Chapter 289 *
Swoosh*—
A hazy sensation settled into his consciousness along with a faint message.
Before he knew it, the White Temple had appeared before Hanbit's eyes.
"The beast-like form has vanished."
Just then, a mysterious voice rang out from above.
Atop a staircase so high that one had to crane their neck to reach
it, a woman in a pure white dress sat with her legs crossed on a black throne.
"Yes. It is thanks to the grace bestowed upon me by Lady Barcasia. Thank you for sharing the power of turmoil."
A man knelt on the floor, his head bowed.
It was unmistakably Sirius's face.
"Originally, this was a power that would have torn a soul apart. A monster is certainly a monster."
The woman called Barcasia appeared to be the Goddess of Turmoil.
Her aura was distinctly different from that of Serenia, the Goddess of Silence.
However, her appearance itself felt somewhat similar.
"Isn't this a task that cannot be entrusted to ordinary humans? If it were me, I could defeat all the followers of the Goddess of Silence and spread destruction and chaos across the world."
“Yes, it is a task one might entrust to a monster from another dimension. However, the human species does not exist within a mold. They are strange creatures who sometimes display power beyond their means. You, too, might face a harsh defeat someday.”
Barcasia spoke with a smirk.
To her, even this conversation was a small source of amusement.
“I will not lose to a human.”
“You must. If you were to lose, you would revert back to being a monster driven only by hunger.”
Rising to her feet, Barcasia leisurely flew down the stairs.
As she drew closer, Sirius’s kneeling body began to tremble.
*Swoosh*
—Barcasia landed at his head and slowly bent over.
Then, raising her finger, she spoke.
“Humans are a breeding ground for variables. Serenia, too, knew this, and it seems she had captured one of them.”
“Ugh…!”
Every time Barcasia’s mysterious voice rang out, Sirius let out a pained groan.
This was because his appearance was gradually changing in a strange way.
“That is why I took the card that is you. Even Serenia would not have anticipated a variable like this monster from another dimension. Wouldn’t I be the only one capable of taking in a monster that wandered the other dimension seeking to satisfy its insatiable appetite?”
“That… is correct.”
Sirius’s body, which had been writhing like clay, had inadvertently transformed into a pitch-black, grotesque monster. His
once human-like voice now sounded like the grotesque cry of a beast.
“The power bestowed upon you is the feeding of souls. The monster that used to devour anything will now crave only human souls. That will make you stronger than anyone else.”
“Thank… you.”
Covering his writhing body with both hands, he bowed even lower to express his gratitude.
Barcasia, who had been looking down at him, withdrew her outstretched hand.
At that instant, Sirius’s body returned to its original state.
“If you find Erfort and present the world to me, you will reign as the King of Humanity. However, if you are defeated by those who are complacent in Serenia’s peace, your body will be cast into another dimension, harboring an even greater hunger.”
“I will certainly win.”
“That is the case. Since my divine power has been infused into you, defeat is unacceptable.”
Barcasia slowly leaned back.
A chair that had appeared out of nowhere naturally enveloped her body.
“For that reason, I have installed various mechanisms within the game known as the ‘Record Project,’ which will begin on Earth. It is structured so that even if I fall asleep, traces of my consciousness will deliver oracles. However, this is not the result of foreseeing a perfect future.”
“Is there a future that you, Lady Barcasia, cannot see?”
“Although weakened by being steeped in peace, Serenia is undeniably a god. Seeing how parts of the depicted future are hazy, it must be the result of her intervention.”
Barcasia’s expression was serious.
I had imagined her to be filled with boundless arrogance, but she seemed more wary of Serenia than I had anticipated.
“The duty of you and my henchmen is not merely to follow the oracle. It is to gracefully deal with variables that may appear at any moment and seize victory. To this end, overwhelming power is required.”
“Yes. I will seize as many human souls as possible and ascend to overwhelming superiority.”
Sirius expressed his resolve in a firm voice.
Barcasia, who had been silently looking down at him, lightly raised her hand.
“Information regarding the power granted to you must not leak out. If Serenia catches on, unexpected events could unfold.”
Swoosh—
along with her voice, hundreds of beams of light appeared in the air.
They began to sweep across the sky at high speed.
“This light is…”
Sirius raised his head and looked up at the moving light.
The streaks of light, traversing here and there, had formed a shape resembling a galaxy in the universe.
“Humans entering the Record Project move through the medium of a soul. And a separate space is created to gather all souls. That is the place called the Sea of Souls.”
“…If I enter there and consume souls, can I hasten the time of victory?”
“Discard your beastly mindset. This place cannot be entered with a mortal body and soul. And do not forget that finding Erfort is the condition for victory.”
“I will bear that in mind.”
Sirius lowered his posture even further at the voice of the god dismissing his vain hopes.
Barcasia looked up at the light in the sky and spoke.
“I hate to admit it, but this Sea of Souls possesses a nature of profound stillness. Serenia might find a way to cast the Seed into the sea. Perhaps then, you will realize the power bestowed upon you.”
The space precisely called the Sea of Souls.
Barcasia had anticipated that change long ago.
Sirius, who had been keeping his stance low, cautiously raised a question.
“How would you know that such a situation has arrived?”
“There will be a problem in the process connecting the Record Project and reality. You, being no ordinary player, will naturally realize it. After all, you are likely the only player in this world capable of moving.”
Swoosh—
As Barcasia withdrew her hand, the light vanished from the sky.
With her gaze lowered haughtily, she spoke to the monster from the other dimension.
“When that time comes, go to Edlen in the Raven Kingdom. And kill every life there.”
***
Swoosh—
As the flashback ended, a dizzying sensation surged through his mind.
Hanbit, who had been staggering, barely managed to regain his balance and stand upright.
“…Edlen. I must go to Edlen first.”
For reasons unknown, the Goddess of Turmoil had ordered an attack on Edlen.
And with Sirius’s power now, there was more than enough to obliterate the city.
Ding—
Just then, a message arrived along with an alarm.
The sender was Team Zero.
"■ Zero"
"Unable to enter the game. Monitoring Sirius's ■■■ detected. ■■■ to Edlen… …" "
…Is the system down, too?"
Even Team Zero, the developer, was unable to cope with this bizarre situation.
If even simple messages were not displaying properly, there was a high probability that the character's performance implemented in the RP would not function fully either.
Of course, there was no time to worry about that.
"Tsk."
Hanbit, who had taken out the Warp Crystal, clicked his tongue.
It was because it hadn't worked as expected.
Ta-ta!
He immediately kicked off his leg and left the guild building, heading out of the city.
Even if he ran at full speed with all his might, it would take at least 30 minutes to reach Edlen.
Sirius was likely running as well, but it was highly likely that he would be late.
Grrr!
Just then, a Celestial Tiger appeared beside Hanbit as he ran.
Whoosh!
The creature thrust its body under his legs and lifted Hanbit up.
Then, flapping its wings, it soared into the sky.
"I'll help, too."
The Sylph's voice followed.
Whoosh!
At the same time, a gust of wind rushed in, creating a sensation as if a narrow passageway had opened.
Bang!
The Celestial Tiger surged forward accompanied by a blast of wind pressure that seemed to explode.
Its speed was incomparable to anything else.
'You guys are fine.'
Had there been a problem with the game system, there was a good chance the Celestial Tiger and the Sylph would have been neutralized.
However, the two were exactly as usual.
No, in fact, they felt as though they had grown stronger.
Whoosh!
Advancing at tremendous speed, the walls of Edlen came into Hanbit's view.
Seeing how quiet it was, it seemed that, fortunately, Sirius had not arrived yet.
Whoosh!
Upon reaching the center, the Celestial Tiger changed direction and headed toward the central headquarters. Landing at the very top,
Hanbit made his way through the wall to the balcony of the Mayor's office.
There stood a yellow-haired girl, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Liventia."
Ta-ta!
At the sudden voice, Liventia recoiled as if springing back.
Her instincts from living in the slums had not yet vanished.
“Huh?”
Meeting Hanbit’s gaze, she opened her eyes wide.
Then, speaking in a surprised voice, she said,
“Black Dragon Oppa!”
Her expression brightened noticeably at the appearance of her benefactor and friend.
Approaching closer, Liventia glanced out the window and said,
“So you’ve decided to just come in this way now? Everyone should welcome you if you enter through the entrance.”
“I was in a hurry. For now…”
“What is the matter!”
Just then, the door burst open hurriedly, and Cowen appeared.
His eyes widened as he turned his head and spotted Hanbit.
“Black Dragon?”
Cowen, who had gone from Guild Master to bodyguard, also softened his expression the moment he saw Hanbit.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he approached and spoke.
“I thought something terrible had happened. Shouldn’t you realize
by now that the balcony isn’t the entrance?” Although Cowen was pointing out the proper entry method, this was not the time for that.
“An attack is coming soon. He is strong enough to destroy Edlen, so we must prepare properly.”
“…Huh?”
“…!”
Both of them widened their eyes in surprise at the same time.
It was such sudden and absurd information.
However, they knew very well that the Black Dragon was not the type to joke about such dangerous information.
“Who is it?”
“It is Sirius, the top force of the Holy Faction. I will do the fighting. You two just focus on protecting the citizens.”
“I order an immediate evacuation toward the waterway.”
Ta-ta—!
Cowen immediately kicked off his feet and left the office.
Due to various past incidents, preparations for evacuation were fully made.
“I’ll move myself. But, Oppa, are you okay? If it’s the Holy Body Faction’s top power…”
“I’m fine, just go. And absolutely do not come out of the waterway.”
“…Okay. You have to be careful.”
After hesitating for a moment, Riventia also quickly left the office.
Left alone, Hanbit took out an item resembling a perfume bottle from his inventory.
[Echoes of Memory (Rank 9 – Epic)]
One of the rewards obtained from the Witch of Sorrow in the private area.
It was an item he had originally intended to save until entering the Demon Realm, but he could not give it up to Edlen.
Whoosh—
when he touched the cap of the perfume bottle, a strange resonance rang out.
This reaction meant that the item could be used.
“Haa.”
A sigh escaped him involuntarily at the future that was unfolding before his eyes.
If he used this perfume, he would be able to use the power wielded by the Witch of Sorrow.
The problem was that it brought back the time when the grief of losing a child was at its peak.
Naturally, it was difficult to maintain a sound state of mind.
On the contrary, the synchronization was likely to intensify, making it highly probable that control would waver.
That said, the magnitude of the power would be overwhelming.
Whoosh!
Hanbit stepped out onto the balcony and climbed to the very top of the government building.
And about ten minutes later …
Whoosh!
The man appeared in the sky.
“…So this is how it is.”
Flames and an intense radiance emanated from his body clad in pure white armor.
It was Sirius, looking as if he were the personification of the sun.
“I don’t think we need to talk for long. You intend to fulfill the Goddess’s command, don’t you? Was it to take all of Edlen’s life?”
“……!”
Sirius’s eyebrows twitched at the tossed remark.
The conversation he had with the Goddess of Turmoil.
There was no way that could have leaked out.
“…Is that also information given by the Goddess of Silence?”
“Well. I thought I obtained it myself.”
“…….”
Hanbit shrugged his shoulders, revealing his honest thoughts.
Sirius, meeting his gaze for a moment, lowered his sword and said,
“This time, I will truly grant you death. I will consider the fate of your soul.”
“Well, try if you can.”
*Creak*
—Hanbit, who had been conversing, fully opened the lid of the perfume bottle.
At that moment.
*Whoosh!*
Particles of lingering scent surged from within and enveloped Hanbit’s body.
