Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Sigurd Sigurdson. The maliciousness of that man lies exactly there. Even though the avatars he manipulates retain their consciousness, in many cases, they are unaware that they are merely puppets moving at his will.

At Romaines explanation, Leonard asked with curiosity.

They retain consciousness but fail to perceive it?

Yes. Its because of the cunning methods he employs.

Romaine continued after a brief pause.

He usually manipulates the puppets in two ways. One is by drastically boosting the human ego, and stimulating the desire to become a more remarkable being, making the puppet accept itself as it is.

Hmm?

The problem arises after acceptance. Once the connection is made, the extensive experience and knowledge he has accumulated, along with the mad desire to become part of a greater flow, all converge, elevating the puppets spirit immensely. At this moment, the puppet believes it has become his accomplice, mistaking his strong desires as their own, and readily lends their body without hesitation.

Romaine and Leonard.

The two were currently walking down a long corridor made of stone.

The old stone walls, covered in moss, bore the clear marks of time, but the sporadic blue torches, seemingly just lit, illuminated the path brightly.

The other method is even more malicious. It involves completely tearing down a persons self-esteem or driving them into a severe corner, making the puppet give up its sense of self entirely. The puppet then moves entirely according to his will. In extreme cases, the puppet might even come to believe that it is Sigurd Sigurdson himself.

Leading the way, Romaine glanced around at the fork in the road before deciding on a direction and proceeding.

In this case, the puppet literally lives as Sigurd Sigurdson. Of course, the process of making them give up their self-consciousness is not exactly humane, so its inevitable that there will be some gaps in the puppets memory.

Gaps in memory? But how can they not realize they are being controlled?

Because most of those gaps are filled the moment they fully connect with him. As I mentioned earlier, humans connected to Sigurd cannot escape the euphoria brought on by the intensely stimulated mental activity. The sensation is so strong and captivating that the disappearance of some human memories is hardly noticeable.

Romaine paused to let out a soft, hollow laugh.

With each smile, his lips twisted into a dark smirk.

Such unaware puppets continue their delusions even after he leaves, pitifully believing themselves to be not merely human but, in fact, demons. They think they are demon lords who traverse dimensions, destined to become part of a grand tale someday.

Deeply despairing over their own insignificance, they easily become engrossed in the brief euphoria bestowed upon them by another for convenience. Its truly a foolish thing, isnt it?

Leonard, feeling a bit embarrassed by Romaines words that sounded like a profound self-mockery, distracted himself with a cough.

Fortunately, before the atmosphere could become any heavier, they arrived at their destination.

Romaine stood in front of a large door adorned with elegant relief work and said to Leonard,

This is my base of operations. For you to enter with me, Mr. Leo, you would need to become a member of my party. As I mentioned earlier, you simply need to agree.

As soon as he finished speaking, a broken text window appeared in front of Leonard.

invites Mr. $ksRns to join the party. Do you accept?

Accept / ecline

Startled, Leonard glanced at Romaines face and then nodded.

I accept.

Then, another text window popped up.

You have joined s party.

Phew.

Leonard shook his head in disbelief and took a swig from his flask.

Well, I must say, even though you gave me a fair warning, its still surprising. It seems this place really is another dimension.

The two were currently inside the labyrinth.

Due to Sigurd Sigurdson urgently accessing the labyrinth for some reason, Romaine was also able to successfully recover some lost connections.

With a heavy creaking noise, the door opened to reveal another corridor lined with multiple rooms.

Unlike the previous areas, the interior was brightly decorated, causing Leonards eyes to widen in surprise. Romaine strode inside and said,

Mr. Leo, I will grant you access to certain parts of this base. From now on, you will be free to come and go in the authorized areas.

Wow, Romaine! I never imagined. This is really!

Leonard looked around excitedly, his face flushed with enthusiasm.

Isnt this the perfect hideaway! Can I bring others here?

Romaine looked back at him as if he had said something absurd.

Of course, Seongjin thought he was relatively fine, so this was just an excuse to not miss out on his training.

Fortunately, this persuasion was quite successful.

Is that so?

Indeed, that makes sense.

Well, if its His Majesty the Holy Emperor.

Yes, the Holy Emperors cheat key is always an invincible logic.

Thus, when Seongjin arrived at the imperial palace, despite the late hour, the Holy Emperors office was brightly lit as usual.

Perhaps due to working late, the Holy Emperor appeared slightly tired as he greeted Seongjin. He looked at Seongjin with an inscrutable gaze for a moment before slowly calling out to him.

Morres.

Yes.

Morres.

Yes?

As Seongjin responded again, puzzled, the Holy Emperor remained silent for a while.

Just when Seongjin was starting to worry if something was amiss, the Holy Emperor suddenly gestured for him to come closer.

As expected, a strong light poured down from above, and Seongjin could feel his condition improving instantly.

Had the Holy Emperor seen something lacking even after Logans treatment?

Moreover, the difference in condition before and after the treatment was distinctly noticeable.

Indeed, the Holy Emperors power is said to be different from ordinary divine energy.

Sit down.

Yes.

Seongjin sat down opposite, slightly amazed.

Then, as if waiting for the right moment, Louis served tea at the perfect temperature.

It seems this person had anticipated my arrival.

Well, if he roughly knows, itll be easier to report

As he thought this and was about to take a sip of tea,

So, did you have a good trip to the labyrinth?

Seongjin almost spit out his tea in surprise.

You knew?

As Seongjin asked with a wary face, the Holy Emperor tilted his head slightly.

I thought thats what you came to report. Was it supposed to be a secret?

No, its not that

Sweating, Seongjin replied.

Of course, it was difficult to keep anything hidden from this person, but he had hoped to avoid mentioning the dangerous part of his trip to the labyrinth.

He had intended to report about the suspicions surrounding the Scarcepino family and the true identity of that Riccardo fellow.

And, while he was at it, to inquire about the Oracle.

I apologize. It seems Ive caused unnecessary worry again.

As Seongjin bowed his head in apology, the Holy Emperor responded with a serene face.

No, its alright. I wasnt overly worried. You once told me you had swiftly dealt with the monsters in the labyrinth.

Excuse me?

Confused, Seongjin asked again, and the Holy Emperors eyes deepened as if recalling something.

Yes. I wonder how I could have forgotten that until now. You had clearly told me so.

?

And the corners of the Holy Emperors mouth lifted faintly.

You said that you have become quite strong now, so I shouldnt worry about anything and just trust you.