“……”
“……”
A table where only the two of us sat in silence.
An awkward stillness filled the room.
Sipping coffee quietly, I stole a glance at the opposite side.
Just moments ago, she was kissing my hand and praying, but now she sat quietly, merely blinking.
Her hair, which shimmered like molten gold, swayed lightly.
I could feel strange emotions from her sapphire eyes – tension, excitement, exhilaration… They were like those of someone who had been waiting all her life for this very moment.
……What should I do now?
Though I managed to save her before being overwhelmed by confusion, I never deeply considered the situation after rescuing her.
In the original story, she was someone who could not be reformed. The future that had been altered and twisted left these references unreliable.
The woman sitting in front of me now is a monster who possesses the greatest divine power on the continent.
Though I’ve changed her destiny, the past marred by the betrayal of the Star Sect couldn’t be erased.
‘She intensely despised humans.’
And yet, she hated humans even though she was one of them.
The fact that her deepest desire was to burn the world tells of how profound her hatred was.
I still wasn’t sure what she thought of me.
Though I managed to save her, it was premature to conclude that this act alone had earned her trust.
But I couldn’t just continue in this heavy silence.
So, I cautiously spoke.
“Elfried Trivia. Is that correct?”
Let’s start with her name.
Just in case, I needed some form of verification.
“Yes, it is.”
She nodded gently.
“What do you intend to do from here?”
“…From here?”
Her voice carried a faint note of bewilderment.
It was a gaze that asked, “Why are you asking something so obvious?”
“You came to Blackmore to die, didn’t you? You must have thought that was the only path.”
“…”
“I mean, do you still plan to do that?”
“How could I? Now, knowing the life bestowed by the deity, I intend to cherish it.”
…Deity?
Your life isn’t because of any deity; I saved you. You owe your gratitude to me – those words almost burst out of my throat, but I decided not to make things awkward.
“Is there somewhere specific you plan to go?”
“It would not be impolite if I were to serve by your side, Sir Luke.”
“Me? Why?”
For some reason, she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from me.
Her bright blue eyes were unfocused but piercing, as if trying to see through something more than just my face.
“I see the shape of a soul.”
…Wait, what?
I had no idea she could see the shape of souls.
This was never mentioned in the original story. She was just an antagonist, a character not deeply explored.
“And, in this world, there is no one with a soul like yours.”
Of course, there wouldn’t be.
I’m the only one who has been reincarnated in this world. The souls of those who originally lived here and the soul of someone from another world like mine could never be the same.
However,
“An exalted soul that evokes holy light.”
“…?”
“Insight leading to wisdom, the crown of creation, the light of oneness, the form giver to faith.”
“…Kabila?”
I recognized the phrases she murmured.
In this world, the gods are now called “the forgotten ones.” Among them, there is a deity known as “the Great Moon,” and that is none other than Kabila.
What she just mentioned were excerpts from scriptures describing Kabila.
“I saw it. Just before my consciousness faded, the power you wielded—it was undoubtedly the authority over time.”
…Of course, I absorbed the Rune of Time.
“Only Kabila is granted such power.”
That too is true.
Runes are fragments of forgotten primordial languages, embodying the powers of the gods that bend cause and effect. The Rune of Time is essentially a fragment of Kabila’s power.
‘Surely…?’
It felt strange from the moment she declared her desire to serve me.
Now I understand.
Through her eyes, I am either Kabila, or something akin to it.
In fact, there’s even a somewhat logical reason for it.
Her perception of my soul being different from the people of this world, plus the fact that the power I wielded just happens to be Kabila’s authority over time.
“…”
This is getting ridiculous.
How am I supposed to explain this?
Should I just plainly confess that I’ve been reincarnated?
But if I have to explain the concept of reincarnation, I’d first have to reveal the truth that this is a world within a novel, which is akin to a deadly red pill.
It wouldn’t make sense, and even if she believed me, I can’t predict the consequences.
“…You asked if I have somewhere to go.”
I blinked my eyes, stunned, completely frozen.
I couldn’t think at all, as if broken.
“It would be difficult to give you a clear answer. But…”
“…But?”
“I want to follow you.”
With a smile, Elfried looked at me.
“It is only natural.”
It was such a tender smile that it felt like she might even hand over her heart.
*
Time passed, and the last day of the main branch meeting approached.
Before heading back to the office,
I sat on the expansive training ground floor and revisited my current state.
“Let’s see, did I pass the first threshold?”
The essence of power is the ability to legally bend the causalities of fate.
And the concrete manifestation of this power by the world’s rules? That is the Rune.
The power obtained through runes goes through four stages.
First is “Integration” (體化), where the power of the Rune permeates the body.
Next is “Illumination” (開花), where the Rune’s five virtues are engraved onto the soul.
Then is “Ascension” (昇華), connecting to the world’s source.
And lastly, “Unity” (歸一), where one becomes one with the Rune.
Different amounts of power are attainable at each stage.
Upon absorbing the chaos inside Elfried, I reached the second stage, Illumination—an achievement akin to breaking through a barrier. This was nothing short of extraordinary luck.
Squeezing my right hand, I checked my present condition and then tossed three fountain pens into the air.
Moment.
“Acceleration.”
The moment the familiar incantation slipped from my mouth, the pressure of time formed at my fingertips passed over the three pens hovering in the air.
“Reverse.”
The pens abruptly froze mid-air, accompanied by a deep humming sound. When I extended my hand to push the frozen pen slightly to the side, it slid in the direction I pushed, still influenced by external forces since I had merely slowed the flow of time.
Tap!
Then I flicked my finger and repeated,
“Reverse.”
Carefully, I extended my hand to push the same fountain pen. But this time, no matter how much pressure I applied, the stationary pen in mid-air wouldn’t budge. It was as if it had been fixed in place.
“Seriously works.”
Spell stacking is one of the new powers gained after illuminating the five virtues of the Rune. The most advantageous application of this is stacking the “Reverse” spell.
The flow of time isn’t just slowed down as normal; the moment the incantation “Reverse” is stacked twice, the target is partially but entirely detached from the flow of time, entering an absolutely invulnerable state unaffected by any movement or external pressure. Isn’t it like that invincibility cheat people talk about in games?
While you’re invincible, the user can’t move, making this ability’s penalty negligible compared to its utility.
“Adina.”
I called out Adina, who had hidden herself nearby, watching this scene in secret.
“Try attacking me.”
“…?”
Surprised by the sudden request, she blinked her eyes.
“You want me to attack you? Why?”
“I just need to test something briefly.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
“There’s no danger at all, no need to worry.”
“…Hmph.”
She let out a snort, looking exasperated.
“Alright.”
As Adina gathered her mana, the pressure around her surged dramatically.
Her unleashed energy was quite flagrant, as if her pride had been scratched.
The surrounding mana converged sharply, forming a ring. The white mana ring contracted and expanded rhythmically while emitting its unique flashes.
After a brief moment, with a piercing whizz, tens of condensed white mana beams erupted and streaked across the air.
The supersonic shockwave carved through the surroundings, and at its center, the mana was converging into a single point.
“…”
Looking up quietly, I observed the rift in mana squeezing its way through the void.
The sparks exploded through the crack, ready to crash into the ground in an instant.
A hit like this could surely be fatal.
But.
“Acceleration.”
I formed a time pressure, which wrapped around me in the form of a sphere.
“Reverse.”
The flow of air slowed infinitely.
“Reverse.”
As the spell stacked, space and time splintered, separating the inside of the pressure sphere from the outside like two different worlds.
And then.
Wham!
A colossal flash tore through the sky, shattering everything around with overwhelming destructive power.
And as for me, who took that blow?
“…!!”
I was unscathed. Not a single trace of damage.
As expected from the original story, the stacking of “Reverse” was depicted as an absolute defense.
Still…
‘This can’t be maintained for long.’
The strain isn’t something to underestimate. It’s also regrettable that no movement is possible while defending.
But even so…
“…!!”
It was enough to astonish Adina.
