〈Chapter 434〉 Deity and Priest
If Number 13 had come in physical form as she was.
Aslan could easily foresee what might happen.
Valerie, who until now had only mentioned a slight increase in difficulty, might have also referred to an explosive rise in challenge.
The magical abilities of the woman, more accurately Future Number 13, were beyond anything Aslan could imagine.
He felt this distinctly in the Ruined Geladridion.
An overwhelming level of mana and magical prowess.
It seemed there was no limit to the number of spells she could use simultaneously, and her spell output far surpassed even the highest power of high-output mages like Harrod or Anton.
Most notably, her unique magic involving time and space manipulation.
Bending, twisting, and enveloping space.
Winding, accelerating, and transcending time to the point where she could even enable time travel for objects.
She utilized these magics perfectly.
She would accelerate spells and apply deceleration at appropriate times.
Through the refraction of space, she could alter the otherwise unchangeable trajectory of spells, fine-tuning their power and accuracy.
If such a version of her had fully appeared, influenced the current Number 13, and joined the traveling party…
Aslan thought about how much more would be possible and let out a defeated laugh.
It was natural that the Dark Ram, feeling it unfair, would increasingly seek to exploit loopholes in the rules.
Although the hidden Number 13 wasn’t influencing the difficulty to a negligible degree…
Aslan clearly remembered the lightning bolt splitting into two distinct paths.
Especially the second arrow, which possessed an overwhelming power surpassing his own lightning arrows.
Certainly, the difficulty would rise, but Aslan believed it was worth bearing.
Since it wasn’t the whole of Number 13 arriving, and Valerie hadn’t tried to stop the attempt—rather, she had maintained her usual secrecy by withholding information.
Sitting still, Aslan gazed blankly at the sky, mulling over the information Valerie had given him.
“There are other ways to eat.”
Other ways to eat.
Aslan recalled various methods of consumption that came to mind.
If not chewing, then drinking?
He had an intuition that it wasn’t something so simple.
Not a mere guess, but an instinct he was born with.
Instinctual reasoning derived from acquired knowledge, analytical skills, and common sense.
Aslan thought that perhaps it wasn’t just about different ways of eating, but something greater.
Valerie’s purpose lay in that direction, and while the Dark Ram might be an ally in some respects, they wouldn’t follow obediently.
Another memory surfaced—an unforgettable statement from a certain giant.
“All people can become Buddhas.”
Tubul Goryu.
The words of a man who no longer existed.
His final wish for happiness lingered, causing Aslan to often recall them.
“Do not forget.”
It wasn’t a simple encouragement.
He emphasized the importance of not forgetting, as if truly hoping Aslan wouldn’t.
As if it wasn’t for his own benefit, but rather like advice to someone facing a life-defining decision.
It didn’t feel like meaningless words.
Aslan lifted his head with a perplexed expression. Above him loomed a massive mansion.
Aslan was currently in the city of wizards.
On his lap slept Number 13—or rather, Future Number 13.
Glancing down briefly, Aslan saw the system window:
[Number 13]
[Level: 8]
[Strength 1] [Agility 3] [Health 2]
[Mana 40] [Will 1] [Luck 5]
The system window, now permanently visible, showed the stats of the sleeping Number 13, implying that this was Future Number 13 and that the original physical body of Number 13 was either asleep or absent.
Though the distinction was vague, Aslan thought having some way to differentiate was better than nothing, despite the inevitable sighs.
“What to do…”
A sudden utterance. Number 13 remained sound asleep, her head resting on Aslan’s knee.
Sleeping Number 13. Aslan looked down at her, his lips twisting with rising memories.
He didn’t know how to handle the current Number 13.
It was his initial plan, and it had been quite successful.
But he hadn’t anticipated things going this far.
Thus, his situation and stance were ambiguously complicated.
Clearly, the one sleeping on Aslan’s knee was Future Number 13, the one who had intertwined bodies with Aslan and whispered love.
But the body she possessed wasn’t hers, and most importantly, its rightful owner was watching closely.
The present Number 13 didn’t seem to harbor any romantic feelings for Aslan.
So Aslan had to ask himself:
Is the spirit more important, or is the body?
Which takes precedence?
And if there are two spirits, whose intentions should guide actions?
Because of this, Aslan kept his hands away from Number 13.
He wanted to reach out and brush her hair, but couldn’t.
After all, this body belonged to Present Number 13, not Future Number 13.
Thinking about titles confused him even further, prompting another deep sigh.
“Maybe I’ll give them different names later.”
If the system accepted separate names for both versions, distinguishing between them would be easier.
Ideally, Tiyalmisof and Ados could create another body for Number 13, but…
“That’d be tough.”
Of course, Number 13 wasn’t just anyone.
An existence created through the countless sacrifices of twelve test subjects and many others who weren’t even deemed worthy of experimentation.
An irreplicable miracle.
Lost in various thoughts, Aslan sat quietly for a moment.
With no clear answers forthcoming, frustration mounted.
Yet, prolonged contemplation wouldn’t yield solutions, and Aslan remained lost in thought.
Unusually vulnerable, he didn’t notice someone approaching until they played a prank on him.
This was a kind of agreed-upon joke.
The deceiver didn’t use illusion magic, and the deceived didn’t reveal their awareness.
This time, Aslan genuinely hadn’t noticed.
Detecting an entity without breath, footsteps, or hostility was difficult.
Thump! Someone grabbed Aslan’s shoulder.
An efficient ambush that jolted Aslan’s deeply immersed consciousness back to reality.
Startled, Aslan turned his head awkwardly, making the prankster look somewhat embarrassed.
There stood Lewena, her violet eyes wide with surprise as she stared at Aslan.
Meeting his gaze, she soon softened into a gentle smile.
“Hyunwoo.”
Her warm greeting complemented her usually stoic demeanor, creating a mysterious aura.
Recognizing the familiar, once-nightmarish figure, Aslan nodded.
“Lewena.”
Calling her name brought a soft smile to Lewena’s face.
Leaning against the bench where Aslan sat and Number 13 rested, she draped her arms over the backrest.
The awkward eye level required her to turn her head significantly, but Lewena didn’t seem to mind.
Her gaze moved from Aslan to Number 13.
In the past, Lewena would’ve instantly summoned shadows to tear apart such a scene.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she gently stroked Number 13’s light blue hair with the hand resting on the backrest.
The strands flowed softly through her fingers.
After brushing the hair for a while, Lewena glanced up and met Aslan’s eyes.
“Why such a face?”
At last, Aslan realized his expression.
The man hesitated, while the woman watched silently, leaning her cheek against the backrest.
Contrasting with them, the small woman slept curled up.
Among them, only Aslan breathed.
After listening to his own breath for a moment, Aslan spoke.
“A little… unexpected.”
Her amused smirk suggested she saw through his hesitation.
Had she asked without knowing, Aslan might have brushed it off, but Lewena wouldn’t let it go.
“Should I kill you out of jealousy, since you aren’t?”
Accurate. Aslan closed his mouth in silent affirmation, and Lewena chuckled.
Her shadow wriggled, rising into a tooth-like shape before settling into a black cloak when it descended.
A trick made possible by her increased influence in Geladridion after taking Tiyalmisof and Ados as priests.
Lewena startled Aslan with this trick, then draped the black cloak around Number 13 and smiled.
“Not really. Then Hyunwoo wouldn’t be happy, would he?”
Replacing that, she leaned her cheek against the backrest and lightly poked Aslan’s cheek.
That puzzled him.
Lewena had certainly changed.
Not just slightly, but significantly.
Originally, Lewena was very jealous.
Even minor interactions between Aslan and other women would provoke murderous intent, and she had been subdued by Aslan numerous times.
Sometimes, even when subdued, she’d act casually without apparent jealousy, though her emotional highs and lows were intense.
But now?
Lewena was benevolent.
Perhaps even more so than Ereta, the goddess of fire and compassion.
Precisely speaking, she was benevolent toward Aslan, extending leftover kindness to those around him.
Like sharing breadcrumbs with animals.
Aslan found this strange.
He couldn’t discern the reason or purpose behind it.
Moreover, he recalled a recent event.
Lewena’s acceptance of Angie when they first became intimate.
Even as more women began relationships with Aslan, Lewena showed no significant reaction, merely enduring the situations.
From this, Aslan wondered if Lewena had already died and this was the Abyss impersonating her.
Partially, this aligned with what he already knew, so Aslan frowned faintly.
A vivid expression.
One that Lewena, an expert—perhaps even a veteran—in matters concerning Aslan, could interpret.
She sniffed softly.
“Why do you think that?”
Caught. But it wasn’t surprising.
Their relationship was dense.
Realizing his continued failure at managing expressions, Aslan sighed faintly.
“Because… I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“Does it matter?”
“It does. Knowing what you want or desire shapes a person.”
A person.
Lewena softened her expression.
Even if consumed by the Abyss, even if her self blurred at the top of the Abyss, even if Aslan himself doubted whether she was truly Lewena…
He still viewed her as a person.
Her unwavering perspective delighted Lewena.
“I think I’ve said this before.”
“Before?”
“Yeah. It’s embarrassing to repeat, though.”
Despite claiming embarrassment without showing any signs of it, Aslan doubted her sincerity while sheepishly smiling.
If she truly intended to deceive, she would’ve used illusions.
Perhaps she was genuinely embarrassed, which wasn’t necessarily bad.
Deciding it wasn’t so terrible, Aslan responded.
“Then say it again.”
“Alright.”
Lewena readily agreed, removing her hand from Number 13’s hair.
Resting her chin and arm on the backrest again, she closed her eyes.
“I just want Hyunwoo to be happy.”
Aslan remembered hearing this before—not dimly, but recently.
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he pondered the statement.
Clearly, it was appreciative and heartwarming, yet its underlying logic eluded him.
“As long as Hyunwoo is happy, I don’t care how many women are around him.”
Her dark hair flowed with the tilt of her head.
“Anything else doesn’t matter.”
Her love felt heavy.
Combined with her altered statements, it revealed what had happened to her.
Her fusion with the Abyss hadn’t merely amplified her power.
It might have stripped her of whatever humanity she had left.
Perhaps eradicating jealousy and selfish hatred, leaving only rationality.
Thus, the conclusion was singular.
She loved Aslan purely through rationality.
More specifically, selectively employing rationality to wish for Aslan’s happiness.
Such behavior and words from Lewena reignited a long-standing dilemma in Aslan.
How should he treat and handle the women who love him, and those whom he has loved?
What should be done with their love in the long term?
It couldn’t be easily decided, nor could he confidently claim to know the right answer.
Ultimately, Aslan closed his eyes tightly.
When he opened them again, it was after some time had passed, prompted by Lewena poking his shoulder with her long finger.
Turning his head, he saw her with a playful expression, reminiscent of Valerie.
‘Maybe she’s been influenced.’
While Aslan considered this possibility, looking at her questioningly, she spoke.
“I came to deliver a message.”
“Ah.”
Initially thinking she might’ve come just to see him, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Realizing his mistaken assumption and aware that Lewena knew it too, Aslan forced a smile.
Hiding his reddening ears with his hand, Lewena chuckled and continued.
“I did come to see Hyunwoo, but there’s also important news.”
Important news?
Blinking, Aslan listened as Lewena nonchalantly stated:
“The Veil’s Messenger has appeared.”
And added with the same casual tone:
“Ereta says she’s weaker than expected and wants Hyunwoo to be called.”
“What will you do?” After finishing her sentence, Lewena tilted her head, and Aslan responded ambiguously.
