The Secret in the Wall
The source of the hidden pieces I had gathered for the Pilgrimage was Oh Ji-o’s knowledge. But the one I was heading to retrieve now was different. It was the only secret within the academy that even Helio knew about—because it was a hidden treasure of the Helisbort family.
‘Academy library, Building 5, wall brick.’ The area saw plenty of foot traffic, yet few eyes lingered there. My unfamiliar muscles drew a few glances, but they came from a distance, so no one could tell exactly what I was doing.
‘Two steps left from the third window.’ As I ran my hand along the wall, a faint sensation brushed my fingertips—not a physical jolt, but a spiritual one. The trace of Descent.
“Found it.”
The brick slid out smoothly when I pulled. Given how famously sturdy the academy walls were, that alone confirmed I had the right one. I took out the pouch inside and replaced it with the prepared brick. A low vibration hummed through the wall as the replacement fused seamlessly with the rest, thanks to the restoration magic circles etched into every section of the barrier.
“Inside… platinum coins.”
A quick check revealed six platinum coins, each worth ten times a standard gold piece. Enough to buy a decent mansion if currency still held value. The ancestor who hid this treasure clearly believed that cold hard cash beat any ambiguous relic.
I tucked the pouch into my bag and examined the brick. ‘Looks exactly like an ordinary brick on the outside, but inside…’ A light squeeze and it crumbled to dust, proving its durability was no different from a normal brick. Even broken in half, however, the spiritual pull remained. That meant its true nature was exactly what I had been looking for.
‘Then, straight to it.’
Ching.
“Ugh… what was that?”
“Something felt creepy just now.”
“I’m fine, though?”
“Kelluk, kelluk.”
The spiritual wave that rippled out from the brick drew reactions from the people nearby. Those with sharp instincts flinched; those with strong auras or duller senses remained unfazed. Since neither physical force nor mana could be detected, I figured the disturbance would pass without incident…
“An abnormal wave just spread! Prepare for a possible attack by demon mages or outer-god cultists!”
“Lowerclassmen, move toward the main road! Buildings may also be dangerous—stay alert!”
“Attack alert! Attack alert!”
“…I forgot what a crazy place this is.”
Clutching the brick to my chest, I slipped away. Suspicious glances followed me, and I sensed someone trailing behind, but no one moved to stop me outright.
‘Time to head back.’
Once I had drawn attention, there was no point lingering at the academy. I had already collected everything I needed anyway.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Diana accepted the bag with a gentle smile. “And you arrived at just the right time. I was about to need you anyway.”
“You said you’d handle the paperwork.”
“Hehe, paperwork requires the party’s signature to be complete, after all.”
“Fair enough.”
I followed her without much thought—until the moment I saw what lay beyond the door she opened. All such thoughts vanished.
“…There are a lot of impressive people here.”
Beyond the door, the administrative office felt like a battlefield. Professors lined the room, each one comparable to an imperial mage or imperial knight. At the very end stood the man every noble family was told to memorize—the Empire’s Five Strongest. The educator Andersen. The academy principal himself was present.
“Please come in.”
“…Yes.”
Once targeted by him, escape was impossible. One of Grand Archer Andersen’s proudest claims was that he had never missed a target even once.
“I hear you’ve applied for the Pilgrimage. Is that correct?”
True to his busy nature, he cut straight to the point.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“The young lady as well.”
“Of course.”
“Are you aware of the risks?”
“…Yes.”
“Naturally, we are.”
Unlike Diana’s crisp reply, mine came out vague. I knew that being sent meant certain death, but the game had never shown exactly what made it so lethal.
The principal’s archer-sharp eyes caught on immediately. He met my gaze. “Young Lord Helisbort seems uninformed. About why the Pilgrimage matters, why it’s dangerous, and why so many people have gathered here.”
“……”
I had nothing to say. Honestly, I was simply walking the path Diana had laid out, trusting that the regressor had her own plan.
“Lady Diabeluna. I’ve been told you took the initiative. Are you fully aware of what this entails?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have brought up the Pilgrimage otherwise—it’s practically forgotten.”
“Is that so? The word itself still exists, so it’s entirely possible two young people simply spoke of it out of youthful bravado.”
The principal’s swift, precise words struck at the gap in Diana’s statement. He was a hero, but also an educator—someone who knew exactly how reckless youths their age could be.
“Saying you’re risking your life sounds easy and impressive. But it is neither easy nor good. Do you know the survival rate of those who join the Pilgrimage? Zero percent. Not a single person has ever survived. If you believe you’ll be the exception, speak now.”
“…………”
“We’ll be different.”
Sighs erupted from the professors at Diana’s words. After all, she carried the nickname “Mad Dog.” They clearly saw this as nothing more than childish recklessness.
“Would you care to explain how you’ll be different?”
Only Andersen remained unmoved. His sharp gaze tested her without mockery or condemnation—simply waiting to hear her answer. If her words proved to be mere bravado, he would cut her down without hesitation. But that moment had not yet come.
“He is brave and just. Filling the Spiral of Good Deeds will pose no difficulty. He also possesses greater talent than I do, and there’s no need to worry about his body being stolen by another existence.”
“…On what basis?”
“I can’t answer that.”
Diana was not someone who spoke from mere bravado. She was a regressor—she already knew everything she needed.
“Principal, about what she just said—”
“Quiet.”
The principal silenced the interrupting professor and looked at Diana. “Knowing of the Spiral of Good Deeds tells me you didn’t simply overhear the term. I’ll accept that much. Still, that is your understanding, your knowledge, your resolve. What about him?”
“…Ask him yourself.”
The principal’s gaze shifted to me.
“Helio Helisbort, second son of House Helisbort. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Did you understand what Lady Diana Diabeluna just said?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Do you know anything about the Pilgrimage?”
“…I don’t have accurate knowledge.”
“I see. Then allow me to explain.”
The principal nodded. “Despite its name, the Pilgrimage has nothing to do with gods. It is a suicide mission meant to weaken the Evil God.”
‘As expected.’
I had thought as much. The Evil God was the central figure of the Great War and the final boss. In the game, sending someone on the Pilgrimage weakened it for the final battle.
“As you’ve likely heard, the term ‘suicide mission’ is no exaggeration. The survival rate is zero percent—none have ever returned. Among them was even a member of the imperial family who possessed combat foresight, future descent, pseudo time-stop, and the ability to select every possible choice.”
Innate abilities were merely the foundation. How one wielded them was a matter of personal choice and freedom. The imperial family’s dominion was not limited to a single power like future foresight. Every derivative ability Andersen listed was renowned for its combat applications.
‘Even with all those terrifying powers, they still died…’
If I were simply some vain fool who had followed a woman here, I would have backed down in fear by now. Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t shaken. The principal himself had come to persuade me.
“…Understood. I knew it meant death, but I didn’t realize even someone like that had perished.”
“The process is horrific as well. I cannot speak of it here, but one’s ego can be stolen, and in some cases, the soul itself may be annihilated. House Helisbort deals in souls, so I trust you understand the terror.”
“……”
‘In truth, it’s a bit different from actually handling souls.’
That didn’t mean I failed to grasp how horrifying soul annihilation would be. It was one of the most dreadful deaths any sentient being could suffer.
“Honestly, Principal, your words shook me deeply. I’m afraid, too.”
“Is that so.”
“But someone has to do this, don’t they?”
“…Yes. Such personnel have already been prepared. Though their effectiveness is somewhat lower.”
In the game, I had learned of the Pilgrimage keyword through those reserve candidates. Reality was no different. If no one volunteered, someone was already being readied as a sacrifice. I knew the name. I had never heard it spoken aloud, but I knew the face from illustrations. I knew what kind of person they were—whether reality matched that or not.
‘Is it right to risk my life for someone I’ve never met?’
It wasn’t. I had a family who would grieve my death, and I feared dying too. The prepared candidate had been raised solely for this purpose, so the shock, sorrow, and repercussions would be minimal. Even so—
‘Do I want to?’
I did. Even if I had never met them, even if I only knew their name, even if it wasn’t them at all—I wanted to stop an innocent person from being sacrificed. Passion flared within me. And I answered that desire honestly.
“Then I’ll do it.”
“…Very well. Everyone else may leave. Only the Pilgrimage applicants will remain.”
The principal offered no further persuasion and accepted my words without resistance. Once the professors had filed out, he tapped the floor lightly with his staff. A strange wave passed over us.
“There’s no need to worry. It’s merely a spatial isolation barrier.”
“…That seems rather elaborate for ‘merely.’”
“Without it, we wouldn’t know when eavesdropping, thought-reading, or spatial reconstruction might occur.”
“……”
For the first time, fatigue showed on the principal’s face. Even one of the Empire’s Five Strongest grew weary of madmen’s attacks.
“Now then, let us continue our discussion.”
There had been no desperate persuasion using the regressor’s knowledge. The Pilgrimage was never something the academy formally permitted. They merely delivered accurate information and presented the final choice—an embodiment of the question [Do you truly wish to proceed? Yes/No]—along with an explanation of the terms and conditions. The only difference from ordinary terms was that ignoring them truly was dangerous.
Still, I had listened to the full explanation, and it left me unsettled.
‘Possession…’
The Pilgrimage involved dealing with the sealed remnants—or fragments—of the Evil God. In the process, the Evil God would inevitably possess the pilgrim’s body, and the pilgrim had to gather as many remnants as possible before dying. If they failed to die, a miniature Evil God would be born instead. In short, it was like strapping a time bomb to your body, quickly collecting every bomb necklace you could, then detonating yourself somewhere no one else would be harmed. That was what “certain death” truly meant.
“Do you know how its possession works?”
“Yes. It seizes the body of the most talented person.”
Diana showed no particular change. She simply explained the facts lightly.
“So the goal is to endure that?”
“Rather than recruiting those who are physically strong, they seek those who are mentally resilient. The longer one can hold out and gather more remnants, the more of the Evil God’s remnants can be dealt with.”
“…Then you’ll be the one possessed?”
“Me? Why?”
“Huh?”
At her genuinely puzzled tone, I looked at Diana. She stared back, clearly not understanding.
“You’re the more talented one.”
“I can’t even use mana, so what—huh?”
“If you think about why you can’t use it, then yes.”
Her words made sense. I possessed far more talent than her. After all, my mana capacity was 999+++. Not even the legendary dragons could surpass me in mana.
“And one more thing. Its possession isn’t about the soul—it’s a mass of mana that clings to the body.”
“Like contamination based on that mass?”
“But you?”
“…………Ah!”
I understood what she meant. And why she had been so calm. I understood the source of her confidence as well.
“Clinging to you… it’s like some kind of elixir, isn’t it?”
“Since the mana is coming from outside, yes.”
According to her, the Evil God’s possession was similar to consuming an elixir. The remnants would be digested by the host, become one with them, and spread contamination. In other words, for someone like me whose mana had already reached saturation and beyond, it meant nothing. There was simply no room left in 999 mana for the Evil God to enter.