Chapter 694

188. Twisted Spacetime

The side of Neltarid that was maintaining Alf Online derived its power of harmony from the humans on Earth. So if destruction—the other side of Neltarid—eradicated the civilization and humans on Earth, Eclipse would then be free, which would ultimately lead to shock, fear, and chaos.

"The timing was fortunate since it wasn't long after Eclipse emerged from the Abyss," Kain said.

If Eclipse had shown up at that moment instead of Urd, or if she had saved Urd—who was left to perish in the dimensional gap—instead of Sleesia, it was impossible to know if Davey would still be alive at present.

While humans's element of luck came with uncertainty, it also made significant changes in the future possible.

"It's pointless to feel relieved about something that didn't happen. Just give me the briefing."

"First, take a look at this." Kain handed Davey a piece of paper on which he drew. "We're dealing with Malicious Spirits who have started their activities on Earth. You've already eliminated three of them: Goumda, Leora, and Gordek. Gordek was the one who made Go Jin-Seok into a ghost and took your remains to awaken ancient destruction."

Apart from those three, Torrid Garglax Realm, a weakling ranked twelfth, was taken care of by a user.

"You remember Garglax, right? The fiery forest where you recently encountered Eclipse. So you've taken out three out of four at the site, but there are a total of twelve Malicious Spirits."

When Davey realized that there were eight more Malicious Spirits to take care of, he couldn't help but think there were more of them left than he had anticipated.

"What's their level?"

"The Malicious Spirits you've encountered so far are low-level ones. The truly dangerous ones are ranked first to fifth."

"And the ones on Earth?"

"I've heard from my species that they rely on their minions and don't seem to take direct action."

"Your species?"

"Yes, thanks to Lord Neltarid's side of harmony, a small number of our species have regained consciousness. Currently, there are only a few dozen, but they should be of significant help to you."

"That's reassuring."

"We'll make contact with them first once we get to Earth," Kain said.

Looking at Kain, who looked like a boy with blue hair and wings, Davey once again noticed how he almost looked like an angel.

"The Malicious Spirit we've identified on Earth is named Meses. He's like a ghost—weak to light but much stronger in the shadows. He gains strength by trapping souls in his robes and eventually consuming them. But his power isn't a concern at the moment, and he doesn't pose too much of a threat."

"That's good to know."

"But a Malicious Spirit isn't easily defeated. In fact, they are beings known as the powers of Lord Neltarid, not just their side of destruction Though Malicious Spirits are not as strong as Eclipse, they are part of the Atlantis race that has defeated Ancient Dragons in battle. Confronting them unprepared would be dangerous."

Davey agreed with Kain. He knew that his physical strength had not changed, even though his soul and body synchronization had gotten better since he was in the Hall of Heroes. The level of his spirit and his Power of Taboo were the only reasons his power grew.

'I think the Great God will bestow me a Gem if I'm in grave danger. Or I can use my secret weapon if necessary,' Davey thought.

But he was simply being complacent at the moment.

"Let's do some research beforehand since my face is already recognizable to anyone on Earth."

"Are you scared?" Kain asked.

Davey ruffled Kain's hair and responded with a quick "no" before lightly pushing him away. "I have to be the man I was in the beginning.."

Davey suddenly remembered how the people in the Hall of Heroes were. With their overwhelming strength, they seemed impossible to challenge. Yet, he had used every part of his brain to run away from them whenever they bullied him, and even plotted revenge. But his resolve had already weakened significantly in the year that followed after regaining his lifeline and returning to his original state.

"We don't know Earth's state right now. And unlike the Malicious Spirits, you might not be able to manifest your powers yet. So are you still willing to go?" Kain asked.

"Perserque's body is going through changes," Davey answered.

Even though Overmind had died in Davey's Hypernova explosion, the influence Overmind had on Perserque's power since it awakened continued to persist. The one truth that always stayed true was that Perserque's soul was crucial in order to make Thanatos descend and was the perfect soul to do so.

"Well then. Let's talk to my contact now since we need to see how Earth is changing," Kain said before carefully opening the space he had prepared.

"Are you... setting off?"

Just then, Davey heard a hesitant voice behind him. He turned around and saw Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, Rinne, and Aeria, who was holding a small basket.

"Sir Davey, Rinne is requesting you to recognize my combat, exploration, and information-gathering skills highly."

Instead of responding to Rinne, Davey called out, "Aeria."

As the two children hugged Davey, Aeria asked in a gloomy tone, "Is where you're going dangerous?"

"No," he replied calmly.

After hearing his answer, Aeria scanned the surroundings cautiously before looking up at him and saying, "Be careful. I made this with Perserque..." She smiled at Davey nervously as her turquoise ears twitched slightly.

"It seems like you're still worried about it."

"Yes?"

"It's not your fault. You shouldn't regret a decision you've already made," Davey comforted while stroking her head.

Her face flushed as she began to panic, unsure of what to do next. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted.

Seeing her reaction, Davey wordlessly reached out and pulled her closer. Instinctively, Aeria made a move to hug him but ended up hesitating.

"Ah... I'm sorry!"

She immediately stepped back, taken aback by her own boldness.

Even though the engagement was not yet official, it was surprising to witness her reaction to a simple hug. Davey knew she wasn't usually this timid, so he felt a pang of sympathy when he saw her being sorry, knowing how deeply she cared for him.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" Davey asked gently while thinking about what Perserque had once told him.

[Davey, help her build her confidence so she would learn to speak her mind. Don't make her hold back.]

"..."

At Davey's question, Aeria looked up sharply, and her wide, innocent eyes met his gaze.

She hesitated for a moment, before she eventually began to say, "Well... Then..."

Davey couldn't help but wonder what she was going to ask him. With anxiousness painted on her face and her lips pressed firmly into a line, she contemplated for a while. Tears then began to pool in her eyes with how nervous she was.

"Well... Then... Please... Hold..."

"Hold?

Finally breaking through her nervousness, Aeria blurted out a request that was a whole lot simpler than Davey had expected.

"Please hold my hand!"

"You want me to hold your hand?"

"My apologies! I may have been too forward..."

"Holding hands isn't a problem."

Davey grabbed her hand right away, causing her to look at him with surprised eyes. But she didn't have to be so shocked. She had shown him courage, so it was only right for him to show her the same. She had become one of his people, and whether she liked it or not, she would be his wife alongside Perserque. It was his duty to protect and love her from now on.

Pulling her close to him, Davey noticed how tense she was. But he still went ahead and kissed her, just like he had before.

"Mmph?!"

She was completely aware of what was about to happen this time, and yet she was shocked by the kiss all the same.

Davey kissed her deeply before drawing back and asking, "Satisfied?"

In response, Aeria looked away, seemingly trying to hide her tears as her body trembled slightly. Then with hesitation, she said in a murmur, "W-we... shouldn't... We shouldn't be doing these things... Before we're married..."

Knowing this wasn't the first time they did something like this, Davey couldn't help but smile after hearing her say such a remark. Nine Tails were known for only showing their tails to the people they genuinely loved. But it occurred to him that she would become too embarrassed if he were to tease her about this as well.

After they had turned into swords, Davey fastened Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon around his waist. And when he turned around right after, he noticed someone with red eyes chuckling quietly.

'Bingo. I finally found you.''

Since Earth was enemy territory, there was no room to take risks such as taking others.

"I'm ready. I suggest we bring Miss Rinne along. Her analytical and operational skills will be invaluable in analyzing information about Earth and hacking," Kain said.

Davey nodded silently at his suggestion. Meanwhile, Rinne flexed her pale, white arm, pretending to show off the muscles she didn't really have.

"You haven't left yet," someone said.

An unexpected person joined them.

***

An eerie figure with pure white skin that was armor-like slowly made its way through the heart of the decimated city. Normally, Sokcho City would be bustling with life and cars at this time of day, but a monster invasion had left it in a state of chaos.

Ice-attributed weapons were needed to deal with the monsters, which were resistant to firearms. Naturally, fighting the massive, agile, and formidable monsters would be difficult with just mere human strength. Only the Awakened, the selected few, could effectively stand against them.

The Awakened were Alf Online players who could use the abilities of their game avatars in the real world after having met the specific criteria. Physically, they were just like any other person. But whenever they activated their powers, they would go through a transformation, as if they were linked to something. So even if they punched the same way as they normally do, their bodies would get stronger if they wielded their will or went defensive, as if a protective shell covered them.

"Pant... Pant... Pant..."

Thud, thud, thud!!

Amid the chaos of rampaging monsters, somebody was sprinting down the shattered road.

Snap!

While her clothes were still neat to a degree, they were also quite dusty and stained by the blood from her wounds.

"Pant... Pant..."

It was Shin Hyun-Ah, the one who possessed a Ghost Eye.

-Keek!!

-Keekee!!

Chased by monsters that looked like small, white goblins, she swung her weapon instinctively as they caught up to her. It was the weapon used by one of the Awakened sent to Sokcho City but had been left behind after dying.

Hyun-Ah was scared for her dear life. Since the catastrophe, her company had spent substantial funds to aid those affected. She had even convinced her uncle to provide assistance in the transportation of supplies to Sokcho in order to aid the city's residents. And everything had gone well until someone who was jealous of the reputation that the company was building ensnared her in a deadly trap.

Now that most of her personal bodyguards had lost their lives protecting her, she was making a desperate attempt to escape the city. But given that she had never played Alf Online, she didn't possess any special powers, putting her in a more vulnerable state. So any misstep could lead to her capture.

-Keeek!!!

As though they were launched by a cannon, a group of goblins suddenly burst out of the dark alley and attacked her.

"Aaaah!!" Hyun-Ah screamed loudly in fear. She ended up slamming against the wall before rolling on the ground. Pain shot through her entire leg, feeling like a bone had been broken. But she knew better than to give up. So she steeled herself with determination as she bit back the pain. She had to survive so she could expose all those who were behind this situation. They had taken advantage of this chaos to seize global dominance, employing various schemes to undermine her family's corporation.

-Kikikiki!

-Kiii...

The goblins, which were white rather than the usual green color, flashed hideous smirks as she tenaciously crawled away from them. They glared at her with sinister eyes and threatened her with their sharp weapons.

"No... No..."

-Kikikikiki! Kyakyakya!!

-Kiaaa! Kiririri!

One of the goblins yanked Hyun-Ah's hair, cackling and dancing bizarrely as it did so. And Hyun-Ah was left struggling and wailing in pain as she tried to break free from its grip.

"Ahhh! It hurts... It hurts!!"

Despite the pain, Hyun-Ah kept fighting back until the goblin that held her fell to its bottom. Angered by this, the goblin directed its rage toward her.

-Kyaaa!!!

The enraged goblin jumped on her, slapping her cheeks ceaselessly, and Hyun-Ah was so scared that she could no longer do anything else but endure its continuous attack. But then the goblins began tugging at her clothes, as if they were going to tear them off any second. This caused Hyun-Ah's eyes to widen in utter horror.

She had already seen what the tiny goblins did during the other disasters. She also knew how their behavior differed from how they acted in the game..

"Ah... No!!!"

Hyun-Ah froze in utter terror when a creepy goblin's gaze met her eyes, which had gone wide in shock and fear.

-Kiki. Hehehe.

Tear!

A sharp weapon tore a part of her fur sweater, causing a light splattering of blood. Panic began to consume her, and the fear of getting violated and killed overwhelmed her.

But then, the goblins reaching for her face suddenly froze.

-Ki?

"You guys are always doing something like this every time I see you."

Hyun-Ah heard a calm voice coming from somewhere nearby. When she turned her head, she saw a young man, who seemed like the physical manifestation of a dark energy, walking toward her.

By now, most of the goblins in the area were either trembling or frozen.

"Right, you bastards? Hands off."

The young man who spoke coldly took a step forward.