Chapter 162
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 162: How to Deal with a Cult (5)
We finished the rough investigation with the Hunter unit sent by Yggdrasil and the Balder Family personnel.
On the way back to the Academy after the investigation, my mind was completely elsewhere.
“Did something happen?”
Park Siwoo asked cautiously.
A friend I can trust no matter what happens.
I thought about asking him for advice on this matter, but then I paused.
What if the Oracle possesses him and finds out everything?
“...No. Nothing. Just worried about Mihail.”
“Can't be helped. You were close.”
Na Yuhan, watching me, offered clumsy comfort.
“You must be really worried… uh… um….”
“Thanks, Yuhan.”
“...If you have any worries, tell me anytime.”
I thought, looking at both Na Yuhan and Park Siwoo.
The Hero and the Player.
Come to think of it, it cost 1,000,000 points to prevent the Oracle from possessing either of them.
Thinking about it, even the 50,000 points to prevent the Oracle from possessing the rest of our group was much higher than the points needed to prevent it from possessing other humans.
I checked it again through Story Twisting.
[The Oracle becomes unable to possess Na Yuri.]
[50,000 Points]
[The Oracle becomes unable to possess Choi Borim.]
[100 Points]
Why is this?
Did the Oracle do something separate to the group?
I pondered deeply.
Then, I decided to discuss this matter with the one person I could share my speculations with, the guy who knows about my ability and Spiritual Power.
And that night.
I fiddled with the bracelet, wondering if the Tiger bastard would contact me.
Come to think of it, the magic circle I got stamped with at the Tower God Cult seeped into the bracelet.
Didn't it gain any additional functions?
“Hello, Tornito? Can you hear me?”
I spoke to the bracelet for no reason.
Then I laughed awkwardly and took my hand off the bracelet.
At that moment,
—What is it? How did you contact me first?
A reply came from the Tiger bastard.
My eyes widened in surprise, but I soon calmed down.
It wasn't completely unexpected.
“Who knows. Maybe someone enhanced my bracelet?”
—...Enhanced?
“Something like that. Anyway, it's not a one-way street anymore. Right?”
When I giggled and said that, the Tiger bastard let out a deep sigh and said.
—...This has become troublesome.
“What has?”
—No, it's nothing.
This bastard?
I might just start spam-calling him all the time.
—Right. What business did you contact me for?
“You seem to think I only contact you when I have business?”
—Isn't that the case?
“...It is, but.”
I did contact him first because I had business today, but!
Still, human affection is…
Crazy, did I just think about affection or whatever in front of him?
I was appalled by my own thoughts.
It seemed I had come to think of this guy quite familiarly.
—Right. Then ask whatever it is. Since I said I'd answer anything.
“You're really diligent.”
—Am I?
I nodded, recalling how he faithfully answered only the truth every time I threw a cross-check question at him.
His unexpectedly diligent, and in a way, perhaps even naive demeanor gave me trust, little by little. My tension relaxing was a bonus.
That's why I can't let my guard down even more.
No, this isn't the time.
I shook my head and asked him.
“Tornito. Do you know what my ability is?”
—The ability to cause miracles.
“To be precise, it's something... for example, an ability to buy miracles by paying a certain amount of points.”
—I see. How do you gather points?
“I don't want to tell you that.”
Don't try to extract information in that gap.
At my firm words, I heard him click his tongue as if disappointed.
“Well anyway… so I tried to block the Oracle'spossession with this, you see?”
—Can you block it?
“No. The points required were no joke. So I tried to at least block it from possessing close people... Na Yuhan and a few people around him...”
I hesitated for a moment whether I could say this, but since there was no one else to consult with and I couldn't find an answer thinking alone, I decided to just say it.
“The points needed to block possession of Na Yuhan and those around him are hundreds of times higher than the points needed to block possession of normal people.”
—Hmm.
He seemed to think for a moment, shutting his mouth, then asked me.
—Is that power an ability where the harder the miracle is to cause, the more points it costs?
“Yes.”
—Then the answer is simple.
“What is it?”
I asked him urgently, as if he knew what I didn't.
Then he continued indifferently.
—Simply put, it is because the Oracle is focusing on them and pouring a lot of power into them.
“The Oracle is focusing on them?”
—Yes. Did the Player and the Hero cost particularly high points?
“...That's right.”
—As I thought.
As he thought?
As I frowned silently and waited for his words, he continued slowly.
—The Player is a soul brought by the Oracle, dominated by the Oracle's power. The same goes for the Hero. A soul receiving the Oracle'sprotection, dominated by the Oracle. Therefore, it is difficult to free them from the Oracle'spossession... that is, the Oracle's domination.
I was horrified.
Park Siwoo is...
“...The Hero is a soul dominated by the Oracle?”
—Yes. The Oracle was born the moment the Tower was created. An intense will to survive manifested from all of humanity, who felt an absolute crisis. An existence granted protection by that Oracle for the sole purpose of opposing the Tower. That is the Hero.
“Hero….”
—Thanks to that protection, the Hero can do many things, but conversely, he is no different from being tied to the Oracle.
At those words, I recalled Park Siwoo's appearance.
His appearance, crushed by the responsibility of being born a Hero.
To think that very job as a Hero was granted by the Oracle.
Then if we get rid of the Oracle, will he also be freed from that heavy duty?
“...Then what about the others?”
—Since they are people who are with those two, the Oracle probably paid enough attention to put them under its control, even if not as much as those two. Because the Oracle cherishes what is its own quite a bit.
At those words, I grit my teeth.
Son of a bitch. Deciding they're his own as he pleases!
“...If so,”
But at the same time, a thought flashed through my mind.
“If so, conversely, it means the Oracle will absolutely never abandon them, right?”
—Correct. The Oracle cherishes humans... humanity. The fact that he, who cherishes every human individual, poured that much power into specific individuals means he invested that much in them and cherishes them that much. He won't throw them away easily.
“I see.”
I shut my mouth tight for a moment.
A certain thought was becoming clearer.
A choice that, although painful for me, would bring a better result for everyone.
I opened my mouth very slowly, filled with hesitation.
“...If, I mean, if.”
This is just a 'what if'.
If the answer he gives is different from my expectation, I plan to discard it immediately.
“If I become recognized as a traitor by the people close to me... that is, those the Oracle cherishes... how do you think the Oracle would act?”
—He would try to eliminate you using them.
“Not try to appease me? For example, threatening me using their lives—”
—The moment he judges someone an enemy, he leaves no mercy.
“Right... I see.”
At those words, I smiled.
The conclusion came out.
“Then it's fine.”
If so, if they know nothing about the Oracle's truth, it means that even if they are used by the Oracle, they won't be killed.
They are important comrades to Na Yuhan and Park Siwoo as well.
They won't be used as mere cards to shake me. Rather, their importance will increase even more since they have to hunt me, the traitor.
And when I am separated from them and with the Wild Hunt, I can move on the path I want.
I can no longer follow the path Na Yuhan walks.
I cannot tell Na Yuhan the truth about the Oracle.
He is one dominated by the Oracle. I don't know how the Oracle monitors and manipulates him.
Even if I reveal the truth to him, there was a high possibility he would be possessed and used without knowing it.
The Oracle is humanity's survival instinct.
If it can use humanity, then...
Until I kill it, it was correct to think of humans as enemies. Especially humans loved by it.
I struggled to think rationally.
I separated Na Yuhan, whom I cherish, from the Oracle.
I recalled the Fox's words.
'Right. We can't choose the method of killing our younger siblings solely because it's the most efficient.'
Right. The Fox is right.
I cannot affirm the Oracle.
So I cannot continue to stay by Na Yuhan's side just because I cherish him.
Even to find a way to save him, even to find a way to protect my siblings.
Because if I keep my eyes covered, if I stay buried in comfort, I will regret it.
So…
“I'll stand on your side.”
Surely, this is the right choice.
I believed so.