NOVPUB
Chapter 276: 276
The princess looked confused before shaking her head. The king looked at her before answering, "200 years."
"An average Apeling lives to 200 years, which is twice the age of humans. We humans can only reach that age once we’ve broken through to the fourth stage."
"If we, with our heritage, can break through to the fourth stage and extend our lives, what stops the Apelings from doing the same?"
Waving his hand, a potion appeared in his grasp. The king shook the potion in front of his sister’s face. "Do you know what this is, sister?"
The princess shook her head. The king answered again, "This is a longevity potion. One of the Apelings who visited our kingdom casually gave this to a noble who had shown them good hospitality."
The princess stared at the potion, her eyes widening in realization. "You mean to say... the Apelings possess the knowledge to extend their lives beyond what we thought possible, and they share it so casually?" Her voice was a mix of disbelief and intrigue.
Nwadiebube nodded slowly, his expression grave. "Yes, they do. And if they can do this effortlessly, imagine what else they can achieve that we cannot even fathom. We are not just dealing with beings who have adapted to mana differently, but with those who might have tapped into the very essence of life itself. They aren’t just advanced; they are years ahead of us in some aspects."
"But if they are so powerful," the princess began, "why haven’t they simply taken over? Why do they bother with diplomacy, with coexisting at all?"
"That," the king replied, "is precisely the point, sister. They could easily dominate us, yet they choose not to. Perhaps it is because they see something in us, something worth preserving or cultivating. The question isn’t just whether we can coexist, but why they are allowing us to. What role do they see for humanity in this world?"
"As the ruler of a large kingdom, I’ve noticed that the abrupt growth we gained from the meteor shower and the teachings of the dragon is waning. This means we will soon fall back into a slow pace of growth."
"The children of gods, with their long lifespans, can afford to wait and take their time to grow. We humans don’t have that luxury."
He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "The children of gods have always been our guardians, yes, but they have also been our overseers—our silent rulers. They hold power over us, not just in strength, but in wisdom, in knowledge, in influence. They are long-lived beings who have watched humanity grow and struggle, always there to keep us in check."
"Their actions regarding my invitation of the priest of Björn clearly show their position. To them, humans can go ahead and self-destruct, as long as things don’t get too messed up or their interests aren’t harmed."
He began to pace, his steps echoing in the garden. "We humans, for all our achievements, are still mortal. Our lives are fleeting compared to theirs. We grow old, we die, and our knowledge, our progress, is passed down in fragments, never whole. But the children of gods—they remember everything. They’ve seen the rise and fall of empires. They are not just our protectors—they are our history, our past, and now, I fear, they will dictate our future."
He stopped and looked directly at his sister, his gaze intense. "What if the children of gods decide that humanity’s evolution has gone far enough? What if they see our growing power, our growing independence, and decide that we are a threat to the balance they’ve maintained for so long? We have grown, yes, but we are still in their shadow. They can snuff out our progress with a single decision, a single act."
Nwadiebube’s voice dropped to a near whisper, heavy with dread. "I fear that we are on the brink of becoming nothing more than puppets in their eternal game. We think we’ve achieved so much, but in the end, it is they who control the strings. We cannot surpass them, sister. We are not equals. We are their subjects, their creations, and as long as they exist, we will never be truly free."
"Since we came to know about the gods and their children, nothing has seemed to phase them more than this new religion of Björn. A discussion with this priest showed me exactly why the children of gods are very much disturbed by the existence of this new religion and god"
"Björn’s religion threatens the peace they have tried so hard to keep, the religion could destabilize their rule and peaceful society. While that may be the case for them, for us human a religion of warfare and madness is exactly what we need to break through and evolve"
Nwadiebube’s words hung in the air, charged with the intensity of his conviction. He continued, his voice still low but firm, every word weighted with purpose.
"Björn’s religion is not like the others, sister. It’s not a gentle faith that encourages submission or peace. It’s a religion of chaos, of struggle, of bloodshed. It’s a belief system that glorifies conflict, that sees war as a path to enlightenment, a way to transcend our limitations. And that is exactly why it terrifies the children of gods"
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications. "To the children of gods, Björn’s followers are a dangerous anomaly, a force that could disrupt their carefully crafted world. But to us humans, this religion represents something entirely different. It represents an opportunity—a chance to break free from the stagnant peace that has kept us subdued, a chance to ignite the fire of evolution that has long been smoldering within us."
Nwadiebube’s tone grew more passionate, his vision crystalizing as he spoke. "The children of gods fear this religion because it embodies everything they’ve tried to suppress in humanity—our thirst for power, our hunger for progress, our drive to overcome. They see it as a threat to their control, but I see it as a catalyst. War, madness, struggle—these are the crucibles that forge greatness. Without them, we are merely existing, not living."
Nwadiebube’s voice grew colder as he continued, the bitterness in his tone impossible to miss. "My recent reckless actions, sister, were not without purpose. I pushed the boundaries deliberately, tested the limits of their so-called guardianship. I wanted to see if they truly care for us, if they would intervene to save humanity from itself when faced with the possibility of our self-destruction. But what did they do? They pulled back, retreating into their divine shadows, leaving us to our fate." 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
He shook his head, a grim smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It was a disappointment, though not entirely unexpected. Their retreat only confirmed what I’ve long suspected—that their interest in us is conditional, limited. They are willing to protect us, to guide us, but only as long as we remain within the bounds they’ve set. The moment we begin to challenge those boundaries, to push beyond the limits they’ve imposed, they withdraw. They leave us to falter, to destroy ourselves if need be, rather than risk losing their control."
His eyes bore into his sister’s, filled with a fierce resolve. "This is why I cannot trust them, why I cannot simply accept the peace they offer. It is a peace that comes with chains, with restrictions on our potential. The children of gods do not wish for us to evolve beyond them; they wish to keep us contained, manageable, docile. But that is not the future I want for our people. I want more than mere existence, more than a life lived in the shadow of beings who do not see us as equals."
Nwadiebube began to pace again, his movements sharp and restless. "Their lack of response, their unwillingness to engage, only fuels my belief that they fear what we might become if left unchecked. They know that humanity, if given the freedom to struggle, to fight, to break through the barriers of peace and comfort, could surpass them. And that terrifies them, because it would mean the end of their dominance, the end of their reign over us."
He stopped abruptly, turning to face his sister with a new intensity in his gaze. "But it also gives us an opportunity. If they are unwilling to act, then we must take action ourselves. We cannot wait for their permission or their approval. We must seize this moment, embrace the chaos that Björn’s religion brings, and use it to propel ourselves forward. Yes, it will be dangerous, and yes, it may lead to madness and destruction. But it is only through that fire that we can forge a new path, one where humanity is not bound by the will of gods but driven by its own desires, its own ambitions."
He turned to face his sister fully, his eyes burning with a mixture of determination and urgency. "Imagine, sister, what humanity could become if we embraced this path. If we allowed ourselves to be consumed by the chaos, to be pushed to our very limits. We could evolve beyond our current selves, become something greater, something that even the children of gods would have to reckon with. No longer their subjects, but their equals—or perhaps, even their superiors."
