Super Righteous Player
Chapter 913 - 448: The Death of Nicholas

Chapter 913: Chapter 448: The Death of Nicholas

Upon hearing this, Isaac looked at him with some surprise.

His expression grew stern, "I hope you give up that thought, Nicholas."

This was his nickname for Nicholas.

"When genius harbors sinful thoughts, they become more terrifying than any demon... You are a genius, which is why you must not think this way."

—But what if I really want to think this way?

Such a thought popped up in Nicholas’s mind, but he did not voice it.

Instead, he humbly asked, "Then why is that?"

"It’s because humans are inherently imperfect."

Isaac slowly explained, "Our history, thus far, has progressed amidst such imperfection. To forsake all ’imperfection’ means we will cease to be human.

"Do you understand what that means? The continuity of civilization comes from history and tradition. A new humanity, made perfect, might continue to inherit and perhaps even thrive, but that would be another civilization... To them, our old history of ’repeated failure’ would be worthless. They would no longer be ’our successors’.

"—But a predatory, merciless demon born from the ruins of our civilization."

After that conversation,

A mad idea began to take root in Nicholas’s heart.

If humanity stood no chance against that "perfect civilization," and yet he could completely control the new humans... wouldn’t that mean he could surpass everything from the old world?

If the new humans were beings ever-closer to perfection, then he would be the personification of "perfection" itself.

The Proverb inherited by the Jade Tower is "to elevate everything to a more perfect state."

And what is wrong with elevating oneself to perfection—

That would be the ultimate victory.

Yes, victory!

Eternal victory, to create a new world—the absolute creator! The pinnacle of human intellect is to create something that surpasses human understanding—achieving that step is the perfect victory for mankind!

Driven by such a strong "will for victory," he ascended to the Gold rank and, after a long time, developed the prototype of artificial humans.

But when he proudly introduced his creation "Hermunkruz" to Isaac, his most respected adoptive father and mentor, he met with severe reprimand.

Isaac ordered Nicholas to destroy the technology immediately and to not disclose it to anyone. This had surpassed even the gods’ threshold of tolerance, and even the Jade Tower, known for developing forbidden techniques, could not preserve it.

"—Humans have always lived in falsehood.

"—Deceiving others, deceiving themselves. The so-called ’wishes’ are just nice-sounding lies, and when I finally forsake everything and strive towards my ideal... when I inadvertently look back, I realize that no one has followed.

"—Everyone remains where they are, silently watching me.

"—No one supports me. No one admires me. The Proverb passed down by the Jade Tower, ’to elevate everything to a more perfect state’—the Proverb I dedicated my life to... in the end, not even the Tower Master took it seriously.

"—They just treated it as a joke, as a slogan. Only I took it to heart."

This was the true sentiment Hermunkruz once harbored in hatred, spoken to Annan.

Of course.

Nicholas refused.

He immediately turned against Isaac, using the element of "victory" to elevate his own "authority" and, through a high-level, false representation, took control of Isaac and directly seized his Tower Master’s authority.

After he succeeded as Tower Master, Isaac, having been forcibly stripped of the Tower Master’s authority, lost his immortality and was killed by Nicholas.

He later used an artificial human, made with Isaac’s spine, to create a replacement "artificial Isaac." He controlled it to publicly transfer the nominal position of the Tower Master to himself and completed the abdication.

And at Isaac’s burial, Nicholas still placed his true ashes within. He buried the mentor whom he had killed with his own hands, the adoptive father who had taught him from the age of thirteen until he became Tower Master, Isaac Flamell.

—Isaac, although able to see through the truth of all things, ultimately failed to anticipate the madness of the human heart.

In the face of such a traitor... Annan couldn’t possibly spare his life.

But then came the question.

Was his wisdom really so necessary? Even at the risk, did the gods have to resurrect him? He even intended to steal the position of the Chariot and cut off Light Realm from the mortal world, monopolizing the birth ceremony of new gods... and yet the gods did not stop him?

In an instant, Annan thought back to what happened shortly after defeating the Spirit Taker Monk, when Nicholas II had fled:

"—It was Stone Father who intentionally let him escape."

Paper Princess said so.

"—It seems even Nicholas’s escape was part of destiny itself."

Faced with Annan’s question, Stone Father answered him thus.

These must all be the truth.

"I see..." Annan had an epiphany.

The false "Nicholas" was only ever a tool from the very beginning.

He was destined from the moment of his creation—to be killed by Annan.

That’s why the gods never intervened in this matter.

In other words...

This was Annan’s own experience golem.

A mirror belonging to Annan.

A "mirror" that shared Annan’s transcendent wisdom and lost memories, which also aspired to make the world "perfect," yet took a completely different path.

As Isaac had said... Mankind must use history as its mirror.

Nicholas II was meant to be Annan’s "mirror," reflecting his flaws so that Annan could introspect and grow.

"So..." Annan sighed. "I understand now."

If he washed all of Nicholas’s memories clean, transforming him into an ordinary citizen of Winter, the dragon stripped of the name "Nicholas" could be reborn.

Annan would gain a strong, safe, and reliable follower—making him a Hand of Winter. "New Nicholas" would never know, until his death, that he was once "Nicholas."

Because Nicolas Flamel had indeed been laid to rest.

Thus, he could live out the rest of his life in peace and happiness.

Annan would be saving a life.

A joyous, celebratory occasion.

...But.

It was as Annan had said at the end of the gallery nightmare.

"Some people do not deserve redemption."

Annan muttered quietly.

The tide of frost and snow that seemed to cover the whole world surged in all directions, centering on the shining little dragon.

After completely drowning and destroying Nicholas’s world of memories... Annan opened his eyes once more.

He stared into Nicholas’s now lifeless draconic eyes.

Transforming back into his human form.

Raising his right hand, an ice sword materialized into Annan’s palm.

—Thrust into the dragon’s heart.

Annan’s Will of Victory surged instantly.

A new power flowed from within the "mirror," pouring into Annan’s heart.

It was...

Annan paused slightly, opening his attribute panel.

[Soul Elements: Brilliance (100%), Wisdom (100%), Understanding (85%), Victory (33%), Beauty (38%), Rigor (26%), Glory (10%)]

—It was the element of Victory.

A gift from Nicholas...

Or a curse.

Looking at that line of text, Annan felt as if Nicholas’s final will was saying something to him.

"...But I will never walk the same path as you."

Annan whispered, lifting the ice blade thrust into the dragon’s heart high above.

Under the enhancement of the Victory element, the radiant light effortlessly cleaved through the rock wall.

The next moment.

Nicholas’s body suddenly shattered, disintegrating into a blizzard of snowflakes.

The giant rock monster lost its life.

It was as if a mountain range split in half, with radiance stretching out from the heart of the mountain.

A beam of light inclined towards the sky, piercing through the heavens!

When the pillar of light dispersed.

A white page, like paper yet with the texture of jade, quietly floated in the air.

—Five of the Seven Mirrors, now shattered.