novelzi Chapter 189 : Chapter 189
Chapter 189 : Chapter 189
“It's certain.”Opening the box and checking it, Yuliana had steadily prepared the five Ascension Stone Fragments she promised.
To be honest, I thought my demand might have been a bit excessive, but it seemed Bellerophon also knew the seriousness of this matter well.
“Because credit is the basis of transactions.”
“I like it. If there's work to entrust in the future, entrust it to your heart's content.”
“But…… will you really be okay?”
I know what Yuliana is worried about.
Originally, Ascension Stone Fragments possessed a nature like deadly poison to players, and it would be stranger if there were no concerns when voluntarily swallowing such deadly poison.
“No need to worry. Don't you know?”
“That is true, but…… it's a fact that I'm worried. Honestly, I question if there's any person who absorbed that many Fragments even among Demonic persons.”
My thoughts weren't that different from that.
Even taking Demonic Transformation into account, there would be a limit to the Demonic energy an individual can handle.
Unmanageable power was bound to destroy beyond the level of simply contaminating the mind and body.
“No need to worry.”
“Of course, it must be so, but…….”
While unable to shake off her worries, Yuliana handed over the Ascension Stone Fragments unexpectedly obediently.
“Then contact me if other work arises.”
“Ah, about that part. There's something you need to hear.”
“What is it?”
Yuliana seemed to ponder for a moment at that, then soon opened her mouth.
“It's not certain yet, but it seems a war will break out soon.”
“War?”
Not much time has passed since the war between the Empire and the Eastern Union ended.
Of course, although that war didn't spread to the level of total war, anyone could know that if the Supreme King hadn't died, it would have spread to total war.
But how long has it been since the war between the Empire and the Eastern Union concluded? If there's another war, the target was only one.
“Is it the Hall of Subjugation?”
Bellerophon and the Hall of Subjugation have been fighting an invisible war for a long time.
But if Yuliana says this much, it meant there were signs that the war below the surface was rising above the surface.
“Yes. You would know if you saw the Anonymous Bulletin Board, but the recent atmosphere among players is unusual. The public opinion that we must return to Earth even if we have to obtain Fragments has become too strong. Actually, with such thoughts, even if not affiliated with the Hall of Subjugation, players opposing Bellerophon have also increased.”
“Certainly that is so, but is there still no evidence that one can return to Earth just by obtaining Fragments?”
Rather, considering the things the Supreme King committed, it was a more rational thought to find the answer in magic through human sacrifice rather than the Fragments side.
Of course, despite that, the majority of players would still look for the answer in Ascension Stone Fragments, but it was strange that it suddenly surfaced.
Yuliana also nodded her head as if knowing that fact.
“About that part…… It seems various stories related to Fragments are coming out within the Hall of Subjugation. Of course, even though it's the Hall of Subjugation's unilateral claim, it's certain that part is moving public opinion.”
“What kind of story?”
“They say there's a Demonic person within the Hall of Subjugation who discovered a way to return to Earth. According to that Demonic person, if we find the key, we can open the door blocking the way between the Lagna Continent and Earth.”
Door and key.
Those words were words I absolutely couldn't just pass over.
“Did you find out about that Demonic person?”
“We are still grasping the situation, but there is a place we guess. Do you know about the Gray Clouds of the Hall of Subjugation?”
“I know. I know it was a guild counted on one hand even within the Hall of Subjugation in the past.”
Yuliana nodded her head.
“Since you know, the story will be faster. It is said the guild leader of Gray Clouds was ousted recently.”
“The guild leader was ousted?”
Thinking about the guild structure within the World of Justice, it is absolutely not easy for guild members to raise a rebellion.
Because as seen in Bikers previously, the guild leader had the authority to offer affiliated guild members as a price for a contract if they set their mind to it.
In other words, the fact that the guild leader holds the power of life and death over guild members was exactly the law of this world.
Especially if it was the guild leader of Gray Clouds, they would have been a considerable high-level player to the extent that I also knew them.
And yet a rebellion…….
“We can't know the rebellion process in detail, but considering the Gray Clouds' guild leader was defeated too, it's certain it proceeded quite meticulously. The power shift happened literally in an instant.”
“Is there someone who newly seized power?”
“Yes. Bellerophon's side grasps it as the rebellion of Vice Guild Leader Nero.”
“Nero……. It's a nickname I've heard of.”
“Yes. He is a person with higher notoriety than even the guild leader, Jukebox. He's a person who has practically played a role like the real power in Gray Clouds.”
“Are you saying that person is the Demonic person who found a way to return to Earth this time?”
Yuliana nodded her head.
“For now, it has been grasped like that currently.”
“The basis for that?”
“Nero is rallying the forces of the Hall of Subjugation centering on Gray Clouds. It is said he subdued even hostile forces while emitting powerful Demonic energy no one has seen until now.”
“That powerful Demonic energy added credibility to Nero's words.”
“Yes. Because the fact that one possesses powerful Demonic energy the more Fragments they absorb is a fact all Demonic persons know.”
For now, I couldn't know whether Nero really found a way to return to Earth or not, but anyway, it was certain Nero was someone who won an authority that hadn't appeared until now.
‘Given that he mentioned a door and key, at least Level 6. Perhaps he won an authority higher than that.’
Whatever happened, it was a problem I couldn't just pass over.
“Then does Bellerophon intend to go to war with the Hall of Subjugation?”
“It might become like that, but before that, there's something I want to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“The reason Gray Clouds could rally the Hall of Subjugation quickly is because they are strong, but above all, because they hold a powerful justification. Because the fact that one can return to Earth with a player's power is that powerful justification.”
Yuliana added with a somewhat bitter smile.
“Then, would there really be a reason for Bellerophon to have to oppose the Hall of Subjugation?”
“Unexpected question. Wasn't Bellerophon a group wary of the Demonic energy, the Fragments harbor and the existence of Demonic persons?”
“That is correct, but just the reason that Demonic energy is dangerous doesn't become a justification to block people's will to return home. Rather, some would consider Demonic persons as heroes who obtained a way to return to Earth by sacrificing themselves.”
“It's an absurd viewpoint, but a story with sufficient possibility.”
Everyone knows Demonic energy and Demonic persons are dangerous existences, but that's only for the person eroded by Demonic energy.
If someone absorbs Fragments themselves and finds out about the truth of this world, it wasn't a strange thing at all even if people praised them as a hero.
“So I want to ask you. Please find out the reason Bellerophon can remain Bellerophon. If it's you who can oppose the Demonic, you will be able to see the truth no one has seen.”
“Are you asking me to find the reason for your existence? Honestly, it's a little perplexing. Can't Bellerophon just stick to Bellerophon's way like until now?”
“One cannot win a fight without justification. Even if the path the Hall of Subjugation takes is not right, if it's not a wrong path, we would be like that too.”
Yuliana was saying this war isn't simply a war between Bellerophon and the Hall of Subjugation.
This war will inevitably be a war between those who do not wish to return to Earth and those who do.
Players will be divided in half.
Yuliana was saying so.
“To simply oppose for the sake of opposing…… too many people have died. To the extent that I want to stop now.”
Yuliana's eyes were trembling little by little.
How many people have died in the invisible war between Bellerophon and the Hall of Subjugation until now?
Naturally, I didn't know.
There was only one answer I could give to such words of Yuliana.
“Understood. If I get to know the truth, I'll let you know. Since I'll have to do that anyway.”
“……Thank you, really.”
Anyway, if I even get to know the secret beyond the Ascension Stone Fragments, eventually I must share it with the players.
The Ascension Stone Fragments have been blatantly urging players to open the ‘door’ until now.
If some scheme is hidden there, I had to stop it somehow.
“Then I'll be going now. Anything left to say?”
“……No. Let's finish the rest later. Since the truth will be the most important thing right now anyway.”
“Is that so, understood?”
Yuliana's words were something I also agreed with to some extent.
Although I don't have particular thoughts about Bellerophon, it was because anyway, regarding the truth related to the Ascension Stone Fragments, I was feeling responsibility to some extent.
‘Then…… shall I go.’
Now, it was time to go toward the truth.
***
After the meeting with Yuliana.
I moved my steps to absorb the Ascension Stone Fragments I obtained from Bikers previously and the Ascension Stone Fragments received as remuneration from Yuliana.
‘If it's this amount, I'll definitely reach Level 7 authority for now.’
Perhaps it was a level where I could sufficiently aim for even higher than that.
Soon, finally, I will be able to advance one step further to the truth hidden inside the Ascension Stone Fragments.
Naturally, since I couldn't absorb this in the middle of the Imperial Capital, I left the Imperial Capital, headed to a mountain with no human presence, and then summoned the Bone Dragon.
Since the Subordination Contract was already made with the Bone Dragon, I could summon it anytime if I wanted.
[Kiek.]
Not long after, the Bone Dragon revealed its appearance from the sky, and I climbed onto the Bone Dragon.
Although I haven't prepared a saddle separately yet, a slight discomfort was worth enduring.
“Let's go to the sky.”
[Kie-ek.]
The place I chose to absorb the Ascension Stone Fragments was the sky.
Since the storm of Demonic energy occurring as I reach Level 7 authority would be much huger than when I reached Level 6 authority, I intended to go up to the stratosphere altogether and absorb the Ascension Stone Fragments.
The Bone Dragon flew very fast in the sky, and not long after, we could arrive in the stratosphere.
‘This much should be done.’
If it's here, even if a moderate level of Demonic energy storm occurs, they won't pay much attention on the ground.
No, even if seen, since the height is so high, it will be okay to some extent.
‘Then…… shall I try absorbing.’
I took out the Ascension Stone Fragments I obtained from the Bikers guild members which I had packed in advance, and from Yuliana.
As soon as I brought my hand to them, the Ascension Stone Fragments started being absorbed into me at once.
[Absorbing ‘Ascension Stone Fragments’.]
[You have obtained the first opportunity to reach the Great Heaven.]
Along with that, everything around started being dyed with darkness.
Scenery as if the sky was extinguished.
Even the existence of the Bone Dragon, which I must be stepping on clearly, wasn't felt here at all.
Only darkness was visible.
[Face the first will of the Great Heaven.]
What was revealed in the pitch-black darkness was a single door made of light.
That door was half open, and the scenery beyond the door was a scenery I already knew well.
‘Earth.’
What was beyond that was Earth.
I unconsciously tried to reach out beyond that door, but for some reason, I couldn't cross the door.
An unidentified resistance gave a feeling like I would absolutely never be able to cross the door no matter what means I used to reach out, and that wasn't a wrong feeling.
‘From this side, one cannot cross beyond that door.’
If so, what on earth is the significance of this door's existence?
The question wasn't that long.
‘Mm?’
Not long after, I could discover some abnormal phenomenon occurring at that door.
It was because something was crossing over to this side through the door where Earth was visible.
From this side, one cannot go to that side.
But from that side, one can come to this side.
The door before my eyes right now seemed like a door made for such a purpose.
In other words, it was a door where only a one-way path was possible.
If so, what is the identity of the things crossing over from Earth to this world in this one-way door?
‘What is that?’
What should I call that?
Soul?
Ghost?
Lump of energy?
Things that were ambiguous for me to express were crossing over from Earth to here clearly.
‘……Ah.’
Not long after, I could know what that unknown energy body was.
Because I saw the energy body that crossed through that door scatter and enter the bodies of certain humans that were like empty shells.
I knew their identity.
‘Player.’
They became players.
Finally, I could know what was crossing over through the door before my eyes.
This door was none other than the door used when players crossed over from Earth to this world.