Chapter 873

Only then did Elia's eyes widen, her gaze sweeping across the fairies cheering alongside the beastfolk in the distance.

Diana continued, "Ian Hope only trusts two fairies. He doesn't trust the others in the slightest."

It was the same cynical, weary tone she always used.

"So I'm sure he expected a situation like this long ago and prepared a response. It wouldn't even have been difficult. Ian Hope understands how to handle fairies frighteningly well."

In other words, Ian's decision was not as noble as it appeared. Yet Elia merely puffed out her cheeks and could neither argue nor deny it.

Had she not personally witnessed Ian cornering the princess and manipulating her with nothing more than his silver tongue?

Even that being said something similar....

As the old memory resurfaced in her mind, a faint smile finally appeared on Elia's lips.

It had told her that its new agent was recklessly brave, far more calculating than he seemed, and gifted with words. It laughed while saying that he could be somewhat devious and greedy, but that those flaws only made him more human and likable.

That smiling face sharpened in her memory.

Suppressing her longing, Elia turned her gaze back toward the Black Wave.

"Either way, this turned out well. It looks like everyone got the outcome they wanted," said Elia.

Diana let out a chuckle. "Maybe it's because you're Ian Hope's goddaughter, but you say things that don't sound dwarf-like at all."

"As you may know, I'm a bit more dwarven in other ways," Elia answered calmly. She watched Ian extend his right hand slightly.

There was no need to wonder who he was calling, as Miguel was already hurrying toward him.

Whoosh...

Without divine blessings, Ian could barely remain standing. Even now, the divinity gathered around him was visibly fading.

Miguel slid to a stop beside him and expertly draped Ian's right arm over his shoulder.

"The sea will remain calm for a while," said Ian.

Using the black sword in his left hand as a cane, Ian slowly began to walk.

"Drop anchor and focus on rest and repairs. My adjutant will handle the rest. Dismissed."

The cheers died away almost instantly. By now, the divine glow surrounding Charlotte and the beastfolk warriors had vanished completely as well.

Everyone watched Ian limp away with Miguel for a moment when Charlotte shouted, "You heard him! Take care of the unconscious first! Move!"

Her gaze swept across the aft deck of the Black Wave before turning toward the main deck of their own ship. The beastfolk moved immediately without needing further orders.

"Come on, Pointy-Ears."

"Let's head below. There'll be plenty more lying around down there."

The fairies followed without complaint, some of them still smiling, their expressions practically radiating ambition and desire.

As Elia watched them leave, Diana asked, "Elie, could you organize the storage hold? I think we'll all end up sleeping there."

At the same time, Diana exchanged glances with Palmer in the distance and tilted her chin slightly.

Turning back to Elia, she finished with a subtle smile. "Of course, pay a little extra attention to my sleeping spot."

"I will," Elia answered readily.

Then, as she turned around, she added, "Though once everything's ready, please carry me over there as well."

Diana paused and repeated the words. "Over there?"

Her smile had turned awkward.

Elia nodded without hesitation. "My help isn't only needed here. And you're the only one who can move freely between the ships."

"It's not quite that easy... sigh... Fine. All right," said Diana.

Smiling brightly, Elia finally started walking. "Then I'll see you later, Diana."

As she said so, she glanced across the gap at Ian, who was limping toward Nila.

Elia was already organizing the questions she wanted to ask him when they met again.

***

Thump... Thump...

With a low rumble, his vision suddenly sharpened.

Along with a sensation of floating, an endless expanse unfolded before him, filled with ominous lights twisting and flowing like a distorted galaxy.

Yet the sight did not make Ian feel particularly afraid or bewildered.

Another dream like this...

He stared out at the vast emptiness. There was no need to wonder why his consciousness had been drawn here.

Though he had not fully descended into it, he had fought an ancient god. And in doing so, he had allowed even his body to step halfway beyond mortality.

This was likely the aftereffect of all those choices manifesting within his subconscious.

Thump... Thump...

It did not take long for him to realize that was not all.

From somewhere far away, impossibly vast presences and gazes began to make themselves known. Beyond the ominous galaxy, cosmic entities were watching him.

Whooom—

He still could not perceive their true forms. Yet, unlike before, he felt none of the terror or crushing pressure that threatened to tear his soul apart.

However, that was not the only reason Ian found it strange. The gazes of those beings, which should have been salivating at the chance to devour him, felt strangely devoid of hostility.

Why are they looking at me like that—

The space behind him suddenly became blindingly bright.

The moment brilliant radiance began spreading through the edge of his vision, his consciousness was hurled away at the speed of a beam of light.

Swoosh!

His vision instantly filled with dazzling streaks racing past him. It felt as though he were being pulled endlessly through a tunnel of swirling light. For once, even Ian found himself slightly startled.

This is a first.

It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Before he could even begin speculating about the cause, his surroundings changed once again.

The brilliant streaks slowed, and a gentler sensation of weightlessness enveloped him.

Swoosh...

At some point, waves of mist-like light had filled his entire vision.

Occasionally, colorful sparkles flashed like droplets scattering through the air. He silently observed the surreal scene for a while.

The heavens?

There was nothing resembling a proper landscape. Even so, the dazzling beauty of the place left him with no other conclusion.

Not long afterward, enormous silhouettes began shimmering beyond the luminous mist, as though formed by refracted light itself.

Whoosh...

Whenever he tried to focus on them, they only became blurrier, preventing him from discerning their true shapes.

Yet, strangely enough, they felt familiar.

The goddesses.

The thought came with near certainty.

Of course, he had no idea why they were suddenly doing this. At best, he could only wonder whether they wished for him to ascend immediately.

Fwoosh!

A crimson glow flickered at the edge of his vision just then. He felt the gazes of the goddesses turn in unison toward it. It was obvious this had not been their intention.

Regardless, Ian's vision rapidly began to turn red. It took only a few seconds, at least by his perception, for the goddesses' presence to disappear completely behind the crimson veil.

Whooom...

In their place, another immense presence descended upon him. It was also the most familiar presence he had encountered thus far.

Of course. I knew it'd be you.

That was why Ian showed no surprise at all. The moment he saw the crimson light, Karha was the first being that came to mind.

A thunderous laugh erupted as though it had been waiting for him.

—The goddesses wish for you to choose their side....

A voice that seemed to shake his very consciousness slowly burrowed into Ian's mind.

You're so damn loud.

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly. He still had no intention of treating Karha with any reverence. After all, he had once traded blows with the being.

—As for me, I don't care what choice you make. If you go over there... that would be entertaining as well.

It was more than enough to make Ian swallow a chuckle.

It sounded as though Karha was saying that if Ian became a Transcendent of the Void, it would come to fight him.

In fact, it almost sounded as though it was hoping for exactly that.

—So do as you wish.... I merely await... the moment you make your decision....

Before the voice could even finish speaking, the blazing crimson light drifted far away. Perhaps his consciousness was being flung away once more.

Multicolored lights whirled chaotically around him, and the next moment all of his senses returned.

Ian's eyes snapped open, and he released the breath he had been holding.

The dark ceiling of the carriage, etched with spell circuits, filled his vision.

So the void creatures no longer see me as prey.

Even now, he was still turning over the things he had just witnessed. Before the memories faded, he wanted to figure out why he had been shown both the void and the heavens.

Then were the heavens worried about that and hurriedly called me in? Or was it something else?

Countless theories, none of them backed by enough evidence, raced through his mind.

Neither possibility was particularly welcome. He still had absolutely no desire to become some sort of god.

However, that did not mean everything remained uncertain.

So the heavens really did know all along.

At the very least, he had finally answered one question that had lingered in his mind for a long time.

He did not know since when, but heaven truly had been turning a blind eye to the chaos within him.

Is it because I'm the protagonist of the game? Or because my soul itself wasn't completely corrupted by chaos? Or maybe...

Lost in thought, Ian suddenly let out a faint laugh. In truth, the reason hardly mattered.

Clink...

Raising his left arm, the brace rattling loosely against it, Ian reached up and touched the back of his neck.

A cool, unfamiliar sensation greeted his fingers. At some point, Yog had wrapped itself around his neck.

It was practically dying, yet somehow it managed to come back.

The image of Yog's true body flashed through his mind. At some point, it had stopped appearing in his dreams altogether.

For a moment, Ian wondered whether it might have been hidden among the entities watching from the void.

Either way, Yog was clearly going to remain unconscious for quite some time. It had already been exhausted, and then it had endured a bath of divine power on top of that.

Of course, after devouring such an enormous amount of chaos beforehand, it would not have been surprising if it ended up molting yet again.

Speaking of which...

Smacking his lips lightly, Ian blinked and opened his status window. This was the thing he had originally intended to check the moment he woke up.

Now there's really only one left.

The moment he sealed Raskagin and completed the quest, his level increased.