There Is No World For ■■
Chapter 163: Ghosts Of The Past, Connections Of The Present (2)

* * *

As Yeomyeong sat on the bed with his eyes closed…

The sound of countless footsteps, Joseph’s shouts, and Balagu’s panicked screams echoed from beyond the window.

The current situation was far from tranquil, and the fluctuating mana within his body was equally turbulent.

Yet, Yeomyeong’s mind plunged into a stillness deeper than ever before.

Cultivating the mind and sitting and forgetting.

The True Intention he had realized through the Surging Wave Technique made it possible. In that moment, he was a pine tree in the middle of a storm, a rock before the waves.

How long had he been immersed in this meditative state?

At some point, the World Tree’s crystal inside his stomach began to melt, spreading throughout his body.

The crystal of the World Tree was the purest mana crystal.

Unlike the innards of mana-infused beasts or other elixirs like fruits, the crystal instantly filled Yeomyeong’s body.

While one would normally have to wrestle with the will of the World Tree to absorb its mana in this situation, the World Tree had already acknowledged Yeomyeong.

Hence, the pure mana immediately settled into Yeomyeong’s body without resistance.

And fortunately, there was no backlash from the mana in his body or any obstruction to absorption… but not everything went smoothly.

Yeomyeong was not the World Tree. His body, made of flesh and blood, was unable to withstand the immense amount of mana.

His capillaries were the first to burst the moment the overflowing mana began forcing its way into his body.

Next, his muscles twisted, arteries tore, and internal bleeding ensued.

Blood gushed from inside and out with a sudden spasm. His body convulsed as his nervous system went haywire and the excruciating pain made his vision go white.

He should have stopped the absorption process immediately, but Yeomyeong did not suppress the mana. He simply let it flow.

A crazy act would have made any other Superhuman who saw this scene call him insane.

He endured. He persevered and endured until he completely forgot the pain of his body being torn apart.

After enough time had passed that he lost even his sense of self and his very sensations, the mana began to solidify and settle firmly throughout his body.

Life slowly returned to the frozen flesh that had been gripped by pain, and the torn blood vessels found their place.

Finally, a radiant light burst forth from every part of his body before fading away like it was melting.

Pushing away the last traces of mana swirling around him, Yeomyeong exhaled deeply as he opened his eyes.

The darkness filling the room reflected in his eyes as he remained seated on the bed, making him uncertain if it was still night or not.

A fleeting sense of accomplishment, followed by a slightly longer silence.

After a moment, Yeomyeong realized that this darkness was not the natural darkness of night.

“…Mignium?”

As soon as he uttered her name, the hem of the black dress fluttered in the darkness.

* * *

『It has been a while, my Chosen One.』

“…”

Did she not borrow Seti’s body this time?

Being more assimilated with the darkness than before, Mignium appeared as a faint shadow.

Nevertheless, Yeomyeong could see her clearly.

After all, Mignium was holding the severed head of the Player in her hand.

“…Why did you come?”

『O Chosen One, have you forgotten who I am? I am unlike those petty gods of this world who merely covet and beg.』

“…”

『I have come to bestow a reward befitting your tribute.』

Tribute? Seeing Yeomyeong frown, Mignium waved the Player’s head and laughed.

『The Master of Fate who wielded the powers of three god,. It is a most exquisite offering.』

“…The powers of god?”

Mignium answered with a smile.

『Eyes that can see everything in this world objectively.』

『A body that grows stronger with every kill.』

『A subspace capable of storing anything without conditions.』

『If not divine power, what else could it be?』

The status window, experience points, and inventory.

Even without any further explanation, Yeomyeong instinctively understood what Mignium was referring to. How?

As he felt a flicker of confusion, Mignium approached him with an odd smile, holding out the Player’s head and whispered.

『My Chosen One, I intended to personally guide your decision…』

“…?”

『But you have already made the best choice. Excellent. So, without wasting any more time, I shall gladly bestow your reward.』

Mignium’s hand brushed against his cheek. Her hand, made of shadow, carried neither sensation nor warmth.

As Yeomyeong silently gazed up at her, he suddenly recalled the Killing Aura he had seen within the Blood Tear Key.

The image of himself, in the guise of a janitor, tossed him a bag just before the illusion of the Arcane Relic terminated.

…Was that bag the inventory?

How did the Killing Aura know to choose that? As Yeomyeong’s questions deepened, Mignium’s shadow began to fade.

『Not being able to endure even this brief moment—this is reality.』

“…”

Though she said that, there was no sense of urgency in her demeanor.

Leisurely flinging the severed head of the Player into the darkness, MIgnium whispered one last thing into Yeomyeong’s ear.

『My Chosen One, since we still time have some time, I shall give you a special piece of advice.』

『Never compromise. The gods of this land are watching you.』

* * *

Just like their meeting, his farewell with Mignium was also abrupt.

Before he could ask which gods or how to use the inventory, she disappeared before his eyes.

…

Yeomyeong slowly took a deep breath and looked outside the window.

Beyond the glass, a blend of natural darkness, moonlight, torches, and electric bulbs, spread across the night scene.

This was not a dream; it was the darkness of reality. Rising from the bed, Yeomyeong stood by the window.

The city was quiet but far from peaceful.

Clear traces of fires throughout the city were revealed under the moonlight, and the alleys were filled with barricades.

A brief respite, or the calm before the storm.

Yeomyeong then turned his gaze to the tent village set up outside the inn. Fortunately, it seemed to be relatively intact, suggesting no major battles had taken place.

Although there was a pile of Rat Beastfolk corpses where the outer tents should have been… the situation was better than expected.

…Things turned out well.

Yeomyeong sighed in relief and stepped out into the hallway.

The moment he opened the door, someone standing nearby flinched and raised a gun. It was a young girl with sky-blue eyes, slightly paler than Seti’s.

Seeing her, Yeomyeong asked.

“Neti, are you on watch duty?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, I’m supposed to switch with my sister in ten minutes… Wait, brother-in-law, have you fully absorbed the crystal already?”

When Yeomyeong nodded, Neti let out a low whistle.

“And you’re not even an elf… What’s your secret? I still haven’t fully absorbed the elixir I took underground.”

“I just tried, and it worked.”

“Wow… Worst answer ever. If you weren’t my brother-in-law, I’d have totally shot you.”

She smirked and started walking toward him, only to abruptly turn her head and step back.

“Blegh, brother-in-law, what on earth did you do? You reek…!”

“Reek?”

Only then did Yeomyeong finally check his state.

His clothes were covered in dark stains, seemingly dried blood and filth, emitting a foul stench.

“You really went all out with that elixir… Ugh!”

“…Is it really that bad?”

“It feels like my nose is going to rot off! You should take a shower before meeting my sister! I’ll bring you fresh clothes.”

Neti pinched her nose and shoved him toward the bathroom. Yeomyeong willingly complied but threw in some questions as they walked.

“How long was I in there?”

“About two and a half days? To be exact… Let me think. It’s been roughly sixty hours since Balagu was scolded by my sister.”

“Any attacks during that time?”

“Just a couple of Rat Beastfolks raids. The kids waited in the alleys and set off the flares, so there wasn’t much damage.”

Surprisingly, nothing major had happened. Swallowing a mix of relief and lingering concern, Yeomyeong stepped into the shower.

“Use up all the soap if needed, but make sure you come to the first floor only after you’re all cleaned up!”

Neti’s instructions marked the start of his shower, but the dried blood and filth were more stubborn than expected.

Was it not just simple blood and filth?

This was a first for him, but after using two bars of soap to their entirety, he managed to return to a somewhat presentable state.

Once finished, Yeomyeong put on the clothes Neti had left by the bathroom door and headed downstairs.

On the first floor, Neti had already gathered their companions around a table.

Balagu, rubbing his eyes with exhaustion, Joseph, cleaning his pistol, Finel, leaning against the wall with a crooked stance… and Seti.

“Yeomyeong, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thanks to your protection.”

Having stood guard for two days without sleep, her face showed deep exhaustion.

As Yeomyeong reached out to hold Seti’s hand, his gaze filled with affection, Neti smacked the back of his hand as she moved a bowl of potatoes and spam.

“Save the PDA for when it’s just the two of you! For now, it’s time for food and reports!”

“…”

At Neti’s quip, Seti and Yeomyeong chuckled softly as they took their seats at the table.

As Yeomyeong began eating a piece of potato, the one-armed elf, Finel, spoke up.

“The Eastern Count Palatine and his Rat Beastfolk legion have managed to seize most of the city’s key locations: the northern station, sewers, and central market…”

“Since the Western Count Palatine is missing, his Mage Corps have defected to the Southern Count Palatine, who is occupying the palace… but it doesn’t really mean much.”

“Most of the Rat Beastfolk are tied up in restoring the northern station and playing occupation forces. That’s why this inn is still standing.”

That summed up the events of the past two days. As Yeomyeong listened to the report, he quickly emptied his plate as if making up for the missed meals.

As the quick-witted Balagu immediately headed toward the kitchen Yeomyeong asked while watching his retreating back.

“What about the underground armory?”

“They got to it. The Rat Beastfolk are hauling out weapons as we speak.”

“…The tanks, too?”

“Tanks? I have no clue about that. I could only observe from a distance. But I doubt the Rat Beastfolks can operate tanks—they’re not smart enough for that.”

So, at least they didn’t have to battle with tanks? Yeomyeong drummed his fingers against the table, his eyes glinting.

Just as Balagu returned with a plate piled high with spam, a knock resounded from the inn door.

Knock, knock.

“…I thought I told them not to come into the inn.”

Assuming it was one of the women or children camping outside, Balagu set down the plate and walked towards the door.

However, Yeomyeong and the others reacted differently. They all narrowed their eyes as if they had sensed something and just stared at the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

The knocking grew more urgent.

And when Balagu opened the door, it was indeed a woman holding a child—the same one who had set off the smoke bomb before.

“Selina, what did I say about breaking the rules? I clearly warned you not to come into the inn unless it was urgent—”

Balagu began reprimanding her, but the woman—Selina—cut him off frantically.

“I-I did it because it is urgent! Really! Look, just look up there!”

She made a big fuss while gesturing toward the sky.

Following her hand, he looked up at the sky and noticed something that hadn’t been there moments ago and was now blocking the moonlight.

A massive magic circle engulfed in blue flames.

“What the hell…”

Balagu, who had enough experience as a Mage’s slave to recognize basic spells, swallowed audibly.

“Uh, everyone? You might want to step outside and take a look at this.”

As everyone on the first floor stepped outside the inn and looked up at the sky, Balagu began explaining in a trembling voice.

“If my eyes don’t deceive me, that’s a spell for summoning undead, corpse control, and an area-of-effect… spell, all woven together.”

He seemed uncertain of his own assessment, but Yeomyeong was sure. The blue flames unmistakably belonged to Kahal Magdu.

“…How long before that spell activates?”

However, the answer didn’t come from Balagu but from an unexpected source.

- Grrraaah…

Hastily buried corpses began to stir beyond the inn’s entrance, their twisted forms rising from the dirt in grotesque postures.