Chapter 156: Reenactment of Annihilation (4)
In truth, Roel’s community was remarkably active for a game considered “stale.”
Anyone could ask questions, and everyone was welcomed—a rare and inviting atmosphere.
Thanks to the sheer volume of the game, even 12 years after its release, the strategy boards remained lively.
Whenever a newbie posted a question, seasoned players would respond warmly, making it almost a cultural norm.
The typical exclusivity and hostility of veteran communities were noticeably absent here.
But…
That was only true for “general” strategies.
Top-ranking players, especially those hungry for position, never revealed their core tactics.
Well, that applied to me as well.
Critical information had to be kept to oneself to maintain rank.
Of course, all that became meaningless once one was possessed by the game.
That’s why Strawberry Latte, upon being possessed, had freely revealed all the strategies she thought were her secrets.
“I know it too.”
“Huh?”
“How to advance the Feather Sword’s True Name Unleashing. I know it as well.”
But I already knew everything.
Even the strategies Strawberry Latte had considered her private secrets.
Even the key information that other top-ranked players guarded like their lives.
No.
I had gone beyond merely knowing them…
I had pushed rewards to their absolute limits, refusing to be confined to established patterns.
When others considered 100 to be the limit, I had pulled out 150. I always aimed beyond the given boundaries, reaching further and faster than anyone else.
And now…
This aquarium in the Rashutku Imperial Palace would once again become a turning point to stretch beyond that “limit.”
“This is it.”
Thud—.
Emperor Aurelius’ voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Looking up, we stood before a massive arched entrance.
White stone structures were adorned with intricate carvings symbolizing the sea.
Whoooom, whoooom!
The inside was sealed by a transparent barrier.
Like a giant soap bubble, the barrier prevented entry from outsiders.
Sluuurp—.
As Aurelius carefully raised his hand, the barrier rippled like water and slowly vanished.
The entrance to the aquarium opened.
“Good work, Aurelius.”
“……”
Slide—.
He bowed cautiously, but even after finishing his greeting, he didn’t step forward. His face betrayed hesitation as he simply looked at me.
Of course, I already knew what he was going to say.
“Lord Gaon.”
Sure enough, Aurelius spoke.
“This may be an impertinent request, but… I wish to ask just one favor.”
“Speak.”
“I plan to take my subjects and retreat to a safe place to ensure the lineage continues.”
Aurelius’ voice trembled.
“Even if the empire falls, I want my descendants to see someday that this magnificent country did not crumble due to the twin emperors’ mistakes. And that the legacy we built together was truly beautiful and grand.”
Taking a moment to breathe, he cautiously added:
“If possible… when that day comes, could you and Lord Pae-An assist us?”
I nodded.
“I understand.”
“…Thank you truly.”
Aurelius bowed deeply.
I quickly ended the conversation.
“There’s no time to hesitate. Take your subjects and move to a safe location immediately.”
“Yes.”
Aurelius turned and walked away.
Even amid the urgency, he had guided us this far. His back disappeared down the corridor.
“Then let’s go inside.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Step, step—.
Pae-An and I moved deeper into the aquarium.
From the end of the narrow corridor, faint blue light seeped out. As we approached, the small point of light grew steadily.
Finally, we reached the corridor’s end.
Fwaaah—!
Before my eyes, a massive space revealed itself.
‘Ah…’
I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.
A giant dome of entirely transparent glass was filled with deep blue seawater. It felt as if we had stepped right into the ocean.
White marble pillars supported the blue expanse, and between them, colorful fish swam gracefully.
From the dome’s ceiling above, mysterious blue light rippled downward, refracting through the water to paint the entire space in a fantastical glow.
‘It’s far more beautiful than in the game.’
Even more magnificent than any spectacle I had witnessed in this world.
At that moment, Pae-An smiled faintly and spoke.
“It must be a truly beautiful sight.”
“……”
“The sound of the water is calm and serene. The resonance over the surface… the smooth movement through the currents.”
He paused, then added with a faint smile:
“Even if unseen, I can feel it. How beautiful this space is.”
“……”
“Still, in moments like this, I wish I could see it with my own eyes. Haha.”
I felt the same.
If not for the pressing situation, I would have enjoyed the surroundings more leisurely…
“Isn’t it magnificent, Upapa?”
“……!”
At that moment, a voice came from the corner.
Pae-An flinched, turning his head.
Even he hadn’t detected its presence.
“That is…”
Slide—.
In the corner below the tank, a figure crouched.
Soft pink skin. Slowly moving gills. A small mouth that seemed to be smiling.
And dull, round eyes devoid of life.
An Axolotl.
Known to players as “Upapa,” the pink salamander was watching the aquarium while hugging a fishing rod.
【??】
Above Upapa’s head, the level window was completely masked with question marks.
The same situation as with the Blacksmith Guardian in the Flame Sanctuary.
Yes.
This was a Great One—one of the ancient Elders who presided over this world.
“This aquarium was made for the Rashutku Empire, Upapa.”
“……”
“……”
Upapa watched the swimming marine creatures, opening and closing his mouth.
Among them were particularly remarkable beings. Not yet awakened as divine beasts, but their potential far exceeded the ordinary fish.
Upapa observed everything with an expressionless face. His lips curved slightly, but no emotion could be found in them.
Bow—.
Knowing his identity, I bowed silently.
And perhaps for the first time since falling into this world, I spoke with formal respect.
“I pay my respects to the Creator of the Twelve Divine Beasts, the One who hides truth beneath the shell of youth… the Master of Potential and Regeneration.”
“……?”
Slide—.
Upapa turned his gaze toward me.
A faint spark of interest flared in his dead eyes.
“Upapa, you are more polite than I heard.”
The Master of Potential and Regeneration.
Among players, the ancient god called “Upapa.”
He was one of the few Great Ones capable of creating divine beasts.
Despite his cute appearance, Upapa possessed tremendous power among the Elders—and was correspondingly dangerous.
Yet at this point in time, Upapa had completely disappeared.
He existed only within Tarosc’s nightmare.
‘Anyway…’
Compared to the other Elders I had encountered—the Flame and Blacksmith Master or the Life and Earth Master—Upapa had a strict, old-fashioned temperament.
One had to maintain complete courtesy when addressing him. Otherwise, he would scoff and refuse any interaction.
But…
‘Something’s off.’
Upapa’s response differed slightly from what I expected.
‘…Polite, unlike what I heard? Me?’
I had never heard that line before.
Thoughts raced through my mind.
All previous Elders had seen through my true identity—knowing I wasn’t from this world but a possessed outsider.
So who was Upapa referring to with that remark?
The original-world me? Or the version of me in this past trial?
‘I need to find out.’
Whether Upapa was a manifestation connected to the Celestial Realm, or just a dummy for this trial, I had to determine that to move to the next stage.
“Ahem!”
As I pondered this, Upapa cleared his throat and spoke again.
“You have arrived at the aquarium I created, Upapa.”
“……”
“It is a world doomed to perish anyway. Struggling serves no purpose. Better to quietly watch the fish like I do, then vanish.”
Resignation filled Upapa’s voice.
A tone of complete surrender.
Even the world’s end elicited no emotion from him.
‘This…’
A familiar line.
The script Upapa spoke during gameplay.
The trial dummies acted according to a fixed pattern. Even now, Upapa responded just as I remembered.
I mirrored one of the game’s choice prompts.
“Why do you not leave the mortal realm like the other Great Ones?”
“……”
He remained silent, expressionless as always.
“Well…”
After a moment, he replied in a detached tone.
“I have no attachment to this life, Upapa.”
“……”
“You know? The others are filled with greed. Despite my repeated warnings, they still summoned ‘otherworldly beings,’ bringing about this disaster.”
The familiar lines repeated.
Hearing them, I was certain—Upapa wasn’t a true Elder.
He was a replica, created to reenact the past.
A dummy.
‘Then…’
Direction became clear.
This trial could be handled according to my first plan—Plan A.
“Why do you have no attachment to life?”
Upapa muttered in a drooping voice.
“I have lived too long, Upapa.”
“……”
“Everything is predictable now. Each day is the same, and nothing new occurs.”
“……”
“Others couldn’t endure this tedium either. They summoned ‘otherworldly beings,’ only to confront disaster.”
I answered quickly.
“Then allow me to become your ‘special one.’ Follow me, and depart to the Celestial Realm instead.”
“……?”
Pause—.
Upapa stared at me. Then he burst out laughing, as if incredulous.
“Who are you, Upapa?”
“……”
Until the 90th cycle, this line marked the “end.”
This was the limit any player could reach; no choices or dialogue could follow.
Upapa laughed and went back to staring blankly at the fish. Encounters with Elders always ended fruitlessly.
But…
‘…From the moment I acquired this item, everything changes.’
Slide—.
I quietly took something from my pocket.
At that very moment—
“……!”
Upapa’s eyes went wide.
“Th-this…!”
