Annan’s heart stirred when he heard this.
He suddenly thought of the Charioteer.
It seed that the Charioteer was escorting Sisyphus when he suddenly died on the way to the Realm of Light.
If that "en route" refers to the [Gate of The Worm and Cicada]...
"—So this is how The Worm killed the Charioteer."
In an instant, Annan understood everything.
With this, it all makes sense—
The Worm, after gaining the wisdom of "Dark Annan," realized what it could truly achieve.
Indeed, The Worm transcended the tiline, using the causative force driven by a long history from the future to the past to kill the Charioteer.
But it wasn’t the newborn Worm relying on the connection of the "placenta" to attack the past from the mont of its birth. Because the Worm of that period neither had that wisdom nor that power.
Moreover, the Charioteer wouldn’t have been affected by The Worm originally.
Because gods who transcend the first history are protected by the tiline itself, as long as their ascension is complete, they can exist in the present, past, and future at the sa ti. Even if one were to kill the grandparents of a god from the past, it wouldn’t affect the god’s existence.
The Chariot has the ability to trace from the present to the future—this is what is ant by "Destiny is the track of the Chariot."
The Charioteer can easily see the future and decide which direction this world will head... because she is the one driving the war chariot.
The gods are passengers in the chariot, guessing the direction of destiny; mortals are re insects on the wheels, only realizing it was destiny after it has passed.
But this also ans that when the Charioteer used this thod to contact the future.
The Worm, in the future, having gained the wisdom and mory of "Dark Annan," also contacted the Charioteer of the past in this way.
She actually saw the end of the future.
In other words, the Charioteer, in trying to glimpse the future while ascending, saw The Worm waiting at the end this way. The Charioteer, during her ascension, couldn’t resist The Worm’s power, which is why she was killed easily by The Worm.
—Simply put, it was like the Charioteer was distracted and looked outside while driving.
And in that instant, the train collided.
From the day of Sisyphus’s ascension to the future, 186 years after Annan’s present—a distance so vast.
The Chariot and its Shadow counterpart started from two points—under the inertia of history, they sped toward collision, strongly interfered by each other’s power. Thus, The Worm "dies in the future," while the Charioteer "dies in the past."
The Worm knew the route of the Chariot from the very beginning and started from the future, 186 years from now, moving backward at full speed.
... and this tragedy indeed has sothing to do with Sisyphus.
But he was just a catalyst.
A motive born out of the divine duty of "Justice," which made the Charioteer anxious about the future.
—Because of Sisyphus, the Charioteer decided to look toward the future; because the Charioteer attempted to view the future during her ascension, she was "struck dead" by The Worm; and because of the Charioteer’s death, Annan was summoned by Lady Haoyun as the Chariot into this world; because Annan also attempted to glimpse the [Gate of The Worm and Cicada], his wisdom and mory were stolen by The Worm; and it was through this wisdom and mory that The Worm decided to make such a move, killing the Charioteer from the future.
A perfect closed loop that can only be realized with Annan’s existence...
A "grandfather paradox."
And one of The Worm’s fundantal natures is [Paradox]. Every ritual that achieves "infinity" through a paradox involves The Worm.
... Is this also a part of destiny?
"Destiny is the track of the Chariot."
Corfu looked at Annan, smiling calmly and gently: "Since you heard about His Majesty’s new ability at this mont, you beca His Majesty’s new anchor. Unless you—and you all."
Corfu, with an orchid finger gesture, pointed distantly at the players behind Annan, speaking slowly in a soft, feminine tone: "Die here with . Otherwise, His Majesty will always possess this ability.
"What does this an?
"From now on, as long as the ’Chariot’ exists, it will never be usable. Otherwise, all the ascendants will die the mont before they complete ascension... this is the ’Chariot Paradox.’
"From now on, this world is destined for destruction. Because a new Chariot has been born, yet it’s as if it hasn’t been born at all... without a new living pillar to anchor the truth, this world will gradually descend into chaos."
He slightly curved his mouth upward: "And all this, is what I have done.
"Just because I said these few words here, at this ti... that’s all."
Annan looked at Corfu with so pity.
—Corfu certainly still didn’t know.
What he said was just a footnote. It was ant to thoughtfully provide a "supplentary" explanation for Annan.
From the very beginning, it was destined that Annan must defeat The Worm.
Otherwise, no matter what, this world would be destroyed; and if Annan defeated The Worm, then this deadlock would be effortlessly broken.
Corfu was indeed a smart person, but his scope was too narrow.
He didn’t even realize... why The Worm let him try to kill himself.
Not because The Worm thought Corfu could actually kill himself.
But because The Worm predicted Corfu would say these words now, allowing Annan to [understand] the truth of "The Charioteer’s Death".
Thus Annan must journey into the future.
—This is a declaration of a duel.
Because Annan would realize... when he ascends in the "past," he would be directly struck dead by The Worm coming at full speed from the future. The future Annan saw was too shallow to have the power to resist The Worm about to collide with the Charioteer.
And running into The Worm’s future doesn’t work either.
Because that would an the Chariot and The Worm beco unrelated individuals. The Chariot can’t affect The Worm, and The Worm can’t affect the Chariot.
The Worm is desperate to kill Annan, and Annan also hopes to end The Worm’s existence.
There is only one mont to fairly duel.
That is, in the year The Worm exists.
Annan must ascend in that year, colliding with The Worm at zero distance before he starts "gaining montum".
—That is a duel to the death.
The instant the Chariot completes ascension without mastering all abilities; also when The Worm can’t use historical causality to disrupt Annan’s ascension.
Like two people holding a revolver, walking backwards on a narrow plank bridge.
... This is sothing that a "beastly" Worm would never do. Because that Worm only has the survival instinct of a beast.
But the current Worm has the personality and pride of Dark Annan.
He knows, Annan is sure to accept the challenge.
—Indeed so.
"I accept your challenge letter."
Annan squinted his eyes, speaking words Corfu could not understand.
Because he wasn’t speaking to Corfu, but was looking at The Worm of the future.
Even if the current Annan, with a mortal body... cannot see the future.
But he believed, The Worm would definitely see all this. He would receive his response.
In the depths of Annan’s pupils, a divine radiance shone.
When Annan looked at Corfu again, Corfu felt a mont of heart palpitations—if he still had a heart.
Corfu seed to see the shadow of "that His Majesty" from Annan.
Annan proclaid thus: "Then, you should also exit here."
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