Chapter 34: Chapter 223

"...?"

Huh? The causality?

⟬«System» The main lead has changed.⟭

What?

⟬«System» Transmigrator Ailette Rodeline takes over the role of the main lead.⟭

What?

⟬«System» You have been liberated from the confinements of Infinite Returns to Save the World.⟭

⟬«System» Genre breach penalty has ended.⟭

What just happened? I was lost and blinking, when I heard the messages of the gods.

⟬The Eye Overseeing All Chaos advises that the main lead change function that was added as an option is actually the main product.⟭

⟬The Executive of Creative Economy remarks that the Genre-Change Voucher is ten billion cash for a reason.⟭

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World smiles and says that they told you everything would be fine as long as you didn't pick BL.⟭

⟬The Scale that Judges Souls congratulates you because the term, "Death upon dating outside of what is mentioned in the original story" is gone, now that the original story itself is gone.⟭

"Oh..."

The creaking gears in my head finally started to regain momentum, and I started to comprehend that this could be a great opportunity. The cooling air that blew down on me from the clear sky swirled around me from head to toe as a final message popped up.

⟬«System» Congratulations, Ailette Rodeline. You are the main lead who can save the world.⟭

It was as if the wind was welcoming me into this new beginning.

✠

There were two moons in the night sky—a full moon the color of blood and a half-moon the color of the ocean. Nothing about them looked like typical celestial bodies, their mutated forms effectively turning the dark sky into an abstract painting.

Beneath the strange sky was a stranger sight still, a tent-like structure in pure blue with yellow stripes that resembled a circus tent, surrounded by the corpses of undead clowns and marionettes. There were so many of them that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the entire circus had become a mass grave.

Above the mountain of demon corpses was a human, a man wearing leather pants that tightly wrapped around his long legs and a pure white shirt. He looked shockingly ascetic compared to the place, filled with flamboyant decorations and props, but the sight of what looked like leather straps peeped out between the tears of his shirt as a result of battle.

The conqueror standing atop the mountain of bodies stabbed his sword into the pile instead of a flag. It was a holy sword that blazed with the Blue Flames of Sanctity to instantly burn the demon corpses. A gust of wind flowed in from a distance, the chilling breeze following the current of the air to skirt past his body and play with his silver hair. His chiseled face, like that of a craftsman's greatest work, remained indifferent despite the wind's flirtation. The man was staring out into space without much purpose when a glint of realization appeared in his eyes.

"Oh."

He raised his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. He observed how the dark barbed wire markings that had been wrapped around the white stigma on his skin were crumbling away like powder.

"The limiter..." he mumbled.

It seemed that creating a hill made of demon corpses was considered a selfless act, for the binding force that confined him had completely disappeared. Blood began coursing through his veins as the sealed gate buried deep inside his body swung open. The power he had in Loop Ninety-Nine before he became corrupt flowed out and saturated his body completely.

He quietly exhaled and relaxed into the energy. Around that time, the third moon began to peek out from beneath the horizon, a purple crescent moon that looked warped and melted. The Walpurgis Night started when the moon that represented Evixinous climbed high in the sky, the collection of the three moons on one canvas creating a change in the Demon Realm.

Green fog began seeping out of the soil, a form of poisonous gas. A change in the Demon Realm affected the human world as well, for a Dungeon Drain, a condition in which poison seeps out of dungeon gates, was going to erupt in each of the nations. This dark green substance caused severe respiratory diseases in humans, which would eventually lead to a deadly plague spreading throughout the land.

Soon, the corpses of the demons had completely been incinerated by the Blue Flames of Sanctity.

Tesilid withdrew his sword and murmured, "I better get on with the subjugation and leave."

A Mentor and her Pupil

Surrounded by the beautiful stained-glass of the Vatican's worship hall, two women were standing across from each other with their knights waiting at a distance.

"Welcome, Saintess Muriel."

"I hope you've been well, Pope Senedict?"

The pope, who had recently recovered from an illness, scanned her guest, a young woman with long black hair and alluring eyes that were a mixture of green and gold. She was the saintess that was quickly amassing influence at the Vatican. Her elegant demeanor and her gentle smile were beautiful, as if she had been taken straight out of a drawing in a storybook.

To think that such a lady is the daughter of a poor country man... As shocking as it was to believe, Muriel Phylise, who looked like she was born to be a saintess, was in fact born in a remote countryside village. When asking the villagers about what Muriel was like, they unanimously praised her for being a kind soul of humble means, who diligently tended to an old couple with dementia.

Perhaps God was touched by her kindness, for she awakened Tier 8 Divine Power and was brought to the Vatican by Clovis. One might describe her as mysterious or suspicious, depending on their inclination.

Senedict quickly pushed her thoughts aside and remarked, "I've asked to speak to you privately regarding an urgent matter, Saintess Muriel."

"Please do share, Your Holiness."

"I've received a prophecy about a great disaster that is to be unleashed on the world not too long from now."

Muriel's eyes widened as she asked, "A prophecy? Did you receive it yourself?"

"No. Someone close to God relayed the message to me."

"Someone close to God? Who might that be?"

Although it went unnoticed, Muriel's eyes dimmed at the older woman's words. This information wasn't entirely pleasing to her. After all, was she not the being closest to the Strict Order and Goodness?

That was when Senedict quietly replied, "I cannot share any other details except one thing... This person is called the Darkness Conceived by Light. That is all you need to know."

"'Darkness Conceived by Light...?'"

It was a title with an obscure meaning, but Senedict didn't elaborate. Instead, she returned to her original objective and dug into her sleeve before she pulled something out. It seemed that her sleeve was connected to a trans-dimensional storage.

Drawing forth a very long object, she said, "Take this, Saintess Muriel."

"This is..."

The item Senedict gave to Muriel was a pole attached to a flag with a cross. It was an artifact Ailette had received upon subjugating Helkaion and had handed over in exchange for tithe exemption.

Senedict explained, "This artifact is called the Sacred Place Establishment. It can create a safe zone for our allies inside a dungeon."

"Why are you giving me such a precious artifact?"

"The one who delivered the prophecy advised that we will soon need it, and so I wish to leave this in the care of someone who has the most powerful divine power within the Vatican."

It was only logical that the artifact go to Muriel, for immense divine power or magical force was needed to activate the Sacred Place Establishment. As the Sacred Place Establishment was placed in the saintess's hands, she realized the object was as heavy as the responsibility that came with it. She stared at it for a moment as she lost herself to her thoughts.

Soon, she carefully asked, "Your Holiness."

"Yes, Saintess Muriel."

"May I also meet the Darkness Conceived by Light?"

"He will summon you if he wishes to meet you." Senedict didn't waste a second to turn her down. "You may be dismissed now, Saintess Muriel."

"All right, Your Holiness..."

Muriel left with the artifact, the gigantic arched doors closing behind her to return deafening silence to the worship hall.

With a sorrowful tone, Senedict remarked, "A disaster is going to be upon us soon. We're not long away from facing dark nights, filled with the shrieks of pain." She stood up and headed to the prayer room, for it was time to prepare for a requiem.

✠

I still hadn't communicated with Tesilid since his note about becoming a fugitive. I'd purchased a Genre-Change Voucher, yet I hadn't received even the shortest note updating me of his well-being. I was concerned, but I did my best not to lose myself to debilitating worry because the genre breach penalty was definitely over. He was probably safe now, so I had to focus all of my effort on what I could do to be reunited with him.

There were around ten days left before the Walpurgis Night, so Agnes and I decided to use that time for specialized training dedicated to making me an aura master. Five days had passed as I ate, slept, and trained at the highest point of the dungeon, but doubt was starting to creep in.

"I don't think I'm good at this..."

I was currently lying defeated on the ground. I'd studied and studied the various skills for using Agnes' whip sword and aura blade techniques, enough to draw them out on paper if I was asked to, yet there wasn't even the slightest improvement.

The looming wall at the edge of my power was so big and thick that it hadn't so much as budged since the beginning of my training—in fact, I wasn't even sure if I had even reached the wall. What if I was miles away, yet struggling for no reason? Frankly speaking, I had gained my aura thanks to the aura master package and the transmigrator benefits given to me by the system, so I couldn't say that my achievements were the result of my talent.

So... Is this my limit?

"Don't say that," replied Agnes with a chuckle, as if she'd just heard a joke. This didn't seem fair, so I said whatever I wanted to the gods with a heart full of sorrow.

It would've been better if the genre was martial arts. That way, my mentor could've given me an inner core cleansing, or I could instantly transform upon consuming ten thousand-year-old ginseng...

⟬The Executive of Creative Economy's eyes twinkle and asks if you want to purchase another Genre-Change Voucher.⟭