Old People Don’t Hold Hands - Chapter 154



Only Krnovel

Episode 154, Me and the Faction (1)

“… …Dicklen, are you coming to your senses?”

The first thing you see when you open your eyes.

It was Nowen, who repeatedly shook my body with both arms and slapped my cheek.

I opened my eyes and tried to move my body with great difficulty.

“Who, you opened your eyes… … !”

Nowen had a worried expression on his face, as if he was trying to check consciousness.

He patted my cheek several times, and not lightly at that.

“Uh, it’s okay… … .”

When I came to my senses and got up, the first thing I felt was my cheeks getting cold.

I gently touched my swollen cheek.

“How much time has passed?”

When asked like this, Nowen just scratched his temple with his index finger as if he felt sorry.

Instead of Nowen, who didn’t answer, Diana came closer and answered.

“Mr. Declen, you were unconscious for a good 30 minutes… … .”

“… …Me?”

“yes.”

… … I was unconscious for 30 minutes?

“What on earth happened at the end? We don’t remember anything… … .”

I turned my eyes away from Diana, who was looking at me with concern.

I looked at the other three people one by one.

“I, I don’t remember either… … . I clearly remember granting you what you asked, DeKlen, but I don’t remember anything after that… … .”

……what.

That doesn’t mean I have no memories after I collapsed.

Are you saying that you completely lost your memories after that guy appeared?

“… … .”

For a moment I was trying to tell him what happened.

I looked around.

Before they knew it, several adventurers had emerged from the labyrinth and were lined up near the exit.

And most of the adventurers here were looking towards us, where the commotion was happening.

… … But since the exit was opened again, it seems like the security isn’t as tight as before.

It was a fortunate thing for us who brought Inogen.

Inogen didn’t have any items or adventurer ID cards to prove his identity.

… … Well, unlike us, he has a clear successor mark.

It wouldn’t be that difficult to get an identification card.

Anyway, let’s move on from this issue for now.

I looked at the four of them again.

For now.

“Let’s start by moving the location.”

***

We headed to our accommodation first.

Naturally, the place we went to was a familiar place where we had stayed for a few days before.

After arriving there, I was lucky enough to get back the room I originally stayed in.

Nowen took the branch he had gotten from the cradle’s nurse and went to carry out our application for promotion to the 4th Count Adventurer.

The reason why Nowen went to apply was simple.

First of all, since Nowen had already left some of his luggage at the hotel where he had stayed before entering the labyrinth, he had to get it… … .

Adventurers whose status is guaranteed by 5 or more coefficients can apply for promotion on behalf of other adventurers.

Likewise, if you were accompanied by a 5th-rank adventurer, it would gain credibility and be more advantageous for promotion.

So, we entrusted the three of us adventurer’s badges and branches to Nowen.

In case something happens during the promotion application, Biella followed Nowen.

Inogen also went to create an adventurer’s identity card before the accident occurred.

… … I also took small precautions in case I got into an accident on the way.

Even if everything went smoothly, Diana followed along to keep watch because there was no telling when trouble might arise while trying to create an identity card.

For this reason, I was left alone in the large room.

“… … Phew.”

I held my head, which was still throbbing, perhaps from the aftereffects of losing consciousness.

And slowly, I tried to recall what I had seen in the labyrinth.

It was clear that Biella, Diana, and Nowen did not remember.

On the way to the accommodation, and after arriving at the accommodation, I asked exactly how much I remembered.

Nowen said he didn’t remember anything after I put the branch in the cradle as I asked.

When asked if he remembered seeing something popping out from there,

“… … Popped out? Are you saying something popped out of the cradle?”

He just tilted his head and answered like this, as if he had no recollection at all.

… … Diana and Biella also didn’t remember.

I asked Inogen, who had a relatively strong will, wondering if he had seen anything.

“… … ? What are you talking about, human? You suddenly called us together and came out of the labyrinth, didn’t you?”

Any memory of something that sprang from the cradle like Nowen was completely erased.

… … No, to be exact, it seemed more like it was distorted rather than deleted.

As things turned out this way, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

The thing called ‘root’ that the Frost Queen and the guy from the cradle consistently talked about.

… … Everyone’s memories of the person who said that were distorted.

The only one who has roots, other than me.

As similar situations kept repeating themselves, I couldn’t help but become more skeptical about the thing called roots.

It was something so great that the Frost Queen would have wanted it… … .

The current situation is unusual, as if memories have been manipulated to prevent information about that object from being obtained.

Above all, the appearance of the guy who was trying to attack me and tell me to give up my roots… … .

He was definitely one of the gods that appeared in EndWorld.

To be precise, it was the god ‘Kirche’ who created the power of fusion.

The god of the hunters, whom they worship so zealously and struggle to protect.

Typically, the dens of hunters who serve Kirche had giant eye shapes carved all over them as symbols.

But I knew that Kirche’s eyes weren’t the only thing that made him who he was.

While playing EndWorld and hunting countless hunters,

There was even a time when I turned the den of those who were essentially closer to Kirche.

That is, the successors who received more inheritance from that bastard Kirche.

After finally killing all the leaders of the den, I was able to reach the secretly hidden altar.

And what was drawn there was not the eye-shaped symbol commonly found in hunter’s dens.

A long, towering head and arms and legs that stick out awkwardly.

And the countless eyes and mouths strangely placed on its head.

… … It looked exactly like the last time I saw him in the empty cradle.

In the first place, there weren’t any monsters like that in EndWorld.

So, I had no choice but to come to this conclusion.

The conclusion is that what we saw in the empty cradle a little while ago was the god of fusion, ‘Kirche’.

I don’t know why he showed up there, but it was definitely Kirche.

Or, if not, at least it would be a clone directly connected to the bastard’s ego.

Let’s sort out the identity of the guy we met in that empty cradle.

I couldn’t help but become more curious about the ‘root’ thing he was talking about.

Even though it’s not that powerful, is it something that a so-called god would covet?

And you covet the things that a mere mortal like me has?

Besides, Kirche clearly said this.

[Why, why do you have that! It’s all, uhm, Gyes, yea, mine, all! It’s mine, mine, yea―!!]

Because his pronunciation was so awkward, it wasn’t easy to understand…

Clearly, the bastard was claiming to be the successor to the root.

In addition, he was also claiming ownership of the roots.

In all my time playing EndWorld, I’ve never once heard the Frost Queen mention anything called a root.

But, judging from the fact that the Frost Queen also talks about wanting this item, it’s clear that…

If you looked into the future to prevent the destruction of the world, there’s a good chance you’d learn about that thing.

And the thought that Kirche, who was also a god, wanted to do so only strengthened this thought.

But if it happens like this… … .

Although we don’t know what the purpose of that root is, it is said to have a power that is powerful enough to prevent the destruction of the world.

And that’s what I have now.

But that being said… … .

“Isn’t it just so insignificant?”

No matter how much I think about it, I just have a little more special power than others.

Now he was just a mere 4th coefficient adventurer.

A level 4 adventurer, one level lower than Nowen.

So, no matter how much you think about it, it’s hard to believe.

And above all… … .

There is no way that my hypothesis will always be correct, so no information is certain.

Literally, the hypothesis was just my own idea.

However, it won’t be easy to get information here.

Of course, there would be no record in the city of something that even the dragon doesn’t know about.

So, there is only one conclusion.

If we were to gain any additional information about the roots, we would need to consult at least an older being who has lived longer than the dragon… … .

At least if you can say that you lived longer than the dragon.

… … I guess I have to become a god.

I tried repeatedly clenching and unclenching my fist.

While playing EndWorld, I didn’t really form any separate factions with the gods.

From the beginning, they were closer to competitors to me as a player of the game.

Given the nature of my power, I have no choice but to grow by killing the successors of other gods.

… … So in the case of Revalo, because so many of my successors were dying, I got really angry and even issued a wanted notice.

For that reason, we didn’t necessarily form factions.

There was one faction that I gradually became familiar with while playing EndWorld.

Unlike the gods who basically try to prevent the erosion of the labyrinth by raising successors.

A faction formed by those who wish for the entire world to be destroyed like this.

Simply put, the Society of Destruction.

Now that we have no choice but to turn against the existing gods.

There would be no other place to turn for help.

And above all… … .

From what I’ve heard while playing EndWorld, there are many very old gods there.

Since the purpose of forming the faction was dangerous, specific information about the people within it was not revealed…

I knew one thing for sure.

It is certain that you will be able to contact the Destruction Society through one of the world lines on the 4th floor.

While I was quietly thinking about a route to contact the Destruction Society.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Who are you?”

I asked cautiously.

“… … .”

No voice was heard.

Judging from the fact that they’re still quiet, they don’t seem to be the four people who left earlier.

As I was holding the doorknob for a moment, I thought about what to do.

In an instant, the sound outside the door disappeared.

“… … ?”

I opened the door, feeling strange that there was no sign of life.

There was no one at the door.

… … Instead, the door opened and there was something stuck in the gap.

All that fell was a neatly folded red note.