Chapter 158 : Chapter 158
Chapter 158
“How could I…”
“Don’t you want to fight alongside Martin?”
“….”
Of course she did. But…
“Is that possible…”
“Listen. It’s about the greatest empire.”
Star Child recounted the Cosmos Empire. The great order of the universe, Cosmos. The corruption of its emperor and pope. The time regression project. Its failure. A massive Time Chaos Dungeon swallowed the empire, its remnants expanding, waging war on humanity.
“….”
Lilac’s eyes trembled. It was like a novel, pure fantasy. But… she had to believe. That’s what a maid does.
‘How will she react?’
Star Child savored the pang of guilt. He knew how much Martin cherished his maid.
‘Cut me some slack, Martin.’
But it was fair.
‘You used up the Rosary’s stellar force, didn’t you?’
So don’t resent him too much.
“I see potential in you. Your heart for your master. That’s the heart Cosmos loves most. If you want, I’ll teach you gunnery, how to wield stellar force and mana.”
“…!”
“Fight alongside Martin. What do you say?”
“….”
Silence fell. Star Child lifted his teacup, sipped once, then again. The empty cup settled on the saucer.
In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through Lilac’s mind.
“…I understand.”
“….”
She’d seen it too.
“I want to get stronger.”
Nerjin, Savo, those closest to her, were growing stronger.
Luri, Adela, VIP café regulars—their feats swelled daily.
Especially her master. Super Rookie. Princess' Black Knight. Guardian of the World Tree. The world raved about him.
The only one unchanged was Lilac.
“Not for me, but for Master… No, for me.”
She’d only stayed silent.
“I want to stand by Master’s side, see and feel his world. It’s selfish, I know.”
Star Child smiled, deeply satisfied.
“I’m a survivor of the Cosmos Empire. Leader of the secret revolutionary group, Peacemaker. We once opposed the empire’s corruption but failed, now wandering homeless, cleaning up. Just two members.”
“It’s fine.”
“Me and your master.”
“Even better.”
Once ignited, the girl’s heart was unstoppable.
“Can I trust you, Maid Lilac?”
“Yes!”
“Great… Let’s start training today. But first…”
Star Child bowed his head.
“…If I heard right.”
He looked up, serious eyes on Lilac.
“When I teased you earlier, you said it was bad before, but now it’s okay, right?”
“Yes.”
What did that mean? She knew he prodded to hear her resolve. Was he apologizing?
Lilac tilted her head, but…
“You spoke of ‘Master Martin’ and ‘Master’ like they’re different people…”
Lilac’s eyes widened.
***
Martin panted heavily. Sebastian lay panting on the ground. Before them stretched a vast chamber. The journey’s end. The trial’s finale.
“Haa… Finally.”
Three days. That’s how long it took to overcome the traps and reach here.
‘William said a month.’
Even with system aid, a skilled person could clear it in a week.
‘This must be the destination and final gate.’
At the chamber’s deepest point stood an altar with a giant hound carving.
“….”
I approached silently, scanning around. Nothing else was there.
‘Which makes it scarier.’
Such a wide space? In games, it’s for boss battles.
“….”
Standing before the hound-carved altar, an indescribable pressure hit. The essence of the auspicious energy filling Ulvhadin’s depths.
‘Now what?’
I’d reached the altar.
‘My prey emerges here?’
And sees me as prey.
‘Gilbert, maybe…?’
Then I’d happily shoot him. But how to start the trial? Offer something? I had nothing. Activating Wild Instinct to examine closer—
“Ugh!”
[Grrr!]
Sebastian and I jumped back. On the altar… was me.
‘What?’
Two of me. I was shocked. The other Martin… was terrifying. His eyes, especially, viewed the world cynically, like when I wavered early on, considering joining the end.
‘Chilling.’
His lone hound aura repelled everything, allowing no one near.
“….”
How could I not recognize it? I’m much milder now, but that was once me.
Even now, I get that fierce against enemies.
‘I’m… hunting myself?’
I stared at the other Martin, likely a copy.
‘A mannequin, maybe?’
Emotionless, thoughtless, filled with hostility…
“Idiot.”
He—the other Martin—spoke. Calling me an idiot should’ve angered me, but I was too stunned to respond.
“….”
“You got played like that and still trust people?”
My head spun.
‘Oh.’
“A pathetic ‘me’.”
‘Not a copy.’
“Why so naïve, tsk.”
‘He’s…’
Why didn’t I question Sebastian not being copied? This trial is for Wild Instinct, a hunt with Ulvhadin’s hound and shooter.
“Let’s do this.”
No jerky pouch for Sebastian on his waist. Instead of Lilac’s uniform, he wore a tattered academy cadet uniform, its defensive magic broken. No Black Knight Hound armor or Peacemaker bracelet on his wrists.
“You die here.”
He stepped forward. A prickling fear hit my skin. A new sensation—not the despair of a demon lord.
“End this wretched journey. It’s for your own good.”
Was he my ‘divergence’? The me who didn’t choose to trust others?
“Pick up your gun, me.”
“What are you?”
With trembling hands, I raised my rifle, staring at the Martin ruling the altar.
“Me?”
He seemed to reach for his rifle but—
‘No, wait!’
He drew dual pistols from behind. Familiar at a glance.
‘Why… those are Star Child’s pistols!’
But the color… black. Beyond Black Knight’s darkness… like staring into the abyss.
“I’m your hunter.”
‘The end!’
“Pulling the trigger on this world.”
‘Losing Lilac and Sebastian!’
“A hunter.”
He fired the dual pistols instantly. Eight bullets shot out, black beams scattering. I knew the technique.
‘Curved shot!’
Eight bullets targeted all directions. No divine revelation like Star Child, but I saw the future. No matter where I dodged, a bullet would pierce me.
‘Perfect barrage…!’
No escape, I thought—
[Bark!]
A strong pull. Giant Sebastian bit me, dodging.
“Thanks, Sebastian!”
I swung onto his neck with recoil. He staggered. His hind leg was grazed, turning black. I pushed stellar force in, but—
‘Ugh?!’
The stellar force sparked, consumed by darkness.
“Cosmos' stellar force…”
A chill hit me. I looked up. ‘End Martin’ stood on the altar, watching us.
“You know Cosmos?”
“How could I not? I killed its holy saint.”
His casual words widened my eyes. I gritted my teeth, not angry, but asking.
“What’s that power?”
Cosmos' stellar force, the antithesis of evil, was pushed back. It didn’t seem demonic.
“Why think only Cosmos exists?”
“What?”
“Is ‘order’ the only word for the universe?”
…No. Not just order.
“Chaos.”
End Martin aimed his black dual pistols again. No, just one pistol, as if it was enough.
“The concept god opposing Cosmos. The great chaos of the universe, singing the end, Chaos.”
A bullet fired. Sebastian leaped. The thick dark beam shot with immense energy.
‘Instant death if hit!’
I dodged countless barrages. Running, leaping, rolling—it was fine. With Sebastian, I could handle most attacks…!
“Oh…?”
My body tilted, crashing to the ground. Beside me, normal-sized Sebastian looked confused, fallen. He stood, tilting his head… I felt the same.
‘What…’
I scanned the chamber. Empty except the altar. But on it… ‘1st attempt, 26 seconds’ was written.
“….”
Nothing else changed. My position, stance, equipment—all as before the fight, standing before the altar.
“….”
Blinking, I stood for ten seconds. Countless thoughts crossed my mind, and a wry laugh escaped.
“Ha, haha…”
Slumping to the ground, I rubbed the back of my head.
“…Died once, huh.”
***
“As expected.”
Star Child looked at Lilac with a knowing gaze. Her body was enveloped in white starlight.
“You’re the type Cosmos loves.”
Awakening stellar force in just an hour. Even for a concept god, not a personal deity requiring rituals, it was extraordinary.
‘This maid… a stellar force genius? Even I, Cosmos' saint, wasn’t like this.’
Jealousy? Hardly. Just relief. That this girl was born in this era, noticed by him.
‘If the pope saw her, he’d have killed her.’
Over a century ago, but vivid. The corrupt pope was a mass of jealousy and inferiority, even toward him…
“A voice spoke to me.”
“…A voice?”
“Yes. It said, ‘Offer a prayer.’”
Prayer. Natural for priests. Even nonbelievers seek gods or anchors before big moments.
‘But Cosmos doesn’t demand prayers.’
Not a personal god, but a concept god of universal order.
‘He grants power to all who restore order, without needing prayers.’
Though churches held formal prayers, Cosmos didn’t require them.
‘A revelation?’
Even he, a saint, rarely received revelations—only during great threats to world order.
‘But demanding a prayer…’
He’d seen how much this maid cared for her master.
“A Prayer of Love?”
“What?”
A miracle, only once in history. Despite countless lovers and deep loves, only one such miracle occurred.
“An old tale. Only one precedent.”
He began, seeing her puzzled look. This girl might…
“I don’t know details… but there was a woman who gained world-saving power through a man’s prayer. Though, this time, the genders seem reversed.”
Could she spark that world-class divine miracle again?