Chapter 253

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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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‘…Shackles.’

He was not surprised by the content of the message he heard.

He had already heard from Team Zero that the goddess’s seal could be broken by conquering the private area.

However, he needed more information to know how much of the shackles the expression “a portion” meant.

Swish-

Han-bit, who shifted his gaze, began to walk slowly through the city interior.

Even looking again, it was a scene clearly different from the first private area.

Considering there had even been modern seasonings, it felt like the era had changed.

-It’s too quiet;

-What is he doing in the private area?

-Isn’t this just an event map?

-If everything opens, something might happen?

-Great change ㄷㄷ

Viewers did not know the meaning of this space.

In the first place, except for Han-bit and a few others, there was no way to obtain meaningful information.

The Goddess of Upheaval’s side had probably only noticed that something was strange.

Step-

Han-bit, who was wandering through the still empty city, headed for the outskirts.

The city walls that existed here as well.

Although the appearance was different, the structure itself was the same as the first private area.

‘It was this way.’

The location where Avant-garde had found the gravestone was not far.

Han-bit walked carefully while examining below.

He soon stopped and knelt on one knee to look down.

‘As I thought, it’s there.’

A gravestone in a slightly better condition than in the first area.

The white crescent moon engraved on the surface and the sword crossing through the center were also vivid.

He did not know whose gravestone it was, but it was clear that it was connected to the Goddess of Silence in some way.

Swish-

Han-bit reached out toward the gravestone.

And the moment he carefully brushed away the dust on the surface, an alarm rang in his ears.

Ding-

[Sensory Resonance has occurred.]

[Entering a recorded gap in the past.]

Swish-

With a faint message, a hazy sensation permeated his consciousness.

Before he knew it, the scene of a ruined city was unfolding in front of Han-bit’s eyes.

“Serenia-nim……”

An elderly woman reaching out from the ruins let out a groaning voice.

Her body was half crushed, making it unrecognizable.

“Runessa, hold your tongue. I will restore you right now.”

A woman wearing torn and dirty white clothes grabbed her hand and spoke.

But no matter how much power she poured, no change occurred.

“I was… happy to serve the Goddess of Silence.”

“I told you to hold your tongue. Just a little more, just a little more and my divine power will……”

“Please, be safe……”

Tok-//

The elderly person’s head, who was speaking, fell weakly to the side.

“Ugh.”

The woman, who pressed her forehead against the tightly held hand, bit her lip and stood up.

Although the city was already beyond recognition, she tried to find survivors somehow.

“Jenar!”

The woman, who was rummaging through the interior, discovered a boy at a distance.

He was buried under the building’s rubble.

“…Ah, Serenia-nim.”

The boy, who heard the woman’s voice, showed a faint smile.

Nothing was reflected in his already ruined eyes.

“Just wait a little! I will save you soon!”

The woman, who tightly held his hand again, tried to pour her power.

But nothing changed.

“It’s… okay. I’m now……”

“I am not okay! This kind of rubble!”

The woman, who stood up, tried to push away the massive rubble.

Wounds appeared on her sacred fingertips that should not have been wounded, and blood gathered, but she did not stop her efforts.

“Serenia-nim.”

Then, the boy, who had only been listening to the sounds, called her name in a low voice.

The woman, who had been pushing the rubble with all her might, soon collapsed to her knees as if falling.

“I’m sorry. I was… too lacking.”

She apologized with a grief-stricken face.

A warm touch reached her trembling hand.

“Please don’t… say that. I have nothing but… gratitude.”

The voice, continuing while intermittently stopping her breath, made the woman’s expression even sadder.

She grabbed the boy’s hand.

“Jenar, I will definitely… definitely restore you. Somehow I will……”

The woman’s voice, who was speaking, soon stopped.

She, who was looking at the boy who had become a corpse, raised her head while kneeling.

There, a purple sky was shimmering.

Swish-

Along with that sight, the scenery reversed again.

The background was that spot on the city wall where Han-bit was.

But the atmosphere completely changed due to a woman slowly approaching.

‘…Is this also a gap in the past?’

The Goddess of Silence, who appeared from the tragic scene just before.

The blunt expression she wore now was almost identical to how she appeared in memory.

Swish-

The goddess, who approached right in front of Han-bit, lowered her stance.

And slowly reaching out toward the gravestone, she spoke.

“I’m sorry. It seems you’ll have to wait a little longer.”

A difficult-to-describe emotion was felt in the low voice.

To be precise, it felt as if that emotion was piercing Han-bit’s chest.

“You were here, Serenia-nim.”

Then, a man’s voice was heard from behind.

The fixed gaze of the goddess on the gravestone did not move his field of vision.

Fortunately, his identity was revealed in the conversation.

“Sage of the Era, what future do you see?”

“…I am merely an observer. But the wave that will come again will be difficult to endure. The situation is stagnant due to a clash of powers, but the Goddess of Upheaval is a powerful being.”

“Yes, that is a correct insight.”

Even at the man’s sharp evaluation called the Sage, the goddess calmly nodded.

She, who had been carefully brushing away the dust from the gravestone, slowly rose and spoke.

“But the path to victory is not closed. For me, no, for us……”

Swish-

At that moment, the continuing voice blurred like fog.

Beneath Han-bit, who was kneeling on one knee, the gravestone was still visible.

‘It’s also strange that there is no name.’

The name Serenia, which he had not heard even when the being called the goddess became the Goddess of Silence.

Moreover, the elderly woman who appeared in the recollection just now was the same person he saw in the cradle.

‘…The feeling is strange.’

It was not simply that he had seen a gap in the past; what he felt in his chest was too complexly intertwined.

Han-bit, who felt puzzled, slowly rose and looked at the chat window.

There was no possibility that this scene was shared, but he had a thought.

But the atmosphere was somehow strange.

-Why is he like this?

-It’s scary;

-Suddenly?

-Have you been having a hard time lately?

-We’re sorry.

He tilted his head involuntarily at the story he could not follow.

That doubt arose from several chats.

-Just cry out loud, Black Dragon.

-For real, holding it in makes you sick;

-He’s handsome even when he cries;

“……?”

Han-bit’s mind stopped for a moment as he read the content.

Crying.

It meant shedding tears.

The problem was why that story suddenly came up.

Swish-

Han-bit, who manipulated the camera, switched to mirror mode.

And he looked at himself reflected in the screen.

“Eh?”

The same face as usual.

It was still identical to his appearance in reality.

Except for the tears flowing from his two eyes.

Swish-

Han-bit, who raised his hand, quickly wiped away the tears.

But since they did not stop for a long time, he decided to temporarily stop the broadcast.

“One moment. There seems to be… some error. I’ll turn it back on in about an hour.”

Click-

Han-bit, who cut the transmission, covered his face with both hands.

He, who gave up on the flowing tears, let out a sighing voice.

“…Is it because the shackles have been released?”

The tragedy of the ancient city seen through the gap in memory.

The goddess’s emotion, which had helplessly faced the death of her people, was too deeply assimilated.

Perhaps the change in the seal had become the cause.

In other words, it was correct to view these tears not as Han-bit’s but as the goddess’s.

Krrr-

The Heavenly Fox, who seemed to have felt worry, appeared and wrapped around his body.

[Are you okay?]

Sylph, who had been quiet for a while, also tried to comfort him by creating a gentle breeze.

He was grateful, but it was truly not Han-bit’s sorrow.

“Haa.”

He, who took a deep breath again, looked at the sky.

The world ravaged by the Goddess of Upheaval.

According to Zero’s words, there was a possibility that this tragedy would become Earth’s future.

It would only be if the clear of this Record Project was taken by the Sacred Body Faction.

Swish-

Han-bit, who had finally stopped crying, stood up.

He had thought about waiting for Team Zero’s message, but if there was still no news, it meant the time had not come.

He turned his head and looked inside the city.

“…They can’t come in?”

Other players who did not appear even though some time had passed.

If thought simply, it would require clearance qualifications, but there was one variable.

[First Liberator]

When the first private area is liberated, one can manage all entry qualifications for each area.

Those added to the blacklist are deprived of entry qualifications for that area.

The title obtained as a reward for clearing the first private area.

He had not used this effect yet, but if he wanted, he could even prohibit entry for those who had obtained qualifications.

First, it would be correct to filter out all the Sacred Body Faction members.

“Let’s go.”

Han-bit, who finished his thoughts, moved his steps toward the exit inside the city.

Swish-

He passed through the shimmering portal and came outside.

There stood countless players who had not even entered.

‘Cannot they enter?’

Countless gazes directed at Han-bit and people pushing at the entrance.

He could sufficiently tell that there was some problem.

“Black Dragon.”

Then, a man holding a black bow approached from the crowd.

It was the Ranger who had helped him.

“What happened?”

“Entry has been blocked. They just kept saying there are no qualifications.”

“…Really?”

A complete entry ban, which was one of the situations he had speculated.

Unlike ordinary quests or episodes, there seemed to be only one Witch of Lamentation.

If this happened, Han-bit’s qualification grant would become the only method.

Of course, he had no intention of announcing this fact yet.

“That’s too bad. I’m leaving.”

Han-bit, who shrugged, walked along the path below the cliff.

But for some reason, Ranger followed him.

“What, why?”

“I have a message.”

“A message?”

Han-bit expressed doubt at the somewhat abrupt story.

Because he could not think of anyone for Ranger to deliver a message on behalf of.

“Who?”

“It’s Liwei.”

“…Liwei?”

The name, which seemed to have absolutely no connection, was even more puzzling.

He was scheduled to meet someday, but were he and Ranger close?

No matter how much he thought about it, he could not remember.

“…You don’t have to make that expression. I am aware that the relationship is faint.”

His thought must have been clearly shown on his face, as Ranger added an explanation.

Han-bit, who scratched his cheek, turned the conversation to the main topic.

“So what is the message?”

“That he is waiting at Peria Island.”

“Couldn’t that be sent by message?”

“There is a reason. It would be better to hear the details directly.”

Whoosh-!

Ranger, who finished the message, slung his bow over his shoulder.

He seemed to still be guarding the surroundings.

“…Come to think of it.”

He, who was fiddling with his bow, hesitated slightly before starting.

And then he asked an uncomfortable question.

“You were shedding tears inside. Did some problem arise?”

“No. It’s just an error.”

“I see.”

When he gave a direct answer, Ranger nodded.

He, who organized his bow again, turned back.

“Then I will be going.”

Tak-!

Ranger, who disappeared by kicking off before he could even say anything.

The memories of when he used to provoke and blush felt like lies.

“Shall I also go?”

Han-bit took out a Warp Crystal from his inventory.

The destination was the island in the west of the continent where existing players had been progressing through Episode 8.

It was Peria, which also served as a Restricted Area.