Chapter 2178

Although Shannon and Benjamin had already suspected as much, hearing Zidane speaking of these past karmic ties still caused them to catch their breath, especially considering they had just witnessed the tragic end of Lucan and Elowen. Six thousand years had passed in the flow of time-space. Lucan sacrificed himself, and Elowen offered her divine soul as a tribute. Everything felt as if it happened just yesterday. For a moment, neither Shannon nor Benjamin spoke. Silence seeped across the River of Oblivion. When they finally looked back at Zidane, they found that he had bowed his head at some point. Shannon's eyes flickered. She still remembered the first time she met Zidane. He was proud, carefree, and idle, living freely. He never looked up to anyone, nor could she ever imagine him bowing his head like this. She wanted to tell him to lift his head, but then she felt that neither she nor Benjamin had the right to forgive anyone on behalf of Lucan and Elowen. Mordecai Nyx, the current Morvahn, couldn't bear seeing Zidane like this. His figure flickered, and he appeared before Zidane the next second. He spoke in a low voice, though his words were directed at the couple standing beside them. "Though you've sinned, the Divine Power stripped you of your title as Morvahn, sentencing you to a thousand years of reincarnation and exile. "Each life you've lived, you've carried the memories of your past selves, bearing the weight of a thousand years' worth of suffering in a mortal form. After the punishment, you exiled yourself for another five thousand years… "It's been six thousand years. The karmic debt you owed has long been repaid." The records in the underworld's Book of Merit had long erased any trace of Zidane's karmic debts, yet he insisted on tormenting himself. Though Mordecai had taken on the title of Morvahn in his stead, he, more than anyone, wished Zidane would forgive himself. It was only then that Shannon understood why Zidane, despite being human, possessed the memories of every past life. That was why he remembered the enmity between Vincent and the Ghost King from a thousand years ago, or why he deliberately appeared in Vincent's reincarnations for nine lifetimes. If Vincent had needed ten lifetimes of his care, how could he possibly let go of Lucan, who had perished soul and body because of him? Morvahn was right; Zidane had been tormenting himself. Those who remembered everything suffered a hundred times more than those who forgot it all. Six thousand years had passed, and those who died in the calamity of Celestria had already been reincarnated at least a hundred times. Even she and Benjamin were the reincarnations of Elowen and Lucan. A silent sigh passed through her heart. She gazed at Benjamin, who similarly stared at her. As their eyes locked, a tacit understanding formed in their hearts. After a pause, Shannon piped up slowly. "I can't be certain whether Lucan and Elowen would resent you for releasing those hundred thousand malice, but… what I do know is that neither of them regrets the choices they made back then." Despite their limited time together, Shannon knew Lucan would never regret destroying his own soul to protect Celestria. It was a no-brainer for Elowen as well. After all… "The wishes they held before their souls perished had all been fulfilled." The land of Crisea still stood. Lucan, in the form of the Dragon Vein, protected it for thousands of years, while Elowen waited for his reincarnation. Shannon and Benjamin were the very proof of that. "Both Lucan and Elowen have been reincarnated, and so have you, Zidane." Rather than drowning in the past, why wouldn't he look toward what lay ahead? Zidane's eyes shifted slightly. He looked up at Shannon, his gaze deep and unreadable. Then, he heard her continue, "The one truly responsible is Vlad, who was born of pure malice. If you can't let go of the past, lend your strength when the time comes to destroy him for good." As she spoke, her gaze flicked almost imperceptibly toward Mordecai. Her intention couldn't have been clearer—it was time for Zidane to put those underworld connections to use. No excuses like "The underworld doesn't interfere in mortal affairs." He was the former God of the Underworld, and using a bit of the underworld's network was only natural, wasn't it? Zidane's brows raised at her words, a trace of his old, devil-may-care charm returning to his expression. Only Mordecai remained silent, his eyes unreadable.