Chapter 234

Chapter 234. Sprouting Tier (5)

The position where blondie had been sitting moments before had now been replaced by Kerax’s shield.

“Huff, our, huff, party leader huff, told us not to panic.”

Soon after, amidst the chaotic breaths and a familiar voice breaking through, I was finally able to feel relieved from the depth of my heart.

Yang Taeho, who had retreated after sneaking away offerings, had returned.

“K! Are you okay?!”

Yang Taeho hurriedly approached the side where Kim Yul and I was and immediately grabbed the shield again.

Activating his trait while keeping blondie in check, he shrouded the shield in a golden aura that exuded the divinity of Temoria.

“Now don’t worry, the knights sent by the Order are coming on the run.”

Indeed, the sound of a commotion approaching from afar was palpable.

The arrival of the holy knights from Palao’s Order could be heard, ‘Perhaps they ran into them on the way.’

It was truly impeccable timing.

As if aware of the commotion, blondie, having been facing off with me with Yang Taeho in between, clicked her tongue and muttered.

“I haven’t fixed everything yet…”

She briefly pierced her gaze into me with a furrowed brow.

“Well, this might be better for now. Anyway, it’s too damaged to be taken out.”

Blondie shrugged her shoulders and waved a hand gently, “Let’s meet again when everything is repaired, mr. Core-loving Outsider.”

Blondie turned away and vanished in the direction of the hole.

Coincidentally, the white sun was gleaming through the trees, marking the end of a long night.

* * *

Five days after the situation concluded.

During that time, I stayed at the temple in Santorna.

I spent more time asleep than awake.

In the meantime, physicians and mages worked to mend my broken bones and body.

By the time I woke up, even the core was intact.

I heard that Lashara and Ahel had come by.

Only a mage could handle the core…

When the core was broken, Ahel was called because it could be healed by converting and injecting magic.

‘The transformed mana that blondie had attempted to drive into my heart must have been something similar.’

Though I had no idea how the mana was transformed exactly.

‘Even if I knew, there’s no guarantee I could imitate it.’

Despite the core being intact, I wasn’t entirely pleased.

‘I didn’t want to owe the Order anything anymore.’

Especially to Rashar and Ahel.

‘I’d rather they had ignored me.’

I returned to Habon with mixed emotions.

After confirming Kim Yul’s infection, I had sent the party members back first.

Kim Yul would be going to Earth.

To be cautious, he would undergo a health check through the National Intelligence Service.

Thanks to that, I was moving alone, choosing to head into the temple instead of returning to the base after arriving in Habon.

Creak.

Compared to a year ago, the distinct footprints sounded particularly bothersome.

Perhaps it was because my nerves were on edge due to Kim Yul’s infection.

With a deliberate resolve to forcefully suppress my tangled thoughts, I arrived at Jordan’s office.

Knock knock knock. Upon notifying with a knock, the door promptly opened.

“K, we’ve been expecting you. This way, please.”

As the visit was pre-scheduled, Jordan naturally welcomed me.

Following him inside, I found a seat on the sofa.

“Is your body alright?”

“Yes, thanks to your concern.”

After exchanging formal courtesies,

“This is the report sent from Finelpenia’s Order.”

I received the reason for my visit.

As I skimmed through the report, it didn’t significantly deviate from what I already knew.

After blondie disappeared, I pondered overseeing the ‘records’ left on that land using the authority pass from Kim Yul granted by Finelpenia.

However, it seemed a waste to use the authority thoughtlessly.

Considering that many knights witnessed the event and that monster corpses lay scattered around, I reckoned Finelpenia’s order would naturally conduct an investigation.

My assumptions were proven right as the report from Finelpenia’s order directly reached my hands.

I calmly perused its contents.

‘Reitan was the first to discover it.’

Then, under what appeared to be a subordinate of Reitan, the holy excavation operation commenced.

‘That was roughly two months ago.’

Those working there all turned into corpses about a week ago.

Leveraging the darkness, a hole opened in the sky, and monsters poured out.

There were more laborers for excavation than combat troops.

Reitan’s subordinates were annihilated in an instant.

Then, two people whom I had killed, the redhead associated with black magic and the mage, arrived afterward.

‘It seemed like those dabbling in black magic intercepted it midway.’

And I reclaimed it once more.

‘The situation is peculiar.’

Reitan and the two involved in black magic didn’t seem to be on the same side.

After Reitan’s subordinates were wiped out, the monsters resumed the excavation work.

From there, I knew the subsequent details.

Walter appeared, the redhead pursued, and I invaded.

After that section, there was a report concerning the hole.

‘After the knights arrived, the opening sealed within minutes.’

It mentioned nothing about blondie mage’s appearance that we had witnessed.

I was not surprised as I had somewhat anticipated it.

‘But it’s not something to ignore.’

I handed over a paper I had prepared in advance to Jordan, saying, “These are the features of the mage I mentioned witnessing that time.”

With distinctive traits emphasized, it was a montage.

After examining it, Jordan’s eyes turned puzzled.

“This person is…”

“Do you know them?”

“No certainty based just on the illustration, but…”

After a brief pause, Jordan revealed something unexpected.

“It could be Eril Jesiar, an apprentice of the former master of the Ferrell Magic Tower, considering the mention of mana related to clay. I understand they studied together with Ahel Bellettia.”

While recalling the name Jordan mentioned, I flipped through the report again.

It was merely a reread to see if I had overlooked something, nothing more.

However, Jordan seemed to misunderstand my actions.

“Don’t worry.”

As I looked up from the report, Jordan appeared more resolute than usual.

“Though the Shield of Patience has been breached, we shall find a way, as we always do.”

I studied him with a curious mindset.

It was unclear to me why he would make such a remark.

‘Is he assuring that despite their shackles, they’ll find a way to protect this world?’

It didn’t seem like he was trying to comfort me because he thought I might worry about them.

Given the circumstances, it would be sensible for me to comfort them instead, so his doing it felt out of place.

Only then did I grasp a previously overlooked point.

‘Are they aware of their restraints?’

If they knew, he wouldn’t be able to say such a thing to me.

At a time when they should be busy saving themselves, where would they find the leisure to comfort me?

‘Hah, no wonder…’

Despite considerable time passing, no special rumors or disturbances had arisen concerning the God’s deeds, which felt odd.

‘Perhaps Ahel hasn’t revealed it to anyone?’

For what reason?

To strategize, problems should be shared.

‘It makes no sense to keep it secret.’

Possibly, they’re scheming a way to utilize us without players noticing…

‘Enough.’

Before my thoughts ran away from me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

I consciously severed my thoughts for my own benefit.

‘What good would thinking do?’

It wasn’t an entirely unexpected possibility.

We simply needed to guard against being exploited while securing as much mana, artifacts, and spoils as possible.

Calming my mind, I gave Jordan a neutral response.

“Yes, I believe so.”

Having received the report and handed over the montage, I had no reason to linger there any longer.

“I shall take my leave. Thank you for personally handing over the report.”

“I, too, deeply appreciate your contributions, K. You’ve afforded us time to discuss countermeasures.”

“Happy to hear it helped. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Travel safely.”

Half-listening to Jordan’s farewell, I departed the office as if escaping in haste.

Only then could I examine the remaining content at the back of the report.

The next section mentioned Walter’s updates.

‘He’s assisting with the cleanup in Santorna.’

Thinking of Walter naturally conjured up another face.

‘Was it Allens? No, was it Alex?’

Regardless, he was expelled just the same, yet I had no clue what he was up to now.

Of course, I wasn’t interested enough to investigate.

Brushing off Allens’ face like dust, I leafed through yet another page of the report.

It stated that the woman I saved and the kidnapped victims were also being sheltered in the temple.

The child killed by high-level magic was the woman’s sibling.

‘Selling both their children… parents, indeed.’

I couldn’t help but feel troubled, especially since I had siblings too.

A party member owed their life to that person, and yet I couldn’t save her regardless of what I did.

Realizing that my capability was limited to this degree wasn’t a pleasant experience.

I still felt a heaviness every time I recalled the Biharin.

But whether fortunately or unfortunately, it was becoming easier to ignore that weight day by day.

As time passed by, leaving this land would be less burdensome.

‘If that’s good enough.’

With that, I left everything behind and retraced my steps towards the base.

“Hey.”

Once again, I repeated the meaningless act of drawing out Kerax’s spear.

“Hey.”

As expected, no reply came to the continued monologue for several minutes today either.

Kerax, who had interrupted in the midst of battle to amplify my mana, had fallen silent again.

I was clueless as to why he saved me.

What did he mean by wanting to observe further?

Without his answer, discerning the purpose behind his actions seemed quite challenging.

‘I was even considering accepting some terms if there were any room for negotiation.’

The buff Kerax provided proved valuable enough.

Having realized that he wanted something from me, I considered conforming to his pleas to continually receive that buff.

However, being unable to ascertain what it was left me frustrated.

But hanging onto something that doesn’t provide answers indefinitely wasn’t an option.

Clicking my tongue internally, I made my way into the base.

Once inside, I returned to my room and scrolled through the cluttered mess of notifications at the bottom.

“…is being absorbed.”

「Successfully eliminated a level 9 evolved species for the first time. Reputation increased by 1000.」

「Remarkable achievement accomplished! 5000 achievements credited.」

「Seizing the target’s status.」

「The title ‘Seed of Divinity’ has evolved into ‘Sprout of Divinity’.」

Among them, pondering over the message concerning the absorption of mana seemed to invoke elaborate thoughts.

‘Status, huh…’

I opened the window to examine the title that had transformed into the “Sprout of Divinity.”

「Accumulate and seize status to nurture the title.」

Initially, the sparse explanation witheringly frazzled me.

It lacked details on how to accumulate or seize status, rendering it a half-baked description.

Yet, with the information I held, I could roughly guess, so I let it slide.

‘First, accumulating it personally demands time and effort.’

Hadn’t Gretman said so himself?

– As time passes, records accrue, becoming the core essence of your existence.

It implied that forming a natural status required time.

To a mortal with limited lifespan, there’s an inherent cap to their achievable status.

‘However, with the system’s aid, it seems I can appropriate both divinity and status from those already possessing them.’

The notion of seizing indicates taking away.

Finally, I could grasp the essence of what I had obtained.

Godhood signifies the eligibility to transcend the bonds set by causality.

Divinity embodies the power to transcend such bonds.

‘The two form a set.’

Without the right, even with power, one cannot step beyond causality’s framework.

‘I hadn’t realized fully until now.’

Once possessing both, the means to utilize them became naturally apparent.

‘I might find myself wishing for a rematch with a strong enemy.’

As I exhaled a long sigh, my body sank onto the bed with a thud.

‘Let’s just take it easy today.’

As fate would have it, the main scenario of Chapter 7 was set to unfold two days later.

We were poised to head towards the corrupted area then.

“With the current Purification trait proficiency at 90.33%”

I needed to boost the remaining proficiency and verify if I could purify Kim Yul’s infection.

That was my current top priority.

Therefore, I had chosen to partake in the main scenario, pushing the recovery of divinity aside.

Given that there wouldn’t be any reprieve before the scenario concluded, I planned to take it easy with only light mana training today.

“Oh.”

Right before that, I remembered there was yet another task needing completion.

Rummaging through the inventory, I retrieved a fist-sized orb.

Damned System