimirda’s exile, bringing him to the Undersea Kingdom for a proper judgment, where he would kneel and beg for mercy, repent before God, and finally, turn the page on the whole matter.

This wouldn’t satisfy everyone, but it was the best scenario under the circumstances.

"Are you asking me to act on my own?"

Po Han suddenly astonished, and vehemently asked,

"Isn’t that simple, isn’t it?"

Nimirda said,

"God would have you do this too."

"No, that’s absolutely impossible!"

Po Han said harshly.

Nimirda spread his hands in resignation and shook his head,

"Well then, you refuse a condition that would benefit both parties, Po Han, such an opportunity might not come again."

Po Han stared straight at Nimirda,

"We need you to compromise; you killed our King."

Nimirda responded,

"And it was your Prince who killed my brother first."

Po Han clenched his fist and demanded,

"That’s different! They are not of the same consequence! Your wrongdoing is far greater than ours."

Upon hearing this, Nimirda suddenly fell silent, staring straight into Po Han’s eyes.

Merfolk Po Han, not knowing why, felt a chill as he was watched by the Elf Prince.

After a while, Nimirda articulated slowly,

"Po Han, you don’t know what a true wrongdoing is.

The real wrongdoing is, like your Prince, seeking death in this cell,

Escape would be so easy; by just ending my own life, I would owe nothing.

Suicide out of fear of punishment, that would be a true wrongdoing!"