Chapter 108 (1/2)
Main Quest (2)
“And…”
Adam continued his explanation.
“That thing on your finger.”
He spoke as he pointed to the holy wounds that the magic spider god placed on my hand.
“You can’t keep that forever, can you? I see it as a ticking timebomb. It’s better if you get rid of it quickly.”
“Erase it? How?”
“The only thing that can erase the traces of a god is the power of other gods.”
“So you want me to connect with a god again? But this time, by choosing another god?”
That was a highly improbable option.
“That’s not what I meant. If you enter the main quest, the gods’ influence will increase, so let’s aim for the opportunity. You can probably make a good dedication to the ones that serve other gods and ask them to erase it.”
“… I feel like a god will call me again if I do that.”
The pitch-black darkness that flowed from the base of Igras-Sho’s severed arm still remained crystal clear in my mind as if it just happened an hour ago.
“Hah.”
Adam snorted.
“If making a connection was that easy, the world would be much more hellish. Just think of that time as terribly bad luck. It is ridiculous for us to contemplate the reasons behind the whims of the gods.”
Adam was confident that it would never happen again, but I couldn’t shake away my uneasiness for some reason.
Even if I finished the tutorial and proceeded with the main quest, I decided to put that proposal on hold at that moment.
“Now, then. The third and last reason why I recommend starting the main quest quickly…”
He extended out his third finger as he continued.
“Although this is quite a bother for me.”
“…?”
“As I’ve already told you, I personally hate the Union bastards. My home dimension is taking a stand of neutrality by refusing to join the Union while also making sure we’re not antagonizing them at the same time.”
“I’m aware.”
“But this is my stand, and it’s the position of my dimension. You people don’t have to follow us.”
“Go on.”
“After finishing the tutorial, the Earth will be eligible to join the Union from then on. I’m asking you to be a member.”
I tilted my head out of curiosity due to his remarks.
“How does that benefit us? You said you weren’t joining either.”
“It’s because we can live on our own without having to join. How much more do you think they’ll interfere with your kind if you don’t sign up?”
“But you recommend for the Earthlings to do that?”
“Yes.”
He explained as he nodded.
“All the Union can do for a tutorial dimension is supervisory aid. The act of sending a few observers is about that level. So far, Earth was roughly under control. I mean, most illegal aliens and even some promiscuous beings couldn’t get past the observers. Thanks to them, this dimension remains relatively fine.”
“But,” he added, his eyes glinting with seriousness.
“This time, an observer died, right? So, that’s why they are sending a few more. However… what if they’re killed by Mercadius as well?”
“Wouldn’t they send a few more units to fill up their ranks again?”
“What if all the members they sent back died too? What if Mercadius is actually a being akin to a demon? Let’s assume the worst. Do you think they will use a lot of firepower in a war where Earth is the stage? Do you think they will do so?”
I frowned.
I could understand what he was trying to say.
“There is a limit to the resources the Union can provide for tutorial dimensions on the outskirts. If the risk seems too high for the workforce and the beings they recruit, they will mercilessly let go of them.”
It meant that they’re going to cut us off.
“But what if the Earth becomes a member of the Union?”
“They can’t turn us away.”
“You’re giving them a reason to give you more support. Of course…. They will make you do a lot of annoying things in return.”
“Registering to the Union isn’t an urgent matter that I should decide about at this instant, and since I don’t have enough information, I’ll have to think about it. That being said, I have a question.”
“Go on.”
I threw out the question that I had in my mind the whole time while I was listening to him.
“Isn’t it just me who Mercadius threatens?”
“…”
“There’s no evidence that he’s targeting anyone else but me in this situation. But why are you fiddling with the cards to advance the civilization of the entire planet? Why do you want us to be protected by the Union actively?”
I realized that Adam was omitting something from his explanations.
The premise that Mercadius was a threat to the entire human race felt strongly emphasized.
He replied after thinking about it for a short while.
“In fact, there’s something I haven’t said about their race yet. It’s because I’m not 100% sure about that either.”
“What is it?”
“Think of this story as a pan-dimensional superstition or a legend with high accuracy. There is no data to prove the causality fully.”
He was trying to find a way around the story again.
When I stiffened my face, he hesitantly continued.
“There’s a saying that the dimensions visited by Mercadius always ends up being damned.”
When there was no reply, he added a few words to elevate the tension.
“It’s too out of the blue, right?”
After a brief silence, I asked in return.
“What do you mean by damned?”
“It means that every native species of that realm was exterminated.”
Adam shrugged when he saw my expression.
“Yes, I know. Of course, it’s hard to believe. You’ll wonder why this alien is suddenly talking nonsense after a few days off.”
“…”
“It can’t fully be trusted, but it doesn’t mean it can be completely ignored either since it seems like there were quite a few cases. The decision to finish the tutorial also kept this factor in mind. Don’t you think you should prepare as much as you can as well?”
Adam seemed to think that the reason why I looked so stiff at that moment was that I thought his words were nonsensical.
But in reality, I was thinking about something else.
“It would sound like a myth, almost nothing but a fairytale.”
My heart was racing.
‘No, it’s not a nonsensical story at all…!’
I could add a case to the examples Adam spoke.
I didn’t have to go far either because that would be the Earth of my past life!
What would have happened to the Earth after I died in Angelica’s hands at that time?
Undoubtedly, they would have been doomed.
‘But there was almost no direct involvement of the ‘man’ in the process.’
In the end, Angelica was the one who triggered the apocalypse in my previous life.
“Adam, what is the reason for those dimensions’ fall?”
“There are many. Interspecies wars in dimensions, continuous failure to respond to the collapse of dungeons, invasion from another dimension and extermination policies at other levels, etc.”
“There is no evidence that Mercadius had directly intervened.”
“That is why in some respects…. He is regarded as a crow in Western culture. It’s like a sign of bad luck. Of course, it’s too big of a scale just to call it bad luck.”
Since I witnessed such a scene on the verge of the apocalypse myself, I couldn’t dismiss his words as lies or mere superstitions.
I felt dizzy.
‘This is more than just watching and observing things because of my curse!’
I raised another question.
“If we kick him out or get rid of him, will the threat of apocalypse disappear as well?”
“I can’t guarantee it. They’re collecting more cases from my home dimension. I think the Union probably has a lot of information, but…”
He spoke, locking his eyes with mine.
“Even if you don’t believe this information completely, I seriously recommend for you to prepare yourself for possible threats instead of sucking your fingers and neglecting the danger that may come at any moment. Of course, it could be just that we haven’t found a counter-example yet, or that the Earth could be a new example. But you have to leave all the possibilities open.”
He continued to say a few words to persuade me.
But I understood the justification for finishing the tutorial quickly.
Of course, I would have to simultaneously gather the force for the Earth in order for us to be able to handle the main quest.
It seemed like it would get hectic for some time again.
“Then, we should summon the Tower of Choice first.”
*
Summoning the Tower of Choice didn’t simply happen by offering experience points. Rather, it needed a certain screening quest to be Cleared first with a high rating.
In my past life, as dozens of hunters divided and Cleared quests one by one, the condition for summoning was naturally satisfied.
Did it take about ten years from their starting point or something?
‘I can’t afford that right now.’
I had to proceed with haste.
I was looking at the starting point of the quest, as I remembered in my previous life.
– Quest Name: First Regiment