Chapter 415
“I’ll delegate all authority to you solely for the Planetary Enhancement Project. Use it as you see fit.”
With Ludwig’s cooperation secured, Se-Hoon wasted no time and immediately sought Karl, who was traveling along the Pilgrim’s Path in the North Pacific, out next.
“You plan to... enhance the entire planet using the Towers of Heroes?” Karl’s expression twisted in shock the moment he heard the plan.
Immediately in response, Se-Hoon pulled out a thick research proposal from his void pocket.
“I understand it might sound unsettling at first, but if you read this revised 293-page research plan, I’m sure you’ll—”
“No, no. I’m not opposing your plan.” Karl waved his hands back and forth, stopping Se-Hoon before he could launch into a lecture. “It’s just that...” trailing off, Karl then let out a wry smile. “Why would I oppose what you’re doing, Se-Hoon? I was just a little surprised because it was so unexpected.”
“...?”
Se-Hoon was a bit taken aback by Karl’s agreeable response, as if he would cooperate without question, leaving him with a complicated expression. While it was certainly better than being obstructed, Karl’s overly enthusiastic willingness felt oddly unsettling.
Is there... some kind of problem with this?
Wondering if he had overlooked anything, Se-Hoon was about to run through everything again when Karl—as if reading his mind—spoke again. “It’s not as if I foresaw this situation or anything. I simply have no reason to oppose you, so I’m offering my help as requested.”
“No reason to oppose...?”
Confused, Se-Hoon asked again, but instead of responding, Karl made a gentle smile and pointed upwards with his finger.
“...Ah. I see.”
Of course. Because the God of the Pilgrimage Church, the Golden Ring, had not issued any decree against it, there was no reason to object.
Right... that’s the kind of person he is. Se-Hoon couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.
Among the Perfect Ones, Karl was one of the most devoted in his mission to protect humanity, but at his core, his faith in his god always took precedence. If his god were to command him to eradicate humanity, Karl would likely grieve over it while carrying it out without hesitation.
Although the Golden Ring isn’t the kind to give such an order... prophecies are always subject to interpretation.
As Se-Hoon pondered over the Golden Ring, a past conversation with Aria surfaced in his mind, prompting him to look at Karl with renewed focus.
“Mr. Andersen, may I ask you something?”
“Of course. Feel free to ask anything.”
“Then, is there a way to perceive the complete form of the Golden Ring without reaching the top of the Tower of Heroes?”
Surprised, Karl’s eyes widened before he let out a breath of admiration.
“Has Lady Aria reached the summit?”
“Well... Yes, she has.”
Se-Hoon admitted it after briefly hesitating. There was no real reason to keep it a secret, and since Karl was also a Perfect One himself, he would likely recognize Aria’s change at a glance, anyway.
“Those chosen by the Divine truly are different. To reach the top of the Tower at such a young age.... Perhaps it was your guidance that led her there.”
“Ha ha...”
Se-Hoon chuckled awkwardly.
Well, technically, he’s not wrong...
The problem was that although she had reached the top of the Tower of Heroes, she hadn’t actually become a Perfect One. How Karl would react to that nuance, though, was something Se-Hoon had to ponder. But before he had the time to, the Pilgrim tilted his head, his gaze fixed at the sky with a perplexed expression.
“Hmm?”
Realizing something was amiss, Karl turned to Se-Hoon with a questioning look.
“Se-Hoon, are you absolutely certain that Lady Aria has reached the top of the Tower?”
His words carried the subtle suggestion that something was not quite right. In other words, Karl had noticed something off about the Golden Ring above. Se-Hoon hesitated once again, and he again chose to just answer honestly.
“The truth is...”
As Se-Hoon explained, Karl’s eyes grew wider and wider. And when he reached the part about Aria giving up her wish and descending from the Tower of Heroes, Karl’s mouth actually fell open.
Although brief, the explanation was so shocking that Karl remained silent for a long time.
“Lady Aria... She’s truly remarkable in many ways.”
“Remarkable...?”
“She willingly forsook her wish and threw herself back into contemplation, didn’t she? I could never do such a thing.”
Karl’s sincere admiration took Se-Hoon by surprise. He had expected at least some criticism—perhaps even accusations of heresy for rejecting divine mercy. Instead, however, Karl looked genuinely impressed.
“Don’t you think it was a foolish decision?”
“Well... If I said I didn’t find it a waste, I’d be lying. Had she become a Perfect One, she would have been a tremendous asset to humanity.”
Karl looked up at the sky.
“But since that was not how things unfolded... I can only believe that this, too, is the will of God.” His voice was unwavering.
“...I suppose so.”
Blessings and misfortunes, desires granted and denied—all were manifestations of divine will. In some ways, it was a comforting thought. And in others, it was a despairing one—the notion that nothing in the world was truly dictated by one's own will.
That doesn’t sit well with me.
It was a belief system that, in a way, negated everything he stood for. However, Se-Hoon chose not to argue against it. After all, some things were better proven through actions rather than words.
“Oh, and regarding the question you asked earlier... I believe it may not be entirely impossible.”
Returning to the matter at hand, Karl’s words reignited Se-Hoon’s curiosity.
“If one has not reached the top of the Tower but still wishes to perceive the complete form of the Golden Ring...”—Karl met his gaze—“wouldn’t that be possible if the Divine descended from its throne to the mortal world?”
“...Descended?”
“Of course, it’s no simple feat. To be honest, I don't even know how such a thing could be accomplished.”
Karl let out a bitter smile, but Se-Hoon made a thoughtful one. The Golden Ring descending to the world... it was a paradoxical notion.
Aria described the Golden Ring as the world itself.
The world descending to the world? The very idea was bizarre.
Unless... it were to fall instead.
The word came to him naturally, and his thoughts halted for a moment. Among all possible words, why had he instinctively thought of falling? It could be just a mere coincidence, but something about it felt distinctly off to Se-Hoon.
Falling...
What would happen if the Golden Ring—God itself—were to fall below the Tower? The moment he had that thought, an eerie vision flashed through his mind.
Swoosh-
A world where every Tower had crumbled, swallowed by a black ocean. The thought made an unsettling glimmer pass through Se-Hoon’s eyes.
“Se-Hoon.”
Snapped out of it by Karl’s voice, Se-Hoon quickly apologized.
“Ah... My apologies. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
“No need to apologize. I’m content as long as my clumsy advice has given you some insight.”
Karl smiled warmly, then glanced into the distance.
“I must take my leave now. Do you have any further questions?”
Taking a second to consider it, Se-Hoon shook his head.
“No, I’m fine now.”
“Then I shall go ahead. If you ever require my assistance, do not hesitate to call upon me.”
With those words, a golden light enveloped him and Karl disappeared.
Left alone on the Pilgrim’s Path that stretched in a perfect line across the vast, open sea, Se-Hoon gazed straight down.
A question lingered in his mind—one he had swallowed down: What is your wish?
It was a question he had to ask if he truly wanted to understand Karl, the Pilgrim. But for now, he held off. There was no need to put himself in a dangerous situation when he wasn’t fully prepared.
I’m exhausted...
Se-Hoon sighed, thinking of the one last person he needed to secure permission from before moving. He prepared to teleport—
Vrrr-
His pocket vibrated. Pausing, Se-Hoon pulled out his phone and checked the caller ID: Ha Baek-Yeon.
...Was she watching this entire time?
It wasn’t entirely unexpected, so Se-Hoon answered the call without much concern.
“It’s been a whil—”
—Do as you please. Just be careful for the time being.
Click!
The call ended abruptly, just like that.
Baek-Yeon had essentially issued a one-sided notification and then hung up without another word, making Se-Hoon stare at his phone with a bemused expression.
No wonder Ma Kwang-Soo dislikes her so much.
Sure, peeping into others’ businesses because of her power wasn’t something she could control, but cutting people off mid-sentence? That was definitely a personality issue.
As he smirked at his phone, it vibrated shortly once again.
Ha Baek-Yeon: Rude brat.
Look who's talking....
There was no point in arguing; Se-Hoon knew it would just be exhausting on his end. So instead, Se-Hoon pocketed his phone and mulled over Baek-Yeon’s words.
‘Do as you please’ obviously is referring to the Planetary Enhancement Project... but what did she mean by ‘be careful’?
The first thing he thought of was that it was a warning about the Demon Force. But if that were the case, Baek-Yeon would have specified exactly what the danger was. Not doing so meant it was something even Baek-Yeon couldn’t fully grasp herself—an omen she had sensed through her power of Perception.
Hmm... If it’s something only seen by her power, that makes it a bit vague.
Unlike precognition, the power of Perception was more akin to reality manipulation that shaped the future into the desired outcome rather than simply predicting it. That was why, even when it could detect future events, the information was often incomplete and highly susceptible to change.
If she had locked in an outcome, that’d be different... but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.
Unable to come to a conclusion, Se-Hoon decided to heed Baek-Yeon’s warning and act cautiously for the time being. Even with his understanding of the various powers of the Perfect Ones, his knowledge was surface-level compared to the Perfect Ones themselves. Acting like he knew everything would only lead to trouble.
For now, I should just focus on my research in Babel.
Thinking about how to transport the Towers of Heroes using his spatial magic and integrate Ludwig’s research, he teleported—
Vrrr-
He stopped again, feeling a sudden, intense vibration from his left wrist. Looking down, he saw that the Beads of Omniscience were trembling violently, seemingly urging him to release their seal.
I guess today’s just not my day.
Chuckling in vain at the sheer number of interruptions, Se-Hoon lifted the seal on the beads.
“What is it now? If it’s nothing important, you’re gonna—”
“Help me!”
The Seeker’s desperate voice cut him off, making Se-Hoon’s expression stiffen. In all the time he had known the Seeker, he had never once heard her sound so frantic.
“I’m... ugh. This is insane. Who uploads information this fast—?!”
The Seeker was speaking in panic, only to suddenly click her tongue as if someone else had taken over. Her erratic behavior reminded Se-Hoon of something.
“It’s them, isn’t it?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s them. They’ve been causing trouble for a while now.”
Dawn, a fanatical group of zealots who worshiped the Seeker as God and sought to resurrect “him,” was led by the Regions who had grafted a part of the Seeker’s body onto themselves. It was they who were now using the power of Omniscience to send a distress signal.
“Who’s attacking you?”
“Uh... it looks like it’s the Demon Force.”
“The Demon Force?”
“Yeah. Seems like they’re after my body. Ah, wait. That sounds kind of lewd when I say it like that—”
Ignoring the Seeker’s nonsense, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. The Demon Force targeting the Seeker’s remains in Dawn’s possession was a sudden development, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. After all, few materials were more valuable than the body of a Perfect One.
So this was what that ‘be careful’ meant?
Currently, Se-Hoon was likely the only person who knew that Dawn was being attacked by the Demon Force.
Would he heed Baek-Yeon’s warning and ignore the situation? Or would he risk all and intervene? He hesitated.
But then, a gleam appeared in his eye, and he moved into action.
“I can’t just let this slide.”
***
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the area behind her. A woman leaped into a well, dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth, then immediately activated her prepared magic.
Woong!
Crimson energy shimmered around her legs, and the moment her feet touched the bottom of the well, the ground warped as if it were folding in on itself.
Thud!
She was flung through space, shifting the scenery drastically. With spatial magic, she had traversed several dozen kilometers in an instant. Biting her lip, the woman—one of the Regions, Step—suppressed her fury.
Those wretched bastards...!
They dared to attack them just to steal the body of their God? She wanted nothing more than to rip them apart, but the situation was dire, as the other Regions were also under attack.
I need to get to Vessel.
Their headquarters, where Vessel resided, still contained parts of the Seeker’s body that hadn’t been implanted yet. Securing those fragments was the top priority.
She was about to teleport again—
Whoosh!
Without even a ripple in space, a presence materialized. Thinking it was the Emperor of Ascension, Step switched tracks and began preparing to retaliate—only to freeze when she saw the man’s face.
The body that was chosen for their god’s resurrection, the man who had answered her distress call.
Eyes lighting up with relief, she cried out with a voice trembling on the verge of tears. “You came to save us!”
Looking at her, Se-Hoon smiled gently.
“Nope. I’m here to capture you, too.”