Royal Road
Chapter 436: Star, Rollback (1)
Chapter 436: Star, Rollback (1)
Pzzz, pzzz―!
Pzzz!
[The <Management Bureau> has discovered that Worldline #802 was Rollbacked for an unknown reason!]
[The <Management Bureau> has discovered that the law of causality sustained some damage, starting an investigation to find out the cause.]
...
Rollback, a phenomenon that was also called Back Server, referred to reverting a program or a computer driver to a previous version due to an error... However, even after it took place, the system messages were telling Chang-Sun that the reason was unknown.
A shiver ran down Chang-Sun’s spine. ‘No one knows? How can that be possible?’
Manipulating time was impossible for most Celestials, and it was even more difficult to intervene with a Wheel, which was a cosmic-level incident. Rewinding or fast-forwarding a timeline to negate a Wheel required an astronomical amount of Causality, and anyone who rewinded a timeline would have to suffer great consequences if that act created a turning point in a Worldline.
That was why Celestials whose Divine Ranks were connected to time were respected in all <Societies>, regardless of their Divine Classes’ level. If those Celestials could manipulate a Wheel, their stature would be similar to a Supreme Celestial. Even Chang-Sun and the Nine Heavens could not freely affect a Wheel.
However, the Wheel had been Rollbacked just now, so it was not a matter that could be taken lightly. On top of that, the incidents that had been negated included the death of influential figures, such as the <Anti-Star> Alliance and the <Horoscope> allied forces, and the <Extinction> that the Outer Celestial had brought... The amount of Causality that was used to negate the Wheel had to be beyond anyone’s expectations.
Aside from an Emperor or someone who was as powerful as one, no one would be able to do such a thing. Chang-Sun looked up to see if what he was thinking was right.
[<Deus Ex Machina> has received the request of the <Management Bureau> and started his own investigation about the abnormal incident in Worldline #802!]
‘...<Deus Ex Machina> doesn’t know the reason too?’ Chang-Sun thought in surprise.
He had thought <Deus Ex Machina> could be behind this, so as to allow him to save Ithaca; or perhaps <Deus Ex Machina> had allowed someone else to make the move... Judging from what was going on right now, however, it looked as if even <Deux Ex Machina> did not know the cause, even though he mediated the entire Great Universe’s law of causality and recorded all incidents and events!
[<Deus Ex Machina> has started to trace back the damaged Data.]
[<Deus Ex Machina> has discovered external influence, and is scanning the Data log in detail.]
...
‘Then what about Teacher?’ Chang-Sun quickly looked elsewhere.
When he first returned to Arcadia, Chang-Sun had blocked most of his Channelings to stay under the radar, but Mephistopheles was an exception because he existed outside the Great Universe.
Pzzzzz―!
[The Channeling is unstable; searching for the Central Terminal using other frequencies.]
[Searching.]
[Searching.]
...
[Unable to find the Central Terminal.]
[The Channeling to the Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ has been terminated for an unknown reason!]
‘...What in the world is going on?’ Chang-Sun wondered.
He was already bewildered after losing all his people to the unknown Outer Celestial, facing <Extinction>, and dying. However, a Rollback had suddenly occurred, and Mephistopheles had disappeared. A series of incidents that Chang-Sun could not wrap his head around had taken place, so he was certain at this point.
‘Someone else intervened.’
The problem was that Chang-Sun had no idea who could possibly have done that.
‘What should I do...?!’
Chang-Sun was feeling anxious for the first time. Even when he was put through the Divine Trial, he had not lost his composure like this, but he had a very hard time keeping calm right now. Experiencing an unexpected variable for an unknown reason could make even him nervous.
But just then...
[You have found the Terminal to the Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ in the possessed vessel!]
[Would you like to eliminate the Terminal?]
‘Ah!’
The messages that appeared in front of Chang-Sun brought him back to his senses.
Slap!
Chang-Sun slapped his cheeks hard, finally feeling wide awake. ‘Yeah, I don’t know who’s behind it, but this is an opportunity.’
Even Mephistopheles had warned Chang-Sun about the Outer Celestial that Sadalmelik had summoned, so Chang-Sun would be able to stop the previous catastrophe if he could stop Sadalmelik’s summoning ritual.
‘But I don’t know why I was Rollbacked to the first time I returned to Worldline #802, out of all the times I could have returned to,’ Chang-Sun thought, reaching out to the message.
『Let me go...!』
Paying no attention to the scream of the body’s owner, whose name Chang-Sun no longer remembered, Chang-Sun grabbed the message.
Pzzzz!
Chang-Sun’s hand should have passed through the message window, the way it would with any other holographic image, but not right now. He was able to grab it like an object and crumple it.
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ frowns after noticing his follower’s abnormal behavior during his search in ‘Eos’.!]
Chang-Sun tightened his grip on the message window as he read the new warning message, sensing that he had caught something invisible.
[You have grabbed the Channeling to the Celestial ‘Ursa Major’!]
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ tries to resist after realizing that the person he has been looking for is you!]
“It’s too late,” Chang-Sun said with a sneer.
[The Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’ has unlocked his Divine Class!]
Chang-Sun pulled down the Channeling to Alioth the ‘Ursa Major’ as hard as he could. His original plan had been to hide his identity and bring down the Star Order and Imperial Family first, but no longer. His new plan was to eliminate Sadalmelik first.
[The resistance of the Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ has failed due to his weaker Divine Class.]
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ has been plunged into the <Saha World>!]
An enormous crack spread outward across the sky of the execution site, and a bear who was far larger than most buildings was helplessly dragged out onto the ground.
“O-O-Over there...!”
“It’s our god! Our god has appeared!”
“But why is our god falling...?!”
“Ahhhhh! Our god is falling down!”
“Arrrgghhhh!”
Upon witnessing a Star Sign’s sudden descent, the crowd would normally have devoutly said their prayers, but they had to quickly run because of an unexpected turn of events. Before they managed to flee, however, Alioth fell onto them, creating a catastrophe. The execution site was also destroyed, and all the executioners were blown away.
Only the death row convicts who had been waiting under the guillotines’ blades were safe from the catastrophe. Paul, one of those death row convicts, vacantly watched the rope around his wrists suddenly loosening on their own.
“Paul,” Chang-Sun said.
“H-Huh...? Yes, sir!” Paul answered in surprise, looking at Chang-Sun.
From Paul’s perspective, the inquisitor who had been trying to kill him until now suddenly stopped the execution and called out to him very gently. Paul had to be very perplexed, but Chang-Sun chuckled as he recalled the good memories he had with Paul and Hiyan, although those memories only existed in his head now.
“Take Hiyan and get out of here quickly. Head to the swamp in the north, and you’ll be able to lose your pursuers,” Chang-Sun said, introducing Paul to his old divine ground again.
Paul tried to ask Chang-Sun more questions, but he could not because Chang-Sun leaped high in the air.
Whooosh―!
Tap!
Chang-Sun flew in an arc and landed on Alioth’s muzzle.
『T-Twilight...!』
Alioth stammered and trembled, not having expected to run into Chang-Sun like this. With Sadalmelik’s support, Alioth always acted pompous, but Chang-Sun knew very well that Alioth was a typical loser who could not say a word in front of a stronger person than him. Besides, Alioth had almost been killed by Chang-Sun several times during the <Myth War>, so he was terrified of Chang-Sun.
[<Horoscope> Star Signs have detected your traces in the Arcadian civilization!]
“I'm out of time, so let’s hurry,” Chang-Sun muttered, frowning slightly.
It would be a real headache if the Star Signs descended right then and there, so Chang-Sun pointed his index and middle fingers toward Alioth, whose muzzle trembled as he looked back.
『Ho-hold on...!』
“Explode,” Chang-Sun commanded.
Before Alioth could say anything, his head exploded like a firework.
Boooom!
Pzzzzz―!
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ has been annihilated, the <Myths> in his Divine Class dissipating!]
As Alioth’s particles spread everywhere, Chang-Sun found the part that was connected to Sadalmelik.
“Be seen.”
With Chang-Sun’s new [Wordwielding] command, the particles burst into pools of light, enveloping him.
Paaah.
“Where did that stupid bear run off to now...?!”
Beyond the pools of light, Chang-Sun could see a familiar person—Sadalmelik.
[You have trespassed into the divine ground of the Celestial ‘Aquarius’!]
[You are a trespasser, so you are imposed with a significant amount of penalties by the divine ground’s laws.]
Sadalmelik opened her eyes wide, not expecting a stranger to walk out of a suddenly-created portal. When she sensed a familiar Divine Class from Chang-Sun, she tried to retreat backward, but...
[The Authority ‘Execution Sword’ has been activated!]
The world around Chang-Sun and Sadalmelik was already changing.
Whirl―!
[The Divine Ground ‘Twilight-Setting Battlefield’ has opened!]
On a vast wasteland, Chang-Sun walked toward Sadalmelik, who looked at him in surprise.
“Y-Y-You...!” Sadalmelik cried as she waved her arms in the air, biting down on her lower lip. Even at that moment, she continued to distance herself from Chang-Sun.
Rummmble―!
The wasteland split, and an enormous geyser soared upward to rip Chang-Sun away.
Flash!
A ray of light also soared and split the geyser in half, revealing Chang-Sun, who immediately closed in on Sadalmelik with the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] in each hand. Sadalmelik was shocked, but she tried to find a new way to fight back.
Slash!
Sadalmelik’s right arm was cut off, canceling her Authority activation, and it did not take long for her to lose her left arm too. Her emergency potion fell to the ground and rolled along it.
“Ahhhhhh!” Sadalmelik screamed.
Thud!
As Sadalmelik was pushed back against a boulder, Chang-Sun held the sword against her neck and... slashed through.
Splassssh!
Sadalmelik’s head fell and rolled along the ground. At the same time, spatial gaps opened up in the sky, and Divine Steel chains flew out, tying her up.
Clink, clinnnnk―!
Above the spatial gaps, Thanatos’ eye appeared.
[You have successfully brought the Celestial ‘Aquarius’ to the courtroom.]
[The ‘eye in the darkness’ has opened!]
『You’re moving quicker than I expected. Is everything okay?』
Thanatos looked at Chang-Sun with confusion. From what he knew, Chang-Sun preferred to patiently proceed with a detailed plan, not swing his sword wildly. More than anything, Thanatos had a strong impression that Chang-Sun was being chased by something, which was why he asked his question.
Without answering Thanatos, Chang-Sun picked up the potion bottle from the ground. After observing the potion made by refining [Gaia’s Curse] for a long time, he broke his silence, replying, “Of course not.”
『There must be something I missed. What is it?』
“The Wheel...!”
Right as Chang-Sun tried to explain, a shiver ran down his spine and Spiritual Pressure fell on his shoulders. Something had to have happened outside his divine ground.
『...Why is an Outer Celestial suddenly coming here?』
Thanatos also looked up in the sky and grunted.
[With the sealing of the Celestial ‘Aquarius’, all the Nameless Altars in ‘Eos’ have been activated!]
[The inhabitants of Eos have become sacrificial offerings.]
[An unknown being has answered the summons, appearing in Worldline #802!]
An enormous wormhole appeared, and dozens of tentacles crawled out and descended on the world.
[You have died!]
[Rollbacking Worldline #802.]
Chang-Sun regressed to the time he had originally been brought to.