Chapter 311: Awakening of Truth

‘Even so, just standing around like watching a fire across the river feels a bit off… Should I extend the buff effect?’

Unlike the [Elation] buff that Valtraus had granted a while ago, [Encouragement] still had plenty of duration left.

Still, there was no timer display or alert a few minutes before expiration—I had to rely purely on my instincts to extend it.

To make sure I didn’t forget any of them, it was better to keep the buff durations as synchronized as possible.

“Do your best, everyone!”

With that shout, I reactivated [Encouragement], and at the same time, I struck the ground with my whip to extend the effect of [Elation].

At that, a few people looked at me with expressions of disbelief.

Well, the combination of my line and action was more than enough to provoke irritation.

I was only doing this to maintain Karbaldr’s character.

I hadn’t lost my sense of common sense or objectivity.

So I could fully understand their feelings, but—

“I merely extended a buff. Is there a problem?”

…I said, lifting my chin arrogantly and shamelessly.

Then not only did the faces of those watching me turn bewildered, but even the protagonist of another novel, who had been struggling alone to open the additional options of the [Truth-Reading Eye], ended up looking at me.

A wave of embarrassment washed over me.

“Reysir! Focus on what you need to do! Can’t you see everyone is struggling, waiting for you to solve this problem?!”

I yelled at the protagonist of another novel to divert attention.

Just then, the boss golem, which had materialized and moved the location of its power engine, regained its original form, and everyone’s gaze shifted from me to the giant rock monster.

The protagonist of another novel also realized this was no time to be distracted and closed his eyes to maximize his concentration.

‘Instead of that, wouldn’t it be better to use [Truth-Reading Eye] all over the place and raise its proficiency a bit…?’

That was my thought, but instead of pointing it out and forcing a proficiency grind, I decided to trust the original protagonist’s judgment.

After all, the one who can reach Seoul even by going the long way is the ‘protagonist.’

He’d manage somehow.

To grow a skill, you need to build proficiency, but to truly break through a wall, you need ‘enlightenment.’

‘If you’re a protagonist, you should at least once experience trusting the people around you like that, entrusting them with your safety, and while blocking your vision, reflecting on your own abilities to find a clue to growth!’

Though it was a bit awkward that one of those people was the original betrayer.

Still, he wouldn’t betray us right now.

‘What I can and must do now… is only to endure the wait while overcoming impatience.’

So it would be quite natural and inevitable for my gaze to turn to the person who could end this waiting.

“Do your best, everyone!”

“I merely extended a buff. Is there a problem?”

Despite the shameless content of the words and the arrogant pose, a face that hadn’t fully hidden its embarrassment came into view.

Reysir felt both familiarity and absurdity at the same time.

And since he also found it amusing, he didn’t dislike Karbaldr’s contradictory words and actions.

In fact, he liked them very much.

“Reysir! Focus on what you need to do! Can’t you see everyone is struggling, waiting for you to solve this problem?!”

His shy friend shouted sharply like that, pretending to be spiteful while gently revealing an unconcealable worry and subtly showing trust.

Since you’ve read this narration, dear readers, you must have noticed.

The ‘***’ used this time was not for a scene change but for a point-of-view shift.

And.

[This novel was later written by Imir using the [Writing] skill, wasn’t it? Then how can there be a Reysir-centered omniscient author narration?]

I believe you might have thought that question.

However, revealing the details here would be a spoiler, so I can only ask for your understanding that I must move on without explaining.

Thus, returning to the main topic and continuing the narration.

Reysir hurriedly closed his eyes and resolved to concentrate before Karbaldr got genuinely angry and disappointed in him.

But unfortunately, he still had no idea what to do or how.

[Truth-Reading Eye] could only show the target’s name, stats, and skill descriptions…

Even when using the skill on a boss monster instead of a person, the result was the same.

It only showed that the rock monster’s name was ‘Golem,’ its stats, and that it had a skill called [Reconstruction] that allowed it to freely move the location of the ‘power engine’ containing the magic core.

There was no mention of how to defeat the target, how to block the skill, or the real-time location of weaknesses.

Even after re-reading the translucent window floating before his eyes several times, it was the same.

Knowing the name was useless, and the stats he had already felt enough through combat.

The fact that the magic core could be moved back and forth was something he had already noticed.

If it had been before the battle started, he would have considered it quite useful information, but now it was just a pretty useless thing.

‘But I felt a strange confidence in Kar’s attitude! He knows what and how much I can see when I use [Truth-Reading Eye]. He also knows the content written in its skill description window. Because he told me all of it. Then the basis for his confidence must also be among the things he told me.’

‘Come to think of it… the description window of [Truth-Reading Eye] had a phrase: , didn’t it?’

Reysir guessed that Karbaldr might be pinning his hopes on that phrase.

And he felt troubled.

Because to him, the target’s ‘weakness’ and ‘hidden essence’ were separate things.

‘Principles of the world’ was even more so.

Moreover, the skill itself emphasized the act of ‘reading’ from its name.

If the skill’s level increased and items like ‘weakness’ or ‘location of magic core’ appeared, but they only said ‘torso’ or ‘right leg’?

The boss monster named Golem, true to its gigantic size, had very wide surface areas for each part.

‘If I can’t pinpoint the exact location… No, if I can’t see it directly with my eyes, then in the end, the magic core can’t be destroyed, and it will just be moved to another place again through [Reconstruction]!’

Karbaldr must have known that too, which is why he asked, “Can’t you see the location of the magic core directly?”

Reysir unconsciously recalled that voice and then remembered the next words: “Since my buff has strengthened your skill.”

‘Originally, Kar’s basic buff skill is just [Elation], right? His brother also only used that one buff skill on us…’

Reysir didn’t just chew on the surface meaning of Karbaldr’s words; he delved into their background.

‘But Kar has [Encourage], [Encouragement], and even [Person Analysis]—a total of four! Actually, [Person Analysis] isn’t a buff skill, but no one is reading Reysir’s thoughts to correct him, so let’s just let it slide.

‘How on earth did Kar create so many skills?’

Neither Karbaldr nor Imir ever made any effort to create new buff skills, but Reysir didn’t know that, so he kept pondering.

In a way, he was turning his back on the immediate goal and digging into an irrelevant question.

But at this moment, Reysir was gripped by a strange premonition.

That within the question he had just raised, he might find the solution to break through the current situation.

So instead of moving away from the swamp of questions, he willingly approached, dipped his feet in, surrendered his body, and sank deep.

‘The family’s purple aether originally had two abilities: buff and poison. But House Austri… for some reason, Kar can’t use poison. Did he try to develop his buff ability to compensate for that?’

Respect welled up for that effort and ambition, but he couldn’t express it right now.

Reysir suppressed that feeling born from misunderstanding and continued thinking.

‘How did he do it?’

Having returned to square one, a temptation to just ask Karbaldr for the answer arose.

But Reysir suppressed that too.

Because he felt that his friend, who couldn’t admit he was smarter than others, would look at him with pity and say something like, “Do I have to spoon-feed you even that?”

And…

‘Kar is expecting me to figure it out on my own, right? I answered that I would definitely do it. But now asking for help from Kar… is a bit… embarrassing, or not cool… anyway, it’s a bit much.’

For these reasons, Reysir decided to think alone a little longer.

And not long after, he sincerely felt relieved that he had made the right choice.

‘To learn a new skill, first I need to know what properties the Silver Aether has.’

The property name of the Silver Aether written in the status window was ‘Truth,’ and the basic skill given was [Truth-Reading Eye].

Then what is ‘Truth’?

Reysir had thought he knew the meaning of that word until now.

But not anymore.

Not only did it feel extremely complex and difficult, but he was confused because he couldn’t understand its meaning.

Especially because the sentence written in the description window of [Truth-Reading Eye] came to mind:

‘One who reads truth shall one day face the truth of the world; those who are not prepared should close those eyes.’

At that moment, Karbaldr’s voice replayed in Reysir’s mind.

He said that Silver Aether has the power to ‘see through facts that cannot be known just by looking with the naked eye.’

He had already given him the answer.

‘If I had asked despite that… I’d have no excuse even if I were treated like an idiot!’

It wasn’t the essential meaning contained in the word ‘truth,’ but it was an easy-to-understand statement that aligned with the immediate goal.

Indulging in philosophical contemplation like ‘What is truth?’ was a luxury in such a pressing moment.

Reysir mulled over the sentence Karbaldr had presented.

His wise friend had already spoon-fed him the answer, so he just had to take it without thinking too hard.

Just as he thought that—

Like a gust of wind, or like a dazzling brilliance, a certain word cleared the fog filling his head and brightly illuminated the path forward.

It was both a guide and an answer.

[Eye That Sees Through Truth] – (S)

: Can see what cannot be seen.

: No matter how hidden and thoroughly concealed it may be, the moment your gaze touches it, it shall be clearly revealed.