Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 208



Only Krnovel

208

The two cards I recently acquired through Jinseong’s activities are both related to the Apostles.

[Anton (polluted) who eats unpolluted fire]

[Luke the Constructor Who Knows Pollution (Contamination)]

However, the written wording is quite different.

That was the only thought that had already filled Jinseong’s head.

‘If you want to come out, you have to be a ‘contaminated’ builder, Luke. Isn’t that how it should have been?’

Even when it was Anton, it was confusing. It clearly said (pollution), but didn’t the apostle Anton say that it wasn’t polluted?

The interpretation that Apostle Anton was not contaminated, but his brain, the almighty Mateka, was contaminated… … was not in Jinseong’s head in the first place.

Although their names are different, the two are completely assimilated and become one.

Therefore, [Anton (pollution) who eats unpolluted fire] is the same as [Unpolluted Omnipotent Mateka (pollution)].

‘But this… … how should we look at it? If we look at it from an extreme perspective, in Anton’s time, if we just remove the label of (pollution), there is still one direction that emerges.’

[Anton, the unpolluted fire-eater]

The actions that Apostle Anton showed were clearly different from the main scenario that Jinseong himself remembered.

However, if we look at the card itself anyway, it could be interpreted excluding the status indicator (contamination) at the end.

But now?

If we exclude the last (polluted) part like the apostle Anton.

[Luke, the builder who knows about pollution]

‘I know about pollution. I should not have known about pollution, but this very situation of knowing about pollution is pollution… … .’

Now, unlike in Anton’s time, we should see that the last word (pollution) is functioning as a valid word.

That is, it is possible to interpret that one is aware of the contamination and is contaminated at the same time.

‘A tainted being does not know that he is tainted. A good example is Lotus. Even Lotus, who could be considered the greatest among the apostles in the field of telepathy, did not know that he was tainted, no matter how weakened he was.’

But is Luke different?

Are you aware of the contamination and recognize that you are contaminated?

If not, then you are not contaminated like Anton, but only know about the contamination?

‘Is that possible? No, but it makes sense. Contamination is ultimately a force that distorts the actions set forth in the main scenario.’

But if you know about pollution.

If he knew that he was contaminated.

Could the actions in that state simply be due to contamination?

If a person knows about pollution and then commits an act while recognizing that he or she is polluted, is that considered pollution or not?

‘There are obvious errors. The timing is different.’

Even if Jinseong himself did it now, it’s nothing more than that.

[Grim Seeker] Vivi, who is progressing through the route, is affected by the Black Nightmare, and has come to solve it.

When Vivi, who was running towards Hulk and Mew with her eyes rolled back, used and Jinseong himself became a shield to protect her.

When the black nightmare fell off her, it was judged to be subdued even though no actual damage was inflicted.

It’s a card that fell from behind her back.

It’s no exaggeration to say that we haven’t even seen the shadow of the Apostle Luke, the Builder, yet a card with the name ‘Apostle Luke’ already comes out?

‘I’m going to break my bones. No, what on earth is thinking-… … So, what is he thinking? What on earth do these cards mean?’

When Jinseong himself first became possessed, it was very simple.

All I had to do was fix the main scenario for users who enjoy the game Dungeon & Fighter. Rather than finding the contaminated target and devising a solution, I was more anxious about getting noticed by users.

But now?

‘It’s clear that at some point in time, the status of the contaminated objects and the text on the card changed significantly.’

The target of contamination, the nature of the contamination, the method of treatment, and the situation after treatment… … The present is already very different from when Lenny’s contamination or Lotus’ contamination was resolved.

There must be a clear reason why the is causing this pollution.

‘What if this was all intentional? What if, like I once thought… … is sending me a message?’

Could it be that the current contamination and the text on the card are also trying to tell Jinseong something?

Could it be that he is contacting you to have a conversation with you?

‘And one more thing-.’

Jinseong looked at Vivi.

It’s not just the wording on the card that’s strange.

Basically, Jinseong himself still had doubts, so he turned his gaze towards Vivi, but Vivi flinched when he received those gazes.

“Ms. Vivi?”

Jinseong asked.

I could feel that Vivi’s eyes had become moist, but I couldn’t understand what it meant.

Above all, what Jinseong himself said to Vivi just a moment ago.

Because Jinseong didn’t even know how those words would have reached Vivi.

“That…could be possible?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Huh? You just said it. That could happen. When I said I wasn’t annoyed, you said it was okay, that it could happen… so lightly…”

“Huh? Hmm? Oh, that’s right, well, as people live. They can make mistakes like that. I mean, don’t be too sorry.”

The tone and attitude of his speech seemed to 100% understand Vivi’s feelings and situation.

Jinseong had no way of knowing that this was making Vivi’s feelings complicated.

So Vivi tried to ask.

What do you mean it could be like that?

How could Vivi herself have understood what she had said to Jinseong, even if she had been intoxicated by a black nightmare?

Did you even hear those words in the first place?

“What I conveyed to you, Jinseong-.”

But she couldn’t finish her speech.

[I am afraid… …. Is it true that this Luke, the King of Hebron, the Lord of Light and Darkness, will die in such a miserable manner? This is an impossible prophecy.]

Because at that moment, there was a voice heard.

It was a voice that seemed to echo throughout the castle of the dead, even though there were no speakers installed.

[I will not die. I will change the prophecy. I will prove the prophecy wrong. I will find the light. I will also take possession of the darkness. I will put all things in the world to sleep in darkness and burn all things in the world with light.]

“This is-.”

“Luke? A prophecy? I, I need to write it down so I can relay it to the captain.”

Besides Hulk and Mew being excited, Jinseong also had to be nervous.

[I will find my old appearance… … .]

It wasn’t just because of Luke’s voice.

There was another sound coming from far away.

Again─── Again─── Again───.

The irregular movements following the regular footsteps, Jinseong could not have been unaware of it.

This was also the reason why Vivi could no longer say anything to Jinseong.

The one who appeared in front of Vivi and Jinseong.

“……Finally……Luke’s plot is finally revealed to the world.”

The second apostle, Hilda with crying eyes, said.

* * *

Hilda said, approaching cautiously.

“Hello, adventurer. My name is Hilda. I have something important to tell you.”

Not only his speech but also his actions were extremely polite.

Still, Hulk and Mew had to hesitate and step back.

“Hey, wait a minute! Don’t come near me!”

“Where…where on earth-.”

“That’s not the point, Mew! If you move, I’ll consider you an enemy! Hey, adventurer! And- J, Jinseong! You, react too!”

It was natural for the two people to be surprised.

A powerful energy that can be felt even when doing nothing in particular.

Although the castle of the dead is vast, Hulk and Mew are experts enough to have searched every nook and cranny.

It goes without saying that a being who suddenly appears without giving any hints to those two people would be anything but trivial.

That was why the two were surprised even though they didn’t know that Hilda was an apostle.

But that wasn’t why Jinseong’s expression hardened.

‘… … I thought it was time to meet him. He was not far from where I was with Kashias. If that was the moment when Luke was finally lost, it would have been natural for him to appear before the adventurers. It matches the main scenario that I remember.’

The appearance of Apostle Hilda in the progression of the scenario of the Castle of the Dead was already a known fact.

When Jinseong himself entered the castle of the dead to check on the loud noise and vibration that he couldn’t clearly understand, weren’t Hilda and Cassias already there?

Above all, the time she appeared was no different from what Jinseong himself remembered.

Still, there was one reason why Jinseong’s face was stiff.

One thought entered Jinseong’s mind before Hilda appeared.

‘But I can see it too… … . I’m definitely in Chili Shrimp’s timeline.’

It was a question that Jinseong had had before he even obtained the card, and it was also the reason he had looked at Vivi a little while ago.

How did Jinseong himself come into Vivi’s timeline?

It was clearly Vivi who arrived at the castle of the dead and progressed through the main scenario first.

Chili shrimp comes next.

If he is the last one to arrive, he should naturally belong to the ‘Chili Shrimp’s Timeline’, and this has been confirmed through data from the possessed people who had been ‘Anton Jjeol’ during that time.

‘Of course I can meet Vivi. Meeting a possessed person is nothing special. Just like Vivi and I met and fought with Ah-haeng near the sea train.’

People are fine, but NPCs are different.

It is impossible for an NPC to appear in this way, not as a merchant NPC that would be on the town map, but as an NPC that only appears in special situations while progressing through the main scenario.

Therefore, Jinseong was able to come to a conclusion about the matter he had been suspicious of all along.

‘The … … did something tricky. The difficult-to-understand phrases, the timing of the card, and even the ‘timeline’ I’m in now. He orchestrated a series of events.’

At least one thing was instinctively felt and genuine.

The more you learn about the .

is also approaching Jinseong himself.

“Hey, adventurer! Don’t just sit there like that!”

“Ah, that……”

Despite Hulk’s urging, Vivi still remained a step or two away from Jinseong.

He is looking at Hilda, but occasionally glances at himself.

Looking at Vivi like that, Jinseong nodded his head greatly.

‘Yeah, that’s why. That’s right. That’s why you were getting irritated, like, asking me to leave! That’s why you got red in the face and started talking nonsense to me! It must be because of the pollution! Are you trying to get to me through Vivi, !?’

The direction of the reasoning I was seriously thinking about may not have been wrong, but… … at least at this point, how can I explain the conclusion I hastily jumped to?

Jinseong looked at Vivi with a somewhat foolish thought.

However, what Vivi felt when she met Jinseong’s eyes was just irritation.

‘Is that a funny expression again? To Jinseong-nim, I… … .’

It’s not that I don’t have any resentment towards Jinseong, but whether or not I was consumed by a black nightmare, if it was my mistake to reveal my true feelings in that way, then I have nothing to say since it was my mistake.

Of course, Bibi is not someone who can do neither this nor that.

If she were her usual self, she might have had a more serious conversation with Jinseong.

But Vivi is not stupid.

‘Right now… … At least right now is not the time to be saying such nonsense to Jinseong-nim.’

Knowing that talking nonsense in front of Apostle Hilda would only cause trouble to Jinseong, her gaze, which had been focused on Jinseong until now, was now completely turned towards Hilda.

He looked at Hilda like that.

Jinseong also turned his head to Hilda, following her.

The second apostle, Hilda with crying eyes, looked back and forth between Vivi and Jinseong.

And then he opened his mouth again with a subtle smile.