Chapter 139

(2)

2.

“Oh, that?”

Noa asked nonchalantly.

She nodded, recalling a verse from the scripture she heard from Laurea.

It didn’t seem like the first time she had heard it.

“I’m familiar with that record myself.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s quite famous on our side.”

Laurea responded, looking surprised.

Then Noa continued her explanation.

“In the world I lived in, there was speculation that the identity of the divine being referred to as ‘the Lord’ is a metaphor for the management team behind the original work.”

“Management team?”

“It refers to the creators and distributors of the game ‘Chronicles of Arsen Continent.’

With that last reply, Laurea and Ulan both tilted their heads.

“So when you say they created the game…?”

“You mean they created this world?”

“Exactly. However, my thoughts differ slightly.”

“Differ how?”

“I’m suggesting not just a figurative meaning but that the management team of ‘Chronicles of Arsen Continent’ might actually be divine beings.”

Her expression turned serious.

Then she shared her reasoning.

“Because no information whatsoever about the management team has been revealed in the world I lived in.”

No details about those who participated in the original game development, the company, or even the official website were known.

It was truly a suspicious game.

So, among the players of the original game, there were jokes about everyone eventually getting trapped inside the game.

I never imagined it would become reality.

“More importantly, the fact that I was brought here from another world cannot be explained unless it involves divine beings.”

It made sense.

After all, the people here didn’t even know other worlds existed.

“Of course, it’s not certain. It’s merely a possibility. Yet I believe that currently, this speculation is the most credible.”

Noa’s story came to a close.

The atmosphere turned silent again. She looked over at Ulan and Laurea and finally spoke up.

“If you have any more questions…”

“Oh, I have one more question.”

Laurea jumped in again.

It wasn’t about the scripture verse, but rather something she was personally curious about. So, she asked without hesitation.

“Is there a reason why you specifically chose the character Noa among the ninety-nine characters?”

The moment Laurea finished her sentence, Noa awkwardly smiled.

“I didn’t choose. When I opened my eyes, I was Noa Darshen.”

In the harsh winter, with a fierce snowstorm whipping around, player Yoomina opened her eyes as the eight-year-old Noa Darshen.

“If I could choose a character to possess, I definitely wouldn’t have picked Noa Darshen.”

“Why not?”

“Because the early leveling difficulty is notoriously brutal.”

Noa’s unique story had a tragic fate where she was sold to a slave trader as a child and had to live as a slave until adulthood.

“The only saving grace is that Noa’s story isn’t a predetermined fate.”

Thanks to that, she met the sorcerer Ajuheuh disguised as coincidences.

Later, she became Ajuheuh’s apprentice and began her path as a sorcerer. Laurea nodded as if she understood.

A little later.

“This is just a personal curiosity.”

Suddenly, Laurea moved closer.

Right next to her, Laurea brought her lips to Noa’s ear and whispered quietly.

“You mentioned having lived many lives earlier—did you, by chance, live as me?”

“Of course, I did.”

She had played as Laurea six times.

The reason for the high number was simple.

Unlike Noa, who had it tough, Laurea, the next Saintess protected by the Order, had a relatively easy early leveling difficulty.

Upon hearing that response, Laurea’s face grew tense as she swallowed hard.

“W-well, do you happen to know about my past?”

“Yes, I do.”

Noa nodded readily.

Meanwhile, Laurea’s complexion turned slightly pale. Whether she realized it or not, Noa recalled Laurea’s character story.

“For example, when you were receiving training as a Saintess Candidate in the monastery, you snuck out illegally.”

“…!”

Laurea, checking Ulan’s reaction, suddenly cleared her throat with an awkward cough. It was a ploy to drown out Noa’s voice.

But it was too late.

The crucial information had already been revealed.

“Your personality seems pretty much the same as now.”

Ulan chuckled.

Noa nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Also, after becoming the next Saintess, I once got caught stealing and drinking wine and ended up upside down in the monastery.”

“T-that’s enough!”

Laurea shouted as if embarrassed.

Her face was a bit flushed. Once Noa stopped talking, Laurea immediately whispered.

“Um! Please, I beg you, do not mention my past again. Especially to Ulan—absolutely do not say anything, okay?”

“What if I do?”

“I’ll break a wine bottle over your head.”

“…”

Noa zipped her lips tight.

If it was Laurea’s personality, there was a high chance she would actually do that. An awkward silence lingered until Laurea stepped back.

“That’s all my questions. If anything else comes to mind, I’ll ask again.”

Noa nodded.

Then she turned to Ulan, who hadn’t asked a single question so far, and asked.

“Ulan, don’t you have anything you’re curious about?”

“I have about three questions.”

That was quite a few. While pondering that, the first question flew out.

“Have you ever been to Zone 5?”

This was the recent question he had in mind.

It was about the bizarre phenomenon he experienced right after defeating Diplyn Cernio.

Since she had lived countless lives, he thought she might know about it. However, the answer he received was negative.

“No, I haven’t been there before the Gate of the Abyss opened. You can’t just go if you want to, anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“To enter Zone 5, you need to meet certain conditions. Until those conditions are met, you’re blocked by a transparent wall.”

The mention of a transparent wall caught Ulan’s attention.

Because what he experienced in Zone 5 was also a phenomenon where an invisible wall blocked his path.

“I’d like to know about those conditions.”

“I don’t know either.”

“…What?”

“I swear it’s true!”

Noa replied defensively.

At that moment, Laurea nodded. It was a sign that she believed her and that it wasn’t a lie.

Once Ulan fell silent, Noa continued.

“But I heard that only those who can prove their worth can enter. What exactly ‘prove’ means, I have no clue.”

Recalling vague memories from the original game, Noa could gather only loose hints. Yet, it wasn’t really helpful.

“Next question.”

Leaving the lingering questions behind, Ulan threw his second question.

“Do you know what the ‘heir of Rudrik’ or ‘Minions of Rudrik’ means?”

After defeating the Lord of the Abyss, both the Frost Dragon and the Swamp Ruler had referred to Ulan and the White Wolf as the ‘heir of Rudrik’ and ‘Minions of Rudrik’ respectively.

That response was quite shocking.

In his curiosity, Ulan inquired. In contrast, Noa fell silent for a moment.

“That is….”

It was an unexpected question.

But it didn’t take long for her to regain her composure as she responded with a calm expression.

“I know a bit about it.”

“Please explain.”

“First, Rudrik refers to the family name of the ancient desert kingdom’s hero, Kazan Rudrik.”

“Kazan? If it’s Kazan….”

“That’s right. The original owner of the Enchantment engraved on your back.”

Hero’s Enchantment, Kazan.

Starting there, Noa mixed information from the library with memories from the original game to share. In the process, she revealed that the White Wolf was actually one of Kazan Rudrik’s Minions. Laurea’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh? So are you saying the White Wolf’s reason for following Ulan could be because of the enchantment?”

“Yes, although it’s not definitively proven.”

Yet it was indeed a probable assumption.

Following that, Noa shared all she knew about the Desert Order and Rudrik’s bloodline without holding back.

“That’s all I know. In the original game, aside from Hero’s Enchantment, Kazan Rudrik wasn’t particularly significant.”

Which meant more research was necessary.

After Noa spoke, Ulan silently nodded. It signaled his understanding.

After answering the second question, Noa asked.

“What’s your last question?”

Noa looked at Ulan.

And then, as though he had been waiting for that moment, the question came back.

“Earlier you said that this world has repeated countless times, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So have you ever seen the end?”

“Huh? The end means…?”

“I’m asking if you’ve ever eliminated all the Lord of the Abyss and closed the Gate of the Abyss.”

Right after the concrete question returned, Noa’s expression hardened.

It was as if she expected this moment. After a brief pause, she exhaled heavily before replying.

“…No.”

“What?”

“I mean I’ve never seen the end.”

She had never closed the Gate of the Abyss.

Not even once.

Was it such a shocking answer? Laurea wore a puzzled expression as she refuted.

“You said you’ve repeated your life hundreds of times? Then it doesn’t make sense that you’ve never succeeded.”

“I’m not the only one who hasn’t seen the ending of the original game. Other players who played the game have never seen it either.”

Noa replied calmly.

“The initial popularity of ‘Chronicles of Arsen Continent’ stemmed from the fact that no one worldwide could reach a clear ending.”

A game that boasted a notoriously high difficulty.

Upon its release, for three years, no one achieved a happy ending. That’s why it sparked the challenge in many gamers.

And that was ‘Chronicles of Arsen Continent.’

After Noa finished, Laurea squinted her eyes.

“You seem more incompetent than I thought.”

“In-incompetent?!”

“Isn’t it true? You know what’s going to happen, and you’ve had hundreds of chances, yet you still can’t close the Gate of the Abyss.”

Laurea’s sharp statement.

Noa immediately countered.

“It’s not just me! Like I said, all the other players…!”

“No, more importantly, if you’ve never succeeded, wouldn’t it be better to reveal everything from the start and ask everyone for help?”

“Well, that’s…”

In that moment, Noa found herself at a loss for words.

Of course, she could easily refute.

But her voice didn’t come out.

In the first place, it was meaningless. The real reason for hiding the truth was one and only one.

“Hoo.”

What was once the voice of rebuttal had turned into a heavy sigh. After a moment, Noa revealed the real reason she had been keeping secrets.

“…I was scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“I have bad memories from the past.”

Noa bit her lips.

The memory of how the gaze and attitude of the people changed when she confessed her secret. Recalling her past as Yoomina, Noa spoke with a trembling voice.

“When I confessed my secret, it scared me to see the change in everyone’s expressions. That’s why I didn’t say anything until now.”

In this world, Noa was an Outsider.

So she feared being rejected by the hero candidates when her identity was revealed. In this familiar yet strange world, she was scared of being alone.

So she kept hiding it.

It was her belief that if she acted as if she belonged to this world from the beginning, she wouldn’t be ostracized.

But…

Since Ulan had given her an ultimatum, she could no longer hide. Thus, she finally confessed.

Right after Noa’s answer ended.

“….”

Laurea stayed silent.

And it was only natural. She shared the same fears as Noa. Noa knew this well since she had played as Laurea.

In that moment.

“I don’t understand.”

“…Huh?”

“Why do you think that way?”

The silence was broken by a voice.

It was Ulan. He gazed at Noa with a completely confused expression.

“Because I came from another world.”

“So?”

“Of course, I thought I would be discriminated against….”

“Why would that be obvious?”

He still looked puzzled.

Noa sighed.

“I’m an Outsider.”

“I’m a Barbarian.”

“No, I don’t mean it that way….”

“Noa Darshen.”

She couldn’t complete her words.

Suddenly Ulan cut her off.

Then, like a flame, his bright crimson eyes were fixed on her.

“You are not an Outsider.”

“Huh?”

“Now that you’ve revealed the truth you were hiding and hold a common enemy in the Abyss, you are without a doubt my colleague.”

Hearing the word “colleague” made Noa’s eyes waver.

Whether it was by accident or not, Ulan continued to articulate his thoughts.

“If anything changes, it’s only that I can fully trust you now.”

Nothing else would change.

Noa thus sealed her lips tight.

Her eyes were shaking with the emotions brewing within. Still, the distrust didn’t vanish completely. Perhaps realizing this, Ulan spoke again.

“Then I will ask you.”

“W-what will you ask?”

“In all my repeated lives, did I ever easily change my attitude just once?”

“….”

Noa was left speechless.

Because the answer was no.

Ulan was the most rock-like person of all characters. No matter the situation, he stood firm in his beliefs without wavering.

“So don’t worry.”

Watching Noa’s tremulous eyes, Ulan smiled slightly.

“To me, you are not an Outsider, but just another Barbarian like me.”

The moment his answer ended, Noa accidentally burst into laughter.

She hadn’t expected “Barbarian” would feel so reassuring.

But on the other hand…

This was the answer she wanted the most.

As the anxiety in her heart washed away, Noa took a long-awaited deep breath and asked as if to confirm.

“You really won’t chase me away?”

“Of course not.”

“Really, can I stay by your side?”

“Yes.”

Ulan nodded repeatedly.

Seeing his demeanor that felt entirely sincere, she finally felt at ease.

“Understood. I’ll trust you, Ulan.”

Her blue eyes, shaped like a crescent moon, shone brightly.

A smile blossomed on her face like a flower.

Her expression radiated all her worries had melted away. It was truly a relieved smile.

After Ulan’s question ended, Noa looked at him intently.

“Now it’s my turn.”

She presented a variable that didn’t exist in the original. She voiced the question she had harbored all along.

“Ulan, you mentioned you remember your past lives, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then could you tell me roughly what you remember?”

“I remember most of it.”

“Could you be more specific?”

Noa asked earnestly.

It indicated how important this topic was to her.

Ulan nodded as if he understood. Then, he immediately began his tale.

From the moment he was born into the Prairie tribe until he joined forces with the other heroes and the last moments he faced.

As he finished recounting everything, Noa’s expression suddenly transformed dramatically.

Realizing a shocking fact, her face stiffened.

And after a moment, she asked in a voice as firm as her expression.

“…I’m really sorry, but could you just remind me of the Abyss Lords you defeated in your past life? And also the heroes who participated in the hunt?”

That level of detail wasn’t too difficult.

Ulan swiftly responded.

“The Phantom Knights, the Swamp Ruler, the Howling Eyeball, and the Giant King.”

He also shared the names of the heroes who participated in defeating each lord. As Ulan’s explanation went on, Noa’s complexion turned more and more pale.

“Are you okay? You don’t look well.”

Did Laurea notice this change? She asked worriedly.

Noa managed a nod, then turned her gaze back to Ulan.

“I, um, that is to say….”

Her voice trembled, sounding flustered.

Noa took a deep breath to compose herself, shook off her tension, and carefully spoke.

“P-please listen carefully.”

“Go ahead.”

“About the past life that Ulan remembers.”

After dropping that hint, Noa continued.

“I think it was the last phase I played before getting trapped here.”

After her voice stopped trembling, the surroundings fell into a moment of silence.

Chapter 33: Confession