Chapter 344: Crossing Paths (2)
Chapter 344: Crossing Paths (2)
After that, nothing particularly special happened, but sitting still isn't in my nature.
I spent my time wandering the building, interrogating any mages I came across or trying to capture the tentacles that entered my field of vision, though I didn't achieve any significant results.
Most of the mages I spoke with were just ordinary civilians.
As for the tentacles, they were uncannily good at escaping, but I did manage to capture a few.
However, just as the meeting minutes had described, the captured tentacles would stop moving as if dead after a brief convulsion, then vanish, leaving behind nothing but violet smoke.
Unlike the documents, which claimed they could last half a day, the fact that these didn't even last half an hour was a bit suspicious. Still, it confirmed once again that the tentacle my disciples had caught was a unique specimen.
And aside from that, another suspicious point emerged.
The ordinary mages would answer most general questions normally.
"So, you're saying you haven't seen anything strange. Where do you usually sleep?"
But when I asked personal questions like that, or—
"It looks like research is difficult without the internet. Want me to help for a second?"
"Oh, thank you."
"Where should I take this book?"
—questions regarding their specific group...
In that instant, their faces would suddenly turn cold.
Once they entered that state, conversation became impossible, so I would simply back off.
And there was one more strange thing about this phenomenon.
After turning so cold, if I stepped away for just a moment and met them again, they would smile and talk normally as if nothing had happened.
For instance, a mage I had helped carry a large stack of books earlier entered a laboratory alone with that same cold face. Less than ten seconds later, he came back out and bought me a cup of coffee with a beaming smile.
Yet, if I asked a personal question that seemed harmless, like "You look bright today, did something good happen?" they would respond normally.
It seemed to happen whenever I asked a question related to an individual or the group that wasn't meant to be revealed externally.
After testing this on several people, I realized that practically everyone inside this place acted this way.
This was an anomaly my disciples hadn't mentioned, nor could it be found in the meeting minutes.
At first, I thought it was a coincidence and that every mage I spoke to was involved in the plan mentioned in the minutes, but too many people were reacting for that to be the case.
Is everyone unaware of this?
That couldn't be.
It was an anomaly with such a simple trigger that anyone would notice it just by having a normal conversation.
As I pondered this while walking through the building, a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
Is it not a reaction, but a phenomenon?
What if it's not that they react coldly when they hear such things...
But that the premise is that such questions are never asked in the first place?
What if everyone in the Geneva Branch is under a massive suggestion that they must not become deeply involved with others or other groups?
And for some reason, I lack that perception. What if this phenomenon occurs because I am committing a great taboo embedded in their psyche—like an error that pops up in a game when you select an option that isn't supposed to exist?
As that thought occurred to me, I quickly reviewed my experiences here.
No one—not even those who knew me—had asked me any questions about myself.
Even my disciples.
They hadn't asked where I had been all this time.
Even though I had vanished right when the Public Enemy Designation occurred.
Of course, I hadn't opened my mouth because my experiences involving the Yellow King were forbidden information, but still, if they had asked, I would have at least tried to brush it off.
I didn't even have a memory of such a conversation taking place.
...Something is happening.
With that thought, I ran toward my disciples.
I needed to verify this phenomenon.
Right now, I was the only one here who had come from the outside.
I was the only one who could throw out such questions.
If so, this restriction must have been placed during the week I was gone.
Is it a special ability of an Executive, like how The Hole Tentacle made the world loop?
Or is it a side effect of something they consumed?
Since I couldn't know the former, I assumed the latter and began to deduce.
Assuming they ate something.
Even if they did, it wasn't something the small tentacle we were holding had eaten.
In my perception, there was no exchange of power between the small tentacles.
The same went for the terminal-type tentacles I had seen.
I had observed small tentacles being captured from vantage points like the rooftop, but there was no phenomenon where the power of the captured tentacles grew or escaped.
If the hypothesis that this phenomenon occurs by consuming something is correct...
My enemy must be secretly feeding The Root' something, so stealthily that even Un-ho wouldn't notice.
A very small amount, consistently.
Then what is it eating?
The Type S I could immediately guess were...
Sociality? Relationships? Interaction?
They all made sense, but...
...Is it even possible to eliminate those?
The fundamental forces that allow a human to exist as a human?
The tentacle that ate emotions—something a human must have—destroyed an entire city the moment it descended.
Then why has the tentacle that ate something so fundamental shown no reaction for an entire week?
Is my deduction about it eating something wrong?
Is it not consumption, but a simple special ability like the loop?
And what would that special ability be for?
While I tossed these unanswerable questions around in my head, I arrived at Dr. Baek Si-hyun’s laboratory.
I threw the door open and immediately fired off a question.
"Baek Si-hyun! Tell me one of your most embarrassing memories!"
That was personal enough.
Since I didn't expect an answer anyway, I just let it fly.
But contrary to my expectations...
"Yes! Before I became a Hero, I was swinging a hammer to imitate the video of Master's battles that impressed me so much, and I ended up hitting myself! I was so embarrassed when I had to tell the doctor!"
Si-hyun spoke with grand confidence, as if she wasn't embarrassed at all.
"...What are you doing?"
"...Ha-ram-nim, you must be under a lot of stress. Please get some rest."
I was met with the icy glares of Han A-bin and Un-ho.
...This wasn't it.
* * *
After that, despite the embarrassment, I slightly tweaked the question and tried the same experiment on Han A-bin and Un-ho.
The result was...
Well, you could say another page of embarrassing memories was added to the book titled The Life of Hero Lee Ha-ram.
After my theory had been thoroughly trashed, I spoke to the only being left in the room who wasn't an embarrassment.
"...Then again, it's not like I've ever gotten anything right on the first try."
"...?"
The tentacle wriggled on the bed as if it were no longer afraid of me, responding to my words.
"No, I had this idea, but it's a bit annoying to have it flatly contradicted."
"...??"
Somehow, it felt like we were communicating.
Is this what it feels like to have a pet? Un-ho would technically fall into the category of a pet, but he's more of a stress-inducing entity.
"What exactly are you guys eating? You could at least tell me that much."
"...!!"
"They're eating 'meal,' Ha-ram-nim."
Now that's a perfect answer.
Right, come to think of it, from our perspective, these things are eating non-existent concepts, but from their perspective, that's just their 'meal.'
Otherworldly biology is truly mysterious.
Anyway, is this the first time I've talked to a tentacle like this?
Since things have turned out this way, maybe I should chat with it a bit to heal my exhausted mind and body.
Of course, I haven't let my guard down.
Even now, I have all my senses dialed up, checking if anything changes.
"Where is that 'Root' fellow?"
"... ┓."
The tentacle moved to the edge of the bed and pointed toward the floor.
"It says it's below."
Un-ho provided supplementary explanation, but I could understand that much without a translation.
Below, huh.
That's incredibly abstract.
"Can you lead me there now?"
"...!!"
The Terminal Tentacle spun around in circles.
"It says... not ready."
Ready.
I wonder if that means The Root isn't ready, or if we aren't ready.
My worry that it might play dumb to difficult questions because of its limited vocabulary was clearly showing.
"I saw your friends, and they died or vanished in an instant. What exactly makes you different from them?"
"...?"
"It says... 'What? Sound?'"
'The question is too difficult,' huh.
Dammit. I really feel like I'm being played by this thing.
"Your friends. Other branches. They vanish."
I had no choice but to shorten my sentences as much as possible.
The question became vague, but it couldn't be helped.
"...! !! ! ┃┗┓┏┛ …! ━ ┛!"
It suddenly started thrashing around.
Did I say something wrong?
"...Uh, wait a second. So. Root. Greed. Bad thing. Not friends. Fruit. Bad smell. Biting fingernails? Is that last word right?"
What is it talking about?
"So, the friends aren't branches?"
"...!"
It shook its head.
"It says... they are branches."
"Then, branches. Root. Friends. Bad things. Together?"
Somehow, my way of speaking was becoming identical to the tentacle's.
Is this what it feels like to be a kindergarten teacher?
"...!"
The tentacle's terminal end swung back and forth again.
"It says no."
Hmm. For now, that means it's correct to think of all the small tentacles as branches.
Ultimately, it means those uncooperative branches are also rebelling against The Root.
Even in a situation where they might die.
This was a hypothesis built on the assumption that this tentacle wasn't lying.
Since I had decided to go along with the mages' plan regarding this small tentacle until a major problem arose...
This would probably be my last question.
"Branches. Run away. Us. Not people. Reason?"
"... ∼."
The tentacle stretched out limply on the bed.
What's that supposed to be?
"Not Adversary. Tag. Maybe the last part means running away?"
Wait.
So, the reason this thing stuck to us is because I'm The Adversary?
And the others are uncooperative because they aren't The Adversary?
No, wait.
I definitely caught a few tentacles, and they just died.
Why was that?
I had gained new information, but the mystery only deepened.
This is driving me crazy.
I need to meet The Council members soon.
The information I'm getting is far too insufficient.
The Enemy is nowhere to be seen.
My only—and unreliable—source of information is like a toddler who can't even speak properly.
First The Hole Tentacle, and now this new tentacle... why are they all so secretive?
Why can't they just fight with hammers like the Gray Eater?
As The Adversary, I'm a specialist in power struggles.
Then you guys should engage in a power struggle too. Why make me play detective...?
In the midst of that, an intuition flashed through my mind like lightning.
Earlier, wasn't the perception of the word 'meal' different?
To that tentacle, it's just something it eats, so it's 'meal.' But the 'meal' we think of is just ordinary food.
Similarly, there's a high possibility that the words it perceives and the words we use have different meanings.
Therefore...
I immediately threw a question at the tentacle, which was wriggling on its own as if playing.
"Is The Adversary' you're talking about me?"
"...?"
The tentacle curled its body as if it didn't understand the question.
"Adversary. Me?"
I even pointed my finger at myself as I asked.
What if the word 'Adversary' actually referred to Baek Si-hyun?
If there was such a discrepancy in the words used between the tentacle and me...
What if, from the beginning, this tentacle wasn't trying to help us, but was trying to help The Enemy’s enemy, Baek Si-hyun?
It was a question born from that intuition, but...
"...!!"
The tentacle nodded its terminal end up and down as if that were correct.
...Wait, what?
"It says you are The Adversary. Why would you ask that? Of course The Adversary is you, Ha-ram-nim."
Once again, my deduction had leaped past distant reality and plunged into the depths of the Otherworld where Grix lives, into The Sea That Will Come Someday.
It's all over.
Lamenting my own uselessness, I slammed my head onto the bed.
I just want to swing my hammer.
I hate playing the intelligence game.
While I was exploring the various smells of food scraps soaked into Baek Si-hyun’s mattress, I felt something tapping on my head.
"Tant says to cheer up."
Hearing Un-ho’s interpretation of that mysterious sensation...
I felt even more pathetic.
Good grief, now I'm being comforted by The Enemy.
Just as I was pressing my face even harder into the mattress...
"Master! I found the location of The Council members!"
Baek Si-hyun’s loud shout rang out.
"Where is it!"
I immediately lifted my head from the bed, my mood shifting instantly.
Soon, all the questions I had would be answered.
So what if I'm not that bright?
The smarter people will take care of it.
That's how the world is supposed to work—through mutual aid.