Cheonryun - How Much Time Left?
└ 10 PM. About an hour remaining.
—I've skipped all skippable story parts, and I don't think I can shorten the combat time any further
—10/10/10 means the boss HP pools are insanely high by default
—Isn't the Phase 3 boss the Pope? We could've skipped Sariel and Ramiel if we avoided eye contact, so why didn't we?
—Let Daniel go free? Fuck lololol
—It's more impressive he hasn't been killed once yet
—This playthrough is straight-up insane;;
—Adella's gotten so strong that Phase 1 felt easier at least
—Instant death but cling max? How?! lololol
—NoName pulls it off
—Hard to even track with my eyes
Seemingly simple spells poured down on Nami in rapid succession. But with machine-like precision, she deflected the fallen angels' swords. She seized a fallen angel's head as it buzzed like a fly and slammed it into the ground. Without Nami even needing to say a word, Adella drove her dagger straight into its heart, bringing the battle to a close.
Clang—!
A crack formed where the fallen angels had stood. The statues had been serving as sealing stones. The barren ground, where not even a single blade of grass grew, split in two, and the sound of gears whirring leaked from the fissure.
Clank clank—
A massive animal cage, like something from a circus troupe, rose from the earth. And Nami easily identified the collapsed figures inside.
"Daniel... Repi..."
Daniel rubbed his eyes as he came to under the harsh sunlight. Having been deprived of light for so long, his pupils needed time to adjust. Spotting the two familiar silhouettes outside the prison bars, he broke into a bright smile.
"Adella! Forest Keeper! You came to save us!"
Daniel grabbed the bars and stood, his face beaming. Adella ground her teeth at the sight.
"How could you...! Because of you, our Abyss and NoName—we all nearly died!"
"What are you talking about, Adella? I..."
"We know everything... you pawn of the Empire!"
Adella swung her fist through the bars. The blow sent Daniel flying to the opposite side of the cage, where he crumpled limply.
"If you hadn't tempted Gestalt, none of this would've happened. Why did you do it?!"
Adella's voice nearly broke into sobs. How many regressions had they endured just because of that absurd invasion plan?
"We nearly all died because of you! No, we did die for sure! You knew and still sent us into the jaws of death!"
Adella could vividly recount every memory from all those regressions as if they had happened yesterday.
"Say something! Why did you do it?!"
"You talk like it's all my fault?"
"Huh?"
Gripping the bars with both hands, Daniel bellowed in fury.
"Did I steal the Laurel Tree? Or did I personally oversee the Yggdrasil experiments? I was just following orders too. I'm a victim here!"
"You... you..."
"Since you know everything, you must know Repi's my mom too, right? Can you even empathize with my situation? The Empire's got my mom as a hostage, and if the Holy Kingdom catches a whiff of who I am, my head rolls. No, you couldn't possibly. Street trash like you don't have anyone precious to protect!"
His bloodshot eyes spat out grievance after grievance. Each word grated on Adella like nails on chalkboard; she wanted to shut her ears, but he kept going.
"Ten years. For ten years, I've been hiding from the Holy Kingdom, who wanted to hunt me down and kill me any second. The slaves sacrificed in experiments? Who cares—they're gonna starve on the streets or die in the forest either way, same difference."
"So you knew Yggdrasil was a demon summoning circle and still went through with it?"
"Demon? Ha. Listen up. No matter what demon gets summoned, it'll be a hell of a lot better than this world."
"What?"
The essence of the Laurel Tree reclamation was a power struggle among demon worshippers. The Empire faction, led by the crown prince, had hidden Yggdrasil's growth under the pretext of forest purification to fool the emperor. But truth can't be buried forever. While naive delegations were transferring the Laurel Trees, spies planted by Jin Chronicle and the Holy Kingdom uncovered it all.
The Empire and Holy Kingdom ambushed the delegations to seize the trees by force, scattering the five Laurel Trees to the winds.
"This world's already in the hands of demon worshippers. Empire, Holy Kingdom—all of 'em! Might as well let one side win quick and end the war!"
The Pope worshipped Baalzebub, the crown prince Belphegor. Fanatics serving various demons infested the land. Daniel, knowing the trees' true power, had tried to smuggle the Cycle Laurel as a bargaining chip to heal his mother—but Nami's arrival threatened him, forcing him to hand it over. If she was Empire or Holy Kingdom, he'd have lost his life before the tree.
"Then why plan the academy invasion...!"
"Gestalt queried my identity and contacted HQ? I had to stay in the Empire longer."
To cover tracks, he anonymously tipped Jin Chronicle, betraying the other squad members who didn't know the Laurel details. He crushed the empty Abyss 15th Branch, then fled in the chaos. Flawless on paper. But Jin Chronicle, suspicious, had alerted the Holy Kingdom's inquisitors beforehand, foiling it.
"I'll kill you... I'll kill you!"
"You think I'd spill all this without an ace up my sleeve? You're monsters who could kill me anytime. Looking for the Creation Laurel, right? I guarantee, without Phama's Execution Sword, you can't beat the Pope. I know where it is."
Daniel spoke with utter confidence, gently stroking Repi's head as she stirred from the shouting.
"Get Repi and me out of here. That's all I ask. Why the scary glare? Weaklings like me have to be cowardly to survive. Blame me all you want—blame this world."
"..."
"You don't even know where Gestalt is right now? Decide fast, or that old man's gonna die?"
Nami held Cycle, Life, and Diligence Laurels. Creation was with the Pope; Death's location unknown.
"Unni! You gonna believe that bastard? He's lied from start to finish! Who do you think got us into this mess?!"
—Can't kill him? Makes me wanna shank him for real~
—No Phama Execution Sword means no Pope kill?
—Steel yourself, guild master. Killing him kills Adella too
—T_T_T_T_T If not for time attack, we'd just slice
—That many Phama Execution Sword spawns?
"What're you hesitating for? What if he betrays us again?!"
Daniel oozed leisure. Adella pleaded with teary eyes.
"Right now, Unni... you're just a possessor in that body... Have you ever imagined the pain the original owner suffered? Unni, you're strong enough. You could beat the Pope easy without some execution sword!"
Adella suddenly uttered the word "possession."
—?????????
—??????
—Did she just say possession?
—What? How does she know?
—I'm getting scared now
—Player existence realized?
—whoa whoa whoa whoa
—Damn, gotta sleep early for work tomorrow, ruined
—No scripts after Phase 1! What is this?!
At the sudden words, Nami bit her lip hard.
"You know who I am?"
"N-not exactly, but... from another world... an angel? Anyway, you said it yourself, Unni. At night."
—?
—Skipped story, so who was she talking to?
—AAAAAAHHHH
—lololol wtf insane
—End of human era finally here?
"I get needing the Laurels back ASAP. But letting this guy live 'cause he knows how to beat the Pope? Makes no sense! Who got us killed over and over to escape that hellish academy?! We don't have to stoop to demon or devil levels, picking means over ends!"
Adella had once thought the two years after flunking the academy exam were hell. But she'd adapted. And Daniel had shattered that life—she hated him so much she wanted to throttle him on the spot. Without his temptation, maybe she'd have gotten along with the others eventually. She kept persuading Nami.
Nami's lips worked silently, delaying her answer. Her eyes flicked between Adella's face and body without pause.
"Demon King... Demon King... talk to me later."
Nami picked up her sword. Adella flinched back. Ignoring her, Nami advanced on the cage, one step, two.
Splash splash—muddy water sprayed, staining the blue grass.
"Get me out quick. Bugs are itching after so long."
"Daniel, I understand your actions. Sticking to heavenly fate, protecting your mother—you had no choice in this harsh world."
"Unni—no, NoName!"
"Knew you'd get it. You ditched your forest comrades and escaped too, right?"
Adella and Daniel showed opposing emotions.
"But heavenly fate alone doesn't make me forgive you. Is that really the only reason I shouldn't kill you here?"
"Y-you're joking, right? Kill me and... you can't beat the Pope even revived...? I look like I'm lying?"
"In gambling, you credit wins to skill but blame losses on others. Why?"
"No. No way... You can't do this to me! Think carefully. Kill me, and the Pope's palace wipes you all out!"
"Enter the gambling den, pay to leave. Simple fact."
Nami drew her blade. Daniel bolted to the cage's far side, trying to maximize distance—but the sword aura rippled long enough to pierce the whole cell. Her eyes were cool, unwavering. This woman would definitely kill him. His heart pounded uncontrollably, bringing agony. I'm dying, dying, dying. Clutching his chest, he slammed his knees on the cold iron floor. As he realized it wasn't just fear, he glimpsed Nami's emotionless face through the tilting bars.
"You're an adult, right? Time to take responsibility."