Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Pilgrim's Proof
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The underground passage stretched straight ahead endlessly, with no traps or guardians in sight.
“We’ve walked quite a bit.”
May said midway through their walk.
Though much was omitted from her words, Abel understood immediately and replied.
“Yeah. I have no idea just how big this ruin is.”
There had been a bend midway, but after climbing down the ladder, it had been a straight line all the way.
He couldn’t even imagine how much effort it would take to build something this massive underground.
‘This ruin is especially huge, even among others.’
Usually, the larger and more complex the ruin, the better the rewards.
And yet, this one was unparalleled in scale, despite appearing in the early story.
That was why Abel had resolved to visit it no matter what.
It offered the best rewards among ruins accessible early on.
‘Separate from that, I’m curious what it was built for.’
He hadn’t paid much attention in the game, but now that he was here in person, he wondered.
“Maybe it’s a religious facility.”
“A religious facility?”
“Religious sites are often built big and ornate, even without special reasons, right?”
Abel nodded at May’s response.
“Or it could be a military installation.”
“That makes sense too.”
Abel didn’t know the exact answer.
The true nature of Gigadeus and the ruins was never fully revealed in the game.
It just threw out various hints, leaving players to speculate among themselves.
Both religious and military facility theories had gained a lot of traction.
The two exchanged occasional conversation as they walked.
Not so much out of boredom, but to maintain tension and focus through dialogue.
Walking in silence made it easy to lose themselves in stray thoughts in this environment.
After walking some more, May suddenly asked a question.
“Do you like Gigants?”
“Well…… yeah. Why?”
“I can tell. Your eyes sparkle every time you see one.”
Abel shut his mouth, feeling like his otaku side had been exposed.
But May continued.
“Everyone comes to the academy for various reasons, but you’re the first I’ve seen who likes Gigants so purely.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
Abel couldn’t find words to argue.
It was true that he had a particular fondness for Gigants—or more precisely, robots.
That passion was what had kept him going in this world.
‘Well, that’s why I got so hooked on this game in the first place.’
If he hadn’t cared, he never would’ve become a shut-in obsessed with it.
As old memories surfaced, bringing a wry smile to his face,
May spoke in a quiet voice.
“Purely liking something…… that’s pretty amazing.”
Rather than brushing it off, Abel turned the question back to her.
“Don’t you have something like that?”
“Me?”
May pondered his question deeply.
Her answer came only after a long pause.
“Sleeping……?”
She ducked her head in embarrassment even as she said it, but Abel nodded nonchalantly.
“I see.”
Unsure how to react to his casual response, May asked hesitantly.
“It’s not weird?”
“What’s weird about it?”
“Well…… you know.”
“Liking something is just liking it. I don’t have any grand reason for loving Gigants either. I just do.”
Abel chuckled.
“They’re cool. That’s why I like them.”
May stared blankly for a moment at his words.
“I see.”
With that, she fell into deep thought, saying nothing more.
Their conversation resumed only when a change appeared in the monotonous passage.
“Look. Those characters from before.”
“Yeah. Let’s get closer.”
Familiar characters were engraved on the wall ahead, and Abel soon made out their meaning.
“The seen is false. Truth lies in darkness. Advance with faith. Then light shall be…… Hmm.”
Abel stroked his chin after reading the full sentence.
He grasped its meaning right away. But explaining it required a plausible rationale.
After some thought, Abel spoke up.
“The seen is false. Simply put, it means don’t trust what your eyes see.”
“Don’t trust what you see?”
“Yeah. And the next line: truth lies in darkness. Advance with faith……”
Pretending to mull it over, Abel said to May.
“Want to try closing your eyes?”
“My eyes?”
“Yeah.”
May hesitated briefly before shutting them.
“What do you see?”
“Nothing…….”
“Just pitch black?”
“Yeah…… Ah!”
As they talked, May’s eyes flew open in realization.
Abel nodded.
“Maybe it means walk forward with eyes closed. The light part signals when to stop.”
“I-is that it?”
“Yeah. Like before, maybe the simplest interpretation is correct. And it’s not risky, so why not try?”
“Makes sense.”
May nodded in agreement. Abel took her hand.
“Why hold hands?”
“What if we get separated? Who knows what might happen.”
Unable to argue, May pondered briefly before closing her eyes again.
Abel followed suit, closing his, and said.
“Then, let’s walk.”
“Okay.”
Hand in hand, they proceeded.
One step, two steps, three…… ten steps. Twenty.
Unsure how far, they kept going without pause.
Then, at some point.
Flash-!
Bright light pierced through his eyelids.
Abel slowly opened his eyes.
“Wow…….”
He couldn’t help but gasp in awe, even knowing what to expect.
A space gleaming entirely in gold stretched before him.
Coming from the dim tunnel, the contrast amplified his wonder.
“Abel?”
May called out then.
He turned to see her eyes still closed.
“You can open them now.”
May cautiously opened hers, then widened them, looking around.
“Where……?”
“Looks like my interpretation was right. Check behind us.”
If it were the original path, the tunnel should be visible in the distance.
But there was only another golden wall.
“Seems like spatial transfer, same as after fighting the Gigadeus.”
“Spatial transfer…….”
May murmured blankly.
It was obvious, but spatial transfer was no simple feat.
Precisely, current magic and technology couldn’t teleport living beings.
Even top mages could only manage palm-sized objects over short distances.
‘Magic isn’t that strong overall in this world.’
No 8th or 9th circle mages existed.
Riders were the stars of the battlefield.
That said, mages weren’t neglected.
Magic engineering was highly advanced here, separate from direct combat.
Gigants themselves were born from mages and engineers studying Gigadeus and guardians.
“Shall we go ahead?”
May, snapping out of it, asked.
Abel nodded.
“Nothing else in sight.”
“Okay.”
They walked on.
Walls and ceiling glowed golden, with no visible light sources.
It was as if they themselves emitted light.
The effect was profoundly mystical.
Like walking the boundary between reality and unreality.
After about five minutes, they reached a dead end.
Characters were engraved on the wall, with a large orb before it.
To May, unreadable ruin script, of course.
“What does it say?”
“Pilgrim, prove your qualification.”
Abel answered without hesitation.
He had memorized this one.
No matter the route, the trial zone always ended here with the same phrase.
‘If I couldn’t read ruin script, I’d have suffered.’
The trial zone wasn’t meant to be this easy.
One had to navigate traps and harsh conditions, gather info, and break through.
‘Good thing I memorized it.’
Grateful to his past self, Abel stepped forward.
“Doesn’t this look like a core?”
He pointed at the orb by the wall.
May approached and examined it closely, nodding.
“Yeah, similar vibe.”
“Then…… shall we try the usual approach?”
Abel placed both hands on the orb.
May flinched beside him, but he ignored it, proceeding as always.
He closed his eyes and focused.
Using honed focus as fuel, he raised his Sync Rate.
Sync Rate was a vague concept.
Many rider aspirants failed to grasp it and quit.
But not for Abel.
First, empty himself.
Clear the ego named Abel from his mind, creating empty space.
An empty vessel ready to be filled.
Whoooong-!
Something new naturally filled the void.
The intense blue glow blinding his eyes, the overwhelming presence crushing him—none mattered now.
He simply accepted all and advanced.
Flash-!
Intense fulfillment surged, his senses expanding across his body.
For a split second, Abel saw himself with hands on the core, May fidgeting nearby.
‘Never seen her like that before.’
The thought was fleeting.
His consciousness ascended higher.
Similar yet different from piloting a Gigant.
Like his soul, trapped in a tiny human body, rising to a higher dimension.
‘This…… wasn’t in the game?’
Confusion flickered briefly.
But it passed.
Serenity washed over him; trivial worries ceased to matter.
The vast ruin lay beneath his feet.
Abel pierced the entire structure with perfect clarity.
The trial zone he’d just passed. Even the ‘intruder’ within.
A situation that would’ve shocked his old self meant little now.
Whoooong-!
His ascending soul halted at a point.
Before an entity radiating sun-like brilliance.
No visible eyes, yet Abel knew it watched him.
Soon, an alien voice echoed in his mind.
-Pilgrim.
He felt both awe and familiarity.
Likely from partial unity via sync.
-Welcome, traveler who has crossed eons.
It said.
-You have proven your qualification. Lay down all deeds and delusions, and come.
Abel briefly fancied it extending a hand.
An impulse to abandon all and approach that bright sun.
His body even leaned forward slightly.
But then, May’s expression from sync’s start flashed in mind.
Not just that.
Moments at the academy. Getting his first Gigant.
Vulcanus’s warm touch.
Workshop staff who treated him like a friend. Even Kaya, always flirting.
So Abel spoke.
-I refuse.
-Why?
-I have things to do.
Tense inwardly, he awaited reply. Surprisingly, it was warm.
-Then do so. All depends on your will.
As it spoke, Abel felt gently pushed back.
Whiiiing-!
His body plummeted downward rapidly.
Unlike before, clarity returned; he opened his eyes wide, scanning below.
He reconfirmed the ruin’s layout and the ‘intruder’s’ position.
Then.
Thud-!
Intense impact sent him staggering back.
“Abel?”
May caught him in alarm.
His face was deathly pale.
Before he could say he was fine, Abel gasped for breath.
Regaining senses, he realized the prior situation had been dire.
Accepting ‘it’s’ offer……
Abel—and Oh Han-seong’s very self—would’ve vanished entirely.
Unity meant that.
And not all threats were over.
At the last moment.
-When you reach the end, an arrangement awaits you.
Cryptic words whose meaning escaped him.