The Greatest Sin is Weakness
Chapter Four: Betrayal and Escape
Almost two seconds after I pressed "Yes" on the prestige within my soul, the memory entered my brain.
During the memory, I saw time in the universe rapidly regress. I watched the gods creating their myths—Poseidon ruling the seas, Zeus the skies, and Hades the underworld. I watched even them dissipate into nothingness.
Early humans preceded them, living in a technologically advanced society. Then, more primitive humans, pretty much monkeys really, hunting briefly before the scene shifted again. I watched the world being created, Roathia forming over millions of years under the guidance of the first superior divine being... a forgotten one.
I couldn't view his face directly, but I saw a faint smile on his lips and a crown of thorns on his head. When I looked at him, it felt as if he was a mixture of multiple beings in one. He extended his hand, urging me to join him.
I refused.
It wasn't yet time for me to go. Despite suffering for millions of years, I wanted out of this horrible cycle. I wanted to live.
Knowing that when I died, I would truly be dead.
Even though I rejected him, his smile remained—as if to say I was welcome whenever I wanted to come.
Time continued to flow backward, but he didn't disappear. He lingered for hours, though with time being relative, it must've been an unimaginably long span of time.
Then it happened.
I noticed a crack on his body. More followed, spreading like shattered glass. His expression tensed for a brief moment… then softened again into that same, all-loving smile. He snapped—then dissipated into nothingness.
Time flowed further back until there was only a large, black expanse of nothing.
Then I saw them. My six companions.
Though their faces remained obscured, I recognized their silhouettes. After all, I had been with them for millions of years. Recognizing the power flowing out of them, I realized that they somehow bore superior divine names at the minimum.
How could they have been here at the start of the universe?
What did this mean for me?
They began to speak. I only caught fragments of their conversation:
"Escape… Impossible… Eternal… Entrapment… Suffering… Deserved…"
What.
My mind started racing at a million miles per second. I couldn't process what this meant for me.
Calming down a little, I thought more about it.
They forced me into this?
My six companions... betrayed me?
They forced me into this eternal cycle of suffering?
I felt sick to my spiritual stomach. But hatred and the desire for revenge far outweighed my sorrow and disgust.
It was time.
Time for me to leave this cycle. This prison.
Yet… no matter how much I wanted to go, I felt an unnatural attachment to this realm, far beyond the attachment of spending millions of years suffering. There was something more here. Something I couldn't yet grasp.
The memory ended abruptly, but the truth had already been revealed.
***
Since I was still within my soul sea, I didn't need to do anything to interact with the prestige. I called upon it to bring up my list of owned names. I noticed a few new additions but didn't pay them much attention—after all, I was going to lose them.
Except two stood out.
[Non-Tiered Item: Forgotten Weapon](Currently Common Tier — Upgradable; Requirement: 10 Outer Soul Fragments)
Broken Coreless Chaos Sword of the Forgotten Shadow God
Description:
One of three fragments of the Forgotten Shadow God's most favored sword, Nola.
Greatly boosts mental capacity and physical limitations.
Greatly diminishes the status one can unleash.
Soul-bound until death. No other weapons may be wielded while bonded to Nola.
Sealed upon the user's death.
The Juvenile Fairy Queen, Nephim, currently resides within the sword and may be called upon for support during sword use.
This is a Legacy Weapon.
[4] Evolvable Attributes (Current Level → Next):
Weapon Perception: 1 → 2 (Requires 10 Outer Soul Fragments)
Weapon Metamorphosis: 1 → 2 (Requires 10 Outer Soul Fragments)
Shadow Likeness: 1 → 2 (Requires 100 Outer Soul Fragments)
Spirit Manifestation: 1 → 2 (Requires 1 Core Soul Fragment)
***
[■■■■■■■■■■ Tiered Blessing]
Description:
Blessing bestowed by the Forgotten God of ■■■■■.
Temporarily summons the god of ■■■■■ to protect the user.
Single use.
(Can be reused by attaining 1,000,000 Core Soul Fragments.)
The second I read the inscriptions on the dimly lit obelisk, my previously dark eyes shone with joy. This—this was the greatest gift I could've received.
The beautiful sword was all mine now—and soul-bound, meaning my Forgotten-Tier name, Oblivion, wouldn't erase it.
What truly shocked me was the fairy queen—Nephim, a juvenile Fairy Queen, trapped inside the sword.
Fairies were a secluded, human-like race. They mostly lived near the world tree, Yggdrasil. Though the tree had long withered after the great collapse, fairies remained due to the residual life energy there.
But no fairies had been seen on Roathia for over a hundred years.
Even across my many cycles, I encountered them only a handful of times.
A juvenile Fairy Queen was at least Tier Six: Asura Rank.
I wasn't sure yet how that would affect the sword's power, as she was sealed within it, but I filed it away in the back of my mind.
I turned to the second item. A blessing. I'd never heard of such a thing—neither in this world nor the other dimension.
Even worse, the name of the god who granted it was scratched out. The legible portion caused me immense mental pain, despite my superior divine tier name currently being active.
When had I received this?
And… from where?
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember how I obtained the blessing.
It wasn't time to read it yet.
***
A long time passed…
After what felt like an eternity of deliberation, I realized it was necessary.
I had to invoke the true name of Oblivion, then a portion of the name of Fate, in order to preserve my combat technique and desire for revenge. The strength of an invoked forgotten name was likely enough to overwhelm this cycle's capacity.
I had already prepared for this.
Forgotten names were different, as the prestige had explained. They required a spoken invocation.
Names below the legendary tier needed to be said aloud to channel their full power. Legendary and above only needed to be thought of. Epic and below needed vocalization—as words were used as a medium for the user's will to be exerted upon the world.
And so I spoke.
"In the name of Divine Starless of Gluttony, I invoke the name: Oblivion!"
The second I invoked it, my memories began to fade. The millions of years of suffering washed away, like an ocean tide erasing footprints in the sand.
My power drained rapidly.
The Lord's Resurrection—gone.
As if resisting, the Lord's Resurrection clung on a while longer… but then, it too faded.
All inherited Inferior Divine and Mythical names—gone.
Only the quiet echo of strength remained, serving as a cruel reminder of what I had.
***
Prestige Notification:
User has chosen to invoke a portion of the name of Fate to engrave:
One Full Combat Technique
One Singular Desire
Current Technique: Unnamed
Grant technique a name?
→ Yes
Entered name: Swords of Ruin
Confirm?
→ Yes
Engraved Desire: Revenge
Confirm?
→ Yes
User must now invoke a portion of the true name of Fate.
***
Before my memories could fully disappear, the process halted—just long enough for me to speak the words.
"In the name of Divine Starless of Gluttony, I invoke a portion of the name of Fate: S■■■■■■■!"
Before the word even left my mouth, I collapsed, violently convulsing.
The soul sea shook. My soul trembled.
I had died countless times—but this pain… this pain was beyond anything I had ever known.
I blacked out, retreating into the inner sanctum of my now-strengthened soul.
***
Prestige Notification:
User has invoked a portion of the true name of Fate.
Granted Privileges
Additionally,
Permanently bound to soul: The Broken Mask of the Forgotten God, Oblivion
User's strength has exceeded the realm's capacity.
Forcefully ejecting.
User has exited the Eternal Cycle: "Singular Fragment of Oblivion's Realm."
***
Outside the Universe…
In the vast nothingness beyond the stars, a cloaked man stood. He bore a slight resemblance to Starless—long dark hair, a youthful face, lean and sharp.
He gazed at the universe with deep, solemn eyes.
Then, he turned away, space warping around him, and vanished.