Chapter 28

Chapter 28

What the hell is this...?

Ian hadn't lost consciousness. On the contrary, his mind was clearer than ever before. Suddenly, his ears felt clogged. He experienced a bizarre sensation of falling endlessly while simultaneously soaring.

The next moment, a sea of stars unfolded before his eyes. The universe stretched out endlessly. Ian was falling into its midst, yet also rising. Ian realized then that his physical body no longer existed.

Only his consciousness was falling into the middle of the universe, flowing at an incredible speed. Planets drew near then, in the next instant, became distant. It was a mesmerizing yet terrifying sight. It wasn't much different from what he had seen in documentaries or movies, but the realism was incomparable.

Whatever this is, it's fucking amazing.

Ian couldn't turn his gaze away or close his eyes; he just faced it all. The distant twinkling stars turned into colorful lines that filled his vision and swept away. Ian realized he was accelerating more and more, endlessly.

Straight lines became curves, and at one moment, when he could no longer tell exactly what he was seeing, all the lines suddenly disappeared.

Instead, Ian's vision was filled with rings of light that undulated silently. Rings of light that held darkness within them. Ian realized that it closely resembled something he had seen in a movie before.

A black hole...?

Could this really be called by such a simple name? Without time to marvel, he reached the ring of the black hole. Even Ian couldn't remain calm in such a moment. He knew that not even light could escape from within it. But there was nothing he could do.

Ian’s vision flashed, undulated, and then darkened again. It was an abyss with no end in sight.

Yet, strangely, Ian felt dazzled. This was a world where all laws were inverted. The next moment, the light disappeared. In its place, darkness descended, it was a white darkness. It was the eye of some colossal entity. Something that his cognition couldn't fully grasp. Then, the eye looked at him.

"...!" A shudder followed by an overwhelming fear that he couldn't handle rapt over him. In an instant which also felt like an eternity, everything became a point and receded. His vision flipped again.

"Ugh...!" Ian, crashing to the ground, vomited.

The purple mist that had clung to his entire body sparkled and evaporated without a trace. Though he had returned to reality, Ian was still consumed by fear, unable to regain his sanity.

All his senses flowed and mixed together. His whole body trembled as if seizing, and Ian hurriedly raised his Mental Fortitude stat in the status window, an action almost like a desperate struggle. But it had an effect. The convulsions subsided, and the fear gradually receded. His senses returned to their places.

However, the darkness remained as black as ever. It was the spell circuits that had stopped working, which caused the light source to completely disappear.

"Ptui. Phew, phew...." Ian spat out the bile-mixed saliva, gasping for breath.

Checking the status window, he saw that his Mental Fortitude stat had increased by a whopping nine points. It was a significant consumption of points, but he didn't regret it.

Without it, he might have gone mad. It was a necessary attribute, after all. Ian's gaze, having closed the status window, fixed again in the middle of the darkness. A new window had popped up.

What is this now...? A sub-quest he had never seen before, let alone received, was completed. Fragments of Chaos. The main text stated that a fragment that had broken off from the primordial chaos had been returned to the void. The reward was a shard of chaos.

That black hole was the void? Ian quickly accepted the situation.

Then that entity was... an ancient God? Ian could think of no other explanation. A smirk spread across Ian's lips. He had encountered one of the void gods that the corrupt often mentioned.

I wonder if Conrad saw this too? ...Well, if he did, he wouldn't be alive.

It was an experience he wouldn't want to repeat, but there was a reward after all. And it was inside his body. Ian had been feeling the same sensation as when he first felt magic, right after he regained his sanity.

A sensation as if a new sensory organ had sprouted somewhere inside his body emerged. Ian calmly observed this organ. A fist-sized lump had settled somewhere deep within his mind. From its core, he felt an energy similar to the shards of chaos. Something that seemed like pure magic or divine power.

Chaos... Could this possibly be Chaos Power? Ian's brows furrowed involuntarily. The thought fit perfectly, but it seemed impossible. Chaos Power was the energy of the void. In the game, only a handful of the corrupted ones or demons used this power. For a player to obtain Chaos Power, their character had to be corrupted.

...Just like with the apostle quest. I guess all restrictions are truly gone. Ian quickly accepted the phenomenon. The principles or reasons behind it were irrelevant. The important fact was that he had obtained the Chaos Power.

Well, that's good, especially since my magical power was lacking. If I research and use it well... As Ian's thoughts continued, his eyebrows twitched suddenly due to a familiar vibration.

"Mev...?"

It wasn't a mistake. The vibrations created by divine power and tainted magic sent shivers through his skin.

Miguel continued, "Suddenly, he said his master was dead. That's when we knew. You had succeeded in killing the dark mage. Do you know what he said then?"

"Don't keep me in suspense," said Ian.

Miguel continued, "...With the being that restrained him gone, he would go into the world. He said he'd start by burning this damned kingdom. Taking the lives of everything to become stronger. Like the demons beyond the black wall. He said he'd create his own realm.”

Like master, like servant, Ian thought with a bitter smile. It was truly a futile dream. Vernon must have become a puppet of another corrupt being.

"So, she made her decision in the end," said Ian.

"No. Our lord never gave up hope to the very end. She tried to persuade him, believing he could be purified." Miguel shrugged his shoulders.

Miguel continued, "Then suddenly everything turned dark. Divine power burst forth from the lady's entire body. It seemed even she was surprised. The Goddess of Judgement must have been truly angered. Understandable, since a beloved apostle had suddenly disappeared and then returned."

"Oh no..." Ian's brows narrowed. He had hoped Mev had chosen to kill Vernon of her own accord.

"That madman actually enjoyed it. Then he truly tried to kill our lord. Maybe he wanted to give his all... Anyway, that's when the real fight began. Our lord almost screamed. It seemed she didn't want to kill him to the very end..." Miguel's expression turned bitter.

"In the end, it looked as though he threw himself onto the lady's sword. Whether he thought he could win or what, I don't know. But then... and then..." Miguel gestured back and forth between the pillar of light and Ian.

Miguel then continued, "That happened, and you came."

"...I see." Ian clicked his tongue briefly.

If Mev couldn't find his brother, she'd become a mad murderer, and if Mev did find him, she'd have to kill him with his own hands. These tragic elements were entertaining when this world was a game. But now that it had become a reality, they were not enjoyable.

The only thought Ian had at that moment was What a fucked up world.

Woosh.

The pillar of light finally subsided. Mev's body gently fell to the ground, as did the body of the Knight of Death, Vernon, in her arms. With faint divine power surrounding her, Mev lifted her head. Her hand grazed Vernon's dented helmet.

Click.

The visor fell off, revealing Vernon's face. One side of his face showed bone, a mutation characteristic of the undead. But Mev stroked his face with a touch that was almost tender. Amid the heavy silence, Ian stepped forward. Mev turned to look at him.

From behind her visor, her voice flowed out. "Your request has been fulfilled, Ian. I offer my thanks. Without you, I could not have come this far."

Unexpectedly, her voice was very calm. "However, I cannot continue with you. From here on, I intend to proceed alone."

"...What do you mean?" Ian stopped and asked.

After a moment of silence, Mev spoke. "My brother was killed by traitors. Not only that, but he was also resurrected and manipulated against his will. This corrupted his soul... and in the end, he was not even granted salvation."

Mev turned to look at Vernon. "I pleaded with the Goddess to save his soul. But she did not respond. Of course, the Goddess judges sin, she is not the one granting salvation."

Divine power shimmered across her body. Mev continued, "...But if I desire vengeance, perhaps she will answer."

Ian's eyes darkened as Mev murmured to herself. "I cannot forgive those who did this to him. Nor can I forgive their servants."

"So..." Finally, Ian spoke. His voice was cold as he added, "You intend to kill them all?"

Mev slowly stood up. The divine power enveloping her began to turn red. "That is the vengeance I seek, Ian."

As she stood completely, her entire body was dyed in a bloody hue. "I will find and kill every corrupter and servant in the kingdom with my own hands."

The apostle of vengeance turned to look at Ian. "Just as I did to Vernon. Until not one remains, all of them."

Ian closed his eyes briefly, letting out a sigh heavy with weariness. Then, he slowly drew the long sword from his waist.

Opening his eyes to face Mev, he spoke in an even tone, "That cannot be allowed."