Sungchul closed his eyes, feeling the surroundings fill with the light of the magic circle as he waited for the teleportation to complete.
As the light disappeared, the scenery changed.
A pungent smell of sulfur brushed past his nose.
The elves guarding the magic circle noticed Sungchul’s teleportation and came over to open the bars.
“Welcome back, Imperial Commander in Chief.”
Feeling slightly drowsy, Sungchul stepped out of the portal.
A yellow boundary that had taken its place like a wall to the east filled his vision. Sungchul, seeing the fallout, could tell that its size of the deadly miasma was dramatically larger than before.
Over the past month, while facing off against the barbarians, the Miasma of Death had been slowly encroaching ever closer to the continent.
A tendril of the tan colored fog had moved ahead of the main body of Miasma and brushed against the edge of Ixion.
Before long, this city will be lost under the shadow of the Miasma.
A short month, perhaps? Not longer than two.
Sungchul felt his fleeting sense of optimism settle back down to cold dread.
Driving out the Barbarians was a noteworthy accomplishment, worthy of celebration.
However, nothing has changed.
The Calamity was still in progress and this world was slowly but surely moving ever so close towards extinction.
The Miasma of Death was making clear such a bleak reality through its overwhelming presence.
‘It’s good that we hurried. We don’t have much time.’
Sungchul was staring at two Colossi standing tall under the Miasma.
To reach the place where the Colossi stood, it was necessary to walk through the heart of Ixion.
Even though the downtown area of Ixion was now a ruin, survivors under the command of McRaed had at one point dug trenches and tunnels beneath the rubble, laying the foundation for a second stronghold.
As he approached the trenches and tunnels, Sungchul thought of how densely populated it was before where one previously could hardly set foot due to the multitude of refugees.
Only a month had passed, and now, the trenches were barren.
After walking along the trenches for a while, Sungchul was finally able to meet an old man.
He was clad in a faded magician’s robe, leaning on a creaking armchair. He seemed to have lost his sight already, as he looked towards a slightly wrong direction when he noticed Sungchul approach.
When Sungchul asked him why he did not leave this place, the old man gave the following reply.
“I have already abandoned my hometown once. Through that, I have come to a realization. To an old man, abandoning his hometown is the same as forsaking all the years of his life he has lived.”
His demeanor was as if he was telling someone else’s story.
Gently closing his eyes that no longer functioned properly, he reclined comfortably in his chair.
Several Homunculus scurried around under the old man’s feet, careful not to disturb him. Judging by their attire, they were the same group that used to clean or manage traffic in the streets of Ixion in the past.
Sungchul moved past the old man and continued forward.
Soon, Sungchul encountered a group of soldiers.
They were soldiers of McRaed.
They claimed to have been left behind to search for any documents and usable resources in left in Ixion that could prove useful. McRaed had already led the Eastern Region’s elites and refugees westward, seeking safer lands away from the fallout.
“We will soon be leaving this place as well.”
Sungchul said his goodbyes to them and continued walking forward.
Soon, he reached the edge of the trenches.
The Colossus, which was once only as big as a thumb, had now grown so large that he had to look up to see it.
“It feels somewhat lonely.”
Bertelgia commented.
“When I first came here, it was a pretty decent city. Now, nothing’s left.”
“…I see.”
Sungchul suddenly thought about the beautiful Vestiare that resided in this city once upon a time.
When the City built in a day was destroyed in one day, what did she feel?
It was a question that can never be answered anymore.
Sungchul brushed aside the ephemeral thoughts he had momentarily entertained and looked up at the Colossus now standing before him.
“Shall we begin now?”
It was then.
“Huh?”
Bertelgia shivered slightly.
Sungchul quickly found out why she reacted this way.
A book had appeared out of nowhere in front of Sungchul.
“Knock off? You again?” Bertelgia asked harshly.
To Sungchul, they all looked the same, but it seemed Bertelgia could tell the difference.
Upon hearing Bertelgia’s words, Sungchul guessed the identity of the book that had appeared before him.
‘It must be the same one that had appeared before the fall of Ixion, and again briefly during the session of World Parliament.’
Another thought crossed his mind, which burdened his heart even more, as the light in his eyes darkened.
The words left by another book he met in the Tower of Recluse brushed through his mind and stabbed his heart.
[If I’m right, she is probably unit 49.]
It was a secret that should never be spoken aloud.
At least not in front of Bertelgia herself.
Anyway, that book in question reappeared in front of Sungchul.
It seemed to have some business with him.
Sungchul gazed at the book and asked in a calm tone.
“What do you want?”
The book moved up and down as if to greet him, and spoke in a tone similar to Bertelgia, but more polite and ladylike.
“Nice to see you again, Destroyer. I apologize for not greeting you separately at the Parliament meeting.”
The book that briefly greeted him approached Sungchul quietly and then moved to the same height as Bertelgia in Sungchul’s pocket.
“The reason I appeared before you today is not because I have something to show you, but because I have something to show to that knockoff… no, that fake.”
“What? A fake?!”
Bertelgia burst out of the pocket.
Bertelgia, returned to its original large form, faced the book of the same appearance while swaying slightly.
“You’re the knock off!”
“…”
After eliciting such a strong response from Bertelgia, the book in question seemed to shy away and subtly tilted its body to avoid Bertelgia.
“Bertelgia, calm down and let’s hear what this one has to say.”
Sungchul intervened between the two.
The reason he didn’t necessarily take Bertelgia’s side was because he had a feeling that the mysterious book didn’t appear here out of malice or spite.
“What’s the need to listen to this counterfeit’s words!”
Bertelgia, uncharacteristically agitated, shook her body from side to side.
Perhaps as a result of her increased activity, the bandage Marakia had applied peeled off slightly, fluttering.
The hole left by the assassin was remorselessly revealed where the fallen bandage had been.
The book stared at Bertelgia’s wounds.
“You cannot undertake the Creationist Quest in such a state,”
The book said bluntly.
It was a tone devoid of uncertainty.
“What does a fake know about anything?”
Bertelgia retorted vehemently.
“You won’t be able to bear it. Not with your body, having lost its wholeness.”
“What did you say?”
“If you still want to try anyway, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”
The book stepped back and turned towards Sungchul after replying.
“The choice is yours. Whether to undertake the Creationist quest or not.”
Her voice and tone indicated that she wanted nothing more to do with Bertelgia anymore.
Bertelgia, too, seemed to have no desire to continue interacting with the new book.
She flew into Sungchul’s pocket and shouted in an annoyed voice.
“Just ignore this immitation and let’s quickly enter the Colossus.”
“…”
Sungchul nodded his head and left.
However, as he passed the book, Sungchul turned his head and stared at the book’s profile.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
The book shook slightly.
“No.”
“But why are you here then?”
“In case of problems. You know, you are extremely danger…”
Just then, Bertelgia interrupted the book mid speech.
“Just ignore it. It’s probably bored because it has no friends.”
“What… what did you say?!”
Oddly enough, the book responded sensitively to Bertelgia’s mockery.
Sungchul decided there was no good in keeping them near each other any longer, and jumped up to the first Colossus, heading for the cockpit.
The cockpit was structured the same as any other Colossi.
As they opened the stone door leading to the cockpit, the long-accumulated dust of the control seat were disturbed and plumbed up before them.
“Why does she have to suddenly show up when everything’s going well and ruin everything?”
“Try to let it go.”
“Even if I do, it still bothers me. This guy, that guy, they all look like me.”
Bertelgia said this and then darted out of the pocket, flying towards yet another book situated in the middle of the cockpit, adding,
“Even this one!”
Sungchul stared at Bertelgia and spoke in a calm voice.
“They were all created by your father, so perhaps it couldn’t be helped.”
“You’re right. But even so, you won’t understand just how uncomfortable and uncanny it feels to see a bunch of precisely forged counterfeits threaten the position of the original!”
“It reminds me of East Gate (DongDaeMoon).”
An old memory casually came to mind.
It was a story that used to show up frequently on the news about a counterfeit technician so skilled that even the renowned authentic technicians from the mainland couldn’t help but admire their craftsmanship.
“East Gate?”
“No, it’s nothing. It’s a story from another world.”
“Hmm….”
“Moreover, I did have a similar experience as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“When the Order of Extinction was using my name without my permission, selling out my name.”
“Now that you mention it, I guess this is kind of similar, although it’s not quite the same!”
Bertelgia merrily made a round inside the cockpit and landed on Sungchul’s shoulder, speaking in a voice filled with enthusiasm.
“Anyway, let’s get started! The great quest of the Creationist!”
“You seem unusually energetic.”
“Sometimes, I need to exert myself too!”
Sungchul chuckled softly and began the hidden Creationist quest of the Colossus.
As always, the quest of the Creator demanded a trial.
A hidden shelf emerged, and numerous alchemical ingredients that had been asleep for an immense amount of time became available.
Sungchul stared at Bertelgia.
This was because only Bertelgia, the guide of the Creationist class, was capable of providing the correct answer.
A faint light began to gather on Bertelgia’s body.
“Hmm. The final recipe for these alchemical ingredients is…”
It was then.
Bertelgia, who had been levitating in mid-air with a glow, suddenly became unsteady and then fell.
Fortunately, she regained her balance in the middle of the fall and floated back up to resume levitation, but it was certainly a behavior Sungchul had never seen until now..
“Bertelgia!”
Sungchul, startled, shouted out upon seeing this.
“Are you okay, Bertelgia?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Geez, why’s this happening now?”
Bertelgia said she was fine, but the hole that was now visible in the absence of the band aid looked bigger than before.
Bertelgia gave a bland laugh and floated back to her original position, began searching for the hidden recipe within her again, and soon found the true recipe that the Colossus wanted and laid it out in front of Sungchul.
“Ta-da! What we’re going to make this time is the Archer’s Stone!”
Fortunately, Bertelgia seemed to be functioning properly.
Not only did she reveal the recipe, but she also stayed in front of the required ingredients among the many ingredients placed on the shelf, personally guiding the process forward each step of the way.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine! Hurry up and craft it! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”
At a glance, there seemed to be no problem.
But it still bothered him.
This made Sungchul think, that the dagger wound that pierced through Bertelgia’s entire body was etched just as vividly on the hidden page as the rest of her body.
“…”
Bertelgia, looking at Sungchul’s seemingly indifferent face, suddenly leaned towards him and spoke.
“Why do you have that look on your face? Have you suddenly lost confidence? Do you need to practice?”
“No, I don’t particularly need anything like that.”
Sungchul began to prepare the ingredients while looking at the recipe Bertelgia held open for him.
The Alchemy portion itself was not particularly difficult.
It required a fair amount of work and precise processing techniques, as well as measurements based on experience. But to Sungchul, who had been trained in cooking, it was nothing more than an ordinary mundane task he normally engaged in.
What bothered him was not alchemy itself, but the book he had encountered outside.
That book said Bertelgia could not perform the Creationist quest.
Even now, things did not seem to be getting better.
Perhaps due to the shock of whatever happened earlier, Bertelgia was unable to hover properly in the air and kept swaying.
“Why did you stop? Go ahead with the alchemy. Don’t get distracted by me!”
Bertelgia, feeling Sungchul’s gaze, spoke as if nothing was wrong, but Sungchul could tell.
That Bertelgia was currently forcing herself to work past her limits.
‘Bertelgia.’
Doubts began to arise within him.
Whether it was okay to continue like this.
Because there was one more thing Bertelgia had to accomplish after Sungchul did his part.
The transmission of knowledge contained in the book.
In all likelihood, this was probably far more strain on Bertelgia than conjuring the hidden recipe.
There was a real chance of causing something with irreversible consequences.
Sungchul’s breath stopped for a moment, and an unparalleled fear never before seen in his eyes, surfaced.
It was then.
“You can’t seriously be hesitating because of what that imitation told you earlier, right?”
Bertelgia asked, sounding somewhat reproachful.
She guessed correctly.
Sungchul couldn’t say a word because she was right.
“I’m fine, so continue.”
“But Bertelgia.”
Sungchul turned his head, intending to point out that Bertelgia’s physical condition wasn’t good enough to continue.
But Bertelgia’s attitude was strange.
It was such a strange thing. For a book without a face and therefore no expression, to be able to express such sorrow somehow with only the appearance of a book.
“···Don’t you dare stop.”
Bertelgia shivered slightly as she spoke.
“I won’t talk to you ever again.”
It was instantly obvious that it wasn’t a sincere threat.
Yet, on the other hand, it was palpable.
Bertelgia’s obsession, or rather, resolve on continuing the quest of the Creationist class.
“Is it so important for you to regain your former body?”
Sungchul asked in a completely different tone.
Bertelgia stared at Sungchul for a while before shaking her body up and down.
“···Yes.”
Upon confirming her answer, Sungchul gently closed his eyes tight.
When he opened them again, his pupils held the same indifferent and unwavering will as always.
Sungchul’s hands moved swiftly.
No more hesitant touches. Bold hands of a veteran alchemist sorted and processed the materials expertly.
Numerous devices, under the skilled direction of the alchemist, each played their part, and the materials on the shelf gradually began to take on a recognizable form.
Bertelgia watched him work from behind, feeling proud that Sungchul was now a fully capable Alchemist in his own right.
One memory particularly warmed her heart.
She remembered the sight of a man named Eckhart wordlessly stir a cauldron with a ladle for the sake of his family.
Although it was the back of a completely different man, yet another man was now stirring the ladle. And it was for no one’s sake but hers.
From the cauldron that the ladle stirred, a bright light began to spew out.
Bertelgia felt her heart pounding as she quietly approached Sungchul’s back.
In the cauldron, a shining crimson stone began to rise.
The Archer’s stone.
Another one of the core items for the Creationist Quest was now complete.
Bertelgia felt an endless source of power that felt at odds with her will, but accepted it without resisting for the sake of the man who were undergoing trials of her father, to grant him the rewards he deserved and to guide him anew to the next step in their journey.
“Huh..?”
Suddenly, Bertelgia’s vision shook as if there had been an earthquake.
“Ara…?”
Bertelgia lost her balance and swayed mid levitation.
‘Why…? What’s going on …?’
It was then that Bertelgia realized.
The warm power within her was seeping out through the ghastly hole made by the assassin.
She could hear a voice came from afar.
[A broken vessel cannot hold anything.]
It was a stern voice that did not harbor the slightest hint of warmth.
Somehow, Bertelgia felt she knew the owner of that voice.
‘A broken… a broken vessel?’
An image of a girl arose in her blurred vision.
She was a beautiful girl, doll-like with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was standing by a door, from which light seeped in, holding the hand of a woman with hair of the same color as hers.
The girl cast a cold glance over her shoulder one last time before leaving through the door with the woman whose hand she held.
That was the last scene Bertelgia saw.
After seeing that scene, Bertelgia’s vision was completely plunged into darkness.
“Bertelgia!”
Sungchul cried out urgently as he caught the falling Bertelgia.
“Bertelgia!”
Bertelgia did not respond in any way.
As if she were just an ordinary book.
Sungchul’s body shuddered once.
Something that had been keeping him together within him was about to break.
It was then.
“Do not be alarmed.”
Something appeared in front of Sungchul.
It was a book, closely resembling Bertelgia.
“You… who are you?”
Sungchul asked with a trembling voice.
The book, looking straight at Sungchul and Bertelgia, spoke in a mechanical and businesslike tone.
“Everything so far is within margin of error. Please stay as you are for a moment.”
A bright and warm light flowed like a ripple from the book, which identified itself as No. 49, reaching towards Bertelgia, who lay on Sungchul’s palm.
An unbelievable event occurred.
The holes in Bertelgia’s body, bathed in waves of light, began to mend themselves.
Even in the moment of his astonishment, Sungchul could hear it.
The distinct voice of the book resembling Bertelgia.
“Bertelgia unit 49. Initiating emergency restoration on fellow unit 153.”
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