Chapter 562: Introspection (4)

Observing someone else’s memories wasn’t new to Lennok.

Whether by choice or by force, witnessing time that had already passed was familiar.

His consciousness was clearly awake, yet he felt a sluggish sensation, as if his body had been surrendered to a slowly flowing river. He was aware of his own existence, yet his senses were drawn toward the depths of memory, an inexplicable déjà vu.

But he had never imagined that Olivera Ron Maize herself would directly show him her memories in this manner.

Had she obtained a truth she shouldn’t have known the moment she awakened the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye and gained its power?

“……”

Lost in thought, the vision of Kaiser’s timeline continued to flow before his eyes.

People bustled past Lennok, loudly chatting, holding cheap coffee, and wearing old lab coats.

Kaiser was always in the midst of such people, engaging in lively conversations with different individuals every time.

However, one peculiar detail that struck Lennok was the fact that Kaiser appeared far older than he remembered him to be.

Streaks of gray in his hair, unmistakable wrinkles, a bushy beard, and a wizened gaze.

Even though it was undoubtedly Olivera’s own memory from the past, Kaiser’s appearance seemed even more aged than Lennok’s recollections.

“I knew Kaiser Bajour had been searching for an answer for a very long time,” Lennok muttered, watching Kaiser’s receding back.

“Seeing him like this now won’t necessarily tell me anything new.”

There was no answer.

Instead, as if in response to his question, the flow of time simply accelerated.

Countless people flashed past Lennok’s eyes again.

But the number of those surrounding Kaiser had gradually diminished.

One by one, they disappeared.

Through someone’s death, through despair over failure, through resignation at the inevitable end.

They raged at him, burst into tears, pleaded and begged for forgiveness, and finally, exhausted their lives.

Each time a family member, friend, or lover by his side vanished, the smile on Kaiser’s face faded a little more.

The researchers and colleagues who remained by his side had aged, their hair turning gray.

Conversely, the wrinkles on Kaiser’s face gradually vanished.

His graying hair turned black, his hunched shoulders straightened, and he continued to grow younger, as if aging in reverse.

As if he were walking backward through time.

“……!!”

The moment Lennok grasped its meaning and drew a sharp breath, Olivera’s voice quietly resonated.

[Not much time left.]

“What…?”

There was no answer. Instead, the speed of time reflecting Kaiser slowly decelerated, returning to a pace closer to reality.

Kaiser, who had enthusiastically continued his research, now spent more and more time holed up in a corner of his lab, head bowed.

Dust accumulated on the stacks of papers and research materials, and his companions were swept away by the current of time, vanishing.

But Kaiser remained.

With the face of a man who looked much younger than before, as if he himself were walking backward through time.

Just like the day Lennok first encountered him at the Particle Power Plant.

[…….]

Left alone, Kaiser gazed blankly around the quiet lab.

Finally, he set down the last paper in his hand, straightened up, and stood, walking toward Lennok.

He stared intently in the direction Lennok stood, then let out a hollow laugh.

[You’re still here, Olivera.]

“……”

[I never thought you’d just watch my failure without offering any help. How about it, does that make you feel better now?]

Undoubtedly, Olivera must have said something in response to Kaiser at this point.

But without her reply being heard, Kaiser nodded as if he had heard her words and continued speaking.

[Yes, that’s not wrong… But I haven’t given up yet.]

“……”

[I’ve found a new patron. Someone who knows a great deal… and is somehow similar to me. No, I’m not even sure if you could call them a ‘person’.]

Kaiser’s expression, which had briefly clouded, softened into a weary smile as he crossed his arms.

[I plan to establish a new city and, using that as a foundation, structure the final project. How about it, interested?]

At that moment, Olivera’s reply, which had been unheard until now, began to sound.

[What’s the project’s name?]

[Name?]

[You speak of changing the world, yet you haven’t even thought of a name for your plan?]

Kaiser stroked his chin, lost in thought with a haggard expression.

[I hadn’t really thought about it… If I had to put a name to it, we’re ultimately insisting on continued existence beyond destruction. From the world’s perspective, we’re closer to being troublesome customers.]

“……”

[Indeed. We’re throwing a tantrum, wanting to grasp qualifications and a future that haven’t been given to us. Therefore, the project’s name is—]

At that moment, the smiling Kaiser stopped dead in front of Lennok’s eyes.

The end of that surreal scene, where the memory’s playback concluded.

[The project’s name is Black Consumer.]

Olivera quietly murmured from behind Lennok.

[For decades, we’ve been demanding qualifications and rights that were never permitted to us.]

“……”

Instead of replying, Lennok slowly turned around.

Olivera, who had gained the mystic eye glittering with seven colors, stood quietly, gazing at Lennok with brilliant eyes.

“A change of heart… that’s not quite the right phrase. You’ve been waiting for me for this all along.”

Lennok asked.

“I’m still not sure where you stand. What’s your reason for showing me this memory?”

[Well… I just felt that this was what I had to do.]

Olivera silently raised her gaze, glancing at the vast, empty research lab.

[The mystic eye you used in your right eye. From it, I glimpsed fragments of causality that I had occasionally researched.]

She said.

[At the same time, I realized that the long-sought answer was there. Through you, I awakened a new possibility to interfere with causality.]

“……”

Lennok was left speechless by her abnormal certainty.

Olivera Ron Maize was saying that she had gained inspiration from the mystic eye Lennok had shown her and awakened the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.

The Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye, which she was originally supposed to obtain decades later, even risking a decline in Hierarchy.

Simply by witnessing and confirming fragments of that power beforehand, was she able to transcend time and reach the answer?

He knew her talent and capabilities were monstrous, exceeding all norms, but he never expected her to find an entirely new possibility with just that much of a clue.

However, Lennok stopped himself at that thought, inwardly negating his own conclusion.

‘No, that’s not it… It was determined from the start.’

Lennok’s awakened right eye was a mystic eye designed to house various abilities, modeled after the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.

The ability to rampage with causality was undoubtedly a powerful and anomalous force, but it wasn’t its true essence.

Yet, it was also true that it had been strongly influenced by the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye possessed by future Olivera.

Olivera didn’t know that the mystic eye was created by her future self, but she nonetheless succeeded in awakening a new mystic eye, inspired by its power.

Because it was a possibility her future self would eventually discover, merely showing it to her now unbelievably accelerated her growth?

But Olivera, even knowing the value of the power she had obtained, did not try to kill Lennok with the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.

Instead, she simply stared, expressionless, at the scene of the lab where Kaiser had vanished.

After a long moment, Olivera, who couldn’t tear her eyes away from the spot where he had disappeared, let out a self-deprecating snort.

[Hmph, to be consumed by such weak sentimentality at this point…]

The Chairman of Cartel glanced at Lennok, then slowly turned away.

Standing with her arms crossed, she lifted her veil and lightly shook her head.

[If you follow the mirror wall, you should find an exit. The way to Kaiser is over there.]

“……What are you thinking?”

Just moments ago, she had put so much effort into holding Lennok captive, yet now her attitude suggested no lingering attachment.

It was strange enough that she wasn’t trying to kill Lennok with her causality-manipulating Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.

But even more incomprehensible was her willingness to let Lennok go, after showing him her memories with Kaiser.

However, Olivera fell silent for a moment at his question, then scoffed with a sharp tone.

[The moment I obtained the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye, I realized that it’s impossible for me to awaken this mystic eye at this point in time.]

“……”

[Looking at the world again with these eyes, I understand. This ability and this concept are a fruit of causality not permitted to me now.]

Olivera’s voice, as she spoke, seemed to gradually fade.

[It’s a product of a possibility I would never have chosen… without directly witnessing the project’s failure…]

“Surely not…”

Lennok understood the meaning of her words and drew a small breath.

Olivera had not awakened the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye solely through her own research.

Her awakening of the mystic eye and her change in magical system had occurred after the project had completely failed and Kaiser had met his demise.

Because the Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye possesses the power to intervene in causality, could it even reveal the very reason for its acquisition?

Through it, Olivera realized that the reason she awakened the mystic eye couldn’t exist in this spacetime.

The power of the mystic eye, obtainable only after the currently ongoing project had failed.

From that discrepancy of twisted time, only one conclusion could be drawn.

[There were certainly enough questionable parts. It’s abnormal for powerful individuals like you to appear in the Ramahal District at this point in time. Considering the fierce battlefield situation of a civil war, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.]

“……”

[Inconsistent words and actions, technology and combat abilities that are out of place for the era. All of it makes sense if it arrived from the future, rather than this moment.]

Olivera spoke in a quiet, unreadable tone.

[And that I myself am an entity left in the past, a part of it as well…]

While not realizing the truth as immediately as Kaiser, Olivera had not overlooked the occasional sense of unease she felt while fighting Lennok.

Instead of simply dismissing the accumulated awkwardness and strangeness, she remembered and gathered each piece, finally finding the perfect answer at this moment.

Instead of passively accepting and reacting to the immediate situation, she used the clues accumulated in her mind to reach a truth she wished to deny.

Even if what lay at the end was an unbearable conclusion that negated her own existence.

She possessed a strong heart and mental fortitude, enough to accept it and move forward.

[Time Relativity is Absoluteness. While different timelines can exist, if one encounters another in a past timeline, one of the two must be a fake.]

Olivera said, her voice tinged with a smile.

[Then it’s clear who is real and who is false, isn’t it?]

“……Are you accepting that truth yourself?”

[Kaiser knew that truth much earlier but said nothing.]

Olivera said, slowly turning aside.

As if to open a path for Lennok.

[That must be because there is a greater purpose than simply leaving a meaningful existence as ourselves.]

As if to hide her expression, she pulled her veil back down and turned her head.

[I’m not pleased with that fact, but I respect his decision. If that is the only way forward in this spacetime, which is closer to a falsehood… then I…]

“……”

Those words were incorrect.

She too was the real Olivera, Olivera herself who had once undoubtedly existed in a true spacetime.

That was why she could accept that she was an entity displaced in a past spacetime.

The awareness of the contradiction hidden within her own existence, and the resolve to accept it.

That was undoubtedly the genuine heart that once existed within Olivera Ron Maize herself, who had dedicated herself to the project.

But instead of telling her that, Lennok shut his mouth tightly and turned away.

Trying to comfort Olivera with such words now would be utterly meaningless.

She wouldn’t want pity either.

Crraacckk…!!

Cracks spread through the mirror barrier, and dazzling light poured through beyond.

It was probably the only exit from her consciousness space.

[You probably maintain some connection with my future self.]

Just as Lennok, who had been silently watching Olivera, turned his back and stepped forward, she quietly spoke.

[Your mystic eye is a fruit of causality that cannot exist without that fact as a premise.]

“That…”

[So if you ever meet my future self again, tell her about the project’s failure…]

Behind the veil covering her face, Olivera seemed to be about to say something, then gave a faint smile.

[No, it’s meaningless.]

“……”

[My future self, decades from now, would undoubtedly have come up with a far more plausible excuse than I can now.]

Fwooosh!!

At the same time, the mirror spacetime began to collapse entirely.

Fragments of broken mirrors rained down upon Olivera’s body, completely obscuring her form.

CRUMMMBLE!!!!

Lennok silently watched the consciousness space rapidly collapse and disappear, then immediately turned away.

Soon, no sound remained within the mirror maze.

Ever since entering the Sealed Zone to prevent radiation phenomena, unexpected events had continuously unfolded.

However, the memories left behind in this isolated spacetime were such that Lennok could not easily overlook them.

Why the Vulcan City Government had kept the existence of this zone a secret, burying it in forgotten history.

Why everyone who entered this zone was buried in memories, never making it out alive.

He no longer didn’t know the answers, yet Lennok still walked forward to meet someone who was waiting for him.

A continuous series of unexpected miracles, from beginning to end.

Even as he walked on a knife’s edge, unable to guarantee his own life, and went to meet an opponent whose true intentions he couldn’t gauge.

On one hand, he recognized an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward him.

He was someone who shared the same struggles.

He was someone who walked a little ahead on the path Lennok was treading.

Even by the mere vestiges of his will, which had collapsed without achieving its purpose, his name was still heard throughout the city.

Because he felt he could somewhat understand the anguish and desires that he had suffered and yearned for.

Because he felt that feeling was not false, Lennok was here.

CRUUUMMMBLE!!!

A massive power plant exhaust vent, dozens of meters in diameter.

Its immense size made it appear like a grand tower. At its peak was the rooftop of the ventilation shaft.

Dazzling light erupted from the top of the vent, streaking across the hazy sky, forming a colossal pillar of light.

It was a spectacular sight, as if the power plant’s exhaust vent itself were a cannon, firing a concentrated burst of energy.

At the heart of the light pillar, the form of the Spacetime Anchoring Device, spread wide like a giant flower petal, was reflected.

And perched on the edge of that light, looking down, was a black-haired young man.

“I’ve been waiting, Van.”

Kaiser was smiling.

“I knew you’d find your way here quickly.”

“……”

“The only places capable of supplying enough immense power for the anchoring device are the underground power room and the top-floor thermal exhaust vent.”

Kaiser slowly walked down from the device, addressing Lennok.

“Connecting the circuits to maintain its operation was difficult, but it’s not impossible if you manipulate the power plant’s internal facilities well.”

Kaiser walked along the exterior of the exhaust tower, observing Lennok who remained silent.

From dozens of meters below, the ruined landscape of the Particle Power Plant stretched out.

In the distance, the Ghost Ship and the White New Model clashed, unleashing successive roars and shockwaves.

From beyond the rear gate came desperate grinding sounds, and explosions erupted from the open ground facing the main entrance.

“It’s strange,” Kaiser said.

“The Particle Power Plant is so noisy and crumbling, yet no one is thinking of returning.”

“……”

“I can’t even reach my colleagues on the front lines. I sense neither their presence nor their traces. I thought it was due to the anomalies within the power plant, but in reality…”

Kaiser spoke, then cut himself off, falling silent for a long moment.

Kaiser, looking down at the ground with a somewhat subdued expression, asked.

“How was Olivera?”

“She knew,” Lennok replied.

“What you’re thinking. And what situation she herself is in.”

“I see.”

Kaiser smiled.

“She’s a strong person. She always has been, and perhaps I secretly found comfort in her detached demeanor in every situation…”

“……”

“Before I explain everything, there’s one last thing I need to do.”

Saying that, Kaiser raised his hand toward Lennok.

“I want to confirm if the conclusion I’ve reached is correct. Is that alright?”

“Do we have enough time?”

“Including that.”

“……Alright.”

At that moment, Kaiser placed a hand on Lennok’s shoulder and channeled his magic.