Chapter 646: The Calm Belt, and the Strange Nature of the Red Line!
Vegapunk and Lilith did not hand this to Ryuunosuke out of kindness.
They had one goal: lock him into an alliance.
As for what they planned to do after the alliance formed, and why they did not go after the Seed of God themselves, choosing instead to lean on him…
Ryuunosuke still did not know.
But one thing was certain.
This was exactly what he needed right now.
"So…" Ryuunosuke set Adam's branch aside and spoke calmly. "Is it finally time to talk?"
"These armored soldiers, the Heavenly Prison Shield you just released, and Adam's clone appearing to stop you…"
"You're telling me all of that was a coincidence?"
"Adam tracked me by scent," Lilith replied, her voice steady.
"As for the rest, I believe Captain Ryuunosuke has already felt it."
"I am no longer a projection of Lilith."
"I am an independent individual."
"My body and mind have transformed, and I am no longer bound by those constraints."
"Independent, huh…"
Ryuunosuke's gaze sharpened.
"So your goal was never as simple as I thought."
"It wasn't just getting a body and freedom?"
"Yes."
Lilith's voice dropped slightly, as if that single word contained everything.
"Unlike you, who were born with a body of your own…"
"I never had one."
"And that only made me crave it more."
There was no need for dramatic emphasis. The truth was heavy enough.
Ryuunosuke nodded slowly.
"I get it."
"Then what are you planning to do from here?"
"I'm going to the Seed of God as soon as possible. That's my priority."
He said it plainly, without dodging anything.
If they were going to cooperate, hiding intentions was just childish.
Vegapunk finally spoke.
"Captain Ryuunosuke, are you truly prepared to face the Seed of God?"
"Forgive my bluntness, but the Dragon Hunter Pirates are strong… yet you are not on the same level as the Seed of God."
"There are still… shortcomings."
Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed.
Shortcomings, huh.
This was not the first time Vegapunk had dealt with them. Especially after he had taken Lilith's projection away, Vegapunk had seen their strength up close.
Even so, he still did not believe Ryuunosuke and his crew could seize the Seed's energy.
Or rather, he believed the entire Dragon Hunter Pirates could not endure it.
Ryuunosuke did not flinch.
"Yes."
"But what choice do we have now?"
"We can't learn the truth and then pretend we never heard it, can we?"
Then he smiled, casual as if he were greeting an old neighbor.
"Right, Original?"
Vegapunk froze.
Lilith's eyes flicked to the side, her senses flaring.
"Original?"
The others reacted the same way.
The First Generation had already left.
So what was Ryuunosuke talking about?
A voice drifted in with a sigh.
"Honestly, I only wanted to sit back and eat melon seeds."
"I really don't want to get involved in this mess."
A phantom formed beside them.
Familiar. Irritating. Exactly as expected.
Ryuunosuke did not bother with greetings.
"You know where the Seed of God is."
"Why didn't you destroy it yourself?"
Compared to Vegapunk, compared to Lilith…
Ryuunosuke was far more curious about the First Generation's methods.
After all, the one who had faced Lilith and Adam directly was this man.
And that battered state from earlier still did not make sense.
The First Generation's smile faded a fraction.
"I know."
"But it's impossible."
"My body can't withstand that power."
"Back then, I tried to sabotage it too."
"I failed."
"My body was lost there."
His voice remained calm, but the words carried weight.
"So if you're going to do this…" he continued, "I hope you make preparations."
"I see…"
Ryuunosuke exhaled, then tilted his head.
"So can I give up too?"
He picked up Adam's branch and tossed it into his system space as if it were a spare coat.
A playful smile tugged at his lips.
"No."
The First Generation's tone snapped, sharp and immediate.
"If you don't go, this world…"
Ryuunosuke cut him off without hesitation.
"That doesn't really concern me, does it?"
"I can summon the Gate of Eternity now."
"Even if I can't stay in this world anymore, I'll just leave."
Silence.
The First Generation did not speak.
Lilith did not speak.
And in that quiet, Ryuunosuke understood.
His guess was correct.
All of them wanted him to find the Seed of God.
They had even prepared Adam's clone in advance to push the situation.
Yes, those conditions benefited him.
But their urgency, their timing, their arrangements…
It was too deliberate.
Like a road laid out under his feet.
Ryuunosuke had no intention of being used.
That was the Seed of God.
It was part of God's arrangement.
Putting everything else aside, the First Generation had already said it.
Even he had lost his body there.
Even he, who could suppress Lilith and Adam's true forms alone, could not confront the Seed of God.
And Ryuunosuke, right now, was still not at that peak.
The First Generation's eyes narrowed.
"The Gate of Eternity…"
Then he spoke, each word clean and decisive.
"Ryuunosuke. I want my body back."
"If you help me retrieve it, I'll go with you."
"And I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"That's my condition."
Ryuunosuke's gaze sharpened.
"Your body is still intact?"
He was genuinely surprised.
Something buried for nine hundred years should have dissolved into dust, soul or not.
"It's still there."
The First Generation did not explain why.
Instead, he went straight for the throat of the matter.
"In the beginning, Lilith and Adam planted the Seed of God at the same time."
"The Calm Belt and the Red Line were born at that moment."
"To fight over ownership of this world, the two of them used their life essence to seal it."
"Now, the Red Line has begun to rise."
Ryuunosuke's mind went blank for an instant.
Rise?
Then the First Generation continued, voice steady, almost merciless.
"If the Red Line and the Calm Belt both detach from the world and float away…"
"Then the whole world becomes God's cradle."
"No matter what kind of life it is, it will become a sacrifice for gestation."
"Including the very origin of this world."
Ryuunosuke did not doubt him.
Not because it sounded reasonable.
Because it sounded too insane to fabricate.
If the First Generation wanted to deceive him, this was the worst possible lie. It was clumsy in the way only truth could afford to be.
Vegapunk finally added, quietly but firmly.
"Lilith and I only want to live in this world."
"But as long as Lilith's true form and Adam's true form exist…"
"They will keep coming for us."
.....
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