Chapter 112 :

There was no way for him to escape from here.

The knights of the Darkan Territory blocked off the banquet hall. Each and every one of them already possessed martial strength far beyond his own.

‘I must never allow this to be connected to Randolph.’

Even if he died, even if he died here and now, he must not be tied to Randolph.

Randolph had bestowed upon him favors so great that even offering his life would not be enough to repay them.

Had he not sincerely vowed to follow him and devote his loyalty?

To cause harm because of himself — that must never happen.

Above all, if only Serengeti could be saved.

‘Reality means nothing to me.’

Because to Hudson, reality held no importance.

If he could only save Serengeti, then even his worthless life would gain meaning.

As Oliver, living on Earth, Hudson had merely scraped by day after day.

In contrast, how beautiful was his life in Pangaenia?

Adventure and love, comrades to walk beside him.

He had witnessed miracles unfold before his eyes more than once.

He had breathed alongside someone who surpassed the impossible and reached even higher.

That miraculous existence had reunited him with Serengeti, allowed them to speak directly, and had even healed the heart everyone had given up on.

A ray of hope had appeared in his dark life.

That alone was enough.

Just tasting hope had been fulfilling.

—Hudson. When you return this time, you will be able to awaken Serengeti completely.

······ I’m sorry.

I can only go this far, but may my lord soar even higher.

Phantom, my hope.

My one and only light.

Please··· take care of Pangaenia.

This land that made everything possible for me, who had grown so weary of life in reality.

This place where I could walk, run, and love freely.

‘Others… they treat Pangaenia as nothing more than a game, as a virtual space.’

Even after becoming players, it was the same.

Even if death here was death in reality, their roots still lay on Earth.

Thus, they did not take it seriously.

This was the reason Hudson settled on his own despite many chances to interact with other players.

The difference between himself and others.

Their attitudes toward Pangaenia were far too different.

How many were there who treated this place as nothing more than a game or a virtual playground, committing atrocities, mocking, harassing, destroying everything?

To interact with such people was something Hudson could never do.

And yet, what about Randolph?

‘······ It was the first time I felt I’d met someone like me, someone of my own kind.’

The Garden of Knights.

The stone monument located at the center of Marquis Weiser’s territory.

There were engraved the names of the knights who had fallen in the Great Expedition.

And Randolph called each of their names one by one and made a vow.

—I, as the successor of the Knight King, offer my condolences to their glorious deaths. For the eternal rest of heroes that will never come again, I shall forever bury them within my heart.

In that moment, Randolph looked to Hudson like “Knight King Wilhelm.”

His sincerity overflowed and shook the heart.

It was something ordinary players would never do.

Even if they did, they would have said empty words.

But he truly mourned the deaths of Pangaenia’s people with all his heart.

For the first time among players, Hudson met someone who valued Pangaenia.

How overwhelmed he had been then.

Even though many other miraculous events happened afterward, to Hudson, only that moment remained vividly carved into his mind.

A memory he would never forget for eternity.

Thus, if there was hope for Pangaenia, it lay only with Randolph.

Only he could save Pangaenia.

—Think about it. Truly reuniting with Serengeti. If you were to hold a wedding with Serengeti, I shall officiate the ceremony myself.

—······.

—Imagine Serengeti wearing a dress, walking down the aisle with you. Of course, it’s not just imagination. It will soon become reality.

······ She’d be beautiful.

Truly.

The moment he imagined the wedding hall, Serengeti’s image would not leave his mind.

Why was Randolph suddenly telling him these things?

To not lose hope?

No. Even receiving his worry was a luxury here. If he delayed any longer, he would only draw suspicion that he was connected to Randolph.

Hudson plunged his hand deep into the hole of the oak barrel with all his strength.

And then, with a chilling shiver, all the muscles and bones in his body began to twist.

When he opened his eyes again—

‘········· What is this.’

Hudson had become a woman.

***

‘······.’

I momentarily lost the words to speak.

Normally, when told to imagine oneself at a wedding, wouldn’t one picture oneself in a suit?

Even if imagining the bride, wouldn’t one picture her in a dress?

So why was Hudson wearing armor?

The Pure White Knight.

Just like the name, Hudson had become the image of Serengeti clad in pure white armor.

—The Pure White Knight, Serengeti.

Number 1 seemed to know her as well.

And if he knew Serengeti, then he would naturally know she was a Pangaenian.

And that Serengeti could never be a player.

—Hudson. So she is the one he loves.

At that part, I was slightly surprised.

The Empire had already figured out the relationship between Serengeti and Hudson.

Even I only learned that Hudson was Serengeti’s partner at the very end of the Great Expedition.

And that was only because Serengeti told me directly.

Naturally, there was a reason they were so certain Hudson was a “sinner.”

The Empire already had information on Hudson beforehand.

‘Then that means they also know I called myself Wilhelm’s successor.’

If they knew about Hudson and Serengeti’s relationship, there was a high chance they also knew about me.

Perhaps they didn’t yet know about the Four Great Masters, but they had likely grasped enough about Randolph, successor of Wilhelm.

‘Outwardly they seem closed-off, but the Empire knows far more.’

They were not merely closed-off.

They knew far more than expected.

If I wasn’t always cautious, I would be devoured.

Soon after—

—To be honest, I was surprised. I truly believed Hudson was a “sinner.”

Number 1 was genuinely shocked.

For the first time, the man who was always relaxed had a change in expression.

—Do you not think so now?

—Hmm. A player could never sincerely love a human of Pangaenia. He is······ not a “sinner.”

Number 1 nodded.

The highest-grade appearance-altering potion.

He had attempted to change appearance with it, but in a situation like this, a player would usually imagine their original body from Earth.

Yet Hudson, even in this situation, thought only of Serengeti.

Number 1 could see Hudson’s sincerity.

Not deception nor mockery, but Hudson’s true heart.

—I won the bet.

—······ Aren’t you curious? About why Hudson changed into that form, and why I no longer believe he is a sinner?

Well, because he used the highest-grade appearance-altering potion.

But he doesn’t know that I know that.

And I had barely pieced it together through reasoning alone.

Phew.

I quietly sighed in relief.

Had my deduction been wrong, it would’ve been catastrophic.

My chances of escaping alive were below 2%. And that was only for me alone. Escaping with Hudson was nearly impossible.

Now that things had reached this point, I might as well continue playing the simple-minded barbarian.

—He is not a sinner.

—············ Right. That means you saw correctly. That powder forces one to transform into what they truly, sincerely think of. A “sinner” will always reveal their sinful form when touched by it. Unless they think of someone more important than themselves, they cannot become someone else.

Hudson valued Serengeti more than his own body.

So it was only natural he became Serengeti.

—But how long will he stay like that?

Hudson still looked utterly bewildered.

His face grew pale as he looked over his body.

Number 1 shrugged.

—Well. It depends on how deep he put his hand in. But since it’s not a complete transformation, it will eventually wear off.

—That’s fortunate.

—In any case, I lost this bet. I shall hand over the three auction items you wanted. Later.

—······ Later?

—I never said I’d give them right away, did I?

What a sly bastard.

I scowled openly at him, but he shook his head.

—Of course, I don’t mean you should wait indefinitely. I’m not so dishonorable. If you come with me to the “main temple,” I shall give them to you immediately there.

—The main temple? The main temple of the Reaper Church?

—Was that not why you came here? The “Golden Orthodox Patrons” must all attend the “Banquet” soon.

The Banquet of the Reaper.

I had heard it before.

From the Silver Fox Mask in the Abyssal Labyrinth.

‘He said there would be a banquet held by the Reaper Church in 87 days.’

The problem was, I had no idea where the Reaper Church was.

And Number 1 was saying he would guide me there.

‘There are beings like Hel there.’

Number 1 also said he was a Patron of the Orthodox.

They were likely hiding him within “their domain,” just like Hel.

Hel, who could manipulate warp at will, could also hide herself between the layers of space.

In any case—

—Very well.

There was no reason to refuse.

I needed the Baal Armor to complete the set and control the entity.

I couldn’t demand it immediately, even if he offered to give it.

Time was tight, but trying to rush it could cost me everything.

‘The Reaper Church. The Reaper Church…’

Besides, this was a chance to learn about the Reaper Church properly.

They were deeply connected to the Empire and stood above even the Empire’s nobility.

Truly beings of absolute power!

‘I tried infiltrating the Imperial Palace several times before and failed miserably every time. This time, I must succeed.’

I had tried creating characters many times to infiltrate the Empire.

Only once had I succeeded, but I was discovered and killed before reaching the palace.

A difficulty beyond comprehension.

I had judged infiltrating the Empire’s core to be impossible and gave up.

But through the Reaper Church, it would be possible.

Hel was there, and even Number 1 considered me a “Patron of the Orthodoxy.”

—Number 53. I look forward to him as well.

Same here.

Number 53, the Master.

Had he figured it out?

Standing before the oak barrel, Number 53 finally reached in.

Fwoooosh!

The Master’s form began to change.

—Oh ho!

Number 1 exclaimed in admiration.

***

After the first stage of “disinfection,” the auction continued.

Having acquired the Baal Armor without spending any gold, all that was left was to sweep up the “high-value items.”

With the 1.5 billion gold I had, I purchased goods worth roughly 4 billion.

The reason for buying them with “cost-efficiency” was simple.

‘I will upgrade the Throne of Light.’

At the very least, to see the prefix “Radiant.”

Or perhaps even beyond that.

The Throne of Radiant Light already possessed an “invincible” effect on its own.

Once entering the Reaper Church, anything could happen without warning.

‘If Orthodoxy grants abilities like Hel’s, escaping will not be easy.’

Even if I opened the Teleport Book to flee, they could simply stop it.

So I needed at least one reliable survival tool.

After receiving all the auction items, I nodded as I looked at the pile stacked before me.

《Would you like to offer equipment corresponding to the “Throne of Ominous Light” as sacrifice?》

When I previously awakened the Throne of Radiant Light, I used about 2 billion gold worth of value.

This time, using everything before me would be twice that.

If all went expected, I would see the next prefix after “Radiant.”

‘Let’s begin.’

The Imperial Palace

‘Wh-what should I do?’

Lady Dersian.

Her face had turned completely pale, trembling violently.

It had been days since she’d slept properly — sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, dried lips.

If hell existed, it would look like this place.

‘More than twenty people have already disappeared.’

After the second day of “disinfection” ended, the auction resumed.

But each passing day, the number of participants dwindled.

The auction began with 100 people, yet by the final stages only 77 remained.

The problem was that not only outsiders but even “nobles of the Empire” were disappearing.

An Imperial noble being called a sinner — what nonsense was that?

‘It was planned from the beginning. Only those suspected of being sinners were invited to this auction!’

Lady Dersian bit her nails.

But there were no nails left to bite.

Even when her skin tore and blood smeared her mouth, she didn’t notice.

It was certain that the Reaper Church had organized this auction to gather only those suspected of being sinners.

But did only the Reaper Church know this?

‘Could it be… my own family······ my own family thinks I’m a sinner? Is that why they sent me here?’

—Isabella. As the representative of House Dersian, cooperate with Lord Darkan to ensure the success of this “special auction.” Show us your capability.

That was what the elders of her house said before she left.

They emphasized the importance of the special auction and told her to prove herself, but in hindsight it was strange.

Why send her to an event of such importance?

House Dersian was suffering internal conflict from the competition between heirs. Endless schemes and bloodshed — yet the house allowed it.

But the one who sent her here was someone she believed to be on her side.

Had they been bought out?

Most importantly, after sending her here, “he” was sent to Delphia.

To lead the subjugation of the Four Evils with tremendous power.

With five Berserkers.

Meanwhile, she was given only one guard.

‘······ They want to make him a hero for subjugating the Four Evils, while making me die here as a sinner? Is that really it?’

She was convinced.

Not simply because they went to different places.

Darkan and Dersian co-hosted this event, but Lord Darkan already knew of the appearance of the Reaper Church beforehand.

He even knew what they would do.

But what about her?

Although she was called a “co-host,” she didn’t know about their visit nor about the “disinfection” process.

Disinfection.

A codeword used by the Reaper Church when identifying “sinners.”

Once disinfection began, not even a high noble could escape.

They would close off the entire city and continue disinfection until every sinner was found.

If it took too long, the entire city could perish. In the worst case, it could even sink into the Abyss.

Thus, nobles feared their cities becoming targets of disinfection.

And the problem — no one knew when, where, or how disinfection would start.

Even the nobles here had no idea.

‘I must not be designated a sinner.’

Lady Dersian crouched in a corner of her room, trembling violently.

Once designated a sinner and executed by the reaper, the Empire would “erase” everything about that person.

Records, and even memories depending on the severity.

As if the person had never existed at all.

Though Imperial nobles were rarely designated as sinners, it wasn’t unheard of.

Even a lord had once been labeled a sinner, and that entire territory disappeared.

Mentioning that family became taboo within the Empire.

And she was not exempt.

Though she was not a sinner, no one knew what criteria the Reaper Church used when designating one.

‘I have to live··· I have to live and make it out.’

But how?

People vanished every day.

Nobles and outsiders alike.

There was no safe place anywhere in this city.

The warp system was shut down, making escape impossible.

Terrifying. Horrifying. She could barely breathe. She felt she would suffocate at any moment.

‘Th-that barbarian.’

The vicious warrior who beat her guard to death.

At first, she assumed he was simply a bodyguard, but as time passed, her belief wavered.

Number 1 — a high-ranking officer of the Reaper Church — kept staying by his side.

‘Number 1 is the one who designates sinners. And that barbarian is the same.’

Flinch!

As that thought struck her, her complexion grew even more rigid.

If that “barbarian” stood on equal footing with Number 1, it was only natural he would designate her as a sinner.

He would hunt her like a rabbit, peel her skin, and slaughter her brutally.

He would designate her a sinner, leaving not even a record behind.

House Dersian would be disgraced, erased like smoke.

‘I apologized, though.’

A moment of comfort.

But it did not last long.

The incident at the restaurant, Darkan’s Afternoon, where she attacked first.

In hopes of sorting out the dispute, she even went to the lord’s castle.

Yet Lord Darkan, whom she believed would stand on her side, instead forced her to apologize, making her kneel.

She felt great humiliation then.

But thinking back now—

Would he have accepted such a forced apology as a real apology?

“A······.”

Lady Dersian snapped awake and jumped to her feet.

Crash!

Forcing her weakened body up, her legs buckled repeatedly, making her fall over and over.

It was unbefitting of a noble’s dignity, but now was not the time to care about such things.