Chapter 60: Secret Assembly (3)
Chapter 60: Secret Assembly (3)
Chapter 60: Secret Assembly (3)
"Cough!"
Selena barely managed to pull herself together. If it weren't for the mental resistance of a Succubus Queen, she might have turned into a complete village idiot.
Mental resistance? Resistance, my foot...
This wasn't something to endure in the first place.
"Haah..."
She finally caught her breath after confirming that the 'Dream World' was safe.
Only her mind, which had attempted a direct connection, was damaged, while the 'Dream World' fortunately seemed to be operating normally.
Of course, the Pirate King had not been able to enter.
Just who on earth are you?
That question was at the tip of her tongue.No, rather, she just wanted to run away from this place immediately.
However…
?(I'mThePirateKing): Huh? When does it start? Room Manager! Hurry up! I'm dying of waiting!!
?(I'mThePirateKing): Holding my breath until the Room Manager comes. Grumble.
?(I'mThePirateKing): Owner, open the door!
"Th-This is insane!"
She couldn't help but get goosebumps.
The newbie(?) seemed excited as if full of expectations. This crazy being that could no longer be called a newbie was making a fuss about not being invited to her paradise.
Quickly open the door, he says.
Invite me to the 'Dream World', he says.
Was this the kind of terror one would feel if a vicious murderer was banging on a restaurant door in the middle of the night, demanding it be opened?
Ah... Could it be that this being already knew everything and was trying to kill her?
?(I'mThePirateKing): Open the door! My back hurts from waiting for so long!
?(I'mThePirateKing): Huh? Am I the only one who got kicked out?
?(I'mThePirateKing): Dark Boss~! I'm about to get upset! Open the door please uwu hehe
Was it because she had glimpsed a fragment of him? Every word he said seemed meaningful.
If I don't open immediately, he'll kill me...?
But even if I open it, I'll die regardless...
What am I supposed to do?
"...!"
Or is he enjoying himself by presenting a dilemma and watching what choice I'll make?
What answer should I give? What answer is he looking for?
If I just run away as I please, won't there be consequences?
Now all sorts of thoughts were running through her mind.
The most terrifying being she had ever seen.
The massive eye still wouldn't leave her mind.
The thick, cross-shaped golden pupil seemed to be watching over an entire vast world. Around the pupil, fluorescent blood vessels were seemingly an aurora spread widely like a spider web, and around the eye, a pitch-black abyss enveloped it like fog.
"Ugh!"
Trying to recall it again brought an unbearable headache.
"Hoo, hoo."
What would happen if such an impossible being took notice of me?
No. Let's answer first.
Although she didn't know what the other party was thinking, it seemed they had no intention of revealing their identity.
Though she couldn't understand at all, if that's what the other party wanted, she should go along with it.
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): W-Well... Originally, if we're not compatible, the connection... might not work. It's unfortunate, but...
?(I'mThePirateKing): Huh? Is that so?
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): Huh? Y-Yes...
?(I'mThePirateKing): ....
Is, is he upset?
What's going on?
Cold sweat broke out, dripping down her face.
She had no idea how to converse with him and in what manner she had to treat him.
Then she thought of something.
Ah! Come to think of it, he really, really hated the Oradge.
'I'mThePirateKing' had been shouting about overthrowing the Oradge consistently since joining the assembly.
What could have happened between the two?
Somehow, it felt like a being of this caliber wouldn't quietly hide from the Administrator's eyes like herself, but would confront him boldly.
Her mind raced.
However, both the Pirate King and the Oradge were operating without obstructions. Did that mean that neither one was superior, but that they were equal beings...?
In any case, it was clear that neither of them were beings she could judge.
?(I'mThePirateKing): That's a shame.... But why have you been acting strange? Your way of speaking seems to have changed subtly.
"..."
There's no way I could act like before after seeing something like that.
Of course, she couldn't say that even if she wanted to.
To her, both the Oradge, known to be the Administrator, and the Pirate King were the same kind of monster.
Anyway, since he seems to dislike the Oradge…
Alright then. I should follow along with what he wants.
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): O-Oradge. Is a b…bad piece of shit!
?(I'mThePirateKing): ?
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): The Oradge will live and die as a lifelong bachelor!
?(I'mThePirateKing): ...Huh?
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): That's right! Oradge will be cursed!
?(I'mThePirateKing): I-Is that so?
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): May the Oradge choke while drinking water! May the Oradge stub his little toe on a door! He must have a weird personality and no friends too!
The Pirate King only added interjections, not whining or complaining like before.
W-Well, isn't this a good response so far?
She seemed to have been cursing the Oradge for about 30 minutes. Of course, since the Oradge was undoubtedly a terrifying figure too, she only cast mild curses.
?(I'mThePirateKing): Kyah! The root of all evil! Oradge!
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): R-Right? Hehe...
Around that time, other users who had entered the Dream World started returning one after another.
It seemed they had been kicked out after consuming all the Karma they had paid.
Some were crying.
Some were happy.
Some were lost in wistful expressions, unable to speak.
Right. Let's change the subject here and naturally disperse.
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): Did everyone have a happy time?
?Thank you, Sir Darkness.
?Thanks to you, I had a good time.
?Phew.
?Is it time to return to reality?
?Next time, I should save up a bit more Points.
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): As you all know, we do not know what will happen if the Oradge finds out about this meeting. So please keep it a secret, everyone.
?Of course.
?Such a thing must never happen!
?Scary Oradge!
?See you next time.
Their responses were nothing more than affirmations because she had been diligently instilling caution about the Oradge. She made sure to instill it firmly so that they wouldn't get caught if they blabbed elsewhere.
Just when she felt relieved that she had finally managed the situation well.
Whoosh-
Her nickname started turning blue.
?What?
??
?Hup?!
?Huh?
?Eh?
?....
A moment of silence.
?(I'mThePirateKing): What is going on here!!!! Hey, Boss!!! Have you betrayed us!?!!
Kyaaaak-
She felt like screaming.
Her brain couldn't keep up with the situation.
[You have been appointed as a Moderator of the Integrated Dimensional Community.]
-Yes, yes, welcome.
She could almost hear the sound of her mental state crumbling.
?(I'mThePirateKing): You must be the Oradge's lackey!! Explain yourself immediately!
N-No!
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): I am absolutely not the Oradge's lackey!!
L-Let's send a refusal right away! Surely they wouldn't force someone who says no to take the position!
At the same time, a message arrived from the Administrator.
[A message has arrived from the Administrator.]
-O’ capable talent. If you do not want to taste a graviton bomb, submit to your fate.
Kyaaaaaaak! What is this?!
?(I'mThePirateKing): What's going on here! Boss, hurry up! Explain!
?(BlacknessOfDarkness): I-I don't know either!!!
Rather, she wanted to ask.
W-Why so suddenly?
Mental resistance? What a fucking joke. Now, she was able to fully experience what it meant to have a mental breakdown.
Her eyes trembled violently.
It was the crisis of her life.
***
While the Succubus Queen Selena was facing the crisis of her life and having her soul thoroughly shaken...
In the Root of the ?Great Sephiroth?, the voice of an angry woman kept ringing out.
"Aaaaargh!! You dare ignore my orders?!"
You couldn't even complete one simple order to catch one of the three who ran away?
Even after I gave you Sacred Blood?
She was about to go crazy.
"It seems I've been too lenient lately."
She realized she needed to take action herself.
Fine. I'll use this opportunity to clean house completely.
I've been treating them kindly all this time. Is that perhaps why? They keep crossing the line.
As she waved her hand, a door of silver light was created in mid-air.
She began tracing Kriella's trail through the silver door.
First, she moved to the world she had entrusted to Kriella.
"Ugh!"
The middle of the void?
A scorching heat like entering an active volcano greeted her. Because of this, she had to draw on the power of Sacred Blood to envelop her body.
"What is this?"
But that wasn’t all.
Sporadic shockwaves exploded, trying to push her back.
The end.
Was there any other way to describe it than that?
Red and blue auroras spread out like a vast sea, and here and there, groups of massive rock fragments moved irregularly, sweeping the surroundings.
U-Umm...
Even with her body wrapped in Sacred Blood, she could feel the heat. She was taken aback by the unexpected situation.
Having been part of the Root for a long time, this wasn't the first time she had seen a world destroyed.
A landscape where all sorts of natural disasters swept across the land like a storm, with not a single living being remaining.
That was the end of the world as she knew it.
But, this… At the very least, she had never seen an end like this before.
What in the world happened here?
She couldn't even begin to fathom what had /genesisforsaken