Chapter 277

RMSBS – Episodes 277-282

RMSBS – Episode 277 . Collapse (3)

Artemis created Shadow Worlds in order to reshape the past . However, even if a Shadow World was cleared, reality was left unchanged . It only showed the best possible path for a given historical event . Desir had learned why Shadow Worlds were still being created, but why was the past not changing?

“After the collapse, the Artemis system was severely damaged . Not all of its components are functioning as intended . ”

Even if Desir didn’t know every aspect of the Artemis system, he was able find the answer to his question .

“So the function of reproducing past historical events remains, but the power to reshape the past has been lost?”

Lunia nodded .

Desir spoke after a moment of thought .

“Then, is the erosion that occurs when a Shadow World is unsuccessfully cleared also because of that?”

“Yes, that is right . ”

‘So that’s what happened . ’

Artemis had the ability to recreate past events, allowing humans to alter them under its guidance, and then implant the newly created scenario into reality .

However, no matter how brilliant the ancient human race was, it was impossible for them to clear every single Shadow World perfectly . They must have had the ability to retry or otherwise deal with Shadow Worlds that they failed .

Artemis was an artificial system that was driven by man to all extent and purposes . There must have been a function for the inevitably of failing a Shadow World . However, this function must have also been lost at the time of the biggest collapse, as was the function to actualize the changed history . Since then, failing to clear Shadow Worlds would now cause erosion .

It would have been better if Artemis had lost all function . At least then, people would not have suffered under the Shadow Worlds .

The Artemis system was a powerful tool, but it had ultimately caused mankind’s downfall . It had no greater intelligence, only capable of recreating history in an attempt to aid humanity, unable to recognize the negative impact the system was having on the world .

‘I understand Skull Mask’s actions now . ’

This was why Skull Mask could not bring his plan to fruition, even though he possessed an artifact that could directly access the Artemis system .

It would not have been possible to fully implement any plan without solving Artemis’s loss of functionality . And his solution must have been using those giant towers to replenish it somehow .

“Was this enough to answer your questions?”

“That’s enough . ”

*Shwim*

When Desir answered with a nod, the surrounding scenery began to dissipate . In time, the surrounding landscape reverted back to the endless void of white space, just like what he saw upon first arriving here .

‘I’ve gotten a considerable amount of information from this . ’

Desir had discovered the origins of the Shadow Worlds . And, he had a new goal .

‘Maybe we can get rid of the Shadow Worlds entirely . ’

Until now, the entire human race had no choice but to watch this disaster helplessly because they had no idea why or how the Shadow Worlds occurred . But he finally found out the secret behind it all .

After all, the Shadow Worlds were created by the Artemis system . If only he could control or stop Artemis, he could completely solve the problem caused by the appearance of Shadow Worlds .

And of those two methods, Desir thought he should take the latter .

Artemis was created to aid and develop mankind, but eventually threatened humanity and drove it to destruction . Unless they could tell when it would cause trouble again, the more certain option was to destroy it .

Above all, if such enormous power was to be abused, there would be no turning back .

‘Second and third Skull Masks may appear . ’

The idea was solidified all the more because he had already seen the existence that had been destroyed using it .

But he could not put anything into action right away .

‘If I could control this… ’

If only the Artemis system could be controlled properly, it could be used to immense effect in helping mankind . In addition, it may also be possible to even use it to restore the eroded territory . Even though destroying the system was a straightforward choice, it was hard to give up all the boons reconstruction would bring .

If fixing the system was even possible .

‘For now, I should talk with Zod . ’

It was not a matter that he could decide by himself . Desir decided to talk to Zod and decide on his course of action .

“Lunia, what am I supposed to do to get out of here?”

“You just need to think that you want to leave, and then you’ll return to the place you left the necklace . ”

Desir nodded, and as he tried to go outside, he realized one thing .

“I never introduced myself . My name is Desir Arman . Lunia, you’ve been a great help . ”

Lunia smiled gently and lifted the end of her skirt slightly .

“I look forward to seeing you again, Mr . Desir . ”

“We’ll see you again soon . ”

After all, he would need to come back in order to access Artemis, whether that was to destroy it or repair it .

Desir closed his eyes at the end of the farewell, and after a moment his body was enveloped in a dazzling light and disappeared .

Lunia stared at the place where Desir had disappeared for a long time .

* * *

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“Zod, I need to talk to… ”

Desir’s words died in his mouth . The scene in front of him…

He had used the artifact while in his lab inside the tower, so he expected to reappear there . But the place where he opened his eyes betrayed his expectations: he was standing in front of a teleportation gate .

“What the hell is going on?”

A murmur came to Desir’s ear . When he turned his eyes, there were numerous magicians around him .

Desir, who recognized many of the people present, quickly realized that something had gone wrong .

The magicians of the tower were all terrified, and most of them were injured .

Most notable was the distinct feeling in the air, or rather, the lack thereof . With this many powerful magicians gathered, he should have been able to feel a strong flow of mana, but the surroundings were no different than if they were ordinary people .

‘Was there a battle in the tower while I was gone?’

Desir, who could see the magicians countless injuries and exhaustion, had easily come to the most logical conclusion, but it did not seem plausible .

After the disappearance of Skull Mask, the Outsiders had finally been wiped out, and there was no other force worthy of starting a war .

The Magic Tower was where the greatest magicians on the continent gathered . Even if they could be defeated in direct combat, the Magic Tower was extremely secure and housed powerful weapons . Sieging it head-on was an act only a madman would consider .

But he could not think of any other possibility when faced with the groans and injuries of his fellow mages .

“You’re finally out!”

A man approached Desir . It was the Second Tower Master, Hephaestus .

He too was covered in wounds . There was a mixture of misery in his deeply sunken eyes .

Desir asked urgently .

“What the hell happened?”

To the question, Hepaestus handed something to Desir . It was the eyeball-shaped necklace .

“Why do you have… ”

“The tower has been attacked . ”

Hephaestus’s expression was dead serious .

There was no reason for him to tell such a lie to Desir in the first place . As he guessed, the tower really had been attacked .

Desir looked around .

“Did the main tower fall?”

Hepaestus shook his head with a miserable look .

Impossible . It was hard enough to believe that someone had actually attacked the Altea tower, but they were defeated?

Desir’s confusion began to take a sinister form .

“Who the hell… ? No, more importantly, for what reason?!”

His expression was distorted .

“Why didn’t you call me!”

Desir had been in the artifact for less than an hour .

A mere hour .

Desir’s sanity was falling apart at the seams, his rational thoughts replaced by an uncontrollable flurry of emotion . Embarrassment, over the complete failure of their defenses; confusion, because there should be no one capable of attacking them; anger, since he had been happily wasting away, giddy as a schoolgirl over discovering long-lost history, all while hell was breaking loose . He was just inside the artifact, mere seconds away . He could have stopped it all .

“By the time we realized what had happened, we had already lost control . That’s why the Tower Master said… ”

Hepaestus stopped talking as his face contorted into a glare, traces of embarrassment and distress shimmering just beneath the surface .

The expression was perplexing enough that it knocked Desir out of his downward spiral . After a brief moment, Desir realized the cause .

He had not seen him anywhere .

There was no sign of Zod to be found .

That meant only one thing .

Desir’s gaze turned to the teleportation gate, striding towards it without hesitation .

“No, Mr . Desir! Are you going back to the Tower now?”

Hephaestus hurried to block Desir’s path .

Desir shoved him aside, his eyes laden with emptiness, his pupils utterly devoid of light . Eyes deep like an abyss, eyes that threatened to suck the soul out of anyone foolish enough to gaze into them .

“Get out of the way . ”

Still, Hephaestus would not give up . He collected himself, and began to move towards Desir, but he could not do anything . Desir gathered an unbelievable amount of mana into an array in front of him .

*Kii-ying*

Teleportation gates boasted the most complicated security spells ever devised, several of them arranged by the Great Sage himself . Wide-range teleportation magic was extremely powerful, and dangerous in the wrong hands, so access was heavily restricted and powerful spells guarded their use from anyone other than those chosen . Desir inverted it within a second .

Control of the gate in hand, Desir immediately changed the coordinates to the Magic Tower’s main branch .

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