Chapter 770: Grand Afterimage
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 770: Grand Afterimage
"It’s pointing... here?"
Muen stared in the direction the chain indicated, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
In the depths of the gloomy corridor, the distorted, corrupted lines writhed incessantly. Perhaps noticing Muen’s gaze, some of the bizarre, tentacle-like growths began to thrash with sudden, frantic energy, as if injected with adrenaline.
Muen turned a pleading gaze back to his wrist, desperately hoping this was just a hallucination.
Seriously, big guy? We just escaped the tiger’s den, and now you want me to go poke the tiger’s backside?
Does the difficulty really have to spike this hard? Compared to this, I feel like my survival rate would be higher if I tried to grope Ariel’s backside instead.
But no matter how Muen adjusted his wrist or shifted his position, the thin chain remained fixed, pointing unyieldingly toward the direction "He" had gone.
"It certainly doesn't look like a pleasant choice," Peles remarked, stroking her hazy chin as she pondered. "Following right behind 'Him'... even I can't guarantee we won't be detected."
Ariel was more direct. She fixed Muen with a piercing, "Are you freaking kidding me?" glare that felt like it was drilling a hole into his forehead.
"This... I know it doesn't seem very reliable..." Muen scratched his head awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile. "But right now... it seems like the only path we have."
The direction had been set. Whether to follow it was a personal choice.
But if they didn't, they would just be wandering aimlessly through this high tower like headless flies. If that was the case, what had been the point of risking their lives to get here?
No matter how dangerous it was, they had to grit their teeth and move forward.
"What do you say?" Peles asked, crossing her arms as she glanced at Ariel. "Are we still going?"
"...Ugh, what did I do to deserve this?" After a long silence, Ariel let out a resentful sigh and glared even harder at Muen. "What are you standing there for? Do you expect me to lead the way?"
"Right, on it!"
Muen didn't dare delay and took the lead.
Under "His" pollution, the walls and floor had completely lost their metallic properties. Instead, they felt like some kind of organic flesh; stepping on them felt unnervingly soft.
It wasn't a comfortable sensation. It was nauseating—like walking inside the stomach of some colossal beast.
Muen reached the entrance of the passage and cast an Illumination Spell. The light pierced the deep gloom of the corridor as he stepped inside.
The twisted tentacles seemed to sense the presence of fresh meat. Newly formed maws hissed and lunged savagely at Muen.
Sizzle—!
Black flames surged out, instantly incinerating the malformed growths.
"Thanks."
"Save the chatter," Ariel said coldly from behind him. "Say or do something actually useful."
"..."
Muen swallowed the habitual sweet talk he usually used to charm girls and focused his attention on cautiously observing their surroundings.
"It seems the pollution shows no sign of fading."
"I'm not blind."
"No, what I mean is, since the pollution doesn't dissipate naturally—or at least does so very slowly—why have we only seen it in 'His' wake so far?" Muen glanced back at Ariel with a questioning look. "This tower is massive, but it shouldn't be this big. If 'His' afterimage is wandering this tower—even if it's just staying within one area—the pollution should have eventually spread to the entire structure."
"..." Ariel blinked, falling into thought. "You have a point."
The pollution of an Evil God was notoriously difficult to purge and highly "contagious."
In the Church, the Silence Bureau, and various organizations across the continent dedicated to dealing with Evil Gods, the aftermath of such pollution was always a tedious and complex affair. It could manifest as a mental influence on individuals or groups, or as derivative creations born from the Evil God’s overwhelming Authority. In short, it was a nightmare to handle; the slightest oversight could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Usually, because of the World Barrier, Evil Gods could not descend personally, so their pollution only affected the world indirectly—mostly through "believers."
But "He" was different.
Whether in the history Muen and Ariel knew or the scene they had just witnessed, one thing was clear...
"He" was a unique existence that had truly descended upon this world.
Therefore, even if it was just an "afterimage," this pollution was direct and required no medium.
"Based on my guess, there are two possibilities."
A sharp, "instinctive" sting continued to assault Muen’s senses. It was the surrounding distortion trying frantically to penetrate his body and spread the pollution to him.
However, to his current self, this level of pollution was useless. If anything, it only made the black flames within him flicker with excitement.
"First possibility: this tower has some kind of ability to isolate pollution. Thus, even after a thousand years, the corruption 'He' caused is confined to specific zones." Muen thrust his blade into several remaining malformed growths, severing them completely.
"Possible. This is a relic from a thousand years ago, after all; such a capability wouldn't be surprising," Ariel nodded. "And the second?"
"The second..." Muen’s eyes flashed. "The pollution itself is part of the afterimage."
"What do you mean by that?" Ariel frowned.
"Don't you find it strange?"
"Strange? In what way?" Ariel eyed Muen. "You mean the part where an adult male is talking to me with a woman's face?"
"...Let me drink a potion first."
"Are you sure drinking it now won't cause the potion to be corrupted by the distortion here, changing its properties?"
"...Fine." Muen sighed in resignation. "The 'strange' part I'm talking about refers to these malformed growths."
"The growths?"
"Don't you think they're a bit much?" Muen used his blade to pick up a piece of a severed tentacle. Even detached, it continued to writhe with an unimaginable vitality. "This was originally a laboratory built of cold steel. Now, even the walls have been converted into fleshy, organic structures by the pollution. Even for an Evil God, don't you think this is a bit too terrifyingly fast?"
"You think 'He' can't do it?"
"No, 'He' probably can. I've seen another Evil God turn inanimate objects into living things before. But this happened too quickly, didn't it?" Muen narrowed his eyes.
From one end of his vision to the other, everywhere "He" passed, this incredible mutation occurred naturally.
Of course, "distortion" was "normal" for an Evil God, but the extremity of this mutation shouldn't be this severe—unless the Mother of Abundance herself had descended and exerted her Authority in person.
"So, this state feels more like..."
"An overlap?" Ariel realized. "Truth and falsehood... reality overlapping with the afterimage?"
"Like I said, it's just my second theory." Muen shrugged. "No need to overreact. It might just be the first possibility, that there's some kind of—"
"The little guy is quite clever, isn't he?"
Suddenly, Peles drifted up from Ariel’s ring like a lingering spirit. "Your guess is about seventy or eighty percent correct."
"Could you please stop calling me 'little guy'? I'm not small at all... Wait." Muen froze. "You're saying my guess... was right?"
"Of course." Peles nodded, then added meaningfully, "If I were you, I’d take a step back right about now."
Muen flinched and immediately leaped backward.
BOOM!
Passing almost flush against the "enhanced" chest Ariel’s magic-tech had gifted his current form, a terrifying shockwave tore through the walls. It completely swallowed the entire fleshy corridor in front of Muen.
Muen’s pupils dilated as a violent gale whipped his hair. For the umpteenth time that day, his face was a mask of sheer terror.
...Because in that moment, his field of vision opened up.
He saw the cramped, narrow underground—stone houses piled together like countless building blocks. He saw the mist being blown away, and the corpses of Corruptors within the mist turning to ash and vanishing... A massive hole had been gouged out of the area in front of him, as if a giant prehistoric beast had taken a bite out of the tower, allowing him to see the landscape outside.
Most importantly, he saw a massive number of figures—at least hundreds, if not thousands. Their faces were obscured by eerie static, and they wore tattered robes. These Static Figures were hovering in the air nearby.
The shockwave that had torn through the tower had originated from the space around these Static Figures.
"No... way."
Muen felt his legs go weak. It wasn't because of a fear of heights; as the one who had sacrificed his "dignity" to save Ariel, he knew exactly how terrifying those Static Figures were.
One of them had forced Ariel to use her ultimate move just to barely escape. Their strength was far beyond Zagu’s.
"You've got to be kidding me." Ariel peeked out cautiously from behind Muen, and her jaw dropped. "So... so many? And... these seem even stronger than the one I fought before..."
"Even stronger?" Muen heard himself gulp audibly. "Are you serious?"
"I'm not joking. I can feel the difference in their aura. If I had to use a metaphor..." Ariel thought for a moment. "The one I met before was just a weakling sent to clear out trash. These... these are the elites meant to face the final BOSS!!"
"..."
Muen’s vision went dark.
Elites?
Hundreds, thousands of elites?
Since when could the word "elite" be used to describe a crowd of thousands?
With this many absolute powerhouses gathered, what kind of BOSS were they raiding? Was it the world-ending kind...
Suddenly, like an electric current, a realization struck Muen.
Violent mana surged like an ocean, and wondrous Ancient Magic distorted the very space. A thousand tattered robes snapped in the wind like battle flags. Just the stray aftershocks leaking from their fingertips were enough to completely annihilate the matter in front of Muen.
A display of power like this certainly wasn't meant to crush two pathetic little bugs like them. Their true target was...
Muen slowly turned his head, instinctively trying to look toward the center of the swarm of Static Figures...
"Don't look. You should know better."
Peles’s voice pulled Muen back from that eerie attraction once again.
"You don't have the isolation methods those people have. You don't have the right to gaze upon 'Him' yet."
"So..."
"It's exactly what you're thinking."
"But why?"
"It's simple. Those Static Figures you see, and this entire battle, are nothing more than an 'afterimage.' A vast, grand afterimage—a reenactment of the terrible battle that truly took place here a thousand years ago." Peles sighed softly, her voice sounding like a mourning dirge.
"A... reenactment." Muen chewed on the words.
Just how terrifying was that power? How unforgettable was that war, that even after a thousand years, it continued to play out here, repeating over and over?
Was this that era? Was this... "Him"?
"No wonder..." Ariel quickly caught on. "When that Static Figure appeared before, it crushed those Corruptors in passing. It turns out they weren't on the same side at all. It’s just..."
"Just what?"
"...No, it’s nothing." Ariel frowned slightly. She remembered the Static Figure she fought shouting something like "Martial artist, die—"
Those words were strange, but... considering these Static Figures were likely mages from a thousand years ago, and most mages had a natural disdain for "meatheads," it didn't seem that weird.
Regardless, Ariel decided not to mention it for now. With so many thoughts swirling and so little clarity, bringing it up would only lead to pointless overthinking. She’d find a chance to mention it later.
"But speaking of which, if everything happening here is an afterimage of a great war, there's something else I'm curious about." Ariel suddenly changed the subject.
"Something else?"
"Exactly." Ariel took a step forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Muen as she looked down.
Even the tip of this inverted tower was over a hundred meters above the ground. They were currently in the middle section, so looking down still gave the impression that a fall would turn them into meat pies.
Of course, it was nothing to her; she had fallen from much higher places.
"Why do you think this tower is upside down?"
"Why is it upside down? You've got me there." Muen thought about it. "Some special symbolism? Ancient architectural style? A famous landmark? There are so many possibilities, how am I supposed to guess?"
"No, it's actually easy to guess. Based on my experience clearing several ancient ruins, in a core area like this, every building's shape has a purpose. They aren't just built randomly." Ariel said, "For example, if I find a giant monster statue that suddenly appeared, the probability of it coming to life and pummeling me later is 99%. Believe me, I've been through that more than once."
"..." That... actually sounded quite convincing.
"So you're saying the fact that this tower is inverted must have a meaning?"
"Exactly. And this is a battlefield. If you open your mind a bit, don't you think it looks like..."
Ariel suddenly drew the Heavenly Fire Greatsword and slammed it into the ground.
The tip of the blade pierced through the flesh-like floor, with half the blade protruding from the empty space on the other side.
Just like this tower... an inverted structure hanging down from the soil above!
Muen had an epiphany. "A weapon! This tower is a weapon!"
In that moment, an image flashed through his mind.
Countless experts locked in a life-and-death struggle, blood soaking the earth. And then, a colossal spear reaching toward the heavens—this tower—pierced through unfathomable layers of earth, wreathed in endless divine light, and pinned "Him" directly to the spot.
It was the strike that tilted the scales of victory, however slightly, toward the side of "humanity."
"Anyway, just like what you said earlier, this is just a theory. There's no evidence yet, so don't take it as fact." Ariel pulled Heavenly Fire out and sheathed it.
She told herself not to overthink, yet she had thought so much. It was as if by filling her head with theories, she could drown out the painful memories from before.
How annoying.
"No." Muen gave a handsome smile, one that seemed capable of chasing away the gloom. "That's a very useful thought. As expected of you; I never would have thought of it from that angle. Following that logic, I might have an idea as to why we were brought here."
"...So, what's next?"
"Next..." Muen’s smile froze yet again.
"Next" was easy to say, but the problem was...
Roars, explosions, and bizarre noises echoed through the pitch-black underground space. The terrifying aftershocks of the battle whipped up violent winds, leaving Muen feeling quite literally "lost in the wind."
The problem was that their path forward had been violently severed by those aftershocks. Where was he supposed to go?
He couldn't just jump down from here... Haha, that joke was only funny once. Any more and it would just be a cliché.
"Regarding that question, hasn't the thing on your wrist already given you the answer?" Peles provided a timely hint once more.
Muen looked at his wrist with renewed hope.
And then, his joy turned into profound sorrow.
The chain had changed direction. Now, it was pointing straight down.
It really was that cliché.
But on second thought, the result wasn't surprising.
Since this was an overlap of afterimage and reality, the fact that this area was swallowed by aftershocks in the "afterimage" didn't mean it was actually gone in reality.
Whether there was anything below could only be confirmed by going there personally—just like Schrödinger's cat.
"Why is it that out of countless paths, you always pick the hardest one?" Muen looked up at Ariel, looking like he was about to cry. "So... You jump, I jump?"
"What kind of gibberish is that?"
"If you jump, I—AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Before Muen could finish his "persuasive" speech, he found himself in a panicked freefall, vanishing from sight. Ariel slowly retracted her leg.
"Too much talk."
She stood at the edge, letting the wind whip through her hair. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes flickered with complex light, like a bottomless lake.
"Do you regret it?" Peles asked gossiping once more.
Ariel didn't answer; she only sighed.
"Earning a hundred million is really hard. So, when I kill you later, remember to wash up first. I don't want to get my hands dirty."
With that, Ariel leaped as well, plunging into the void that led to who-knew-where.