Super Righteous Player
Chapter 929 - 463 The Worm Wielding Shackles

Chapter 929: Chapter 463 The Worm Wielding Shackles

Annan used the third effect of the "Three Sirens" to control Vladimir?

This was indeed possible — especially since Annan had just used its effect to control and kill Nicholas.

Rather...

If Vladimir had said nothing, done nothing, Annan might have indeed started with the "Three Sirens" to turn the tide of battle.

Compared to the "Forgiveness of the Bone Picker," whose exact effects Annan still didn’t know, the "Philosopher’s Stone" which might also not be able to kill Vladimir even if used, or "Genesis Secret," which could only be used once and might harm himself as well.

Having used the "Three Sirens" once already would make Annan feel more at ease.

But it was precisely because Vladimir had gone out of his way to say this that Annan instead became suspicious. He wouldn’t act rashly without clarifying the situation.

However, Annan also knew that Vladimir was not a dull person.

He wouldn’t make a meaningless, bloated gesture.

In other words... Vladimir suddenly revealing his intentions must have some significance.

— You mean to say... only mortals can kill you?

— You could say that.

— Then now, let me tell you part of its power.

This was a conversation not long before.

Adding in the lies Vladimir had previously told in front of Annan...

Then Vladimir’s purpose in misleading Annan became very clear.

"If in this ’dream’, mere contact with me would allow for fusion, why do you stand so leisurely aside now? What exactly are you waiting for? Or are you trying to induce something, force something?"

"There could only be one answer then."

Annan declared, "You told me about ’the fate that I will face in the future’, and then you want me to follow this fate. Only if I surrender and acknowledge that the fate you’ve set is unchangeable, will your goals be accomplished."

His pupils flared with light again.

Annan no longer retreated, instead he stood tall and took a step forward.

The gun pointed at his temple had already been lowered, aimed at the ground.

Such actions were unnecessary.

Because Annan realized... Vladimir didn’t dare kill him.

His real intentions made it impossible for him to act against Annan. Otherwise, he would be the one who would lose.

This time, it was Vladimir who didn’t dare make contact with Annan.

As Annan gradually advanced, Vladimir instead retreated.

The positions of the two suddenly reversed.

"Remember what you just said?"

Annan said icily.

— I’ll never believe in fate. If fate does indeed exist, it shouldn’t only be the "Charioteer" that can change a predetermined fate.

— It would make all effort and sacrifice one hundred percent rewarded.

— I am the hardest working, most enlightened person in the world. I naturally deserve the greatest happiness.

— That would be absolute fairness, eliminating all randomness. Turning so-called fate into a fixed program.

— The "fate" that originally held infinite possibilities, under your interference, instead became extremely understandable... especially easy to calculate.

"Do you realize now?"

Annan’s voice grew louder, resonant and clear: "The contradiction in your own words?"

"Your perspective was wrong from the start — why is the theme of ’defying fate’ in your mouth actually ’fixating fate’, such an ambiguous ultimate goal?

"The answer is simple. Because you already knew that ’fixating fate’ really can ’defy fate’. This answer lies within your heart... the moment you learned of this intelligence, your thought process was ’stigmatized’."

"Defying fate" is a grand, vain theme.

It doesn’t point to anything in particular, just "defiance."

One might even say that it’s because they are confused to the point of not even knowing what to defy that they direct it at fate — like the saying, "Unfair fate drove me to this."

Only those who believe in and hate fate would say such things.

Vladimir indeed was such a person.

He had a clear and unequivocal purpose from the very beginning.

"You can see many futures and plan accordingly,"

Annan said in a deep voice, "to construct an inescapable future. And then you tell that future to others... If they succumb to your ’prophecy,’ then you can either merge with them or control their mind.

"That means Kromnig Marv does not actually have the capacity to ’reflect mind control’! The ability of mind control is very rare... The theme of ’resisting mind control’ does not align with Kromnig Marv’s meaning at all.

"The reason you were able to control me when I used the Third Siren is because, according to the original future, you were meant to die here.

"In other words, this is the ’end of the future’ you prophesied! It’s the definitive endpoint of every future you can see!

"If your predictions about others are correct, and you achieve a certain goal, then your own death is undoubtedly the most powerful, the most significant prophecy—you wished to bind me to your ’cause of the end,’ to compel me to use the ’Third Siren’ to kill you.

"In doing so, you could either merge with me, gain my power, or even control me in return... or forsake your body and ’become me’!"

Annan stared at Vladimir.

He asked word by word, "Am I right—or not?"

Vladimir’s expression turned exceedingly unsightly.

First, he would declare a fate that veers from reality to the other party.

And then he made their actions to "resist fate" ineffective, figuring out a way to enforce his own prophecies.

It allowed him to turn that fate into shackles as substantial as iron, binding them to the others’ spirits. Afterwards, he was able to constrain the other party based on the weight of that "fate" or whatever else.

This was the very effect of Kromnig Marv.

Controlling others with "predestined fate."

That’s why he doesn’t "resist fate," but instead "controls fate."

Because his hope was to become that "supreme king" who could control others with fate.

And it was well known—

—Fate is but the trail of the Charioteer.

For the Charioteer, changing the fate of others is effortless.

If this Great Calamity Curio, combined with the power of the Charioteer... were to fix the fate of another, it would be like rising above the gods—without acquiring any divinity, bypassing the seats of the gods to take control of all mankind!

"It is precisely because of this that ’Kromnig Marv’s’ side effect is ’cannot be affected by gods.’ This side effect wouldn’t be particularly severe to others, and could even be considered an ace in the hole... But it’s different for you.

"Because the future you see is always one without the existence or interference of gods. This means you would have to use your own brain to speculate on a future with divine interference and the differences that would arise."

Annan said as he walked forward.

Finally, he forced Vladimir back to the place where it all began.

The "dream" suddenly ended, and they returned to the spot where they had first confronted each other.

"That’s why... although you are not susceptible to godly attacks or influence, you still tried to place me where no god can see."

This was not to prevent the gods from killing Vladimir.

—But rather, he feared "Annan would no longer use the Third Siren to attack him"!

Using a spell or some ability to drag Annan into a dream where "transcendent abilities can’t be used, yet still holding the Third Siren" was his backup plan.

It was meant to eliminate other influences and continue pressuring Annan to use the Third Siren if the primary plan failed and the gods indeed arrived.

That’s why he had initially injured Annan.

But in the dream, he never struck Annan, and even closed in on him—to a position where it was impossible to dodge the Third Siren’s brainwashing.

His entire purpose was to make Annan follow his prophecy—to have Vladimir’s personality die right there!

...After that, he would presumably become Annan.

Just as he had said in the grand duke’s mansion:

—Because someday I, too, will discard this decrepit shell and step into eternity.

"You once said, ’The Non-Snake is born of the Corpse under the Hand of the Charioteer.’ You indeed are a Worm Cultist. And you indeed do not wish for The Worm to be unsealed and come into this world..."

Under the puzzled gaze of the Bone Picker.

Under the intoxicated scrutiny of the Tragedy Writer, who was ecstatic with joy.

Annan, like a judge passing a verdict or a detective slamming down decisive evidence, delivered his final sentence.

"Because your real aim is to obtain my body. Just like ’The Non-Snake born from the Corpse under the Hand of the Charioteer’...

"—And then, become the ’New Worm’."