Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 38: Reese and Rabe 5 of 5 (Part 02)

Like a speck of ripples on a calm water surface, everything changes and Odo is no longer in the coastal area. It was a place surrounded by moist black rocks, in all four directions. On the ceiling of the place were the crystals of light, while the surface that was stepped all over was an iron plate. The buildings are made around made of iron and there are a lot of metal pipes that fizz out gas, connecting one building with another.

The colourful place is an underground colony town, a place with glowing crystals in place of the sun. Looking right and left, the existing place was completely different from the medieval civilization. Everything looks more advanced despite having classical architecture, has technology and mechanics that Odo does not know.

Standing in the middle of a market, Odo Luke is surrounded by human and Demi-human traffic that looks a little transparent like a hologram. It didn't take him much time to understand that everything he saw now was a fragment of his memory being captured.

“This place ..?” Odo immediately woke up, wiped his tears and scanned the surroundings.

““One of the Colony Cities Biological Type, a place that should mean a lot to Ayahanda.””

The voice that seemed to echo was heard, but the source could not be seen anywhere because it was sourced from within Odo's own head.

“Odrania, what ... is this basic dimension? Or what?”

““This place is on a planet that used to be called earth, underground from a continent that was once snowy but now a desert due to a great war between entities.””

The thread of information that had been tangled to each other in the head immediately decomposed clearly. Odrania's answer really made Odo begin to understand the true meaning of the destruction of the world before World Reconstruction. Looking around, the young man again observed and understood why the humans could live underground.

“What .... surface is no longer habitable?”

““Iya .... Radiation and air on the surface are already a real taboo for the human race in this world. Since the sky had been taken by them, Father and all of them had no choice but to enter into the ground like this.””

Odo was about to step foot. But when he just lifted his right foot and was about to stand back, he moved again and now is in a desert place with limited visibility. Heavy sandstorms, dense air and make the body feel burning. Although the effect is not visible on Odo's body, but the pain in the lungs when breathing polluted air is clear. A face of pain was seen on him, holding his chest and staring sadly.

““This is the surface, the place of abstinence that nature has created. Humans cannot survive here, the surface has turned into a living field for them new creatures.””

Right in front of Odo, a monstrous four-legged monster stood up. The monster looked like a lion— as tall as four meters, had a large crescent tail curved like a purple moon and golden-colored metal claws. The fangs are shiny black, the thick orange fur without a pattern looks thick and strong like a protective armor.

The monster did not look towards Odo, just walked by and left with the others. Such a monster was not just one or two, the group of more than dozens moved in groups towards the west.

Not only monsters like lions, but giraffes, gorillas, goats, rhinos, and various other mutated animals walk like these mutated monsters are rulers on land. Although different types, they do not attack each other and only breathe polluted air and radiation in the air as a source of energy.

Being the center as well as the Mother of them, a twenty-meter tall Giraffe walking in the center of the troupe— guarded by her motley children. Odo could only gape, unable to immediately believe that the earth he knew to be such a place.

““They are Mits, the growing life endowed this place full of radiation.””

“Growing in place of radiation?”

“Hmm, they can only live in a place like this .... Man, do you know what magic really is?”

Odo momentarily looked away, then hesitantly replied, “How to Manipulate Mana?”

““Then, what world did Ayahanda know first it has Mana?””

“Understanding Mana is the power of life. Then, logically there should be ...”

““However things like magic remained considered superstitions in the world before Reconstruction .... It was precisely, from the beginning of magic, miracles, blessings, miracles, such words were identical to describe events or phenomena that could not be explained with common sense. When magic is revealed deeper, it will cease to be magic and only become a knowledge ..., in other words technology.””

“Hmm?”

Odo began to set foot, following the monsters moving westward. The surface that was stepped on was fine sand, full of heat and as if burning feet even though it could not hurt Odo—'s body only his senses could feel, but his body was not.

““Ayahanda, have you ever heard a phrase like this? It used to be that people couldn't even imagine being able to talk to other people without meeting. In the 18th century, the telephone was invented. A little forward, during the first world war no one thought that later there would be a media that could send pictures or even videos easily, but a few hundred years later the internet was invented which could even ignore the concept of time and distance. So, does Ayahanda find it impossible for humans to make everything that is considered only limited to imagination and superstition come true?””

“If there is time .. maybe it can. But ...”

““The time that each human being has is not that much, the result of the development of existing technology is the result of millions of people who have tried it .... Back to the initial discussion, magic, or something that Father called magic what exactly?””

“A ..., don't tell me it's technology? A kind of radiation used for charge mutations?”

““Hmm, true but imprecise. Magic is a method of using Unfar—a particle of radiation now called Mana and fused its properties with Ether. It fills the entire world now, affecting living beings and making them able to use it with a method called Unmoc which is now called magic.””

“Radiation, yes ...”

Odo's footsteps stopped for a moment. Thinking for a moment, he stepped back while looking at the various giant monsters that walked west. Their mothers began to emerge behind the sandstorm, averaging 20 meters to 50 meters and surrounded by hundreds of monsters measuring about 4 meters to 12 meters.

““Trapped?””

“Not really. In hindsight, Mana's nature is like radiation because it fundamentally changes living things. The DNA map changes little by little and it affects the physical shape. But, isn't the mutation supposed to deviate from the initial form? Where is radiation, why do humans maintain their human form?”

““Man who is in the world after Reconstruction can already survive in the middle of radiation. Even after World Reconstruction, the world was still filled with the radiation-like Unfar that had become a kind of oxygen. Thanks to the Mother's intervention in the Single element. Elements that are supposed to change gradually and occur naturally begin to change. Awalokiteswara, if it is likened Mother might be called like that. Giving a favor to living beings who will be created after the destruction.””

“The goddess did such a thing, yes .... Hmm, it's obvious that he dared to say that the world is his.”

“True, this world basically exists because it was built by him. Although the source of energy is not from him, but with real Mother who built this world. From that, he made several changes to the genetic map of living things that will appear, and then the birth of creatures that can survive in the middle of radiation. They are taken from human genetics, human-shaped and some also have elements of other animals or creatures in the body. That is the reason why all intelligent entities in this world always have human-like body shapes.”

Odo looked to the right and left. Trying to hold onto the giant Mother Monster, his hand redeemed the monster's body and was completely unable to make physical contact. Sighing slightly, he said, “Ah, Demi-human in the district earlier ..., was the Demi-human already created before World Reconstruction?”

““More or less like that .... However, unlike now, it was still classed simply. Pure Human and Hybrid— is a simple division between humans with pure and mixed genetics.””

“If there's been such a thing, shouldn't they have been able to survive on the surface?”

““Stay cannot.””

“What because of the mutation monsters?” Odo again walked westward, along with the giant monsters who did not think it existed.

““It was also one of the reasons.... But, the fact that the density of the radiation is getting higher makes them completely unable to rise. Although increasing resilience at any speed by genetic manipulation, things like gardening and making settlements on the surface are just dreams. More ..... above there ...””

Odo. Right in the sky covered with clouds of dust, floated a gigantic disc surrounded by giant creatures with four pairs of affection on their backs. Carrying golden spears, the giant angel-like figures flew around the giant disk like the thrones of the Gods.

“It ..., what is the Eternal Enemy you called before?”

“Eh?” Odo.

“This world has a very complex concept of parallel world. But as the world shrinks and energy stops coming out of the Point of Beginnings, the entities of the most advanced worlds venture into other Parallels in search of new places after their worlds are destroyed. They ... are self-confessed figures of gods, figures who spread belief, knowledge, develop and control civilization.”

“Eh? I don't remember anything like that, you know! Is my world ruled by aliens?! Hmm, if parallel means from earth entity in other world, yes—Ah! That's not the point! Why can my world be like this?!”

Odo snapped at himself without anyone around him, if anyone saw him it would be considered insane.

““It was taken from Ayahanda. If Ayahanda remembers it, now Daddy will directly attack the sky at any cost, like the old Ayahanda attacked those figures who monopolize the world with knowledge.””

The young man in black hair fell silent with a puzzled face and said, “I ... attacked? Why?”

“Dad has a strong tendency towards your own ideology and beliefs. As the world becomes chaotic due to the galaxy from which the solar system is drawn the black hole, those in the sky reveal their identity and the world is split into two forces. Sky and opponents, father is still on the challenger side ..”

“Eh? Me?”

““Ya, a misunderstanding ... being born of a trust drunk person who was forcibly awakened made a mess. Those who love trust too much do not want to believe what is faced and the facts. A belief is indeed a very strong opium to control people, but when realized they will be brutal and assume the conscious is infidel and wrong.””

“Uwah, indeed, indeed.” Odo momentarily fell silent, recalling the cases he remembered in his previous life. It was obvious, a misunderstanding and racist nature made people tend to be brutal. They consider themselves to be the truest, without tolerance and influencing others like a pandemic.

Slightly bowing his face, the young man said, “Such a case often exists .... It was a kind of Dunning Kruger— effect bias effect when one did not have the ability to comprehend its own limitations. Because it appears a kind of illusory superiority and feels great than the person who actually knows better than him.”

““Hmm, that sort .... Man, I just found out it ...””

“Did I also eat that effect?”

“I don't think ...”

““Eh? Then why am I fighting the sky?””

“Daddy has more confidence of its own .... Whether or not what and how, Father knows that the absolute is the Starting Point or can be called the Beginning and is the first entity that appears in the middle of void.”

“Wait! I don't know about that!” Odo was shocked to hear this and stopped his footsteps.

““The connection was taken .... I told you earlier, if you know for sure now Father will attack the sky and attract the arrogant creatures who sit on the throne of Heaven.””

“Why can ...”

““Why can I know about that supreme entity?””

“Hmm ...”

““That no one knows, not even Mother knows why Father could reach that reality. However ... in the Note that Father once read in this memory, it also never happened—an Individual will stand reversing false power before the world ends.””

Odo was completely speechless, staring straight at the monsters that had started to leave him and continued walking west. Sighing lightly, he said, “From your way of speaking it ..., it feels like I'm ending the world ..”

“The world ends itself like the rain that will subside. However, how it ends is the act of Ayahanda.”

“What did I do?”

““I don't know .... The memory of that is not on us. However, we know that this world can exist because of what Father left behind. Although the one who forms this layered and cyclic world is the Mother who uses the Beginning that has just appeared, but who leaves the way is Ayahanda.””

Odo squinted, his mind moving quickly without the help of Auto Senses. What Odrania said was clearly captured and made the young man realize he was bound more intricately to the problem than he thought. Like the thick chains that once bound his body, all the obligations that must be done cross Odo's head.

“Keep, now what do you want from me? Do you want me to do something about that thing I've forgotten? Korwa also had time to ask me that kind of thing ..”.

““Not exist, we do not want Ayahanda bound by obligation anymore.””

“When you tell me this, it is my duty.”

““...”” Odrania was completely silent, not answering and only silence was in Odo's head.

“What ... does it now do? I mean ..., the creature you call Mother.”

““Mother ..., she is now the center of the world. Dad ..., this may sound selfish, but may we ask something of you? Please ..., just listen it's okay .... Please listen to our plea, children who always miss you and are affected by your memory.””

“Town, say ...”

““Please release Mother from her obligations as Pemb—””

A black spear suddenly pierced through Odo's chest from behind. It was painful, but the impact of the spear thrust was centered on Odrania's awareness of Odo. Looking back, the female-shaped black shadow figure stood there and held a spear that pierced Odo's chest.

“So, yes .... You, some kind of system to prevent me from knowing,” said Odo.

The black shadow was startled, immediately plucking his weapon from Odo's body and leaping away. Resisting the pain that could only be felt with his senses and his body unaffected, Odo turned around and stared at the black shadow figure with a cold glare.

A moment of silence, Odrania's voice did not come back and Odo confirmed that the Demon King's consciousness was disturbed by the stab. Sighing deeply, Odo pointed towards the black figure and said, “Imitation, you're an imitation of him, aren't you? You stuck to me ..., preventing me from knowing! The only problem here is one, I don't need who you are! Just what is your purpose in doing this?!”

The black figure was silent. Turning his spear into a giant scythe, he simply did not strike again or enter Odo's body like the last time the figure appeared. But when Odrania's consciousness returned, as if getting a shadow signal moved quickly and immediately beheaded Odo. His head was severed and floated in the air, completely cut neatly on the neck.

““Please ... save that woman .... He was just a shy person, not daring to meet Dad directly and just observing from a distance. It's sad if everything ends without a bright spot, especially after what he did for you, —!””

The voice that was heard from Odrania was actually conveyed to Odo, echoing in his head and clearly understood what the meaning behind it was. The one word that did not finish coming out of it was not the calling of the parents, but rather the real name of the Individual now known as Odo Luke.

Before his consciousness completely disappeared, Odo Luke in his mind replied, “Alright ...”