Chapter 101: Nano (3)
The palace slowly began to vanish. It was a testament to the civilization built by countless human hands hundreds of years ago. Priceless decorations, works of art meticulously crafted by master artisans—every luxury that proved the splendor of the kingdom—lost its meaning and disintegrated into something else entirely.
It wasn’t just the palace. The people who had lived and breathed within its walls were also changing. Servants who had been bustling about in confusion lost their sense of self. The king’s desperate commands faded away. Knights who had steeled themselves for battle disappeared before their resolve could harden. Even a beloved cat, cherished by everyone as it lazed in the palace’s courtyard, ceased to exist.
All living traces of humanity within the palace turned colorless. In the midst of that transformation, the source of the calamity spoke, its voice brimming with anger. “We had no intention of revealing ourselves. We intended to respect your will and grant you freedom.”
“That’s why you tried to stay hidden,” Ketal murmured. Until now, Nano had made every effort to conceal itself. It only showed its true nature when Ketal forcefully dragged it out.
“We offered you mercy so you could live the lives you desired, without fearing death or loss,” Nano continued.
Surprisingly, it spoke with genuine goodwill—at least from its own perspective. It wanted to free humans from their fear of death and grant them all they wished. It was like the Philosopher’s Stone came to life.
However, Ketal only smiled. “It’s meaningless when you’ve replaced everything to begin with.
In truth, every person who had once lived here was dead. What remained were beings that believed themselves to be human, yet were just a collection of alien puppets—like Elene before she realized something was amiss. Unless they questioned their reality, they would never know they were imitations.
“Is it fun to pretend you’re showing mercy while copying the dead?” Ketal asked Nano softly. Though his tone was calm, Nano heard it clearly. The space around them grew heavy with hostility.
“Human,” it hissed, its voice laced with unmistakable malice. “You, above all, will never be replaced. I will erase you from this world.”
“That’s kind of you,” Ketal replied with a bright smile.
At last, Nano made its move. Countless microscopic entities, invisible to the naked eye, rushed Ketal from every direction. They filled the air around him, crushing inward as though binding him with iron chains. Nano was a vast mass of tiny particles, able to occupy space itself and swallow its target completely. It had likely consumed the entire Lutein Kingdom this way—overwhelming it and then replacing everything inside.