Chapter 623 – The Oldest Wish (4)
—
User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 233
Current Location: Searching…
Advisor’s Advice: 3
—
Han Kain
“We’ve arrived.”
The moment the button labeled “Moon Church” lit up, the elevator suddenly began to blur!
As Ari looked at the Holy Mother with wide eyes, a panicked voice returned.
“Another person’s dream is covering mine! How could this happen? My dream stability is supposed to be top-notch!”
Inside the Moon, where dreams and reality blend, it’s true that the Holy Mother’s dream-managing skills are exceptional.
The problem lies with the opponent’s identity.
Everyone’s gaze crossed, sharing the same thought.
The being pushing aside the summoned Holy Mother’s dream and overlaying her own dream, “Moon Church,” is none other than the Holy Mother of this timeline!
They are the same Holy Mother, but the one over there is receiving the Moon’s full support.
At this point, it’s no wonder that the summoned Holy Mother’s dream is getting pushed out!
Before we knew it, the surroundings brightened to an almost dizzying degree, filled with pure white marble everywhere.
Instinctively, everyone realized.
If the elevator completely disappeared, things would take a turn for the worse!
“Can you restore the elevator?”
“Y-Yes, I’m working on it! Just keep an eye out—”
The Holy Mother’s eyes, previously filled with panic, suddenly glinted ominously.
As if she sensed the presence of someone she utterly despised!
It was her own identity existing in the same timeline!
The Holy Mother is not a unique spirit who has surpassed strength.
Her reaction is already intense.
What if two Holy Mothers were to confront each other directly?
The one over there doesn’t matter much, but we can’t let this one over here go astray!
If that happens, the elevator leading to the sanctuary might disappear altogether!
Realizing that blocking the contact between the two Holy Mothers is essential, Ari quickly reacted.
“I have to go outside and hold them back. Seongdae, let’s go together.”
“Right.”
The moment Ari and Seongdae the former Wisdom stepped outside, intense crashing sounds began to echo.
I tried to soothe the summoned Holy Mother in as calm a tone as possible.
“Focus on restoring the elevator. It hasn’t completely vanished yet!”
“…”
The clamor continued, coupled with vibrations strong enough to shake the skin.
It seemed a tough battle was underway.
Soon, Seungyub, Elena, and even Cha Jinchul were getting ready to head out.
“Kain, we need to help those people. You should stay with the Holy Mother—”
The moment Cha Jinchul claimed to step out, the summoned Holy Mother spoke up.
“Stop.”
“Huh?”
“It’s your prince’s intention for you all to leave.”
“What do you mean—”
“You’ll soon hear the hymn.”
A hymn?
As if waiting for that moment, strange cries began reverberating as the Holy Mother had predicted.
“Слава Луне!”
“Is that… a foreign language?”
“Wait, is this Russian—”
The only one who understood, Elena, cocked her head as the Holy Mother muttered with a bitter expression.
“Praise be to the Moon.”
In a church, there is always the presence of believers.
Somewhere within the church, filled with brilliant white marble, worshippers began to pour out incessantly.
“Кто умирает от неверия!”
“Death to the unbeliever!”
Just when I thought about calling down the sacred sun, the Holy Mother grabbed my arm.
“It’s already too late; don’t waste your strength.”
“….”
“Ugh! W-What is this light? Kain!”
It was light.
An intensely powerful light.
Light that could incinerate not just the human body and mind, but the soul itself!
“Богородице, нас всех!”
“To the Holy Mother, our all.”
The worshippers filling the church burned like living candles.
Flesh turned to ash, and hearts melted.
Eventually, even the last remaining essence—the soul—sublimated into energy in a surreal offering.
The teammates, witnessing the horrific soul offerings, widened their eyes in shock!
“That Holy Mother—she’s a witch!”
“Those words hurt my heart as the Holy Mother.”
This Holy Mother’s comical dismissal of Eunsol’s fury!
She certainly seemed more intact now than when she was first summoned, when she appeared half-broken…
Could it be that fierce hatred for another self gave her a new will?
— Tap, tap!
Seongdae the former Wisdom and Ari returned with urgent expressions.
“The outside Holy Mother is endlessly absorbing souls! Everyone must go out to deal with her—”
“Once again, I must insist that your departure is the prince’s intention.”
A moment of silence.
Seongdae Wisdom, sensing a bad vibe, spoke quickly.
“She’s suppressing the Holy Mother with the light of reason.”
The light of reason?
It seemed like the ‘light that suppresses the supernatural’ I’d seen previously.
This is Seongdae Wisdom’s first legacy!
“You have about thirty seconds to explain; do not stop restoring the elevator. What do you mean by the prince’s intention?”
“To summarize: Blessings handle attacks, while legacies handle defenses.”
The Holy Mother’s power.
The blessing of Justice handles attacks, while the Cliff of Crystals and Taegeukdo handle defense.
“Just sacrificing worshippers doesn’t make the blessings stronger. In fact, the blessing of Justice has weakened quite a bit because of this lady.”
The Holy Mother’s sense of justice is rather similar to that of the Administration Bureau’s; at the very least, she does not view human sacrifices as a just act.
“On the other hand, the Cliff of Crystals and Taegeukdo grow immensely stronger. Over there, I’m basically immortal.”
In other words, the current Holy Mother has drastically increased her defense rather than her attack.
“You all won’t be able to easily kill her.”
“….”
“If you use the power of the Ark yourself, it might be possible…”
“But that’s gone, so that’s meaningless.”
I understood.
Even if we all attacked, we wouldn’t easily take her down.
Therefore, the choice to try and kill the Holy Mother together is incorrect.
The longer time dragged on, the more it favored the Moon!
Also, we have to consider the remaining time for the summoned Holy Mother.
Having already spent fifteen minutes, we must reach the sanctuary with her help within forty minutes!
There’s no time to waste here!
Having come to the same conclusion, Ari said.
“Let’s have one person get off here. That person can prevent the other Holy Mother from interfering with the elevator, while the rest of us set off.”
“W-Who will it be?”
“I’ll go.”
As Elena stood up, Seongdae Wisdom tried to stop her.
“Calm down. If you die, the Holy Mother will regain her full blessings—”
“What, is it okay if I die somewhere else?”
“What do you mean—”
“If we start considering the likelihood of defeat now that we’ve come this far, it’s never-ending. And…”
Elena slightly pained expression surveyed the surroundings.
Then the others turned to follow Elena’s gaze.
A shining sky, a temple built of pure white marble.
It truly resembled a paradise.
The Moon’s worshippers were burning alive with bliss on their faces.
They believe that offering their souls to the Moon is the most glorious thing of all.
They have already endured an eternity of hell, losing both their memories and selves.
They can’t recall who they were in life, nor can they find out.
All that remains is the one single instinct: to serve the Moon.
They are docile sheep, unable to do anything other than worship the entity that has ruined them.
The most miserable fate in the universe.
Suddenly, I felt a sting deep inside me, something I hadn’t felt in a while.
The triangle I thought had worn down long ago spun around once more.
Elena said in a calm voice.
“If justice cannot arise in a place like this, then there’s no fighting anywhere.”
Just as Seongdae Wisdom was about to say something again, I grabbed his arm to stop him.
I could already see the pale glimmer in Elena’s eyes beginning to form.
“Elena.”
“Kain.”
“I trust you.”
As Elena departed, Seongdae Wisdom looked at me with a question.
“Why did you send her?”
“….”
“If you had said not to go, even young Justice would have followed your words…”
“Well, it just seemed appropriate in this moment.”
“Why?”
“Because this is a moment when justice is needed.”
“… Were you sensing some destiny?”
“Something like that.”
Seongdae Wisdom didn’t pursue the past any further.
“How long until the elevator is restored?”
“It’s less about time and more about interference.”
“Interference?”
“Send another one to ‘the other me.’ That way her dream cannot disrupt my dream.”
Just one Elena isn’t enough.
Hearing this, Seungyub nodded and stood up.
“With the mention of destiny, it seems only fitting for Fortuna to block the Holy Mother.”
With that, Elena and Park Seungyub descended into the Moon Church to hinder the Holy Mother.
At that moment, a sharp intuition flashed through my mind.
Someone will have to descend into the ‘Plains of Sinners’ and ‘Deepest Sea’ to delay time.
The summoned Holy Mother has just a little over 40 minutes left.
We must arrive at the sanctuary before she vanishes, and there’s no time to deal with the obstacles one by one.
For this situation, someone must delay the obstacles while maintaining the elevator.
…
The elevator was restored.
Just before departure, the summoned Holy Mother finally asked about her situation.
“Saint, have you rewound time? I have come from the future, and that’s my counterpart in this timeline, right?”
“… Yes.”
She began to accurately comprehend her situation.
This signified that the Holy Mother’s mind was gradually recovering.
I wondered how this would impact what lies ahead.
“Ugh…!”
My colleagues couldn’t hide their anxious expressions.
Sensing the atmosphere around them, the Holy Mother whispered as if to reassure.
“Don’t worry. I’m on your side right now.”
“….”
“My goal is the same as yours.”
“….”
“I hope that the laughter we find awaits at the end of all this suffering we bear.”
—
Elena
— Bang!
The clash of scales.
The entanglements of waves.
A chaotic battlefield where the definitions of two differing justice shout ‘I am right!’
Golden waves fill the surroundings, creating what looks like a beautiful piece of art—
That is, if one excludes the fact that human blood serves as paint and the mournful hymns act as the notes.
“You!”
A voice echoes.
“I heard from the prince. You recently came out of a hotel?”
“….”
Dressed in pure white, Aidia looks exquisite, like an angel descended from the heavens.
To those souls collapsing, crying out “Holy Mother!” they’d see her as more than just an angel.
Swirling around!
The Holy Mother spun, emitting waves strong enough to wipe out an entire city.
I countered using the rotational force of the scales.
Identical strength.
Identical blessings.
Even the way we wield them seems similar.
— Rumble!
“…!”
Once again, I suffered a significant loss!
Although we were fighting with similar blessings, I struggled to hold my ground. Why?
Because I’m only using blessings while the opponent utilizes legacies as well!
I realized something: the blessings of Justice and ominous imaginations don’t quite fit together.
The core of blessings—‘Judgment’—bestows immense mental resistance, but ominous imaginations can only be invoked when the user is losing their mind.
Thus, I’m currently only combatting with blessings.
On the contrary, my opponent has clearly balanced attack with blessings while using legacies for defense.
Moreover, the legacies absorb an unfathomable amount of souls, making them exponentially stronger!
No wonder I can’t win.
— Rumble!
An incessant drain on power, followed by more losses.
The strength of the blessings had just about reached its limit, and I needed to catch my breath.
The Holy Mother seized the moment I hesitated.
“If it continues like this, you’ll die within 30 seconds.”
“….”
“You’re silent? Unable to speak as you use your principle of justice?”
Staring into her cynical eyes evokes a bleak feeling.
If I die, the Holy Mother would gain at least a 30% boost in power!
Though I spoke grandly, anxiety surged as I began to falter.
As the blessings falter, I contemplates using ominous imagination for self-detonation!
And then—
— Whoosh!
A dark, swirling presence crashed into the arena.
Summed up in one word: ‘ominous.’
In an instant, a lethal strike surged across the distance, hitting Aidia!
— Splat!
The Holy Mother’s body split vertically.
Ah! There’s no time to be surprised!
I summoned all my strength to pummel the divided body of the Holy Mother with golden waves.
The cruel vision of what should be splashed with bodily fluid, flesh, and bone filling the air crossed my mind!
If it were a reptilian, it would be blue blood and scattered scales!
…
Neither came true.
What lay inside the split body of the Holy Mother was only a purple crystal.
‘This’ is not even a human, nor a reptilian.
The Cliff of Crystals has completely replaced the flesh, and the beautiful facade is now merely a disguise.
Is this her normal state?
Or did she reach this level after absorbing the worshippers’ souls?
The shattered crystal reattached as if nothing had happened, forming the Holy Mother once more—a grotesque sight.
It hit me: this Holy Mother is an actual immortal!
You could split her into a million pieces and scatter them across the Pacific, and she’d still survive!
— Clank!
The sound of moving black metal armor.
It’s the first encounter since exiting Room 207, the Black Knight.
Seungyub!
Wait, no, since he used awakening, he’s Fortuna now, isn’t he?
The moment I saw the dark knight, memories of the past flooded back.
Didn’t I lose to Fortuna even with the blessings back then?
That guy has his own ‘immortal’ abilities, just like the Holy Mother.
At that time, in a mere few seconds, the Holy Mother returned, now with a voice rich in sorrow and regret from ages past.
“Why is this girl coming to block me alone? She seems quite strong, but ultimately—”
— Clank!
“Holy Mother.”
A voice full of sorrow penetrated through the ages.
It’s definitely Seungyub’s voice, yet the atmosphere feels entirely different.
Did the weight of his voice begin to register?
The Holy Mother tilted her head in confusion.
“Do I know you?”
“Oh, my foolish king…”
“What?”
For the first time, the Holy Mother looks genuinely surprised.
After all, it’s only natural to be shocked when being unexpectedly called “my king” by someone she’s never met.
“W-What do you mean? I’ve never had someone like you as my subordinate!”
Fortuna brimmed with a grotesque energy, replying.
“You don’t know me, but I know you.”
“What—”
“Even in the hotel, even in reality… you consistently fall into the same delusions.”
The Holy Mother couldn’t resist murmuring with a pondering expression.
“Delusions?”
“Holy Mother, you’re no different from the pitiful worshippers down below.”
“….”
“You’re constantly searching for something to worship and blindly trusting the words of gods.”
The Holy Mother from Room 207 trusted Kain without a second thought.
The Holy Mother in reality has an unwavering belief in the Moon.
“What’s wrong with trusting the words of god?”
“Just because you’ve sworn allegiance to a god doesn’t guarantee they will repay you.”
“What would someone like you know—”
“Look around. Can you see how the prince treats the believers? If you think you’re different, that’s your naïve delusion.”
Wow!
I’d heard about Fortuna from my teammates, and I’ve even fought against them.
But witnessing them speak like this is a first!
Can this person really be the same as Seungyub?
The Holy Mother, for a moment, was left speechless by Fortuna’s words.
Instead, her eyes gleamed ominously as a spear of judgment took form and shot toward Fortuna.
— Fwoosh!
An incredible blow with a velocity that seemed to surpass sound!
Fortuna did not move an inch from the spot.
Yet strangely, the Holy Mother’s attack bizarrely sliced through the air.
“Ha! You were lucky, huh? I was just regenerating and missed. Next time—”
— Clank!
“Someone’s good fortune would mean someone’s misfortune. Next time, I’ll be lucky and you’ll be the unfortunate one.”
—
(The mention of ‘Fortuna’ as a summoning came from Chapter 592. Thank you for your support, Hotel Monkey!)
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