Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 827: Rise of the Calamity [3]

With each rising notification, the pressure surrounding the space grew.

It took no time for the meter to hit 90 again.

My heart sank at the sight.

But that was the least of my problems as Evelyn’s gaze fixed on me.

“You…”

Her eyes flickered a darker hue as her hair started to flutter in the wind. The string of notifications stopped for a moment, but as her gaze fell on me, I knew that it would be too late for me to do anything, even if I used Emotive Magic.

“Why…?”

I didn’t answer, locked in place by the pressure that was coming out of her body.

“No, right… I should’ve known why. I was right.”

[+1]

[+1]

Ba… Thump!

My heart leaped out of my chest.

’Shit, shit.’

The ’past’ was repeating itself. I knew that I had to do something, but as I stared at Evelyn, I didn’t know what to do.

My Emotive Magic wasn’t working, and it was becoming very obvious that she was starting to overpower me. My mind scrambled to think of a solution, but as the seconds dragged, more notifications flashed across my vision.

[+1]

’….Think! Think!’

BANG—!

To make matters worse, Velar had started to attack Evelyn as well.

He started throwing the same words as before as Evelyn’s face paled. But despite all of this, she retained her gaze over to me.

“You really did want to take credit from me. You wanted to make sure that I remain useless while you steal all the thunder. Right, you said it… Why did I find it hard to believe in your words? What’s wrong with me?”

Her eyes started to darken further.

The pressure emanating from her body grew, and in that moment, it almost felt as though I was standing right before Delilah.

“Answer me!!”

Evelyn shouted at the top of her lungs, the surroundings quaking as a result.

For a moment, my heart nearly stopped.

Velar was no different as he stopped as well, feeling the pressure coming from Evelyn and realizing that something bad was happening. But despite this, he still tried to attack her.

Swoooosh—!

Magic circles formed in the air, and the surrounding air chilled.

I started to shiver.

But Evelyn didn’t seem to be at all bothered, swatting all of the attacks with her hand.

“It’s useless.”

She coldly muttered, her voice layering with another voice.

Turning her head in Velar’s direction, her eyes narrowed as several dark tendrils shot out from beneath and attacked him.

Velar’s expression changed as the unexpected attack caught him.

BANG!

’This is really bad.’

I bit my lips, my mind trying its best to remain steady.

But even that was proving to be difficult.

The pressure coming out of Evelyn’s body was suffocating, and the more I was exposed to it, the more my mind grew numb. Whispers started to enter my mind, and not a moment later, something cold clasped onto my arm.

“Tell me.”

Evelyn’s hoarse voice came a moment later, her gaze intensely focused on me.

I tried to pry myself free, but it was of no use.

“…I am right, aren’t I? The reason why I am this way is that you’ve prevented me from doing anything. You’re the source of my problems. You’re the reason why I am the way that I am.”

The darkness had completely taken over Evelyn’s eyes, and the surroundings started to get dark.

My heart tightened painfully in my chest. I opened my mouth to speak, but when I saw her expression, the distant look in her eyes, the faint tremble in her lips, I hesitated, the words dying before they could leave me.

’There’s no point.’

Evelyn was already too far gone.

Whatever word I said would go to a deaf ear.

In the end, I couldn’t do anything.

All I could do was stand there, staring as the notifications kept flooding in, one after another, filling my vision until it was all I could see. The darkness around me grew, and it was then that I understood that it was too late for me to do anything.

“Why?”

Evelyn’s voice entered my mind once more.

Licking my lips, I tried to speak, but Evelyn was too lost.

“Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”

The darkness had started to consume her completely, and I knew that there was no way for me to do anything.

Looking at her, she reminded me of something.

Of a certain someone.

’Julien…?’

Right.

Activating the fifth level of emotiva magic, her entire body was black.

She was just as black as he was.

The darkness had completely taken hold of her, and my heart paused at the sight.

This…

This was no coincidence, was it?

I didn’t even think.

I just acted.

Moving my hand, I reached for my right arm and pressed onto the third leaf.

This time, I didn’t have to wait long for the leaf to activate.

The moment I pressed on it, the scenery around me changed. The cold that once bit at me faded completely, and in its stead, tall skyscrapers started to form in all directions. The sound of beeping echoed a moment later, and the air grew heavier.

’What… where…?’

It took a moment for me to grasp the situation as I looked around, and just as I blinked my eyes, I was startled by a loud honk.

BEEEP! BEEEEP—!

“Hey, you fucking idiot! Get the fuck out of the road!”

“Ah…?”

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw a guy with a bold spot on his head shouting at me from behind the wheel. Several cars appeared behind him, all honking.

BEEEEEP!

“Move it!”

“…Hurry the fuck up!!”

Ah.

It took me a moment to snap out of my daze as I hurriedly crossed the street under the curses of the people around me.

’I am back in the past.’

Or to be more precise, I was back in my old world.

I was certain of it.

From the busy streets to the smoggy air. All of it was as I remembered as I looked around to see many people looking my way. I didn’t even blame them, as I wasn’t dressed for the present era. Without a second thought, I activated [Eye of Existence] and used [Lament of Lies] to change my clothes.

It all happened in a flash, and the moment I was done, everyone went on their way, completely dismissing my very existence as I walked across the streets.

’Why have I been brought here when I pressed onto the Third Leaf? Is this somehow linked to Evelyn?’

I wasn’t sure about my current situation, and when I looked around, everything felt both similar and yet different.

In particular, when I looked at the skyscrapers and the billboards, I froze at the sight that greeted me.

[The Seven Pillars of the World]

Seven figures stood on the Billboards.

Needless to say, I knew exactly who they were as I looked at myself on the billboard. I stood at the center, stoic and serious, while the others were smiling. I even spotted Noel, and next to him was someone who looked even younger than him.

’Toren?’

I couldn’t quite tell.

However, I believed it to be him as I took in the sight before me.

’I can also see Panthea. She doesn’t look much different frown ow besides her eyes, but I’m more curious about the others.’

There was a large man with red hair and a beard next to Panthea. That was most likely Veltrus, while Clora looked to be a mature woman with black hair and shifting eyes. She had a faint smile on her face as she looked at everyone beneath the billboard.

Lastly, there was Ivanth.

He appeared to be a slender man with long black hair and narrow eyes. His complexion was slightly pale, yet there was a certain sharpness to his features that made him undeniably handsome.

My eyes narrowed as I stared at him.

He was the most mysterious god in my eyes.

I didn’t know much about Clora or Veltrus, but I still managed to hear snippets about them. Ivanth, on the other hand… It was relatively silent.

It made me curious.

’What god is he…? Is it possible that he’s the traitor?’

My memories were still not there, making it hard for me to know, but thankfully, I was quite familiar with this world. I knew it like the back of my hand, and thus, after the initial confusion, I headed towards the spot where I lived.

The goal was simple.

Finding my past self and asking for some answers.

I was certain that he’d know about my presence and was potentially waiting for me.

But of course.

How could things be easy?

“Sorry, no one lives there.”

I stood before my old apartment, the old neighbor I was familiar with, shaking her head.

“The old tenants moved out quite a while ago. They’re still renting, but I haven’t seen them in a while. It’s mainly because they’re quite famous, but…” Her eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into her mind. “…Are you not aware as to who they are? Or are you specifically looking for them? Because if you are—”

“No, I just want to rent. That’s all.”

“Mhm.”

The old lady didn’t seem to buy my excuse, and all I could do was leave while shaking my head.

’Yes, I should’ve expected this.’

Given how famous I had become, it was normal that I moved.

But..

“Errr.”

I looked around me, blinking slowly.

“…Where the hell am I supposed to go?”