#137

Flinch.

The fingers that were typing froze.

‘The God of Records?’

I instinctively looked at my left hand.

There was no mark on the back of my hand.

I clenched my fist for no reason.

‘I don’t really want to think about what happened then….’

Whenever I think about what I experienced in the basement of the Main Hall, I keep scratching the back of my hand.

After scratching it to the point of bleeding, I tried not to think about it at all….

‘…I can’t keep avoiding it.’

I took a long, deep breath.

A way to escape the System.

And the God of Records.

When I combined these two keywords, something immediately came to mind.

‘When I discovered the Blessing of Records, the System description changed.’

It wasn’t that it was updated late after phrases like ‘Writing…’ appeared; rather, a sentence that was obviously strange was written there.

It was a slightly creepy and unpleasant phrase….

‘Was it… “I am not an error”?’

Thinking about it now, it seems like a sentence intended to give a hint that the System is incomplete.

Since I witnessed the scene where the System corrected that ‘error’ a beat late.

‘The “Sharp Watcher” seems to refer to the System.’

The word ‘Watcher’ itself is an important hint.

If the System were a property like the laws of physics, an ‘error’ that escapes the System could not occur at all.

However, there is a possibility of errors occurring, and the ‘Watcher’ corrects them whenever they are discovered.

‘If there is only a way to escape the eyes of the System….’

I would be able to remain intact even in a situation where I should have suffered a Game Over.

Of course, I would be unable to use any of the convenience functions provided by the System.

‘…Did the “me” on the 24th floor meet the Pioneer of Civilization?’

Or perhaps the ‘me on the 24th floor’ doesn’t exist, and those notes were all written by the Pioneer of Civilization.

I don’t know how the Pioneer of Civilization noticed my trait, but….

‘The ability to send messages back through time also makes no sense.’

Either way, one thing was certain.

‘There is something in the basement of the Main Hall related to a loophole in the System.’

And knowing that is dangerous.

Otherwise, there would have been no need to convey information through such an uncertain and censored method.

‘The moment I fully understand it, I might become unable to remain within the System’s sphere of influence.’

I don’t know how the System corrects errors.

If the structure is to overwrite with a file from before the error occurred, it would be no different from the current me being deleted.

‘Everything I’ve managed to learn would vanish.’

If the one who wrote that message was the Pioneer of Civilization….

‘…Why did he do that at the end?’

Why did he make me go through such pain?

To tell me not to go any further down?

Was that really the only way?

Why….

‘…Let’s stop thinking.’

I glanced down.

The back of my hand was squirming, filling in the wound.

No matter how many times I see it, it’s a sight that drains my sanity.

>>Fabio?

>>

>>Fabio…. Are you asleep?

[Sorry. I was just thinking for a moment.]

I typed the sentence, trying hard not to look down.

[Did the God of Records say anything about me?]

>>He says he wants to see Fabio.

‘I never want to see him again.’

>>He says that while you can hate the “him” who is on the lower floors for whatever he did, please don’t hate him.

Is it that guy from the 4th basement floor?

The idiot who kept saying “I’m a dummy!”

[How are you talking to the God of Records? A book?]

>>Yes. He was banging his head against the wall saying he missed Fabio, so I gave him one. He said that writing down painful things helps calm the mind….

My fingers stopped for a moment.

How should I respond?

Right. Writing is good for mental health.

I’m glad it worked.

Or….

‘…Let’s just not react.’

[Was that a book that allows communication with the God of Records?]

>>I was writing stories about Fabio in the book, and Records replied that he knows Fabio too. While talking about Fabio, I realized that Fabio didn’t abandon me here, but intentionally gave me an opportunity to gain information here, which helped me snap out of it. I almost committed suicide because I didn’t realize that fact.

[Hmm… I see. What did the God of Records know about the Pioneer of Civilization?]

>>When I said I was a being outside of Order, Records said he’s seen the third being outside of Order.

‘The second is probably me. Is the first the Pioneer of Civilization?’

[Does he know about the player unit, Pioneer of Civilization?]

>>The War God player told me the name and appearance. It seems the two have met a few times. He told me that after the chat room operated by the Pioneer of Civilization was deactivated, that unit also disappeared, and he described the appearance to me, asking me to let him know if I ever find him.

[Tell me too.]

>>The name is Francesco Horeum, he’s not very tall, 32 years old, a man with grey hair and blue eyes.

‘Horeum is a family that can farm Sacred Relics for the inventory.’

That strategy game maniac bastard, he didn’t go there because he wanted to get an inventory, did he?

[And? Why did the Pioneer of Civilization seek out the God of Records?]

>>He says he doesn’t know.

[What?]

>>He says important conversations only happened on the lower floors, so he doesn’t remember anything.

[Then what does he know?]

>>He said Francesco would bring things like grapes or apples in his pockets every time he went down to the basement to share them with the holy water of Records. Oh, and he said the handwriting was very neat and pretty.

That’s completely useless information.

Tell me something more important.

>>He said that from a certain day onward, he never went down to the basement again, and he doesn’t know what happened after that.

[Exactly when was the last time he saw him?]

>>He said he doesn’t know the date well since he only stays in the basement.

‘Fucking useless.’

Still, I suppose it’s something to have found out that the Pioneer of Civilization stayed in the Main Hall for a while.

[Did you ask the Lab Director if he knows a person named Francesco?]

>>He told me that if I’m curious about the Sacred Vessel storage, why don’t I meet him in person. He was gloomily watching everything I was writing from behind.

‘…Does that mean the Pioneer of Civilization is still in the Main Hall?’

If so, where is he?

The lab? Or the basement of the Main Hall?

>>I told him I’d go later because if the System disappears after meeting him, I might not be able to talk to you anymore, Fabio. Though I might just find a crazy shell instead of someone who successfully escaped, or someone who just gave up on the game.

‘If I end up going down to the basement….’

I considered briefly explaining what I experienced in the basement, but decided against it.

[…Tell me before you meet him. I’m curious.]

>>Okay!

I stared at the ceiling for a moment.

Then I took a deep breath.

‘Let’s change the subject now.’

[Why did you insist on having this conversation via chat? Was it something you couldn’t say in front of Callister?]

>>When I asked if it was okay to tell Fabio the things I learned here, he said it was. Instead, the moment I find out, I have to become affiliated with the laboratory.

‘Shit.’

>>He said if I refuse to become a researcher, he’ll bring me in as a test subject.

Looking at Reyes’s chat, I decided to be grateful for his consideration.

Considering Nyapoleon who is far away and Callister who is probably watching me from somewhere even now, the latter is much scarier.

If I were taken by Nyapoleon, I feel like the Saintess would save me, but if I’m locked in the Lab Director’s office, I feel like I’d just be left there.

The heretic bastard is certainly a guy outside of Order, but the Lab Director is at least affiliated with Order.

[Do you know what the Lab Director is researching?]

>>I heard that lately, he’s researching a way to represent all information using only two numbers….

[Not that. I mean the research the Lab Director originally did.]

>>He said his life goal is to find the first contract Ledeia made with Order.

‘The first contract?’

The contracts that subordinates make with the God of Order are nothing special.

The content is quite long, but it can be summarized into exactly three things.

Serve Order.

Do what Order tells you to do.

Do not do what Order tells you not to do.

Since there are many subordinates under Order, the ‘First Contract’ is very well known.

As the essence of each god differs, the list of things to do and not to do varies slightly, but the overall content is similar for everyone.

‘Why is that important?’

[Isn’t the content of the contract written at the very beginning of Ledeia’s scripture? That’s how it is for all the subordinates’ scriptures.]

>>That’s the second contract, and he says the first contract isn’t written anywhere.

‘…That is a bit strange.’

Which number god was Ledeia to be subjugated?

If I look for the god who entered just before or after her, there might be some information.

>>Ledeia says she doesn’t even know when she started serving Order.

Then has she been there since Order was a nobody?

‘If she had a Divine Power like healing, she wouldn’t have needed to go under someone else.’

Healing is honestly a domain that is nothing short of a cheat key.

Is there a human who has never been sick once in their life?

When humans suffer from disease and pain, they naturally seek a god.

‘On the other hand, Order….’

Who on earth would need the weak power of Order?

I only wonder how that bastard Loclem endured those nobody days.

‘…Could it be that Order served Healing, and then the relationship was reversed?’

If so, it makes sense that the records prior to that were erased.

One would want to get rid of the dark history of being under someone else.

[Then does Ledeia have no Blind Scripture at all?]

The scriptures that subordinates used before entering under Order are called Blind Scriptures, the scriptures of those whose eyes were closed.

It means the scriptures written before knowing the light of Order.

>>…That’s what he says.

[But since she’s an apostle, can’t you just ask the god?]

>>Ledeia is the one who ordered him to find the content of the first contract.

‘Why on earth?’

Does Ledeia herself not remember?

Or does she remember but is under a Taboo that prevents her from speaking?

‘Either way, this is a huge deal.’

I understood why the Lab Director said he had no choice but to take anyone who found out this fact as a test subject.

Ledeia, one of the most powerful subordinates under Order, is in a situation where she cannot even speak of the first contract because she was hit by ‘Oblivion’ or a ‘Taboo’?

This is content that could turn the entire Order upside down.

A Taboo would be better, but if she was hit by ‘Oblivion’….

‘Because there could be a contract that even they don’t remember.’

[Is investigating divinities outside of Order also related?]

>>That’s right. Because a being outside of Order wouldn’t have been affected. He thought that to find the true past of Order, he had to look outside of Order.

The past of Order….

What kind of past could it be that it was erased so thoroughly?

Is there some reverse scale that no one must ever know?

‘…Could the God of Order possibly be an Othergod?’

What if the God of Order is not a god born in the Dark Realm, but a god from outer space?

‘It’s possible.’

The fact that Conclude is not a fight between ‘all the gods of the Dark Realm’ and an Othergod, but a fight between Order and an Othergod.

It’s also suspicious that Order is desperately hiding information about the Othergod.

If it were simply a fight between a native god and an alien god, Order could have widely publicized the Othergod and forced cooperation….

>>Fabio

>>Are you alone right now?

I paused for a moment.

Why is he asking this?

[Why?]

>>Just curious.

I narrowed my eyes.

‘Is he planning to harm me?’

Since he knows where my room is, what if he intends to attack me using Andrea or another unit he can use?

>>Seeing as you’re talking to me, Athanas probably isn’t by your side, right?

‘…Should I call Callister?’

I don’t know where he is, but I feel like if I just go outside and call, he’ll come.

Since he said he’s been following me.

I doubt if he’ll be of any help, but it’s better than nothing.

>>If Athanas isn’t here, that’s fine. You’re in your room, right?

[Why shouldn’t someone be next to me?]

>>It’s not that they shouldn’t be, I’m just a bit shy around strangers.

‘Who is?’

Click.

At that moment, the lock that I hadn’t touched unlocked by itself.

‘What?’

The door slid open.

A man with a build so large it felt imposing stood before it.

“Who….”

“Do you have to call people here when you summon them?”

‘Seriously, who?’

The man strode into the room and snapped his fingers to close the door again.

‘…Telekinesis?’

The man brushed back his unkempt light-blue hair and spoke irritably.

“I’m already fucking struggling to ignore the pressure to get married, and now when I ask where this place is, everyone misunderstands and thinks I’m avoiding them because my taste is ‘that way’!”

“Excuse me….”

“What a total psycho. I was fucking shocked to hear you suddenly changed your class to a Chanter. And why the hell did you block me?”

“Excuse me.”

“More importantly, isn’t it polite to release the Distortion when someone arrives? Huh? What’s with that face. Where did you find such a fucking extra-looking thing?”

‘This piece of shit.’