Chapter 796
Betrayal and Fanaticism (3)
The Grand Inquisitor, who should have been residing in the underground first floor, emerged from the tower, smashing it apart, and confronted Mankwi unexpectedly.
However, Renok was more focused on the deal mentioned by the Inquisitor.
“An exchange between the Papacy and the Harmonic Justice….”
Two leading bodies representing the Gui Order and the Garrison City Yorta, which should have had no connection whatsoever, made a deal involving the corpse of an Ascender that existed within the Abyss.
For what purpose did the Pontiff keep the Arrival’s body within the Abyss, and why did Yorta accept the proposal?
Why was the Inquisitor, who should have been testing the beings entering Yorta, present here now?
If Renok were to accept the proposal to assist him, he would be able to hear the explanation.
Meanwhile, Mankwi also sensed the opponent’s presence and asked in a cold voice.
“Oris, Grand Inquisitor. What is the meaning of this?”
“What’s the meaning? Didn’t you all come down to the tower’s lower levels making a ruckus?”
The boy called Oris responded with a mischievous smile.
A ghost shark swimming along the river flowing beneath them emitted a strong exhale.
[Whoo!]
“I can’t just let the ghosts downstairs have their way. Sometimes, it’s necessary to inform them when a stray goblin attaches itself here.”
“….”
While fighting Mankwi, Renok broke through the tower floor and descended towards the ground.
The aftermath impacted the underground first floor, and the Inquisitor also became aware of the commotion in the tower.
The flooding waters rushing around the tower were likely the Headrain River, originally present in the Judgment Hall, overflowing.
Although Renok didn’t know why the Inquisitor decided to intervene at this point, it seemed evident that his presence was based on Renok’s existence.
Mankwi also seemed to sense it and slowly turned his body towards Oris.
“Your exile to the underground first floor is a deserved judgment for the failure of your nocturnal activities.”
The young man with white hair glared at the boy.
“You chose to evaluate the beings who come to Yorta on your own, and now you plan to betray that duty?”
“Betrayal? Who’s talking about betrayal? I have never once acquiesced to the decision of Harmonic Justice.”
Oris responded with a loud laugh.
“It’s not betrayal, I just did what I had to do, and I made mistakes because I was lacking in strength.”
“….”
“When the opportunity arises, I will try again and reclaim my position. So-”
The boy pointed directly at Renok and said.
“I will take him with me.”
“He spied on the flaws left in the Abyss and insulted the great spirits of Harmonic Justice. That crime must be fully paid by sacrificing the fate of the living.”
Mankwi’s expression turned cold.
“Are you, who abandoned your nocturnal activities, defying the current decision of Harmonic Justice?”
“Is it defiance to bring up the fact? I have never once accepted the role of a representative.”
Oris replied with a wide smile.
“I only did what needed to be done and made mistakes because I was insufficiently prepared.”
“….”
“If the time comes, I will attempt it again and be ready to reclaim my position. So-”
The boy pointed at Renok and said.
“I will take him with me.”
“If you think you can defy the decision of Harmonic Justice and betray your role as an exile of the underground, then I must settle your sins here as well!”
As Mankwi said that and raised his hand, the spirits of the Garrison Tower appeared and began to coil around his hands.
The spiritual energy of the spirits rotated rapidly, coalescing into the shape of two large spearheads.
The Inquisitor also raised his hand as if waiting and said.
“Don’t put on a show, embodiment of the Abyss. What does an ethereal body like you know when you weren’t even present?”
“….”
“Thinking that your power belongs solely to you, even though you were a gatekeeper modified to protect the Abyss, and this is how you handle an opponent who is so far away….”
Oris chuckled and mumbled.
“You won’t have the luxury of escaping with just enough force to defend yourself.”
“A sinner condemned to the tower’s depths, truly a stubborn fool.”
Mankwi shouted angrily, his face contorted.
“I will make sure you never crawl out of the ground again!”
Splash!!
As the spearheads of the ghost held in Mankwi’s hand descended and struck, Oris also gathered his strength as if he had been waiting.
As the ghost shark swished its fins vigorously, the rushing water rose and froze, transforming into a solid shield.
The collision occurred as the spearheads of the two spirits struck the ice shield.
[Screaaaam!!]
With a scream that felt like it tore through their eardrums, a powerful shockwave spread in all directions.
Paaaang!!
The water that had filled the lower levels of the Garrison Tower surged forward, creating a massive wave that filled the corridors and side rooms with water.
Shoooosh!!
“Hahahaha!”
Amidst the raging waves and the storm of spirits, the two apparitions clashed, intertwining between them.
As Oris flicked his hand, the ghost shark swam through the storm of spirits, charging forward.
Mankwi also descended beneath the water and began consecutively wielding the spear and storm of spirits.
The intense clash of souls, as if they were about to shatter the tower’s lower levels with violent collisions and vibrations.
Dodging the spirit techniques exploding in front of him, Oris quickly shouted to Renok.
“Master of the Spirit of Fortune, summon the ship!”
“….”
Kwaaang!!
He repeatedly froze the rushing Mankwi’s attacks by using the flowing water as a shield.
The freezing cold water pierced Mankwi’s side like sharp waves.
It wasn’t a one-time attack; the frozen water was repeatedly refined and sharpened into a weapon.
Balancing on the swimming shark, skillfully manipulating frozen shards of cold, he swung them towards Mankwi.
Kagagak!!
Even Mankwi, who faced him head-on, found it difficult to move as he was precisely struck with perfect timing.
It was a high-level battle entangled in complexity, making it difficult to read the movements and patterns all at once.
“….!!”
Kwaaang!!
Renok, who threw Mankwi’s form down into the flooded lower levels of the tower, urgently shouted.
“We need to escape before the Heaven’s Guardians guarding the floors of the Garrison Tower join us. Quickly!”
“I don’t understand what you’ve been babbling about. Summoning a ship in a place like this will only hinder us.”
Renok sat down against the inner wall of the Garrison Tower, crossing his arms, and retorted.
“How could you trust them and accept the deal in the first place?”
“You damn it! Have you forgotten all the kindness I showed you when you were exiled to the underground first floor?”
The boy’s expression momentarily turned frustrated, but even that reaction didn’t last long.
At the moment when a faint flash spread from beneath the water.
Mankwi’s form, which had risen at an incredible speed from beneath the ghost shark, directly pierced the boy and the shark, binding them with the chains of spirits.
Ssuaeaek!!
The ghost shark immediately twisted its body and managed to avoid being pierced, but its fin was partially torn off, unable to avoid the attack completely.
[Greeeeaaat!!]
“What you want is to directly enter the Abyss to confirm the remains of the Ascender, right?”
In the form of a painful scream, Oris clenched his teeth and shouted to Renok.
“There is a way to enter the Abyss without going through the Garrison Tower. I’ll tell you right away, so summon the ship!”
“….”
Renok raised his head and put aside his solemn tone at the shouting of Oris.
Although the Inquisitor’s impulsive actions were unpleasant, at this point, they could be considered a variable to be taken into account.
It would be difficult to forcefully break through the infinite ghost army and head towards the Abyss after exposure while peering into it. It was a challenging task.
Although it wouldn’t be impossible if they went all out, the probability of suffering losses was too high without knowing the specific circumstances.
At least, after understanding why the remains of the Arrival were stored in the Abyss and their purpose, they would need to reassess the situation.
However, even if Renok escaped alone, it was inevitable that they would have to endure the pursuit of the Garrison Tower and Harmonic Justice.
At this point, it seemed that it might be better for Renok to temporarily seize the hand of the Inquisitor.
“The method you mentioned just now. You must tell me as soon as we get out of here.”
“Got it!!”
Before the boy’s desperate shout could finish, Renok casually reached out his hand inside his robe.
The shadow that fell beneath the robe explosively expanded and transformed into the shape of a massive ghost ship.
Kwaaang!!
As the hull descended onto the surging river, the water split apart in its wake, and the hull sank deep below.
“Lower the anchor and head to the helm!”
As Oris raised his psychic power, the ghost shark jumped up, biting through the chains hanging from the hull.
Snap!!
The shark’s jaws struck the chains attached to the front of the ship, pushing its body forcefully downwards in an instant.
The ghost ship, filling the lower levels of the Garrison Tower, began to sink along the split waterway.
“Just a moment, you don’t mean to escape…?”
The moment Renok realized that the shark intended to sink the Onion’s ship, he tightly gripped the mast.
Kuooogh!!
The ship crashed directly beneath the shattered lower levels of the tower, descending beneath the water.
The shark-shaped entity pulled the ship under the Headrain River in the tower’s lower levels.
Just as the mast of the ship, which had already lowered its anchor, was about to completely hide below the water’s surface.
“Where do you think you’re escaping to!”
Thud!!
The vague hand of the Harmonic Justice grasped the ship’s deck and prevented the hull from sinking.
Seeing the shark’s actions, Mankwi also transformed and manipulated the Harmonic Justice. It prevented the ship from disappearing beneath the water.
“Neither of you can leave this place until you stand in the Harmonic Court!”
“Always annoying interruptions…!!”
“Inquisitor, focus on guiding the ship.”
As the impatient Inquisitor raised his power to push away Mankwi, Renok extended his hand towards Mankwi, gesturing.
Renok, who had been standing on the deck of the ship, unfolded the Papyrus Aureus in his arms.
Paaah!!
As Renok’s resolve flowed into the Papyrus, a fantastic scene unfolded on the golden scroll.
The remains of the Ascender, covered in pitch-black, existing beyond the Abyss.
The moment Renok accurately projected the landscape he had seen beyond the Abyss.
“….!!”
Mankwi’s expression, which had been fine just a moment ago, suddenly turned vacant once again.
As if all commands were suddenly cut off, he appeared awkward and unfamiliar, like a malfunctioning machine.
In response, as the hand of the Harmonic Justice that was holding onto the ship’s deck disappeared, Oris, as if he had been waiting, began pulling the ship down into the water.
“Great, we’re escaping!”
“….”
Chwaaak!!
Renok looked at Mankwi, who had come to a stop, trudging through the rushing water beneath the deck.
Using Mankwi’s tendency to forget the information outside the Abyss and become confused as a variable.
However, Renok had an intuition that this symptom was not simply forgetfulness or indicating dementia.
It was not a symptom that arose as an independent entity existing separately from Mankwi, who was thoroughly subordinated to the Garrison Tower, functioning as a gatekeeper and being an entity that could only exist in that way.
And if it was a power that existed by relying on the puppeteer among the known entities to Renok…
“Divine Manifestation Technique.”
Renok’s gaze, looking at Mankwi’s distorted form, gleamed intensely.
“So, it can be used in this way when taken to the extreme.”
Grrrr!!
Before the contemplation had even finished, the Onion’s ship disappeared completely beneath the rushing water.
“Oh no…!!!”
A belatedly awakened Mankwi, with a distorted face, attempted to manipulate the Harmonic Justice, but everything was already too late.
Kwaang!!
“But damn it!”
However, Mankwi could only stand there, unable to enter the rushing water, and simply stared at the flooding current.
“What am I doing here…?”
Amidst Mankwi’s incessant muttering, the shattered form of the Garrison Tower began slowly restoring itself.
Kugugugu!!
The newly flowing Harmonic entities within Yorta became the tower’s components, rebuilding the collapsed floors and ceiling.
The outer and inner walls were rebuilt, stabilizing the previously trembling tower.
[Ohhh…]
The cries of the Harmonic entities, which had been incessant, gradually subsided, and silence once again returned to the tower.
“Yes, I… protect the Abyss…”
Mankwi, who had been staring blankly at the restoration of the Garrison Tower, froze in place as if time had stopped.
As if the gatekeeper’s entity, as if fulfilling its function, gradually blurred and dissipated in that spot.
Passss…!!
As his limbs shattered like white powder and transformed into a handful of smoke, Mankwi’s spiritual energy soared above the Garrison Tower.
The hazy smoke-formed spiritual energy swiftly ascended to the summit of the Garrison Tower.
Koong!!
At the edge of the Garrison Tower, where hundreds of Harmonic entities were still rapidly gaining altitude.
With no proper ceiling in place, only the night sky stars were visible in the dark airspace.
At the summit of the tower, there was only the sight of a massive throne and a man sitting on it with closed eyes.
Dark black hair contrasting with the pure white attire.
The spiritual energy of Mankwi, which had surged from beneath his feet, transformed like flowing threads into the hem of his clothing.
A natural fusion as if Mankwi had always been a part of the man.
“…”
Finally, the man sitting on the throne opened his eyes and gazed down at the tower.
Gooooh!!
The fierce wind raged at the summit of the tower.
Though the surface was obscured by the storm of Harmonic entities and clouds, his eyes remained focused, as if seeing beyond.
“My manifested body, guarding the boundaries of the curse, has suffered.”
The man, who had been staring at the lower part of the tower for a long time, muttered.
“Allowing it to move outside the Abyss for an extended period led to the display of forbidden memories. I’ve deviated from what should have been an easy task.”
[My Lord, Inquisitor Oris has committed treason.]
Whoosh!!
Nine flames of spiritual energy blazed around the throne.
Ancient spirits of the Harmonic Justice had silently come to the top of the tower, faintly illuminating the man’s back.
He skillfully avoided their presence without directly facing them, occupying a position to complement the throne.
One of the spirits ignited the flames of spiritual energy and spoke.
“We escaped to the tower’s lower levels with the Battle Mage of the Paragon. We should be able to trace their movements shortly.”
“But our plan will be slightly delayed compared to the schedule.”
[…]
“We don’t have much time, great spirits.”
The man rose slowly from the throne, leaving the silent spirits behind.
“I have dreamed and sought the two cities for a long time, but not a single one has been properly realized, only leaving forgetfulness by my side…”
[…]
“If the Sect has noticed our calculations, it must not be the time to hold back means and methods.”
He had forgotten many things, but he retained some memories.
Among the forgotten and fading memories… He still remembered the jesting conversations about the fate of the world that the Ouroboros had.
The death of Caius Bajor. The opening of the Quarantine Zone. The corruption of the Headro Guild and the Great Transit Project.
The current trends of the world that he had heard from the President of the Balkan Senate now felt like events from a long time ago, but amidst the forgetting and fading, if there was something he still remembered…
“Contact Silnacre.”
At the same time, the pure white attire the man was wearing began to be dyed in an infinite radiance.
“I must speak with Jinwa and receive her guidance, sharing her words of wisdom.”
* * *
Grrrrrr!!
Onion’s ghost ship sank beneath the cold waterway.
As the heavy hull submerged, white foam surged up, and the turbulent currents emitted a loud roar.
The ship was not originally designed for underwater navigation but was holding up relatively well against the surging water pressure from all sides.
Rather than having a specific function for such purposes, it was likely due to Onion’s ship having strong preservation capabilities.
LeNok, who was gazing at the darkening underwater scenery beyond the worn-out window, slowly took off a ring.
Pahh!!
Silently, the maiden’s spiritual entity appeared before LeNok, trembling.
“The scale and depth of the Hedrain River are greater than I expected. It might take some time for us to move forward like this.”
LeNok said calmly.
“We have some time before the Inquisitor arrives. Until then, we need to verify the information we heard from that side.”
[…]
“The Sect Leader, the Dawn, and the reason for their arrival in Yorta at this point.”
LeNok’s gaze toward the maiden’s spiritual entity coldly intensified beyond the mask.
For everything that had happened since they first encountered Seyna Naidri’s corpse in the swamp.
It was at the point where he realized that her purpose, which had been vaguely postponed, intersected to some extent with LeNok’s own.
He realized that he needed to thoroughly grasp and move past everything.
“If you don’t want to be obliterated soul and body, you need to explain everything here.”
[…Understood. There is no longer any reason for me to hide things from you.]
The maiden calmly responded and met LeNok’s gaze.
[If I start from the most important point, the reason I came to this Harmonic City, should I begin?]
