◈ Episode 153

The mucus clumped together as if maggots were swarming. Countless bubbles bubbled and formed a human figure. A tall, yet thin silhouette.

'It's still there... ...!'

Kim Yi-hyeon instinctively distanced himself. It was a series of unexpected events. While his emotions were agitated, his thoughts remained calm.

There are two choices right now: fight or flee.

It was a no-brainer choice.

'It's actually a good situation.'

The condition for the Godmother to activate the spell above a certain level is the death of numerous creatures, meaning that sacrifices are essential.

And now the conditions are not met.

It's a funny metaphor, but the deaths scattered here have expired. The afterglow of death has long since dissipated. The ruins that remain are the only evidence of the tragedy.

There is a chance of winning.

Click!

As soon as he reached his conclusion, Kim Yi-hyeon took out the Helixivir and removed the stopper. There was no hesitation in the action of putting the needle to his neck. It was the moment when he was about to inject the drug.

He stopped with his hands upright.

"Who are you?"

As the mucus gradually peeled off, it became apparent naturally.

Hair as black as the night sky, even darker than that of Asians. Long, slender arms and legs. The external features were similar, but they were only 'similar'.

"My name is Altair."

A tone that is quiet as a whisper, yet resonates clearly.

"I thought you were the current Hyeon who was active in Bastetira before...."

Altair's head turned slowly.

The direction my gaze landed on was behind Kim I-Hyeon. Castus, with horns on his head, was running towards me, emitting heat and flames that seemed to distort the atmosphere.

It wasn't just one person.

"Mr. Hyun! Step back!"

An electric current shot out from the girl's hand as she cried out urgently. A man wearing a mask pulled out a dagger. A woman with pink hair and eyes in the distance aimed her gun.

In a tense situation, Kim Lee-Hyeon raised his right hand.

"It's okay. Stop."

That alone changed the atmosphere.

The enemy's intent to attack at any moment had subsided, even though their vigilance remained. The spell's activation had ceased, and only the muzzle of the gun was still aimed at Altair.

Altair was honestly impressed.

"You seem to be very trusted by your group."

"Thank you."

Kim Yi-hyeon said, calming her down with a wink once more.

"It's more about you."

[Ivory] appeared in Kim Yi-Hyeon's hand. He continued the conversation while aiming precisely at Altair's head. It was to indicate that he would shoot if he showed any suspicious signs.

"You came to see me? How and why?"

"No, it is you who has come."

"What does that mean?"

"I have been watching this place for about two weeks."

The black robes, similar to priestly vestments, fluttered in the wind. A high wind that had blown somewhat early swept across the ruins of Shamalshina.

"Do you know the person who is called 'Godmother' in the world?"

"…Are you a colleague of your godmother?"

Altair smiled wryly at Leila's question.

"Deborah was once our comrade. But it is an old story from the past. I tell you in advance that Deborah's evil deeds are a grave sin that cannot be forgiven even by us."

"What on earth are we…?"

"I am just a witch who lives in hiding in a remote forest."

Kim Yi-Hyeon recalled the game's setting. From the moment he confirmed that the opponent's face did not match the Great Mother's, he had seen through Altair's true identity.

Mutant Vidia.

They are not a race that exerts much influence on the continent. There are several reasons for this, but to put it simply, their lifestyle itself is extremely closed.

'Unless something really bad happens, I won't come out of the forest.'

If we turn it around, it becomes like this.

A problem serious enough to cause Vidia to break convention arose.

"I have been waiting for someone to tell the world about the tragedy Deborah caused. I can say that it was a happy miscalculation to meet you, Lord Hyun."

"I don't know why I'm happy."

"Deborah, who was wary of us and reluctant to open the 'sanctuary', has shown such drastic actions. This means that she is cornered, and I believe that the cause is you, Lord Hyun."

I was able to understand it after hearing this far.

'Episode 17, huh?'

After several fierce battles with the Great Mother after Bastet, just like now, Vidia's messenger appears before the professor's group.

Even though the location is different, the composition is exactly the same.

"I would like to invite you, Mr. Hyun."

The story is about being guided to the tower in the forest. The target has changed from the professor to Kim I-Hyeon, but it doesn't matter much. As long as you are recognized by the priest of Vidia, you can obtain the item.

An item that removes the 'system invincibility' of the godmother.

This is an essential item required for strategy.

'I tried to go there but I couldn't find it… .'

The location wasn't mentioned in detail in the game either. It could have been found by asking around, but that would be pointless. In the first place, uninvited guests can't reach the tower.

As the saying goes, it was a happy miscalculation.

But I also had some rough feelings.

'I wonder if I can call this a blessing.'

It's like getting a sword to kill the godmother by exchanging it with Shamalshina. Even if it wasn't his intention, the cause of the collapse of a perfectly healthy country must have been a twist in the scenario.

There is no guilt. It is in the past.

However, I feel a sense of responsibility for what will happen in the future.

"Let me ask you one more thing."

"Anything within the scope of what I can answer."

"Where is your godmother now?"

"Fortunately, it's an easy question."

The Vidias are interconnected through the sanctuary. Deborah, in particular, has expanded the sanctuary to the winter stage twice in one year. The connection is stronger than anyone else's.

If you trace the coordinates and match them to a map of the continent, you will find the answer.

"Near the Shiran Empire. Howland."

Kim Ihyeon closed his eyes tightly at Altair's answer.

'This crazy bitch.'

An island nation that was destroyed decades ago, like Shalem.

A land known to be uninhabited in modern times.

There is 'Marcus Dresner'.

There is a bomb that will accelerate the destruction of the continent.

"Okay. I'll follow you."

"Tongue, Mr. Hyun?"

Kim Yi-hyun looked at Leila's shocked face. The professor and the other agents all had similar expressions. They looked like moths flying into a flame on their own.

There's no time to waste.

"You guys go back to the lab first. Go and tell Kushan the news."

"I don't know what Mr. Hyun is thinking, but this time, I can't do that. This isn't a matter that can be decided right away. Please discuss it thoroughly with the director and..."

"I can't afford that. Kushan would understand."

He said firmly.

"I will return as quickly as possible as soon as my business is over, so gather your strength. Even more than at Basteta. Approach it with the intention of an all-out war with the Legion, not just the Matriarch."

Next up were the agents of Dustborne.

When I called Chelsea, only then did she put down her gun and come over to me.

"Chelsea, take this."

The lightly thrown object flew in a parabolic arc. Chelsea checked the object in her hand from front to back. It was a small pouch with a strap for easy carrying.

"What is it?"

"Think of it as a compass or navigation. The destination is Albatross' temporary base. Go there and ask for help. Lab received the same thing, but the report comes first."

"You're saying we have to hurry? Okay."

He nods, clutching his pockets.

"What about the personnel distribution?"

"Asterique only sticks to me."

"Wouldn't it be better to take Mr. Edwin too?"

"No. Two will do."

Asterike is more of an insurance policy than a necessity. If everything goes smoothly, there won't be a fight. If Edwin is out, Chelsea will be anxious.

"Do your best. I'll trust you."

I patted Chelsea on the shoulder. He was a troublemaker in many ways, but he was a trustworthy guy when it mattered. He was someone I could trust with my group when I had to leave.

Chelsea were grateful for that trust.

"Don't forget to pack it generously."

"I know even if you don't say anything."

Kim I-hyeon, who was snickering, turned his back. Altair was standing in place like a tree, waiting for the cleanup to be finished. He met her gaze with dull purple eyes.

"Let's leave right away."

* * *

Nephritus opened her eyes with difficulty.

Even though there was no fog, my vision was blurry. To my unfocused eyes, one object appeared as if it were several.

I felt dizzy, as if I was very drunk. I must have really been drunk. I felt nothing as the dark red bugs that were burrowing into my fingernails and toenails were slowly eating away at my flesh.

There is pain. Every nerve in my body screams out that it is painful, but the pain feels distant. Even the screams I reflexively let out do not sound like my own voice.

It was a change I noticed ten days after the torture began.

'There are all kinds of strange things.'

Is this a kind of self-defense mechanism to protect the mind from external stimuli? If so, is it that the personality has been separated without the person knowing it? Are humans such strong yet fragile creatures?

"There's no emotion in the scream."

Knock, knock!

The sound of the cane hitting the floor rang hollowly.

Then Nephritus was grabbed by the hair and forcibly lifted up. Their bloodshot eyes and purple-colored ones took in each other's images.

"Okay, what did you see this time?"

"How many times have I not told you, Kukuk!"

Nephritus, who had vomited black blood, smiled crookedly.

"It was the death of four years. It was a very tragic and ugly end. It was so delightful that I think I could watch it a hundred times without getting tired of it. Even though I don't particularly enjoy drifting through time."

A laughter mixed with a raspy sound flowed out.

Despite the obvious ridicule, the godmother showed no sign of anger. However, Nephritsis knew from experience that visible reactions were not the only truth.

As expected.

Phew!

"Ahhhhh…!"

The staff's tip stabbed Nephritus' thigh. She twisted the staff as it penetrated the flesh and entered. The scream that had been repeated hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, burst out once more.

"Even the great Saint Shamalshina could not see my future."

"...I, ugh! I told the truth. The future is not something that mere humans can choose to their own liking. Aren't I proving that to you four years ago?"

The chains on his limbs creaked with every movement.

I don't know where this is. It's a very wide space for a prison. Stone pillars placed at regular intervals support the ceiling. There are no windows, so it seems to be underground. This information wasn't very helpful.

Imprisonment and torture. No matter how much you scream, no help comes. You are forced to eat food worse than garbage and pass out several times a day.

And then I have terrible nightmares.

It is the dream of the day when Shamalshina collapsed overnight. Even the personality that was separated as a self-defense mechanism cannot be free from what is imprinted on the mind. It is equally painful.

Nephritus was the first to know.

The more I tried to escape from the present, the more often I looked into the future.

In her visions, she experienced the future as a floating spirit. The time periods seemed different each time, but one commonality was soon discovered.

'Who is that man…?'

There is always one man.

He was in the ruins of Shamalshina, in some dark tower, in some underground facility built with advanced technology, and even here.

Nephritus giggled as she recalled the glimpses of the future she had seen.

"I'll tell you again. Soon you will die. It is a future as certain as the destruction of Shamalshina. Go ahead and struggle, it will be quite a sight to behold."

The godmother's eyes grew cold.

She pulled the staff out of Nephritus' thigh and stood up. The mucus flowing from under her feet clung to Nephritus.

"Ahhh, ahhhhhh!"

I walked along the path, my voice singing along to the screams that were torn apart. An abandoned underground cistern. The deeper I went, the quieter the screams became, and other noises began to mix in.

A repeating beep like a metronome.

The sound of steam gushing out from a turbine.

The sound of water flowing through pipes hanging from the ceiling.

At the very bottom was a man buried in a giant machine.

"...."

The godmother did not say anything to him. She did not feel the need to. Markus Dresner's consciousness was dispersed among the dolls he handled.

It was the last resort that the godmother had prepared. The corners of her mouth curled and her teeth showed between her lips. She grabbed my breasts with her hands as if she was going to tear them apart.

"Ugh, haa…!"

Pain spread through her entire body along with her pulse. The cold sweat did not stop. Ever since the bullet pierced her heart, the godmother had been suffering from phantom pain.

There was a set way out of the pain.

It's just kill or be killed.

"Come on, come on..."

As soon as possible.

The enemy was just waiting for us to get here.