Chapter 347 - - (Pseudo) HE · Daybreak Approaches

Chapter 347: Chapter 344 - (Pseudo) HE · Daybreak ApproachesSu Ming’an stashed the night artifact into his backpack.

The mechanics of the game limited the use of backpacks. Players could collect discovered props and clues into their backpack, but they couldn’t just stuff anything they saw into it.

Only items that had been acknowledged by the system could be stuffed into the backpack for convenient carrying.

Therefore, if Su Ming’an wanted a portable bed, he couldn’t just pick up a bed in the room and put it in there; he would have to make one himself, get the system’s recognition, and have it determined as a "prop" before he could put it into his backpack.

And once he had this portable bed, he would be in a semi-invincible state at night: if he encountered an unbeatable existence, he could simply lie down on this bed, and not even the Cloud City God could catch him.

Watching him finish making the bed, the Bishop asked again patiently,

"Lord Su Rin, have you found a way to maintain the barrier on this excursion?"

"Before that, answer my question, how many faction contribution points will I receive for my actions this time?" Su Ming’an countered, appearing confident.

"I am not responsible for the Soul Hunt," the Bishop replied.

"Then wait until I have dealt with things," Su Ming’an prepared to put the person aside.

He still remembered the shotgun from the Soul Hunter Department in the Eastern District; he definitely wanted to exchange the gun back before they realized what was happening, as he could not afford a loss.

"Lord Su Rin," the Bishop’s tone became heavier, "Does that mean you haven’t found one yet?"

"..." Su Ming’an paused for a moment: "I have found one."

No matter what, he absolutely couldn’t answer that he hadn’t found it.

It seemed that Su Rin was sent by the Cloud City God, tasked with finding a way to maintain the barrier.

If he answered "no" here, it would mean Su Rin’s mission had failed, and it wouldn’t be strange if he was killed.

Moreover, he knew that he should have unlocked the skill "Control Barrier" tonight by completing the third level of "Demon King and Brave" — that should be the breakthrough point. After mastering this skill, he should really possess the so-called method of "stabilizing the barrier."

Although he hadn’t actually obtained this skill tonight due to his involvement in this matter...

"Understood." Hearing his answer, the Bishop slowly stood up: "Then come with me to the Royal Family."

Su Ming’an wanted to delay a bit more.

After all, he knew that once he went to the Royal Family, whatever he did there would surely be very dangerous.

And at the moment, he hadn’t actually completed the third level, nor gained the skill to control the barrier.

He glanced at the ground: "Let me deal with the affairs here first..."

"No need, I have understood the situation here." The Bishop’s voice paused:

"Regarding this incident, Sherrod is innocent — thanks to Sherrod’s capture of the treacherous Red Archbishop, he will be appointed as the next Castle Knight Commander. In addition, the resources from the 13th Street in the Eastern District will be issued normally, Gerald is not of the Soul Clan, her family will not suffer bias."

"..." Su Ming’an watched him spout blatant lies: "What about Aelas?"

"Died in the line of duty." The Bishop responded succinctly.

Hearing these words, Sevya nearby lifted her head as well.

...It was almost like a farce.

In just a few words, the farce was settled, resolving all outstanding issues.

It was like forcefully turning black into white... As if to make Su Ming’an follow him without any reservations.

Listening to the Bishop’s words, Su Ming’an seemed to understand something.

It appeared... the status of the Pulaya Cloud Cathedral was even higher than that of the Soul Hunt, and it even rivaled the Royal Family.

The Bishop could even directly appoint the head knight of the Castle and conceal the true cause of death of the Soul Hunt leader.

Even the Pope didn’t seem to care whether Su Rin was colluding with the Soul Clan; in his eyes, human hatred for the Soul Clan didn’t seem to matter much at all.

In the Pope’s words, Su Ming’an discerned an ability known as "control over the game."

This old man, who in a previous cycle had been slain by his sword and seemed harmless, appeared to hold a complicated web of strings in Pulaya in his hands.

After all, people say that the Pope is the only one capable of communicating with the Deity, and perhaps that is where his reliance lies.

While still pondering the truth in the Pope’s words, Su Ming’an suddenly heard the system’s voice.

As the system voice spoke, a blood-red crystal stone appeared in Su Ming’an’s hand.

This was Su Rin’s second Memory Stone.

Since the system voice announced it, the Pope’s promise should not be false.

Even because this was an S-tier side quest, directly related to the main quest, the system also provided an ending evaluation, pushing forward the Perfect Pass progression.

After all, had Su Ming’an not come to the church tonight to complete this task, he would not have encountered the key figure, the Pope, nor would he have gone to the Royal Family... Such actions should also propel his overall completion progress.

...It’s just that he didn’t know why there was a "Fake" in front of the ending evaluation.

Could it be because he took some shortcut?

He pocketed the Memory Stone, which contained a wealth of information, to examine later when in a safer location.

"Understood, remember what you said," Su Ming’an agreed to go with the Pope to the Royal Family.

He turned around, taking a look back at Gerald.

The old lady was still quietly watching him, her gaze unchanged from before.

Whether he was a newcomer to Pulaya, a newly promoted Soul Hunter, a leader of the Soul Clan, a returning world-saving hero, or a person attempting to overturn the status quo in Pulaya... No matter how he transformed, her gaze upon him remained constant.

Her eyes still looked upon him as if he were the kid next door.

Even if her fate had completely reversed with just a word from the Pope, her composure seemed unfazed, as though nothing had changed at all.

Perhaps, in her view, the changing of her own life-and-death fate was less intriguing than the future of a Sherrod.

...After all, she had decided no longer to wait.

She looked at him and then took a step forward, stuffing a family photo into Su Ming’an’s hands.

"You will return to Yun Shang City." She spoke softly, "Bring this to the old man. If you can... ask him why he hasn’t come down yet, why he told me not to wait, and if possible... tell him to come down soon, we have brewed new rice wine at home."

"I understand," Su Ming’an accepted the photo and once more undertook the C-rank messenger task.

This time, however, the destination was Yun Shang City, not the Soul Hunter Department.

"...Was the rice wine good that day?" the old woman suddenly asked him.

Su Ming’an was taken aback for a moment.

"Delicious."

Although unsure of what she was referring to, it seemed to be related to Su Rin, so Su Ming’an could only go along.

Perhaps it was over sixty years ago, on some day, that she had given Su Rin a bowl of rice wine.

Listening to his words, the elderly woman smiled slightly, a relaxed smile. The wrinkles on her face gathered together, her cheeks reddened from the cold wind.

"Wait for my return," Su Ming’an turned his head and said to Archilev and Sevya.

At the moment, it seemed imperative to visit the Royal Family.

Under the current circumstances, failing to go would not only incur the Pope’s wrath and lead to instant failure of the S-rank mission but the other party might, just like in that previous round, directly summon the Deity, and then they would all die here.

Archilev shrugged his shoulders, seemingly indifferent to his departure, "Please, as you wish. However, I have regarded your act of summoning me as a sign of joining the Soul Clan camp, Su Rin. If you do not return in time, I will personally come and ’invite’ you back."

Next to him, Sevya’s response was different from Archilev’s.

Whereas Archilev was threatening Su Ming’an, Sevya was threatening the Pope:

"If Father doesn’t return, the Soul Clan of the Southern District will surely revolt... No one will have a peaceful time at this Maritime Banquet then."

There was an attitude of "if Father is in trouble, we all go down together" in his voice, and the scene looked quite affectionate between father and son.

... It was entirely unapparent that this person had been readily shouting for a fight just moments before.

"Lord Su Rin is the one most favored by the Deity. I wouldn’t presume to overstep," said the Pope, turning towards the door, "Please."

The flames in the distance had long been extinguished, and the night was quiet as still water.

Su Ming’an stepped into the teleportation formation heading to the Royal Family.

A bright white light radiated.

The scenery around began to slowly change, warping.

During the teleportation process, the Pope asked him.

"Lord Su Rin, judging by your current plans... if I hadn’t arrived in time today, would you have aspired to become the Emperor of Pulaya?"

"I have no such intention," Su Ming’an replied.

"Is that so?" the Pope asked doubtfully.

After all, in his view, Su Rin’s moves were too grandiose. Killing the leader of the Soul Hunt, dominating the Soul Clan, and so on.

Su Ming’an didn’t have time to speak before the Pope continued, "Lord Su Rin, I just want to remind you, although you’re the favored one of Lord Deity, it’s best to heed the Oracle of Lord Deity and avoid doing things outside of the plan — the struggle in Pulaya needs to continue, and we do not need a singular ruler."

"Why," Su Ming’an asked simply.

... He hadn’t expected the Pope’s views to be the same as those of Aelas.

The Pope’s views represented those of the Deity. With such a statement from the Pope, it implied that the Deity thought the same way.

He had initially thought that the Deity who blessed the Soul Hunt would be a deity desiring peace from a lawful faction.

But now it seemed not to be the case.

These people, it appeared, did not support the emergence of a single ruler or even the prospect of peace. Their sole desire was for Pulaya to continue its struggle. Even Aelas himself admitted before his death that he had been intentionally creating conflict, fostering discord between the two clans, so that the Soul Hunters could continue fighting with hatred and passion.

The heroically fearless Soul Hunters, viewed as heroes, were in their eyes nothing more than pawns inciting hatred, a catalyst for the ongoing strife, the sharpest swords in their hands.

... But this was entirely unreasonable.

"Because it is necessary," the Pope replied just as simply, seemingly unwilling to delve further into the topic.

To him, it was merely the Deity’s command; his role was to implement it, not to question or justify it further.

Hearing the Pope’s answer, Su Ming’an laughed softly.

... It was indeed fortunate that Su Rin was Su Rin.

If another ordinary Soul Hunter encountered this situation, in the end, they would also become entangled with the nets of tasks woven around them, brainwashed by the stories extolled in people’s mouths, fighting against the Soul Clan for a lifetime in the name of righteousness and passion...

...and then he became the last hero to make a valiant sacrifice.

Monuments were erected, names were inscribed, psalms were sung, and his legacy was left behind. He became a symbolic hero of the Soul Hunt, thereafter inspiring future generations to continue moving forward.

...But these generations of people were merely living within the lies of the higher-ups.

They were right to defend their homelands and protect the beliefs of the residents, but the hatred they fought with was utterly meaningless.

The struggle could be ended, with the death or enslavement of one side as the outcome. Everyone wished for such an ending.

But such an ending was vigorously obstructed by the leaders, an impossible wish to fulfill.

Those remnants of the Soul Clan that were "accidentally" let go would become the shame of the Soul Hunters’ failed missions, motivating them to push forward even more.

—But it was more than just "accidental."

Su Ming’an remembered the performance of the Soul Hunter Intelligence Department during his own mission on Flower Street.

...Was it really due to a lack of ability or unclear information that he wasn’t informed of the existence of upper-echelon Soul Clan members on Flower Street, or was it a man-made "accident"?

Given the false information from Gerald, Su Ming’an could now vaguely sense the answer.

He looked up, and in the midst of the teleporting white light, he glanced at the distant night sky.

The night in Pulaya was seen as a symbol of danger and death. So much so that seeing the dawn of the next day was considered luck.

It was because such cruel killings existed at night, because there were contradictions that could not be resolved.

...They saw this life-and-death struggle as a symbol of the dignity of living.

Hatred passed down through generations, almost etched into their very bones, infused into their flesh, with no possibility of abating.

They gave their lives to the land they loved, fought for it all their lives, and saw hatred as the faith of their struggle, dying gloriously within the control of the game.

But Su Ming’an saw those outside this pattern of control.

Kassan, Nana.

Gerald, Sherrod.

...and Su Rin.

Su Ming’an seemed to perceive some significance in his own role.

Su Rin was not a chess piece to be manipulated.

He was... someone who could not be controlled, unaware of his clear mission and objective, yet holding skills of bewilderment and transformation at a bug level, a disruptor.

In such a situation controlled by a few major powers, his sudden return from the Yate Empire made him a complete outsider.

And looking at Su Rin’s Memory Stone, he was also someone who could not sit still, not likely to sacrifice his life just for the words of a deity.

He surely wanted to do something in Pulaya.

—He would be a "game changer."

For instance,

If the deity of Heaven is the being that dominates everything, the "Demon King" who rules over the world,

then Su Rin is the one who dares to challenge this "control of the game,"