Chapter 1455: The Hall of Ascension (1)
“Van, it’s been a while.”
The outskirts of the megacity, Vulcan. The vast business district where the Cartel’s headquarters is located.
In a forest of skyscrapers soaring as if to pierce the sky, Virgil greeted Lennok.
“Belated congratulations on the news of your victory in Paradise Lost. I sent a gift to your Magic Tower in the Cartel’s name. I hope you liked it.”
“Adamant Thunder. It hasn’t been long since the war ended, and you’ve already gone and done something unbelievable.”
Meryllda, a member of the executive board standing next to Virgil, stared up at Lennok as if looking at a strange creature.
“Do you know your Magic Tower comes up every time the Chairman attends an executive meeting? The company is starting to be compared to it.”
“…Not my problem.”
“From my perspective, it seems like she’s been irritable lately because she has no way to relieve her stress. So, just like that time with Kundara, you should take the Chairman and—”
“Meryllda, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to get hit by the Mystic Eye and become an idiot?”
Angel, standing beside her with a pale expression, covered Meryllda’s mouth.
While Meryllda was kicking Angel hard in the stomach, the curse sorcerer, Lauder, spoke with a smile.
“In a sense, a Spell-Word is a concept closest to a curse or a binding. Congratulations on overcoming that restraint.”
“…”
“I hope that I, too, will one day die to a power that surpasses all the curses I know.”
The other executives stared at Lauder, who was offering praise with a nonchalant expression, as if he were a madman.
Seeing some unfamiliar faces mixed in, it seemed the Cartel had also been steadily reinforcing its executive board.
“So that’s the wizard… He looks much more respectable than I thought. I imagined he’d be an iron man who wouldn’t bleed a single drop even if stabbed.”
“Did you really believe those strange rumors from the Deepweb? I told you he wasn’t like that.”
“Hey, Gyro. Didn’t you say you had something to tell Adamant Thunder? Say it quickly.”
“The Chairman is waiting. I am not so foolish as to be unable to discern the time, place, and occasion.”
Employees bustling about the headquarters district saw the executives and made way, only to freeze in place when they saw Lennok standing beside them.
Unable to react, they broke out in a cold sweat and averted their gazes, or stood stiffly, holding their breath and warily watching Lennok.
Intense shock and awe that they couldn’t hide. And, several times clearer than that, a palpable sense of dread and fear.
Amidst the flood of gazes, Lennok, standing next to Virgil, shook his head.
“I’ll have to change my clothes from now on. Have I become so recognizable that people react even if they don’t know my face?”
“I hope you’ll be understanding. The events of Paradise Lost must have been that shocking to the other employees.”
Virgil said.
“Jinwa was a great Ascendant even before the Cartel was founded. Even if they didn’t know about her fall, there’s no one who doesn’t know of her achievement in creating the common language.”
“…”
“They’ve only just now understood that you, in a human body, have reached the same level as the Ascendants. It will naturally take time for them to truly grasp the meaning of that.”
“For someone saying that, you don’t seem very surprised.”
“Me? You’re asking something obvious.”
Virgil smiled.
“Because I’ve known for a long time that you are a spellcaster with talent unprecedented in history. Wouldn’t it be stranger for me to be surprised now?”
“…”
“As you know, the Chairman is someone who has no interest in others. What more needs to be said, when she went all the way to Kundara with you?”
“Olivera accompanied me to Kundara because our interests aligned, not for the reason you’re thinking.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“You have no intention of listening to me.”
With Virgil, who turned back with a grin, he boarded the central elevator inside the Cartel’s headquarters.
As soon as they arrived on the top-floor hallway, Virgil silently stepped aside, and Lennok walked past him.
He walked down a hallway covered in a lavish carpet and arrived at the room at the very end, where the door opened automatically.
A study with all sorts of books and documents piled up like mountains. A peculiar scene where veils hanging on all sides blocked the view of the interior.
At a table set amidst it all, Olivera and an old man sat facing each other, waiting for Lennok.
Olivera, hiding her face with a veil and concealing the light of her Mystic Eye as always.
Sitting opposite her was a hunched-over old man with a gaunt and eccentric impression.
Recognizing his face at once, Lennok called out the old man’s name.
“…Plumber.”
The owner of the orchard in District 31 that deals in all sorts of drugs and potions, an apothecary who had often supplied Lennok with medicine.
And, one of the few who had known Jinwa in life—
[You’re late. How long did you intend to keep me waiting?]
Olivera said, lounging in the seat of honor, lazily propping her chin on her hand.
[Meryllda and Virgil seem to get unnecessarily talkative whenever they meet you. I’ll have to set aside a day to scold them.]
“Were you eavesdropping on our conversation? What a malicious hobby.”
[Isn’t it your fault for chattering away so carelessly in my company? Who gave you permission to speak ill of me?]
Olivera’s attitude was utterly shameless, despite admitting to eavesdropping.
With a wry smile, Lennok pulled up a chair beside the table and casually sat down.
Plumber, who was already seated, looked at Lennok and Olivera in surprise.
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…No. It’s nothing special.”
Plumber said, looking slightly intimidated.
“It’s just that the two of you seem closer than I thought. The rumors that the Tower Lord and the Cartel have a close, collusive relationship must have been true.”
[That is nonsense not even worth refuting.]
“If I had to say, it’s closer to me just putting up with her sarcasm… but hasn’t your way of speaking changed?”
Lennok tilted his head, looking puzzled.
“You seem very uncomfortable. Please speak as you do at the orchard.”
“No… how could I dare do such a thing.”
Plumber hesitated, corrected his posture, and placed a hand on his chest as if to show respect to Lennok.
“I heard about the conclusion of Paradise Lost. That you, in the end, gave Jinwa an unending rest…”
“…”
“Among the countless geniuses of the Empire, her talent was overflowing, and her pride was stronger than anyone’s. Even the fall of the Empire could not break her will.”
The old man muttered, his gaze drifting upward as if looking at something far away.
“She was such an outstanding person that I never imagined she would be broken like this… In the end, you accomplished it.”
“…”
“As someone who was once a meritorious subject of the Empire, I express my respect to you. You already stand in the same place as the Grand Generals of old.”
Plumber was close enough to the living Jinwa to have kept her fruit in his orchard.
It was only natural that he would have complicated feelings about the fact that Jinwa had been defeated by Lennok.
[You’ve probably already guessed this to some extent.]
Olivera said, leaning back leisurely with a long pipe in her mouth.
[This old geezer is the one who nominated the living Jinwa to the position of Grand General. He was also the contributor who pushed for Jinwa to be able to accomplish the great feat of creating the common language.]
“…I see.”
[When Jinwa abandoned her duties as Grand General, this old geezer was also held responsible and expelled from the Imperial Palace. Luckily for him, that’s how he managed to survive its fall. So you should be able to roughly guess what kind of feelings he holds for Jinwa.]
Watching Plumber lower his head, unable to say a word, Olivera slowly tapped the ashes from her pipe.
[The Jinwa I remember was a being as obsessed with self-improvement as she was sublimely talented. She was an outstanding officer, acknowledged by many in the Imperial Palace, but she was also a seeker who harbored far grander ambitions.]
“…”
[She was never one who could stay under someone else for long. The Emperor’s prestige made even a woman like her content with the position of Grand General, but in the end, it was just a castle built on sand. It was bound to happen eventually.]
“Do you think she harbored an inferiority complex about her origins even back then?”
[Who knows? Wouldn’t you, the one who killed Jinwa, know better than I?]
Olivera sneered.
[All I know is that Jinwa’s talent and her obsession were inextricably linked. She was able to go that far because she sought to become a higher being, and she could cling to that obsession until the very end because she had the talent to make it possible.]
“Inextricably linked… A peculiar expression.”
[Unfortunately, the master of the Imperial Palace had the grotesque taste of favoring such defective products, so many of the talented individuals in the palace at the time were like that. The distortions harbored by the past Grand Generals and Grand Dukes were also quite disgusting.]
For a moment, Olivera’s telepathic voice seemed to soften and drawl.
[In the end, if it hadn’t been you, no one could have given her an ending.]
“…”
Lennok looked at Olivera, slightly surprised, then let out a short laugh.
“You never said anything like that after the matter with Kundara. You seem more sentimental than Plumber.”
[How absurd. If we’re being particular, aren’t I the one who should be thanked for the Kundara affair, not you?]
Olivera scoffed.
[To begin with, one must consider that your standards are untrustworthy in all matters. You show this old geezer consistent respect while shamelessly speaking informally to me. How could I not find that impudent?]
“I’m just being consistent. I didn’t realize you cared so much about being treated as an elder. Should I call you Elder Olivera from now on?”
Lennok, having calmly retorted Olivera’s words, tapped the table.
“Sorry to interrupt your sentimental reflections, but I’ve had this conversation to death. I’d like to discuss urgent matters first.”
[Speak.]
After Plumber left, Lennok briefly explained to Olivera what had happened when he met Sakia.
The existence of Heaven’s Gate, which would open beneath a satellite city. The World Tree sample needed to activate the gate.
And even about the place Sakia ultimately wished to reach, the Hall of Ascension.
After finishing his explanation in the suddenly quiet study, Lennok looked at her.
“From what I know, I heard Sakia was active in Vulcan decades ago. As someone who led the project with Kaiser, you must know something about her.”
[…]
Olivera didn’t answer.
Instead, she merely tilted her head, her expression sharpening the moment she heard Sakia’s name.
Surprisingly, Lennok felt that her attitude seemed strangely uncomfortable.
[I thought she had lost all interest in humans decades ago…]
Olivera muttered, tapping her pipe.
[Of all people, she had to appear before you. Then again, it’s not so strange. After all, you’re already a being who can hardly be considered human.]
“That’s enough disparaging my humanity. Just answer the question. Did you know each other, at least?”
[Kaiser Bajour received her help a few times when designing the project’s scenario.]
Olivera answered.
[She possessed unparalleled knowledge of other dimensions, and she produced dramatic results several times back then. Because of that, Kaiser seriously considered recruiting her.]
“Sounds like he failed miserably.”
[She helped with interest the first few times, but after she lost interest, it seems she turned around and captured Kaiser to conduct a few human experiments.]
“…”
[According to Kaiser’s testimony, she was almost unaffected by regression, and he even had part of his regression ability stolen by her.]
“What…?”
Lennok flinched for a moment at the unimaginable words.
He knew that the concept of a ‘demon’ was not to be taken lightly, but he had never imagined one could steal the Talent for Reversing Heaven.
Kaiser at that time, having gained his regression ability, would have been a being no different from an Ascendant, yet he had his ability stolen?
[After several clashes, they made a contract to not interfere with each other. After that, Kaiser never mentioned it again until the day he died.]
Olivera stared intently at Lennok.
[To be precise, until the very moment you killed him.]
“…I think I’m fine without you reminding me of that. In any case, I understand that Sakia is a dangerous being.”
Lennok was lost in thought.
“However, the possibility that the Hall of Ascension actually exists is quite high. I myself know of a similar sanctuary called the Hall of the Thunder God.”
[…]
“If Heaven’s Gate opens beneath the satellite city, and through it, one can enter the Hall of Ascension, I don’t think I can just stand by and watch.”
The Hall of Ascension, a place that remembers the births and deaths of all past Ascendants.
A space that contains both the moment they reached Level 9 and became complete as Ascendants, and the moment they met their deaths.
For Lennok, who was seeking the precedents of other Ascendants to reach Level 9, there could be no better opportunity.
But even knowing that, there was a reason Lennok had come to consult Olivera about Sakia.
[You’re suspicious.]
Olivera tilted her head, having guessed Lennok’s thoughts.
[Do you think that woman didn’t tell you an important secret?]
“…I don’t think she lied. She probably had no intention of deceiving me in that way to begin with.”
Lennok was lost in thought.
“But I can’t shake the feeling that this situation aligns too perfectly with my goals… What does Sakia truly want?”
Making a contract with Sakia is a dangerous affair, but the current Lennok could handle even that risk.
After the Paradise Lost affair, Lennok had even obtained an artifact that allowed him to directly interfere with contracts.
The problem was the difficulty in guessing Sakia’s true objective for entering the Hall of Ascension.
As far as Lennok knew, a demon was a Transcendent who had given up on ascension and fallen.
Why would such a being be making moves to enter the Hall of Ascension?
[I see what you’re worried about.]
Olivera, too, seemed to have guessed Lennok’s thoughts, and she slowly rested her chin on her hand.
[I wouldn’t trust a word that demon says, but I have an idea why Sakia needs your help.]
“What do you mean?”
[Even if Heaven’s Gate were to open beneath the satellite city, there would be more than one or two problems to solve in the process.]
“Problems to solve…”
[I don’t know if you’re aware, but Heaven’s Gate is one of the legacies of the Old World that has been known in academia for a long time.]
At Lennok’s words, Olivera slowly turned her gaze.
[It is one of the very few means to leave this world through spiritual methods, and it is also a legacy directly related to the concept of the ‘moon.’]
“…”
[If this world is not the first, then since when has the moon we look upon existed?]
Olivera asked.
[If the moon that rises in the night sky is a concept that has existed since the Old World, then in a sense, isn’t the moon itself a part of the Old World?]
He had heard that in the past, she had traveled to various Magic Towers, striving to establish her own magic.
It wouldn’t be strange for Olivera to have heard information about Heaven’s Gate during that process.
“You know something about Heaven’s Gate. What part of the activation process do you think will be a problem?”
[Do you think it can be simplified to a single problem?]
Olivera said with a scoff.
[However, yes… if we were to name the most important problem, it would be that an extraordinary amount of power is needed to operate Heaven’s Gate.]
“A power source…”
[According to you, the fragment of the World Tree is a catalyst to reach the Hall of Ascension… but it won’t be enough to fully power the gate’s activation.]
Olivera raised her gaze out the window.
[Even if you mobilized an Ascendant, it’s uncertain if you could meet the requirement. It might be possible temporarily, but maintaining Heaven’s Gate long enough for travel would be impossible for a living being.]
“…I see.”
Indeed, it wasn’t an unconvincing answer.
Lennok, too, after much growth, had reached a level where his mana capacity was second to none, but his power was mostly specialized for short, decisive battles.
He would need to use his Crimson Star System as Cheonbeon, or the fully bloomed Hundred-Thousand-Mile Heavenly Flower to meet the required mana, but even then, it’s uncertain if that would be enough to maintain Heaven’s Gate.
The incomplete Eightfold Lightning Firmament he used in Paradise Lost might work, of course, but that power, conversely, had poor sustainability.
[An interesting story, but the feasibility seems remote.]
Olivera said, leaning back languidly.
[A Singularity Reactor like the one the Empire used could provide the necessary power, but since the original no longer exists, that’s an unrealistic assumption…]
“…A Singularity Reactor?”
[I don’t know why you’re asking again. I’m sure I’ve explained the Singularity Reactor to you before?]
Olivera scoffed.
[Stop acting so guilty. It’s as if you stole the original Singularity Reactor from somewhere—]
“…”
[…]
A strange silence momentarily followed.
Beyond the veil, Olivera’s expression seemed to turn to one of utter disbelief for the first time.
[You… surely not?]