novelCommence (4)
| ← Ch.281 | Ch.283 → |
Orden's mansion looked very luxurious on the outside. I didn't know how Orden learned to construct such a building, but I was impressed nonetheless.
—Can you make it?
A worried voice flowed out from the radio as I examined the mansion.
"Piece of Cake."
I activated the [Pinnacle-rank Instant Acceleration] attached to my suit.
"... !"
My body moved much faster than I expected, at a speed far beyond that of sound. I knew I couldn't control this speed as it was.
So I activated [Bullet Time].
Instantly, the world around me slowed down. I moved like the wind and made it inside the mansion in no time.
—... Successful infiltration confirmed.
'Wow, that surprised me. That was some crazy speed. '
I calmed myself down and looked around, taking in my surroundings. The walls became transparent and I could see the entire mansion at a glance.
The number of humans in this building was... 33 in total, including Park Hanho, a former member of the Temple of Justice, and his revived daughter.
Park Hanho was reading his daughter a book. It was a surprisingly peaceful and humanly scene, which was a strange thing to say considering both were still humans.
'More importantly, where is the spy?'
I turned my head slowly, searching for the spy.
As I scanned the rooms one by one, I discovered a likely candidate in the guest room on the 5th floor.
It was a woman. Her eyes kept wandering nervously.
There was a machine used to send the Morse codes at the foot of her bed.
"I think I just found the spy. Please confirm."
I used [Pinnacle-rank Instant Acceleration] again.
Each floor was crawling with monsters, but I was confident they wouldn't recognize me even as I pass by them, just as I was unaware of Kurukuru's presence in the past.
Chwaaaa—
I arrived at the guest room on the 5th floor at the speed of light.
I appeared like the wind, quite literally.
"... Ah!"
The woman shook in surprise at my sudden entrance.
Her strawberry blonde hair and long arms and legs stood out.
She swallowed hard as she looked at me.
"...."
I waited for the confirmation in silence.
—Yes, she's the one.
"... Hello."
At that moment, the woman spoke.
"My name is Rumi."
She seemed to have calmed down and even offered me her hand.
I examined the woman.
For whatever reason, I felt like I'd seen her before....
—You may use the [Return Scroll] now.
But now was not the time to dwell on it.
"Do you have any belongings?"
Rumi nodded.
"I have them with me already. I brought my 'Inventory' from the Tower."
"If you say so."
I took out the [Return Scroll].
Then, just as I was about to tear it in half...
"Hi~"
A cold, unfamiliar voice suddenly approached me like a blade.
I tore the scroll without even looking back.
Chwaaak—!
The sharp sound of paper tearing rang out.
"Huhu. Where do you think you're going?"
However, the scroll failed to activate due to obstructive magic power.
I turned around with a sigh of annoyance.
A humanoid monster who looked like a giant peacock stood before my eyes.
"Good thing I decided to act on my hunch~♪ I knew you were a traitor~♪"
From her appearance and the tone of her voice, I could tell this monster was female.
I frowned.
"... Who are you?"
"Mm... That's none of your business~"
The humanoid monster suddenly began to sing.
"Here is the inescapable mystery...."
Her voice was mesmerizing and her rhythm was perfect. Her song spread abnormal magic power into the surroundings.
The magic power melted the room and reshaped our surroundings into what looked like a concert hall.
Everything became dark and quiet.
The stage and the seats were separated, and a beam of orange spotlight shone over the center of the stage. I felt as if classical music would suddenly start playing. I looked around this strange space in a daze.
'Where am I, and what kind of an ability is this?"
"... She's one of Orden's elite monsters. Her name is Doloren, and she can imbue her songs with magic power. It's similar to Spirit Speech but different. We're inside Doloren's barrier right now, " Rumi explained quickly.
"Aha."
'So that's Doloren, one of the four monsters that's new to the setting. Does she shed her feathers because she's a bird? She's different from what I saw on TV... '
"We... should've gotten out of here before she set up a barrier. It's too late now."
Rumi's voice was tinged with despair. She bit her lips so hard that they started to bleed. It seemed she had already given up.
I asked, "It's just a barrier. Why are you so scared?"
"It's not just a simple barrier. You can't escape from Doloren's barrier. And rather than a barrier, it's more of a world of its own."
It was no surprise that Rumi knew about Doloren in detail; she was the spy, after all.
"There are only two audience members but that's enough, " Doloren muttered as she climbed up the stage.
She stood on the podium like a conductor and looked down at us. Rumi turned white with fear, but I was confident I could breakthrough the current situation.
"But fundamentally it's only a barrier, no?"
"... Pardon?"
I pulled Rumi into my arms and took out the [Mystic Key].
===
[Mystic Key] [Magic Artifact]
—A mystical key.
○Evolving Item — EXP 「90000/100000」
○Lv. 8 Unlocking
※Was converted into an effective good through the 8-star card, [Card Conversion].
===
I had upgraded the Mystic Key tremendously using [Item Experience Coupons].
Even the most solid barriers should become powerless in front of it.
"The first number is Messiah by George Frideric Handel. Ahem...."
Doloren began warming up. She was completely at ease, probably because she had already concluded that we could never break out of her barrier.
I thrusted the key into the ground. Its tip sunk into the ground, and click— it was hooked. It had reached the core of the barrier.
Woooong....
I forced Stigma's magic power into the key. This would surely strengthen it.
I then turned the key to the right with all my strength.
Koong—!
It sounded as if someone had pushed down on all the lowest keys on the piano at once.
Doloren's concert hall turned into gravel.
"... What? What's going on? My concert, where did it go?"
She looked around in confusion.
"Let's run."
"Excuse me? What are you— Kyak!"
I picked Rumi up and started running.
This was my third time using [Pinnacle-rank Instant Acceleration] today, yet I was just as fast as i was the first time. I could use this option without any limitation as long as I had the Orb of Regeneration with me.
**
Meanwhile, back at the underground fortress, everyone was already out of their tents, eagerly waiting for Black Lotus to return.
They all had witnessed Black Lotus' triumph from the camera around his neck.
Their hearts sank when 'Doloren' appeared, as she was known to be as equally powerful as a Master-rank Hero. However, to their surprise, Black Lotus defeated her easily and escaped with the spy.
His performance was nothing less of perfection.
"I knew he was a good bet."
Aileen nodded with satisfaction. Today, she had witnessed the true strength of Black Lotus.
"Right. And I'm really curious how he broke that barrier. What do you think, Aileen? That barrier didn't have any noticeable weakness in it. That monster looked confused, too."
Nicholas was overcome with excitement and curiosity.
"Hey Nayun, do you think he'd be willing to take a photo with me? I think I'll be able to get, like, 300 million likes if I post it online."
That last remark was Yi Jiyoon's.
Other Heroes also looked forward to meeting Black Lotus. They didn't expect him to answer all their questions, but still they were thrilled to finally meet Black Lotus in person.
"Ah, he's here!"
With her extraordinary eyesight, Jin Seyeon was the first to point to the other side of the tunnel. Everyone turned to where she pointed, and soon, two silhouettes appeared on the other side.
It was Black Lotus and the spy Rumi.
Rather than waiting for the two to come, the Heroes went to greet them. Aileen, as the commander in chief, stood in front of Black Lotus.
"Oi, it's been a while." Aileen greeted.
Black Lotus remained silent. He handed Rumi over to Parma, who was known as the 'Saint'. Rumi had fainted after failing to withstand Black Lotus' supersonic speed.
"... Hey, don't you know me?"
Aileen frowned, thinking Black Lotus just ignored her.
Black Lotus' answer was short.
"I do."
"Then why are you ignoring me like that?"
"It's not my job to look after you."
"..."
Aileen's face turned slightly red. Few muffled laughters broke out behind her.
"I never asked you to look after me! Be courteous, you!"
"...."
Black Lotus looked beyond Aileen. His gaze moved across Kim Suho, Nicholas, Yun Seung-Ah, Shin Jonghak, Jin Seyeon, then Chae Nayun. His gaze lingered on Chae Nayun for slightly longer. Having noticed it, Chae Nayun tilted her head in confusion.
"I'm leaving now, but be sure to tell me the information that the spy discovered."
Black Lotus turned around, but Aileen's high-pitched voice stopped him.
"Do you have any other business to take care of?"
As an ally, Black Lotus was more dependable than anyone else. Seeing as Black Lotus and Orden were archenemies, Aileen wanted to keep Black Lotus on her side at least until they defeated Orden. Black Lotus could secure their rear, attack the front, and even assist other Heroes from the back.
He would be the perfect addition to the team.
"..."
However, Black Lotus neither looked back nor spoke.
An eagle suddenly flew in from a distance and landed on his shoulder.
"Hey! Answer me before you leave!"
Black Lotus answered Aileen in a nonchalant voice.
"Contact the Chameleon Troupe if you want to recruit me."
And that was all he had to say.
"Excuse me, before you leave, can you maybe take just one photo with m-... uup!"
Chae Nayun and Kim Suho managed to stop Yi Jiyoon before she could finish her sentence.
Immediately afterwards, Black Lotus turned into a handful of dust and disappeared into thin air.
Silence descended on the fortress.
The Heroes all stared at the spot where Black Lotus had just stood.
The man came and left quite literally like the wind. Black Lotus should have been the enemy of Heroes, yet a sense of gratitude filled their hearts.
Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak. Yi Jiyoon and Jin Seyeon. Chae Nayun and Yun Seung-Ah....
Each member of the Task Force now had their own story of Black Lotus to tell.
And their stories would soon spread to the rest of the world in the form of rumors.
**
[World of Wish, 8F Crevon]
On a starry night in Crevon, Margrave Tomer was having teatime with a guest in the reception room of her mansion. The atmosphere was rather grave.
Staring at the dark clouds outside her window, Tomer muttered with a sigh.
"A lot has changed ever since the 30th floor crumbled down."
When Kim Suho cleared the final floor of the Tower, Crevon was under a state of emergency.
Cults heralded the end of Crevon one after the other. Some sought to overthrow the current regime.
However, this period of turmoil only served to bring Crevon together.
Araha, the fifth princess of Crevon, declared herself the king, finally unleashing all the ambition that she had tried so hard to keep hidden over the past years. She launched a series of innovative and radical policies to address the people's concerns.
Araha also recruited a number of skilled Players and regularly sent them on expeditions to the 9th floor. Half of the 9th floor that was once crawling with mythical monsters was now cleared out, and that was clearly a triumph on her part.
"What do you think?"
Tomer asked the guest while sipping on tea.
Recent changes had put her in a rather tricky political situation.
"... I am worried."
The clinking sound of iron resounded throughout the room along with a low-pitched voice.
The guest, a giant man, stared down at the cup in front of him, which was barely the size of his thumb, before picking it up and placing it on his palm.
Tomer gave a small smile.
"So even you're scared, Lü Bu?"
"..."
Lü Bu did not answer. He only grabbed his Square Sky Halberd with the hand that wasn't holding the cup.
However, before long, he raised his head again and stared Tomer in the eye.
"I heard that Earth will also transform into the Demon Realm."
"... Yes, that was the prophecy."
The highest-ranking administrators of the Tower of Wish—Buddha, Jesus, and other saints—had already ascended to Heaven. They left behind a single prophecy before they left.
[Demonic energy shall invade the blue world. We hope you will all work together to overcome this ordeal. ]
"But... the prophecy only applies to the outside world, " Tomer muttered and glanced at Lü Bu, anticipating his response.
The outside world.
Tomer had begun to refer to Earth as the outside world.
She recalled her parents. Earth had left nothing but scars on Tomer's family. This was the reason she did not want to leave Crevon. Tomer cherished the peaceful life she had here.
"Do you wish to descend as well, General Lü Bu?"
But others had very different opinions. Not only the administrators but also Lü Bu, Lancelot, and practically anyone who originated from Earth wanted to descend onto the outside world.
Lü Bu turned his head slowly and glared at Tomer.
"I'm merely following my lord."
"Right, and your lord is here in Crevon. Yet you worry about Earth."
"...."
Lü Bu clenched his teeth, which made his chin appear more threatening. Tomer stared back at him without being intimidated.
As the atmosphere between the two began to grow hostile....
Guoooo....
Suddenly, a strange vibration shook their surroundings.
Tomer and Lü Bu stopped and looked around in confusion.
It wasn't long before a message window popped up in front of Tomer.
[There has been a huge change to the System. ]
Only Tomer could see this message because she was simultaneously an NPC and a Player.
Her eyes widened as she read it.
**
The sky was dark without a hint of light.
I returned to Pandemonium. After a quick shower, I headed straight to Boss' office to give her a report of the mission.
"You're back."
Boss greeted me with her usual nonchalant look.
"I already received the news that you succeeded."
"Did you get the reward?"
"Yes. The Chameleon Troupe is now officially pardoned. Though I'm not sure how long we can manage to stay off that list this time...."
With a chuckle, Boss got up from her seat and came up to me.
"You did well."
Boss stared at me. Then she leaned over and hung something around my neck. It was a necklace.
"This is better than the one I gave to you when you first joined. I got this from the Association in exchange for accepting their newest request. You earned it, so you keep it."
[Heimdallr's Necklace] was its name. You could tell from its name how priceless this necklace was.
"This is...."
I was surprised that of all people Boss had chosen to give this to me. I knew from her official setting that she was an avid jewelry lover.
Grateful, I held the necklace up to examine it in detail.
It was then.
Guoooo....
I felt a huge vibration echo off the walls.
At the same time, several windows popped up, blocking my view.
[Outline — the narration has caught up with the original story; the remake story will take over fully. ]
[Problem — the last arc before the hiatus was much too dull. ]
[Setting Change — a huge 'system' has been incorporated into the story to minimize the dullness. ]
[Original Author's Privilege — Your eyes can now see other people's life force, among other 'stats'.... ]
| ← Ch. 281 | Ch. 283 → |