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Chapter 214

"I think so," Ian replied.

"Then I was right about being the most capable," Thesaya said with a smile, though she was the only one who found it amusing.

Ian exhaled and stood up, abandoning any attempt to calm the fragment\'s resonance. Perhaps what Thesaya sensed was the source of its agitation. Maybe things would settle down once they killed them all.

Soon, silhouettes emerged through the yellow toxic fog.

Philip, looking behind the carriage, let out an inaudible sigh. "By Lu Solar... please let me die rather than become like that."

Even the ones visible at the back numbered in the hundreds. Covered in mold and glowing bluish even in the yellow fog, these creatures were the minions of decay and disease. Their forms varied widely—some had twisted bodies wrapped in vines, some had mushrooms growing from their heads, and others crawled on all fours. As the toxic fog spread ahead, the blue light they emitted shimmered like heat waves.

"... Looks like they won’t just stand by and watch this time," Charlotte muttered, adjusting her grip on her ax. She scanned the vineyards on both sides.

The figures emerging from the vines were not human. Goblins and trolls appeared, as well as mutated animals like dogs, goats, and bears. Mold insects swam through the fog above the vines.

Creeeeak—

The monastery’s gate opened right after. Behind it stood another mass of minions, easily in the hundreds. However, they did not step outside. Their flickering yellow eyes remained fixed on the carriage, holding their positions. The creatures behind and to the sides were slowly but surely tightening the circle.

"Become... one..."

"Part... of the great cycle..."

"Chaos... unity..."

The whispers, like incantations, came from all directions, barely audible but strangely clear to Ian’s ears. It seemed the fragment’s resonance amplified those voices.

"Sh-should we stop the carriage? We might need to dismount and break through. We can turn the carriage around to buy some time... Huh?" Philip’s eyes widened as he tugged on the reins, but the horses didn’t stop. No matter how hard he pulled, they kept trudging toward the monastery.

"My horse isn’t stopping either," Mev said calmly, lowering her visor as she glanced at the vineyards on both sides.

Perched on the carriage roof, Thesaya tilted her head in puzzlement. "Why are they doing that? They seemed to have free will before, but now they’re like puppets. I also don’t understand how they sensed my gaze."

"What does that matter now, pointy ears? Grab your bow," Charlotte snapped, jumping down from the carriage and adding, "Those things aren’t quick. We should have enough time to run straight through and break their line."

"We should push through those monsters at the monastery and defend in a narrower space. It’s too open here," Philip said as he jumped down from the driver’s seat, securing a round shield to his left arm.

Perched on the edge of the carriage, Thesaya reached back. "I’ll handle the flying ones. Ian, hand me some arrows. ... Ian?"

She turned to look at Ian, who was at the center of the roof, breathing steadily. He reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a quiver full of arrows, extending it to her. She smiled at the satisfying weight as she took it.

"As I said, you two should fight as little as possible. We’ll take the lead," Philip said, walking alongside the carriage.

Mev, who had leaped down beside him, drew her dual swords.

"I should lead the charge, Philip. We’ll form a wedge formation around Ian," Mev suggested.

"I’ll take the left flank," Charlotte said, striking the forelegs of one of the wandering horses with her ax, causing it to collapse.

"I’ll take the right. Freckles, you cover the rear," she continued.

"Understood. It’s actually the best spot for me," replied Philip.

Thesaya secured the quiver at her waist and positioned herself on the right, while Philip twirled his sword and moved to the back.

Thesaya looked up at Ian on the roof. "Ian, come down to the center."

"So, I don’t get a choice this time," Ian muttered, jumping down to the center of the formation.

"...!?" His eyes widened the moment his feet and knees touched the ground. The fragment pulsed so violently that his vision blurred, releasing a surge of chaos energy throughout his body. His veins turned a deep purple, and his vision followed suit. Ian’s knees buckled, and his palms hit the ground.

"Ian?!" The prolonged cry of Thesaya echoed. It felt as if time was flowing endlessly slowly. Chaos energy burst from Ian in concentric circles.

In the midst of it all, Ian\'s vision brightened once again. The world was reversed in black and white. The waves of violet chaos power were tinting the surroundings in black and white. Beneath the pure white land, the purple shadows stretching out like bundles of veins became vivid. Amidst everything losing its color, only purple and violet remained distinct.

It was a hidden aspect that only the corrupted could perceive, invisible to the naked eye.

Is this why the fragment resonated so strongly...?

Ian realized he hadn’t set foot on the ground since the fragment began acting up. He had spent most of his time on the carriage roof, in the saddle, or inside the carriage. In the game, this must have triggered the moment he dismounted, possibly as soon as they entered the mountain path. A quest window appeared before him.

[Encroachment.]

It was an optional quest he could decline.

A quest for the corrupted...?

The description was brief, with a single reward: control over chaos based on his abilities. In the game, quests like this would have progressed automatically once accepted. Understanding this was no longer difficult for Ian. He hesitated briefly, knowing there had to be a reason for the optional nature of the quest. However, it was just a momentary hesitation. Declining would leave him with nothing but wasted chaos energy.

"Chaos... unity... part of the cycle..." The whispers echoed like an old tape, and Ian accepted the quest.

Whoosh—

Simultaneously, the chaos energy that had spread and colored the world seeped into the ground. Ian’s consciousness was drawn in along with it, and his vision turned pitch black.

... I figured this would happen.

Of course, he did not lose consciousness. He was simply enveloped in the sensation of his entire body stretching out like taffy and endlessly falling. He sighed briefly at the unfolding situation he had been worried about.

His physical body was likely incapacitated now. But Ian trusted his companions. They could hold out at least until he completed the quest and regained his senses. Of course, despite what he was feeling now, it was quite possible that this event could be merely a fleeting moment in reality.

I hope so... but even if it’s not, there\'s no turning back now.

The reward for completing this choice quest could only be hoped to be worth the risk.

In that moment, all his senses vanished as if washed away, leaving a fleeting stillness. In the next instant, Ian\'s vision brightened.

Amidst the pitch-black darkness, a vast, multi-branched violet mass became clear. It resembled a tangled web of roots or a human nervous system. Suddenly, his consciousness was swiftly drawn to a point within that mass. Simultaneously, a panorama of scenes unfolded in Ian\'s mind: a woman, a man, a child, a dog, a troll, a goblin. Even the memories and consciousness of insects flashed before his eyes, like a chaotically edited music video.

A collective consciousness...?

Ian finally realized that this was a cluster of countless interconnected consciousnesses. Souls were intertwined with each other, their individual boundaries blurred.

Amidst the chaotic memories, a faint violet shimmered. Beyond it, he sensed a distinct and vivid presence.

Is it that creature from back then?

Hundreds, even thousands, of consciousnesses were ultimately connected to that presence. They were clearly entangled and subjugated as one, just as he manipulated the Swamp\'s Resentment.

At that moment, Ian\'s consciousness extended beyond the panorama. The violet hue became a massive void, and the memories that had been flashing by like a fast-forwarded film soon transformed into a violet passage, unfolding around him.

The being beyond looked directly at him then. Just that was enough to halt Ian’s consciousness. Purple light flickered around his vision. He finally realized that his consciousness was enveloped in the chaos energy spewed out by the fragment.

So, is this what they meant by encroachment?

—I have awaited you... chaos...

A whisper echoed in Ian\'s mind. It was more of a thought than a language, but it was incredibly clear.

—We will... become one...

Become one? Over my dead body.

Ian spat back, though it was only in his mind. However, even that thought didn\'t last long, as waves of consciousness filled with countless memories surged in.

Ian was swept away with no chance to resist. All kinds of memories, whispers, thoughts, desires, and wishes engulfed his mind.

What the... fuck...?

Ian instinctively knew this wave would never end. Not until the boundaries of his soul were broken down, merging him with everything else.

***

"M-my lord! My lord...?!" Philip urgently shook Ian\'s shoulders.

The group had gathered around Ian, forgetting that a battle was about to begin. They couldn\'t help it, seeing Ian collapse, enveloped in a violet hue after jumping off the carriage.

The violet mass, thick as fog, seeped into the ground and disappeared, leaving only Ian behind. He lay motionless, eyes half-open and dyed purple. The violet cracks that extended from his pupils to the corners of his eyes glowed ominously.

"Move aside...!" Thesaya exchanged glances with Charlotte and pushed Philip aside, kneeling beside Ian. She placed her palm over Ian\'s eyes.

Veins pulsed around Thesaya’s eyes, and her green irises, infused with magic, scanned the void.

"...Gasp!" Thesaya, visibly startled, withdrew her hand.

Under the gazes of the group, she spoke. "The abyss... It seems the abyss has consumed Ian\'s consciousness..."

No one pressed her for more details, as even Thesaya herself didn\'t fully comprehend what she had witnessed.

"He\'s fighting." The next words came from Mev, who had raised her visor.

Looking down at Ian\'s face, she continued. "Ian has connected with the void before. It has called him back. Ian is likely fighting in the abyss right now. Fighting against his own..."

Mev paused before continuing. "... Chaos."

"By Lu Solar..." Philip muttered.

No one in the group was unaware that Ian occasionally wielded the power of the void. Each had their own understanding and acceptance of that fact. However, seeing Ian being consumed by this darkness was another matter. They feared that when Ian opened his eyes again, the person they knew might be gone.

"Ian will come back," Charlotte growled, glaring at Mev and Philip with her sharp orange eyes. "So don\'t entertain any foolish thoughts."

"We\'re just worried—"

"Grrrr... Grrrr..." The grating sound that spread from all directions drowned out Philip\'s voice.

The group members lifted their heads and looked around. The approaching minions had stopped, convulsing where they stood. In an instant, the mist that had been silently advancing now churned violently, and yellow eyes flared up. Some of the minions began to mutate, intertwining with each other.

"One thing is clear," Thesaya spoke as she turned back to the group. "It doesn\'t need Ian\'s body."

"It would be easier to kill his body then. Ian\'s soul would have no place to return to."

"... Or maybe it\'s already got what it wanted and is now tidying up," Philip added to Mev\'s statement.

Meanwhile, Charlotte silently tied her battle ax to her back and carefully lifted Ian\'s body. Despite his armor, she showed no sign of feeling its weight.

"I don\'t care about the reasons. We need to protect Ian until he returns."

"Don\'t think it will end just like that." Mev, with sunken eyes, stood up, lowering her dual sword.

Facing Charlotte, she added. "The Ian I know would want us to stay focused on our goal."

Charlotte nodded.

Thesaya, looking between the two, spoke. "So, what are we waiting for? Move out, redhead. Lead the way."

"Gladly. Just don\'t..." Mev lowered her visor with a click and turned. "... fall behind."

The next moment, she sprinted down the path at full speed. The group followed without hesitation. Again, the encirclement tightened, but this time at a significantly sped-up pace compared to the previous one.