Chapter 786: Ghost Journey (12)

Yorta’s unique sanctuary observes the flow of all curses existing on the continent.

Is that secret place, located on the top floor of the Memorial Tower, called Mugan?

However, Lennok began to contemplate the High Priestess’s proposal more than the name itself.

“You want to use the Revelation ability to peer into the upper floors of the Memorial Tower?”

[If I gather the remaining spirituality, I might be able to use it once, targeting the entire Memorial Tower.]

The High Priestess replied.

[However, it’s impossible with my power alone. I’ll need to borrow the help of your physical body.]

“……”

Lennok fell into momentary contemplation at the utterly unexpected proposal.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected the High Priestess to be of immediate help, but had her condition improved since entering Yorta?

Perhaps it was because Yorta’s internal environment was stably constructed to allow spiritual entities like the High Priestess to manifest naturally.

It was possible that various incantations and measures for the self-sustenance or symbiosis of souls had been applied throughout the city.

But what was important right now wasn’t dwelling on how it had become possible.

‘Revelation ability, huh…’

Lennok had some understanding of the power of revelation from the incident at the cult’s Far Eastern branch.

A type of cognition that the former High Priestess, Isel Naydree, and the 10th Apostle, Amrita, had demonstrated, borrowing power from the Outer Sea.

At first glance, it seemed similar to precognition, but having faced and killed both precognitives and revelation users, Lennok had an inkling.

‘If precognition is a proactive power with a limited scope, then revelation is passive but boundless.’

Perhaps it was the difference between discovering and being told.

Unlike precognition, the power of revelation cannot be proactively controlled, but its target and timing are virtually limitless.

Yet, the High Priestess was saying she could directly manipulate revelation to peer into the upper floors of the Memorial Tower.

Perhaps this was possible because the High Priestess’s very title was based on a transcendental faith in the Outer Sea.

Therefore, before answering, Lennok subtly surveyed the surroundings of his prison.

Clang!!

Beyond the bars, other coldly frozen cells were reflected.

Amidst the icy mist swirling with frost, the figures of other prisoners stared at Lennok with sharp eyes.

Since he was imprisoned here, inheriting Onnion’s sentence, perhaps the other prisoners were also criminals who had committed grave offenses of a similar nature.

Lennok quickly reached a conclusion, pulling his hood deep over his head, and asked.

“It seems worth attempting. What do you need me to do?”

[The most efficient way would be for you to temporarily lend me your physical body—]

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

[……]

The High Priestess, after a moment of silence, spoke.

[There is a method where I receive the revelation and visualize its image in your eyes. It would be possible if you possess even a slight aptitude for it.]

“That will do. Let’s start right away.”

At Lennok’s assertion, the High Priestess shook her head and murmured.

[It’s not as simple as it sounds… Understood. For a non-believer, perhaps experiencing it directly is the quickest way.]

With those words, the High Priestess’s presence, floating before Lennok’s eyes, began to swell rapidly.

Ooooh…!!

As the High Priestess’s will-thought intensified, the gem on the ring emitted a powerful light.

Could a soul that had lost its body, bound to a mere artifact, exert such will?

Just as Lennok was inwardly marveling at the intensity of her fervent faith and will-thought, the High Priestess brought her hands together and tilted her head skyward.

Immediately after, a phantom seemed to descend from the ceiling of this frozen prison on the 5th underground level of the Memorial Tower, like an intangible light.

Fwoosh!!!

A powerful revelation transcending the limits of time and space.

Cognition transmitted from beyond the Outer Sea pierced through all barriers between Lennok and the High Priestess, descending upon her spiritual body.

As she received the intangible light, the High Priestess’s spiritual body flickered as if trying to materialize on the spot.

[You. Now.]

She extended a hand towards Lennok with a slightly urgent tone.

[As I have repeatedly told you, the issue of aptitude is very significant. In the worst case, if there’s a backlash, your eyesight might deteriorate—]

“Shouldn’t you have told me that first?”

Lennok retorted with a bewildered expression at the High Priestess’s words.

“To mention the reward before the cost – truly a cult-like proposal.”

Grab!

Even as he sneered at the High Priestess’s words, Lennok unhesitatingly gripped the will-thought she extended.

Simultaneously, his Mystic Eye activated beyond the obsidian mask, beginning to fully absorb the High Priestess’s revelation.

Kieeeeeng…!!!

The cult’s ability.

Lennok instantly absorbed and visualized the revelation image, which was mediated by the Outer Sea.

At his unhesitating response, the High Priestess herself, who had transmitted the revelation, turned her gaze in surprise.

[How could this be? This… This is beyond just having aptitude.]

Watching Lennok casually manipulating the will-thought with only his right eye open, the High Priestess asked.

[This level of perfect congruence is too complete for a non-believer’s body to achieve. Have you ever experienced the Revelation ability before?]

“Stop the pointless chatter and let’s get on with it.”

The reason Lennok immediately accepted the High Priestess’s proposal despite her mention of aptitude was that he had already mimicked and used the Revelation ability during the battle with Amrita at the Far Eastern branch’s decisive battle.

Lennok’s right Mystic Eye was an innate ability modeled after Olivera’s Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.

Using the principle of reflecting and employing various abilities, he had once mimicked the flow of revelation to counter Amrita’s revelation.

The Revelation ability itself was excessively complex and lacked rules, making it difficult to handle outside of combat situations, so he rarely used it, but he remembered the knack.

Sharing and visualizing the images of revelation transmitted by the High Priestess was not a difficult task.

Lennok pressed down on his burning right Mystic Eye and retorted.

“I won’t be able to hold on for long, so let’s expand from around the prison immediately. Are you ready?”

[…Understood.]

The High Priestess seemed to have more to say, but she immediately closed her eyes and concentrated her mind.

At that moment, the vision reflected in Lennok’s Mystic Eye twisted sharply and surged upward.

Shweeeek!!

It felt as if he was instantly leaving the underground level where the prison was located, and rapidly spiraling up the tower walls in reverse.

The tower walls, rushing past beneath his feet, were covered in a pale spiritual essence, endlessly undulating.

=Kuaaaah!!!

Only then did Lennok realize that the tower walls were not made of bedrock, but of thousands of writhing Military Spirits themselves.

“……”

The Memorial Tower for the Myriad Ghosts’ Night Parade, built to console the dead souls.

And the Court of Soul Pacification, Yorta’s leadership, located on its highest floor.

But were the very components of the tower composed of military spirits screaming in endless torment?

The entire tower was enveloped in a wave of vengeful spirits, portraying a curse-like form, eternally struggling.

Thump-thump-thump!!

The Memorial Tower’s levels, extending beyond the city’s upper reaches to the sky itself, seemed endless.

At some point, the tower’s form abruptly broke off, and pitch-black darkness began to split open and flow out on both sides.

A strange sense of incongruity, as if an entire level of the Memorial Tower had vanished, losing its place.

The moment he faced that sight, Lennok was certain this was the very place the High Priestess had mentioned.

“…This is it.”

Among all the secret places in the Memorial Tower, this was by far the most anomalous, a sub-space closer to another dimension.

Was that void, existing beyond, the Mugan, which observed and perceived the flow of all curses on the continent?

[……]

The High Priestess did not reply.

Only the will-thought of revelation seemed to intensify, and the scene reflected before his eyes shifted to that of immense darkness.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!!

A grating noise, like blood vessels and capillaries snapping.

A disturbing sensation, like flesh and muscle being forcibly torn into, as if doing something that should not be done.

[Indeed, this space is not a sanctuary located in either the Material Realm or the Spirit Realm.]

From beyond his rapidly blurring vision, the High Priestess’s voice faintly echoed.

[The fleeting moment where spirit and body intersect within the flow of life and death. A hall of contradiction, where that concept has been forged into a real domain and anchored between the tower levels… It is truly a space without any gaps.]

“……”

[That is why it can observe curses where no inherent flow exists and record them.]

The High Priestess’s monologue was inherently complex and abstract, but Lennok vaguely understood the principles and essence it represented.

Between the Material Realm and the Spirit Realm where Yorta was located.

More precisely, at the very boundary where these two concepts transformed. Did she mean that the gap itself, which inherently did not exist, was forcibly constructed as a real space, bound between the Memorial Tower’s levels?

[Normally, it would not even be permitted to cast revelation upon this domain, but…]

At the moment he felt the High Priestess’s will-thought transmission slightly blur.

Conversely, the will she manifested began to grow even stronger.

[For the sake of what that person desires next, I…!!]

Crrrack…!!

The high priestess, who presides over all rituals within the cult and serves as a medium directly communicating with the Outer Sea’s demise, receiving its power.

She processed fragments of the ‘omniscience’ obtained through that process into images comprehensible to humans and poured them into his mind.

To know the unknowable, to see the unseeable, to understand the incomprehensible.

Sending understanding beyond cognition across the hall of contradiction, forcibly tearing open the view beyond.

Charrr-rrrr-rrrr!!!

Clack, clack, clack…!!

At that moment, Lennok heard the quiet sound of wooden pieces colliding.

Flickering forms clashed, dancing before his eyes.

Something undulating like a dance in the darkness became a curtain obstructing his view of the scene beyond.

The moment Lennok instinctively raised his gaze towards that far side.

“A distinguished guest has arrived from beyond the sea.”

A raspy voice echoed in his ears.

“……!!!”

Amidst the swaying shadows, someone cloaked in white stood abruptly.

“You seem to be in quite a hurry. We simply do our work without needing to be pushed.”

The faceless being raised its head, looking up into the darkness beyond, not at Lennok or the High Priestess.

As if looking at the Outer Sea itself, which was guiding the revelation.

“I do acknowledge that obsession of yours, claiming salvation even after receiving grace from outside. But I cannot show you the inside of this place.”

“……”

It wasn’t for Lennok or the High Priestess.

It was a highly metaphorical message conveyed to someone else, borrowing their memories.

“Once the Night Parade concludes, there will be no need for such pathetic excuses.”

The cloaked hand, which had passed unhesitatingly through the High Priestess’s will-thought, slightly obscured his vision at that moment.

“Let us meet again after a thousand years of night, failed savior.”

Whoosh!!

Like a lie, the revelation dispelled, and Lennok found himself back in the cold prison cell.

“…Cough!!”

[……]

Only then did Lennok finally breathe properly, coughing repeatedly, while the High Priestess’s spiritual body stood there with an unreadable expression.

Both knew that the other maintained full consciousness, but neither could bring themselves to speak.

Lennok, after a moment of silence, fiddled with the mask covering his face and said.

“For now… I’ll have to be satisfied with having confirmed Mugan’s location.”

A curtain of unknown shadows existed beyond Mugan.

And someone guarding Mugan existed beyond that.

It had read the essence of the High Priestess’s revelation and conveyed a message not to them, but to someone further behind.

He admitted that the situation was far too unfavorable to provoke it right now.

[…Understood. Instead, let’s explore using revelation for something else.]

The High Priestess, as if agreeing with Lennok’s words, immediately changed the subject.

Her answer seemed to forcibly avert her gaze from a problem that shouldn’t be seen now.

But Lennok didn’t refuse.

[Since we’ve roughly discerned the prison’s sectional escape routes, how about investigating the means of escape now?]

“After seeing that just now, can it be used again?”

[It will no longer be possible to ascertain macroscopic futures or directions.]

The High Priestess shook her head.

[However, if it’s just observing your direct or indirect surroundings, it might be possible a few more times.]

“Hmm, even if useful, there isn’t much immediate use for it here…”

However, as the High Priestess said, even if revelation were used, it would be difficult to discern anything useful in his immediate surroundings.

Naturally, he wouldn’t be able to see his own fate, so it would have to be used on others or on stolen goods.

But using revelation in an empty prison like this would yield no meaning.

He would only be able to receive help again after directly accessing Yorta’s residential areas or core facilities like the Memorial Tower.

Just as Lennok was about to open his mouth to defer the High Priestess’s proposal, thinking that.

“Damn it, you’re so loud!!”

Thump!!

The prison wall shook violently, and a fierce voice erupted from the adjacent cell.

“What are you muttering to yourself for so long?!”

“……”

Only then did Lennok turn to look at the prisoner in the cell directly next to him.

A burly man, covered in thick fur, glared at Lennok with a distorted face.

He was wearing the same kind of handcuffs as Lennok, squatting in an oddly slouching posture without his buttocks touching the ground.

Lennok stared at the burly man’s subtly elevated posture, asking incredulously.

“Are you sitting like that because the floor’s cold?”

“So what if I am?”

The burly man spat, replying.

The spittle that landed on the prison floor instantly froze, turning into a white, coin-like disc.

“I don’t care if you freeze to death here, but if you’re gonna die, just shut up and do it quietly.”

While Lennok frowned behind his mask at the unexpectedly filthy result, the burly man said in a menacing voice.

“Don’t make noise in this cell that has no soundproofing. Understand?”

“……”

Indeed, he could see other prisoners glaring in his direction, having heard Lennok’s words from various parts of the prison.

It wasn’t strange if they were bothered, assuming the conversation Lennok had with the High Priestess was incoherent muttering.

“What will you do if I keep talking?”

At that, the burly man silently pressed his face close to the bars toward Lennok.

“Shall we see how that face hidden behind your mask gets crushed just before you die?”

“……”

Small eyes beneath thick eyebrows were filled with viscous murderous intent.

He was probably a pleasure killer who had been involved in quite nasty business even before coming to Yorta.

The other prisoners in the surrounding cells didn’t look particularly wholesome or innocent either.

It seemed clear that the purpose of this prison was to confine those who had committed such impure sins.

“I’ve decided. I’ll use the Revelation ability one more time.”

Having concluded his thoughts, Lennok turned his head towards the High Priestess.

“I’ll use this big guy as a sample. It’ll be a perfect experiment.”

[…Huh?]

While the High Priestess hesitated in confusion, the burly man, hearing Lennok’s words, shot up and gripped the bars with both hands.

“You bastard, do my words sound like a lie to you?”

Crrrack…!!

At that moment, the burly man’s arm twisted in a grotesque direction, then instantly slipped through the narrow bars.

Grab!!

The burly man, extending his grotesquely twisted arm to seize Lennok’s hood at once, gasped roughly.

“To beat up one disobedient lunatic, one arm is enough. Isn’t that right?”

“My apologies.”

Only then did Lennok chuckle and raise both hands.

“I happen to be engaged in some personal spirit communication. Sometimes when inspiration strikes, it’s hard to control.”

“What? Spirit communication?”

Lennok calmly moistened his lips, disregarding the burly man’s face distorting strangely.

“I have a minor talent. As an apology, I’d like to tell your fortune. Would that be alright?”

“…”

[You. Surely not?]

The High Priestess, finally realizing what Lennok was about to do, retorted with a look of utter amazement.

Lennok was about to use the Revelation ability in an entirely mundane way.

“…Ah, forget it.”

The burly man’s lips twitched, then he eventually grabbed Lennok’s shoulders with both hands.

“I’m going to rip your mouth open now, so let’s see how long you can keep blabbering.”

But even then, Lennok didn’t look at the burly man; instead, he nodded towards the High Priestess.

“Naydree. Now.”

[…Hmph.]

The High Priestess reluctantly sighed, then immediately invoked the Revelation ability.

Kieeeeeng…!!

It was closer to the sensation of picking up a grain of sand from a beach, putting it in one’s mouth, and rolling it with the tongue.

Infinitely faint and hard to discern, yet subtly irritating, giving a definite certainty of its presence.

However, that alone was enough to clearly understand what kind of sand grain it was.

Immediately after, the revelation image unfolded beyond Lennok’s right eye.

“You recently failed a major business venture.”

“…What?”

Lennok said, putting on airs, as the burly man flinched.

“A very close friend betrayed you. Right?”

“Th-that’s…!!”

“That friend, perhaps his philtrum was long, and his chin was very protruding?”

Lennok naturally spoke fluently, leaving the burly man with his mouth agape.

“Much magical energy in the lower face signifies a greedy physiognomy. He’s not the type of person compatible with a physiognomy of integrity and trustworthiness like yours.”

[…]

The burly man’s face clearly had nothing to do with integrity or trustworthiness in anyone’s eyes.

The High Priestess shot Lennok a cold glare, but the burly man’s fingers, gripping Lennok’s robe, were already loosening as if he were spellbound.

“You must have endured many hardships to end up in such a remote place. You probably got scammed once along the way too.”

“Th-that’s right…”

The burly man stammered.

“I didn’t know you had to build a rowboat at the dock, and I ended up buying a boat from some swindler…!!”

“How unfortunate.”

Lennok asked in a completely unsympathetic tone.

“You didn’t start the business purely for financial reasons, did you?”

“Haaah…!!”

Lennok nodded as the burly man gasped.

“Since the beginning was not smooth, it would have been difficult to improve. But it’s admirable that you haven’t lost your drive despite that.”

“Oh, Master!!”

He was now kneeling respectfully from the adjacent cell, listening intently to Lennok’s words.

The burly man’s expression seemed ready to accept everything Lennok said as gospel.

“……”

The surrounding prisoners watched the absurd exchange between the two, their mouths agape in a daze.