Chapter 309
C309
The light concealed the view.
No.
Not just the view, but all senses.
The paralysis of senses had always been a mysterious experience, no matter when he experienced it.
As he thought about it, even when he returned using the Clock Movement, he seemed to have the same sensation as now.
The feeling of his entire being vanishing. His body, his strength, even the vast world around him.
When all that vanished, new things emerged.
Softly, swiftly...
New images began to be drawn on the white canvas.
A blurry background.
It looked like the appearance of an unfamiliar yet vague place in the middle of a city.
It was said to be the memory of Uranus.
What should he do here?
Before the world started moving again, YuWon waited for the next message that would come.
And then...
[The 'Memory of Uranus' begins]
[If you succeed, you will gain control of Uranus]
'Control?'
Until now, YuWon thought he was handling Uranus.
But it turns out that wasn't the case.
The fact that he could gain control meant that he didn't have control of Uranus until now.
It was a plausible enough story.
Uranus was an unusual item with an Ego* inside that was rarely seen in the Tower. (Note: Ego, that is, a personality or a spirit with a conscience)
It wasn't strange for the item itself to have control in its hands, as it had its own identity.
'The suppression/restriction of Uranus...'
He received a message through the System.
It was some kind of trial.
A trial to handle the item called Uranus.
It was similar to how Susanoo's tomb was treated as a dungeon.
And it was obvious who prepared this trial.
"This is just my imagination," a voice whispered from beside him.
"I'm selling honey cookies, a snack from the Murim World!"
"Mom, I want them."
"Come on, we're going to be late for school!"
"This is what's trendy among young people these days..."
The bustle started, and people began to move.
It was as if they had come to life in an instant.
YuWon turned his head.
Among all those people.
There stood a person who emitted a special and eye-catching light beside him.
"It's quite well-made, isn't it?"
A face that closely resembled Zeus.
If Hargan was the son of Zeus, then he was probably Zeus' father.
But YuWon knew Zeus' father.
Chronos.
And it was evident that the man in front of him was not Chronos.
"You've been living quite well here."
"Don't get any illusions. I'm just living, that's all," he replied.
"...I see."
YuWon looked around, observing the complex urban landscape.
"Even if it's well-made, it's still ultimately fake."
Even if you hang fake fish in an empty aquarium, it won't become the sea.
That's how this world was.
"So, what should I do here?"
If this was truly a trial of Uranus, there would be a task to accomplish within it.
But the message didn't reveal the exact details.
There was only such a case.
The actions the Player takes during the Trial are reflected in the Trial and determine whether it is successful or not.
The only way to obtain clues is to run on one's own.
And the most crucial figure in this Trial was Uranus, who stood before him.
He spoke.
"It's a kind of siege."
"Siege?"
"In that siege, your role leans towards defense."
It was an enigmatic response.
A siege.
A familiar method.
If there are three Trials, at least one of them would adopt this approach.
But a siege in a city like this was difficult to comprehend.
"Anyway, how about here?"
Uranus looked around with a satisfied expression.
YuWon, who had been observing the bustling cityscape for a moment, asked, "It doesn't seem to be a completely non-existent place. Where is this?"
"It's the ancient Olympus."
"The ancient Olympus? Is this it?"
YuWon looked at the landscape again with a fresh perspective.
Olympus used to be a city situated above the clouds. But no matter how much he looked around, it was hard to see it as clouds.
Only by looking at the mountains in the distance could he comprehend that fact.
That meant, apart from the name, this place was different from the Olympus land.
"Before, Olympus used to be in this place. It wasn't as magnificent and grand as it is now."
"Is this place very ancient?"
"If you consider the long history of the Tower, you could say it's ancient, or it might be recent. But it's probably a distant past that you can't imagine."
Thrrr-.
The figure of Uranus slowly faded away.
As if he had never been there in the first place, he disappeared.
"Well, give it a try and do well."
It was a light farewell.
A refreshing parting, like saying "See you soon" to a friend.
Uranus' figure quickly disappeared from view.
'It's not like there are no clues.'
The clues were Uranus' words.
The ancient Olympus that existed long ago.
However, that Olympus no longer existed and had resurfaced in a new place.
And the siege war.
YuWon could understand what was going to happen through his conversation with Uranus.
'We will be attacked by something...'
The people who lived without knowing anything, with radiant faces.
'This place will disappear.'
It was unknown when they would fade into black and white.
It was only known that YuWon had to resolve what was about to happen.
The general framework of the Trial had been established.
YuWon turned his eyes, now red, and scanned his surroundings.
'Good.'
Swoosh.
Among the infinite crowds, a young man with a familiar face walked among them. YuWon began to follow that young man.
-------------------------
As he walked, YuWon observed his surroundings carefully.
He wasn't looking at specific things like people, buildings, or the sky.
He was simply looking at this world.
This place wasn't a real world that existed as a separate layer.
It was a virtual world created by Uranus, which was close to reality.
'Even with system intervention, it's so realistic.'
Even the initial discomfort that felt unreal had disappeared.
In this place, it was confusing at all times whether this was real or fake as he felt the vitality coming from the passing people.
Step~
After following a person, they arrived at a desolate alley.
"Will it be more comfortable to talk here?"
The person YuWon had been following all this time turned to him. The young man with black hair raised his head and looked at YuWon.
It was a familiar face. When YuWon thought about where he had seen it before, he remembered a person.
Hades.
Black hair and black eyes. It couldn't be darker than that.
However, YuWon knew that the man in front of him was not the young Hades.
He probably hadn't been born at this moment.
'Chronos.'
He looked at him with perplexing eyes.
Again. This feeling.
I know the other person, but that person doesn't know me. YuWon was tormented by that strange and uncomfortable feeling.
But that didn't mean he couldn't say anything.
After all, the person in front of him was not Chronos.
"I have something to ask you."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"I've never seen you before."
When a stranger approaches, it's natural to be on guard. Especially in the case of Chronos, this was even more intense.
YuWon looked at Chronos, who was observing him with curious eyes, in front of him.
Since he returned using the Clock Movement, he never expected to encounter him again.
He knew Chronos' personality well.
Though cautious, he wasn't a fool.
So he had to approach slowly.
If he could break that defensive barrier, he might get his help.
"I just wanted to ask for directions. It's my first time in Olympus."
"Why me?"
"Chronos, the High-Ranker of Olympus. Aren't you famous? I'm your fan."
Fan.
The weakest word for Chronos.
In his heyday as a High-Ranker, as he rose in reputation, he acted so foolishly nice to Players who recognized him.
"In his youth, that guy used to be a complete idiot," Odin said, pointing at Chronos in a bar.
Chronos' hardened appearance at that moment was reflected in YuWon's eyes.
"That's enough." (Chronos)
"All you had to do was say you were a fan, and that idiot would give you his liver and gallbladder, and he'd be nice to you, no matter who you were." (Odin)
"I can't be mean to someone who says they're my fan, right?" (Chronos)
"You really had a celebrity personality." (YuWon)
"Celebrity?" (Chronos)
"Where I used to live..." (YuWon)
He remembered the dialogue, so accessing it wasn't too difficult.
Interestingly, when the word "fan" came out, Chronos' cautious expression disappeared, and his originally gentle face was revealed.
"Is that so?"
Ahem.
Chronos cleared his throat with a fake cough. YuWon found Chronos' appearance in his youth interesting.
'It's real.'
He had seen some photos saved in his player kit.
However, no matter how much he looked, he couldn't believe that face at all, thinking it might be fake.
'No wonder.'
High-Rankers don't age even as they get older. That was basic wisdom for the Tower residents and Players.
But there were exceptions.
That was Chronos.
'A power that ages every time it's used.'
The power he possessed was time.
Although there were many High-Rankers with abilities that transcended common sense, Chronos was the only one with time-related abilities.
And the only condition for him to be able to use it was his allowed time.
Aging was precisely the condition for Chronos to be able to use his ability.
"Hmm. A path, huh? Where are you heading to?"
"To Olympus."
"Olympus?"
Chronos raised his head curiously.
Olympus.
That was the place where Chronos himself resided. If someone said they were his fan and were looking for him, he could understand, but in reality, wasn't he himself in front of him right now?
"What's happening in Olympus?"
"I want to meet the king."
"The king...?"
Chronos' eyes narrowed upon hearing those words.
"Do you mean my father?"
It was a sensitive reaction.
The expression on Chronos' face as he looked at YuWon turned serious. But it was different from the initial kind of caution.
"If you're planning to settle in Olympus, stop. This isn't the romantic place you imagine."
Chronos assumed YuWon wanted to enter Olympus.
The word "fan" was the basis for creating such a misunderstanding, and fortunately, it was well received.
Since the word "King" was mentioned, Chronos couldn't maintain his expression. From that reaction, YuWon was sure there was some problem with Uranus at the moment.
"If that's your business, leave. Don't think it was a mistake, visit some nice restaurants or something before you go."
Chronos turned YuWon down.
There was concern for YuWon in his actions.
It wasn't a covert rejection but a genuine concern about whether YuWon would enter Olympus or not.
But...
"I understand what you're saying."
He couldn't back down here.
The trial had begun, and he couldn't lose sight of Chronos in front of him.
"Still, I can't just turn back like this."
"Haven't you heard? What's happening in Olympus isn't as simple a problem as you think..."
"If there's a problem..."
One of YuWon's eyes showed a red pupil.
Chronos' words came to a halt as they met that.
"I'll check with my own eyes what that problem is."
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