Chapter 4
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: It Was There, and Then It Wasn't
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I followed Shin Jia, moving quietly and swiftly.
First, I needed to assess the situation.
Pialle Allo!
As I drew closer, I could hear the fury in Shin Jia's voice.
I quickly ducked out of sight and observed the two of them.
She held a sleek recurve bow in her hands.
Hmm.
Pialle Allo, seemingly unconcerned by Shin Jia, stroked his chin and scanned his surroundings.
The people who had become charred corpses in the sudden explosion.
The people fleeing in a mad panic.
Watching them, Pialle smiled.
I have bestowed the mercy of purification upon the beasts living idly under the grace of the Absolute God. Please, I beseech you, forgive them their sins. Amen!
To put it simply, the man was a lunatic.
A fanatic who worshiped the 'Absolute God,' claiming he was the one who created this world's 'Status Windows.'
And he firmly believed himself to be an apostle of that very god.
What business does a sinner who has lost the Primordial Blessing have with me?
Pialle asked Shin Jia nonchalantly.
...You have to ask?
To him, it was blasphemy for those blessed with the supreme grace of a Status Window to live idly, doing nothing. That was why Pialle Allo committed acts of terror across the world.
But why today?
According to the plot, he was supposed to carry out his attack tomorrow.
An intangible energy surged around Shin Jia's body.
You!
Despite the distance between us, a chill ran down my spine, so cold it made my hair stand on end.
That was killing intent.
It was the first time I had ever felt it, but I was certain.
The reason was simple.
To Shin Jia, Pialle Allo was her mortal enemy.
Kuh!
Shin Jia bit her lower lip, desperately trying to control her emotions.
She knew how foolish it was to let her emotions dictate a fight.
The intangible energy surging around her slowly began to recede.
But Pialle Allo was not foolish enough to stand by and watch his opponent regain her composure.
Ah! I remember now! The daughter of that trashy woman! She was so disgusting I must have subconsciously forgotten her.
Ugh!
Rumble-!
The energy that had been receding around Shin Jia erupted once more.
I understood.
That man, Pialle Allo, was the one who had killed Shin Jia's mother, Kang Soogyung, one of the world's most powerful superhumans.
No one could remain calm with their parent's murderer standing right before them.
It makes my teeth ache just thinking about it. Disgusting. She was a detestable wench.
Pialle's eyes turned bloodshot.
Ah. Of course, the same goes for you.
His gaze was like one looking at a disgusting insect.
You beast.
In the original story, the protagonist defeated Pialle Allo, which created a bond with Shin Jia, and she became his ally.
That was the original plot.
Oh, Lord. The time to condemn the sinners who abuse your power for wealth and glory is at hand. Please, bring down your divine hammer upon them!
Pialle suddenly shouted.
But considering the meaning behind his words, I couldn't just dismiss them as the ramblings of a madman.
He said the time to condemn the sinners was at hand.
That meant Pialle also knew other superhumans would soon arrive.
Yet, even knowing that, he showed no intention of escaping.
He looked as if he was certain he would win, no matter who came.
...A bluff?
Shin Jia seemed to have reached the same conclusion as I did.
As expected of Shin Jia.
Even with her mortal enemy before her, she was maintaining a degree of composure.
But there was no way a sane person could read the mind of a lunatic.
Judgment upon the sinners who use the Absolute God's blessing for personal gain. Amen.
Shin Jia frowned, looking uneasy.
But she quickly returned to a calm expression.
She must have judged his words to be a bluff.
Even if it wasn't a bluff, she was probably trusting in the power of the other superhumans who would soon arrive.
Unfortunately, however, their defeat in this battle was a foregone conclusion.
His 'Unique Skill' was not the kind of power one could counter without knowing what it was.
It was a preposterous ability that could shake the very foundations of this world.
[Status Window Interference]
It was an extraordinary power that interfered with Status Windows within a certain range, temporarily shutting down both the window and the person's consciousness.
That ability was also the reason the man believed himself to be an apostle of the Absolute God.
Before that Unique Skill, it didn't matter if you were a superhuman or an ordinary person.
Anyone with a Status Window was no match for him.
Its only weakness was that it couldn't be used consecutively.
Hmm. I'm starting to feel some mana. It seems the insects have drawn near.
Of course, even he had a weakness.
The only being in the world who didn't have a Status Window.
In other words, me.
Status Window Interference was supposed to have the opposite effect on the protagonist, acting as a catalyst to awaken his S-rank Status Window.
That was the plot of the first chapter.
I sighed in relief.
Only the date and Shin Jia's presence were different. Everything else seemed to be the same.
In that case, there was no need to panic.
Just as I was relaxing
Young Lady!
Right on cue, the other superhumans arrived.
The novel's descriptions were limited, so I couldn't tell who was who.
There were surely some famous superhumans I knew among them.
To think he'd actually show up in the middle of Seoul.
Arrogant bastard. First, we surround him. Form up and block his escape routes. We'll capture him after that.
Yes, sir!
They surrounded Pialle and sealed off any magical escape routes.
It was a textbook maneuver.
Ah, how sad. It seems your prayers have not been answered.
In the center of the encirclement, Pialle Allo spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky.
Yes. Of course, I know! A bloody judgment upon themmm!
Creak, creak.
His head twisted at a grotesque angle as his eyes turned bloodshot red.
Please, judge the sinners of this laaand!
Wooooooooom-!
With a bloodcurdling laugh, red mana erupted from his body, spreading outwards.
What is thUgh!
Shin Jia, who was closest, was the first to lose consciousness and collapse.
Thud-
First, retr!
Thud-
Then, the other superhumans began to fall, one by one.
It took less than a second for every superhuman present to collapse.
Amen.
It wasn't that they were incompetent.
Status Window Interference was just that overpowered.
...I felt that.
A moment ago, I'd felt some unknown energy wash over my entire body.
It was the exact sensation described in the novel.
I was sure of it.
The Status Window Interference had definitely affected me.
The awakening would begin any second now.
Ooh. I offer another prayer to the omnipotent Absolute God who has bestowed this power upon me.
I got into a stance, ready to charge him at any moment.
Three seconds.
The awakening message should pop up soon.
Five seconds.
Just a little longer.
Ten seconds.
Any moment now.
Fourteen seconds.
Right now.
Twenty seconds.
But even after twenty seconds, nothing happened to my body.
...Why?
No system message appeared.
Nothing had changed.
My eyes trembling, I looked at Pialle.
Please, bestow eternal suffering upon these sinners.
Pialle Allo was spouting nonsense as he scattered bombs in every direction.
They weren't exploding.
He probably planned to detonate them all at once as he made his escape.
If so, there was still time.
Kuh!
I had no choice but to hunker down again and sink into thought.
Why wasn't I awakening?
Because it was a day early?
No, that couldn't be it.
A mere one-day difference couldn't be the deciding factor for my awakening.
There had to be another reason.
Think. Think.
There's no time. Hurry!
Pialle would soon finish planting his small bombs.
If I didn't find the cause by then, a massacre would unfold.
That couldn't happen.
So many superhumans couldn't die here and now.
And most importantly, Shin Jia. She absolutely could not die here.
Think. Think!
I wracked my brain even more desperately.
The reason.
The reason my Status Window hadn't awakened.
The reason I was transmigrated into this novel.
There had to be a clue.
If this was the work of that author, Kim Shin, he wouldn't have done something like this without leaving any clues.
I knew his personality better than anyone.
There must have been some kind of trigger.
For example, what happened that night we were drinking?
...Huh?
Was it because I was desperately wracking my brain?
*...Seoyul. My novel is lack...*
*No read... just the two...*
Memories of that day began to slowly surface.
Slowly, like a thick fog gradually dissipating in the sunlight.
*Hyeong. You want the harsh truth? Or do you want me to sugarcoat it?*
Thump, thump.
My heart began to race.
No way. No way. No way...!
*The problem with your novel is the Status Window. Yeah? That damn Status Window! Status Wiiiiindow! It would've been a huge hit without it, I'm telling you!*
It can't be.
Just because of something like that?
There's no way.
*No, but still, I can't just get rid of the Status Window. The entire world-building would fall apart.*
My pupils quivered.
*If changing the whole world is too much... then yeah! How about just getting rid of the protagonist's Status Window? Wouldn't that be interesting?*
The moment all my memories returned.
My vision went dark.
I was so dumbfounded I couldn't even speak.
Haha. So, that day.
Because I said it would be better without a Status Window.
Because I said a remake like that would be a huge hit, and that I'd do anything to help.
That's why this is happening?
...Fuck.
The reason was so absurd that a curse escaped my lips before I could stop it.
But in this quiet situation, blurting out a curse was an incredibly stupid thing to do.
...What?
Pialle's bloodshot eyes locked directly onto me.
You... what are you?
His eyes, which had been scattering bombs, widened in shock.
How? Why? The Absolute God's power... why?
He dropped all the small bombs in his hands and trudged toward me, one step at a time.
It can't be, it can't be!
His head twitching erratically, he walked toward me like a zombie.
It was terror incarnate.
Pialle Allo was weak.
But that was only in comparison to seasoned superhumans.
He was not an enemy I could face.
I bit my lip and desperately scanned my surroundings.
Kuh!
But all around me was an empty park.
With my physical abilities, there was no way for me to escape.
Why. Why? Why!
No, there was one way.
I saw a path.
The core of the World Tree.
I remembered reading that the inside was like a natural labyrinth.
If I can escape in there, I might have a chance!
I immediately kicked off the ground.
If I lured him away now, the superhumans here might be saved.
I ran toward the core of the World Tree.
Aha! So that's it!
A chilling voice echoed from behind me.
This is a test! A new trial given to me by the Absolute God! Through this ordeal, I shall become even stronger!
The roar of a madman.
I ran even more desperately.
But compared to Pialle, I was no better than an ant.
The difference between having a Status Window and stats and not having them was that overwhelming.
Wham-!
Keoheok!
Suddenly, my body was flying through the air.
My stomach hurt.
As I flew, I caught a glimpse of Pialle with his fist clenched.
I hadn't even perceived it, but he must have punched me in the gut.
Craaash!
Cough, hack!
My body flew and crashed into something. A sharp impact shot through my back.
Blood gushed from my mouth.
It, hurts...
It hurts.
It hurts so much.
An unbelievably powerful shock reverberated through my entire body.
It was just a body blow, but I felt like I was about to lose consciousness.
Ah. Please, watch over me. See your little lamb pass this trial.
My mind was hazy, my vision blurry.
Through my blurred vision, I could see Pialle's silhouette.
The silhouette grew closer.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Oh, Lord.
Was it because he was praying?
His steps were agonizingly slow.
...Ha, ha.
A dry laugh escaped my lips. How did things end up like this?
To be honest, I was a little happy to have entered the world of a novel.
As a web novel reader, finding myself in this situation was something I had dreamed of at least once.
I was even happier because I'd transmigrated as the protagonist of a power-fantasy novel without any major hardships.
That's why I hadn't desperately searched for the cause of this situation or a way to escape.
After all, returning to reality only meant a corporate life of overtime and late nights.
And this was the result.
My complacency back then led to this.
If I had just remembered what happened that night a little sooner, it wouldn't have come to this.
If I had even suspected that my Status Window was gone, that there was a chance I wouldn't awaken, I never would have let this happen.
Cough... hack.
I was filled with such regrets.
Please become a stepping stone for my growth.
I'm probably going to die here.
I resented Kim Shin.
If he was going to put me in the novel, he could have just done it normally, with the S-rank Status Window intact.
Or at least thrown in some other special ability.
Who would read a novel like this, where the protagonist is just a normal person!
A surge of anger.
For a moment, I was overcome with rage.
...This piece of tra...sh novel!
I desperately tried to move my body.
It was just so unfair.
It was too unfair to just sit here and give up on life.
Kuh, ugh!
I struggled to get up, wanting to resist even a little.
Thump-
But my body could no longer function properly.
My legs wouldn't support me.
Nngh!
Then I just had to use something to support myself.
I placed my hand on the World Tree behind me and slowly pushed my trembling body up.
It was then.
Piiiiing-!
Aargh! My eyes!
An intense light burst forth from where my hand rested.
A brilliant white light, bright enough to blind.
But unlike Pialle, my eyes were fine.
It simply felt warm.
Like a mother's embrace.
...The pain?
As I bathed in the light, the pain in my body suddenly vanished.
Instead, power began to surge within me.
I could feel the cells and muscles in my body pulsing.
Along with a sense of exhilaration, as if I could do anything.
The light began to slowly fade.
What... is that?
Pialle's voice trembled with bewilderment.
He was staring at my right hand.
I slowly turned my gaze to my own right hand.
Woooong.
...A bow?
A wooden bow was clutched in my hand.
This is, don't tell me!
A bow stave made of the same wood as the World Tree, with a rainbow-colored flower bud at its tip.
As far as I knew, there was only one bow with such a unique appearance.
The ancient legacy sealed within the World Tree.
[Blessing of the World Tree]
The bow had various settings, but to mention just one of them
...How?
The 'Blessing of the World Tree' had a usage restriction: 'Elf race only.'