Chapter 145
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 145: How to Enjoy a Festival (7)
His pleasant, mellow voice echoed in my head.
—You know that the Tower reacts to human greed to create new floors, monsters, and items, correct?
"...Yeah. I learned about it."
—This is an extension of that. Right now, human greed is continuously gathering inside the Tower.
And it's accumulating without being released.
"Accumulating?"
—Yes. That's why the Tower's state is like an overstuffed dumpling, about to burst.
In the end, what's inside has no choice but to burst out.
That's what causes the Projection-type Gates, and when it worsens, it becomes what you've named... the 'unusual situation'.
“……”
At those words, I recalled what Park Yulhan had told me.
'To be precise, it's closer to having just changed the location where that strange Gate will appear!'
His words, declaring that they could change the Gate's location, but not stop the Gate itself from appearing.
I kept my mouth firmly shut for a moment, then, after some thought, spoke again.
"If that's the case, why did you open those unusual situationGates at the Gyeong-in and Pangyo Fortresses?"
—Because that was the way to minimize the damage.
"Minimize the damage?"
—...If we hadn't moved them, those Gates would have appeared in the safe zones and intermediate zones.
We merely adjusted their density and moved them to the danger zones and near the fortresses.
I sucked in a breath at those words.
[The words Tornito said to me tonight are all true.] [0 Points]
"...Lies."
—I can't help it if you don't believe me... but the fortresses, where military power was concentrated, were the only places that could handle Gates of that magnitude. We had no other choice.
“Lies…”
It was shocking.
It was to protect the intermediate zones and safe zones?
That was the best choice?
It felt like all common sense was being overturned.
I slowly mulled over the words Park Yulhan had said to me again.
'Aren't you the ones with the ability to freely control the generation of Gates?'
'Of course we can't do that.
Even the ones who closed the Tower's doors couldn't do it.'
His blood-red, garnet-like eyes felt like they were staring at me clearly from my memory.
'The Savior side probably tried.
The problem is that attempt is what caused the great disaster 8 years ago.'
A memory buried in the past surfaces.
Gate, location-shifting, closing, failure, 8 years ago, great disaster.
…Did Erentos cause that disaster in Yongin while researching how to close or move Gates?
He knew about this situation 8 years ago?
"...Did the Savior-capturing team know this would happen? Or was it just Erentos?"
—Who knows. I don't know about that... but it seemed Erentos realized the current situation and was trying to do something about it.
As a result, his research data on Spiritual Power, Gate-shifting, and so on, has been passed on to the Wild Hunt through Park Yulhan.
At the very least, no one is better prepared for the current situation than we are.
My head is spinning. I felt a throbbing pain and placed a hand on my forehead.
Calm down.
Be calm.
I began to ask logical questions, step by step.
"If that's true, why didn't you announce it? If you had made the situation public, wouldn't something have changed?"
—We couldn't. Every time we tried, the Oracle interfered.
“...The Oracle? Wasn't the Oracle trying to stop the destruction?”
—Perhaps. He is trying to stop the destruction, but only for humans.
"What on earth does that mean? Of course he's trying to stop the destruction for humans, isn't he?"
When I retorted in annoyance, I felt him let out a light sigh.
—There are two solutions... no, endings... to the current situation.
"Two?"
—Yes. One is the method we are pursuing.
Open the Tower's doors, confront the 'Calamity' created by the Tower's accumulated greed, and defeat it.
"And the other one?"
—The other is to kill the Calamity by defeating the variant race, after the Calamity has spread to the other races and their mutation has progressed.
Is the Oracle pursuing the second method? Why?
Isn't there less sacrifice in the first method?
“Isn't the first method better? Why would the Oracle…”
—To put it simply, it's because the Calamity is strong, and because the Oracle is 'humanity's survival instinct', born from the subconscious of 'humans'.
“...Humanity's survival instinct?”
—Yes. The Oracle was born as a backlash to the Tower's creation… it is humanity's instinct to reject the foreign object that is the Tower.
It detests everything related to the Tower.
To such a being, the first method is not only dangerous, but not even worth choosing.
And…
The Tiger bastard, who seemed to be choosing his words, began to speak very slowly.
—As I said, the Calamity is strong.
Even if everyone combines their strength to fight it, there may be more casualties than in the second method.
In fact, that possibility is high. But…
“...But sacrificing all the other races just so humans can live is absurd.”
He fell silent, as if agreeing with my mumble.
I shot up and paced the room.
“How does that make sense? Just because they were born as a certain race, and because their numbers are small, it's more efficient for them to die instead? Are they insane?”
-…….
“...But, I can't trust your words completely. I can't. Your Spiritual Power might have interfered with my ability, or you might have brainwashed me…!”
I looked at the Story Twisting window, which was still showing '0 Points', but I denied it anyway.
Isn't it possible his Spiritual Power interfered?
Isn't it possible he twisted his words?
My thoughts descended into chaos. I wasn't in my right mind.
The things I've done.
The fact that helping Na Yuhan, and thus indirectly helping the Oracle, might end up killing my family….
I tasted blood. I had bitten the inside of my mouth without realizing it.
His calm voice sounded in my head.
—Calm down. You're too agitated right now.
"How can I be calm?"
—You'll accomplish nothing if you let your emotions take over.
He spoke in a serious, cold, and subdued voice.
—Think about what you have to protect.
And think rationally.
“……”
My head, which had been burning up, cooled down a little.
Only then did I realize I was gripping the bracelet so hard my knuckles had turned white.
“...Dammit…”
—Calm now?
“...Yeah.”
—If so, let's speak logically. Has there been anything I've said so far that didn't add up?
Anything that made you more suspicious?
“...No.”
—Right. Also, I haven't been able to see you since the festival.
Even if I hadbrainwashed you with Spiritual Power, your comrades would have taken measures in the meantime.
Am I wrong?
“...You're right.”
Right. Lee Hana definitely pressed the Foxtail Trinket on me.
The Foxtail Trinket's status-clearing ability is top-tier.
There's no way it wouldn't have cured brainwashing.
—Also, you would have been checked for curses during the investigation.
“...That's right, too.”
—Have you had the bracelet I gave you appraised?
“...The day I heard your voice, I re-checked for curses... and checked the item's function.”
—Right. Then it seems there's no room for me to have done anything.
Am I wrong?
At his words, I felt my vision clear, and at the same time, I felt my heart sink.
“...You're right about everything.”
I sat on the bed, then fell back.
“...I have to stop running from reality now.”
—I'd appreciate it if you came to our side.
“Shut up. I'll find my own way.”
—Hm.
The Tiger bastard let out a breath that clearly said, 'Yeah, I'm sure you will,' and spoke.
—Well, good luck. You're always welcome to join.
"Get lost."
—See you tomorrow night.
“You're so annoying.”
I roughly pulled off the bracelet.
And I stared at the ceiling, organizing my chaotic thoughts.
First, should I gather the kids tomorrow and tell them what I know?
And say I confirmed the reliability with Story Twisting…
No, Park Siwoo already doubts the reliability of Story Twisting because of the Tiger bastard's Spiritual Power. That won't work.
How much does Na Yuhan trust the Oracle?
Don't tell me, does he trust it more than me?
If so, what if the Oracle exposes everything about me and orders him to treat me as an enemy? How would Na Yuhan react?
More than that, the Oracle has the ability to possess. How do I deal with that?
My head was spinning.
I muttered to myself.
“...The ability to possess.”
The Oracle can possess people.
Probably because it's... humanity's will?
If so, unless I'm protected by someone at the level of the Black Scales, it will be hard to move if I antagonize the Oracle.
I grit my teeth.
If I rashly reveal the truth to my friends, the Oracle might possess one of them and threaten me.
It might even try to self-harm, just like it did when it possessedTeacher.
“...I have to be careful.”
Even if not, it could possess people related to the group and threaten them.
It might even possess high-ranking officials.
The Oracle is currently obeying my warning 'not to use my family to threaten me'.
That's probably because I'm actively cooperating with Na Yuhan right now.
From its nuance, it seemed like it tried to put a leash on me, just in case, but backed off.
So, as long as I act like I'm helping Na Yuhan, it should be fine.
At least, until I have a clear countermeasure for possession, I have to pretend to obey the Oracle.
“……”
When I first Awakened, entered this school, and awakened the Meta System, I thought I had gained a good power.
Now, I don't think so anymore.
The jumbled thoughts in my head kept me from sleeping.
In the end, I had to stay up all night with my eyes open.
And the next day.
As soon as I arrived at school, looking exhausted from lack of sleep.
"You all, go get your Hunter licenses!"
Yggdrasil dropped a bombshell on us.