Chapter 111

Chapter 111
## Chapter 111

### Title: The Powder of Veracity

The lead story in the publication was also singing the praises of the coalition.

“What is the reason for this?”

Park Tae-woo exhaled a heavy breath, his fingers digging into his hair in frustration.

“Everyone is just spouting mindless optimism, and it’s driving me mad.”

“Isn’t the situation relatively calm for now? All the pacts have been finalized…”

It was, by all appearances, an era of quiet stability.

Not long ago, the coalition had been in a dire state due to a lack of “Fragments of the Golden Rule.”

Ultimately, every member of the alliance had entered into “contracts” with particular constellations, obtaining the required shards. Furthermore, they acquired unique abilities from these celestial entities, significantly augmenting their martial prowess.

Since that turning point, they had been clearing out every beast emerging from the warps opening across Korea, moving forward with total success. Superficially, there was no reason for anxiety.

“That isn’t the point, and you are well aware of it.”

Despite this, Park Tae-woo, the leader of the alliance, maintained a grim countenance.

They had managed to resolve the immediate crisis, but the aftermath was the true threat.

He had become the premier hero representing Korea, yet even he felt helpless against this approaching catastrophe.

An unstoppable “calamity” was manifesting right before them.

“That ‘warp’ didn’t just manifest within Korea, did it?”

That specific warp.

He was speaking of the crimson-hued gateways that had recently been identified and verified.

It was identical to the one that had appeared in Delphian just prior to the assault by the Four Evils.

‘The crimson invasion-style warp located on Jeju Island last week. We’ve managed to keep it a secret for now, but if that truly signals the arrival of the Four Evils…’

The red warp believed to have surfaced on Jeju Island following the destruction of Delphian.

If it truly heralded the Four Evils’ invasion, they were doomed.

However, these crimson warps were not exclusive to Korean soil.

At present, three separate sites had been covertly identified globally, Korea being one of them.

The critical issue was this:

‘…The only gateway that is actively growing is the one on Jeju Island.’

The reality that the concealed warp there had started to expand.

If that wasn’t a precursor to an invasion, there was no other explanation.

No matter how hard he tried to find a silver lining, the situation seemed entirely bleak.

‘Why there of all places! Why Jeju Island? Of all the spots on Earth, why that one…!’

The Hero Alliance had only recently started to gain its footing in Korea.

They were just one city victory away in Pangeniar from reaching their peak.

They believed they only needed to establish a stronghold to flourish, with a brilliant future ahead.

But if the Four Evils struck through Jeju Island, those dreams would be reduced to cinders instantly.

According to the reports, once the remaining four sovereign cities collapsed, the Four Evils would set their sights on Earth.

Most likely Korea. Specifically Jeju Island, in all probability.

It was a classified truth known only to a select few within the alliance, but their ability to hide it was fading.

The leader pulled out his device and replayed the saved footage.

—Valiant protectors. Deliver the ‘Hydragon’s Soul’ to me. If you do, I shall lead the campaign to wipe out the Four Evils myself… Our time is fading.

This brief clip uploaded by Gracia had already garnered over ten million views.

The public discourse was centered on the Four Evils and the observation that Gracia appeared changed.

Her hair had turned entirely snowy white.

Her previously robust frame was gone; she now possessed an aura of profound transcendence.

The events that led to this transformation remained a mystery, but one fact was undeniable: if the Four Evils arrived, Gracia was their sole salvation.

Having reached a conclusion, alliance leader Park Tae-woo gave the order.

“Call for a gathering of every alliance member.”

“At this moment?”

“Yes. Without delay.”

A total mobilization was a rare occurrence.

Particularly during a period like this.

“…May I inquire as to the purpose?”

“We are going to search every inch of Eunpyeong-gu to locate the player who holds the ‘Hydragon’s Soul.'”

Back when the beast incursions first commenced.

There was a specific player in Eunpyeong-gu who had summoned a Hydragon to defeat the Giant Mantis. To manifest such a creature on Earth, they must have utilized the ‘Soul.’

However, the individual in question was an undocumented player. A hermit.

Such recluses went to great lengths to keep their identities secret.

They naturally retreated into the shadows where they could not be traced.

“And when we locate them, what is the plan?”

“…We will drop to our knees and plead if that is what it takes.”

“…………I shall initiate the full-scale emergency mobilization.”

If the leader was prepared to go to such lengths, the desperation of the hour was clear.

Tracking down a hermit would be a challenge, yet he felt confident.

With the combined might of the alliance searching, they would not fail.

—

—In that case, let us place a wager.

This was the concluding inquiry from Number 1.

I had dismissed his question regarding whether Hudson was actually a player.

—…A bet? Regarding whether Number 2 Hudson is a player or something else?

—Naturally. If my observations contradict yours, a wager is the only solution. Unless, of course, you lack the guts?

I maintained the pressure.

Since our initial encounter, Number 1 had been strangely dubious. Unlike other elites I had crossed paths with, his internal essence remained a cipher to me.

But that uncertainty had vanished.

‘This entire sequence is an act.’

A performance.

A scripted drama intended solely for the onlookers.

I had several reasons to be certain of this.

Initially:

‘Number 68 disappeared on the very first day.’

Number 68 had reacted visibly to the fall of Delphian and vanished into thin air by the following morning.

He must have been eliminated after being confirmed as a player, or perhaps imprisoned.

That was logically consistent.

The discrepancy arose on the second day.

‘On the second day, Number 76 was executed by the reaper at the trading house.’

The man who lost his head was Number 76.

But it didn’t make sense.

Why carry out the execution so publicly at the auction house?

He could have dealt with it quietly, just like he did with Number 68.

If a definitive method to spot players existed, the logical move was to remove them silently. There was no benefit to alerting everyone and causing a panic.

That wasn’t the only oddity.

‘After the death, they applied a white powder. Then, the visage of an Earthling was revealed.’

To a player, it was a terrifying sight.

Even in death, the wall between the game world and reality seemed to have shattered.

But looking at it from another angle, it was suspicious.

‘Was that truly the player’s original body? Or merely an external alteration?’

The empire was aware of players.

A faction that had spent years fearing and loathing players would certainly know about Earth.

It was a lifeless corpse. They could have easily manipulated its ‘visage.’

Even if it truly was the Earthly body, why wait until after death to use the powder?

‘…Before traveling to Cramdel, a similar event occurred involving the corpse crow.’

The two youths imprisoned in the vault.

The boy and the girl were decoys fashioned by the corpse crow to entrap players.

Yet, their features were undeniably those of people from Earth.

Why would these children, summoned as players, look like Earthlings?

‘In that instance, the corpse crow extracted their memories to recreate them. It manifested as Earth children designed to evoke a player’s sympathy.’

I had nearly been deceived myself.

But the only way the corpse crow could replicate the original appearances of the summoned youths was by probing their minds.

I had already encountered a spell that modified looks based on the memories of the deceased.

What if this white powder functioned on the same principle?

‘And most importantly.’

One final detail felt wrong.

‘Why burn the remains right then and there?’

It likely wasn’t just for shock value.

Perhaps it was to prevent anyone from looking too closely, lest the ‘act’ be unraveled.

If it was a projection based on memory, small errors could be detected.

Just as I had identified the children’s true nature and turned the tables on the corpse crow.

‘If my theory holds… they don’t actually have a foolproof way to identify players.’

For the moment, I had to bet on my intuition.

Eventually, the individual from Number 1 spoke.

—Very well. What are the stakes? The Throne of Light you previously mentioned?

—Well, do you possess anything of equal value to the throne?

I hadn’t made a move when the Baal armor was up for bid.

Therefore, the chances of him knowing my true desires were slim.

—Hmm. Procuring a unique-tier artifact would take some time, but… how about two of the treasures I displayed at the auction? Their worth should be comparable.

—I want three.

—…You are quite the negotiator.

I wouldn’t budge.

If he refused these terms, he was essentially admitting that his “vision” was flawed.

He gave a slight shrug.

—Agreed. But we must ensure the identification process is transparent.

A faint smirk appeared on Number 1’s face.

……A man impossible to read.

Yet he seemed absolutely certain Hudson was a player.

And he clearly believed he had a method to prove it, as he began to demonstrate.

“Those on the right side, you will now immerse your hands in this ‘Truth Powder.'”

As the figure in the silver fox mask spoke, the guards in black robes brought forward a wooden cask.

‘I can’t get a look at it.’

If I could only see the contents, I might understand its nature.

From my current spot, it was hidden.

The cask featured only a tiny opening for a hand, and its surface was covered in various markings.

It was built specifically to stop anyone from seeing inside.

‘They are protecting against high-level scrying or the eyes of Great Sages.’

This made direct inspection impossible.

I couldn’t see it, so my brain went into overdrive.

‘Something that shifts appearance according to memory…’

Was there a substance that could affect both the living and the dead in that way?

Even if it wasn’t actually powder, it didn’t change things.

If they were staging a performance, the powder itself could be part of the ruse.

The immediate cremation of the body followed the same logic.

Suddenly, a specific name surfaced in my thoughts.

‘The Elixir of Absolute Transformation.’

……It was real.

The Elixir of Absolute Transformation!

The very prize that Isaac had been searching for so desperately.

A mythical concoction that could flawlessly alter a person’s ‘look’ into any form they imagined.

If that was the substance, the ‘imagined form’ would stem from memory.

The strongest memory, the fundamental self.

Labeling it ‘Truth Powder’ was a trick to force players to shift into their Earthly shapes.

“When your hand touches the powder, your mask will fall and your true self will be revealed. Naturally, only the guilty will be transformed.”

An unnecessary clarification.

He was leading the witness.

It wasn’t needed if the process was as automatic as they claimed.

It was a psychological trap to ensure only players would have a reaction.

“Number 2. Place your hand into the cask.”

In that moment, I saw Hudson’s eyes flicker.

But if my deduction was right, that barrel was filled with the ‘Elixir of Absolute Transformation.’

Nothing else could force a change in appearance linked to powerful memories.

Should I caution him not to visualize his ‘Oliver’ identity?

‘If you tell someone not to think of a specific thing, they think of it exclusively—it’s basic psychology.’

Hudson was undoubtedly already picturing his life on Earth, his Oliver persona.

Reminding him would only make it worse.

I needed to shift his focus to something else entirely.

—Hudson. When we return from this, you will be able to fully wake Serengeti.

—…

Through our Golden Rule connection, Hudson remained silent.

He hadn’t so much as looked in my direction since this began.

He was trying to ensure I wasn’t implicated.

He was taking the full weight of the situation on his own.

—Focus on that. A total reunion with Serengeti. When you two marry, I’ll be the one to lead the ceremony.

—…

—Picture Serengeti in her gown, walking toward you. And this isn’t just a fantasy. It’s going to happen soon.

I couldn’t allow Hudson to be taken here.

If he was exposed, we would have to fight our way out together.

If they had only halted the warp, we could still trigger Helo.

*Splash!*

Hudson plunged his hand into the wooden barrel.

And then.

*Whoosh!*

The shape of Hudson began to shift.

From his head down to his feet.

“I-it’s happening!”

“Wait, that appearance…”

“…The White Knight?”

He had turned into the White Knight, Serengeti.

The figure known to everyone as the closest confidant of Wilhelm, the King of Knights.

Clad in that unmistakable, radiant white plate mail.

“…This cannot be.”

For the first time, the man from Number 1 had a look of genuine confusion.

Let the games begin.

‘……’

Hudson slowly lowered his eyelids.

Truth Powder.

The toxin that forced a body into its Earthly form, as demonstrated at the auction.

A lethal poison that no player should ever encounter, but there was no other path left to take.