Chapter 461: Where Promises Intersect (2)

It was inevitable that Lapis’s voice would tremble, even as she tried to respond calmly.

No matter how much she tried to sugarcoat it, the undeniable truth was that the Eyes of Blue’s stronghold had been breached by one of Pandemonium’s executives.

She knew the Director’s whereabouts were elusive, but she never imagined he would come to the Lighthouse alone at this very moment.

The moon barrier created by the Ascendant, the previous Lighthouse Keeper, was still active, and the Lighthouse itself was guarded by an 8-level Peak of Extremes practitioner.

Yet, the Director had effortlessly overcome all these difficulties, confronting Lapis’s spiritual body before the deepest sanctuary of the Lighthouse.

If she hadn’t projected her spiritual body to the Lighthouse upon Fern’s contact, she wouldn’t have been able to face the Director like this.

Could this be called Lapis’s mistake?

Was it the foolish decision of a leader who over-concentrated her main force to secure a bridgehead for advancing to the central front?

Lapis secretly wished that were the case.

If this was happening because of her complacency or a terrible mistake, she could somehow prepare and rectify the situation later.

But if it couldn’t be stopped even with full effort and defense, then Pandemonium’s Director was already—

Seeing Lapis trying to hide her mournful expression, the Director spoke.

“The moon barrier created by the previous Lighthouse Keeper has a flaw.”

“…Pardon?”

“She was an excellent Watcher, but she paid no attention to worldly affairs. The moon barrier is a powerful spell based on the world’s fundamental physical laws, but…”

Tap.

As the Director touched the celestial sphere, its surface rippled like waves, distorting.

“Therefore, it is bound to show a weakness at the moment when the physical laws themselves fluctuate.”

“What’s important is not to be bound by right or wrong between the cycle of cause and effect and the essence of existence.”

“…”

“All that remains is to confirm whether the answer I once offered operates correctly in this world as well.”

Lapis didn’t understand what the Director was saying, but she instinctively knew it was his answer.

This was possible not because she had seen and experienced as much as the Director, but because she had inherited the Lighthouse Keeper’s abilities.

The destruction floating in the Outer Sea was undeniably a transcendent being, difficult for human power to approach, yet a desperate future was not the only outcome.

Even as two worlds cycled and met their end, those who found their own methods and meaning gained the opportunity for a ‘next’.

A path infinitely difficult and arduous, but not impossible: to shoot down destruction.

Because they are detached from the continuity of cause and effect, overturning those laws comes as a greater blow to them than anything else.

In that sense, using Kebaek, who was practically a living Geas, as a projectile was undoubtedly a significant strike.

Lapis, vaguely understanding the Director’s words, quietly bit her lip.

“You intend to… shoot down a god. How could anyone, without being insane, conceive of such an idea…?”

“The direction was never wrong.”

The Director whispered without even turning his head.

As if he were constantly reaffirming it to himself, not to Lapis.

“More importantly… I’ve done it before.”

“…No. I won’t stand by and watch any longer.”

Lapis replied decisively, raising her hand.

Simultaneously, the vast magical arrays installed around the celestial sphere lit up in unison and rotated around the Director’s body.

Woooooong!!!

The previous Lighthouse Keeper’s barrier, unfolded around the Lighthouse, began to function properly, guided by the will that inherited its mission.

“I can’t go there myself, but to reactivate the Lighthouse’s barrier, transmitting my will is enough.”

The young Lighthouse Keeper said, looking at the Director’s back, who showed no reaction.

“Coming here alone was a blunder. I will bind your existence forever… to the end of this celestial sphere.”

“…”

The Director said nothing more.

At the edge of the celestial sphere’s lens, facing the Outer Sea, the long-awaited moment began to unfold.

The Geas, personally designated and embedded by the Director, activated after a long time, transforming Kebaek’s body into a projectile.

Immediately after, it pierced the eye of the outer god, the ‘Shark-headed Dragon,’ the harbinger of destruction from the Outer Sea.

Within the colossal eye of the dragon, Kebaek’s body exploded, staining it utterly black.

The eye of destruction, which had been clearly observing the Outer Sea, slowly began to close again.

The Director simply stood there quietly, slightly raising his head, unmoving, gazing at the sight.

As if he would stand there forever. As if he would never let go of that moment that had just entered his eyes.

Lapis, gathering all the Lighthouse’s barriers and rotating them towards the Director, then brought that intention crashing down.

Paaaah!!!

A massive blue light erupted at the edge of the floating island cluster.

Innumerable meteor showers spreading like ripples across the night sky.

Waves of starlight spreading across the slowly flowing, rotating galaxy.

The two looked up at the scene in silence for a while.

A beautifully sculpted glass garden. One of the precious sanctuaries managed by the Spell Alliance, which boasted the most extensive influence on the central front.

“Beautiful.”

The man, perched on the garden wall, a wine glass in one hand, said.

“Was all this effort made just to see that view?”

Contrary to his neat appearance, with glasses and combed-back hair, an overbearing magical aura flowed from him.

The 2nd Apostle, the cult’s specialized combat force and most respected pillar.

The strategist, known for actively moving around the continent and meticulously crafting plans, had appeared in a sanctuary of the Spell Alliance.

His perpetually relaxed face had stiffened slightly as he looked up at the night sky.

“Honestly, I thought it would fail. To push through and succeed with a plan from Ars Nova that was discarded long ago, at this point…”

He had provided the 6th Apostle, who was confined in the main temple’s basement under the Pontiff’s orders, as reinforcement, but he hadn’t held much hope.

A monster completely consumed by madness, unable to maintain sanity even for a moment.

The man had greatly contributed to the cult’s holy war with his ability to split the earth and cause earthquakes, but in return, he was the first among the Apostles to go mad.

While he was sane, he was a formidable warrior with both power and intellect, but now, consumed by madness, it was meaningless.

No matter how great his power, if the foundation of his existence was shaken, he was merely a tower that would crumble at any moment.

The cult had intended to use this occasion to throw the 6th Apostle away and gain favor with Pandemonium.

But Pandemonium, with just that support, succeeded in launching Kebaek out of the well and into the Outer Sea—an ancient fantasy.

And not even led by Myeong or the Director, but by the Clown, who was famously as mad as the Apostles.

“But if there was anyone who could succeed, it was only him.”

A shadow, observing the Apostle with interest from deep within the garden’s darkness, replied.

Even amidst the beautiful garden scene, bathed in the countless stars of the night sky, a strangely calm presence enveloped the shadow.

“He is one who has already passed through an answer. As much as he walks looking back, he must know where the fate he rolled with his own hands will stop…”

“That’s true. He wouldn’t have started if it didn’t guarantee at least a partial success.”

The Apostle laughed at the shadow’s calm words.

“But I never imagined he would roll even the fate of an Ascendant to gauge the limits. This, too, must be merely an experiment.”

“…”

“Pandemonium’s Director walks ahead of the timeline, looking back at how this world’s fate unfolds. That’s all I’m curious about.”

The Apostle, draining the remaining wine in his glass, slowly set it down on the wall and said.

“Whether he, who will be the first to look back at the point where the wheel stops, can maintain the same answer.”

“…Are you expecting Pandemonium to change its stance?”

“No.”

The Apostle laughed.

“At least, I pray that such a twist awaits us at the end of this world…”

“…”

“If our conclusion is merely a hollow echo reverberating in the sea, then ultimately, everything will return according to the doctrine of the All-God.”

Seeing a faint gleam in the shadow’s eyes, the Apostle laughed.

“Honestly, I don’t really wish for that.”

“…Interesting.”

The shadow, who had risen from the chair and emerged from the darkness, spoke.

As it took a step forward, the garden’s scenery instantly began to distort.

Upon stepping out from between the shadows, the garden distorted and shattered like breaking glass.

Crack…!!

The 2nd Apostle understood that this was a type of natural dominion attained when reaching the extreme of an attribute.

The opponent, covered in overflowing cracks, approached the Apostle closely and spoke quietly.

“I heard you are the Apostle most trusted by the Pontiff, yet you seem far from blindly believing the doctrine.”

“…”

Crrrack…!!

The garden scenery surrounding the Apostle shattered into pieces, and within it, the pristine garden scenery reappeared like a mirror.

From within, the opponent whispered quietly with a dry voice.

“Whose name you’ll call out last when you die… I’m very curious.”

“Always. Many are curious.”

The Apostle replied with a wry smile, pushing away the spatial cracks that tickled his cheek.

“We’ve both had a good show, shall we get to the main point?”

At the sight of the Apostle leaning back in the empty chair opposite, the opponent coldly murmured.

“You were the one who asked for permission to confirm the success or failure, weren’t you…?”

“So let’s just take care of what needs to be done. I have to return within two days because of the summons.”

The Apostle, who had cleared the garden with a single gesture and sat opposite, quietly nodded.

“The ceasefire agreement between the Spell Alliance and the cult. Let’s confirm its duration and conclude.”

“Finally found you. Doesn’t this look familiar?”

“It’s God’s revelation to never forget your beginner’s mind.”

“Bullshit. A guy with not an ounce of faith always spouts such nonsense…”

Lennok’s eyes snapped open at the various voices from above his head.

“Cough!!”

Simultaneously, he coughed up a copious amount of blood that had been suffocating him and then rolled over onto his stomach.

Blood streamed from beneath his mask, soaking his robe warmly.

“Victor, are you alive? If you’re conscious, move this thing.”

A sound like someone knocking on an invisible wall. Only then did Lennok realize he was lying inside a thick, glass-like tube.

It was transparent, allowing him to see outside, but it was not easily noticeable from the exterior, and even high-level superhumans would find it hard to scratch.

To anyone observing, it looked like a harsh scene of a normal person trapped inside a tube.

But Lennok didn’t panic and slowly regulated his breathing.

‘The protocol seems to have worked.’

He had created a new emergency spell to protect his body in case he lost consciousness while researching magic.

The glass tube that now enclosed his body was a spatial isolation created by combining Jindun’s barrier magic and the principles of Domain.

He had only tested it once or twice, but never properly used it, so it was fortunate that it worked perfectly in a real situation.

“Haa…”

With trembling hands, he fumbled for his mask.

Confirming that he was still wearing it properly, he knocked on the tube, and it shattered like glass, revealing the damp air of the jungle.

Craaaash!!

Just as he was about to collapse, exhausted, through the scattered spell fragments, someone who had been staring blankly laughed.

“Do you have treasure hidden inside that mask? I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with it.”

Lennok, seeing Reiya, the red-haired woman rolling on the ground, asked with difficulty, “What’s… what’s the situation?”

He remembered launching Kebaek into the Outer Sea and losing consciousness after witnessing the scene within.

Considering the enraged presence of Pyeonram, there must have been a great commotion in the jungle immediately after Lennok’s success.

Yet, the jungle where the three of them were miraculously gathered now was eerily quiet.

“It’s mostly wrapped up.”

“Things are already… all over? Did the Clown take care of everything else?”

“Of course, it wasn’t because of this bastard.”

The Clown, sprawled beside Reiya, waved a welcoming hand.

“Yay, yo.”

“…”

Lennok was battered, not just from being exposed to Kebaek’s aura, but also from the final task of concluding things alone and observing the Outer Sea.

But the Clown’s condition was far too gruesome to be described in such terms.

All his limb joints were twisted in reverse, and every bone and joint in his body, down to his finger joints, was crushed.

There wasn’t a spot on his skin where blood vessels hadn’t burst, and his powdered white face was torn in various places, making it unrecognizable.

The aftermath of forcibly raising his Hierarchy through human sacrifice and enduring the battle between Ascendants with his bare body, buying time.

Even Lennok was amazed by the Clown’s resilience, enduring until Reiya arrived, even with the plan derailed by the intervention of magic towers, warlords, and revolutionary armies.

“Honestly, I thought you’d die quickly, but I’m quite surprised you survived so stubbornly. So there was a reason Myeong recommended you, huh?”

“…”

“I don’t know if you’re lucky or unlucky. But I prefer reliable friends over ambiguous cripples. I think I can give you the Clown’s certification mark.”

Saying so, the Clown peeled off a blood-soaked fingernail from his cartilage-melted, rubbery finger and placed it precisely on Lennok’s robe.

“Pass!”

“Is he truly insane…?”

Reiya, watching the scene from beside them, muttered with an annoyed expression, but Lennok’s feelings were not much different.

However, instead of discarding the Clown’s fingernail, Lennok quietly picked it up and nodded.

“I’ll take it gratefully.”

It’s easy to be mistaken due to his light and bizarre behavior, but the Clown is a transcendent illusionist with skills far beyond anyone Lennok had ever seen.

Comparing him to Rick, the sorcerer who was with them in the operation to steal the Archangel’s Tear, is meaningless.

That he can even have a normal conversation, despite mastering illusionism to such an extent that it’s easy to succumb to madness, is nothing short of a miracle.

This is probably because the Clown controls his power with various constraints to utilize his madness in appropriate situations.

The Clown’s method of entrusting his power and ability level to chance using dice was something Lennok could never understand with his common sense.

But precisely because he wields his abilities in such an unreasonable and irrational way, the Clown is an illusionist of a caliber rarely seen on the continent.

A crystallization of contradiction that deceives and manipulates humans, life, senses, phenomena, and even reality, causality, and himself.

It’s already difficult to tell how broken and twisted his mind has become.

No, the fact that he can spout such nonsense even with his entire body shattered like this is remarkable in itself.

Even seemingly meaningless actions might hold some meaning for the Clown himself.

The Clown, reduced to a pulp like vomit from a beast, not a human, giggled as he watched Lennok put the fingernail into his robe.

“Heheheh, I like it. I like it. We can be pretty close from now on, don’t you think?”

“There’s something else I need to hear first, though.”

Lennok, wiping blood from his mouth and leaning against a nearby tree stump, replied.

His gaze, shining coldly from behind the mask, accurately pierced the Clown’s melted body.

“The helper you hesitated and waited for at the end. Tell me who it is right now.”