Chapter 1302: Promise of Corruption (6)

Huuuummm…!!!

Each time the crystalline eye rotated, golden ripples, touching spacetime, slowly spread outwards.

A mysterious form: golden ripples beautifully orbited like planetary rings, encircling the eye and floating around it.

In response, a beautiful melody resonated throughout the entire consciousness space, shaking Lennok’s spiritual presence like a chorus.

A colossal consciousness space, guided by coordinates inscribed in the Demonic Realm Travelogue, had been found.

Lennok’s body stiffened as he realized the true nature of the altar he faced within it.

“Quasi-Authority…”

An ability that existed and operated based on human will, capable of altering reality itself.

A power that directly interfered with causality by processing the Imperial Privilege of the Empire’s royal family into a form of authority.

One of Lennok’s most crucial objectives for seeking the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors revealed itself at this very moment, simultaneous with his entry into the Mausoleum.

[Ars Nova Imperial Palace 5th Key Armament.]

[Quasi-Authority: Corrupted Golden Rule]

“…Davi.”

[Beyond the imaginary dimension, located outside the absolute planetary coordinates. It’s a type of consciousness space, Master.]

Davi, who was accompanying Lennok’s consciousness, immediately replied.

[It’s a hidden coordinate encrypted using a multi-dimensional function, so it’s impossible to enter by normal means.]

“Does that mean it’s a space that can only be entered via the coordinates written in the Travelogue?”

Lennok, lost in thought, recalled the situation just before entering this place and murmured.

The situation was that he had been transiting through a consciousness space with Aileen to clear the Distortion Field spread at the Mausoleum’s entrance and gain entry.

However, at that moment, as the exploration records of the Demonic Realm Travelogue were restored, only Lennok’s consciousness was transferred to these coordinates.

“Aileen’s attempt to transit through the consciousness space inadvertently forced contact with these coordinates. I guess I received unintentional help…”

A consciousness space was originally a conceptual realm that only human consciousness could enter and exit.

It was not a real spacetime existing in reality, but rather an illusory coordinate existing in an imaginary dimension.

However, if one could remain in the imaginary dimension with a physical body, they could momentarily be free from the physical laws and attacks of reality.

Didn’t the ring Lennok obtained in the Hanghasa Labyrinth, ‘Feigenbaum’s Eye,’ also possess such an ability?

Aileen attempted to penetrate the entangled barriers and obstacles around the Mausoleum and enter its interior using such a method.

In that process, Lennok’s consciousness synchronized with the newly updated coordinates in the Travelogue and entered this place.

“…”

Though an unexpected outcome, Lennok was, in a way, naturally accepting the situation unfolding before him.

The reason why the Demonic Realm Travelogue, acquired from the dark archives, hadn’t been of much help even after entering the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors.

And yet, the reason it had reacted the moment he entered the Mausoleum for a second time, restoring all its exploration records.

He instinctively knew that all these circumstances were not coincidences, but connected by a single, grand causality.

[Simply knowing the coordinates alone isn’t enough to enter. Though the True Bloodline accompanying Master helped, the most important thing is…]

Davi hesitated slightly.

[It must be possible because the organism that wrote the exploration log once visited this place directly.]

“…Ethan Bajour visited this consciousness space directly?”

Lennok, pulling out the Travelogue from his pocket, gazed at the notebook.

The ‘Book of Revival’ that existed on the last page of the Travelogue.

A series of coordinates that emerged by ‘reviving’ the lost records within the Travelogue itself, not a living creature.

There was no doubt that Ethan Bajour was the one who recorded the coordinates of this consciousness space. And that he had reached the point of almost acquiring the Quasi-Authority while traveling the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors.

“Ethan knew that the records he left in the Travelogue would eventually be lost. That’s probably why he left the Book of Revival in the Travelogue.”

Lennok looked down at the Travelogue, lost in thought.

“If he intended to use a second entry into the Mausoleum as a trigger to restore the Travelogue’s exploration records… then he must have planned to revisit the Mausoleum someday to retrieve the Quasi-Authority.”

The very act of preparing the Book of Revival in the Travelogue was proof that Ethan knew the exploration records he wrote in it would eventually be lost.

If the trigger for the Book of Revival’s activation was set for the second entry into the Mausoleum, then Ethan certainly intended to revisit the Mausoleum.

It wasn’t that Lennok couldn’t understand the circumstances that led him to discover this space.

Yet, what remained incomprehensible was—

“Why didn’t Ethan retrieve the Quasi-Authority immediately when he first found this consciousness space?”

Lennok said, slowly walking towards the altar.

“It’s clear that Ethan made preparations to revisit this place someday. But if he didn’t take the Authority when he first found it…”

Splash.

Lennok, hearing the sound of ripples beneath his feet, stopped and deduced the answer himself.

“That must have been because he didn’t want to hand over the Quasi-Authority to Kaiser Bajour.”

[…Master.]

“Ethan wrote the Travelogue during his last journey across the continent, before he fully transferred his body to Kaiser.”

Lennok stood before the altar and said.

“If he had acquired the Quasi-Authority or remembered its coordinates before transferring his body to Kaiser, there would have been a possibility for Kaiser to obtain the Authority instead.”

[…]

“If Ethan, concerned about handing over the Authority to Kaiser, deliberately erased his memory and only left those records in the Travelogue to be lost. The reason, again, must be…”

Lennok’s gaze, sweeping across the consciousness space bathed in warm darkness, deepened.

“It must be because Ethan Bajour didn’t give up on himself even after transferring his body to Kaiser.”

[…]

“If Ethan Bajour, that is…”

The Director mentioned it, the Sun Ship pointed to it, and the Travelogue testified.

That Ethan had not given up his own existence even after transferring his body to Kaiser.

The fate of the Revived was already moving in a different direction than the Black Consumer Project.

As much as he wanted to know what that meant, now was not the time for prolonged deliberation.

The altar at the center of the consciousness space, and the form of the crystalline eye floating amidst countless candles.

For the Corrupted Golden Rule was faintly glowing, as if trying to meet Lennok’s gaze.

“…”

Huuuummmm…!!

The crystalline eye resonated even more intensely as Lennok drew closer.

Its mere presence scattered golden ripples across spacetime, resembling a beautifully resonating bell.

[Seeing the principles of Heaven, hearing the essence of Causality, interpreting the melodies of Fate, one arrives here.]

[Engraving the tilt of the Libra here, it is left as the fourth promise.]

[Ars Nova Imperial Palace 5th Key Armament.]

[Quasi-Authority: Corrupted Golden Rule]

“A Key Armament. The Corrupted Golden Rule, huh…”

The Quasi-Authority existing in the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors was none other than the authority to directly read causality.

If so, did ‘Golden Rule’ refer to the ability to directly read causality?

Appended to the back of the Travelogue was a short postscript, presumed to be left by Ethan Bajour.

[While traveling the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors, I coincidentally found the Quasi-Authority and leave its coordinates along with this inscription.]

[A power refined into the form of an authority by processing the Imperial Privilege. A type of reality-altering ability that borrows from the profound principles of the Three Cosmic Poles.]

[Obtained while searching for the World’s Ten Laws, but as it was not the miracle I desired, I did not attempt to inherit it.]

[Heaven and Earth were recorded, but the coordinates for Man could not be inscribed, so they were left in reality.]

“I’ve always felt this, but Ethan Bajour has a habit of describing his actions in a strange way.”

Lennok murmured, a wry smile on his face.

“He found the Quasi-Authority by chance? Did he really think anyone who read this later would believe that?”

[Master, I’ve found information about the concept of the Three Cosmic Poles in my database.]

Davi said, reading the Travelogue alongside Lennok.

[It’s a type of ancient worldview that defines the universe by dividing it into three concepts: Heaven, Earth, and Man. It seems to be a term used in the era before Ars Nova was established.]

“Of the three concepts—Heaven, Earth, and Man—only Man was left in reality…”

Lennok fell into contemplation.

“He found the core of the Quasi-Authority and recorded its location, but a part of it still remains in reality?”

If the Quasi-Authority wasn’t Ethan’s original goal, then his not retrieving it in its original form was understandable.

It wouldn’t be strange if he only touched the parts that could be immediately retrieved, and then let go when it became too much effort.

Rather, the fact that Lennok encountered the core of the Quasi-Authority at this point was itself illogical.

[Do we need to collect all three parts, like pizza slices, to use this Quasi-Authority?]

“No. The fact that it’s materialized to this extent in the consciousness space confirms it’s the core of the Authority. If I acquire this, there won’t be any problem using the ability.”

Lennok gazed intently at its form from up close and quietly murmured.

“But I don’t know exactly what concept the Travelogue refers to as the ‘Golden Rule.’ It’s certainly not a mere proverb…”

If the Golden Rule refers to the ability to interpret causality, then it would literally be the eye that sees the golden law itself.

However, the Golden Rule commonly understood by the public refers to the proverb of treating others as you wish to be treated.

It’s difficult to easily guess the specific ability, as it’s unclear which meaning the ‘Corrupted Golden Rule’ takes.

As this was his first encounter with the Authority he had only heard rumors about, Lennok was trying to approach it cautiously.

Of course, this careful approach was only possible because he knew that time within the consciousness space was but a fleeting moment in reality—

“The golden ripples spreading around are perfect circles, or rather, insubstantial remnants. They seem to be a type of derivative effect generated when the Authority touches spacetime.”

Lennok, observing the Quasi-Authority around the altar with Davi, fell into thought.

“It takes the form of an eye, but it doesn’t seem to function as a real eyeball… Is it merely a prosthetic eye?”

[A scan shows its internal structure is identical to an eyeball, but since it’s an appearance within a consciousness space, I’m not sure if this is its true form.]

Davi tilted her head.

[Could it be that to use the Quasi-Authority, one must remove an eyeball? If so, then Ethan’s giving up on it might be understandable?]

“…That would be entirely contrary to the very purpose of a prosthetic eye.”

A prosthetic eye is an artificial organ worn by patients who have had an eyeball removed to prevent their facial structure from collapsing.

It’s originally meant for patients who need an eyeball removed due to an issue.

If one had to remove a perfectly healthy eye to wear a prosthetic eye, what could be more ironic than that?

“I don’t know. But if one has to pay such a price to wield the Authority, it might make sense…”

Lennok’s natural eyes were not only extremely specialized for perceiving mana and will-thought, but also the essence of unique abilities, having awakened two or more Mystic Eyes.

He had no intention of sacrificing an eye to gain the Quasi-Authority, but it wouldn’t be strange if such a price was required to obtain it.

The reason Lennok hesitated to immediately take the ability he had been searching for in the Demonic Realm, even though it was right before his eyes.

It was because the Quasi-Authority itself was not an ordinary ability or innate talent, but a ‘corrupted’ power.

Because he remembered how the Cardinal, who had warned of the Pontiff’s revival, referred to the corrupted Quasi-Authority.

“The Corrupted Golden Rule. This means that the Quasi-Authority was corrupted at the same time the Mausoleum was corrupted.”

Lennok fell into thought.

“The Cardinal said that the corrupted Authority would have been inverted into an ability to read causality backwards. So, I don’t know if acquiring this right away would be beneficial.”

What would happen if I acquired an Authority that reads causality ‘backwards’ when I don’t even know what it feels like to read causality?

It was uncertain whether it would actually be helpful or not in the immediate process of conquering this Mausoleum.

Most importantly, Lennok had not come to the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors solely to retrieve the Quasi-Authority.

Lennok’s most important objective was to find a way to break through the Demonic Realm and head towards Ars Nova.

Considering that this would only be possible after conquering this Mausoleum, acquiring the Quasi-Authority now might even be a hindrance.

If the Quasi-Authority was a power that significantly drained mental power simply by using it, it could be a problem at this point, before even meeting the Grand General.

Since he didn’t precisely know the power and cost of the Authority, it was difficult to accurately assess the risks.

[If Master is worried, should I hold onto it for you first?]

“No. Spirits are much more sensitive to this kind of power; if something goes wrong, even your spiritual presence could become corrupted.”

[I won’t swallow it directly; I’ll make it into a tail form and hang it there.]

Davi wagged several tails that unfurled behind her back.

[If it gets dangerous, Master will help me, won’t you? I’m always with Master, so I can bear that much together.]

“Bear it together? If things come to that, the risk would be yours alone, not mine—”

At that moment, Lennok’s words abruptly ceased.

[Master?]

“…No. Davi, you’re right.”

Lennok’s expression, as he looked at the altar, suddenly settled into a terrifying calm.

“If I can’t even bear this much risk, how can I dream of conquering Ars Nova? It was a trivial concern.”

[…]

“The power I sought was right before me, yet I was needlessly hesitating. It’s absurd to even think of passing this onto you instead of doing it myself.”

From the moment he entered the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors, he had braced himself for risks and dangers unlike any ordinary situation.

If the journey ahead was to be far more perilous and filled with challenges of a different caliber than anything Lennok had encountered before.

Then, to overcome them, Lennok too needed to possess the corresponding resolve and be prepared to pay the price.

Hadn’t he known from the start? He had come here understanding everything from the very beginning.

The time for backing out or hesitating out of fear of repercussions or consequences was long past.

Now was the time to embrace even that and push forward.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, I’m confident I won’t go mad. If so, it doesn’t matter.”

Lennok, instantly shedding his thoughts, reached out with resolute eyes.

“I will take the Authority here and now.”

Lennok’s Targeted Resistance was a talent situated above even the Imperial Privilege.

Whatever abilities the Corrupted Golden Rule possessed, he was confident he wouldn’t lose his consciousness or spiritual presence, at the very least.

Simply acquiring the Quasi-Authority in advance would drastically increase the options available within the Mausoleum.

Even in the worst-case scenario, should he lose an eye, he wouldn’t hesitate.

As Lennok thought so and reached out without hesitation, grasping the crystalline eye on the altar.

CRACK!!!!

The crystalline eye shattered in his hand, cleanly vanishing without even a speck of dust remaining.

It had merely taken the form of a prosthetic eye; it wasn’t meant to replace an actual eyeball, after all.

However, he wasn’t given much time to ponder that unexpected outcome.

The moment the crystalline eye shattered, ‘something’ contained within it struck Lennok’s inner being like a bolt of lightning.

CRACKLE—!

“…!!”

[Master!]

A golden sacred light pierced through the four realms of will-thought, mindscape, spirit, and soul, all at once.

Something descended into his mind, permanently altering Lennok’s cognitive abilities within the realm of consciousness, not the physical body.

A strong, eerie sensation of something alien, as if an entirely new sensory organ was being forged within Lennok’s inner being.

“Ugh…!!”

FWOOSH!!!!!

As he staggered back, golden ripples consecutively spread from his trembling fingertips.

Golden flow lines explosively overflowed, wrapping around Lennok as if playing the air like a piano.

At the same time, carrying an immense amount of information, they poured back into Lennok as if coiling around him.

RUMBLE!!!!

Beyond his vision, stained crimson, the golden flow lines raged wildly.

They burst forth and rotated before Lennok’s eyes, each containing a colossal amount of information, forcibly ‘reading their way in’.

‘This is—’

A massive current that stitched together cause and effect into one.

A virtual curve that drew tangents on every single timeline, abandoning speed and direction.

At that moment, Lennok could vaguely grasp the true meaning of the Authority he had acquired.

Causality, in essence, was the concept referring to the variability of cause and effect existing at every moment within the infinite flow of time.

The ability of the Corrupted Golden Rule, which read and reversed it backwards, was none other than—

“A destructive interpreter capable of reading and forcibly designating causality’s cross-section.”

FLASH!!

The moment Lennok opened his eyes, he reached out and touched a spot in the consciousness space.

“Was it a power that could forcibly draw out the ‘worst causality’ existing on a specific timeline?”

CRACK!!

Lennok’s hand gestured, caressing the empty air without using any mana or will-thought.

But that alone caused cracks to appear across the entire vast consciousness space, which began to tremble, fractured.

RUMBLE!!!!

As if the spacetime coordinate Lennok had touched was itself the ‘someday’ starting point for the collapse of the consciousness space.

The entire consciousness space fractured, collapsed, and exploded, returning Lennok to reality at immense speed.

BOOM!!!!

“Martinez!!!”

At this moment, falling into the bottomless darkness of the Mausoleum.

Aileen’s figure, falling alongside Lennok with a pale complexion.

And the chilling presence felt from all directions, simultaneous with their entry into the Mausoleum.

“…”

The time spent in the consciousness space was a mere fleeting instant, not even a fraction of a moment in reality.

There was no need to try and grasp the situation. Nor did Lennok ask Aileen any meaningless questions.

The moment he casually seized and swung the overflowing golden melody, reality shattered just like the consciousness space.

The entire underground facility of the Mausoleum, filled with darkness, split open on both sides as if exploding.