Chapter 244

Chapter 244. Prelude to Dissonance (1)

Like water pouring from a breached dam, the records Eril had accumulated surged towards me in an instant.

I had to focus to catch the fleeting images passing by in the fierce current.

A vast army of potentially hundreds of thousands.

The sky, split and fractured.

Floating land and the corpses of monsters in that sky.

A dozen or so players gathered in a drinking party.

Monsters whose bodies seemed awkwardly stitched together.

Tiny golden glass shards no bigger than a fingernail.

Humans engaged in a serious conversation.

A giant over five meters tall.

A fairy curled up in a corner, trembling in fear.

A creature suspended in mid-air like a fish caught on a fishing line, half-human, half-fish.

An infant shrinking and withering like a mummy at someone’s touch.

Amidst this deluge of countless scenes and times, so overwhelming I couldn’t follow with my eyes, I caught a glimpse.

“Palao’s symbol.”

A Caucasian man with brown hair, height in the late 170s.

A player with the features Kim Yul had described stood facing Eril.

– Why aren’t you saying anything?

The moment I focused on that scene, a voice came through.

– Aren’t you in a position where you can’t escape this damned land without me?

The man, with a contemptuous gaze, looked over Eril’s body.

– Try to be a bit more accommodating. Maybe I’ll take you to Earth when I become a god.

He smirked while reaching out his hand.

– Really, you act exactly as expected.

Smack-!

Eril’s hand struck the man’s cheek.

– Ugh!

At the same time, the man’s body swelled, and streams of water gushed from his mouth, nose, ears, and every other orifice.

– I understand that climbing is an instinctive trait for your inferior kind, but…

– No matter what, it’s troublesome for you to mistakenly believe that you’ve become something.

– We were chosen from birth, but you’re just a mutant, forcibly crafted with power shoved into you.

Swooosh.

The streams that were ravaging the man poured onto the ground.

– Cough, cough!

Eril, watching the man who was still vomiting water while lying on the ground, continued her icy and chilling speech.

– If you act impudently one more time, I will dispose of you.

– There’s no law saying I can’t make another makeshift replica right away, is there?

– Remember, experimental subjects to replace you are plentiful.

The meaning behind this series of information was simple.

“Another Inheritance Candidate…”

There was another Inheritance Candidate within the enemy who would inherit Palao’s divinity.

And the traitors were trying to use that person to free themselves from their shackles.

A moment of revelation and shock simultaneously washed over me as I grasped the information I had sought.

My hand gripped Eril’s neck with increasing force, my mind buzzing.

“Get a grip.”

But I couldn’t remain paralyzed like this.

I hadn’t gained all that I wished yet.

“I need to know the location.”

The place where the divinity gathered by the enemies was.

The location of the other Inheritance Candidate that was not me.

If not a specific name or map, then there had to be a clue that could identify the terrain.

“Where, where is it?”

I borrowed the power of authority to scour and examine Eril’s records repeatedly.

“That, filthy hand…”

Then, suddenly, I felt the movement of someone else from my fingertips.

I immediately withdrew from the past records allowed by the authority and returned to the present.

As I opened my eyes, Eril, who had regained consciousness, was glaring at me fiercely.

She didn’t stop there, even exuding murderous intent while shouting.

“Remove it immediately!”

The sight of her yelling with such fierce eyes suited her quite well.

Our positions had completely reversed since our first meeting.

And yet, that prickly command-like response.

I curled my lips in a derisive grin and retorted.

“You’d better stay quiet if you don’t want your neck snapped.”

I added unnecessarily that I wouldn’t stop her if she wanted to see just how fast my hand could be.

Eril bit her lip but ceased her defiance.

Deprived of her magic right now, she was no different from an ordinary civilian.

‘The greatest weakness of a mage.’

Enormous and singular power.

Mages rely heavily on mana compared to knights.

Therefore, when the mana is bound, they become utterly powerless.

‘She wouldn’t want her knowledgeable corpse to fall into my hands.’

Considering the power of Finelpenia’s authority, her reaction was understandable.

“Or perhaps.”

Reflecting on the words that had come from Eril’s mouth so far, maybe she just treasured her own life.

‘Perhaps she’s stalling for time, just as I once did.’

The reason Eril had quieted didn’t concern me honestly.

Other thoughts occupied my mind entirely.

‘Shackles, another Inheritance Candidate, and god…’

Long if long, short if short, time passed.

During which, Eril continued to glare at me with her sharp gaze.

I loosened my grip on her throat gradually after deeply gazing into her blue eyes.

Startled, she shivered, displaying both agitation and disarray, as I drew back.

From her blue eyes, I could see confusion followed by astonishment, suspicion, and then a mix of vigilance, anger, and humiliation.

‘It seemed rather humiliating for Eril to realize she was saved by my mercy.’

She trembled from head to toe with indignation, burning with killing intent towards me.

While watching this, I continued to step back, one step after another.

Eventually, the distance between us increased to the point that Eril could step outside the defensive barrier I had placed.

As if waiting for this, the space behind Eril tore open.

The first things to emerge were dozens of Kerak.

Kerak aimed at me, but they failed to breach Temoria’s barrier and bounced off with a racket.

Following Kerak emerged a black hand I was well-acquainted with.

While the anomalous being extended its hand to grab Eril, I merely observed.

Under my watchful eye, the anomaly steadily pulled Eril back into the hole.

Yet, it continued sending Kerak at me to keep me in check.

Steadfastly keeping my gaze on Eril, I spoke just before she crossed the threshold.

“See you again, dear defecting blondie.”

Eril glared at me with burning eyes, and I did not shy away from her gaze.

Eventually, the black hand, Kerak, and Eril disappeared, and the hole in the air closed.

Only then did I let out a deep sigh, ran my fingers through my hair, and shut my eyes.

“Whew.”

It wasn’t an impulsive decision, nor was it a carefully deliberated decision I had made.

The one sure thing was that releasing Eril was undoubtably my voluntary choice.

Though the consequences could bring about the worst results.

“That was the best I could do now.”

After all, I had attained what I initially aimed for.

Hadn’t I also sealed a shackle etched with my mana?

“Dealing with the released being should be manageable.”

If I desire, I could always retrieve it from the water.

After releasing Eril, an inescapable problem loomed over me.

“Damn it…”

I had gotten the information I sought.

Though the result wasn’t pleasant.

It was similar to the time I alone realized the walls of Temoria’s barriers could collapse one day.

“The traitors have created a new Inheritance Candidate to rid themselves of the shackles.”

Facing a burdensome truth, I found it difficult to breathe.

Still, my mind continued to work.

“Why didn’t I think of it?”

Perhaps I refused to contemplate it.

It’s a problem tangled with too many elements.

“Under the existing conditions, the Biharin cannot leave this dimension.”

This means, in essence, the traitors can’t move to Earth either.

For Earth and the players, this is an immense advantage.

“In the past, the officially registered mages of the Tower numbered in the millions.”

Perhaps 20-30% remained on the demi-humans’ side.

“The rest all sided with the monsters.”

If they can’t cross over to Earth, it means excluding that amount of elite forces.

It is welcome news for the players, who inevitably lag in magic proficiency.

“But…”

My hands and body started trembling.

If the shackles were released, tens of thousands of daunting mages would flood in.

And if not, billions of lives would perish with the dimension.

Here, the greatest problem, perhaps, is the choice might rest with me.

‘This is driving me crazy, really.’

Why do the choices laid out before me always look like this?

‘Am I to decide the fate of billions?’

Should such a decision be in the hands of one individual?

‘No ordinary person could bear such pressure.’

Thinking it’s better when I believed I had no power, no say—I could at least excuse myself, claim that none of what would ensue was my fault.

But now? Now, knowing there might be authority in my hands.

I felt like hurling.

‘No.’

Calm down. I can’t be sure just yet if this matter is truly my decision alone…

– Maybe I’ll take you to Earth when I become a god.

‘No, that’s ridiculous.’

The situation was too blatant.

It was nearly impossible to deceive myself into believing otherwise.

Confronted with a brutal choice, I clenched my fists.

So tightly that my nails dug into my palms, blood seeping out.

Each forced breath squeezed past the throttled airways, producing a groaning sound.

‘If there’s indeed a way to save the Biharin, and the decision rests with me.’

In that case, I….

*

After wrapping up all projects and returning to Habon, Kim Yul’s forehead scrunched up as he browsed through the community.

“H-uh?”

「Title: Isn’t it Suspicious, for Real? (88) – Written by Peacekeeper

Content: Did y’all see the auction Ska posted a few days ago? He posted over 10 new items—is this even plausible?

It’s crazy to think that this bastard is the only one with that many Attribute Mana Stones.

It’s obvious he’s monopolizing the general rank using some backdoor method. Otherwise, there’s no way he can sell so many Attribute Mana Stones alone.

Damn, didn’t they say he’s close with that apostle woman?

Is he using his body for those general ranks? Every time I see his filthy face, it bothers me to no end. Utterly disgusting.」

-K33: What’s with this novel level craziness?

-Merona: Wow, the jealousy is real ugly.

-Toma: Why don’t you accept friend requests?

-Joseph: lollllllll, I gotta show this to K.

-〉 Hogwart: Whoa, that’s wild.

-〉 Deer: Why?

-〉 Captain Fiona: This person named Joseph is K’s friend. They’re in the same Order of Palao, fairly famous.

-Toma: Codename ‘Peacekeeper’ main activity base ‘Somol’ party status ‘8 members’, nationality ‘German’. I’ll add the codenames of the party members as soon as they’re identified. Just wait.

-〉 Merona: Look at that speed. Did you hack something?

-〉 K33: Let’s go together.

-〉 Buckwheat Flower: Whoa, are you gonna kill them?

-〉 Handsome: Do that, and the association will execute you. It’ll end at just ruining their reputation.

-〉 Buckwheat Flower: Oh… but why is that person, Toma, so agitated?

-〉 Tomato Juice: Famous K follower, you see.

-〉 Buckwheat Flower: Isn’t it suspicious though? He’s got so many items that large clans find hard to acquire. It seems strange, doesn’t it…

-〉 Tomato Juice: Oh dear, another idiot.

-〉 Gabriel: Don’t be shocked. The world is wide, and it’s full of empty-headed folks.

-〉 Buckwheat Flower: You’re being too harsh… People might not know.

-〉 Tomato Juice: K’s crowd swims in different waters. While we hunt safely, without injury or casualties, at 3-star, 4-star corrupted areas, they’re out there risking their lives in ‘battles’ in 6-star, 7-star corrupted areas. That’s why they’re top tier, and there’s no surprise high-grade items just keep dropping for them. Use your brain, just use it.

-〉 Toma: Juice’s words are correct. One glance at the mission completion records in the list is enough to see the truth.

– Esmeralda: Peacekeeper? Checking the mission records, they only reached up to 4-star—what’s up with this general-rank nonsense?

……..

It wasn’t the first time he’d seen posts gossiping about K.

But this time, the frustration was particularly difficult to swallow.

Damn system