Chapter 46: How to Return (2)

“Regarding the investigation into the possibility of dimensional travel to another world….”

Kyla paused for a moment to catch her breath before answering.

“I’ll get straight to the point.

At this current time, it’s utterly impossible.

Not only has such technology not yet been invented, but the professors also concluded that it’s theoretically difficult.”

She spoke firmly.

“Most of them responded like this: ‘Humanity is still at a level where it hasn’t even properly caught up to the speed of light.

In such a state, there’s no way to escape the physical limitations of space-time.’

So, they said stories about other dimensions and whatnot are just unrealistic science fiction.”

“………”

At that answer, as the tension eased, a deep sense of emptiness washed over me.

But honestly, I might have inwardly expected to hear such words.

After all, this place, ‘Neo Front Cyber City,’ is a near future, only about half a century ahead of the modern era.

It might possess cybernetic technology that moves like one’s own body and the scientific prowess to build lunar colonies… but to put it another way, that was precisely its limit.

With scientific capabilities that hadn’t even properly escaped the solar system yet, there was no way a method to transcend dimensions could exist.

‘I pretty much guessed it would be like this.

Yes, I had an inkling, but….’

It seems I had been clinging to even a tiny sliver of hope.

A corner of my chest felt tight and suffocating.

I forced myself to compose my expression, pretending to be unfazed, and looked at her again.

“Thank you so much for all your hard work investigating.”

Kyla studied my face carefully, then asked with a worried look.

“It seems this wasn’t the result you wanted…. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I was expecting it to some extent.”

I had truly entrusted the investigation to her on the off chance.

I was by no means unaware that the possibility was slim.

Therefore, I managed to regain my composure.

I took out a cash card containing the payment for the request from the table drawer and offered it to her.

“Here, I’ve prepared the payment for the request.”

But Kyla waved her hands, refusing.

“No.

This is fine.”

“Huh?

But what we promised…..”

“Honestly, the last reward was too much.

You perfectly healed my body in exchange for just lodging and a Class 3 ID.

I don’t think I’ve fully repaid that debt yet.

So let’s just say this job makes up for what was lacking.”

“But you still went to the trouble….”

“Ahem!”

Eventually, a comical struggle ensued for a moment, with us either trying to hand over the card or refusing to accept it.

Then, it was my side that ran out of stamina first.

Just a brief tussle with her had left me exhausted.

“Pant, heuh….”

‘No matter how I think about it, this body is really too weak.’

Kyla almost snatched the cash card from my panting hand and put it back into the drawer.

“Now, Eve is a good girl, right?

Listen to your big sister.”

“No, phew, what, heuh….”

I could only catch my breath with an exasperated expression.

Soon after, as if trying to lighten the heavy mood from before, she grinned mischievously.

“Ah, and you know, while investigating this request, something made me curious.

Would it be okay if I asked?”

“Yes?

What is it?”

“Well… to ask me to investigate how to go to another world so seriously.

Could it be, are you really….”

Pausing for a moment, she added with a playful expression.

“An angel who accidentally fell from the sky?

That’s what the people at the church are whispering about.”

“Wha-?!

What-!!”

At the sudden, embarrassing words, I almost bit my tongue.

Feeling my face flush hotly, I hurriedly protested out of embarrassment.

“There’s no way!”

“Really?

You’re not really an angel looking for a way back home?”

“I said no!!”

I shouted, almost on the verge of tears.

‘How can she keep saying such embarrassing things so nonchalantly, really.’

Now that I looked, her voice was full of amusement.

It was like a mischievous adult teasing a passing child.

Before that strange teasing could continue, I hastily mumbled an excuse.

“That investigation was just…. personal curiosity.”

Honestly, explaining that I was downloading a game and then suddenly fell into it overnight… even I thought it was too absurd.

Especially now that dimensional travel has been deemed practically impossible, it would sound even less convincing.

So, when I roughly glossed over the explanation, Kyla laughed as if enjoying my bright red face for a while, then lightly stood up from her seat.

“Alright, alright.

I’ll get going then.

See you later, little angel.”

“Ah, really!”

She winked and then left the office without any lingering attachment.

“Haa….”

As soon as the door closed, I let out a long sigh.

I felt like all the energy had drained from my body.

Since when did she develop such a teasing personality?

The Kyla I knew from the game wasn’t like that.

Perhaps it was a positive… change that occurred after her Cybernetic Overmodification Syndrome was cured.

Thanks to that, I was flustered every time we met, but it was hard to be genuinely stern with her since she had no ill intent.

“Hoo….”

Standing there in the middle of the office, I let out another deep sigh.

‘Honestly…. it would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed.’

Returning to my original world, to my home.

It was the one wish I still dreamed of every day.

Of course, the connections I had made here and the things I had started did weigh on my mind.

So if someone appeared and offered to send me back to my original world right now… I might hesitate for a very brief moment.

Nevertheless, whether a choice was visible before my eyes or didn’t exist at all was like the difference between heaven and earth.

Therefore, facing the conclusion that ‘reaching my home beyond dimensions is impossible with current science and technology’… my heart felt heavy.

But it wasn’t as if I had fallen completely into despair either.

‘Because… I might not need to look elsewhere for a way back home.’

I thought.

If it’s impossible with science and technology, I just need to find another way.

Even if science is the absolute rule of this physical world, don’t I already possess a power that transcends it?

A miracle.

This mysterious ability was no longer just a power to heal people.

Through the numerous incidents I had experienced so far, I was beginning to understand its true nature, at least tentatively.

‘The ability to turn water into wine… even the ‘Saintess’ in the game never showed that.’

A power whose principles and limits were unclear.

Only one thing was certain.

It had become much stronger than when I first used it.

Presumably, this seemed to be because the ability developed further as the number of people who believed in God increased.

‘So, if I expand the church’s influence and gather more faith, someday, won’t I be able to use true, limitless… literally ‘miracles’?’

For instance, perhaps even creating a way to transcend physical laws and cross dimensions.

Of course, it was still close to a guess.

A vague and unfounded imagination.

Even if that prediction were true, I still had no idea how much faith I would need to gather to achieve such a wish.

But there was one thing I instinctively sensed.

It was hard to explain clearly, but only I, who wielded the power, could feel it.

This ability might truly be a power without limits.

Therefore-

‘Perhaps the only possibility for me to return to my original world is this.’

To return home, and to protect myself from the threats that might arise in the process.

In the end, I had no choice but to grow the church.

I needed to obtain more followers, deeper faith.

I became instinctively certain.

‘Hoo, this is a headache.’

I understood the direction I needed to take.

But the process would by no means be easy.

It was while I was briefly lost in thought.

Creak-

Someone suddenly opened the office door without knocking and entered.

At first, I just thought Kyla had forgotten something and come back.

“What now…. Huh?”

But contrary to my expectation, the person standing at the door was ST.

“Lady Eve.”

She looked the same as always.

A calm voice, an expressionless face.

But something was different.

It was the same blank expression, yet her complexion felt strangely cold.

Puzzled, I asked.

“….ST?

Is something wrong?”

However, she didn’t answer me right away.

She merely walked slowly into the office and firmly closed the door behind her.

“S-ST….?”

This was truly unlike her.

Her not responding properly to my trembling voice.

The silence as she just stared with cold eyes.

And that overwhelmingly intimidating atmosphere.

I can say for sure, it was the first time.

“…….”

A strange silence heavily filled the office.

I gradually felt suffocated.

Just as I unconsciously gulped down dry saliva due to the unusual atmosphere, ST finally opened her mouth.

Her voice was low-pitched as usual, but at the same time, it was dry, as if parched.

“First, I apologize, Lady Eve.”

Saying so, ST slowly took a step towards me.

“For unintentionally… eavesdropping, I mean.”

Another step.

“But you too, don’t you have parts you need to explain to me?”

The closer she came, the more I felt crushed by an unknown pressure.

“Yes….?”

The strange emotion flickering in her golden eyes, which met mine, sent a shiver down my spine, and I unknowingly asked back.

‘Something is definitely, seriously wrong…?’

That’s why I was unknowingly shuffling backward.

Thud-

I felt the hard sensation of the wall against my back.

There was nowhere else to retreat.

ST, who had been approaching step by step, finally stopped at a distance close enough to feel each other’s breath.

A strange emotion flickered in her golden eyes that met mine directly.

Her direct gaze from up close made me unwittingly squeeze my eyes shut.

Then, her usual calmness gone, a voice that seemed to be suppressing something whispered in my ear.

“You’re going back?

Where… are you planning to go?”