Chapter 322: ■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ for You, and Only You (1)
[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]
Tick.
Somewhere, a second hand seemed to move, or so I thought.
“…….”
“So, Mister, where shall we head this time? We have quite a few paths to choose from. We could directly invade the headquarters of the Mad Demon Cult or take a brief respite by returning to the city!”
I looked around.
Slowly.
Savoring this world as if tasting it.
-Terror be gone, death stay away.
There was one existence that needed no savoring.
With an unimpressed expression, the Guardian Spirit recited the world’s most nonsensical mantra, clearly annoyed and bored.
Our eyes met.
-…….
As soon as our gazes interculted, the Guardian Spirit sealed his lips, his eyebrows slightly raised instead.
-Indeed.
The Guardian Spirit smirked. What was once annoyance had turned into acceptance, and boredom into understanding. Watching me like one would look at a hopeless case, he shrugged.
-Welcome back.
‘Yes.’
No more words were exchanged between us. Neither from me nor the Guardian Spirit.
Even if I had peered into ■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■’s trauma and regressed a day, I was still under the influence of [The Universe’s Wild Expanse]. The Constellation was still exerting its power over me.
Words that could hinder ■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ would automatically be filtered out and just like before, memories would be erased and distorted.
‘It’s best to minimize speech.’
And thoughts, if possible.
Without harboring any hostility towards ■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■, I simply continued to observe my surroundings.
The Constellation was all smiles.
“If we head to the city, hmm, that’s right! Mister, you have vanquished numerous demonic heads so far. The citizens tormented by the heretical demon cults would surely welcome you warmly, wouldn’t they?”
Beyond the Constellation’s shoulder.
“They might be weak and cowardly, but they will not forget your grace, Mister!”
Tick.
A wall clock was ticking away.
“…….”
Only then did the true essence of this world reveal itself to me.
This place had no dense forests.
No Thirteen Evils.
No Blood Demon, God Demon, White Demon, or Mad Demon ruling the shadows and lights of the world, and nor did they have heretical followers. No grand sanctuaries harboring vast secrets, no cities, villages or streets. Not even a small clothing store existed in this place.
Tick.
Only a wall clock remained.
“If we do go to the city, um, let’s see! So far, Mister, you have eliminated numerous demonic beings. The city’s residents, who have been harassed by the pseudo-demon cults until now, would probably welcome you quite warmly!”
In the meager attic.
A space barely four square meters.
Wooden floor tiles were filled with dust in every crevice. It was shabby. The floor seemed coated not with bleach but with dust, shining palely. There was a window, but nothing outside. Only eternal incandescence illuminated the room.
The faint light scattered dust particles.
Too small and too blurry to replace petals, these dust specks, taking up most of this attic along with the bookshelves, fell and disappeared.
A wall clock, wooden floors, a window, bookshelves, and dust.
“…….”
That was the 60th stage.
The entirety of this world.
“Ah. While Mister ponders over which choice to make, a man from the recently destroyed stronghold of the White Demon Cult approaches. He seems to recognize you, Mister. No, he specifically seems to have followed you!”
The last thing left was the Constellation’s face.
Not that he had a head.
Simply put, the place where the face should have been looked like distorted blackness, as if a child had mischievously smeared black crayon.
■.
Or ■.
It was either a window without anything outside or bars trapping the outside.
“[Ah, Mister, the King of Death? I am not a suspicious person. I am merely a hunter who was captured by the White Demon Cult and forced into labor until now.]”
Tick.
Black smudges where the Constellation’s face should have been, disappeared only at the corners of the mouth.
Thin lips moved slightly, now firmly shut and firmly shut, earnestly mimicking an old man’s tone.
“[Please come visit us!]”
Even without eyes or a nose.
He seemed happy.
The Constellation appeared content.
“So, Mister. What will you do now? The old man has finished speaking. He probably hasn’t shared the entire situation. Mister! How will you proceed….”
Whoosh!
As the Constellation began to raise his voice, a burst of light spread next to the chair I was seated on. Emerging from the light was a hunter, whose identity was unknown.
The hunter looked around in slight confusion.
“Huh? Where is this……”
“…….”
The Constellation frowned.
It was like a child being interrupted while building a sandcastle in a playground.
“Alright, congratulations. You’ve cleared the 60th floor.”
“…What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? It means there’s nothing left for you to do here.”
The Sovereign waved his hand dismissively.
“Just get lost.”
[■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
Once again, the hunter was enveloped in light.
Without a chance to respond, the hunter was whisked away by the light.
“Really. It’s so annoying when people interrupt the flow like this.”
The Constellation sighed.
“Ah, Mister, don’t worry. You’ll forget everything that just happened! Hehe. Anything that interferes with our story gets automatically deleted!”
“…….”
Is that so?
‘That was… someone who cleared the 59th floor and came up here.’
I realized what had happened.
After the Magic Tower had collapsed at our hands, the number of challengers aiming for higher floors significantly increased.
Some of them should have reached the 60th floor by now, and the others are still on their way.
The hunter who briefly appeared in [this world] a moment ago was one such case.
‘And ■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ is forcibly passing them through. As soon as the hunters reach, the stage is declared cleared, and they are sent away.’
That hunter must have had his memories altered.
He probably believes he had a proper adventure on the 60th floor, received a decent quest, and successfully completed it.
‘Even the Guardian Spirit had incorrect memories about the 60th floor.’
Let alone what the other hunters would think.
It’s certain.
This attic is now a sanctuary reserved solely for the two of us.
“What! Shall we refresh our spirits anew!”
The Constellation said brightly.
“As the silence stretched on without a response, an anxious air enveloped the old man’s face. Nevertheless, being a hunter who had stayed on the 60th floor for quite some time, it seems the leisure to manage his expression had long vanished. The old man—”
Stroke.
“…….”
The Constellation paused.
It was only after the Constellation halted that I realized I had extended my hand to stroke the Constellation’s head.
“It works.”
I murmured.
“Even if you’ve lost your appearance, you can still be touched.”
“…….”
“That’s a relief.”
The Constellation’s lips parted slightly.
“……Huh? Eh? ……Uhm?”
It stammered like a broken music box.
The Constellation seemed utterly baffled by the current situation, tilting its head left and right in confusion.
“Huh……?”
A buzzing noise filled my head.
I knew then, that it was the tower signaling the manifestation of the Constellation’s power. For a constellation that had lost its name, coordinates, and was beyond identification, the tower attempted to make its presence known through the buzzing noise.
Had it been before the regression, I too would have forgotten the recent memory.
However, now, for some reason, I hadn’t lost anything.
I vividly remember spending half a lifetime as Raviel and master, the conversation with the Guardian Spirit in the white space, and even the unnamed hunter who arrived only to be unceremoniously expelled. I remember all of it.
“Huh? What?”
The Constellation was flustered.
“Why? ……How? This shouldn’t be happening, um. Um!”
[■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
It was futile.
“Huh?”
And meaningless.
“…….”
[■ ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
No matter how much the Constellation exercised its power, or how much it begged the skill for oblivion, my gaze remained fixed on the Constellation’s face. The face smeared with ■ and ■, was reflected in my eyes.
“…….”
The shabby 5-square-meter attic remained a 5-square-meter world, and the wall clock was still a wall clock. The [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] skill had not erased or interfered with my memories.
My hand, resting on the Constellation’s head, where the face had vanished, did not retreat.
“Why, why…….”
“Because I feel no hostility towards you right now.”
I said.
“There’s no chance I’ll harm you. I have no intention of ruining you or disrupting your enjoyment. I’m harmless.”
“…….”
“You must have used [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] to beg. To exclude any being or event that interferes with our play. Thanks to that, even the slightest voice or thought that obstructs our time together could be eliminated.”
Stroke.
My hand brushed over the head that had lost its face.
Something that had been deprived and disappeared… Only a trace remained at the boundary.
Everyone has their own creases, but even the creases seemed invisible on the Constellation.
I hoped that at the very least, my touch could prove that something had been there.
“But your wish doesn’t reach me. Or rather, it does reach me, which makes it even more impossible to damage my memory. Maintaining my memory is deemed [for your sake] by the skill.”
“What…….”
“I want you to be happy.”
“…….”
The Constellation froze.
“Have I become your hope?”
I continued.
“For thousands of years, has no one ever satisfied you? Throughout your life, you abandoned your original name and even your face, yet, was there never a voice that truly reached you? Is that how you lived?”
“I didn’t come here to be a meaning to you. Yes. I can’t lie. I’ve forgotten most of what you said to me. To me, you are still nameless, and you will continue to be nothing more than noise that I can’t even locate.”
But.
“If you wish to make me your meaning today.”
If that’s the case.
“I will dedicate today to you.”
“…….”
“You’re not perfect.”
[The skill is activating.]
“You must have known you’d be betrayed the moment you gave trust to the first contractor. You surely had flaws too.”
[You have been designated as a target of The Universe’s Wild Expanse.]
“So you are somewhat rash.”
[The skill is activating.]
“Perhaps you regret things soon after starting them, get disheartened, but still can’t give up your own pleasure and keep challenging humans.”
Tick.
A small crack appeared in the black smudge on the Constellation’s face.
A fissure formed.
“Perhaps your eyes are slightly sharp?”
[The King of Death is exerting his skill.]
As I imagined, the corners of the eyebrows, the sharpness of the eyes, peeked through the opening fissure.
[The Universe’s Wild Expanse] made my imagination come true exactly as envisioned.
“……..”
“Your hair will be green.”
Tick.
I touched his eyebrows.
“Because you seem to harbor a lot of jealousy.”
“…….”
Tick.
The black smudge cracked a bit more.
Beneath the broken shell was the luster of emerald.
“……It’s pointless.”
Tick.
“I’ve already lost everything. Name and face both. No matter how much you, the King of Death, search, how can you find what’s not there?”
“Then I’ll imagine until we find it.”
Tick.
“I’ll give you silver hair. I’ll imagine black hair. Look in the mirror at the form I’ve imagined for you, and confirm it, then tell me. [Yes]. Or, [No].”
“…….”
“Not just the hair, but the eyes, ears, nose, everything.”
[The skill is activating.]
“I’ll summon countless co
lors and shapes, piece by piece, until someday, your appearance gets restored. Your name, too. A, B, C, D, every letter spoken will surely echo with the sound that was your name.”
[The skill is activating.]
“Let’s find it.”
Tick.
“I’ll find it for you.”
Another layer of black husk crumbled.
Eyes.
The Constellation’s eyes were grey.
