Chapter 240

Chapter 240
## Chapter 240

—

Randolph’s Most Precious Thing

The Heavenly Demon lifted the Heavenly Demon Map high, displaying it for everyone to witness.

‘At last, it has come back to me.’

The sensation was akin to a lost limb being suddenly restored to his body.

He had spent so much time pining for this exact moment of reclamation!

The intervening period had been defined by nothing but pure shame.

After failing in the starlight duel against the ‘Terrible Omen’ during the initial day, he had run into the Sunken Emperor at the very location he visited to get the map back.

‘Had the Heavenly Demon Map been in my possession, a man like that wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

Instead, he had endured a disgrace that felt no different from a total loss at the hands of the Sunken Emperor.

With the Heavenly Demon Map in his grip, such a pathetic display would never have occurred.

‘……The Specter of the Night.’

In a moment of extreme danger.

Facing certain doom, he had used his cunning to charge at a Specter of the Night, forcing a transfer to the ‘Star Prison.’

In that process, he had surrendered yet another ‘precious thing.’

‘I cannot identify what the specter took from me. Most likely, it is a memory.’

The difficulty lay in the fact that he couldn’t grasp what was missing.

His internal energy and his combat techniques remained perfectly intact.

Therefore, the only logical conclusion was ‘memory.’

A person cannot recognize the absence of something they no longer remember.

Still, is it not said that losing one thing leads to gaining another?

“Terrible Omen…… To think you would actually seek me out.”

The Heavenly Demon thought back to the occurrences of the previous evening.

It was shortly after his release from the confinement of the prison.

Last night, the Terrible Omen had arrived, mounted upon ‘Baal.’

While momentarily startled, the Heavenly Demon stood his ground.

He could not turn tail and run when the Heavenly Demon Map was right there in front of him.

As he stood toe-to-toe with the Terrible Omen, the Heavenly Demon found himself feeling confused.

—I am prepared to trade the Heavenly Demon Map for a specific item belonging to the ‘Sunken Emperor.’

The individual had unexpectedly proposed a deal.

To the Heavenly Demon, this was an advantageous offer.

The Terrible Omen seemed to have the cooperation of the Specters of the Night.

More importantly, his own internal energy had not yet fully returned to its peak.

‘It was a trinket that held no value for me regardless.’

A small flask of water with no obvious purpose.

The idea of swapping the Heavenly Demon Map for such a trifle made him wonder for a second if the man had lost his mind.

‘My plan was to strike the second he placed the Heavenly Demon Map in my hands.’

He never had any intention of following through with the deal honorably.

He held the conviction that he could crush anyone on this island provided he held the Heavenly Demon Map once more.

Yet, the Heavenly Demon failed to meet his objective.

The exchange of the Heavenly Demon Map for the small, mysterious water bottle took place, but afterward, the Heavenly Demon could do nothing but watch as the Terrible Omen retreated into the distance.

‘…My internal energy isn’t activating. What is happening?’

Normally, clutching the Heavenly Demon Map should have caused his internal energy to surge violently.

Instead of an explosion of power, his energy refused to even respond.

It wasn’t long before the Heavenly Demon grasped the reality of the situation.

‘Could the Heavenly Demon Map actually be terrified of that man……?’

The instant the Terrible Omen was no longer in his line of sight, his internal energy flared up with immense power.

It was as if the Heavenly Demon Map itself had been cowering in the presence of that person.

He had never encountered a phenomenon like this before.

It suggested that rather than being consumed, the Terrible Omen had exerted some kind of influence over the Heavenly Demon Map.

He couldn’t fathom exactly what had been done, but…

“……If our paths cross again, I will ensure you do not leave with your life.”

Regardless, the Heavenly Demon Map was his again.

That was the only thing that truly mattered.

Once his physical condition was restored, he would have no reason to fear anyone.

Not the Sunken Emperor, and certainly not the Terrible Omen.

If they encountered him again, they would meet their end.

The Island of God? The Starlight Expedition?

The execution of those two men was a higher priority than any of those goals.

The Heavenly Demon set his jaw and steeled his heart.

A biting wind cut through the air.

It felt as though they were meeting for the very first time.

In truth, it probably was their first genuine encounter.

‘That elderly man……’

During their initial meeting, the old man had claimed to be a duplicate of the Sunken Emperor.

He described himself as a mere shadow of how he had appeared in the distant past.

That explanation accounted for why his looks and character were diametrically opposed to the original.

‘Was he perhaps a Specter of the Night?’

It was possible he was a Specter of the Night in disguise.

The Specters of the Night were clearly much more than basic NPCs designed for the mechanics of this game.

The specter that had stood guard over me outside the cave definitely displayed a personal will.

It was highly probable that they had manifested as real individuals who existed somewhere.

Then, once the sun rose, the Specter of the Night would take the shape of a different participant to carry out the game…

‘A primary hidden mechanic of this trial is the Specter of the Night. They are participants existing alongside the visible ones.’

When viewed through that lens, all the confusing details aligned.

If they were just scripted entities following rigid protocols, it wouldn’t make sense for one to wait until the very end to interfere when the fight broke out by the cave.

Consequently, they were participants in their own right.

Just as they appeared as Specters of the Night to us, we were likely viewed as Specters of the Morning from their perspective.

“……I demanded to know what it is you want.”

The Sunken Emperor was growing restless.

His posture suggested he would strike if I didn’t surrender the item immediately.

And since it was now morning.

A time when either a Starlight Expedition Duel or standard combat could be initiated!

However, the Sunken Emperor had previously retreated after confusing me for Destruction.

Because of that, he probably wouldn’t resort to a direct physical clash, as he seemed much more self-assured in a ‘Starlight Duel.’

I gathered my thoughts and gave a terse reply.

“Something is not right.”

“……?”

I had my suspicions regarding the old man’s true nature.

Those same suspicions now extended to the Sunken Emperor standing right in front of me.

So, I decided to put him to the test.

“If this bottle of water truly is your ‘most precious thing,’ you would be able to tell instantly if it were a counterfeit.”

I pulled the water bottle from my garment once more and gave it a shake.

As I did, the bottle shifted its appearance.

……It became a Yeomso mask.

I had employed ‘Form Transformation,’ an ability granted by the Primordial Armor.

I had only copied the outer appearance, of course.

No matter how perfect the visual copy, the true owner should have spotted the deception immediately.

Yet, the man showed no sign of skepticism.

The fact that he had asked ‘what do you want’ twice already was proof of his ignorance.

Was that not incredibly suspicious?

‘I had assumed the old man was the fraud.’

Initially, I believed the elderly man I stayed with through the night was the actual Specter of the Night.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

“You are not the ‘Sunken Emperor.’”

“What are you saying……”

Snap!

In that instant.

Fissures spread across the man’s entire form, and his visage began to warp.

“Hmm……?!”

Like a casing being shattered, an entirely different person emerged from within the cracks.

It wasn’t the Sunken Emperor, but a gaunt man with snowy hair.

“Ah……!! Heavenly Lord!”

With those parting words, the man crumbled into soot and vanished.

I stood there, momentarily speechless.

He really hadn’t been the Sunken Emperor.

Right then.

【You have exposed the true form of a ‘Specter of the Night’ through logical deduction and evidence!】

【The ‘Specter of the Night’ whose identity was unmasked has been destroyed.】

【Attack Power and Health have been increased by 50 points each.】

【There are three ‘Specters of the Night’ remaining.】

【If every Specter of the Night is eliminated, ‘Night’ will cease to occur.】

【A Specter of the Night is also destroyed if it loses a ‘Starlight Expedition.’】

As I suspected, it was a Specter of the Night.

A creature that took on the likeness of a participant during the day to maximize chaos!

However, simple guesswork wasn’t enough to destroy one.

You had to provide logical proof.

Just as I had done.

‘Heavenly Lord.’

Furthermore, the name the man shouted before his destruction stayed with me.

There was only one person in the trial who would be addressed as Heavenly Lord.

The Heavenly Demon.

The man who commanded the Heavenly Mountains like a deity, followed by a legion of zealots!

Recalling the Evil God’s memories, the disciples referred to the Heavenly Demon as the Heavenly Lord.

‘It is safe to conclude that the Specters of the Night are intrinsically linked to the participants.’

And that connection seemed incredibly deep.

Nevertheless, clearing out the specters was a mandatory step toward winning.

Gaining 50 points in Attack and Health was a feat that even 5-star starlight couldn’t easily match.

And the notification that ‘Night’ would stop if they were all gone was significant.

It meant that the final outcome would be decided purely through the starlight duels.

That suited me.

I was fine with all of it, except for one lingering thought.

‘The specter that stood by me.’

The identity of the specter that had defended me at the cave entrance.

Who could it be?

Without that intervention, my journey would have ended inside that cave.

That fact only deepened my curiosity.

Why would they go out of their way to save me?

‘Could it be.’

There was one name that crossed my mind.

‘……Isabella?’

……No.

I dismissed the thought.

It was impossible.

There was no logical way Isabella could be a Specter of the Night.

Isabella had given me her word.

She promised to wait on the outside regardless of the circumstances.

Still, if there was even a slight chance she had bypassed the door and entered.

‘I need to finish this game as fast as I can.’

I had to bring this wretched game to an end immediately.

The longer it took to clear, the higher the risk that Isabella might be destroyed.

“Raiga. What are your current stats for Attack Power and Health?”

When I looked over and questioned him, Raiga answered.

“Why do you need to know that?”

I gave a casual shrug, acting as if it were a minor detail.

“The ‘Specter of the Night’ I just encountered was mimicking the Sunken Emperor. It’s possible one might try to copy you next. We should trade information so we can identify each other.”

We were allies.

Knowing each other’s status was a vital precaution!

Even though he was hesitant, the logic seemed sound enough, so Raiga answered with a look of annoyance.

“…I have 60 Attack and 58 Health. What about yours?”

“You’re going to find out very shortly.”

“……?”

Whirr!

【‘Raiga’ and ‘Randolph (Terrible Omen)’ are entering a ‘Star Expedition Duel.’】

【‘Raiga’s’ Attack Power is 60, and Health is 58.】

【‘Raiga’ has been defeated.】

【The expedition was a success!】

【There are currently three successful expeditions recorded.】

【‘Randolph’ seizes ‘Raiga’s’ most precious thing.】

His eyes were wide with shock, and his face twitched.

Feeling utterly betrayed, Raiga let out a cry of rage while trembling.

“You……!!”

【The loser of a duel is sent to the ‘Star Prison’ for the duration of one day.】

Zip!

His shout was cut short.

Raiga’s body evaporated in an instant, vanishing from the spot.

‘He will remain safe for a few days.’

It was a betrayal, certainly, but it was a necessary one.

It was the only way to accelerate the end of this game.

That marked my third triumph.

And I intended to keep my word regarding improving Raiga’s situation during that time.

Beyond that, I was intrigued.

‘A book?’

I wondered what Raiga considered his most valuable possession.

It was a weathered volume, its age impossible to determine.

The cover bore no title at all.

I flipped it open.

I began to scan the text within the book.

The writing itself was unremarkable.

It was simply a common diary about raising a child.

‘This is a record of Raiga’s upbringing, written by the previous head of the Eight-House.’

It was a journal where someone had documented Raiga’s development.

Roughly 90% of the entries described taking in a homeless child and subjecting him to brutal, exhausting training.

‘The memory attached to this object is different from its written content.’

However, the actual memory stored within the book told a different story.

The former master of the Eight-House had been obsessed with Raiga’s natural gifts, leading him to murder Raiga’s parents and kidnap the boy by force.

He had slaughtered everyone else involved.

He had wiped away any trace of the crime and even manipulated Raiga’s own memories.

‘……He isn’t a mentor; he is his greatest enemy.’

It was madness.

To think that Raiga held a childhood diary written by his parents’ killer as his ‘most precious thing.’

Raiga.

The reality that man lived in was more heartbreaking than anyone could imagine.

“……”

I shut the book and breathed out a weary sigh.

Because of this, my suspicions had turned into a total certainty.

‘These are all memories that people would be better off never knowing.’

The Heavenly Demon Map, the coin belonging to the Master of the Tomb, and now this diary.

They were all tokens of memories that only brought pain once understood.

They were truths that forced one to confront a agonizing reality.

If the Heavenly Demon realized the Evil God intended to possess his body, could he ever break free of those chains?

How much despair would the Master of the Tomb feel if it learned the Golem Master who built it was long dead?

Raiga, too, would likely never recover if he discovered his master was actually his blood enemy.

“Master of the Tomb.”

Grumble.

The entity had been watching me for some time.

However, on the first day of the island trial, the Master of the Tomb had already secured a win in a ‘Starlight Duel.’

That meant there was no mechanical reason for us to duel again.

【You have turned off ‘Starlight of Vanity.’】

【You have turned off ‘Starlight of Dexterity.’】

……

【You have deactivated all starlight powers.】

I shut down every active starlight.

And then.

“I need to discover what my most precious thing is.”

It was a memory that might be better left forgotten.

Yet, it was a memory that I felt I had to face.

I, too, likely had a conflicting memory attached to my own ‘most precious thing.’

Something fundamental that sat at the very center of my being.

I had to know the truth.

I had hesitated before, but with the possibility of Isabella being a specter, I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Grumble.

The Master of the Tomb, sensing what I wanted, manifested its starlight in the air.

【‘Master of the Tomb’ and ‘Randolph’ are entering a ‘Star Expedition Duel.’】

【‘Randolph’s’ Attack Power and Health are currently 0.】

【‘Randolph’ has been defeated.】

【The expedition was a failure!】

【‘Master of the Tomb’ seizes ‘Randolph’s’ most precious thing.】

This was a sight I could never show to Raiga.

I could not allow Raiga to see what my most valued thing was.

But the Master of the Tomb was different.

I had faith in the simple devotion of a creature that had spent ages in the Abyss searching for its creator.

I believed that just as I had returned its item, it would return mine to me.

Along with the memories tied to it.

【The loser of a duel is sent to the ‘Star Prison’ for the duration of one day.】

Flash!