Chapter 1347: Designed Transcendence (25)

A quiet room, steeped in darkness. Someone sat with their head bowed before a window, where only faint moonlight filtered in.

Scratch, scratch. Something was carefully carved and refined, then a string was tied into a knot, and will-thought was infused into it.

After chanting an unknown incantation and imbuing it with will, it was magically sealed, fully secured.

Each time, a mysterious light flowed out into the room, then faded, illuminating Evelyn’s face.

Flash!!! A green radiance shimmered in Evelyn’s embrace, brilliantly lighting the room before vanishing.

With it, Evelyn’s expressionless will-thought sharpened, honed like an arrow.

“Hmph…” Evelyn, exhaling a soft sigh, lifted her gaze.

“If you have something to say, why not just come in?” “…My apologies. You knew, of course?”

Jutiya, poking her head in from the hallway, offered a languid smile.

“I waited so as not to disturb you, but it seems I bothered you more than I thought.”

“The presence of a Central Noble is quite different from an ordinary human’s.” Evelyn replied.

“Your footsteps, scent, even your breathing—all are so unique, it’s impossible not to notice.”

“Can’t be helped, can it? You can’t exactly correct the way one breathes, can you?”

“Enough with the pointless talk. What is it?”

“Is that the ritual for making the ‘arrows’ you use?” Jutiya, who had, at some point, leaned against the doorframe, asked in a languid tone.

“If it takes so many steps to make consumables like arrows, the cost-effectiveness must be terrible.”

“I don’t craft and use every arrow this way,” Evelyn, still seated by the window, replied.

“But when something truly important comes up, I can’t feel at ease unless I do it myself.”

“Truly important, you say…” Muttering to herself, Jutiya walked into the room and tilted her head.

“As I thought, you don’t trust Dadam, do you?”

“…”

“It’s unusual, even with the blood of the Outer Lei Clan. Or perhaps, because she’s a hybrid of them, you find her untrustworthy?”

Evelyn Marcia and Jutiya Heiberk were Transcendent beings who had no contact with each other before entering Lennok’s Magic Tower.

However, within the tower, they had formed a small group for Lennok’s health management, maintaining a peculiar relationship.

Through forming this group and interacting numerous times, the two had also, in their own way, grown accustomed to speaking openly with each other.

Thus, Evelyn didn’t get angry even when Jutiya overtly questioned her lineage.

“Do you know what the most important talent for an archer is?”

“…?”

“Composure.”

Lifting an arrow and holding it up to the moonlight, Evelyn spoke without waiting for Jutiya’s reply.

“A calm mind, like a clear lake. The mental fortitude to never lose composure in any situation. Only with such talent can one’s fingertips remain steady, and an arrow fly true.”

“Right. Like a mind as clear as a mirror, perhaps? I’ve heard of it.”

“Dadam was a Transcendent who reached the pinnacle of such archery. Do you understand what that means?”

“Since yesterday, you’ve been speaking like a kindergarten teacher. It’s hard for an outsider like me to answer—”

“She abandoned her heart to become an arrow. She emptied her inner self to attain composure.”

“…”

“That must have been the price she had to pay to achieve transcendence.”

Evelyn turned her gaze towards Jutiya.

“Now, where exactly is the target this arrow, Dadam, is aimed?”

“Hmm, I wonder? But it probably isn’t Adamant Thunder, at least.” Jutiya folded her arms.

“If Dadam truly intended to harm Adamant Thunder, she wouldn’t act this way. The method of someone who has abandoned their heart to eliminate something would be far more drastic than this.”

“…”

“She’s aiming for something and trying to use Adamant Thunder, but it’s unlikely her objective is to harm him. That’s what I’d guess.”

Dadam’s ability to infuse her will into an arrow and shoot it, transforming an entire Outer Zone into an Ideological Domain from an extreme distance.

It was obvious that this was a miraculous power granted only to Dadam, the Ascendant who had emptied her heart and reached the peak of composure.

But if a being who had abandoned their heart intended to kill Lennok, they wouldn’t have dragged out the time or attempted conversation in this manner.

Jutiya believed that this fact itself was tantamount to proof that Dadam had not targeted Lennok.

“Yes, I don’t think she’s moving to kill Van now. If she were, Van wouldn’t be unaware.”

Evelyn agreed.

“However, I believe it’s clear that she intends to use Van as her ‘bow’.”

“Aha.” Jutiya, immediately understanding her words, nodded.

“Indeed, in a way, that could be it. After all, the core of this matter will be Adamant Thunder’s very act of attempting the Ascension Ritual.”

“…”

“In the meeting, you were in favor of accepting Dadam’s proposal. Are you thinking that, separately, preparation is needed to deal with Dadam?”

“Once the bowstring is released, no one will hold the arrow accountable for being shot.”

Evelyn’s green eyes sank deeply.

“But someone will hold the person holding the bow accountable.”

“…”

“Whatever Dadam desires, the repercussions and fallout might fall on Van, not the Ascendant herself. Don’t you think that’s unfair?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far…” Jutiya fell into thought.

“The facts you mentioned, Adamant Thunder probably caught onto them to some extent already. Accepting Dadam’s proposal, knowing that, must mean he believed the risk was worth the return.”

“…”

“More than anything, Adamant Thunder has experience attempting a similar Ascension Ritual during the Subjugation Operation. Would that man really let things go wrong in any way?”

Jutiya’s reason for settling in the tower after wandering the continent since the Imperial Palace’s fall was not due to other reasons.

While there were trivial reasons, like having acquaintances in Vulcan or the fruit smoothies being delicious.

The most important thing, in the end, was simply the fact that Lennok was in this city.

She understood it the moment she came to meet him, following Thorben, and she was certain of it after the Subjugation Operation.

That man would undoubtedly reach Level 9 someday.

The reason he hadn’t yet reached it, despite crossing that boundary countless times, was his knowledge that failure was not permitted in this world.

Because he understood better than anyone that only one chance was everything.

“In my opinion, Adamant Thunder was a being who shouldn’t have been born in this era to begin with.” Jutiya, with a languid expression, casually uttered a shocking statement.

“Perhaps he should have been born in a Golden Age when everything was still intact and saved the world, or born as a god after the end of everything. You already suspect as much, don’t you?”

“…”

“I don’t know what kind of causality Adamant Thunder possesses, but I don’t think that man’s mind will change now.”

“Yes. I think so too.” Evelyn lifted her gaze.

“In any case, Van’s path or answer won’t be compromised. Van already decided that for himself a long time ago.”

Long ago, on a day Evelyn discovered Lennok’s secret.

Lennok had informed Evelyn that he intended to challenge ascension, and even explained his reasons.

Much time had passed since that day, but Lennok’s answer had never changed since.

It probably wouldn’t be different this time, either. But—

“As much as I trust Van, I also know about his talent. I know that his potential is an absurd power, difficult for even Van himself to control.”

“…”

“I’m not worried about failure or things going wrong. But what if, during the ritual, the Ascendant truly understands Van’s ‘specialness’? What happens then?”

“…You.”

For the first time, a faint surprise flickered across Jutiya’s face. Only then could she finally understand what Evelyn was worried about and why she was making such preparations.

“If you want to tell Van, tell him. I will prepare regardless of Van’s wishes.”

Evelyn’s expression, as she slowly carved the arrow, was utterly calm and composed.

“I intend to take on the same role as I did during the Subjugation Operation, this time as well.”

“…That’s what she said. What do you think?”

“There’s not really anything to think or say about it.”

A bustling street, filled with people.

Lennok, leaning on a silver staff, replied to Jutiya as he walked.

“Evelyn is one of the most outstanding superhumans I know. Her judgment is not something I can second-guess.”

“Oh?”

“If she thinks so, I must respect her judgment. That is all.”

Superhumans who maintained their humanity even after transcending their ranks were extremely rare, and Evelyn was one such Transcendent.

Most Transcendent beings around Lennok, even if they appeared normal on the surface, were broken or twisted in some way.

It was only after reaching Level 8 that Lennok himself truly understood how difficult and significant that was.

Not being twisted meant having firm standards and principles within oneself.

Therefore, ever since meeting Evelyn, Lennok had always highly valued her consistency.

He not only respected her judgment in most situations but also trusted her enough to entrust his back to her if need be.

Jutiya, seemingly understanding Lennok’s answer, gave a faint nod.

“Indeed, during the Subjugation Operation, you entrusted Evelyn alone with the role of protecting your Incarnation Body. You truly trust her, don’t you?”

“Certainly more than a noble who trails after me, tattling on Evelyn’s thoughts.”

“What? Evelyn said it was okay to tell you, so I just did~”

Jutiya, feigning a grumble, tilted her head with a languid smile.

“Actually, she seemed to want me to tell you directly, didn’t she? She’s making her preparations because she’s anxious, but she doesn’t want you to dislike her. You know that, right?”

“Dislike? What nonsense… Have I ever scolded anyone for disagreeing with my opinion?”

Lennok sighed incredulously.

“I wouldn’t resent Evelyn even if she shot an arrow at my head, so I don’t know what kind of pointless worries she’s having.”

A long time had passed since Lennok and Evelyn first met, and the help he had received from her was immeasurable.

If she hadn’t protected the Incarnation Body until the very end during the Subjugation Operation, the outcome of the war wouldn’t have been as dramatic.

Lennok knew better than anyone how much effort she put in, delaying hundreds of superhumans by herself.

He had, therefore, always hoped to repay Evelyn or help her in any way he could.

Lennok didn’t want to be someone who forgot kindness received, even if he were to forget grudges.

Because he knew all too well how precious uncompensated goodwill was in this world.

“In the first place, if we’re going to be precise, isn’t it that my other companions find me excessively difficult? Don’t you think it’s been getting worse lately?”

“What? Hahahah! To say that first, it seems you’ve secretly been bothered by it, haven’t you?”

Jutiya, her eyes wide, soon clutched her stomach and burst into laughter beside Lennok.

When a woman with an antique charm burst into laughter in the middle of the bustling street, people’s gazes immediately turned to her, but she paid them no mind.

Jutiya, who had laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes, lifted her glasses and wiped her tears with her sleeve as she asked.

“Ah~ really, the more I see you, the funnier it gets. How can a Transcendent like you seriously worry about such things? Shouldn’t your head just be filled with ascension or seeking when you reach that level?”

“Is that so?” Lennok glanced sideways.

“The other Ascendants you met in the Council of Fate were like that, I presume?”

“…”

For a moment, Jutiya hiccupped unconsciously.

Her expression was obscured by the lenses of her glasses, and a subtle silence fell between the two.

Slowly lifting her gaze, Jutiya looked up intently at Lennok with her characteristic deep eyes.

“You’re right. If I had to think of a reason, it’s probably because of your current demeanor.”

“…”

“Because you’re constantly stripping away conversation and piercing the essence, that’s precisely why others find you difficult. Try to rein in your intuition a bit.”

“Is that something one can just rein in?” Lennok replied indifferently, continuing to walk.

“I wasn’t asking you because I didn’t know it in the first place. I simply thought it would be better to convey it directly through words in many situations, even considering that.”

“Is that so?”

“Because there are things one knows in their heart, but if they aren’t spoken, they aren’t conveyed.”

Lennok said, his face expressionless.

“Isn’t that why Evelyn asked you to convey her intentions to me directly?”

“Hmm… How strange.” Jutiya tilted her head.

“Is being too smart a problem, then? Sometimes you subtly hit the core, yet give such a spaced-out answer.”

“Not something I want to hear from a hothouse flower.”

“It’s been decades since the hothouse got too hot and I ran out, you know?”

“…”

To speak of the Imperial Palace’s destruction like that, this woman was certainly not in her right mind either.

Lennok, speechless, shook his head and lifted his gaze.

“Talent and rank aside, you are one of the most peculiar humans I’ve ever seen.”

Jutiya walked beside Lennok, a languid smile on her face.

“Despite having pursued a path of seeking for so long, you still wish to hear others’ opinions, and you quite enjoy conversations like this. Oh, and you’re surprisingly talkative too.”

“I’ve never once thought of myself as taciturn, though…”

“You like noisy people, and you don’t mind those who treat you informally. Rather, you find this kind of dynamic more comfortable, don’t you?”

“…”

“Other Transcendent beings can’t do that. They struggle to protect the answers they’ve found, stubbornly cling to them, harbor lingering attachments, and sometimes even sever all relationships for them.”

Jutiya said in a light, passing tone.

“You know you’re different too, which is why you can accept that fact so unreservedly, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.” Lennok chuckled.

“I suppose I do find it more comfortable to deal with someone moderately impertinent like you.”

“Impertinent? I’ve lived several decades longer than you, you know.”

Jutiya cleared her throat slightly, composed her breathing, then spoke with a calm, playful voice.

“So, where are you going now? Preparing to extract the World’s Ten Laws from the mirror?”

“No. It’s not a magic that can be handled that way. In the first place, I don’t even know if it can be interpreted or acquired immediately.”

In Kabahim, Lennok had acquired fragments of the World’s Ten Laws, but they were closer to shards mixed with noise.

Even with parts of the World’s Ten Laws preserved in the Mandala, he had rarely been able to properly use them.

He didn’t expect the Transcendent Magic contained within the mirror to be in perfect condition, but obtaining more samples might allow for further interpretation.

He sometimes wondered if this very fragmentation was a characteristic of the World’s Ten Laws—

“For now, I intend to focus on the matter of the ritual. What I’m doing now is also related to that.”

“I’m not sure what you mean. Weren’t you planning to leave the Ascension Ritual preparations to Jenicia for now?”

After deciding to accept Dadam’s proposal in the meeting, Jenicia began preparations for the ritual, gathering all the tower’s assets and personnel.

By now, the procurement of materials and catalysts needed for the ritual would be in full swing throughout District 49.

But instead of overseeing the site, Lennok was out with Jutiya somewhere in the central district’s bustling street.

If Lennok was moving directly at a time when an Ascendant was staying in Vulcan, there had to be a good reason for it.

However, Lennok’s answer strayed quite far from what Jutiya had expected or assumed.

“What should one do before an important task or ritual?”

“I don’t know. There’s too much to think of. A ritual purification bath, perhaps?”

“One must foresee whether the endeavor will succeed or fail.”

“…Huh?”

Crack…!! As Jutiya tilted her head, Lennok lightly tapped his silver staff.

The figures of the two, enveloped in sharp lightning, descended before the spacious skyscraper lobby located on the top floor of the bustling street.

A wide hall with constellations carved into the ceiling, crystal balls on the walls, and various cards and symbols arranged throughout.

The entire floor slowly rotated around a celestial sphere draped with thick black curtains.

Jutiya gasped, seeing the scene of a large ‘fortune teller’s shop’ filled with people waiting in line.

“Surely, this entire floor is a fortune teller’s shop?”

“I contacted the City Council and got this location,” Lennok said, walking forward.

“There’s no reason not to consult the continent’s most renowned astrologer, who is in Vulcan, especially before an important ritual.”

Long ago, when he received the authority to establish his Magic Tower from the Chairman of the Central Council Senate.

Lennok had once had his fortune read about his destiny by the astrologer they brought.

The diviner, said to possess the continent’s most exceptional abilities. A power user publicly acknowledged by Ascendants for her ability to glimpse the fate of mortals.

In the process of her divining Lennok’s fate, an Outer God had attempted to directly peer into Lennok, using the divination as a medium.

Though the session ended inconclusively with the diviner collapsing and being carried away, Lennok remembered that her abilities were considerable.

Although, at that time, due to the Outer God’s intervention, the divination itself was corrupted, and he didn’t see a proper result—

“Now, however, I possess a method to prevent interference from other beings.”

Lennok, confirming the astrologer’s figure in the distance, moved forward.

“If I’m lucky, I might be able to divine not only the success or failure of the ritual but also the Ascendant’s true intentions or even their weaknesses.”

“…”

“I’ve come to have my fortune read about my destiny once more.”

“Ah, wait. Adamant Thunder.” Suddenly, Jutiya tugged at Lennok’s collar.

Lennok, whose turn had just been taken by someone who arrived moments later, frowned and turned his gaze.

“What is it?”

“At this rate, it looks like we won’t even get to see the astrologer’s face.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Look at that.” Jutiya pointed, having spotted a large notice hanging in the skyscraper’s top-floor corridor.

It seemed to be a kind of notice hung for customers visiting the fortune teller’s shop.

“Nothing particularly special, it seems. Prohibition of powerful artifacts, symbols, or catalyst use. Strict prohibition of photography or recording. And…”

Lennok’s voice, which had been tilting his head, slowly faded.

At the very bottom of the notice. A red warning written in the largest font.

Jutiya grinned and read the warning written at the very bottom.

“Black hair. Human male with sharp eyes. Prefers black coats or uses a staff. Lightning-type wizards or District 49 residents are strictly prohibited from entry.”

“…”

“It’s very roundabout, but doesn’t it subtly target someone specific?”

“…”

It seemed Lennok wasn’t the only one who hadn’t forgotten what happened that day.