Chapter 81: Reward (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 81: Reward (7)
Everyone held their breath in unison.
Silence fell all around.
All eyes were on her.
And at the center of it all, Cheon Yeo-wool stood with her eyes quietly closed.
It was the moment Ariel's divinity settled within her.
She was no longer a candidate. As the goddess's vessel, she would steadily build up that power.
“How do you feel?”
I asked, looking at Cheon Yeo-wool.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Looking up at me with a hazy gaze, she spoke in a low voice.
“…Euphoric.”
Cheon Yeo-wool whispered quietly.
Her face was flushed, her eyes slightly unfocused. The corners of her lips were turned up in a faint smile, and her breathing was a little ragged.
For someone with her deep faith, this had to be the ultimate fulfillment. She couldn't be anything but happy.
-Clack.
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind Cheon Yeo-wool.
The hem of a robe brushed against the floor.
It was Bishop Luke.
He gazed at Cheon Yeo-wool for a moment, then silently knelt on the spot.
“…Saintess.”
His voice trembled, and tears welled in his eyes.
“Lady Ariel's will now resides in you.”
He placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head deeply.
“On behalf of the Arcadia Cult, I congratulate you on being reborn as a true Saintess, no longer a mere candidate.”
When the bishop slowly raised his head, his eyes were filled with an incredulous sense of awe.
At that moment, the members of the sect who supported Cheon Yeo-wool began to applaud naturally. Across from them, the Hero Faction, unable to hide their displeasure, reluctantly joined in.
For a Saintess and a Hero to be formally granted their titles, they had to fully carry out the oracle they were given.
But Cheon Yeo-wool had skipped that procedure entirely. Of course, she would still perform the task for formality's sake, but it was just that—a formality.
Yohan had yet to shed his ‘candidate’ title.
With this, the Saintess's position had become even more solid.
But in that instant.
I felt a soft tug at the end of my sleeve.
“Hae-in~...”
A familiar voice.
Her hands carefully gripping my sleeve, she gently shook my arm.
“After this… do you have plans?”
She looked at me with glistening eyes.
It was less a question and more a plea.
Her voice rose slightly at the end, and her gaze was even more intent than usual.
“Ahem!”
From across where Luke knelt, the bishop from the Hero Faction cleared his throat, cutting her off.
“Now that you have become the Saintess, you must conduct yourself with more propriety…”
But she didn't even bother to answer him, her eyes fixed on me.
“Do youuuu?”
She whined, drawing out her words to their limit.
I chuckled as she shook my arm again, repeating the question.
“Yeah, I have something I need to do.”
At my answer, she lowered her head slightly and pouted.
“Okay…”
A brief silence.
I glanced to the side, at Bishop Luke, who still hadn't risen from his knees.
I spoke to him.
“You've probably noticed, but this is from Ariel's Tiara. She seems to have absorbed it well, but…”
I turned my gaze back to Cheon Yeo-wool, observing her.
She tilted her head, her eyes wide and bright.
“Yes… well, she might need some aftercare.”
At my calm words, Bishop Luke slowly nodded.
“……No matter how many times I say it, my thanks will never be enough.”
His voice was a little thick with emotion.
“Hae-in, you are always helping us.”
The bishop lowered his head and continued cautiously.
“Arcadia never overlooks a debt of gratitude. We will soon… repay you in a way you will surely find satisfactory.”
“Yes. Do that.”
I answered, but honestly, I didn't care.
At least when it came to the important people I was personally nurturing, I didn't need any compensation.
You might think I'm a pushover, but that's not it.
I'm doing this to survive. To live.
At my words, Bishop Luke bowed his head.
Then, the clerics of the Saintess's faction standing in a line behind him all bowed their heads in unison.
““May the grace of God be with you.””
Even Cheon Yeo-wool, standing before me, smiled brightly and tilted her head.
She brought her hands together in front of her chest and slowly gave a light bow.
I returned the gesture with a slight nod of my head.
“Take care.”
It wasn't that this kind of atmosphere was uncomfortable, exactly, but it wasn't my style.
I quietly turned and walked away.
*
Yoon Chae-ha stepped into the lowest level of the Association building, awestruck.
“Whoa…”
Jung Hae-in's judgment had been correct. There was no way Yoon Chae-ha would have sat quietly in the cafe.
After wandering around the lobby, she had eventually been grabbed by the scruff of her neck and dragged down to the Association's lowest floor.
Until the moment they arrived, she had been grumbling that there was more to see on the first floor, but the sight that greeted her left her speechless.
Beyond the wall, a single sphere floated in silence.
“Magic? A phenomenon? What in the world is this…?”
Yoon Chae-ha's eyes blazed red.
According to the detailed analysis conducted by the Association, no demonic energy was detected.
They said the demonic energy clinging to its surface had dissipated naturally.
Still, I have to be careful…
But Jung Hae-in couldn't be reassured by that alone.
This sphere was, without a doubt, a remnant of the Evil God.
There was a high probability it contained something incomprehensible.
That was why Jung Hae-in had brought Yoon Chae-ha here.
Because with her Authority, she could analyze it without having to touch it.
Maintaining a distance from beyond the wall.
A method made possible by her Authority, A Priori.
From here on, it was up to her.
“Go on, do as you please,” Jung Hae-in said quietly.
As if possessed, Yoon Chae-ha strode toward the glass wall.
“But whatever you do, don't touch it.”
At his warning, she gave a short nod.
-Vwooom….
The sphere hummed with a low thrum, as if it were breathing.
“Analyze it with your eyes only. If it seems like too much, you can just give up.”
Yoon Chae-ha's eyes widened, her pupils burning.
A mass of mana.
It was a mass of mana that was neither good nor evil—a contradiction in itself.
Yoon Chae-ha narrowed her eyes and began to slowly, carefully analyze its structure, as if deconstructing it.
Just as her Authority followed her will, attempting to pick it apart piece by piece…
-Zzzt!
The sphere vibrated for an instant.
And in the very next moment.
“Hey!”
Along with Jung Hae-in's shout.
Yoon Chae-ha's vision went black.
*
She opened her eyes once more.
When consciousness returned, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.
White clouds. A ceiling filled with light. The fragrant scent of flowers.
Spread out beneath her feet was a dazzlingly beautiful field of flowers.
She was standing in the middle of a vast paradise.
Heaven?
That was Yoon Chae-ha's assessment.
Her consciousness had cut out while she was analyzing the sphere, and when she opened her eyes, she was here.
The space was filled with brilliant light, and small angels flew through the air.
White pillars, a golden ceiling. It was a place that could easily be called heaven.
She felt her heart grow calm.
A strangely stabilizing feeling.
It was then.
[You have come.]
A soft, warm voice echoed in Yoon Chae-ha's mind.
Before her, a goddess sat upon a high, majestic throne.
Long, golden hair and a benevolent smile.
And a sacred robe trimmed with gold ornaments.
The goddess slowly descended from the throne and approached Yoon Chae-ha.
[O one with the eyes of wisdom, I commend your courage.]
[You are one who is worthy of becoming this world's protagonist.]
“…Me?”
Yoon Chae-ha asked back, bewildered by the sudden praise.
[That is correct.]
[Your arrival here is also part of a great destiny.]
The goddess, still smiling, took another step closer.
[With your will, realize your own justice.]
And the goddess quietly held out her hand. As if waiting for a choice.
Yoon Chae-ha was suddenly at a crossroads.
She narrowed her eyes, mulling it over.
A sudden situation like this… she had heard stories.
Stories of special individuals receiving the ‘System's’ blessing.
She herself had received the System's favor as a child and gained her Authority.
That was [A Priori].
But something was distinctly different.
An impossibly gentle space. An impossibly warm atmosphere. And a kind goddess.
And yet, somewhere deep in her heart, a loud alarm was blaring.
It was so perfect that it felt fake.
Don't take it!
The energy Jung Hae-in had planted inside her flared to life with a small flicker.
Its intent was a clear refusal.
She quickly turned her head.
But Jung Hae-in wasn't there.
At the very least, she didn't want to make a decision without him by her side.
Lately, she had come to rely on him for many things, and strangely, in this very moment, she had a premonition that he should be here.
“I'm fine.”
Yoon Chae-ha said quietly, shaking her head firmly.
[That cannot be. Would you reconsider? There is not much time.]
The goddess's voice was still gentle, but her eyes were no longer benevolent.
The small angels that had been surrounding her had, at some point, drawn right up to her.
Their hands were tiny, but the spears clutched in their fingertips were all aimed at Yoon Chae-ha.
“…I said no.”
Her voice trembled, but it was a clear refusal.
At that, she slowly began to suffocate.
The fragrance wafting from the flower field clouded her mind.
The once-pleasant scent was now turning into a nauseating sweetness.
The goddess approached.
Her hand was still outstretched, but her eyes were dark and cold.
A cold sweat trickled down her spine.
Her fingers began to tingle, and her legs were starting to disobey her.
No…
Her Authority, A Priori, attempted to resist, but she was sinking fast, as if caught in a deep swamp.
Yoon Chae-ha was slowly crumbling under an irresistible force.
It was then.
-Fwoosh.
The small, distinct energy that had been smoldering in her heart suddenly erupted like an explosion.
The flame spread out from her in a circle, forming a transparent barrier around Yoon Chae-ha.
-Swoosh! Tink! Tink!
Dozens of spears that flew at her in an instant were deflected the moment they touched the barrier.
“Hah… hah…”
Her breathing returned to normal.
With every breath she took, a familiar scent filled her nostrils.
Not the scent of flowers, but his scent.
[Ah… so it's come to this.]
The goddess before her sighed softly. And then.
[The Great Being... will be disappointed again!!!]
As she screamed, she clawed at her head with both hands.
Her benevolent face twisted into a torn grin, and her eyes began to turn red.
As she finished speaking, Yoon Chae-ha's eyes flew wide open.
[Authority: A Priori is activating!]
The vast paradise began to shed its skin.
The splendid flower field became a poppy field stained with blood.
The angels' smiles tore open, revealing writhing tentacles and teeth within.
[If only you had hesitated! For just one moment! That's all it would have taken!!]
The goddess's golden robe ripped away, replaced by a black veil. Red patterns bloomed across her skin, and finally, her eyes turned completely crimson.
[You have overcome the temptation of Apostle Aria!]
[Praise be to you for the trial you have overcome and the feat you have achieved.]
A message appeared before her eyes.
It was the first time since the moment she had awakened her Authority as a child.
But she knew intuitively.
This was the real System.
Just then, the boundary between Yoon Chae-ha's body and this strange world began to blur and separate.
A crack of light.
Through it, someone reached out, shaking her awake.
“Wake up!! Yoon Chae-ha!!”
A sharp, familiar voice.
Before her eyes was Jung Hae-in's face.
His mouth was slightly agape in alarm, his eyes filled with worry.
As she lifted her head, text floated in the air.
====
[Authority: A Priori]
① Piercing Eye
— You cannot hide, nor can you be hidden.
② A Priori Knowledge
— The essence is already determined.
③ ??? (Unreleased)
====
The blocked third slot.
Its seal had been broken.
The sphere that had been floating silently beyond the glass wall suddenly pulsed.
A stream of light pierced through the wall and shot straight into Yoon Chae-ha's chest.
In that instant, Jung Hae-in's eyes widened.
“!”
He whipped his head from side to side, trying to make sense of the situation before him.
[You have acquired Paradox Spectrum.]
[You have absorbed the essence of an energy that is neither good nor evil, a contradiction in its very existence.]
[Resonating with Authority: A Priori!]
[ ③ Seeker of Hunger — Devour, analyze, and absorb all that exists.]
“Ah…”
A soft gasp escaped Yoon Chae-ha's lips.
Jung Hae-in reacted at once.
“Yoon Chae-ha! You fainted.”
His voice was laced with unconcealed alarm and worry.
Yoon Chae-ha looked at him.
For a moment, in silence.
Who had protected her. Whose energy had enveloped her in that maddening space just moments ago.
Unless she was a fool, there was no way she wouldn't know.
Yoon Chae-ha lowered her gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod.
Then, the corners of her lips slowly lifted into a careful smile.
“Yeah… I'm okay.”
She said, looking quietly at Jung Hae-in.