It was not too far in the past.
After a strenuous battle with the Order of Extinction and a modest banquet with the Emperor, Sungchul met a book in the Tower of Recluse.
A book that introduced itself as Bertelgia unit 55.
Sungchul has never forgotten the conversation he had at that time.
It was Sungchul who spoke first.
“Bertelgia unit 55…? What is that?”
At that point, Sungchul already knew.
He was prying into something he shouldn’t have.
Anyone with as much experience as Sungchul would agree that there are often facts in the world that are best left undisturbed.
He was neither a hot-blooded youth nor a meddler who couldn’t restrain himself from getting involved in others’ business.
But people make mistakes.
He asked a few more follow up questions after his first.
And the consequence was horrific.
An unbearably heavy truth flowed from the guardian book of the scroll of Calamity.
Sungchul was deeply shocked and sealed the fact deep within his heart, speaking of it to no one.
Even to Bertelgia, who was always with him.
He believed that was sufficient.
However, the heavy truth he encountered then once again confronted Sungchul.
“Yes, I am Bertelgia No.49.” The book that had healed Bertelgia spoke in a mechanical, rigid tone.
A deep shadow draped over Sungchul’s face.
A gust of wind blew in front of Sungchul’s eyes unveiling the memory of the Tower of Recluse, the storage room of the Scroll of Calamity, like a painting.
In his recollection, Sungchul stood in front of the book.
Self-proclaimed unit 55.
At that time, Sungchul asked the book.
“Come to think of it, I remember seeing someone like you.”
“Huh? Who are you talking about? The child outside?”
“No, when I was in a country called Ixion, I was approached by someone wanting me to do a quest. She was similar to you yet not quite the same.”
“Really? Was that child. Was she stoic? Like a machine?”
Sungchul nodded in response to the question.
Number 55 stared at Sungchul for a moment before continuing in a calm voice.
“I think that child was probably Unit 49. Although I serve by our father’s side, only Unit 49 acts on behalf of father as his right hand.”
The reminiscence ended there.
The same Number 49, who had been the topic of conversation, was now speaking to Sungchul directly in front of him.
“Excuse me. Hello?”
Sungchul raised his head and stared at Number 49.
“What is it?”
When Sungchul replied, Unit 49 hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, looking at Sungchul’s expression.
“But how did you know that I’m Unit 49? It’s a secret that I haven’t told anyone.”
“You said it yourself earlier.”
“When did I? My lips are not so light to disclose secrets so easily.”
Unit 49 argued back quietly with a soft tone.
However, no matter how polite or well mannered, a mistake was a mistake.
Sungchul stared at Unit 49 with an indifferent look and replied bluntly.
“What? Earlier you were saying something about emergency restoration and said Unit 49.”
“···Ah. Ahh?!”
Unit 49 seemed to freeze in midair, as if shocked.
“Ding-“
It was making a strange noise to boot.
All the while, Sungchul stared at Bertelgia who was resting atop a cloth, his eyes clouded with worry and concern.
On the surface, her wound seemed to have healed completely.
The bandage that Marakia had applied which hung on by a thread now only merely indicated where the wound used to be. The spot where the hole had been was now completely clean without a hint of any prior injury.
But still, Bertelgia had yet to wake up since she lost consciousness.
“Is she safe?”
Sungchul asked, his gaze fixed on Bertelgia.
“Yes, for the time being.”
Unit 49 seemed to have somewhat recovered from the shock.
There was something she said that he couldn’t ignore.
Sungchul’s head turned towards Unit 49 again.
“For the time being?”
Unit 49 gradually regained her composure, speaking in her characteristically mechanical tone.
“To be precise, she should now have enough strength to carry out the remaining quest of the Creationist class in here.”
“Is that so?”
That was a relief.
At this moment, Sungchul wanted to express infinite gratitude to Unit 49 who had suddenly appeared.
Yet, Unit 49 seemed to have more to say.
Unit 49 then continued in an emotionless voice,
“However, I would not recommend continuing that quest.”
Sungchul felt puzzled.
“Why is that?”
“Because our father no longer wishes it. He no longer wishes anyone to complete that quest.”
Unit 49 replied in a quiet voice.
The power of words is not determined by the volume of the voice.
The strength of words is ultimately determined by the meaning they embody.
This moment was the perfect example of that.
A single sentence, spoken softly enough to be missed if not attentive, greatly challenged something Sungchul had long assumed to be true.
“Eckhart doesn’t want the Creationist quest to be completed?”
It completely contradicted the request left by Eckhart when Sungchul first became aware of his existence in the Summoning Palace.
Didn’t Eckhart say this there?
That he would give all the knowledge and power he had if Sungchul could revive his daughter, Bertelgia, whom he valued more than his own life.
Bertelgia, his guide, had emphasized this several times.
She wanted Sungchul to become a Creationist quickly so she could return to a human body.
But now, all the hopes and efforts of that time was rejected in its entirety.
By another book that bore the same appearance and name as Bertelgia no less.
Unit 49 continued to speak.
“Yes. The situation has changed. Just as you from ten years ago and you now are not the same, the father who once created the Quest of the Creationist class in the Summoning Palace and the father now are entirely different beings.”
“Entirely different?”
“Yes. In every sense of that word.”
Silence once again visited the cockpit of the Colossus.
The one who broke the silence was Unit 49.
“Moreover, I do not recommend rushing the quest for practical reasons as well. My treatment was not perfect and is only a temporary measure at best.”
“Temporary measure?”
Unit 49 moved up and down as if nodding in agreement, then continued speaking.
“Probably Unit 153 can handle this Colossus and the next. That is to say, she can probably withstand the strain of the remaining quests that can be completed in Ixion. But for the remaining two Colossi up north, and the last Colossus, she probably won’t be able to unlock their hidden powers.”
“What do you mean won’t be able to?”
“It won’t end with a simple loss of consciousness. She could burst into flames and burn away into ashes, or be torn asunder into pieces.”
A deep furrow appeared on Sungchul’s forehead as he listened to Unit 49’s emotionless explanation.
“…”
“And if that were to happen, then something extremely dangerous will probably take place. Like it had once in Nimpas.”
At that moment, the image of a black giant appeared and disappeared like a thunder bolt before Sungchul’s eyes.
The strength of the black giant hidden within him was enough to make Sungchul’s heart ache by just being reminded of it.
A faint sigh escaped from Sungchul’s lips.
“…Have you been watching everything?”
Sungchul asked in a tired voice.
“Affirmative. Father watches all. As a grand being who governs this world on behalf of God.”
At that moment, a strong scent of sulfur brushed past Sungchul’s nose.
A gust of wind from the open entrance carried in some of the miasma with it.
The provocative scent made Sungchul recall the face of a man.
Desfort of the Seven Heroes.
The culprit who caused the fallout of death, a despicable selfish man.
As Desfort said, Eckhart seemed to have become a being akin to a god.
“…He sees all?”
“Strictly speaking, he doesn’t see literally everything. If he did, his already scarce lifespan would diminish even faster. But he does watch the general flow of things. However, in the case of an immensely powerful and dangerous being like yourself, he does keep a close watch and pay attention to detail. He does so using special tools like me.”
Unit 49 flexed its pages once and appealed its presence by emitting a bluish light all over her body.
Though she had a different personality from Bertelgia, the behavior itself was not too different after all.
Thinking this, Sungchul glared at Unit 49 as he said the following.
“I haven’t noticed your presence.”
There were not many things capable of escaping his notice.
His senses were among the most exceptional of all mortals. Furthermore, his legendary tier Soul Contract Eyes of Truth granted him the ability to discern any magical trickery or deceit that presents itself before him.
Until now, there was only one person who he knew could escape his sight.
And that honor belonged to a returnee by the pseudonym Ahmuge.
Upon Sungchul’s response, Unit 49 responded in an excited tone, forgetting her usual mechanical speech pattern.
“That’s inevitable. I do have a mythical tier Soul Contract that enables perfect invisibility.”
“A mythic Soul Contract?”
“Well, let’s just move on since there will be no end if we get caught up by every nit and gritty detail. I’m assigned to keep my eyes on you for the foreseeable future so go ahead and do your best to try and find me.”
Although this weirdo liked pretending to be a machine, she readily revealed her emotions when an opportunity arose to boast about herself.
“Ah, of course we are not your enemy. Quite the opposite. If not, there’s not one reason why I would have tried to stop you or treat this ungrateful child after she so thoroughly disrespected me.”
Sungchul kept his lips sealed, quietly listening to Unit 49. She was right. They were not enemies.
However, he couldn’t quite state that they were opposite of enemies, which is to say that they were allies.
Sungchul regained his composure and began to rack his brain at full capacity.
Eventually, Sungchul spoke to Unit 49.
“I understand that you mean us no harm.”
“That’s a relief.”
“So far, that is.”
There was a glint in Sungchul’s eyes.
He no longer trusted anything.
That is, until he had sufficient reason to do so.
No longer shall Sungchul be dragged around without his knowing.
The atmosphere in the room changed.
Unit 49 felt the shift in the atmosphere and straightened up to quietly wait for Sungchul’s question that was to come.
“What is the true purpose of your master?”
Sungchul asked.
He had said it with a tone that was difficult to disobey.
For some reason, Unit 49 could instinctively tell that Sungchul didn’t want a lengthy response. It was an odd experience, unlike anything she’d ever encountered before.
‘This man… He’s conveying more than just words somehow.’
Such a power was not permissible for mere mortals.
Thinking this, Unit 49 responded in a calm voice, despite feeling shaken up inside.
“Stability of the status quo.”
“Stability of the status quo?”
“Right now, in this world, there are a number of concurrent events happening that are too difficult for father to handle alone. I don’t think there’s a need to elaborate on what that is, especially to you who already are aware of most of what’s going on, right?
In response to Unit 49’s question, Sungchul nodded.
“But the crisis is bigger than you think. It couldn’t be helped because this world had been stagnant for too long. Time has come for a crisis. The things that have been suppressed for thousands of years are beginning to open their eyes one by one, preparing to bring the chaos they want to the world.”
“Are you talking about the dungeon?”
“That too. But another variable has emerged.”
Unit 49 stared directly at Sungchul.
“The most dangerous entity has appeared: you.”
“…”
He would have denied it in the past.
But now, he now knew.
The existence of a black giant watching him from within.
“The gods think it’s best to get rid of you, but father doesn’t think so. He wants you to solve the Calamities.”
“…Eckhart does?”
That’s when Sungchul felt a faint vibration from below.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
It was Bertelgia.
It was the first sign of movement since she had fallen.
Bertelgia was beginning to regain consciousness. Seeing Bertelgia about to wake up, Unit 49 began getting ready to leave.
“It seems time has come for her to wake up. I will now hide myself since I do not like that child.”
“Wait. Our conversation isn’t over.”
“There’s nothing good that can come from that child meeting me. It might even lead to the injury getting worse.”
“…That would be problematic.”
“If there are any questions, just ask father yourself. If you successfully resolve the third Calamity, you’ll have the opportunity to meet him directly anyway.”
“Is that so?”
Desfort had said something similar to him.
Something about being able to meet with the entity responsible for causing the Calamities if enough of the Calamities become successfully resolved.
“It won’t be difficult. In my view, there are only two meaningful crowns, and one of them will soon be attached to you anyway.”
“The Empire?”
At Sungchul’s question, Unit 49 shook its body lightly.
It was a denial.
“The last crown will not come in easily. It might be the biggest hurdle. Because the wearer of that crown views my father as the greatest threat of all. That is, until you directly injured him.”
“…”
Then Bertelgia turned her body again.
“Ugh… What are you talking about?”
Bertelgia was on the verge of waking up.
Despite feeling an unparalleled joy from seeing her recovery, he found himself firmly unable to take his gaze away from Unit 49 until the very end.
“Please be careful. The situation you’re in is not so rosy. Though I could try and help where I can, you’re about to face many more circumstances where I won’t be able to.”
Unit 49 tilted slightly as if bowing slightly to Sungchul.
Gradually, the body of Unit 49 began to fade.
Seeing this, Sungchul discovered that Unit 49’s ability was similar to what he had seen before.
‘This is Ahmuge’s… ability?’
A faint murmur came from the disappearing Unit 49.
“···Poor salmon.”
Number 49 was looking at Bertelgia.
Sungchul bowed his head to look at Bertelgia.
“Ugh… I literally died, I swear!”
The revived Bertelgia, regaining her usual vitality and energy, spoke in her usual bright voice as she slipped into Sungchul’s pocket as she usually did.
“It’s a bit cold.”
Bertelgia had resurrected.
However, Sungchul found himself unable to feel entirely glad.
Half happy and half not, Sungchul was staring at yet another Bertelgia that remained affixed in the air at the center of the control room of the Colossus.
‘What on earth have you created?’
There was no one here to answer that question.
To find the answer, Sungchul would have to meet him personally.
The foolish alchemist named Eckhart, who evidently worked as the representative of god.
There was now yet another reason he had to resolve the Calamity.
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