The Age of Peace.
They say it’s peaceful, but if you really look into it, it’s anything but.
The ocean has practically become the realm of monsters.
Shallow waters? Forget about it! Crossing the ocean to get to the mainland is just a nonsensical idea at this point.
The sky? Well, it has its own issues.
There are flying monsters, and more importantly, it’s become incredibly difficult to launch flying vessels due to the chaotic magical waves that are all over the place.
The impact of these magical waves didn’t stop there; they even blew apart the communication network that once united the world.
Practical movement and information sharing have essentially been cut off.
That’s one of the reasons humanity found itself helpless during the chaos period.
It was true back then.
But not now.
The Power of Space has tightly connected a world that was once severed through Gates.
You can travel anywhere without needing to cross the ocean or sky.
The Power of Harmony has shattered the barriers of language and restored the communication network to be far superior to the one that had vanished ages ago.
There’s no need to lay complicated cables at the bottom of the deep sea; sharing information is now possible.
The World Superhuman Association is practically the pillar that supports the current world order.
Thanks to the powers of the founders of that organization.
“It’s an honor to meet a hero. I’m Maxwell, part of the executive body under the Association Chairman.”
[Likewise, nice to meet you]
[I’m Lee Ha-yul]
“Meeting the hero of Shipnahah makes me feel quite overwhelmed.”
The man introduced himself as Maxwell and extended his right hand for a handshake.
A decent smile and posture. A standard demeanor with no flaws to pick at.
It felt familiar from my time in the fake second floor.
‘Maxwell.’
I expected this name given the bizarre situation earlier, but hearing it really caught me off guard.
Maxwell is a character I often meet in the original work.
“Oh, please, make yourself comfortable. I have everything prepared.”
He shook my hand and, with a beaming smile, guided me to the table.
As he said, the table was already set with drinks and some light snacks.
Since we were inside the Shio-ram, there was no threat, but still, this was a first meeting.
With the Power of Observation, I checked the drinks and snacks, but no harmful properties were detected.
Once I took a sip, Maxwell opened his mouth.
“If you don’t mind, may I explain the situation from earlier?”
[Yes]
[Please do]
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Maxwell, smiling gently, took a sip of tea before continuing.
“The phenomenon earlier was due to my unique ability. It belongs to the illusion category and has been unleashed throughout the entire second floor.”
He raised a finger, and a butterfly landed on it.
A breeze came in. The wind touched my skin and I could hear the flapping wings of the butterfly.
…The magic detected his presence as foreign.
The Power of Observation brought forth the information that his fingertip was an empty space.
Illusion category.
Abilities that deceive senses and perceptions.
Illusions are ultimately separate from reality.
To ensnare someone in an illusion, the senses that recognize reality must be deceived, and the sharper the target’s senses, the harder it is to ensnare them.
I have particularly sharp senses… especially hearing and touch.
Whether it was due to other senses being blocked, I can’t say, but it was technique enough that could be considered remarkable.
And yet, I fell for his illusion. My senses couldn’t pierce through it. That was quite shocking.
Of course, I immediately sensed the magical dissonance, but just like with the Power of Observation, I couldn’t figure out the ins and outs right away.
[May I ask why?]
“Of course. But there’s nothing special about it. I’m part of the executive body under the Association Chairman, just a civil servant, really.”
Maxwell shook his head as if to say it was nothing.
“He’s just following orders from above.”
[Following orders from above]
[I believe there are only a few higher-ups above you, Maxwell]
The Association has various departments, each entangled in numerous command structures.
The executive body is different.
They put the directives of the Association’s decision-making body, the ‘Chairperson,’ on the back burner and prioritize the Chairman’s orders.
So…
“Yes, as I mentioned before, I belong to the executive body directly under the Chairman… in other words, I carry out the Chairman’s directives.”
The Chairman. The executive body that implements their orders.
In the original work, when I wanted to face the bosses of the Towers, I specifically targeted the executive body to take down the association headquarters.
I thought starting with the executive body, I could work my way up to meet the Tower Masters of Space and Harmony.
I tried capturing, interrogating, and killing the executive body members, but I still couldn’t meet them…
‘……’
The Tower Master of Space and the Tower Master of Harmony…
I straightened my face, which was about to harden automatically.
[Then was that last action an order from the Chairman?]
“Strictly speaking, yes.”
Maxwell confirmed it with a strange smile.
But it wasn’t an unqualified affirmation.
Maxwell took another sip of his tea.
“In cases where you meet a special admission student, conceal your form with illusions first. If discovered, reveal the situation and comply with the subsequent directives…”
As I waited patiently, he continued his explanation.
“There are several subsequent directives, but there’s one particular part I wish to convey.”
And then.
“The directive was issued approximately 13 years ago. Additionally, it was the last directive passed on to the executive body.”
[Excuse me?]
“I had a similar reaction to the hero. I was perplexed to hear a directive about the future so suddenly.”
The explanation that followed was utterly disconcerting. Seeing my reaction, Maxwell nodded as if he understood.
I could not respond to him.
‘13 years ago?’
The Chairman issued orders to Maxwell.
Conceal your appearance when meeting… the special admission student. Reveal the situation if discovered and comply with subsequent directives.
The problem is that it was more than a decade ago when that order was given. Plus, since then, the Chairman has been silent, not issuing any further commands.
‘Future foresight?’
Glimpsing into the future is a difficult thing, though there are ways to do it in this world.
Those methods are absurdly tricky, and the information is quite limited, but it’s theoretically possible.
‘If it’s a power…’
Above all, they are Tower Masters. Their true capabilities are unknown, but I don’t think future foresight is entirely impossible for them.
If that’s the case, could it mean they have been aware of the current situation since 13 years ago?
No, even more so.
Do they know about the impending Tower invasion? If so, why are they still keeping silent? Is there a reason they must remain silent?
“May I continue my explanation?”
[Please do.]
“Understood. Excuse me for a moment.”
After receiving my permission, Maxwell reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
It was a rectangular card the size of my palm, with a black background and golden decorations engraved on it. The magic swirling above it felt rather foreign.
At first glance, it seemed like an extraordinary item.
[What is this?]
“It’s a type of certification.”
He handed the card to me.
As I took it, puzzled, he continued to explain about the certificate.
“In simple terms, it’s a ID usable within the Association, as well as granting the highest authority for directives.”
[Directive authority?]
[What does that mean?]
“Literally, it’s a certificate containing the authority needed to move the personnel of the Association. For reference, it’s issued directly by the Chairpersons.”
‘?’
As I rubbed the card, my fingers froze. I thought for a moment, but the words I’d heard didn’t change.
Authority to direct the personnel of the Association.
Moreover, the ‘highest priority’ authority issued directly by the Chairman.
If it’s as he said, any order I give with this card takes precedence over the directives given by the Committee members of the Association.
In other words, it’s akin to having authority similar to the Chairman’s.
It was an outrageous item.
[Why this?]
I tried to keep my face from trembling as I asked.
“It’s the directive from 13 years ago.”
It connected back to what he had said before.
If discovered in the illusion, reveal the situation and comply with the subsequent directives.
One of those subsequent directives is this authority transfer.
‘…What the heck.’
I wasn’t overly worried about meeting the Association personnel.
The purpose of the meeting was to receive compensation for the Shipnahah incident.
I believed I had made enough merit to get a few artifacts from the Association. But now, out of the blue, I received the authority to give directions to the Association…
.
.
.
After a while, I managed to collect my thoughts.
I asked Maxwell several questions, but no satisfactory answers were provided.
Maxwell also admitted he had no idea why the Chairpersons were silent.
[Then may I request a couple of things?]
“Yes, of course.”
[Please create a few identities for me.]
In the end, I left the café in a rush. Before that, I asked about the schedule for receiving rewards at the Association headquarters and made some requests regarding my and Seo-yul’s identities.
At least the purpose of our meeting had been achieved. Although, I did end up with so much that my head felt like it was going to explode…
Time was early evening. It wasn’t too dark yet, and the sky was tinted with orange hues.
Dragging my legs back to the dormitory.
[Student Lee Ha-yul, authentication complete.]
As I held the hologram projector to the door, it opened.
Just as I threw my shoes aside and was about to step in,
I filled my body with purification magic and stepped inside.
“Did you come back?”
Then, Elia, who had been sitting on the living room sofa, stood up and hurried toward me.
Seo-yul, who was asleep in her arms, was with her.
“You’re later than you said… right?”
Elia approached and stopped suddenly.
Her yellow eyes blinked, and with a worried look, she reached out to stroke my cheek.
“Ha-yul, you don’t look so good. Is something wrong?”
[No]
[Just a little dizzy.]
I was mentally exhausted. So many things were running through my mind.
New facts had been revealed, but more questions had piled up, leaving me with a complex mindset.
“Today would be a good day to sleep early.”
Upon hearing my response, Elia insisted on pushing me into the bathroom to freshen up.
A while later, fresh and clean, I was pushed into bed once again.
[Wait a moment…]
“What do you mean, wait a moment? You haven’t had any sleep taking care of Seo-yul for a few days, right? That’s why you’re so tired.”
[Seo-yul needs care…]
So far, he hadn’t been too demanding like an angel, but I didn’t know what kind of unexpected situations could happen while I’m asleep…
“While you’re sleeping, I’ll take care of him, so don’t worry and just rest.”
Elia instantly brushed aside my concerns and gave me a gentle shove toward the bed.
At the same time, she changed Seo-yul into pajamas and laid him in the crib she had brought into the room.
Then, surprisingly, Elia lay down next to me.
The bed itself was high-end and spacious, so there was plenty of room.
“See? Isn’t this perfect? I’ll keep an eye on things while you sleep, so just relax and go to sleep.”
I gaped at Elia, feeling a sense of unease in her words but my mind was too foggy to think clearly.
A large blanket enveloped me, and the warmth from her body seeped in, sending even more sluggish thoughts spinning.
‘So sleepy…’
As my body began to warm, drowsiness crept in. It wasn’t uncomfortable. I had an instinctive feeling that this time I wouldn’t have a nightmare.
‘…I should be fine…’
With Seo-yul right beside me, if anything were to happen, the Power of Observation working 24/7 would snap me awake.
And with Elia beside me… I should be fine.
I let go of the consciousness that I was fiercely holding onto.
My awareness slowly faded.
The sensation of gentle pats on my body sped up that process.
*
[Player Correction System: Affection Level]
Lee Ha-yul → Elia Slade
●●●●●●●○○○ (76▷77/100)
｢Affection｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Chick｣ ｢Apology｣
…
[Player Correction System: Development Level]
[Quest ｢Authority Transfer｣ achieved]
…
[Points are accumulating]
…
[Using points]
.
.
.
– Ding-ding? Ding-ding? Ding?
[The Tower Master of Harmony…?]
…
[What?]
[&? Why are you looking at &태창?]
[설* vision$ @주& 걸#$?]
[This& 미#]
…
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