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Chapter 290

“And then there are the memory fragments… Originally, you should’ve been able to recover most of your memories within that space. But it looks like there are issues scattered all over the place—not just with the white blood cells. The memories are fragmented and scattered. We’ll probably have to move around and gather them if we want a complete picture.”

It was a hassle, sure, but it didn’t matter—I was going to need to make several more attempts to find what I was looking for anyway.

“First, get some rest. Today, your physical body probably needs time to adjust to this space, so we can’t push forward any further.”

After saying that, she casually pulled a skewer of meat from the fire and started chewing.

“I saw humans once, camping out like this, chatting loudly around a bonfire.”

She seemed nostalgic, but also unfamiliar with it—perhaps because she had never actually experienced it herself, even if she could relate.

“Well, since we’re already here… want to hear an interesting story?”

“What is it?”

“Back in Eden, the God of Death, Adam, was really fond of Luna Basilin.”

“I’ve heard the story. It’s not exactly a cheerful one.”

“True. Back then, though, that woman… she was kind of like a machine. She didn’t react at all.”

She began to recount a little bit of the past, like telling an old tale.

A paradise created by the Creator’s power.

And within that paradise, two gods born from His divine authority.

“Do they really matter?”

“Originally, Adam and Eve were created to love one another. But then, a problem arose. To love someone, you need a sense of self—emotions. And that’s where the issue began. Adam didn’t pay any attention to Eve and was only interested in Luna Basilin.”

Oh.

“Adam was… quite persistent. He went to see her every single day. What started as a simple confession of love gradually changed their relationship.”

Like teaching an innocent child, Adam didn’t give up and kept sharing stories with her, teaching her things.

Eve, jealous of Adam, didn’t do anything drastic—but the jealousy was there.

“So, what do you think happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Surprisingly, there was a change. Luna Basilin, who never responded to anything beyond formal duties, started answering his questions—little by little. Of course, that alone doesn’t mean she developed emotions or a sense of self, but it was still significant progress. A lot of time passed after that, too.”

She didn’t share anything beyond that.

Just a superficial summary.

“You know something? When the Outer Gods try to invade us, they always target emotional vulnerabilities. Archangels are nearly immune, since they lack emotions and selfhood…”

“But Adam and Eve were different, weren’t they?”

“Yes. Especially Eve. She was consumed with jealousy toward Luna Basilin.”

Apparently, the Outer Gods exploited that vulnerability in Eve.

“What are the Outer Gods, anyway?”

“I’d love to tell you… but I’m not sure you can handle the truth yet.”

She said it calmly and continued her explanation.

“She fell. Committed a forbidden act in Eden. That’s all I know.”

She shrugged.

Well, she had been sealed away, after all.

“If you really want details, you should ask her directly. But from what I can tell, Luna Basilin would never talk about it. Probably a lifelong regret.”

I asked a question I’d rather not have voiced.

“Do I have any connection to Adam?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… is the reason Luna likes me because of Adam?”

At my question, she fell silent, seemingly thinking it over.

“I don’t want to lie about something like this, so I’ll tell you the truth—but I honestly don’t know.”

If I turned out to have no connection to Adam, would she leave me?

Was she seeing traces of Adam in me, not truly seeing me?

It was a ridiculous thought.

“I get what you’re struggling with, but get some rest. The white blood cells won’t break in here.”

She stood up, tidied the fire, and went into the tent.

She never talks about herself.

Without Luna, sleep didn’t come easily that night.

* * *

After that, Lispa Elde and I began fully working through this warped space of time and dimension.

The method remained the same.

I held off the white blood cells while Lispa Elde quickly retrieved the memory and key fragments before retreating.

Then, we would combine the memory fragments, reconstruct them, and extract the information.

We did this over five times on the second day.

Fortunately, the white blood cells weren’t the intelligent type, so they just charged in without any complex tactics.

As long as there were no unexpected variables, it didn’t seem like we’d be in danger.

Lispa, wanting clearer information, didn’t check each memory fragment on the spot.

Instead, she carefully stored them all in one place without damaging them.

“Just one left now.”

She looked up at the star-filled night sky spread over the base camp as she spoke.

“Everything will become clear now.”

She clenched her fist tightly.

“You said it was a traitor?”

“Yes, that’s right. And not just anyone. If I had to guess…”

“An archangel?”

“Or a demon lord. It’s one of the two. Either way, if I find them, I’ll tear them apart…”

It might be difficult for her in her current state.

Still, just knowing the identity would help us respond appropriately.

“Well, if you need help later, I’ll lend a hand.”

“Why would you?”

At that, I looked at her for a moment before replying.

“Who says you need a reason to help someone?”

“I’m a scumbag ex-archangel, you know?”

“Well, one ex-archangel is now my wife. And you’re not even an archangel anymore, are you?”

“Ahaha!”

She let out a clear, carefree laugh.

“Luna Basilin Raphaelia. Would you say the same thing if she did something terrible in the past?”

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“It wouldn’t be something I couldn’t understand. And even if she did, I’d still protect her. Isn’t that what it means to love someone?”

At my words, her eyes widened.

“Ha… I never thought I’d hear those words again. I guess I wasn’t wrong when I first got the wrong impression about you.”

She looked at me quietly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I just… think I understand why Luna likes you. Maybe… if she weren’t around, I might’ve fallen for you too.”

That’s what she said, but I took it in a completely different way.

“Please don’t project someone else onto me. Even if we seem similar, Luna never did that.”

“…Sorry. Get some rest. That’s enough for today. Tomorrow morning, we’ll collect the last fragments. The information I’m after, and the final part to open the space you’re looking for.”

“Understood.”

“It’s a shame. If we had more time, I feel like we could’ve become closer…”

“Wasn’t this enjoyable? If we’re doing something anyway, might as well enjoy it. I prepared these things hoping you’d like them.”

“Haha… You’re right.”

She went into the tent for some rest, but I couldn’t sleep properly without Luna.

Instead, I quietly watched the campfire, letting time pass.

A silent world, not even the sound of insects.

In that stillness, I closed my eyes and started to move my mana.

This is a strange world.

Mana moves in ways that should normally be impossible.

If that’s the case… maybe I could use the nature of this place to evolve my body even further, in a groundbreaking way.

And then it happened.

—Can you hear…

I instinctively stood up and looked around.

I was sure I didn’t mishear it.

It felt like someone’s voice… but I couldn’t sense any presence.

Maybe it was due to the nature of this space… or maybe I was just tired and hearing things.

Either way, it didn’t feel good.

—Can you hear me?

It came again.

This time, I could be sure.

This wasn’t a hallucination.

I immediately called out to Lispa.

“Lispa Elde. Wake up. Now.”

A rustling sound followed shortly, and she emerged from the tent looking tired.

“What is it?”

“Is this place really safe?”

“Yes. When I was still an Archangel, I held the authority here. No being can enter or interfere with this space without permission.”

“Then what’s that?”

I looked up at the sky full of twinkling stars as I asked.

She slowly lifted her gaze, looking blankly at the stars above.

Then, her pupils dilated sharply.

“That’s…”

The shimmering lights that looked like stars—weren’t stars at all.

They were the same things we kept clashing with over and over again, the uncountable number of white blood cells.

And now, they were pouring into this world.

“Why are they coming in?”

“That shouldn’t be possible… Something’s wrong.”

Muttering in confusion, she slowly approached me.

Then she handed me a sphere of pure white light.

“What is this…?”

“Just go. You need to escape.”

I said nothing and simply stared at her.

Because I could see a sorrowful smile on her face.

She shoved me, and my body lost control and was flung backward—through an opening that had appeared behind me.

At the same time, I saw a chilling sight—Lispa Elde’s body being pierced by a spear of light.

The speed was so fast, it was as if the attack had never even traveled—it simply existed in her body, out of nowhere.

I’ve seen something like that before.

When Luna, having unlocked her Archangel power, obliterated the dragon Baril in one strike—that same kind of ability.

But this felt different from the power of an Archangel.

“The traitor… cough… now I know who it was.”

She muttered in despair.

“I believed in you… I thought you hadn’t fallen that far. Hah. No, I don’t have the right to say that, do I?”

With blood gushing from her mouth, she bowed her head.

As she did, the space she was in closed up, and I stopped my body from being flung further into the chaotic space I had first entered—one without ceiling or floor.

‘No. I didn’t go through all that hell just to give up now.’

If the gift he prepared was something that even Lispa Elde believed would help Luna so much, I had to secure it.

Just imagining Luna’s happy face receiving it gave me motivation I didn’t know I had.

Gathering a vast amount of mana in one hand, I summoned the master key I had kept within my body.

BOOOOM!!!

Then I tore open the space that had closed when she shoved me out.

Through the rift, I saw Lispa Elde impaled by the white spear—surrounded by countless white blood cells.

And at their center, a white-haired woman who had been silently watching Lispa slowly turned her gaze toward me.

In that silent moment, with all eyes on me, I spoke boldly:

“What are you looking at?”

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