R4STWH - Chapter 138
Chapter 138
“And also, there's news from the Garolin Kingdom….”
While I absorbed the information Melder was sharing, I couldn't stop thinking about Zero. It wasn't hard to figure out why he did what he did. Right after using the skill ‘White Night’ on those Tenaclad trash, I had received information about a hidden route, too. He probably would've received a message like this:
A hidden route has been created by attacking a specific force. The more hostile forces there are in World E-17ACEM, the greater the potential influence.
Increasing influence level by creating hostile forces was essentially a shortcut compared to creating friendly forces. In just a day, Zero would have raised his influence by at least three levels. By massacring innocent people. Of course, considering his goal, it was an obvious strategy, but I couldn’t help but feel furious when I thought about those who died without knowing why.
And on the other hand…….
‘I was too complacent.’
My heart weighed down as I thought about how many sacrifices I could have avoided if I had killed him that day. I was still, as much as possible, avoiding direct confrontations with my former, once-precious comrades.
Even though the core of the matter was to stop them, wasn't I just circling around the edges, pouring my strength and time into dealing with monsters?
‘I can't keep doing that.’
I had to stop them. Even if that meant I would have to harm them with my own hands, I shouldn’t avoid it any longer.
“But, why is the relic storage….”
Melder, who had stopped in front of the corridor leading to the relic storage, asked the Saintess.
“Ah… there’s something I need to check with Lady Ilesha. God has told us that what we need right now is here.”
“God, you say….”
Melder trailed off, glancing at me once more.
“I understand. Then, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Yes. Thank you, Melder.”
“You’re welcome.”
The cardinal bowed politely and turned to leave the building. It was said that even cardinals were not allowed to enter the relic storage without permission. If they touched the relics without a special revelation, they would suffer terrible curses, and the mechanism of how it worked was a little intriguing. If this were a time of peace, I would have liked to test it out, but now was not the time for curiosity.
“I'll be right back, Elias.”
“Okay.”
‘I'll just grab the relic and go meet Zero.’
Just in case, I left Elias in the corridor and entered the relic storage alone with the Saintess. “The name sounds grand, but there's not much here, is there?”
Among the items that looked like junk at first glance—an old staff, a black stone-studded staff, a twig with new sprouts—there was something that couldn't possibly exist in this world. As if in a trance, I picked it up and a translucent window blocked my vision.
You have selected the reward. The item is bound to you.
After roughly clearing the window, I turned the object in my hand this way and that.
‘How is this… here?’
Since the item binding message popped up right away, it was clear that this was what the god of this world intended. “Oh, that’s….”
The Saintess spoke, recognizing it. “It’s a relic of the first Saintess.”
“This is…?”
“Do you perhaps know what it’s used for?”
At my blank stare, the Saintess scratched her cheek and said, “Most of the Saintesses of the Amern Order have memories of their past lives. I have memories of being born and raised in another world as well. It was a place where the scientific civilization was far more developed than here.”
I stared at the Saintess with wide eyes. That meant there could have been Saintesses from our world, too.
‘And even the first Saintess… is that really just a coincidence?’
Moreover, this item... it wasn’t something that could be easily made even if you were from our world. In fact, none of us—Zero, Yumi, or Baeksa—had the knowledge to create this.
‘It requires a skilled technician with alchemical science talent.’
If it wasn't someone's arrangement, this could be called a miracle. I carefully placed it in my inventory.
“Is it an item that would be helpful to you, Lady Ilesha?”
“Yes, very much so.”
The path, which had been constantly cut off and disappeared even with my gathering of clues, seemed to finally reveal itself now that I had obtained this item.
“Then, what will you do from now….”
The Saintess didn’t get to finish her sentence, because the whole building suddenly started shaking as if an earthquake had struck. “What suddenly…!”
“Ilesha.”
Elias, who was outside the relic storage entrance, reached out his hand to me. “Kyaa!”
I grabbed his hand and started running, with the Saintess tucked under my arm. It wasn’t just a simple earthquake, the energy coming from the building felt ominous.
‘Divine power? No, it’s darker and stickier….’
It felt closer to divine power than mana, but it was very unpleasant. I had a feeling that if I got caught in it, I wouldn't be able to get out easily. When we quickly reached the entrance, we found that the door, which had been perfectly fine a moment ago, was sealed.
‘This is….’
Elias clicked his tongue and said, “It seems Melder has turned again this time.”
“Turned… you mean he betrayed God?”
He had activated the trap with the Saintess here with us, meaning he intended to eliminate her as well.
“He was always more interested in political power, so it’s nothing new. The problem is that there would be quite a few people who fell for his tricks.”
Elias, coldly defining Melder’s nature, gazed intently at me. “What should we do?”
“Hmm….”
I quietly stared at the back of the Saintess’s head, who was tucked under my arm. She seemed to be shocked by the conversation between Elias and me. It felt a little off to ask this under these circumstances, but in the current situation, I had no choice.
“Would it be okay if we broke the wall a little bit…?”
“Yes… in this situation, what does a building matter….”
“Um… don't be too upset. There are also people who think God has abandoned them and left….”
Even now, the god of this world was diligently fighting against the disaster, but who would recognize it? The number of believers outside the temple was increasing thanks to the efforts of the Saintess and the priests and knights, but those who felt God's presence closely would be feeling a greater sense of loss.
The absence of God. The void, which is felt more acutely in the most desperate moment, could either leave people feeling helpless, or make them rage violently. In our world as well, those who served God were the first to collapse when the disaster occurred for that very reason.
‘I thought they were holding up well here, but...’
Since I already had the Saintess’s permission, I spread my mana wide to find the place that would require the least amount of destruction. ‘……Huh?’
I was taken aback by the countless presences I sensed at that moment. Hundreds in the building's basement, and hundreds outside. And among those waiting outside the building, there were familiar presences mixed in. As I turned my head in confusion, my eyes met Elias's.
His blue eyes held not a hint of wavering. He just seemed to be gauging what choice I would make in this situation.
Was it because the lives of those who would get caught up and die meant nothing to him? Or perhaps, Elias didn't even think the destruction of this world was that big of a problem. He must also know that we would be together forever, whether I won or lost the bet with Neo. So maybe he was just acting like an observer, keeping an appropriate distance, giving advice and help only to the extent that I wouldn’t be disappointed. Even though he had the memories of countless worldlines, perhaps this was one of the reasons why Neo was so sure of his victory.
“Elias.”
But, Neo wouldn't know this much.
“Help me.”
I also had a time when many things were broken, similar to Elias. That's why I couldn't help but know how to make him the greatest ally.
“I want to save the survivors in the basement.”
Now I was going to steal the answer key he held. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”
Elias nodded, smiling sweetly enough to melt me.
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