Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Ch. 147 .｡.:✧ What It Means to Face Someone (4) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Temulen.
All that was known about him was that he originated from the North, the rest of his past was shrouded in mystery.
He appeared suddenly one day, an old man with a white beard, and graduated at the top of his class at the academy, surpassing all the young mages.
His thesis shattered existing theories, shaking the very foundations of the academic world.
Numerous attempts were made to recruit him, but Temulen rejected all offers of wealth and fame, declaring his intention to build a magic tower.
The Blue and Red Magic Towers, already established at the time, strongly opposed his plan.
They protested that a novice who hadn’t even made his academic debut for five years was tarnishing the name of “Magic Tower” by building a brick structure.
Despite their opposition, Temulen’s tower, with its white exterior walls, was eventually erected.
He then began to gather materials and personnel with enormous funds, announcing his rather unconventional research topic, the study of the soul.
About five years later, the results of the White Tower’s research were released to the world.
The study of the soul, which everyone had believed to be useless, shook the entire magical world. The fundamental definition of magic changed. The principles of magical power were rewritten.
Everything was uprooted and had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
The protests from the Blue and Red Towers ceased immediately.
The academic community officially recognized Temulen as the White Tower Master. He quickly became a celebrity, nominated for and winning numerous awards, but he never appeared anywhere.
He was holed up in the basement of the White Tower, continuing his research. Based on the tower’s findings, he delved deeper into his studies and finally reached a new level.
‘Now… I can see souls…!’
He had obtained the ability to see souls, a vision previously only available to certain yokai.
Some souls were clear, others murky. Some were bright, others dark.
At first, he enjoyed simply observing the variety of souls. He would cast observation magic into the sky and spend hours watching from above.
Then, one day, he found him.
A soul unlike any other he had ever seen.
“Who are you?”
The man’s soul wasn’t just colorful, it wasn’t simply a combination of colors, but a superposition of them. It was as if multiple souls were gathered in one place.
He wondered if the man had somehow obtained the ability to see souls and was stealing them, but the souls were too naturally intertwined to be stolen.
It was like one person with multiple selves from different lives.
“Let’s observe him for a while…”
Months passed.
The man began to look up at the sky more often, as if he had noticed the ‘gaze.’ And now, he was heading towards the White Tower.
Temulen was thrilled.
“It’s finally time!”
He had been discovered.
His vast observation magic, which no one had ever noticed, had finally been detected.
Excitement and exhilaration surged through him. He had been afraid to approach directly and had opted for preliminary observation from afar, but the subject had come to him.
Temulen felt his heart pound at the thought of exploring this strange soul.
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“…still doesn’t understand me. Memories? That’s not my specialty. My, and the White Tower’s, area of expertise is the soul.”
“The soul… you say?”
“What do you think distinguishes a person, defines who they are?”
“I believe it’s their memories.”
“An interesting opinion. But you’re wrong. It’s their soul.”
“Does that mean if someone has the same soul, they’re the same person?”
“Exactly.”
“…”
“You don’t seem to agree.”
Of course, I didn’t agree.
Having the same soul didn’t make them the same person. In every loop, Jill, Yulia, and Yerina were different people.
They made different choices in the same situations, leading to different outcomes.
Each of them was precious to me, but they were gone now. There was no trace of them left, except in my memories.
They were gone forever, never to return.
Having the same soul didn’t make them the same. I could say that with absolute certainty.
“The soul is bound to the body itself, but memories are stored in a specific organ, the brain. Even if the body dies, the soul remains for a while, then dissipates and crosses the dimensional barrier to the underworld. But memories are extinguished along with the brain. Memories are nothing more than data. The soul is more fundamental.”
“That may be true. But my opinion remains unchanged. This conclusion isn’t based on calculations from a desk, but on experience.”
“A stubborn guest, I see. So, you who mistook me for a ‘memory expert,’ what favor do you seek?”
“I want to restore this child’s lost memories.”
The old man’s eyes curved. It was a look of surprise.
What was he expecting…?
“If the memories were physically erased due to brain damage, even I can’t help you.”
“It’s a psychological issue. The memories are definitely in her mind.”
“Then it’s no problem. Shall we begin the procedure?”
“Please. What’s the cost…?”
“Ha ha. Let’s consider it a favor, since we seem to have a connection. And it’s not a difficult procedure.”
“…”
The White Tower Master, known for his busyness, was offering his services for free.
Suspicion began to creep in. And the old man… his gaze felt familiar. It was like he was looking through me, at something inside.
‘Guiho?’
It was like when Guiho had looked at my soul, calling it delicious.
A moment later, the old man’s focus shifted slightly, and he met my eyes directly.
“Follow me. The human brain is a delicate organ. We’ll need precision equipment and magic. We’ll have to use the facilities in the basement.”
“Yes. By the way, Master, do you… see souls?”
“…”
Thud.
The old man stopped.
My suspicions were confirmed. He possessed a vision that transcended human limitations.
‘Did he approach me in the second loop because of my soul?’
In the first loop, I had never met this old man.
I was ordinary, with an ordinary soul, having lived only one life. But after regressing, something must have changed in my soul.
He must have noticed that change and approached me in the second loop. And the reason I hadn’t seen him from the third loop onwards… perhaps my soul had changed so drastically that he was afraid to approach me.
Or… had he tampered with my soul in the second loop, leaving a mark that only his future self could recognize?
A chill ran down my spine.
“What are you talking about?”
“…”
He denied it firmly.
The old man remained silent and continued down the hallway.
Why was he denying it? Was there a reason to hide his ability to see souls?
‘What was he planning to do with my soul…?’
Or perhaps… had he already done something to my soul in the second loop?
A marker that only his future self could recognize? The thought sent shivers down my spine.
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‘Kyaaaaaa!!!’
The entire time they walked down the hallway, Temulen screamed internally.
He hadn’t realized it when observing from afar. He hadn’t imagined that this man’s soul would be so bizarre.
When he first saw it, he had considered approaching him, but decided against it. He should have trusted his instincts.
No, he should have fled from the mundane world and avoided this man altogether.
‘Multiple personalities? No, multiple egos? No, should I call it multiple souls? What kind of monster is this?!’
This man’s soul was strange, to the point of being grotesque.
It was clear, then murky.
Dark, then bright.
A chaotic mess of intertwined wills, forming a bizarre soul. And then, when he looked at Temulen, all those wills momentarily aligned, focusing on a single point.
Doubt.
When all those egos simultaneously expressed doubt, Temulen almost screamed out loud.
‘Is he a reincarnator? Or did he return from the underworld after death?’
Several possibilities crossed his mind.
Then, he remembered the Papal Office’s warning. A warning about intelligent monsters from another world.
Elvenguard had issued a similar warning. And there were rumors circulating.
‘The Archdemon…?’
Rumors of an Archdemon from the underworld making pacts with humans, granting them power.
Temulen’s pupils shook.
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