Chapter 125
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Endless Hell
Suddenly, what's going on?
It was sudden enough to feel that way.
Though it might look like a lot had happened in the meantime, in truth, it had only been a few hours since '0' had told Blazing Glory to make the decision himself.
But to instill a sense of urgency, there was no choice. It was also a pressing matter that truly required vigilance.
Prepare for invasion.
...Invasion, you say?
A response from Blazing Glory after a long pause.
Even in that single line that seemed merely to echo the question, disbelief was fully evident.
Is the Subtle Balance coming?
No.
This seems similar to the situation I went through.
It's telling us to prepare for an external invasion.
If '0' is saying it directly, it must be no ordinary matter.
But an invasion here... It's hard to imagine.
That's not true.
Didn't we just try to meet the prisoners there ourselves?
If you weren't the warden there, the plan would have already been carried out by now.
...I see.
But if it's not you all, then it doesn't matter.
No matter what kind of invasion it is, it'll end up meaningless in the end.
You seem pretty confident in your abilities.
If '0' is giving advance warning, you'd better rethink that.
And what's to gain by stirring up the forgotten Endless Hell right now anyway?
The prisoners there escaping?
An escape would cause chaos, sure... but isn't that all?
Those prisoners are so powerful that they'd be even harder to control.
Maybe that's exactly what's needed. Uncontrollable chaos.
That could be it.
If there are those capable of pulling off something like that...
Forces of evil.
Oh? So your knowledge has grown now?
I recalled it right away because I've heard they intend to sow chaos in the world.
Now they had learned enough to draw accurate inferences from even the briefest clues.
And the Tower of Intellect spoke.
Doesn't seem like a wrong guess?
'0' isn't saying anything.
They had even grown so accustomed to this chat room that they could exploit '0's silence.
Of course, '0's silence didn't always mean tacit agreement.
They firmly believed that if they made the wrong choice, '0' would correct them without fail.
A belief that '0' knew everything, naturally.
Preserving that belief without shattering the illusion was one of my assigned tasks.
This chat room operated on that premise.
One of the Archenemy's grand plans involves Blazing Glory.
That plan is about to be set in motion now.
So our guess was right after all.
A grand plan...
I don't know how it connects to Endless Hell.
But what I can say remains unchanged.
Their attempt will end in nothing.
Blazing Glory wasn't the type to boast without reason.
There must be solid grounds for him to state it so definitively.
It had been the same when the Tower of Intellect first stepped up to help arrange a meeting with the Subtle Balance and a prisoner. He had said it wouldn't be easy.
He was maintaining that consistent attitude. Even though he was the only warden there.
That probably meant he had the power to handle whatever happened in Endless Hell.
However, recalling the nuance from the forces of evil, that Asma fellow was undoubtedly one of their strongest apostles.
Not trying to underestimate you or anything.
But trusting your judgment, when you know nothing of the outside world, over '0's words? It's hard to go with that.
Especially when it's one of the Archenemy's grand plans.
Hearing that makes even me tense up.
For the Tower of Intellect to speak this way, wasn't he truly advising caution?
He was genuinely considering Blazing Glory—or taking '0's words with utmost seriousness.
The Demon King is tense?
For real?
Just saying.
I don't get really tense.
Just maybe I should go check it out there myself, you know?
Are you saying you're going to Endless Hell yourself?
I was planning to go anyway.
It just got pushed back because things got complicated.
The Tower of Intellect. A transcendent beyond inaction.
A realm unreachable without being a great being.
In terms of raw combat power alone, he was the strongest in this chat room.
If he stepped in, it would disrupt the forces of evil's plans. He'd be an unexpected wildcard.
I didn't know how strong this Asma was, but at least not on the level of a great being.
Still, not knowing the exact nature of their plan was concerning.
It might not be purely a matter of combat.
'Considering they mentioned Asma's strength... the odds of that are low.'
It was regrettable not to have gotten more concrete information. One more puzzle piece, and I could have seen the full picture.
'No. In that situation, that was the best I could get.'
Just knowing something would happen in Endless Hell was already a major unexpected gain.
'If a clash of force really happens there... would that turn into all-out war?'
It could be the first moment this chat room's members clashed head-on with the forces of evil.
From that point, they would start taking our existence seriously.
And that meant another round of preparations. Lifting the curse on the Merciful Crown, and removing whatever unknown restrictions the Naked Truth was under.
I'd have to find ways to make Rozelin stronger too.
But if we could definitively thwart this incident, we'd crumble another of the forces of evil's plans—and gain Blazing Glory's trust to boot.
From what you just said, it sounds like you're offering to help... is that okay?
I thought exchanges here revolve around compensation.
You know that much.
I've wanted to ask ever since you offered to tell me something.
What would the compensation be?
The compensation you can offer in your current situation is limited, no?
...You're right about that too.
Then we can discuss it after the matter's resolved.
You could rack up what you owe until you find an answer.
That works too?
As long as we agree, sure.
It's not some rigid rule set in stone.
Right. There was never any intention to regulate it that strictly from the start.
Hadn't I myself provided information to the Root of Understanding for free under the name of goodwill right from the beginning?
Of course, it was beneficial for me too.
I have business there anyway, so I'll go too.
You too?
Normally, it would have taken long deliberation whether to go or not.
With the Tower of Intellect—a reliable powerhouse—joining directly, it was tempting.
It was a chance to witness one of the forces of evil's apostles firsthand. Specifically, his strength.
That would allow setting a benchmark. On what level Asma's confidence in his power placed him.
Besides, the risks of facing the Tower of Intellect directly had lessened considerably now.
Though we'd never met face-to-face, the bonds built through this chat room counted for something.
Seeing the real face, huh?
Should be fine, right?
Not stopping it.
...No intention of stopping it.
In fact, the Subtle Balance's decision was as good as one made by '0'.
I quickly checked Blazing Glory's manaphone ID number on the admin phone.
Meeting place: Newbern Plains in the south.
Was it too abrupt?
The Tower of Intellect showed a hint of puzzlement.
Newbern?
The south?
And Blazing Glory provided the answer instead.
That's where the entrance to Endless Hell is.
How... did you know?
Ho.
You already figured it out?