Chapter 110 – History Journey (3)

―The future?

Non showed a puzzled expression at Rough’s mention of time travel.

Because at Rough’s level, time travel was impossible.

But that doubt was resolved by the scene that followed.

Because Lee Hanseong once again combined Shrinking Earth and the Path of the Fairies to create a portal, and through it, Rough instantly departed somewhere.

―Huh…! So a Transcendent from the Reverse World was assisting Rough’s travel.

Non’s Eye of Insight, which saw through the essence, immediately recognized the existence of Lee Hanseong, who formed the portal, and the fact that he was the same person as the Transcendent from the Reverse World.

Realizing that Rough seeking him out was ultimately that being’s will, Non offered a respectful greeting through the Shadow God of the Reverse World.

Bow.

Rough was merely an agent.

Having realized the truth that all changes in the Historical Alteration were due to Lee Hanseong’s will, Non offered sincere gratitude.

* * *

Meanwhile, the place where Rough arrived after leaving Non’s smithy was a basin deep within the Dragon Mountain Range.

It wasn’t a very far distance from the outskirts of the mountain range where Non’s village was located, but it was a forbidden zone, a death zone where human access was not permitted.

The reason was precisely because of the masters of this place, who gave the Dragon Mountain Range its name.

―Krrrrrrrrra!

―The crime of daring to invade this dragon’s territory! You will pay with your life.

The moment they detected Rough’s intrusion, dragons of various colors soared into the sky. A swarm of dozens of dragons was converging.

They were the Transcendent Species known as the guardian dragons of the Ardenia Empire, the rulers who enslaved dwarves and operated dwarf factories, revealing themselves.

“This is… going to be dangerous, isn’t it?”

Just as Rough was sweating bullets and tensing up at the dragons’ momentum.

Whoooosh!

Lee Hanseong combined Space-Time Step and the Path of the Fairies, opening a rainbow-colored tunnel leading to the future, just as he had done before in Henrietta’s hometown.

Tap!

Not walking leisurely as before, Rough hastily threw himself into the tunnel and disappeared. Immediately after.

Kwa-gwagwagwagwa!

Mana infused with the dragons’ killing intent swept like a storm over the spot where Rough had been just moments before.

It was the manifestation of an overwhelming grade that would have stopped his heart if he had been even a little slower.

“Phew, that was a close call.”

Rough, who had barely survived, walked the Path of the Fairies piercing through the void.

Step step.

This time too, fragments of the flow of time were glimpsed.

A massive dark cloud cast over the sky, then all the dragons disappeared.

People in robes secretly came to the ownerless basin and created a hideout.

A secret society was formed, and one day, Rian entered the hideout, among other scenes.

Multiple scenes unfolded like a panorama.

“A secret society… The dual identity I realized this time will probably be helpful.”

Hummm—

While walking the Path of the Fairies toward the future like that.

Rough unfolded his dual identity and overlaid the second identity onto himself.

Up to this point, it was the same as before.

But then, as Rough subtly touched his mask and clothes.

Krrrrk—

Starlight underwent a special change and began meticulously filling in the empty parts of the second identity.

The added details were making the second identity’s persona even more realistic.

Thanks to this, the moment the time travel was completed.

Rough was not a jester but a member of the Golden Dawn Society, wearing a robe and standing before their hideout.

“What are you doing? Not going in?”

“Ah, I’m going.”

The Golden Dawn Society member next to Rough spoke to him familiarly, as if Rough had been his comrade from the start.

Following his lead, Rough placed his hand on the crystal sphere beside the door.

Ziiing— Ddddd.

A hidden secret door opened.

Rough’s disguised identity was not caught even by the magical special authentication procedure.

Having passed the inspection procedure and entered the Golden Dawn Society headquarters, Rough searched for Rian, who should be here.

“Have you ever seen His Majesty Rian? I heard he recently inherited the Empire’s legacy and ascended the throne. I wonder what he’s like?”

But there was no need to bring it up first; another member who had been beside him from the start broached the subject.

“I haven’t seen him in person either. But since we’re at the headquarters, we’ll probably get a chance to see him.”

“Probably, right?”

Rough appropriately matched the words of the member showing anticipation and, seizing an opportunity, parted from him and moved in the direction indicated by his divination.

Following the divination, the place he arrived at was a massive library.

Beep.

After going through an authentication procedure similar to when he first entered the hideout, he stepped into the library.

‘Ah, there he is.’

Flipp— Flipp—

The sight of Rian, stacking books and rapidly skimming through one almost every few seconds, immediately caught his eye.

* * *

Around the time Rough visited Rian’s present.

Rian was frustrated because the ongoing exchange with Utangka in the Reverse World was making no progress.

“No, I said that’s not what I meant! It’s impossible to communicate.”

He even regretted not starting exchanges with others first.

Seeing that Henrietta and Alter, who had started exchanges on the other side, had already produced results made it even more so.

‘Their doctor and woman could also combine skills with me, just the same.’

Rian’s Shadow God glanced at Alter and Henrietta’s side.

He had seen from the start that his <Etiquette Knowledge> and <Trap Detection> could combine with Alter’s <Funeral Knowledge> and <Lie Detection>.

And that <Acting> could combine with Henrietta’s <Empathy>.

‘No, wait… The skill list has shrunk?’

But after their knowledge exchange ended once and he looked again, <Funeral Knowledge> and <Empathy> had disappeared from the skill lists floating above the two people’s heads.

Because as a result of their exchange, those skills had been integrated into other higher-level skills.

Only <Lie Detection> remained as a skill that could combine with his skills.

And the exchange with Utangka still showed no end in sight.

If he didn’t hurry, the skills that could be combined might disappear first, making his heart anxious.

‘No, let’s not rush. The more impatient you are, the more mistakes happen, right?’

Among tomb raiders, the first to die are those who are impatient.

Rather, not missing what needs to be done carefully and proceeding step by step is the fastest path.

Recalling the iron rule from his tomb raider days, Rian steadied his mind.

He temporarily postponed the knowledge exchange in the Reverse World and focused on acquiring knowledge from the Golden Dawn Society in his present.

If he used the Memory Art he newly obtained, he could perfectly memorize the etiquette knowledge he had crammed again.

What Rough saw was precisely that sight of Rian.

Flipp—

Though it seemed like he was just skimming, each time Rian’s eyes checked a page, its contents were engraved in his mind as if a photo had been taken.

It was because the characteristic of mana that stores information was applied to the Memory Art.

Step.

Then, sensing Rough’s presence, Rian paused his reading for a moment and raised his head.

“Have you come seeking me?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty Rian.”

“Did I not say that the Empire’s reconstruction is premature?”

“Huh?”

Perhaps mistaking him for someone else, Rian brought up an irrelevant topic to Rough.

“Why are you pretending not to know? Didn’t the Grand Elder send you?”

“No, that is not the case.”

“Hmm? Then, what are you?”

“Hoho, I am merely a traveler.”

At Rough’s tone, Rian revealed his Emperor’s Majesty and put on a serious expression.

“You, you are not a member of the Golden Dawn Society.”

“Correct.”

“What is your purpose? Have you come to kill me? To stop Ardenia’s reconstruction?”

“Ding. That’s too boring an answer.”

Rian, who was wary of the uninvited outsider, furrowed his brow deeply at Rough’s playful attitude.

Swoosh.

As Rough put his hand into his pocket, Rian’s wariness grew even more.

If the opponent had a dwarven-made magic gun, his life would be in danger.

He secretly activated Path Revelation to seek a way to survive.

‘Again, to follow the opponent’s will?’

But the content of the revelation was similar to what he had received in the Reverse World before.

‘Is the opponent before me on par with the Reverse World and the Transcendent?’

Because of that, Rian’s wariness deepened further, but he couldn’t recklessly cause a commotion, also due to the revelation.

Suppressing his tense body’s reactions, he barely managed to watch quietly as Rough pulled his hand out of his pocket.

In his hand was not a gun but a deck of cards.

“…Cards?”

“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. Let me tell your fortune once, Your Majesty.”

Shuffle.

“Would you draw three cards?”

Following Rough’s instruction as he fanned out the cards, Rian obediently drew three cards.

“I have drawn them.”

“The Magician. The Emperor. And the Star. Interesting.”

“What does it mean?”

“Literally. Your Majesty becomes a magician, becomes an emperor, and becomes a star.”

“I am already an emperor, though?”

“If you call yourself an emperor without an empire, does it have meaning?”

“…So one must reach the state of having rebuilt the Empire to be a true emperor.”

Understanding the order of the cards from Rough’s explanation, Rian nodded.

“Then, what does the star mean? Does it mean becoming a Transcendent?”

“That depends on what Your Majesty thinks. If you think a Transcendent is the end, then it ends there. If you consider a Constellation the end, then you might become a Constellation. That’s fate.”

“…Constellation!”

“Well, ultimately, to realize this fate, becoming the very first one, the Magician, must come first, right?”

Fate was like unfixed, fluttering thread; if you didn’t hammer in nails here and there to set its direction, it would often flow in the wrong direction.

Understanding Rough’s meaning, Rian looked at the cards he had drawn with an even more serious expression.

“However, to help Your Majesty realize this fate, let me bestow a bit of fortune upon you.”

Whoooosh—

As Great Fortune Circulation unfolded, the Wind of Heavenly Fortune blew toward Rian.

“Then, farewell.”

Immediately after, a rainbow-colored portal opened behind Rough, who placed his arm over his chest and bowed respectfully.

Swoosh— Pop.

Rough’s Divine Form, stepping backward, disappeared into the portal.

Left alone, Rian looked at the empty spot where Rough had been, feeling as if he had dreamed a daydream.

But the meeting with Rough was not a dream.

Because immediately after being touched by the Wind of Heavenly Fortune, the stagnant exchange in the Reverse World rapidly progressed.

Click.

[Rare Skill <Spell Script> is being formed.]

A fortunate insight pierced through Utangka’s words and his ancient knowledge, which he hadn’t understood until now, and the principle of Spell Script fit together in his mind.

And the Spell Script itself acted as another insight, beginning to create new knowledge.

Flash—

A spark ignited in his mind, mixing the newly realized Spell Script with his existing Etiquette Knowledge.

Jolt.

Rian suddenly stood up and closed his eyes.

And he re-examined the memories of the Empire’s etiquette he had stored in his mind until now.

“As I thought, I was correct.”

There was a point where the Spell Script he just realized and the Empire’s etiquette were somehow connected.

The forms of Spell Script were hidden within the movements he had thought were useless formalities.

Each one was nothing more than meaningless scribbles, but when combined in a specific way, they became meaningful—a kind of puzzle!

Moreover, the way they gained meaning wasn’t just one.

“Ha, so that’s what it was.”

No wonder the Golden Dawn Society also obsessively managed etiquette-related materials.

Such a secret was hidden.

Using the intuition of Trap Detection, he deciphered the hidden Spell Script one by one.

Whether helped by the Heavenly Fortune of Great Fortune Circulation, the deciphering progressed faster than expected.

[Conditions met. <Etiquette Knowledge> and <Trap Detection> are integrated.]

[Rare Skill <Mysticism> is formed.]

The moment he finished deciphering, Rian realized the wisdom regarding the mysteries passed down through the ancient Empire’s secret manual.

The basic law of mystery following the order of ‘Perception—Memory—Understanding—Manifestation.’

According to it, Rian was only one step away from properly entering the realm of mystery.

‘<Mysticism> becomes the framework for perception, <Memory Art> remembers the perceived mystery in the correct form, and <Spell Script> becomes the tool to manifest the understood mystery.’

He only needed to obtain the skill corresponding to the third process, the stage of understanding.

Realizing that, he felt regret for the Empathy skill Henrietta possessed.

The <Empathy> skill formed by combining Acting and Empathy would have been perfectly suited for the process of understanding.

‘But… it’s not that there’s no way.’

According to the combination formula, Empathy, formed by combining Acting and Empathy, combines with Mimicry Spell, formed by combining Disguise and Primitive Spell, to become Sympathy Spell.

Now that he had realized Mysticism, it was fully possible to break the combination formula.

‘Disguise and Acting only differ in that their methods are appearance and behavior, but they are the same in imitating another subject. And that is the core of empathy…’

It wouldn’t be a problem even if the positions of the other two were swapped.

After all, for Rian, who possessed Spell Script, Primitive Spell was a skill easily obtainable.

He planned to combine Primitive Spell and Acting instead of Empathy to create the Empathy skill.

Hummm— Click.

[Conditions met. General Skill <Acting> evolves into Rare Skill <Empathy>.]

Whoooosh!

At that moment, all four pillars of mystery were erected and completed as a series of flow.

The Shrinking Earth Rough had shown earlier, which remained in his memory like a brand because he had just seen it.

Perceiving it mystically and memorizing it anew.

Then empathizing with space to understand it, and combining the spells contained within the etiquette ingrained in his body to manifest it in reality.

“【Teleport】.”

A portal similar to the one Rough had opened appeared before Rian, and as he stepped into it.

Ziiing— Pop.

The next moment, Rian was standing not in the library but in the audience chamber of the headquarters.

“Your Majesty? When did you get here…?!”

The Golden Dawn Society member guarding the audience chamber was flustered by Rian’s sudden appearance, then soon realized the method of his appearance and opened his eyes wide.

“Could it be… spatial teleportation magic?”

“That is correct.”

At the member’s reaction, Rian, for the first time, wore a relaxed smile not from acting but from genuine feeling, and lifted his chin.

[Feat, ‘Mystery Understanding: Magic’ achieved.]

[The North Star Constellation records Rian Shin’s feat and altered history with twinkling eyes.]

[Third awakening skill 《Ancient Magic(Ancient Magic)》 blooms.]

[Rian Shin’s Three-star promotion is completed.]

[Continues Historical Alteration to complete Four-star promotion.]

[Remaining achievement is consumed. Current remaining achievements held: 4 > 3]

It was the moment when he, who had been acting as the Empire’s successor, truly became the Empire’s successor.