novelraw Chapter 70 : Chapter 70
Chapter 70 : Chapter 70
Chapter 70 : Measures
“We'll change the future you see based on the new information we've secured.”
Quest explained to Sal and Divinity, who were sitting side by side on the sofa in the Sky Lounge.
There were several people around them whom Sal had never seen before, but Quest had already said they could be trusted.
Surprisingly, there was one familiar face as well.
Barry was sitting next to Alastair, engaged in a serious conversation, while Harlan and Neuro stood behind them.
Most of the unfamiliar people were quietly observing Sal and Divinity.
Quest sat on the coffee table and drew the two's attention again.
“Your friend came to us directly and said he wanted to help in any way he could. I hope his contribution won't change in the upcoming battle.”
Quest looked at Divinity with a meaningful gaze, but she shook her head.
Only then did Quest reveal a look of relief and turned his gaze back to Sal.
“The more desperate the situation, the more drastic measures are needed. I hope you don't misunderstand Ms. Divinity's actions. I asked her to draw out the best results from the students, and so she ended up bringing Barry and Anna Sakura. Both Barry and Divinity spoke honestly about that process. I fully understand the discomfort you felt. Not everyone will agree with this operational method, but my stance is that I won't hesitate to use somewhat uncomfortable methods for everyone's safety.”
Sal nodded, but he couldn't fully empathize with Quest's words.
Divinity also still had an expression revealing complex emotions, and only when Quest turned his gaze away did she force a smile.
“This time, we will run the simulation again with a new development considering the guilds' support.”
Quest paused for a moment and then continued cautiously.
“And this time, I want to ask both of you not to check the success or failure of the strike team that will be dispatched immediately. Our hypothesis is this. While the Commander-rank variant backtracks the flow of the future in preparation for this weekend's Cohort battle, the actual battle starts tonight first.”
Quest looked at the two and concluded.
“You two need to create new future events and strategies to draw the Commander's attention. That way, we can buy time for the strike team to launch a preemptive strike.”
Divinity opened her eyes wide and looked at Quest.
“Do you think that makes sense? All futures must have a reference point. We can't just make them up.”
Quest gestured for the people behind the sofa to come closer.
His smile looked tired, but hope could be glimpsied somewhere.
Sal didn't understand exactly what Divinity was saying, but it made sense to some extent.
Because the futures he had seen were always based on facts of reality.
Divinity looked at Sal and said.
“He's telling us to look at futures on branches that aren't connected to the trunk of the tree.”
Sal's eyes widened.
“I don't think I could ever do something like that.”
At that moment, Barry and Neuro arrived simultaneously on both sides of the sofa. Quest pointed to Barry.
“Allow me to introduce our manipulator, Mr. Barry. He will synchronize with Neuro to create the fake future you will use.”
Hearing that, Divinity burst into a scoff as if she had heard something ridiculous.
“Even assuming that's possible, what's the point of creating a completely different future? The Commander predicts the real future, so what effect could a fabricated future have?”
Neuro looked at Divinity with a worried expression, then a flash of anger crossed his face momentarily.
He turned toward Quest and said sharply.
“You didn't tell this child.”
It wasn't a question.
Quest pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a short sigh.
“I wanted to protect at least one student… with a sound mind, Neil.”
Neuro stared at Quest for a long time, and finally, he nodded and began to speak.
“We believe the Commander-rank monster is tracking what you see. Remember when you helped Sal explore your ability during the Doom Society meeting? We concluded that the Commander is looking into your visions in a similar way.”
Quest carefully observed Divinity's reaction. She was too shocked to speak, so he continued the explanation.
“Harlan is the best expert in the field of monster behavior. According to his judgment, no monster can react to and block the future at such a speed. We don't underestimate its ability either. However, exploiting all strategies in real-time is next to impossible.”
Quest raised his hand again.
“It has already been confirmed that they possess mental abilities to control the monster army. Harlan's hypothesis is that this Commander-rank variant is engaging in mental warfare with your visions. That's why all the futures you saw tilted in that variant's favor.”
He placed both hands on his knees and looked at Sal and Divinity seriously.
“This is merely a hypothesis, but looking at the situation so far, it makes plenty of sense.”
Quest continued.
“Isn't it strange that even with the entire Academy and guilds joining forces, we lose overwhelmingly in every simulation we saw? After discussing with several Guild Masters, we reached the conclusion that we must launch a counterattack based on mental abilities. By showing manipulated future visions, we intend to confuse that Commander.”
Divinity leaned back on the sofa and sighed.
“…Do you think it has been deceiving us by using my ability until now?”
Neuro shook his head and sat on the armrest of the sofa next to her.
He placed a hand on Divinity's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.
“We believe that variant doesn't see the future, but is simply an incredibly powerful mental type user. Your contributions so far have been crucial in establishing this counter-strategy. If you hadn't intervened, we would have been ambushed this weekend… and the damage would have been unimaginable.”
Divinity's shoulders noticeably relaxed.
The weight of guilt seemed to lift a little.
She still had a confused expression, but Quest raised a hand to stop Neuro.
“We don't have time. Let's proceed. As part of this counterattack plan, Professor Lombardi will amplify Neuro's ability. Then, when the Commander intervenes in Divinity's vision, location tracking becomes possible. Once the location is secured, orders will be immediately transmitted to the strike teams waiting in the air.”
When Barry raised his hand, Quest gestured and continued.
“Yes, yes. Of course. Mr. Barry… could you sit next to Mr. Salvatore? This vision will proceed in a way where Mr. Salvatore activates the ability, Ms. Divinity guides it, and you project the false future we discussed.”
Quest stood up and looked around the room, directing seats for a few people.
Sal turned to look at Barry, and Barry shook his head with a bewildered face. When Barry made eye contact with Sal, he smirked.
“Watching them run around in confusion doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it?”
Feeling the tense atmosphere relax a little at the playful remark, Sal laughed along.
“It was much worse when we first took what we saw to Headmaster Quest. It's actually better now. By the way, are you finally planning to show your super-secret ability?”
When Sal asked playfully, Barry grinned.
“Actually, I wanted a more dramatic presentation. But if this can save people… I guess that much compromise is okay.”
With those words, Barry raised his right hand and activated his ability.
Green rings swirled around his arm, and small runic characters floated within them in a regular pattern.
The rings contracted and turned into sleeves of pulsating symbols, which soon slowly rotated around Barry's arm.
Sal watched it with curious eyes.
“Don't ever try to replicate this ability, Sal. I'm serious.”
Barry was smiling, but his expression was somewhat serious.
Sal stopped laughing and asked.
“Why? What on earth is this?”
Instead of answering Sal, Barry swung his right hand in front of Sal, and at that moment, everything in the room disappeared from Sal's eyes.
Without people, space, or sound, he was trapped in complete darkness.
As all of Sal's senses became useless, fear rushed in instinctively.
A space with nothing. Not even his heartbeat could be felt, and only anxiety grew.
And not long after, Sal was sitting on the sofa again.
Barry was holding his arm, and Sal focused on that sensation and began to catch his breath.
“Breathe slowly. It was just a hallucination.”
Barry's voice was unusually soft. Sal looked at him with still bewildered eyes.
Barry held up his right arm and pointed at it with his left hand.
“The vision you just saw, that was what my first few years of ability training looked like. Gloomy, tough training… it was an ability I didn't want to use if possible. So I'm telling you sincerely, absolutely do not replicate this.”
Sal nodded, although he wondered how Barry had overcome that hellish ability.
He finally understood why he had almost no Knots.
Seeing Barry in a new light, Sal asked cautiously.
“…How does such an ability help in this future?”
Barry smiled as he watched the symbols floating on the back of his hand deform minutely.
“What I just showed you was merely purgatory. I can make them taste hell!”
At that moment, Neuro coughed lightly from behind to draw attention.
When Sal, Barry, and Divinity turned to him simultaneously, Neuro spoke.
“We're starting now. Sal, lean your back against the sofa, empty your mind, and prepare to activate Divinity's ability. Barry, hold Sal's right hand, and Divinity, hold his left.”
The three leaned back in their seats and closed their eyes according to the instructions.
“Professor Lombardi, if you're ready, please start.”
Neuro said, turning his head to the professor.
Lombardi placed both hands on Neuro's back without delay and activated his ability.
Instantly, Neuro's amplified telepathy spread out, connecting the three students.
He tapped Sal's shoulder lightly to signal, and at that moment, Sal replicated and activated Divinity's ability.
Hoping his wings wouldn't cause inconvenience, Sal opened his eyes, and a forest of trees with countless futures intertwined unfolded before him.
He felt Divinity's familiar presence beside him, but she didn't guide the way immediately like usual.
Instead, she waited quietly.
Soon, he felt a new presence entering the forest.
Sal gasped in surprise.
The forest shimmered, and a cluster of trees that hadn't existed before appeared.
Those trees had a pale green hue, but they soon blended with the forest's white light and permeated naturally.
Divinity led Sal there, and Sal began to read the future.
When he examined the base of a newly created tree, it was a vision containing a scene of the Cohort battle.
Just like what he had seen countless times over the past few days, his team was fighting Divinity's team.
But strangely, no dungeon rift occurred.
As the battle continued, Sal began to doubt if this was really the correct future.
But he trusted Divinity's judgment, and her guidance continued.
Then the scene shook, and Sal's vision rippled.
Thinking that Barry's illusion was being forcibly transformed, Sal watched the change with a heavy heart.
Eventually, the illusion twisted and changed into a scene where a dungeon rift occurred, just like one of the futures Divinity had originally seen.
It was the moment proving Quest's theory was correct.
The Commander was manipulating the scene even at this moment to create a completely different result.
Neuro's thought was transmitted into the three's minds.
‘Need more time.’
But neither Divinity nor Sal had a way to maintain the vision longer.
All they could do was watch the scene unfold before their eyes.
Then, their secret weapon responded to the challenge with full force.
“Alright, now it starts.”
Barry's voice echoed in the room, and the illusion transformed once again.
The ground collapsed, and monsters poured out, flying toward the students.
As screams and terror erupted from all sides, Divinity's guidance shook momentarily.
Sal couldn't blame her.
It was a hard scene to watch, and both were left speechless by the next scene that followed immediately.
Divinity, wearing shining armor and holding the sword Sal crafted, stood tall under the sky.
With every swing of her sword, the monster army was flung away, and the Divinity in the vision spread angel wings and rose into the sky.
As she raised her sword, sunlight shone intensely from behind her back.
However, simultaneously with Divinity's appearance, the Commander also pulled up Voisers and Hulkers from the underground rift.
Sal and Divinity could only watch the ensuing battle like spectators.
Total war between the Commander and Barry had begun.
Divinity launched precise counterattacks every time against the enemies newly summoned from the rift.
Meanwhile, Sal's avatar was being brutally defeated by a low-ranking vampire in a corner.
He would have burst into laughter under normal circumstances, but Neuro's thought came into his mind again.
‘Maintain the vision as long as possible to buy time.’
This operation was clearly being led by Barry.
He controlled the simulation perfectly, painting a hopeful future.
Then he deliberately set it up so that the hero Divinity in the vision was defeated in the end.
The vision consisted of several stages.
A new hero appeared, picked up the fallen sword, stepped onto the battlefield, and another sophisticated counterattack began.
The Commander learned from that and manipulated the vision to break the sword.
Then Barry introduced an absurdly powerful illusionary bullet gauntlet in its place.
This entire process continued for over an hour.
Barry constantly created scenarios, and the Commander responded accordingly.
Barry let the Commander barely win, then moved straight to the next scenario.
Finally, Neuro placed a hand on Sal's shoulder.
“You can stop now.”