Chapter 184: The Lesser Evil

"For someone who claims not to know me, you certainly made good use of my name for your own benefit."

Hearing those words, Ash’s expression stayed calm because of Omni Thought, but deep inside, he was genuinely shocked. Even though his eyes weren’t as lifeless as before, thanks to the potion from the World Tree, they still carried that cold and distant look.

No way... Whisperer...?

Ash thought the name in his mind, slowly trying to make sense of what was happening.

He knew he had only used one name for his advantage, and that was the Whisperer. Sure, there was also the "Dragon Slayer" name he used, but that brought more trouble than help.

"Don’t speak in riddles, old man. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. And about using your name, I don’t even know who you are."

Damn it... how is he even here? He never showed up in the original novel. I knew the future would change, but this much? Seriously?

And the worst part... I have no idea what kind of powers he has. All I know is that he was once the master of the current seven saints, and I used that to my benefit inside that dungeon.

The old man let out a low laugh and said, "Even if you deny it, the truth doesn’t care. I can see the heavy strands of fate wrapped around you. And I know you used my name to gain something. Many lives were lost because of it, but I’m not going to blame you."

"Between a greater evil and a smaller one, I would rather choose the smaller evil."

Ash stayed quiet for a moment. He could see that the old man knew about him, and more than that, he had come for a reason. If he just wanted to hurt him, he would have done that already. But he hadn’t. That meant he wanted something else.

Greater evil and lesser evil... so he knows some things, but not everything. He has the power of fate, yet my fate is hidden. Then how does he know about me at all?

"So, what do you want?" Ash asked directly.

"Kill Ray Dawson, and save the world from falling into destruction," the old man replied with a calm smile.

Ash looked at him, frowning slightly.

"And why do you want me to kill Ray?" he asked again.

"Seeing your actions so far, I feel that you know the answer better than I do. I don’t know the full truth, but Ray is somehow connected to the end of the world," the old man said without hesitation.

So, he doesn’t know the full picture... just the pieces of it.

"Before I answer you, let me ask something," Ash said. "How do you even know about me? I’m sure no one knew I was Unknown. I didn’t leave behind any clues."

The old man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at Elysia, lying silently beside them.

"That girl," he said slowly. "I saw her past. Even though fate is hard to read now, because the Weave of fate is completely tangled, my eyes still allow me to see parts of someone’s past, present, and sometimes even their future."

"That’s how I found you."

Ash’s expression turned cold, and his eyes darkened slightly as the old man’s words began to settle in. It wasn’t a mistake he had made. It wasn’t some trail he had left.

This wasn’t something he could walk away from.

"The world has already deviated from its original fate, so why does it even matter whether Ray is alive or not?" Ash asked, his tone calm as he deliberately tried to steer the conversation in another direction.

"It’s true that fate has already been distorted," the old man replied slowly, his voice filled with a heavy seriousness, "but this new future is completely unseen to me. I don’t want to risk the destruction of the world because of one moment of hesitation or misplaced mercy."

There was a long silence after those words, one that hung in the air as if even the mana around them had stilled.

After thinking for a moment, Ash tilted his head slightly and asked, "You could just kill him yourself, instead of asking me to do it."

The old man shook his head slowly, his expression showing both frustration and resignation.

"I can’t. There are too many restrictions placed on what I can do. Right now, I can act with slightly more freedom only because the balance of fate has already been damaged severely, and that damage is because of your actions. I don’t know exactly what you’ve done, but it must have been something so overwhelming that even the causality around me have loosened slightly."

He paused briefly, then continued, "But if I even try to harm Ray, or even let that thought take shape with intent, the weight of causality tightens immediately. Yet here I am, speaking to you, and fate does not react. It is as if the laws of the world are treating our conversation like it is meaningless, or perhaps it believes I am simply talking to myself."

"Or maybe," the old man said, narrowing his eyes slightly, "fate is completely helpless when it comes to interfering with anything you do."

His words carried weight, and Ash did not respond immediately.

Then, the old man added, "There is only one possible explanation I can think. You have deceived fate itself. It cannot trace your existence anymore. It cannot interfere with your actions, because it cannot even locate your existence properly. You are the only one who can act without being resisted. That is why you must be the one to do it."

Their conversation continued for a while after that. Ash slowly began to understand that, despite all his knowledge, the Whisperer truly did not know everything.

He was unaware of the runes. What he did know was the general outline of the original story, the one Ash had read in his past life.

The old man also knew about the transmigration of both Ash and Elysia into this world, although he did not know that Ash knew the knowledge of the future or that he had acquired the runes himself.

The old man also asked Ash about the world he came from. Ash calmly explained that it was a place without mana, without magic, and without any monsters or demons. It was a world where things were peaceful, almost too peaceful, filled only with ordinary humans living normal lives, without any real danger or excitement.

But to Ash’s surprise, the old man seemed far more interested in that world than in Ash himself. He spoke as if that world sounded like a better place to live, like something worth longing for. Ash, however, knew the truth deep down.

That so-called peaceful world was just a land of wishes—people from Earth wished to escape into fantasy, while people in fantasy often dreamed of the calm that Earth had.

He even explained that it was just a misunderstanding on his part. The so-called peaceful world he came from was, in truth, filled with corruption. Everything ran on money. If you had wealth, you could get anything you wanted. It didn’t matter what crime you committed or what kind of person you were. As long as you had the right connections, everything was possible.

Even then, wars never stopped. Some were fought openly, while others were hidden behind politics, power, and business. The rich kept getting richer, sitting in comfort and deciding the fate of others, while the poor were getting even poorer, struggling just to survive another day. The gap between the two kept growing, and fairness was just a word people liked to hear, not something they actually saw.

It was a world where corruption had taken root in every corner, hidden behind smiles and fake promises.

Hearing all this, the old man became a little conflicted. The peaceful image he had imagined about that world shattered slowly, but he chose not to say anything.

Ash also learned something else, something more pressing.

The Angels could descend from the heavenly realm at any time now. The visible damage to fate was a sign that the laws of the universe were broken.

And since Ash was the one who had caused this damage, the old man warned him not to act recklessly if the Angels appeared.

It was surprising, but also reassuring in a way. As long as he kept Absolute Concealment activated, no one would be able to see the causality around him.

He hadn’t expected to meet the Whisperer here. If he had known, he would have activated Absolute Concealment before stepping into this place.

But he chose not to use the skill in front of the old man, wanting to keep a few secrets to himself. It was always better to leave room for uncertainty.

Now that the truth had come out and both the Saints and the Whisperer knew about him being a dual class holder and the Unknown, Ash didn’t feel too bothered.

This was something that would have come out eventually. If anything, it was better to be on good terms with someone who shared the same goal as him — Rather than becoming enemies for no reason.

"I can’t kill Ray Dawson. You don’t understand him or the power he holds, and I’m not willing to take the risk of finding out what might happen if he dies. What I do know for certain is that he is deeply connected to everything, and if he dies, fate itself might respond in ways none of us can predict."

Ray and his system are undeniably linked with the Hidden Runes, especially with the strange conditions required to absorb them. Even the Rune of Death had a condition tied to the existence of a system. Without one, it should have been impossible to absorb it.

Somehow, I still managed to bypass those conditions, but what if I can’t absorb any more runes because the person fated to hold the system is already dead? That would be a massive loss, one I’m not willing to risk just yet.

The old man didn’t speak right away, perhaps lost in his thoughts, but before he could open his mouth, Ash continued.

"Look here, old man. If you’re truly worried about him, then rest easy. I’ll keep an eye on him myself. I won’t let the world fall apart. At least, not without doing everything I can to prevent it."

Probably. Or maybe, if everything starts to collapse, I’ll just teleport far away and disappear. Now that I have the skill, running away won’t be too hard.

"So don’t stress about it. If there’s nothing else you want to say, I’ll be leaving now. Elysia still needs proper treatment, and we’re running out of time."

The old man remained silent for a few moments, clearly unsure whether to trust Ash or not. Even though he had learned about the boy’s actions, personality, and the way he used people to achieve his goals, there was still something different about him.

Ash, despite being self-serving in many ways, was far better than someone who acted like a savior but unknowingly brought about the end of the world.

"Fine. I’ll trust you for now. But I’d suggest that before leaving, you speak with the Principal. You’ll still be attending classes here eventually, right?"

The old man asked with a small, unreadable smile.

Ash didn’t argue or linger longer than necessary. He spoke with the Principal briefly, keeping his words direct and focused.

He simply informed him that he would return to the academy soon, once Elysia had received the treatment she needed.

The Principal didn’t say much in return, but he did offer his well-wishes, expressing quiet hope for Ash’s safety and Elysia’s recovery.

On the side, Saint Alice seemed like she wanted to say something, her gaze repeatedly shifting toward Ash.

From her expression and hesitation, he assumed it was something related to their mana contract, perhaps about him being her disciple.

However, Ash was unaware of the events that had unfolded in his absence. He didn’t know that Alice had almost given up on Elysia, after mana contract broke.

But even if he had known, it was unlikely to change what he had already decided.

He didn’t wait to hear her words. As soon as the conversation with the Principal ended, he activated his teleportation skill. Without hesitation, he disappeared from the room, taking Elysia with him.

Just before vanishing, though, Ash gave a small bow and quietly thanked them for taking care of Elysia during the time he was gone.

As soon as Ash went away, a strange silence settled inside the room.

"That was what I was telling you about," Alice spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief. "He teleported... even though he didn’t have space affinity before. Not even a trace of it."

The Principal nodded slowly, still staring at the empty space where Ash had stood.

"Yes, that caught me off guard too. But what surprised me more was his physical change. He didn’t just grow taller — his entire presence felt different. For a moment, it was like I was standing in front of someone else entirely."

Alice added with a slight frown, "Even his aura felt different... calmer, but colder. He seems more focused now, but also more distant."

While the two saints exchanged words, the Old Man remained silent, standing still in deep thought. His smile hadn’t faded, but his expression was far more serious than before.

So I have finally met you, Ash Burn. And now, more than ever, I am convinced. You are no longer just a mystery to this world... You are the one who exists outside the laws of fate itself. If anything can change what’s coming... it’s you.

Whether that ends in salvation or destruction... only time will tell.