Chapter 461: Choice. The Great Hero? Or Magna Carta?
Chapter 461: Choice. The Great Hero? Or Magna Carta?
After activating the Stele of Wishes.
“With this, the activation is complete… Hm? Why does everyone look like that?”
Helena approached with light steps to report the activation was complete. But as soon as she saw our faces, she tilted her head in confusion. It was no wonder, as no one looked happy. In fact, we all looked miserable.
“It’s because it’s so ambiguous. When you talk about wishes, it’s impossible for personal greed not to be involved.”
“Ah, I see what you mean. But there’s no need for a wish to be completely devoid of greed. It’s only restricted if greed is the top priority. If you can push it to a secondary concern, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Helena’s advice was perfectly logical, but I just gave a hollow laugh. As if it were that easy.
Human emotions are so subtle that it’s often difficult for even oneself to apply a precise standard. Given that, to control one’s own emotions and relegate greed to a secondary concern? It was absurd.
Seeming to understand the meaning of my laugh, Helena shrugged and continued.
“If it’s truly that difficult, it’s not like there are no other options.”
The moment she said that, everyone’s eyes, including mine, fixed on her.
Helena gave a bewitching smile, then lightly licked her lips with her tongue. The way she then smiled with her eyes made her look like a seductive temptress. Of course, her hair and eye color had changed, but compared to the image of the Great Hero I first saw, she felt worlds apart.
“While we can’t completely overturn the basic principles, we can slightly increase the chances of success. No, depending on the person, it might be possible to increase them dramatically.”
“Oh? And how would we do that?”
“Human emotions are a curious thing. They can change in any situation… In other words, they are an inner world that cannot be easily measured.”
“That sounds rather vague.”
I understood what she meant, but it wasn’t very helpful in our current situation.
Helena wagged her index finger back and forth, then tapped her lovely lips and said, “In short, it means you need to be a smooth talker. No matter how much of a god they are, their judgment is ultimately subjective.”
So, she was telling me to run my mouth against a god? And Ganesha, the god of language and wisdom, at that?
Still feeling it was impossible, I let out a deep sigh.
The other clan members also looked puzzled. They were just glancing at each other, seemingly hesitant to step forward.
It was understandable. The massive reward of the Stele of Wishes was right in front of them, but one small misstep and it would all be for nothing. Who would want to be the first to go in a situation like this?
After smacking my lips once, I spoke quietly.
“Then I guess I’ll start. What do I need to do?”
“Oppa, are you confident?” Yoojung quickly asked, but I just shook my head. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a solid plan. The only option left was to face it head-on. Besides, we couldn’t just stand around here forever, so it was better for me to get things started.
“I know what everyone is worried about. I feel the same way. But given the situation, what else can we do? It would be great if it works, but if not, then so be it. I’ll leave this reward to your own choices. I won’t ask what you wished for, so don’t feel too pressured and just think positively.”
For now, this was the best I could do. My words seemed to have some effect, as I could see the clan members’ faces brighten up a little.
“The method is simple. The portal is already active, so the area around the central stele is now like a different dimension. If you kneel before that stele and listen closely, you will hear the god’s voice.”
As Helena’s voice trailed off, I thought it was simpler than I expected and moved toward the central stele.
The moment I stepped into the center of the magic circle, I could feel a subtle shift in the flow of my surroundings. The presence of the clan members I had felt just a moment ago was gone, and it felt as if I were the only one here.
Before me stood the Stele of Wishes, shimmering with a green light. I touched it for a moment, then slowly knelt as I was told. And just as my knees were about to touch the ground…
Vwoom!
“Huh?”
A clear light suddenly burst from the stele and enveloped my entire body. Then, against my will, my body began to move on its own. My nearly bent knees straightened, and my weight shifted back, seating me on the floor. It even folded my legs for me, putting me in a comfortable sitting position.
It was then. As I was feeling bewildered, a melodious voice echoed faintly in my ear, like a dream.
—O, Primordial Flame. Please, be comfortable. I, the humble Ganesha, offer my greetings to the mother of all flames. Though you exist in an incomplete state within a human body, it is an honor to meet you even in this way.
I stared blankly for three seconds before looking down at my chest. It was Eternal Flame again.
—Hmph. So it’s Ganesha. Tell him I said hello.
Eternal Flame’s voice spoke from within me, and I quickly addressed her.
You know him?
—Mmm. Our fields are different. We’re not what you’d call close. Still, he seems quite capable. I recall my underlings mentioning him a few times.
Underlings. Ah, then this is perfect. Eternal Flame, you…
—No. No matter how much of a junior he is, Ganesha is still a proper god. A high-ranking one at that. And I already told you he’s not under my jurisdiction, didn’t I? I admit this is a good opportunity, but I have no valid reason to interfere here.
Hey, what’s the big…
—The big deal? The big deal? Pfft. Right. I suppose you wouldn’t know. You’re human, after all. But the favor you were about to ask is incredibly rude to both me and Ganesha. Do you understand?
Eternal Flame, having already guessed what I was about to say, cut me off sharply and continued.
Seeing how firm she was, I figured there was no point in pressing her further.
I smacked my lips in disappointment and looked up at the stele. The mysterious green light still flowed within it.
A moment later, Ganesha’s voice rang in my ears again.
—What did you speak of? What did the Primordial Flame say about me?
“Uhm. She said she’s very happy to meet you. And she also said that the human she currently resides in is one she cares for very deeply, so she would appreciate it if you granted his wish without any restrictions.”
After moistening my lips, I spoke calmly.
The storm that followed was fierce.
—Hey! Do you have a death wish?!
—Ho ho! I am delighted to hear she is happy to meet me. But please, do not lie. I am Ganesha, the god of language and wisdom. I am aware that she did not say such a thing. Ho ho ho!
Damn it. So he knew from the start.
My body twisted and turned as Eternal Flame raged inside me, and I grumbled inwardly. Of course, it was entirely my fault, so I didn’t let it show on my face.
—Phew. It has been a while since I have laughed so heartily. I did not understand why Tyche took an interest in you, but now I see you are indeed an amusing human. To dare joke with the Primordial Flame… such a thing is unimaginable in our world.
“Ty… who did you say?”
—Tyche. The goddess of luck. She has been interested in you since you first entered this world. Did you not know?
“I did not.”
Come to think of it, I think I saw something similar in a stat increase message when I started the 2nd playthrough.
Anyway.
It was none of my business, so I decided to focus on the wish again.
“In any case, very well. Before I make my wish, may I ask a few questions?”
—No. You may not. It seems you are trying to buy time for the humans outside to think, and to gather as much information as possible about the restrictions by asking questions. Therefore, I will not permit it.
“…I can’t do that?”
—If you did, I would naturally be displeased, wouldn’t I? This is a space for making wishes, not a space for you to size me up.
I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. What a difficult goddess. Or was conversation with all gods like this?
Perhaps taking pity on me, Ganesha’s voice flowed in a moment later.
—Still, out of respect for her, I will answer your questions to some extent. Countless humans have visited this Stele of Wishes. As such, the wishes I have heard are varied. Kill someone, save someone. Make me the strongest, let me go home. Or make someone love me, and so on. For your reference, wishes of this kind have never been granted, with the exception of love. Is that a sufficient answer?
I decided to throw in the towel. He spoke as if he knew everything I was going to say, and it was suffocating. And Helena wanted me to be a smooth talker with this guy? It was truly impossible.
There was no point in dragging this out any longer.
To be honest, there were so many wishes I wanted to make, for myself and for the people around me.
But I had a feeling that if I said any of them, they would fail 100%.
Of course, I couldn’t just let such a good opportunity slip away. I had to make the most helpful wish possible while maximizing the chances of success.
Having made up my mind, I calmly rose to my feet.
I recalled what Helena had said.
‘Human emotions are a curious thing. They can change in any situation…’
“I’ll stop. I’ll just quietly state my wish.”
—A wise choice. Then please, state your wish.
“Before that, please wait a moment. I need to compose myself.”
—Hmph.
I heard a snort, as if to say, ‘Go ahead and try,’ and I calmly closed my eyes.
I began to enter Mind Training.
Player Status, Shin Sangyong, Yoo Hyuna, Hyung, Han Soyoung…
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but I wiped them all clean. Then, one by one, I began to recall the most miserable memories from the 1st playthrough, filling my mind with thoughts of demons and the Demonkin.
When Dayeon was killed by them.
When my brother was killed by them.
When Han Soyoung was killed by them.
As I recalled these memories, I felt something begin to boil within me. It was a thick, fierce flame—undeniably, it was killing intent and hatred.
When I opened my eyes again, my first thought was:
I want to kill the demons, the Demonkin.
—Ho! Remarkable. It has been a long time since I have seen a human control their emotions so well. Especially such deep killing intent and hatred… This is not something artificially created, but a true emotion born from experience. Truly surprising.
Ganesha’s voice sounded like a compliment, but his tone hadn’t changed. He still spoke as if he knew I would fail.
—The restriction is only applied at the moment the wish is spoken. I wonder… if this hatred and killing intent of yours can overcome your greed. I am curious as well. Now, state your wish.
Ganesha was right. This hatred and killing intent were directed solely at the demons and Demonkin.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely unrelated to my previous desires. But the moment any other impurity was added to this emotion born of pure hatred and killing intent, I couldn’t be sure how the restriction would apply.
“I… in this world.”
In that case, there was only one way. I had to block any room for other impurities to mix in and maintain this emotion for as long as possible.
After exhaling the energy welling up inside me, I steadied my breath. The longer I thought, the more the emotion created through Mind Training might fade.
Thus, without delay, I spoke my wish.
“I want to erase… the demons and the Demonkin.”
*
Flash!
When I came to my senses with a small flash of light, I realized I was outside again. I blinked a couple of times and calmly stared back inside.
Fwoosh!
The stele briefly glowed yellow before returning to its original green, shimmering gently as before. I tilted my head.
When I returned to where the clan members were, a smiling Helena opened her mouth.
“Congratulations. It wasn’t a complete success, but you didn’t fail either.”
“…How did you know?”
“Because the stele glowed yellow. The stele flashes blue if the wish is activated and red if it is not. However, in cases that are neither, it emits a yellow light. At least it’s better than red.”
“Is that so.”
As Helena said, the activation of my wish could be considered a case of neither success nor failure.
But personally, I was satisfied.
Although my wish hadn’t been fully granted, I had obtained the information I wanted. In short, it meant the success of the wish was now in my hands. A 50% success, you could say.
I nodded vaguely and stretched. But before I could even organize my thoughts, several clan members rushed toward me.
“Orabeoni! Orabeoni! What happened? What did you wish for? Huh?”
It wasn’t just Ahn Sol; the other clan members seemed curious too, but it was a question I could never answer. I had also made it a point to say I wouldn’t ask anyone about their wishes, so I gently pushed Ahn Sol away and said, “It’s a secret. Didn’t we agree not to ask each other?”
“Hmph… but still…”
“What do you mean, ‘but still’? If I had to give you some advice, it would be to put your whole heart into whatever you wish for.”
“My whole heart?”
After nodding, I clapped my hands a couple of times and spoke.
“Alright, alright. Let’s go in one by one. We can’t stay here forever.”
“…I will go next.”
Thankfully, I heard someone respond calmly. It was Cha Sorim.
Cha Sorim gently set down her Arcus spear and headed toward the central stele with light steps.
I watched with interest as Cha Sorim slowly knelt before the stele. What kind of wish would she make? Would she succeed?
About three minutes passed after Cha Sorim went in.
“Oh.”
Just as Cha Sorim’s body was slowly emerging from the magic circle, my eyes shot wide open. The Stele of Wishes had burst with blue light. In other words, her wish had been successfully granted.
“Woah!”
“Oooooh!”
When Cha Sorim returned, the clan members all burst into cheers. However, there was not a hint of joy on Cha Sorim’s face. On the contrary, she looked completely embarrassed, glancing at me before quickly turning her head away.
I was curious about what she had wished for, but I had already decided not to ask. I cleared my mind and encouraged the other clan members to take their turns.
After that, things proceeded smoothly. As if Cha Sorim’s success had been a starting signal, the clan members began to volunteer one after another.
From Daeun to Seon Yuun, seven people offered to go almost at the same time, so I had to assign them numbers. The clan members then began to enter one by one according to their turn.
However, I wondered if the luck had run out after me and Cha Sorim.
The results that followed were so disastrous they could be called a total wipeout.
The time each person took was no more than five minutes at the longest. And the only ones who even lasted five minutes were Woo Jungmin and Shin Jaeryong.
In less than twenty minutes, the stele had flashed red a total of six times.
Daeun, Woo Jungmin, Hanna, Shin Jaeryong, Yoojung, Hangyul.
Out of the seven who had volunteered, six had failed in a row.
“Hoo…”
“Sigh…”
Listening to the dejected sighs of the failed clan members, I watched Seon Yuun, who was still inside. Having just passed the two-minute mark, Seon Yuun was slowly getting to his feet.
Then, he suddenly took out his bow and an arrow and began to draw the string. What kind of wish was that? A sudden curiosity arose, and I watched the center with a sliver of hope.
But what I hoped for didn’t happen. Seon Yuun seemed to pluck the bowstring once before he was smoothly pushed out, and the stele mercilessly flashed red.
Seon Yuun trudged back, scratching his head and letting out a deep sigh. I gave him a look of consolation, and he smacked his lips before slinging the bow over his shoulder.
“Phew. That goddess, Ganesha, is truly difficult.”
“Haha. So you shot an arrow at her? At a god?”
It was a joke, of course. Seon Yuun, looking drained, shook his head.
“Ah, no, that’s not it. I just asked her to point out any problems with my archery form if I showed it to her.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I figured a normal wish wouldn’t work. I was hoping that if she pointed out a flaw, I could use that as a pretext to somehow get a boost to my Player Status. And then I plucked the bowstring…”
“And then?”
When I prompted him, Seon Yuun gave an awkward laugh and continued.
“She said she’d seen enough and told me to leave.”
“Pfft!”
Daeun, who was close enough to hear, burst out laughing.
“Y-Yuun-ssi! Ahahaha! What kind of wish is that? That’s such a sneaky trick~.”
“…And what kind of wish did you make, Sword Empress, that you’re laughing so hard?”
“Oh my. That’s a lady’s secret. I’m never going to tell. Right, Clan Lord?”
“Ugh… Anyway, we both failed, so it’s all the same, isn’t it?”
Listening to Daeun and Seon Yuun’s light bickering, I looked at the other clan members. There were four people left: Ahn Sol, Vivian, Heo Junyoung, and Kim Hanbyul.
Among them, I was paying special attention to Ahn Sol and Vivian.
Ahn Sol and Vivian were showing more passion than ever before. It was quite a sight to see them grabbing each clan member as they returned, eagerly asking all sorts of questions. It was a good thing, I suppose, but I wished they were this diligent on a regular basis.
After finally cornering Seon Yuun and bombarding him with questions, the two swallowed hard and approached me. The tension on their faces told me they had gathered enough information.
“Kim Soohyun. I’m going in now.”
“Orabeoni. I’m going to give it a try, too.”
Ahn Sol and Vivian spoke at the same time. Then they looked at each other.
The moment their eyes met with a flash.
“I’m first!”
Vivian made the first move. Perhaps they had developed a rivalry while gathering information, because she spun around and took off without even giving me a chance to set an order.
“Hey, Unni! You can’t do that!”
A startled Ahn Sol cried out plaintively, but Vivian was already more than halfway there.
But Ahn Sol wasn’t one to just stand by.
After taking a sharp breath, Ahn Sol quickly chased after Vivian. Then, while running, she pulled out her staff and aimed it at Vivian’s receding back.
“O, Angelus! With your sacred authority, bind the steps of that wicked one!”
A Hold spell for Angelus.
The white light that shot from the staff struck Vivian’s back without a shred of mercy. It was a perfectly clean hit.
Struck unexpectedly by the Hold spell, Vivian froze mid-stride. Not only did she stop, but she couldn’t overcome her own momentum and began to roll across the floor. It was like watching a hoop rolling away.
“Fublurubububuh!”
Vivian let out a bizarre scream as Ahn Sol zipped past her.
Seriously, why were they trying so hard? It’s not like going first increases the success rate.
“Hey! Ahn Sol! You can’t do this! Hey, hey!”
Vivian, having finally managed to regain control of her body, shrieked, but Ahn Sol had already slipped into the central space. Vivian ground her teeth and began to spew all sorts of curses.
My head began to throb, but I repeated the character for ‘patience’ in my mind and watched the stele. Ahn Sol was already kneeling reverently. Since it had come to this, I decided to just wait and see the result.
“Hmm…”
For the first 30 seconds, things seemed to be going well. A happy smile had appeared on Ahn Sol’s face.
Another 30 seconds passed, and Ahn Sol slowly began to rise.
Faster than I thought. Just as I was about to swallow in anticipation, thinking she was about to state her wish, Ahn Sol’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded once.
It was then.
BOOM!
A faint explosion echoed through the hall.
“Uwaaaah?!”
At the same time, Ahn Sol, flailing her arms, flew through the air in a gentle arc. She then landed on the floor and rolled with a loud clatter.
Kudangtangtang!
Ahn Sol, who had stopped right next to Vivian, hastily lifted her head and stared forward. I followed her gaze to the center and saw the stele, flashing red over and over without pause.
Worried that something had gone wrong, I immediately shouted.
“Helena! What is this phenomenon?”
“I-I’m not sure. I don’t know. It seems like a failure, but this is the first time I’ve seen a reaction like this…”
Helena stammered in her reply, clearly unsure herself.
However, Ahn Sol, the presumed culprit, just sat there with her shoulders slumped, making no move to get up.
“H-how could this happen?! I was being completely sincere!”
“Hmph! Serves you right! This is what you get for having such a nasty heart.”
“Wh-what did you say? You think you’ll do any better, Unni?”
“Lalalala~ Can’t hear you~. Can’t hear you~.”
Was she that mad about what Ahn Sol did? Vivian plugged her ears and showed the true essence of taunting as she provoked Ahn Sol. Then, she sashayed her way into the center. Ahn Sol bit her lip and slammed her fist on the ground.
Vivian’s playful expression vanished, and she looked at the stele with a solemn face. As I watched her kneel with grim determination, I quietly covered my face. I felt someone patting my back.
It was then.
Just as I was steeling myself, thinking I’d deal with this after it was all over, and trying to calm my mind…
BOOM!
“Kyaaaaak!”
Another explosion and a scream rang out, and I quickly lifted my gaze. What? It hasn’t even been 30 seconds.
After confirming that Vivian had crashed next to Ahn Sol, I turned my eyes to the center. And when I found the Stele of Wishes, I saw it. The Stele of Wishes, flashing red like crazy.
It looked so angry that I finally lost my patience and shouted.
“What in the world did you two do?!”
And, in that moment.
—You BIIIIITCHEEES!
A trembling voice boomed, echoing throughout the area. The tone and accent were different, but it was unmistakably Ganesha’s voice.
Ahn Sol and Vivian, as if they were mutes who had eaten honey, looked guilty and scrambled to their feet.
Then, completely different from how she had treated me, Ganesha’s enraged voice once again thundered through the hall.
—I let it slide, and you just keep spouting absolute BULLSHIT! Do I look like a JOKE to you?