Chapter 170: Assault
< Chapter 170: Assault (3) >
I realized that the change in Mark’s form was related to acquiring ancient relics.
‘When one first gets a hold of an ancient relic, the pain is especially intense because the relic increases the assimilation rate with the respective race.’
In short, it’s like growing pains. The fact that the pain significantly decreases from the second time supports my hypothesis.
‘What I have to do regarding Mark’s transformation isn’t much different than before.’
Collect ancient relics and evolve Mark. That’s my new way of growing.
‘The only remaining questions are three.’
First. What happens when you hold the ancient relics of two races at the same time?
Second. Is there a way to enhance my physical and magical abilities akin to complete assimilation?
Third. How do I deal with this unprecedented situation called a “time slip”?
That’s about it.
‘I can somehow figure out the issue about Mark as more experimental results come in, but…’
I don’t have any leads on how to solve this situation.
‘I wonder if there’s a way to go back to the original timeline?’
Without realizing it, such thoughts crossed my mind. I desperately shook my head.
‘Get a grip. Thinking negatively here won’t help.’
Rehashing an unsolvable problem will only wear out my mind.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
Sigh.
About 3 minutes passed, and I managed to regain my composure.
‘For now, let’s focus on finding Alfheim and Reperiel.’
Looking for a way back can come later. I decided that.
‘But if I keep changing the past, what will happen?’
A new worry plagued my mind. I told Ai that since the past’s history is completely severed from the present, changing the past doesn’t matter. But that was a mere ruse to reassure and persuade her.
‘This world’s history connects after ten thousand years.’
The past severed by the interspecies return episode, [Revolution], becomes the connected present.
‘Even so, both Rena and Mephisto are influencing real-world events.’
No matter how I think about it, changing the past is likely to influence the future.
‘If I save Rena in this past, how will my relationship with Rena be in the future?’
If the war’s 7th year doesn’t lead to Reperiel’s destruction, Rena won’t be sealed there. In that case, Rena and I would never meet.
‘And the changes with Mephisto too.’
Mephisto is sealed by an Angel hero called Metatron and exiled to another dimension. But with recent events, the chance of Mephisto being sealed by Metatron has decreased significantly.
The current Mephisto would harbor resentment towards the Savior, not Parhae.
‘Should I keep changing the past like this?’
Of course, I can’t not change the past. The moment the heretic, me, and Ai moved to the past, historical change became inevitable.
‘To find a way back, I have to interfere with history to some extent.’
Stopping Mephisto was part of that. I couldn’t let Alfheim be destroyed.
‘What if something horrible happens when I return to the present?’
The term “butterfly effect” keeps haunting my mind.
‘No, is this timeline even connected to the current timeline?’
There are various theories about time machines.
In some, changing the past changes the present, and in others, changing the past doesn’t affect the present.
‘Instead of moving through time, I might have moved to a third world that has recorded the past as it is.’
Common clichés in time travel content.
‘Without going back to the original timeline, I can’t know the truth, which is also cliché…’
With such useless worries and thoughts, I spent the night.
* * *
The next morning.
Without fail, Ai visited my room again.
“Seo-yul, didn’t you sleep last night?”
“I had some concerns.”
Seeing my weary face, Ai, who seemed worried, listened as I poured out all the worries that kept me up last night.
I wasn’t necessarily looking for a definite answer. I just wanted to feel relieved by sharing my worries with someone.
“Why don’t you just kill that demon god in this past timeline?”
“…What?”
Unexpectedly, Ai came up with a brilliant idea.
“Why worry? You said that the demon god is a villain who’s trying to destroy both the past and the present. Just kill him. Then wouldn’t a better future come regardless of what happened?”
It felt as if I was hit in the back of the head with a hammer. Not just a regular hammer, but a massive sledgehammer swung by giants.
“Heh heh.”
…Why didn’t I think of something so obvious?
It was a blind spot.
‘I thought too much into it.’
In this world,
The ending of the novel titled [S-Class Status Window] is the death of the demon.
If I can succeed in killing the demon in this past timeline, it might essentially be seen as an ending. If that’s the case…
‘I could end this miserable survival game in advance.’
My pupils trembled with excitement.
* * *
“Hello.”
With a relaxed face, I greeted Illyna.
“Hello. You woke up early again today.”
Illyna, who had been attending to some work, shot up and approached me.
“Maybe it’s because the bed is so comfortable, I feel refreshed even after a short sleep.”
In reality, I hadn’t even slept for a minute. Still, the bed being comfortable is a fact.
“That’s good.”
Illyna brushed her chest in relief.
I sneakily checked behind Illyna. There were piles of documents stacked up like a mountain.
“Have you been working all night, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. I’ve been coordinating documents, support troops, and supplies to send to Reperiel and the northern front.”
Illyna smiled faintly.
“Also, getting ahead by arranging things according to great father’s plan…”
“I see.”
Considering she’s even taking care of my requests, it’s understandably busy.
“You seem to be working hard, mostly because of me.”
Illyna answered with a surprised expression, akin to a startled rabbit.
“No! Not at all! I’ve never thought of it as hard work even for a moment!”
It was just a figure of speech, but she seemed quite passionate.
“In fact, I wish every day was like this!”
Her eyes shone brightly with hope.
“…I see.”
Every day like this probably means, ‘It would be good to handle documents for such proactive operations every day.’
‘Until now, there probably were only routine tasks solely focused on holding out.’
It makes sense for Illyna to react like that.
“…”
A somewhat awkward silence descended. Illyna, realizing she might have gotten too excited, looked down and her face turned a bit red.
“Ahem.”
I forcibly cleared my throat, breaking the awkwardness.
“By the way, how’s the situation on Reperiel’s side?”
“It’s the same.”
The same, meaning, they’re still only being pushed back.
“Has the Demon God side shown any unusual movements?”
“No. So far, there have been no such reports.”
So far, so good.
“How about the northern front?”
“That too, remains the same.”
Illyna smiled brightly.
“They’re still holding out well.”
“That’s good.”
Thankfully, there don’t seem to be any significant changes. I thought if Mephisto’s failure created any variables, something might change today.
“Oh, and how about the equipment I asked for?”
“I can give it to you right away, but…”
Illyna laughed bitterly.
“Are you really okay with it? With just that kind of equipment…”
“It’s fine. Standard equipment is enough.”
Illyna bowed her head deeply.
“I’m sorry. Because the war has been ongoing for so long, there are no [Relics] left in the storage…”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“It would be stranger if there were high-quality Relics left in the storage after more than 7 years of war. I’m really okay.”
In this past timeline, [Ancient Relics] aren’t useless antiques like in the present. Rather, they’re treasured and rare luxury items.
“Just providing what I asked for is more than enough.”
Illyna laughed bitterly.
“Yes, understood. I will immediately tell the storekeeper to distribute the equipment…”
Just then, it happened.
Illyna looked past me and her eyes lit up.
“…Teddy!”
Illyna called out with a broad smile.
“Your Majesty, it’s been a while since we last met.”
A male voice came from behind me. A strangely familiar and comforting voice.
I slowly turned around.
“Did you come all the way here from the northern front?”
“I heard about the crisis in Alfheim, so I returned as quickly as I could…”
The moment I saw his face, I couldn’t hide my astonishment.
“It seems the situation has already been resolved.”
The man’s face was one I knew very well.
‘Instructor Pi Jin Ho… ?’
Except for the blonde hair, his physique, facial features, and even his movements were the same.
“…Did Riellaice tell you about Mephisto?”
Illyna’s eyes sharpened.
“Don’t be too harsh on him. I assume Riellaice contacted me out of concern for the safety of the country.”
He’s the spitting image of the real Instructor Pi Jin Ho.
“Speaking of which, the person with you…”
“Yes. My great father, High Elf Kang Seo-yul.”
“…”
His gaze on me was so identical that I involuntarily shuddered.
But that wasn’t the only shocking part.
“From the looks of it, you don’t seem to possess the physical ability to have taken down Mephisto on your own.”
Teddy scrutinized every part of my body with a sharp eye before speaking.
“Judging by the development of your muscles and skeleton… your physical capabilities are clearly in the upper range of A-rank.”
“…”
The comment about the development of my muscles and skeleton is something that Instructor Pi Jin Ho would say.
“Did you truly take down Mephisto on your own?”
“Teddy! How can you say such a thing to great father…!”
Illyna approached Teddy with an angry expression.
“He could be a spy from the enemy’s side. It’s impossible for someone with his physical abilities to take down Mephisto. Hence, he might be conspiring with Mephisto to deceive us and ruin everything…”
“Great father is simply conserving his energy for recovery right now!”
Illyna shouted angrily.
“When he returns to his original form, he won’t be comparable to what he is now!”
Teddy stared intently at my face, especially my ears.
“And another thing. Doesn’t the appearance differ too much for him to be the great father?”
“That’s because he’s conserving his energy. His original appearance is just like our clan.”
Illyna sighed as if frustrated.
“Teddy is overly cautious. From the start, we confirmed the reaction of [The Great One’s Promise]. There is absolutely no possibility that great father is a spy.”
Illyna and Teddy locked eyes.
After a brief but intense stare-down.
“…I see.”
Suddenly, Teddy bowed his head towards me.
“I apologize.”
It was an apology for doubting me.
“I also apologize. Teddy can be a bit stubborn… He didn’t have bad intentions.”
He’s so similar to Instructor Pi Jin Ho in this regard.
‘If Instructor Pi Jin Ho were in this man Teddy’s shoes, he would’ve said and done the same thing.’
The more I looked at him, the more uncanny the resemblance became.
“Father?”
“Hmm.”
I was roused from my reverie by Illyna’s call.
“It’s alright. For a knight, being meticulous isn’t a fault but a virtue. In fact, it’s reassuring.”
Illyna gazed at me with a look of admiration.
“Your name is Teddy?”
I approached Teddy and extended my hand. In Alfheim, a handshake is a basic greeting.
“I should’ve introduced myself earlier. I’m Teddy Pritephylla, in charge of the Northern Front’s command.”
Teddy took my hand.
The calluses I felt reminded me of Instructor Pi Jin Ho.
“I am Kang Seo-yul. Kang is my family name, and Seo-yul is my given name.”
Is all of this truly coincidental?
Can there really be two people so identical from one to ten?
…It’s not impossible, but it does raise suspicions.
“By the way, you mentioned something peculiar earlier. Something about muscles and bones… Did you use a special ability?”
If Teddy’s ability is similar to Instructor Pi Jin Ho’s ‘Eye that Pierces Mystery’… it’s not just a mere coincidence.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s Teddy’s special ability.”
The one who answered my question wasn’t Teddy but Illyna.
“It’s an ability that allows him to see through every part of the body, including muscles and bones, down to the cellular level…”
My eyes widened in realization.
“It’s called [Eye that Pierces Mystery].”
“…Eye that Pierces Mystery.”
I can confidently say,
This is not a mere coincidence.
‘There’s undoubtedly a connection between this man named Teddy and Instructor Pi Jin Ho.’
A new link emerged between the past I thought was severed and the present.
< Chapter 170: Assault (3) > End.
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