Episode 291
“…I am helpless.”
The special capsule research lab in the basement of Mirai Tech.
CEO Yoshiko, standing outside the capsule, let out a sigh.
She thought she had gotten used to it by now, but the things she could do as an assistant were far too limited.
“I feel the same way.”
Lee Min-ho also nodded, gazing at Hanbit lying inside the capsule.
From the day he accidentally became a senior officer until now, the influence he had received from that younger brother had been significant.
And ever since hearing the story related to the Goddess, every day had been nothing but surreal events.
Being connected to the major corporation Nio Group and standing here now was also something he could never have imagined without Hanbit.
However, now, there was nothing he could do for Hanbit, who had been thrown into an unknown situation.
“This is an anomaly far beyond our control. We cannot view the internal screen, but let’s do our best to respond to the monitoring changes.”
Assistant Ryujo did not take his eyes off the several monitors placed next to the capsule.
Reactions to events experienced within the game were designed to be visible in the physical body in reality, specifically through brainwaves.
It wasn't a typical connection situation, but it was practically the only way to obtain at least some minimal information right now.
If anything changed, they had to somehow come up with a meaningful interpretation.
“At least the notice has been posted.”
Lee Min-ho, who had accessed the Record Project homepage via his smartphone, discovered the game company’s announcement.
<Notice of Connection Anomalies>
Hello. This is Record Project.
We are currently experiencing an issue where it is impossible to access the game through any type of Gear.
We are in the process of identifying the cause and will do our best to restore service as quickly as possible.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
“It’s just the usual stuff.”
Lee Min-ho sighed at the notice, which was utterly bland and concise.
It was because even reading the announcement did not relieve his frustration in the slightest.
“It’s something that cannot be explained to the players. Perhaps they didn’t properly grasp it in the first place.”
Yoshiko said, looking at her smartphone after checking the content.
There had been no further contact from Team Zero, who had asked Hanbit for help.
It was difficult to tell whether they were there to support the Black Dragon who had entered the game, or if they were finding a solution using their own methods.
“The RP world and the Gear are created based on divine power. An anomaly occurring in such elements is beyond the realm of humans.”
Ryujo, still fixated on the monitor, broke the silence.
Checking the connection point with his hand, he continued slowly.
“Team Zero and the RP allies are strictly in a managerial role. Since their authority is strictly limited by the covenant of the gods, they likely weren't granted the ability to handle variables like this. Besides, the Soul Vessels themselves wouldn't have been suitable for them in the first place.”
“Then are you saying even the goddesses didn't foresee this situation?”
Lee Min-ho asked, looking puzzled. It
was a somewhat distant matter to him, but regardless, it was strange that a being called a god couldn't have anticipated such a serious problem.
“No, I believe they did foresee it. However, they likely entrusted the role of dealing with that variable to Lord Black Dragon. As for the Goddess of Turmoil, Sirius probably received that role.”
“…You mean they entrusted a role?”
“RP is akin to a war of the gods. Since such fatal variables can inflict immense damage on both sides, wouldn’t it be appropriate to entrust this to beings capable of acting in any situation? After all, Lord Black Dragon is someone who endured unscathed even in that Sea of Souls.”
Ryujo calmly explained his thoughts with near-certainty.
Meanwhile, a change occurred on the monitor.
*Pop!*
A dynamic flow emerged from the previously calm brainwave graph.
It was a pattern typically seen during intense battles.
“Could this be…”
“…It looks like the battle has begun.”
Lee Min-ho and Yoshiko also realized the situation.
However, merely realizing that fact only amplified their sense of helplessness and frustration.
“This… something is not right.”
Ryujo’s expression darkened as he scanned the monitors.
It was not just a simple battle; he saw significant emotional turmoil.
“He has never been shaken this much before…”
Lee Min-ho, who had personally examined Hanbit’s data, also sensed something amiss.
What on earth was happening inside?
Although he trusted him, an invisible sense of unease swept over him.
“Let’s check one more time to see if any collaborators have taken the information.”
Yoshiko entered a small booth set up on one side.
It appeared to be a facility for collaborators to contact each other.
After a short while, she came out.
“They say the gear companies on the Holy Body Faction haven’t properly grasped the situation either. They are reportedly desperate to find even the smallest piece of information.”
“They likely have less information than we do. Ultimately, this battle will be what matters, though.”
Ryujo nodded and focused on the monitor.
Although they had the upper hand in terms of information disparity, they could not predict the outcome of the internal battle.
It was highly likely that they were fighting the Holy Body Faction, particularly Sirius.
Snap—
just then, the fluctuating graph suddenly dropped coldly.
This was the pattern that appeared when a character lost consciousness or met their death.
“…….”
The three people stared at the monitor, their mouths shut as they waited for the next development.
They tried hard to ignore the worst-case scenarios that naturally came to mind.
It was a hope for the possibility of a positive change.
But.
BEEEEEE—!
That expectation manifested in a completely different direction.
“What…!”
Along with a sudden warning sound, the screen turned red.
The three of them approached simultaneously and examined the monitor.
Their gaze landed on a single line of warning text.
[User Unidentified]
***
Whoosh—
An island somewhere in a sea mingled with complex colors.
Standing atop the black tower at its center, Hanbit lightly clenched and unclenched his fist.
“…I did make it.”
“The Witch of Sorrow was an alien being. If it had been the real thing rather than just a lingering scent, Sirius would have been neutralized in an instant. That is the extent of her power.”
The man standing beside him spoke calmly.
The Sage of the Age who had saved him and brought him here.
Even thinking about it again, it felt all too sudden.
“How should I accept this situation?”
Hanbit turned his head and asked the Sage.
Because he had never met him in 55 cycles, he knew nothing of his personality or characteristics.
However, based on the fact that he was Ibella’s mentor and the scene where he conversed with Serenia, his thoughts had leaned toward the idea that he was not an enemy.
“There is no need to be wary. I am someone who wishes for Lady Serenia to rule the world.”
The Sage, gazing at the sea, spoke his inner thoughts calmly.
Then, turning his gaze away, he moved his staff slightly.
“Sit down.”
Whoosh—
a wooden chair had appeared at the top of the tower before he knew it.
The moment he realized it, Hanbit was already sitting down.
“…It doesn’t feel like magic.”
“You don’t need to worry about it. In this space, you merely become a being that imitates a god.”
“……?”
It was a statement too shocking to simply brush off.
However, the Sage continued without giving him a moment to pause.
“I watched the 55 lives you repeated with great admiration. I understood why Lady Serenia chose you.”
“…Are you saying you witnessed all of that?”
“As I said, in this space, you become a being that imitates a god. Escaping the line of time is not that difficult. From the very first moment to the present, I have always been the Sage of the Ages.”
“No……”
Hanbit was genuinely surprised.
He had always thought that only the Goddess had watched that hellish ordeal.
But to think that there was someone else who had witnessed it as well.
He felt a complex mix of emotions rising up like bubbles.
“This chaotic situation, resulting from a chance collision of souls, was also something you were able to handle thanks to the experience you painstakingly accumulated. You are quite different from Sirius, who was acting on orders from Barcasia.”
“…You are aware of that, too. Do you happen to have any other information?”
“It is the result of your memories flowing in as you moved into this space. Since Barcasia has thoroughly concealed information, there was nothing else I could know even in that world.”
The Sage shook his head, dismissing the expectation.
Surely, a being of god-like stature would not carelessly leak information.
It struck me anew just how extraordinary what Hanbit had witnessed was.
“I am not sure about handling a chaotic situation. After all, you were defeated by Sirius.”
“You did not just face the monster from another dimension. Thousands of souls he swallowed—no, perhaps tens of thousands or more—along with him. The deaths you witnessed in the sea were merely a tiny fraction. He did not even die from that attack that obliterated space.”
There was no hint of comfort in the Sage’s voice.
It merely served to reveal just how alien a being Sirius was.
“If he continues to consume souls, we will have no choice but to deal with him as quickly as possible.”
“You and your comrades cannot defeat Sirius’s Holy Faction in your current state. He must be the one to whom Barcasia has invested the most divine power. Soul consumption is a power that defies common sense. In other words, it provides a justification significant enough for me to intervene against you.”
“…Are you saying that the consumed souls will be replenished immediately? If that many players die, wouldn’t that cause a huge problem in reality as well?”
“This anomaly will change many things. Sirius, feeling threatened that he might return to the Otherworld, will also stop at nothing. Especially since there is no confirmation that soul consumption applies only to players.”
“…….”
The chilling possibility heard at the end.
This Record Project was, too, a distinct world constructed by the power of the gods.
What would happen if Sirius were able to consume the souls existing here?
The result was difficult to even imagine.
“Can’t you help?”
“I will help with all my heart and soul. However, the magical power you perceive me to have clear limits. In other words, killing enemies is not my role.”
Swoosh—
The Sage slowly raised his hand and reached out toward Hanbit.
At that moment.
Whoosh—
With a sensation of being sucked inside, something was grasped in the Sage’s hand.
“That is…….”
“It is the Dragon Crest.”
The Dragon Crest, forcibly taken from Hanbit’s inventory.
It was a mysterious object obtained from the Fortune Box of Fate.
“I will devote my power to aiding your awakening. Most of the power Lady Serenia lent me will likely vanish.”
“…Awakening?”
“Yes.”
The Sage, who had been quietly gazing down at the sentence, caressed the gleaming metal plate.
Then, he raised his head and looked at Hanbit.
“First, let me tell you who you are.”
