What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 503

Sub Male Lead’s Hiatus – #503

Hearings and Revelations (3)

No, not just one person…?

“He must make a choice for you this time.”

“We are only doing our best. To balance the scales…”

“But is that even possible? Without the sacred blood of the Main God?”

Three.

They were all the exact same voice, but judging from the slight overlap at the beginning and end of each sentence, it was definitely three people speaking.

There were differences in intonation, but the way they asked and answered each other was consistently calm.

Instinctively, I held my breath and peered beyond the tent.

The three old women’s dark shadows rippled like omens on the thick canvas.

Even though it was the dead of night, even though they had torches lit, their figures were too large and imposing.

A chilling sense of unease made my skin crawl.

“…”

Who the hell is here?

“Can an impossible fate also be made into fate?”

“That is our duty. The flow of destiny.”

“Ruin is not the same as failure. Let us prepare to accept it.”

What on earth are they talking about? I frowned and carefully got up.

No matter how I listened, it wasn’t the kind of conversation that the academy teachers or students would have.

Even less so the kind of story an ordinary commoner would tell.

Especially at this ungodly hour, on the outskirts of the school grounds.

“Your Highness. Would you mind waking up for a moment?”

I immediately woke the man next to me.

I’m really sorry to wake you, but if I move around recklessly by myself, something big might happen.

No, that’s what I was trying to do…

“Huh?”

“…”

For some reason, the back of my neck felt cold. He was sleeping soundly, but he was as pale as a dead man.

There wasn’t even a hint of vitality at the end of his long eyelashes.

For a moment, I felt my heart drop.

I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to stay calm.

There’s no way a high-ranking paladin could have gone wrong in just a few hours, so I must be mistaken because I’m not fully awake yet. Really.

I didn’t even have a bad dream, so why would I think this?

“…Your Highness?”

I cautiously reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Then—

-Swish!

My fingers passed right through his shoulder blade and touched the floor.

In an instant, a lightning-like shock struck the top of my head and ran down my spine.

I hurriedly shoved my sleeve into my mouth and swallowed a scream.

Suddenly, my whole body turned cold, and cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

The man was semi-transparent.

“Huck, cough…”

My mind, shocked, turned white and gradually regained its original color.

My shoulders, which had shrunk in surprise, slowly breathed and came down.

Fortunately, it didn’t take any noise to shift my gaze.

I quickly rolled my eyes to check on the other friends inside the tent.

I saw Jibril Diop sprawled out near the entrance, and His Highness Stanislas lying in the far corner.

There’s Ms. Gain, and here’s Sir Johann…

“Hoo. Hoo…”

Tough Guy and Lizard Kid were nowhere to be seen. I belatedly realized what this was.

“…It’s a nightmare.”

But why? I’m really fine these days.

I’ve been talking to my friends steadily, and it was even better last night because we shared deep stories.

I’m practicing the meditation method that Bishop Blaise taught me every day.

He said it didn’t seem necessary to get a prescription for medicine.

I was feeling the clear effects of soul healing myself…

-Rustle, rustle

No, this is not the time. I diligently moved my body and got out of the sleeping bag.

Although this nightmare is unfolding in a completely different pattern than usual, there was always information in my subconscious.

That was the case even in the worst dreams where Werner Fenetian came to kill me every time.

Then the three old women standing outside must be the same.

If I want to get something, I have to move. Right now.

“Hoo-oop…”

‘I am not alone. My spirit is stronger and harder than a sacred stone.’

‘So let’s act bravely and achieve what we want.’

I quickly cast a spell on myself, took out the scepter from my bag, and got up.

I tiptoed and stepped only on the empty spaces, and I was at the tent entrance in an instant.

I slid the cloth open, suppressing the sound as much as possible.

The old people’s voices dug into my ears even more vividly.

“What shall we do about the split sky?”

“What can we dare to do?”

“That is the ultimate arrangement.”

…Of course. It was definitely that fortune-teller old woman.

The one who left us a prophecy in front of the Leghorn General Trading Company and disappeared suddenly, that person back then.

‘You’re not from here.’

‘Yes?’

‘And the noble one will lose another relationship. Too bad…’

Now I know for sure what that meant. I clenched the scepter.

That old woman knew I was going to die.

She predicted that Cedric would lose a friend that day.

“…”

I don’t know why there are suddenly three of them today, but anything is possible in a dream, so it’s none of my business.

I gritted my teeth and quickly turned the corner!

“Don’t move! What are you doing here!”

Chuck! As I pointed the long, sleek, shining scepter, the person who had been standing with their back to me straightened up.

I blinked in surprise at the sight before my eyes.

I swear on the sun of Liester, there were three shadows.

But now there was only one person standing outside the tent.

Around her, two old robes were rotting on the dirt floor, reeking.

“Uh…?”

Disappeared?

“Amazing. How did you…”

The one standing alone slowly took off the robe hood.

I was startled once again by her voice and the back of her head.

What I saw and heard inside the tent was definitely the figure and voice of an ‘old woman’.

But the person looking back at me now—

“Who are you…? What are you doing here, saying strange things?”

“Indeed, you are of noble blood.”

The young woman spoke without moving her lips once.

I swallowed hard and raised the end of the scepter even higher.

Then she tilted her head slightly.

“To be exact, you have come to our domain.”

“Yes?”

“An impossible thing in any imagination… You must have received the blessing of the Grand Festival.”

Grand Festival? Isn’t the Main God’s Advent Grand Festival in February?

I squeezed my head like a rag even in my dream.

There was a big difference between the Empire and the Divine Kingdom in the number of festivals they celebrated.

In Liester, they celebrated the New Year and February 22nd in a grand way every year, and they celebrated the birthdays of the imperial family and war heroes more than the saints.

On the other hand, Fenetian had a Grand Festival more than once a month, and the days they celebrated greatly varied slightly from region to region.

Of course, I learned it from books, but frankly, it was difficult to connect the dates and names one by one.

What day is it today?

“Ah.”

January 1st…

It’s my brother’s birthday. I shook my head.

“I don’t know what you mean. Do you know anything about the split sky? Then please tell me anything. I really want to help this place!”

“I also sincerely want to do so, but that is beyond the power of our sisters.”

“…”

With that, she slowly lowered her body. It was a posture of bowing to me in anyone’s eyes.

I bowed back in a daze.

And I took a half step back and asked in a slightly softened tone.

“Then may I ask who you are?”

“We are beings who fill the gaps.”

“…”

“You will naturally know in the future.”

The thin lips still didn’t move, and the empty eyes seemed to see through me.

The corners of her lips rose softly, like they were written with a pen.

“Don’t worry too much. Because the end is coming.”

“…The end? What end?”

It was a word that I didn’t like no matter how I interpreted it.

I firmly put strength in my feet and imagined gathering ether [a hypothetical medium believed to permeate space and transmit light and energy] in my dantian [an energy center in the lower abdomen, according to traditional Chinese medicine].

Then, holding the staff with both hands, I pressed her even harder.

“Explain it properly!”

“…”

But the woman had no particular reaction. Is this also a problem with that damn ‘power’?

She observed my staff for a moment, then slowly raised her head to look at the sky.

I reflexively followed her gaze. And I flinched.

“Why is that…”

The white line that should have been crossing the dawn sky was tinged with a metallic black light.

As if the celestial palace had been cut to pieces with sharply sharpened hardware.

Or like a weapon hanging from a high ceiling.

The moonless sky was as white as pure paper.

“What is it? Why is the color suddenly…”

I trailed off, stopping my question.

Now that I looked at it, it wasn’t just the color that was strange.

The tent I had just come out of, which was milky white last night, was now a murky gray.

The red and warm torch was burning brightly, emitting a blue light like a goblin fire.

No sound of water flowed in from the sea.

Now I really felt strange. I gasped.

“Oh my god, is it not a dream?”

“It seems like it’s time for you to leave.”

She walked towards me, step by step.

‘Don’t move!’ I was terrified and wildly swung my scepter.

Then, at the moment I was about to emit ether from my whole body,

-Chuck!

The woman’s index and middle fingers gently pressed against my forehead.

A sensation as if my whole body was stuffed dominated my peripheral nerves.

I couldn’t move at all. Heo-uck—

“Maintainer of the world.”

“Heut, ah…!”

“Everything has already been prepared, but there will be a price to pay for the choice.”

“Ugh…!”

“Please keep that in mind.”

Flash! A sharp blue light popped out of her pupils. It was a radiance I had seen somewhere.

I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth.

I know, so please release the restraints and talk…!”

“Damn it, let me go!”

Thump, crash! I grabbed whatever I could get my hands on and twisted my body.

Thud!

“What the hell are you doing…!”

“What are you doing right now? Do you have sleepwalking or something?”

Uh?! I opened my eyes wide at the familiar voice.

Eyes that were redder and clearer than ever filled my vision.

The strawberry jam-mixed blonde hair was crawling on the tent floor.

For a moment, I didn’t understand what was going on.

Who is this guy?

“Young Master Diop… What are you doing here?”

“Are you asking me that? Do you have sleepwalking or something?”

The combat wizard, wrapped tightly in a sleeping bag, was rolling on the floor while being held tightly by me.

His eyes were full of annoyance and sleepiness, as if he had been asleep until just now.

Seeing him, my cold reason seemed to return.

The man’s hair color, skin color, everything was as I knew it.

The tent and flames in the dark were also in their original colors…

“If you’re awake, get out of the way. I don’t want to think about it right now.”

“Wow, so that wasn’t a dream…? But can you come back like this?”

Fortunately, I remembered everything.

I must never forget. I have to tell the other friends quickly.

“Young Master, what about the other members? Did everyone go far away?”

“Don’t play tricks.”

Ugh! The guy stretched out his long arm and grabbed the back of my neck.

My neck was dangling and lifted up, and I couldn’t breathe. Hey, listen even if I say it!

“Cough! This!”

-Flutter!

“Palace Lord, it’s almost sunrise, aaaaaaack! Is this bastard finally crazy!”

Kwaaaang! With Ms. Gain’s fierce kick, the 8th-grade combat wizard broke through the opposite side of the tent and flew away.

I couldn’t overcome the huge aftermath and rolled on the floor.

In the first place, it was amazing to leave only me and kick only one side, ugh! That’s not it…

“Oh, my spine…”

“Wow, damn it! Palace Lord, are you okay? That thug didn’t do anything to you, did he?!”

“Ugh, Ms. Gain. My friends and Tough Guy are…”

“Ah! The two of them said the meeting went well. I guess they’re going to gather us later and tell us about it!”

She explained with a cheerful face.

I nodded with difficulty.