“…It means you have no talent.”
“Talent? Are you truly saying that…?”
‘If we exclude power and treasures, Hugh’s talent doesn’t seem inferior to Xie’s…?’
Fortunately, the regressor resolved Tyr’s doubt.
“I don’t mean the talent to learn, but the physical talent of imbuing the body with qi energy. Just as the blind know no color and the deaf cannot speak, it seems there’s a problem with your innate ability to accumulate qi. It looks like you can’t draw out any qi other than the energy you originally possessed.”
“I think so too. I may not have enjoyed immense wealth and glory, but I didn’t grow up starving. Yet, no qi energy ever stuck to me.”
The reason a taboo is a taboo. Methods like Gluttony won’t work on me. It becomes increasingly clear.
“Ugh. What a shame… You definitely seemed to have talent.”
“Now you get it, right? From now on, don’t strap me to a sled calling it training. It just drains my energy for nothing.”
“Is that important right now? At this rate, you won’t be able to get any stronger!”
“Or what, should I bawl my eyes out lamenting my unfortunate fate? Even if I do, what good is it besides Xie patting my shoulder and comforting me? It’s meaningless.”
“Even if you cry, I won’t pat your shoulder!”
‘I thought it could be solved with a Spirit Pill. Tch, if this is the case, you’re just dead weight, so I can’t drag you around every time. I don’t know about this loop, but the next loop….’
Huh? That might not be bad? If the regressor only saves me in the next loop and leaves me behind, I could actually try a different method every loop.
Of course, that would be completely useless to me right now, being dragged around as dead weight.
“Guess one Spirit Pill got thrown on the ground. What a waste. Whatever, let’s sleep now. From tomorrow on, it’s going to be a march through hell.”
“Wait. There’s one thing I need to try.”
‘Let me see this guy’s fate with the Eye of Destiny. It’s a waste of my lifespan, but… well, it’s not like I’m going to enjoy longevity anyway. Watching this guy’s fate should be worth that much.’
Pretending to sweep back his hair, the regressor fully opened his Seven-Colored Eye between his fingers. The seven-colored irises sparkled in turn and drew a small circle. A brightly shining pupil could be seen within his iris.
‘Wheel-Turning Heavenly Eye. Let’s see this guy’s fate… though I wonder if this is the right thing to do.’
The Eye of Destiny was opened for the most useless reason in the world.
My figure was reflected in the regressor’s eyes. Passing through the past, present, and future, among the fate that will unfold ahead, he saw the realm I would reach.
It is said that eyes that see fate consume one’s lifespan. The reason is not a big deal, actually. There is a limit to the information a human can process in a lifetime, and cramming uselessly massive information like a single person’s fate into the brain in a short period naturally ruins one’s health. That is merely expressed as a reduction in lifespan.
I wondered if it was worth it, but the regressor observed my fate despite risking such danger.
Maybe, with those eyes, he might know. I also read the regressor’s thoughts with a slightly pounding heart.
The result of peeking into my fate like that was….
‘…It doesn’t change? Even in the future? Is this the extreme limit a human named Hughes can reach…?’
He concluded it just like that. Right? I figured as much. I’m not even disappointed anymore.
At that moment, the regressor approached my side. Then, wearing a rarely seen benevolent expression, he patted my shoulder.
“There, there, cheer up….”
You said you wouldn’t. You said you wouldn’t pat my shoulder!
This feels worse than I imagined.
Surprisingly, nothing happened in the middle of the night. The jackals only entertained the idea of raiding or stealing from our Cataphract but never put it into action. That was fortunate for them. Because a bloodthirsty Six-Armed Star was glaring with wide open eyes.
Hilde whined in complaint.
“What a shame. If they had tried to steal in the middle of the night, I could have killed them in self-defense~”
“What are you talking about when we came to negotiate a ceasefire? Don’t do anything that would give them a pretext.”
The regressor dismissed it as a bad joke, but I read that she was sincere and shuddered. That person is a bit crazy too.
We decided to set off a step ahead before Hilde could unleash her killing intent. After finishing our preparations and boarding the Cataphract, we called the driver.
“Diji. Are you awake?”
The golem who received the communication answered after a long while.
[…Nati… communica… above…. Li… capacity….]
The crackling voice rang out weakly. The golem tried to grab the steering wheel with its creaking arm, but then dropped its head as if drained of all strength.
Hilde tapped the golem and muttered.
“Tsk. It seems it’s reached its communication range limit~. What a pity.”
“We’ve left the Military Nation’s territory, so it’s a miracle it even reached this far. Diji, mission terminated. There’s no need to transport this body anymore. Turn off if you understand.”
A faint reaction seeped out of the golem, before it completely lost its magical power and came to a halt.
The signalman’s support ends here. Now we have to find our way entirely on our own. Hilde folded the golem roughly, tossed it in the back seat, and sat in the driver’s seat.
“Haa. It can’t be helped. From here on, ‘I’ will drive. It’d be a big problem if ‘I’ got bored, so Father-in-law, please feed ‘me’ snacks by ‘my’ side!”
“Where would we find snacks in the Military Nation? All our rations are canned.”
“Tch! Damn nation!”
With the sound of Hilde clicking her tongue, the Cataphract departed into the distant wasteland.
Just before the morning sun rose, while the dawn sky was dimly brightening, the Cataphract rattled as it advanced through the wasteland. Having blown off the roof to reduce weight, despite its outstanding performance, the Cataphract’s outer appearance wasn’t much different from a cargo cart.
Through the exposed roof, wind, light, and dust hit me without any filter. The flat wheels acted as the music box of the uneven ground, directly transmitting the song of the earth. Whether it be the sky or the earth, they had mastered the art of making humans miserable.
However, such minor discomforts are the true proof of life. Because I’m alive, because I’m trying to live on, I feel discomfort. Sending the cool wind brushing past behind me, I continued forward….
However, one half-dead person expressed great dissatisfaction with the sunlight. As the sun revealed itself over the horizon, Tyr groaned in displeasure and tilted his parasol.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve been on such a bright journey. I can’t see a single speck of shade anywhere.”
“Just a moment. I’ll put up a tent.”
“Enough. Such fluttering cloth is worse than having none at all.”
“I’m not specifically putting it up for you, Tyr? We have to set it up, if only to prepare for when it rains.”
This is what you call making a show of favor. Knowing it wouldn’t be of much help, I set up the tent and created temporary shade to appease Tyr, who was in a foul mood.
‘Hmm. Since you put in the effort, I shall accept your goodwill.’
For someone who said it wasn’t needed, Tyr obediently went under the tent and sat down. He still had the parasol resting on his shoulder, but he grumbled with a much softened expression compared to before.
“Did you not say it was a long and urgent journey? Then why do we not move at night? Wasting nearly half the day, you hardly look like people pressed for time.”
“Why are you in such a hurry? When you’re in a coffin, Tyr, you can’t tell a day from a month. And yet you’re making a fuss over a single night.”
“That is when I dwell in the darkness. When the sun shines its insolent face, do I not know a day has passed even if I don’t want to?”
“I also sometimes wish the sun wouldn’t rise when I don’t want to wake up, but it can’t be helped here. We have to check what’s ahead as we go.”
Tyr snorted and retorted.
“Whatever comes out, wouldn’t it be at most rocks or fences? I just need to see it and smash it or avoid it.”
It’s strange that ‘smash it’ came out before ‘avoid it’, though. There are obstacles in this world that cannot be overcome with strength.
“I don’t think that will work.”
Slightly offended, Tyr retorted with a feigned angry face.
“You look down on me too much. The night is my time, and the darkness illuminates me. Even if there is not a single speck of light, I can handle it sufficiently.”
“I didn’t mean your strength is lacking, Tyr, but….”
It was then. Hilde, who spotted something, urgently yanked the steering wheel and shouted.
“Be careful!”
Bang. At the same time, the Cataphract shook violently. It seemed the front wheel had hit something hard and lifted up. The cargo floated up for a moment, and Aji yelped in surprise.
Fortunately, the Cataphract was a masterpiece of the Military Nation, designed to break through all terrain. It didn’t take a shock from just that. I was the one who took the shock.
Hilde urgently turned the wheel to avoid the suddenly appeared obstacle. Because my body was tossed this way and that, I had to grab the railing and hold on.
In the midst of that, Tyr asked.
“…Were we not just running across the wasteland a moment ago?”
“That’s right.”
“But right now…. It’s like….”
Tyr slowly looked around.
A low hill sparsely dotted with trees. There, small house foundations were scattered like cobblestones. Now only traces remained, looking as if a long time had passed since they disappeared. As if it had fallen into ruin long ago.
Tyr asked.
“…It feels like I’m looking at ruins. What kind of village is this?”
Uh, that’s the most meaningless question in the Ruin Nation. While I was pondering how to explain, the regressor answered.
“I don’t know. Whether this village was an old village of the Jin Nation, or whether the Ruin Nation created it and then destroyed it. Or whether it popped up just like this the day before yesterday, no one knows. Because it’s the Ruin Nation.”
“You don’t know?”
“It’s not just this. Sometimes a sandbank continues and then suddenly a pile of rocks appears. Sometimes a cliff suddenly appears right in the middle of a village. Nothing is strange. Because there is no reason at all for them to be created.”
Stopping mid-sentence, the regressor looked forward.
The Cataphract, which had barely reached the top of the hill by rummaging through the house foundations, ran down the downhill slope again. Thanks to that, the scenery hidden by the hill was revealed before our eyes.
Looking at the massive structure built at the end of that downhill slope, the regressor muttered.
“…That must be the same.”
It was a Great Wall that looked even more grand because we saw it from afar. As if a long decoration had been placed along the horizon, a massive fortress blocked our view. It was high enough that the back of the downhill slope was out of sight, and long enough that one end couldn’t be fully seen.
However, it didn’t continue any further to the other side. It wasn’t collapsed or fallen; it just abruptly ended, as if construction had stopped right there. Because of that, it seemed the Great Wall wouldn’t be able to fulfill its original role of separating land from land.
Fortunately for us, that is. Hilde drove the Cataphract towards the side without the wall.
As we got closer, the majesty of the Great Wall increased. On the well-compacted ground, the vertically soaring fortress wall showed no traces of time at all.
Had there been no battles, or was the wall sturdy enough not to be damaged by battle? Tyr continuously expressed admiration towards the wall, which was unknown whether it was useless or overly efficient.
“What a magnificent scale. It is my first time seeing such a large and grand fortress. The height is dizzying, but the endlessly continuing wall evokes admiration. If only it hadn’t been interrupted in the middle, it would have been a Great Wall that goes down in history. I wonder how much time it took to build a fortress of that scale….”
The regressor answered Tyr’s monologue.
“It would be one day.”
“Hmm? Xie, did you say one day?”
“Yeah. The person who built that fortress is just one. The time it took to build it is one day. I don’t know about anything else, but that’s for sure.”
The regressor’s words are an undeniable fact. I don’t know what the truth is either since I haven’t directly faced the Golden Mirror, but it is at least the truth revealed on the surface.
However….
“Mr. Xie. Stop with the superficial explanations and slowly start explaining properly? Who made that, and what does he do.”
Of course, it’s hard to explain in words. But you have to start telling me now. How long are you going to only show it indirectly?
The regressor dragged his words out as if in trouble.
“Uh….”
‘I’m not confident I can explain it. The Golden Mirror’s ability is too heterogeneous…. Actually, I don’t even know the principles well.’
Wow, what an unconventional guy. It can happen that you can’t explain it. The Golden Mirror’s authority is that heterogeneous.