Legend of the Embroiderer

Chapter 489 The Secrets of the Forgotten Library

The bronze doors of the Forgotten Library were covered with dark green vines, dotted with pale blue berries that shimmered like countless blinking eyes.

The guardian gripped the golden key in his hand, the star pattern engraved on the key's surface perfectly matching the door lock.

The moment the key touched the lock, the vines retreated rapidly as if alive, making a rustling sound, revealing the vast star map carved on the door.

That was the complete map of the observer civilization's territory, with one area smeared with dark purple ink, its shape perfectly matching the original form of the source of chaos, and traces of deliberate erasing remaining on its edges.

"You finally came."

The adult fusion body turned around, her white robe stained with dark purple stains, the edges of which were marked with black scorch marks, clearly marks left from fighting against the power of chaos.

The third Key of Destiny floated in his palm, its surface swirling with the same patterns as the library's star map, each flash causing the surrounding air to tremble.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between vigilance and relief, as if two forces were pulling at the depths of her pupils, as if a fierce struggle was taking place within her.

The Guardian's emblem suddenly became hot, the heat spreading from his skin to his heart. The remaining golden light of the Time-Space Overseer seeped from the emblem, condensing into a line of tiny characters in the air:

"She bears the mark of the Lord of Chaos; be careful."

He instinctively took a half step back, his hand resting on the badge at his waist.

The source of the Chaos Lightsaber was hidden there, capable of instantly awakening the weapon's power. The badge vibrated at his fingertips, a warning of impending danger.

The fusion entity seemed to read his mind, and with a wry smile, it opened its left hand. On the inside of its wrist was a pale purple spiral mark, surrounded by a faint golden light—the very mark of the observer's bloodline.

“I know what you’re doubting. But now, we have a common enemy. The man in black robes is after the Heart of Time. Once he gets it, all of time and space will fall into chaos.”

She pointed to the dome at the top of the library, where stained glass depicted creation myths. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow. The god representing chaos had his face deliberately erased, leaving only a blurry, dark purple shadow.

"The Heart of Time that the man in black robes is looking for is hidden in the missing page of the mythology; it is the last secret left behind by the creator god."

The moment I pushed open the library door, a musty smell of paper and ink wafted out, mixed with a faint sense of decay. The two smells intertwined to create a peculiar sense of decay.

The bookshelves inside the museum reach straight to the dome like giant pillars, and are made of starlight, with a soft glow flowing across their surfaces.

The bookshelf is filled with books woven from starlight. When the pages are turned, tiny specks of light are scattered. After landing, these specks of light transform into firefly-like creatures, hovering in the air for a moment before dissipating.

But upon closer inspection, half of the books had dark purple lines crawling across their covers. These lines, like tiny snakes, were slowly devouring the words on the pages, leaving black holes where they were swallowed.

"These are 'forgotten histories'."

The fusion entity brushed its fingertips across a book that was turning black. The instant its fingertips touched the pages, images appeared on the pages of the Observer Elders secretly researching the power of chaos—they were conducting dangerous experiments in a secret chamber, injecting the power of chaos into living beings and observing their changes. The images were filled with pain and struggle.

"The core of the library is the 'Fountain of Memory,' in which all tampered history will be revealed. It is the memory center of the observer's civilization."

But now…” She pointed to the center of the hall, where a fountain was flowing with a dark purple liquid, thick as ink and emitting a pungent, fishy smell. Black chains were wrapped around the spring, engraved with the same runes as those on the black-robed man’s stone tablet. The runes shimmered with a dark purple light, constantly drawing power from the spring.

The guardian approached the Fountain of Memory. The surface of the water was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting his face, but in the blink of an eye, it transformed into the image of a man in black robes, a sinister smile on his face, as if mocking his naiveté. "This is the Mirroring Technique of Chaos, capable of reflecting the deepest fears and desires in one's heart." The fused entity tossed a feather of light into the fountain. The feather transformed into golden flames, scorching the chains. The chains hissed and emitted black smoke, from which came painful howls. "Each feather of light can purify a portion of the chaotic power, but we need to find clues to the Heart of Time before the fountain completely turns black, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

Just as the chains were about to break, revealing the spring's original golden light, a massive crack suddenly appeared in the library's dome. A dark purple energy surged from the crack, and a young man in black robes descended riding a vortex of dark purple energy. His black robes fluttered in the energy flow like a dark banner. The hourglass in his hand was spinning in reverse, the sand grains black, falling onto the bookshelves. The star-studded books instantly turned to ash, scattering in the air, filling the air with a burnt smell. "Thank you for locating the Spring of Memory for me; it saved me a lot of trouble." He pressed the black stone slab onto the spring. The slab resonated with the chains, emitting a "hum," and the dark purple energy flowed into his body through the slab. His body swelled, and his aura became even more terrifying. "The coordinates of the Heart of Time and Space are now etched into my consciousness. Soon, I will be able to control everything!"

The fusion entity suddenly lunged at the black-robed man, its movements lightning-fast. A silver dagger, seemingly formed from pure purifying power, gleamed with a cold light as it aimed directly at the hourglass in the man's hand. "Don't even think about it!" The black-robed man dodged, his movements agile beyond his physique. The dagger sliced ​​through his sleeve, revealing the Observer's Mark on his arm—originally golden, now mostly devoured by chaotic power, its edges charred black, as if burned by flames. The Guardian seized the opportunity to draw its Chaos Lightsword. The silver-gold light of the blade clashed with the fusion entity's dagger, creating a dense, impenetrable net that forced the black-robed man back against the bookshelf. His back slammed against the shelf with a loud crash, sending books tumbling to the ground.

In the midst of the fierce battle, a burning starlight book landed at the Guardian's feet. Its pages, stubbornly turning in the flames, revealed the "Twin Prophecy": When the observer's bloodline simultaneously awakens the powers of creation and chaos, the holder will become a fulcrum of spacetime, balancing the order of the universe; or be devoured by chaos, becoming the beginning of destruction, dragging everything into the abyss. The illustrations on the pages depict two identical figures vying for a beating heart, radiating gold and silver light. The figure on the left wields a lightsaber, representing justice and protection; the figure on the right wears a black robe, symbolizing evil and destruction. Both eyes are filled with unwavering determination.

“So that’s how it is…” The guardian’s sword suddenly stopped. He looked at the mark on the black-robed man’s arm, then down at the light in his own palm. The frequencies of the two were perfectly synchronized, like two identical tuning forks resonating. The young black-robed man seized this opening and threw the hourglass at the Fountain of Memory. The moment the hourglass touched the water, the water boiled instantly, and dark purple water splashed onto the bookshelves. The sealed forbidden histories surged out like a tide, forming countless holographic images in the air.

Countless holographic images exploded within the library, revealing the concealed truth like a movie: When the first Observer sealed the Lord of Chaos, his eyes were filled with reluctance, deliberately preserving a wisp of her consciousness hidden within his bloodline; the Goddess of Fate and the Lord of Chaos were once twin sisters, inseparable, but turned against each other in the struggle for the right to create the world, with the elder sister, the Goddess of Fate, betraying her younger sister, the Lord of Chaos, to monopolize the power of creation; and the man in black robes was actually the Guardian's avatar in a parallel universe—the version of himself who failed to control the power of chaos at the crucial moment, consumed by desire, his eyes filled with pain and resentment.

"We are one!" The young man in black robes laughed wildly, his laughter echoing through the library, filled with madness and seduction. His body began to overlap with the Guardian's shadow, and their outlines gradually merged. "By accepting the power of chaos, we can become beings beyond the Creator God, and no one will be able to bind us anymore!" The Guardian felt the power of chaos within him begin to stir, like a sleeping beast being awakened. The black lines in his bloodline spread rapidly, almost devouring the golden Observer's mark, bringing a tearing pain.

The merged entity suddenly slashed its palm with a short blade, dripping blood into the Fountain of Memory. The moment the blood touched the water, it hissed. The water instantly turned golden, like a purified lake, reflecting the last hidden piece of history: the Heart of Time and Space is not a physical entity, but rather a "balancing force" latent within the observer's bloodline—a perfect fusion of the forces of creation and chaos. Only those who simultaneously control the forces of creation and chaos, and whose hearts are steadfast and unmoved by desire, can activate it. The price of activation is the sacrifice of one's own existence, transforming the body into energy, merging into the Heart of Time and Space, becoming a part of the universe.

"This is the ultimate secret." The fused body began to become transparent, like mist about to dissipate. She embedded the third feather of light into the Guardian's blade. The moment the feather merged with the blade, it emitted a dazzling light. "I am a projection of your consciousness created in the future, formed from your deepest desire for justice and protection, to remind you not to repeat the same mistakes, not to become the second man in black." The moment the feather merged with the blade, the Guardian saw a vision of the future: she held the Heart of Time and Space, standing at the center of the universe, transforming into a star in the gap between creation and chaos, her body becoming countless points of light, repairing the cracks in the universe, restoring balance, but she herself vanished forever, never to exist again.

The young man in black robes attempted to seize the lightsaber. He reached out, dark purple energy gathering in his palm to form a gigantic claw, which he lunged at. However, he was suddenly repelled by a burst of golden light, crashing heavily into a bookshelf. The bookshelf collapsed, scattering countless books upon him. He watched as the hourglass completely turned into dark purple powder, scattering in the wind, and let out a desperate roar: "No! I am the only ruler! I will not fail!" His body began to disintegrate, transforming into countless dark purple specks of light. Among them, a wisp of golden light struggled to fly towards the Guardian's emblem—the residual purifying power of another version of himself from a parallel universe, representing the conscience that had not yet been extinguished deep within his heart.

When all was calm, the Fountain of Memory flowed with pure golden liquid, so clear that the sand and stones at the bottom could be seen. The coordinates of the next Key of Destiny appeared on the surface—"The Realm of Nothingness"—the coordinates shimmering faintly, as if calling to him. The fused form was about to dissipate; she gave the Guardian one last look, her eyes filled with relief and anticipation: "Remember, the right to choose is always in your hands. Whatever choice you make, stick to your heart."

The Guardian gripped his lightsaber tightly, the three feathers on the blade illuminating simultaneously. Their light intertwined, forming a powerful energy flow that spread from his arm throughout his body, bringing a warm yet potent strength. He turned and walked towards the spatial rift deep within the library, a rift radiating a grey light—the entrance to the Void Realm. He failed to notice the bottom of the Fountain of Memory, where half a black stone slab lay submerged. The runes on the slab were slowly reforming, like an awakening incantation, eerily resonating with the golden light within his emblem. Each resonance caused the runes on the slab to glow brighter. At the other end of the rift, beneath the grey sky of the Void Realm, twelve Observer statues knelt in orderly worship, their expressions solemn yet unsettling. On the altar before them lay a white robe identical to the Guardian's, emanating a faint aura of chaos, as if awaiting its master.