Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – To explore the inside of the stone tablet fragment further, he pushed his spirituality into it. Then, he was able to see a vision. It was a vision from a very long time ago, in ancient times.

An elderly man appeared, his white beard reaching down past his waist, evoking the image of a sage. In front of him stood six disciples.

Charles discovered that these were immensely powerful spiritualists. Even though he was only watching the vision, he could feel the tremor of their power.

Between the old man and the disciples was a round table, and on it, surprisingly, was the Tablet of Revelation, not in fragments but in its complete form.

As the old man extended both hands toward the Tablet of Revelation, it began to emit an intense light. At that moment, one of the disciples approached the old man and stabbed him with a dagger.

The old man shouted something in response to the betrayal, but the details were inaudible. The only thing he could hear was a name.

"Simon!"

The eyes of the disciple called Simon were filled with a vast, alien darkness. He said something and then laughed bitterly.

The other disciples tried to stop the man called Simon, but he was faster. As he extended his hand, the Tablet of Revelation shattered into pieces.

He retrieved the dagger embedded in the old man’s body, picked up the largest fragment, and fled. The fragment was emitting an intense light and heat.

After a moment, it seemed that a massive explosion would occur, and everyone there would vanish. The disciples, supporting their teacher, made a decision. They spoke, but it was impossible to hear what they said.

The only thing he could hear was a name.

"Abraham!"

The man called Abraham drew the attention of the other disciples. His expression was resolute. He said something and then extended his hand toward the largest fragment.

"Marsh."

One of the remaining disciples stepped forward and nodded. He picked up a large fragment and held it in his hand. The other disciples also picked up fragments and, without hesitation, inserted them into their minds.

The objects that should have been blocked by their foreheads were sucked into their minds without any resistance.

The remaining fragments were thrown into the sky by the old man with his last bit of strength. They pierced through space and completely left their world, and the memory ended there.

'So this was it. This was the secret of the fragments of the Tablet of Revelation.'

Judging from the perspective, which seemed to rise into the sky at the end, this was undoubtedly one of the fragments the old man had sent into the sky. For some reason, Charles had obtained this fragment while playing the game, and this was clearly the cause of the chaos.

'What were they trying to do with the tablet? What happens when the Tablet of Revelation is complete?'

There were too many things to consider, making it difficult to think. But one thing was certain: if a single fragment of the Tablet of Revelation had enough power to send Charles to this world, the other fragments likely possessed similar power.

However, the Tablet of Revelation had been broken into too many pieces. A quick glance revealed that, in addition to the six large fragments, there were many more. This meant they would be difficult to find.

Realistically, Charles concluded that he could not gather all the fragments of the Tablet of Revelation. In the 129 endings he had seen while playing the game, he had only seen the complete Tablet of Revelation once.

This also meant there were no hints. If things went smoothly, Charles would be trapped in this world and face a terrible ending.

'From now on, I have to find the fragments of the Tablet of Revelation.'

He organized his thoughts. To prevent the events in Metropolis, he also needed to grow the cult. While growing the cult, he had to uncover the plots of the evil cults and find the fragments of the Tablet of Revelation.

'This is quite challenging.'

If this were a game, it would be hardcore difficulty. But with a clear goal, he thought it was for the better. If he just drifted through this world, he would likely face a terrible ending.

'But how do I find them?'

Charles thought. Based on the knowledge he had accumulated from playing the game, great objects, even when broken, retained their connections.

He didn’t think the connection of the Tablet of Revelation would be severed just because it was shattered into pieces. Even if they were far apart, the fragments would still have a pulling force.

At the end, the people inserted the fragments into their minds. They clearly didn’t physically insert them into their brains but directed them into their spirituality.

If the tablet could be absorbed into spirituality, then the disciples might have become immortal. The Tablet of Revelation was powerful enough for that.

Even if they rejected immortality and died of old age, the fragments would likely be passed down through their bloodline.

In mysticism, bloodline is very important. Abilities are sometimes transferred through bloodlines, transcending time and space.

A bloodline with exceptional magical ability was often considered an asset. Therefore, it was likely that the fragments were hidden within their bloodline.

However, the flow of the fragment’s power through the bloodline and manifesting the fragment in the mind were different issues. Most likely, many of them were unaware of the fragment’s power.

Charles realized through this hypothesis that the tablet might have been passed down through the bloodline of the old man’s disciples. If so, he should track down their descendants.

A few residual memories flashed by, but they were not meaningful.

He released the fragment of the Tablet of Revelation. To Charles, the Tablet of Revelation was an unbelievable object. The complete Tablet of Revelation emitted an immense power.

It was a relic that could be mistaken for a deity from another world. Was it even appropriate to call it a relic? Regardless, Charles pondered deeply and then exited the mental realm.

A week later, while organizing various documents in his study for a lecture, he received an unexpected visit.

Jayken brought in a professor from Mistweaver University, Dr. Morgan Drake, who was supposed to be Charles’s colleague in the game’s setting. He was carrying a large cello case on his back, which was unusual.

"Morgan? Shouldn’t you be in the research building?"

"Charles, it’s been a while. I didn’t know your house was so big."

He was a man in his mid-30s, a considerable elite. Despite being a scholar, he was also skilled in riding and shooting. His black hair was styled in a slicked-back manner, giving him a wild and handsome appearance, and he was tall.

He was sociable and, unlike Charles, who had little interest in women, he was a Casanova who often caused scandals. He frequently visited casinos and was known to mingle with wealthy women. His range of conquests was wide, from women 20 years younger to 20 years older.

He was a master of archaeology at the university and had considerable influence in the academic community. Charles knew all this about him. However, the problem was that Morgan had never visited Charles in the early stages of the game.

'Maybe the story’s crack is more serious than I thought.'

He led Morgan to the living room and had him sit down. Charles observed him, his observational skills having improved to the point where he could sometimes infer a person’s past as if seeing a vision.

Dry skin. Sunken eyes. Despite trying to hide it, Dr. Drake was very different from his usual self and looked unwell. From this, Charles deduced that he was deeply troubled.

"What’s going on here?"

"I came when I heard you had returned."

"Well, it seems there’s more to it than that."

Under Charles’s penetrating gaze, Dr. Drake admitted.

"Yeah, you’re right. It’s not just that. Hmm, where should I start?"

Drake took out a cigar from his pocket. He lit it with a match, took a satisfying puff, and exhaled a sigh.

"Something is happening within the university."

"Something is happening?"

"One day."

He tried to recall the memory he had seen but looked uncertain, as if unsure whether it was real or not.

"I was walking through the corridor between the research building and the humanities building. I had an appointment with Madame Curie the next day. I was thinking about that. Then, I saw a web on the ceiling of the corridor."

"A web?"

Charles nodded, acknowledging that he was listening. Listeners often repeat a few words to show they are paying attention.

"I wouldn’t have come to you just because of a web. I saw a woman climbing on it. Or, to be precise, her upper body was a woman’s, and her lower body was a spider’s. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but I couldn’t bear the strange shivers running through my body. She climbed up the wall and disappeared onto the roof. A moment later, even the web vanished without a trace."

Half human, half spider. Charles knew the name of this monster was Arachne and that it was a creature raised by the Dark Sect, which worshipped darkness.

"I didn’t imagine it. Since that day, I’ve been plagued by nightmares about the spider. If you think I’m crazy, I can understand."

"Hmm."

Charles rested his chin in thought. While he was thinking, Morgan Drake, who had finished his cigar, became restless again and took out another one, but this time he just held it in his mouth.

"Want one?"

"No, it’s fine. I’ll only use it if it’s necessary."

Drake, puzzled by Charles’s reference to 'necessary situations,' spoke before Charles finished his thoughts.

"And there’s another important fact. People have been disappearing within the university. I’m convinced the spider-woman is behind it."

"Well, if you were sure, you wouldn’t have come to me."

"Damn. You’re right. Should I report this to the police? The next day, the Metropolis Times might run a headline: 'Morgan Francis Drake, the Madman.'"

He dramatically said his full name and took out a match, placing it in his mouth. Charles spoke quietly.

"When did you see the spider?"

Hearing this, Dr. Drake felt that consulting this man, who was ten years younger, was the right decision. Charles didn’t treat him like a madman.

"Three days ago. And people started disappearing two days ago."

"There’s definitely a connection."

"Yeah. I’m also concerned that the Dean of Students, Mr. Ammitage, and the President, Mr. Poying, are both absent. When you returned, the President, who usually handles such matters, was away, and the Dean of Students was also absent, so the Head of the Exploration Department took over. Doesn’t that seem strange?"

"Hmm. That’s not a problem. I know where Dean Ammitage is."

He would be in the secluded resort town of Dublin, learning a few spells to banish a terrible demon. As for President Poying, Charles didn’t know much, only that he would be away in the early stages.

"Alright. Let’s assume they’re fine. I need to know what’s happening inside the university."

"Alright. Let’s meet at the university this afternoon. We need to investigate this separately. Drake, do you have any weapons?"