Evan stared at the system warning, lost in thought.
What they were doing right now was affecting the world itself.
โIf the Tower is completedโฆโ
He couldnโt begin to imagine what might happen next.
If they were ultimately connected to the Administrator of the World, the ending was all too obvious.
There was even a possibility that it could lead to the worldโs destruction.
In that case, figuring out their true goal should be the top priority.
โThe only thing thatโs certain now is that enormous Tower is going to have a major impact on the world.โ
If the system itself was sending out warnings, it was likely to be at the level of a Main Quest.
At that momentโ
- The Shadow Path Quest has been completed.
- Seek out the Mediator of the World to receive your reward.
Now that he had found the final clue, the long Main Quest was finished.
And Evan understood what that meant.
โThe odds are getting worse by the minute.โ
It was related to the Main Quest, and information had been gathered about the factions involved.
He had reached the conclusion that their actions must be stopped.
Evan decided to use Spirit Sight to inspect his status window.
He felt he needed to get information on him right away.
- Disposition: Evil
- Race: Human
- Gender: Male
- Affinity: 100%
- Chaos: 1
- Potential Abilities: Speechcraft, Strategy, Agitation, Follower of Harnia.
- Skills: Agitation Lv.450, Eloquence Lv.590, Command Lv.200โฆโฆ.
*Due to the Chaos Value, it is impossible to view the soulโs memories.
As he peered into his status window, the Chaos Value was the most eye-catching detail.
Evan furrowed his brow.
โThat Chaos Value isโฆ ambiguous.โ
If thereโs a Chaos Value, it should be thereโotherwise, it should be completely absent, but a value of 1 was truly odd.
This almost never happened.
He didnโt know exactly how to interpret it, but anyone with a Chaos Value was dangerousโno exceptions.
He hadnโt grasped everything yet, but if someone right below the Adela Guildโs leader was like this, it was clear enough without needing to see more.
Kukukung!
Suddenly, with a deafening roar, a powerful force struck the Transmission Tower.
A massive surge of energy was visible, pounding the Towerโs summit.
Kwa-kwang!
The top of Adelaโs Transmission Tower collapsed.
And then, as if on cue, the other Transmission Towers began to crumble as well.
Evan, watching the Tower, turned to study Serumโs face.
A deep smile was spreading across his lips.
He seemed to be enjoying the chaos.
โHeโs a dangerous one.โ
As Evan thought this, Rozi cried out in horror.
โTh-this is dangerous! What about all the workers?โ
There were countless workers here building the Towers.
Adelaโs Tower had the largest concentration, but people had built up their own guild Towers with whatever currency they had.
โDonโt worry about that. All the workers here are protected by defensive magic. Theyโre valuable manpower, so weโre thorough about their safety.โ
However, the sound of wailing could be heard from all around.
โThe T-Towerโฆโ
โThe one I spent all night building, gone just like that.โ
โAh, no! I need to get my currency back!โ
Hearing those cries of despair, Evan could guess what the situation was like outside.
Everyone was probably panicking, lost in confusion.
They had all become sacrifices for Adela.
Everyone in the south had been deceived by the Adela Guild.
โEventually, theyโll try to use us in the central region the same way.โ
Of course,
Until they grew stronger, they would use them as much as possible, too.
And once they were strong enough, they would smash them.
โToday, all we can do is watch. Construction of Rozi Guildโs Transmission Tower will resume once things have settled down.โ
Serum turned away, apparently without any regret.
Rozi, shocked, drifted in a daze for a while, but eventually turned to Evan.
โWe should go, too.โ
At Evanโs words, Rozi nodded and followed after him.
โSir, Iโll be parting ways with you here. I still have a lot to do at the Adela Guild.โ
Rozi said his farewells, deciding to remain with the Adela Guild.
There was still plenty of official paperwork to complete and issues with the Tower construction staff to resolve.
โYes. Iโll leave that part to you.โ
Ayra, who was standing nearby, bowed her head respectfully.
โTh-thank you for kindly explaining everything to us, Countโฆโ
โWell, itโs only natural. Weโll need your help with guild matters from now on.โ
Rozi waved his hand and entered the Adela Guild.
โAre we returning now, Young Master?โ
Alan was eager to get out of this place.
He had no interest in it, and it didnโt suit him at all.
โNo, before we return, we have to move to Belliumโs Sanctuary, Seiram. But whereโs Reynold?โ
Alan shook his head in answer.
โIf you mean that guy, heโll be here soon. I think he was pretty shocked and is still out of it.โ
No sooner had he spoken than Reynold came stumbling over.
His face was filled with utter despair, as though he had lost everything.
His usual energetic demeanor was gone, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Evan clicked his tongue at the sight.
Anyone who got taken in by the Adela Guild probably looked like this.
โAll right, letโs move. Weโve wasted enough time.โ
Evan led everyone to the Magic Tower.
There, it wasnโt hard to find Lena at the magic transmission device.
โYouโre here. Are you departing immediately?โ
Evan nodded and stepped up to the magic transmitter with everyone else.
They set off for their final destinationโBelliumโs Sanctuary, Seiram.
โThe Oracleโฆโ
Evan found himself thinking of the goddess who had called him here.
He considered the possibility that she was the World Administrator and wondered what her true purpose was in summoning him.
โWhat does she want?โ
She probably didnโt know that his soul had been swapped.
โIf sheโd noticed, she wouldโve taken action long ago.โ
No matter how he thought about it, he couldnโt figure out a reason the goddess would seek him out.
More than that, he wondered how she had even managed to find him.
โDid I do anything to draw attention latelyโฆ?โ
Thinking back, Evan recalled several things.
The incident with the Nervan Cult had spread across the entire south.
In hindsight, it would be stranger if they didnโt know about him.
Evan snapped out of his thoughts.
As he stepped onto the magic transmitter, the scenery changed in an instant.
A dazzlingly white, pristine temple appeared before his eyes.
And since it was on a high hill, the grand vista stretching out below was breathtaking.
The whole city looked so white, it gave the illusion that it was covered in snow.
Temples lined up endlessly, each one with a different design.
Some were tall and pointed in traditional style; others had only columns and roofs, like ancient ruins.
With such a harmonious blend, the whole city seemed beautiful.
Then Evan spotted something that stood out even among all that.
In the center of the city, an enormous castle was immediately visible.
Its majestic presence and splendor grabbed his attention at once.
The entire outer wall was studded with jewels.
And at the very top, golden banners fluttered in the wind.
โโฆWhy is that here?โ
But Evan couldnโt simply admire it.
Instead, his sense of suspicion grew.
Because that castle looked exactly like the one heโd seen in the Celestial Realm.
Only, a few things were differentโthe imitation felt awkward, and there was a tall tower rising within the castle.
โIs that Belliumโs Sanctuary?โ
When Evan pointed it out, Lena, who had just arrived, followed his gaze and nodded.
โYes, welcome to Seiram. Thatโs Belliumโs Holy Temple. Itโs the pride of Seiram and the center of all the Orders.โ
Lena squared her shoulders with pride.
She always felt proud when introducing the Sanctuary.
The people of the central region might not know, but in the south, the churchโs influence was absolute.
In the south, it was unthinkable not to have a religion.
Ayraโs eyes sparkled, unable to take her gaze off the cityโs scenery.
Alan and Reynold also followed Evan, marveling at the city.
โStay close. There are a lot of pilgrims from here onโyou might get lost.โ
Lena flashed a bright smile at the group and led them onward.
They reached the vicinity of the Holy Temple entrance.
But the street here was packed with Paladins, priests, and other church members.
โIโve never seen this many religious people beforeโฆโ
Ayra shrank her shoulders and drew cautiously close to Evan.
Alan and Reynold seemed a bit overwhelmed, too.
โItโs really different from the central region.โ
โHurry! The streets are going to get blocked again!โ
Lena urged them on.
It was difficult to move because so many people recognized Evan as they walked.
At least the pilgrims and clergy didnโt act rudely, but more and more people gathered, making it hard to get through.
โAt this rate, I wonโt be able to operate in the south without a mask.โ
Seeing this, Evan was reminded again of how famous heโd become.
Just how much had the church promoted him for it to be like this?
And their behavior was suspicious as well.
Lena led them through the gates of the castle.
The Paladins guarding the entrance immediately recognized Evan and saluted.
โItโs an honor to meet you in person, Sir Evan!โ
Evan accepted their excessive greetings as best as he could and stepped into the castle.
โWhy is it exactly like the Celestial Realmโs castle?โ
The questions only multiplied as he entered.
โDo I have to ask the Mediator?โ
Inside the castle, statues of the goddess were everywhere, and broad, beautiful gardens spread out before them.
And at the center of the gardens was the enormous tower heโd seen from afar.
Around it were uniquely shaped temples.
โIs the interior of the Celestial Realmโs castle really like this, too?โ
He felt as if a long-standing curiosity was being resolved, but quickly shook his head.
โโฆWow.โ
โIโve never seen anything like this.โ
โIt makes even a royal palace look shabby.โ
Everyone was awestruck by the sight of the temple.
โThe Saintess is waiting for you. Weโre running late.โ
Lena hurried them along, leading the way into the temple.
On the way, many priests spoke to Evan as well.
Everyone gazed at him with eyes full of respectโit was a bit overwhelming.
โWe barely made it. Iโll take you now to the Room of Oracle where the Saintess awaits. Please be careful from here on.โ
Lena entered the temple first, and Evanโs group followed.
From the entrance hall, Evan felt a strange sense of dรฉjร vu.
โThis placeโฆโ
The stained glass windows depicted the goddess in radiant colors.
On the floor was a cross, symbol of the Order.
Everywhere were pillars carved with the goddessโs image.
It all felt deeply familiar to Evan.
He was sure this wasnโt his first time here.
It looked exactly like the ruins heโd found in his previous world.
And it was there that Evan had discovered a Hidden Piece.