Chapter 121: Chapter 121

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Otherworld

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One of the 38 bad endings.

The Otherworld.

This is a bad ending that occurs when the Otherworld and reality merge through the medium of Grantoni.

When the "Otherworld" bad ending is triggered, a transcendent being, Gwejon, who exists only within the Otherworld, appears.

Gwejon

Gwejon is a separate entity of the Otherworld, distinct from Akjon of the real world.

To be precise, Gwejon was a transcendent being killed in the real world before Akjon even appeared.

'If you're dead, you should just accept your demise and vanish quietly.'

Yet Gwejon stubbornly clung to its long thread of life and established itself in the Otherworld.

And Gwejon was still constantly preparing to break into reality.

Therefore, the "Otherworld" bad ending isn't solely brought about by Grantoni.

Gwejon had been preparing to advance from the Otherworld into reality, completing various factors since an era far more distant than I had imagined.

'That's why I couldn't deal with Gwejon immediately, even if I wanted to.'

Gwejon only exists in the Otherworld.

So, even so, it wasn't as dangerous as Akjon.

That's precisely why there was no way to deal with Gwejon, who was firmly established in the Otherworld.

The Otherworld was practically Gwejon's front yard.

Stepping into it on my own would only lead to being eliminated by Gwejon.

Therefore, even in the original scenario, Lucas couldn't do anything about Gwejon.

Act 4, Scene 5: The Tangled Threads of Tragedy

In Act 4, Scene 5, Lucas rescues Grantoni and then completely seals off the Otherworld.

With that, Gwejon's plan is completely thwarted.

Afterward, all of Grantoni's eccentricities at the academy disappear.

Only, it's occasionally depicted that Grantoni can be found on the Special Studies Department rooftop, gazing at the stars in the sky.

'Because the Otherworld was everything to Grantoni.'

Grantoni's friend and unforgettable first love.

The one destined to become the world's greatest soul master.

'Musica.'

Additionally, another epithet was attached to her name.

One of the six great hero reincarnations to be fully highlighted in Act 5.

The Soul Guardian

Aquiline

Musica was the reincarnation of Aquiline.

However, Musica herself was unaware that she was Aquiline's reincarnation.

This was because, unlike the Saintess, Acrede, she had crossed the River of Oblivion without a blessing.

Instead, she possessed overflowing talent.

Even without her memories, she possessed an abundance of talent to become the world's greatest soul master.

But precisely because of that, her existence caught Gwejon's eye.

To Gwejon, she was a fruit sweeter than anything else in the world.

With her power, a foundation could be built to escape the Otherworld.

However, she possessed an unyielding soul.

Her soul was too steadfast for Gwejon to entice.

So Gwejon changed targets.

Someone who shared the same master as her, from the same lineage.

Vinesha.

Gwejon decided to use her.

On the day Vinesha dabbled with the Otherworld.

Gwejon exploited her innate abandonment issues, causing them to explode.

And the tragedy was complete.

Vinesha ended up sacrificing Musica to the Otherworld at Gwejon's behest.

Furthermore, as a price for dragging Gwejon into the real world, she fell into a berserk state.

At the moment her death was imminent due to her rampage.

Her master burned their own soul to protect Vinesha.

However, as a result, her master also met their demise.

Abandonment issues.

Far too much was broken to be explained by just that one thing.

Vinesha's abandonment issues were certainly excessive.

But they weren't so severe as to drive her to cause the death of her fellow disciple and her own master.

However, that incident completely shattered Vinesha.

As a consequence of being manipulated by Gwejon, she lost her memories, and her emotional defects became even more severe.

She used the Veil Bandages to suppress her fluctuating emotions, but even that was meaningless.

Her brain and emotions had already been completely melted down and messed up by Gwejon.

Ultimately, she forgot her master and her fellow disciples.

She merely floundered in unfulfilled affection, sinking into an abyss.

'Her obsession with the magic of Zerion, the Sage of Transcendence...'

Amidst the fragments of her shattered memories.

It might have been a vague wish to revive her master and reclaim Musica.

That was the full story of the "Otherworld" bad ending.

I stood quietly inside the empty classroom.

On the floor was a pendant that had passed from the master's hands to Vinesha, and then to Grantoni.

It was the pendant I had given Grantoni on the day we made our deal.

I picked up the pendant and opened its lid.

Inside, an old photograph was visible.

Vinesha, Musica, Grantoni.

And even their master.

A photo capturing the happiest time of their lives.

Every person in this photograph had their lives utterly destroyed by Gwejon.

I gripped the pendant tightly.

'Grantoni doesn't know the full extent of what Vinesha did.'

On the day the tragedy occurred, Grantoni returned home late with the master.

By then, Vinesha had already sacrificed Musica to Gwejon.

Grantoni's face was disfigured, caught in the rampaging power of Vinesha.

Due to the shock, Grantoni couldn't fully recall that day.

By the time Vinesha departed, letting out a maniacal laugh, the master was already dead.

After Grantoni finally regained consciousness, clutching the master's corpse, they hastily summoned her back from the Otherworld.

However, in an attempt to save Vinesha, she ended up expending even her soul's power.

As a result, she could only manage simple expressions of will.

Proper conversation was impossible.

Grantoni, left all alone after losing their first love and master.

There wasn't much Grantoni could do.

That very day, Grantoni pursued Vinesha, crossing from the Illusion Kingdom to the Empire.

"Sister Vinesha!"

"Hm?"

But Vinesha, her memory shattered, didn't recognize Grantoni at all.

"Who are you?"

That fact ignited an unbearable rage in Grantoni.

Grantoni had lost Musica, and lost the master.

Yet Vinesha was living as she pleased, her memories erased.

Grantoni's eyes fell upon the pendant she wore.

It was the pendant the master had placed around her neck in their final moments.

A pendant fastened with the hope that she wouldn't completely lose her memories.

It was the master's last memento.

"...You don't deserve to have that."

Grantoni cried out, revealing their anguish.

"That belongs to Master. Give it back!"

Thus, Grantoni launched an attack to reclaim the pendant from her, but Vinesha was strong.

Grantoni was utterly defeated by Vinesha.

"Why do you keep asking for it? This is mine. Mine, something I can never give away."

Vinesha absolutely refused to let the pendant be taken from her.

Ultimately defeated by Vinesha, Grantoni trudged away from her.

Afterward, to study how to bring Musica back from the Otherworld, Grantoni enrolled in Zerion Academy.

'After that, Vinesha's memories continued to erode.'

Memories and emotions inherently tend to wear away over time.

In such a situation, the core of her memory was shattered.

So no matter how precious something was, it eventually faded from her mind.

On the day she was working as an associate professor at the academy, she discarded the pendant.

And it was Lucas who happened to pick up this pendant.

Lucas sought out Vinesha to return the pendant.

And in the process, he discovered that Vinesha was attempting to steal Zerion's magic and was involved in mysticism.

On the day she was defeated by Lucas at the academy.

Vinesha threw the pendant at him, as if in a fit of desperation.

She no longer knew how precious it was to her.

Only the tears that streamed from her hollow eyes, as she stared at the shattered pendant, remained vividly in my memory.

'That's why I deliberately stole this pendant before it could be discarded.'

Even I couldn't know when Vinesha would discard the pendant.

The world's true course had already been distorted.

If she happened to discard the pendant somewhere I didn't know, it would be incredibly problematic.

That's why I had deliberately stolen her pendant and given it to Grantoni.

But this pendant ended up discarded here once again.

I don't know how Grantoni ended up in the Otherworld.

I couldn't guess at what point my actions to guide the world to its true course had triggered a butterfly effect.

One thing was certain: there was only one reason Grantoni would cross into the Otherworld.

'To reclaim Musica.'

I gripped the pendant tightly.

Guiding this world to its true ending.

That was, without a doubt, my own stubborn conviction and obstinacy.

Since the only way I knew to protect the world was to follow the true course, I somehow always pushed towards it.

However, on the day I saved Nia and rescued Nikata.

I made a firm decision.

I would make this world have the happiest ending.

And that thought remains the same now.

Grantoni and Vinesha.

A tragedy tangled like a ball of yarn.

I decided to untangle that yarn.

'Skip Act 4, Scene 4, the Autumn Palace, and finish the scenario starting from Act 4, Scene 5.'

Act 4, Scene 5.

The Tangled Threads of Tragedy.

To properly conclude the scenario, I would go to the Otherworld.

And the very first thing to do for that was clear.

'Run!'

Gripping the pendant in my hand, I ran at full speed like a madman.

With Grantoni having crossed into the Otherworld, every second was critical.

Even if Grantoni possessed the unique trait of being an 'Otherworlder'.

The longer Grantoni was exposed to the Otherworld, the more dangerous it became for them.

Moreover, the 'Otherworld' bad ending entailed Gwejon fully manifesting after consuming Grantoni and Musica.

If Gwejon consumed the characteristics of Grantoni and Musica, it could fully manifest.

A world where the Otherworld and the real world completely merged.

The worst possible world, where life and death intertwined, would come to pass.

That, I absolutely had to prevent.

It was just as I burst out of the Magicology Building.

A flash of blue hair fluttered before my eyes.

The moment I saw it, I didn't hesitate, sharply seizing her wrist.

The eyes of the person who belatedly noticed me widened.

Unbending Azure Flame.

It was Eve.

And just as her eyes were about to narrow in a frown.

"Eve, a life is on the line. Can you help?"

As soon as she heard my words, her expression instantly changed.

Instead of the frown that had been there moments before, the dignified demeanor of a protagonist from a side story emerged.

"What needs to be done?"

The very first answer that sprang forth was unwavering.

That's why I trust her.

Otherworld Grantoni Rescue Team.

For now, it's one person.