Chapter: 637 – The Path for Everyone (2)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 241
Current Location: Searching…
Sage’s Advice: 3
—
A week has passed since Prince Emilio and Aleph fell.
My comrades and the former Wisdom had already ventured outside the Moon, preparing for the final chapter of this saga.
The former Wisdom’s role is particularly crucial, especially because of the Plunderers.
What if my hotel companions and I needed to deceive the Plunderers?
I can confidently say everything would have been a lot tougher.
The Plunderers or the Union wouldn’t easily trust us.
It’s precisely because of the former Wisdom’s involvement that it was possible.
He is the one who gathered the scattered Plunderers, wandering in the sea of chaos, to form the Union.
They would never imagine their guide, whom they’ve shared countless aeons with, would betray them.
Ari has been busy on the Administration side, doing something similar to what the former Wisdom is up to.
“Saint!”
“I’m not a saint anymore; I consumed a prince.”
“Really? What did you do?”
“Well, technically, it’s not a betrayal. If everything goes well, the people from the Plunderer’s Ark will also gain new lives.”
The former Wisdom seems to care about this aspect too. Maybe he has some loyalty to the Union he’s worked with for such a long time.
Or perhaps he believes that this gives him a chance to challenge the Third Floor.
“So, the prince?”
“Just call me by my name.”
“The Great Celestial God alongside heaven and earth—”
“Sounds like you’ve finished preparing outside.”
Eidia nodded.
“We received word from the surface. It seems we’ve successfully convinced the Administration and the Plunderers.”
“…”
“They believe that with the prince’s death and the crown losing its power, we can no longer control the Moon.”
“I can’t believe we tricked them so easily?”
Convincing the Administration and the Plunderers is no small feat.
It seems difficult, but from a distance, it’s entirely doable.
After all, neither faction truly understands the ‘Moon.’
The political skills of the former Wisdom also played a huge part.
“The former Wisdom pulled quite a trick.”
“A fun trick?”
“The Moon is like a weapon without a master; the first to act might just seize it.”
“Oh?”
“He casually dropped that statement, which could be interpreted in that direction.”
With the Moon no longer a common enemy, the Administration and the Union, as well as internal strife within the Union, can now prepare for their own battles.
“The threat of the Moon is gone, so they need to gather their forces to compete against one another. In other words—”
“The pressure on the Moon will soon disappear.”
Forty minutes later, as predicted by the Holy Mother, the pressure from the Plunderers and the Administration faded away.
Another hour and a half later…
“According to the reports, within three minutes—”
— Boom!
“It’s now!”
A faint tremor was felt throughout the Moon.
What kind of tremor is this?
It’s the sound of the “Last Flash” shattering the Moon’s seal buried deep underneath Australia!
The seal facility that had kept the Moon trapped in Earth for so long.
With the pressure from the Administration and the Plunderers gone,
nothing can suppress the Moon now!
— Swaaa…!
The gently glowing crown revealed its auspicious presence.
Aleph had seized the prince’s fate, and I was fused with Aleph!
The crown no longer rejected me.
“I’m starting now. Keep a close eye.”
“Of course.”
I took my final step forward.
*
The first thing I realized was the vast expansion of consciousness.
Imagine dropping black ink into crystal-clear water.
My mind, as Han Kain, spread throughout the vast soul congregation that is the Moon.
Michael, Sophie, Carlos, Eugene, Maria, Lucas, Jennifer, Tahir, Elizaveta, Minsoo, Daniel, Aya, John, Suzi, Martin, Naomi, Thomas—and countless others!
Countless spirits felt like part of me, yet distinctly separate at the same time.
In that fleeting moment, I became the sole star standing amid 300 billion souls, born to fulfill everyone’s wishes.
At the same time, I was nothing.
Just a stream created in the swirling tempest of minds and souls, less valuable than the feeblest spirit.
The greatest existence.
The most trivial being.
Or perhaps, an entity that transcends such distinctions.
“…!”
An exceptionally transcendent feeling as if I had truly become a celestial star!
I also had the memories of the prince, confirming my beliefs.
This was indeed the most powerful moment since the Moon’s birth!
Prince Emilio?
He lacked the epiphany that I now possessed; he couldn’t harness the entire power of the Moon and wasted considerable strength controlling the contradictions.
If I had to compare, prior to the time rewinding, perhaps he resembled me back then.
“Ha, Ha! Hahaha!”
I laughed loudly amidst the dizzying omnipotence.
In this moment, I understood Aleph’s patience to change fate over countless eons!
The first thing I had to do was step outside into the Earth.
Even now, with the seal gone, this task is more complicated than I imagined.
What happens if the Moon suddenly pops out of the Earth?
There would be cataclysmic geological upheaval, and the world would be ruined.
— Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The shell shatters, and the boundary between reality and the unreal collapses.
As I prepared for this leap into reality!
“Ah…!”
The sense of elation suddenly turned into wonder.
I hazily grasped the nature of the seal that had kept the Moon trapped within the Earth.
Strangely, the Earth’s inner core, outer core, and mantle were all separate entities.
So, what did the Moon get trapped in?
No!
The Moon was physically very much inside the Earth.
But there wasn’t enough room for the Moon within the Earth; it was just ‘superimposed’ in the same physical space.
What does that even mean?
I don’t know!
The prince didn’t know, the contradictions don’t understand, and I don’t either.
Just moments ago, I thought I was practically a god, knowing everything and being capable of anything!
That soaring sense of euphoria suddenly returned to the realm of humility.
Thanks to this, I can fully confirm the source of the power that trapped the Moon inside the Earth.
Forget about some ancient civilization’s grandeur—absolutely not!
It had to be either a hotel or a school!
Whatever the name, that place!
Just as my companions and I used the hourglass and the One More Chance to defeat the prince, someone from ancient times must have gained some unknown thing and imprisoned the Moon inside the Earth.
Those who achieved this must have ascended long ago.
…
A painfully empty, pale cosmos.
I, as a living star, gazed down at the blue planet.
At this moment, the Earth was filled with screams of horror and awe.
The sky was filled with all sorts of Plunderers, who were stunned and attempting to flee in terror.
A futile struggle.
— Gooo…!
*
Date: Day 241 → Day 243
During two days, I absorbed five Plunderers.
On the first day, the first Plunderer I absorbed was a woman with a mysterious aura, appearing before me in a trance state.
She seemed to hold a position similar to that of the ‘Silent One’ within the Administration.
She bore a pained expression, and when I asked why, she shouted with an angry voice.
“What are you doing!”
“A choice for everyone?”
“Surely, we had a pact of mutual negotiation?”
“Do you think the Covenant can enforce anything on me now?”
“How can you speak such godless words?”
“No, I was just genuinely curious.”
I wasn’t trying to toy with her; I sincerely wanted to know.
Could the power of the Covenant, inherited from Patrick, still work on me, now that I’m merged with the crown?
Could I use the power of inheritance to impose on a being treated as a prisoner?
At first glance, it sounds absurd, but consider that there are instances where even prisoners can be subjected to the Flute of Respite or One More Chance.
The limits of this inheritance are determined by the hotel.
If the hotel says it ‘works,’ then it works.
But that’s not important right now.
“Don’t forget. Our original agreement isn’t a non-aggression pact.”
“What do you mean—”
“First, until the conquest of the Moon is complete, the Plunderer factions actively support us. Second, afterward, the hotel party does not intervene in conflicts between the Administration and the Plunderers or between the Plunderers themselves. Third, these terms are formally recorded in the Covenant. Breach of these terms results in death.”
The core of this is the second one.
“That means you won’t interfere with any conflicts after the conquest of the Moon.”
“Are the Administration and the Plunderers fighting right now? Or have you already started among yourselves? No way.”
I declared to the shocked adversary.
“The process of me consuming you all is just a formality. Or—”
“Or?”
“I’m the prince now. Thus, the conquest of the Moon isn’t over and will never end.”
Which argument is prevailing?
I might not know that, but it’s clear the Covenant doesn’t exert any pressure on me.
“You, you godless demon…!”
“Godless? Speaking of gods, isn’t the negotiation riddled with gaps?”
“What?”
“For example, there’s no clause that states you can’t attack us after the conquest of the Moon!”
In that instant, she fell silent.
“It must have been your thoughts. Why would there be such gaps in a negotiation? Because everyone wanted to exploit each other.”
Everyone participating in the negotiation sought to deceive the others.
I just happened to win.
— Rumble!
“Aah…”
I whispered to the despairing one for the last time.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“…”
“The pain won’t last long, and at the end, you too will gain a new life and paradise.”
From that point, there weren’t many significant ‘battles.’
During the conquest of the Moon, the Plunderers and the Administration had spent all their energy trying to suppress it, exhausting many resources.
It was just a tedious process of chasing the fleeing Arks, who had lost their fighting spirit.
*
Date: Day 243 → Day 254
Finally, I succeeded in trapping all Plunderers within the Moon.
In the empty cosmos, I stood still, gazing wordlessly at the Earth.
Now, all that remains is to set down the crown.
“…”
I didn’t want to.
Really, really didn’t want to.
So, I thought and thought again.
Isn’t there something more to do?
Having gained such great power, shouldn’t I do something beneficial for the world too?
This isn’t mere selfish ambition.
It’s my dedication to all humanity!
“Advice: 3 → 0”
“It’s now or never.”
I took off the crown.
Once again, I fell from the heavens to the Earth.
Perhaps this was going to hurt even more.
My mind had just barely touched the vast realm, yet I was losing my grip.
But…
This is a choice not to be bound by the world!
A step back for two steps forward.
With that belief, I endured the pain of the fall.
*
Date: Day 254 → Day 255
Early in the morning, the Holy Mother appeared.
“Didn’t you say you would return to Earth today?”
“That’s right.”
A moment of silence.
She soon opened her mouth, clearly unable to restrain herself.
“Lastly—”
“I’ve heard ‘lastly’ about five times already.”
“…I’ll genuinely ask one last time. Are you really going to entrust the crown and the Moon to me?”
“I’ve already explained my reasons sufficiently, haven’t I?”
“Please say it again. For my own belief!”
The reality side seems to be wrapping up in the next issue.
If that’s the case, it’s about time to deliver on the promise of ‘hotel’ in the title!
+ Apologies for being late…
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.