Chapter 356

Chapter 256. A Glimpse of the Future (4)

Near Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

The news that a large number of monsters had poured out due to inadequate response to the Hole was heard early in the morning.

The official request for support through the guild line came shortly after.

Hearing that Rashar had volunteered occurred around the same time.

“I thought we could have lunch together.”

For me, who was planning a private meeting with her, it wasn’t delightful news.

Of course, I couldn’t stop someone who was committed to fulfilling their role.

If I wanted to be with Rashar, instead of preventing her from going, I just needed to follow her.

Having finished any pressing matters, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to visit while taking a stroll.

So, several hours after moving to Hwaseong with her, I confirmed Rashar swinging her sword beside me.

“She’s not looking at my eyes.”

I could see she was consciously avoiding my gaze.

However, it wasn’t as if she would flee or ignore me if I spoke to her.

“As long as she doesn’t run away, it’s fine.”

I had no intention of pressing or cornering her unnecessarily.

For now, I just focused on following Rashar’s lead, severing the limbs or spines of the monsters.

They were all insignificant, ordinary monsters that hadn’t evolved.

Killing them one by one, step by step, felt somewhat like going on a date, which wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

After intensely wielding the spear for a while,

“…… Are you not killing them?”

Rashar, who was glancing back, asked me.

I also turned around.

Instead of killing them, a pile of incapacitated monsters was left behind.

The ones severing the monsters’ lifelines were the Silver rank players from the Palao Guild following us.

“I’m too stingy to waste them.”

Initially, I could have used an area-wide skill to incinerate them all.

But I intended to refrain unless a particularly dangerous situation arose.

I no longer had a reason to absorb mana.

Others following would finish off the creatures I incapacitated.

Upon this realization, Rashar began sparing monsters as well.

Seeing me observing her keenly, she muttered an apologetic explanation.

“I didn’t think that far because I don’t absorb mana… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize.”

I didn’t think it was a matter requiring an apology.

If Rashar was willing to put in the effort to pass on mana to other players, I had no reason to object.

It would aid in nurturing lower-ranked players into more competent forces.

Consequently, both Rashar and I focused on incapacitating the monsters without killing them.

Other than pressing the forced obedience button while observing the purification of the Alphas occasionally, there were no significant incidents.

Hours passed—one hour, two hours, three hours.

There was hardly any power left in the monsters that survived.

Checking the wristwatch, it was past 1 PM.

I slyly moved beside Rashar and asked,

“It looks like things are wrapping up. Want to grab lunch together? Anything you feel like eating?”

Rashar flinched and then turned slowly to face me.

“Not particularly… something simple will do.”

“Then I’ll choose the place?”

“…… As you wish.”

Using my left hand, I searched for nearby restaurants while swinging the spear with my right.

Thunk.

A dull sound followed, and then I suddenly realized.

“Oops, killed it.”

I had intended just to sever its spine, but I had accidentally split it entirely in two.

It was a moment to realize anew how weak ordinary monsters that hadn’t evolved were.

‘In the past, I had to struggle desperately to defeat these things.’

It was also a stark illustration of just how much stronger I had become compared to the past.

Smiling faintly at this realization while retracting my spear,

Vision filled with the familiar sight of towering buildings that I had seen my entire life, even though I was looking at the corpses of the monsters.

Rice Cake had linked my sight.

“Is she on a stroll?”

Time-wise, it was when the twins would go out briefly after lunch. The location was near the house.

Wondering if something had happened that required vision-linking, Kim Yul’s voice soon followed.

– Bring out the relic.

Watching the twins following the command without any resistance, I realized it.

‘Why do those eyes look like that?’

The pupils of the people surrounding Kim Yul and the twins appeared strange.

Their focus wasn’t sharp; they looked unfocused and dazed.

As soon as this realization hit, a sudden dazzling light burst forth.

Rice Cake had returned to its original size.

– Rrrr…!

Immediately, it bristled its fur, growling fiercely.

It was ready to lash out at the things around it.

– Aaah! It’s a monster!

– Damn, that’s Rice Cake!

– Amazing! Cool!

Despite the surrounding noise, Rice Cake persistently growled, eyeing a specific spot.

The connection with it was momentarily lost then.

Fortunately, the chaotic silence didn’t last long.

In the brief stillness before the vision was reestablished, the first thing that came into view was black smoke, rising from somewhere unknown.

Next were the resounding cries of people screaming all around.

– Roaaaar!

Sparks of blue seemed to flicker on Rice Cake’s body as it howled ferociously.

– Rice Cake!

– Are you crazy?! Want to see me go nuts?! Come here now!

There was Kim Yul, shouting in a fierce tone, and beside him, the silhouette of Yeonwoo was visible.

Just as Kim Yul snatched Yeonwoo’s arm and pulled her close, lightning struck.

To be precise, the sparks emanating from Rice Cake’s body zapped the figure in front of her.

Taken aback by the suddenly unfolding situation, I stood frozen in place.

‘This is…’

It was a fragment of a future I had seen through Meferoseta’s authority on a day long past.

Now that day seemed to have arrived.

‘From Rice Cake’s body…’

Superficially, it resembled materialized attribute mana, much like my own, but what was that?

Amidst the confusion swirling in my mind, I forced my body into motion.

With the twins attacked by these mysterious entities, I resolved to intervene immediately.

Summoning Gilenios, who must have been lounging at home, was essential for rapid transport.

Moments after pressing the call button.

“… They’ve escaped.”

I could confirm through my connection with Rice Cake that the twins were no longer there.

Given that Jin-Woo had been fiddling with an artifact just before, it seemed they had utilized a mobility relic.

“Whew.”

Knowing the twins had left the scene considerably eased my worries.

Even if those entities pursued with some specific ability, they wouldn’t pose a threat.

The house was guarded by the Defense Tree, after all.

However, Kim Yul and Rice Cake were still present.

Some black worm-like things were relentlessly chasing after Kim Yul.

And yet, Gilenios, who should have always been on standby, wasn’t responding.

Resolving to re-educate him after this situation ends, I ended the current call and prepared to reach out for some help from Ahel.

Before I could initiate the call, a sense of dread froze me in place.

“Why all of a sudden…”

“K?”

There was no time to respond to Rashar’s call.

One of the apostles linked to me through status had disappeared.

‘There should be a total of six apostles, including the newly selected one.’

But only five were discernible.

Attempting to assess who had lost the connection, my smartphone buzzed loudly in hand.

The caller ID displayed Yang Taeho.

It was his existence, among my apostles, that had vanished.

‘Hyung would be on standby at the Association today.’

Hastily answering the call, thankfully, a composed voice came through.

『The situation seemed slightly off, hence I’m calling.』

Luckily, Yang Taeho seemed unharmed.

“What’s happening?”

『Some folks showed up wielding something weird. It looked like tentacles, but with teeth on its head; kinda like creepy worms.』

“Worms?”

Reflexively, I corroborated with the black entities observed through Rice Cake’s vision.

『Barking to high heaven as if to consume something, then spew it out. When I sliced it, it turned into smoke, and out of curiosity, I let it fasten onto me. Felt like something sucking my energy continuously.』

Since then, he mentioned, he couldn’t employ my authority.

I didn’t precisely grasp the situation yet, but I had witnessed black smoke through Rice Cake’s vision.

“Do you need support? I’ll alert the guild right away. I’m currently needed with Yul; something’s arisen there.”

Through Rice Cake’s connection, I saw Kim Yul arduously eluding the black worms without directly attacking them.

Perhaps he hesitated because they resembled humans or due to the crowd around.

Heading to Kim Yul took precedence.

『Don’t worry about me. Other players are holding them off. By the way, sorry for losing something right after becoming an apostle.』

“That’s fine. If anything else transpires, please relay right away….”

“… Get lost! What are these crazy things?!”

Before I could finish speaking, Gilenios emerged with a string of invective.

“I’ll pass along any new information.”

I swiftly concluded the call with Yang Taeho.

Right after, Gilenios, seemingly in disarray, scrambled to shut the gap while directing his query at me.

“What, what, what the heck is that?! It wants to swallow me whole? Do you know anything?!”

Judging by his description, it appeared he too had encountered a black tentacle-like creature.

Even if I knew, I wouldn’t be here like this.

‘Kim Yul, Taeho hyung, and Gilenios…’

As these three individuals underwent a similar experience, a chill swept through me.

I swiftly input a different number into my smartphone to make contact.

As expected, both Lily and Ethan were also embroiled in similar incidents.

“Don’t get bitten at any cost.”

After warning both Lily and Ethan individually, I disconnected and momentarily reorganized my thoughts.

‘The target wasn’t the twins to begin with.’

They were targeting my apostles.

Both Kim Yul and Lily, including newly ordained apostles Gilenios, Yang Taeho, and Ethan, were all under attack, leaving no room for doubt.

‘Was Rashar excluded because she was with me?’

In the worst-case scenario, every other divine apostle aside from mine might have been targets.

‘Their aim… is the status.’

Seeing that Yang Taeho could no longer utilize my authority probably boiled it down.

Making up my mind, I promptly pulled Rashar alongside me and instructed her.

“Until the situation clears up, stay close to me. Gilenios, head over to Kim Yul.”

“Ah hell, I don’t want to go…”

“Move.”

I shot a sharp look at Gilenios.

“Damn it, damn it… Why is there no peaceful day?!”

While venting his frustration, Gilenios begrudgingly assumed a stance, channeling my authority to open a path.

I thrust my spear ahead as I crossed into the new space.

“Kyaaa!”

Vetroban’s spear pierced through the chest of a person flailing a black tongue in front of Kim Yul.

Despite its presence, no mana was detected.

Narrowing my eyes, I retrieved the spear, causing black blood to drizzle onto the ground.

“Bring Camellia,”

I ordered Gilenios.

“Yes, yes.”

No sooner had Gilenios left than Kim Yul approached me.

“Hyung!”

“What were you hesitating for with obviously suspicious people?”

“I was trying to be cautious! What if they were brainwashed or something?!”

In such cases, keeping them alive but incapacitated should suffice.

“If their blood is red, I could understand, but for black blood, what’s there to be cautious about? Don’t waste time, just deal with it.”

“Yes, sir!”

Finally, Kim Yul infused his dagger with mana and geared up for a full-fledged hunt.

“Don’t let your guard down.”

I’d prefer not to have the status stripped due to getting bitten.

Leaving my stern reminder, I proceeded to behead the impaled entity.

「The corrupted status is absorbed.」

「Corrupted status exists within the body. Check the chaos level.」

「Divine status contamination commences.」

「Prompt purification of the corrupted status is advised.」

Rather than mana, the absorption pertained to status.

This revelation enabled me to identify who was behind this mayhem.

“Agnotia’s forces.”

Remnants of the status clearly contained traces of Agnotia.

Damned System

TL’s Corner:

Agnotia’s on the move.