Chapter 89
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: The Oracle's Stele (2)
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Found the Oracle's Stele.
Anonymous (1) had even sent a photo.
A gray stele, devoid of any patterns or inscriptions, stood alone in a barren snowy field.
It was hard to gauge its exact size from the photo, but it looked about as tall as my thigh.
That size matched the two steles I'd seen before—the one at the Hero's Tomb and the one at Joart's Transcendent gathering.
Above all, the fact that it was a blank stone slab with nothing carved on it made the odds even higher.
Tell me the location.
But it's ambiguous since I can't verify it myself.
You just need to tell me the location.
After all, it's an object that only reveals its true form when illuminated by primal mana. With ordinary eyes, you can't make out anything—unless the Hero carves it himself.
The location Anonymous (1) provided was one that made me question just how far he'd wandered.
The North.
A harsh land mostly bordered by massive mountain ranges, beyond which lay swamps.
But if you stayed within the border and headed far east, you'd reach the snow mountain region.
That was the spot.
I'd already guessed as much from the hazy background in the photo Anonymous (1) sent.
'When did Anonymous (1) even go all the way there?'
He'd been searching for quite a while, so it seemed he'd drifted that far in his hunt.
Exaggerating a bit, it took ages just to get there.
Should I stand guard around it until it's verified?
No need. Go back to what you were doing.
This is what I was doing.
Of course, to confirm it, I'd have to go there myself. Even if it wasn't the true Oracle's Stele I was hoping for, I couldn't be sure without seeing it with my own eyes.
Besides, it wasn't a place reachable by carriage. I'd have to cut through rugged mountains, so sending a clone alone wouldn't cut it.
'I could send one from nearby, though.'
As I pondered silently, another message from Anonymous (1) followed.
Hmm... Should I take that as "don't do anything unnecessary"?
It was surprisingly perceptive, catching on late like that.
Anonymous (1) was a Transcendent in a realm called "No-Action" that I'd never even heard of.
No, more importantly, why say something that would require reading the room?
Anyway, his "unnecessary" likely meant sticking around to monitor the stele or spying on (0)'s identity.
You get it.
I had no intention of going in my true form either.
'Guess I'll stick with Cedric a bit longer.'
If any variables cropped up, being Cedric gave me plausible deniability.
I didn't fully trust Anonymous (1). There was a chance he'd ignore my orders and stand guard on his own.
And if he spotted me, being Cedric meant I'd have an excuse in a pinch.
I was Anonymous (4) in the chat too, after all.
Sure, it might raise questions about the connection between Anonymous (4) and (0).
But better that than dying from needless suspicion.
If it's real, do I get my due?
Yes.
Previously, when Anonymous (4) first joined, Anonymous (1) had asked (0) if he was the Hero, saying he'd pay any price to know.
So I told him I wasn't the Hero and that I'd collect payment later.
That's what he was bringing up now. From my perspective, I'd gotten the info without paying anything.
'Might as well check the preparations for the Hero while I'm at it.'
I'd learned it from the Oracle's Stele at the human Transcendents' hideout when I went to meet Merin.
There were separate arrangements made for the Hero.
Unlike the message for successors, it even pinpointed the exact location.
I needed to know about those arrangements ahead of time. That way, I could tell Rozelin whether to go or not.
After wrapping up the chat, I headed straight to Rozelin.
She'd been reporting each time I took out one of the Moonlight Afterglow Transcendents, so this was no different.
Last time, I'd said I was going after Zmol and left.
She must be waiting eagerly for the results.
I'd already told her Zmol was their overseer.
"You're back safe."
Rozelin flung the door open the moment I knocked, greeting me. The austere room hadn't changed, but that was less about eagerly awaiting me and more her personality.
"Got Zmol."
Her eyes flashed at my words.
"...You really took him down too. Impressive."
She eyed me cautiously, but clear anticipation shone in her gaze.
It was a shame I couldn't meet all her expectations.
"That wraps up the Moonlight Afterglow. But it's not over yet."
Rozelin froze. She'd realized I wasn't bringing only good news.
"They were just pawns."
"Pawns... you say?"
"Yeah. You're not ready to know yet, but the world of Transcendents is teeming with beings even I wouldn't dare challenge."
"Teeming?"
Rozelin tilted her head, puzzled.
"Tons of them. The Moonlight Afterglow were just tools for those types."
"Then..."
"We need to catch the ones pulling their strings. One thing's clear: they aim to sow chaos among the Transcendents."
"Chaos..."
Rozelin trailed off, lost in thought.
Probably pondering how that chaos tied into her.
But that truth was still beyond her reach. She didn't even know the word "Hero," let alone the tangled connections.
So, without giving her more time to dwell, I cut in. One could say everything up to now was prep for this.
"I can't do it alone."
"...I see."
Her face darkened gradually, but I met her eyes squarely and continued.
"That's why I need your strength."
"Me? But I'm still—"
"I know. Not possible right now."
Her gaze wavered as I interrupted.
"So focus on training for now."
"...You mean become a Transcendent."
"Exactly. Uncover your destiny—the one you want to know—with your own hands."
She stayed silent for a while, slowly bowing her head as if mulling my words.
Something shifted in that silence.
And when she lifted her head...
Her eyes were different.
The anxiety and hesitation were gone, replaced by a steadfast light.
"...Yes."
A short, resolute reply.
She'd made up her mind.
Knowing she wouldn't easily back down once decided, I felt relieved.
Rozelin hesitated a moment before asking carefully.
"Is there... nothing you need from me?"
Strictly speaking, I hadn't fully completed the request she'd entrusted me with, yet she was ready to pay up anyway.
I told her to train hard for now and that I'd contact her later through Jenjen.
Then I hurried north.
Traveling such a vast distance would have been unthinkable before becoming a Transcendent.
But flight freedom had eased the constraints.
Transcendents handled natural mana more like borrowing it, though it still wasn't free—minimum control required holding some mana oneself. A tiny amount compared to one's swelled capacity, of course.
And mental strength: the rational power to sense, attune, and guide natural mana.
Once used up by the wielder, natural mana faded gradually, refilling naturally over time.
Thus, wielding it didn't demand vast mana reserves.
Naturally, aspiring Transcendents honed their own weapons, so pure natural-mana users were rare—but flight was different.
Flying used only natural mana.
Of course, as you moved, the area changed, so the natural mana shifted, leaking a bit of your own inevitably.
Still, I could fly nonstop for a full day without sleep.
The issue was mental fatigue.
In flight, natural mana's flow constantly shifted. Maintaining balance amid changes was taxing.
My mind was far tougher than pre-Transcendent days, but among natural-mana handlers, I was still a newbie.
So I took breaks as needed, heading for the spot Anonymous (1) mentioned.
The snow mountains sat at extreme altitude.
Passing the ranges, the wind grew fiercer. The air chilled enough to bite the skin.
And soon, the white snowscape unfolded.
With the bone-numbing cold came an odd familiarity.
Why?
I paused, raising a hand to feel the swirling blizzard.
'Because of my innate ice affinity?'
Even winter snow hadn't felt this way.
But the snow mountains' chill was different. Not mere temperature—a vital force, almost.
Fascinating.
I was perfectly disguised as wind-affinity Cedric right now.
Even disguised, could I not hide my essence...?
It was a novel sensation, my first time. Unfamiliar yet not unpleasant.
Like brushing the threshold of a new element. Maybe it'd inspire handling more affinities ahead.
I tuned the natural mana to temper the chill and headed for Anonymous (1)'s location.