The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

Chapter 630:

"Transcendent Being is at the core of the Ark?"

Seong Jihan frowned upon hearing this.

"Why is the Transcendent Being in that place? Didn't the New Humans disregard isolates who possess only one trait?"

"Yes. While the general public perceived the isolates' traits as 'disabilities'... the researchers had different opinions."

"I-Is that so?"

Id widened his eyes as if this was news to him.

The Divine Eye glanced at him briefly and then continued speaking.

"The light traits that isolates possess each have powerful effects. Not only Urd's time reversal, but my Power of Observation allows me to see the world by transcending time and space. Even that man over there—though his intelligence may be lacking—his power itself is quite useful, isn't it?"

"Hey... What do you mean, my intelligence is lacking!"

Noah said this and then turned her gaze back to Seong Jihan.

"Among them, those who were isolated in the Ark are people with even stronger light traits... The 'Transcendent Being' could only become complete by absorbing their powers as well."

"Hmm..."

The normal humans with two or more traits had already been absorbed into the Transcendent Being.

Now, only the isolates remained.

And contrary to public opinion, each of their traits was quite useful.

So, to become complete, all of these needed to be merged into the Transcendent Being.

As Seong Jihan organized the story in his mind, he tilted his head.

"Then... What's the point in delaying? Can't you just absorb them?"

"What did I just tell you about Transcendence?"

"You said it's merging humans who have undergone Photonic Transformation into one consciousness."

"You remember accurately. We isolates do not meet that condition. Our Photonic Transformation is incomplete."

At her words, Seong Jihan frowned.

Their single traits were exceptionally powerful, so it needed to absorb the isolates as well.

But when it tried to absorb them, because their Photonic Transformation wasn't proper, it couldn't digest them?

"That was the condition before the Transcendent Being was created. Now that it exists, can't you just absorb the isolates anyway?"

"We've already tried. The absorption efficiency wasn't sufficient."

"You already tried? How?"

"We threw one isolate with the most useless trait into the Transcendent Being."

Step.

Upon hearing Noah's answer, Id took a step back.

Even lying here powerless, she was still the supervisor after all.

"Then, you need to make the isolates into normals before absorbing them?"

"Exactly. Granting one more light trait to an isolate and having them join the Transcendent Being... that was the true purpose of the Ark. In fact, we succeeded several times."

"You... you succeeded? Are you saying that our isolates really obtained another light trait?"

As Id's eyes widened, Noah nodded.

"Yes. Already 72 have succeeded and joined the Transcendent Being. The 73rd isolate, 'Urd,' also succeeded in acquiring a trait and was about to merge with the Transcendent Being."

"Urd did...?"

"Yes. But with her turn, everything fell apart."

Ziiiiing...

The screen changed.

Urd stood in the same space as before, her face filled with excitement.

Next to her, Noah watched her calmly with an indifferent expression.

[Congratulations on being released from isolation as the 73rd person.]

[Thank you.]

At that moment, the atmosphere was warm.

Flash...!

As the Transcendent Being shone and Urd's body was enveloped in light,

[So... I thought you wouldn't let me go so easily.]

Tick. Tock...

Clocks made of light appeared from her body.

[It was a lie that you'd release me from isolation and let me return to society, wasn't it?]

[Y-you... How did you...]

[Just in case, I fixed my body to the state before entering this place. And...]

Clocks began to appear one by one from Urd's body, which had been enveloped in light.

They were identical to the clocks that had overtaken the Ark.

[The power of light contained here... It's truly amazing. I wondered what power was used to create servers, and it was done with the power of the Transcendent Being?]

[You've figured out... even that?]

[I was briefly connected to it. Naturally, I learned about the Transcendent Being. A massive energy source made up of the photonic bodies of normals...]

Urd smiled brightly.

[But even if it’s a unified consciousness... If I manage it well, I might be able to seize it.]

[W-what...?]

[Were the abilities of isolates important? The Transcendent Being isn't as complete as I thought. If I make my move before it's fully complete... I can reign as the master of the Transcendent Being.]

[That wouldn't be allowed...]

[Why do you think it wouldn't be?]

Clap!

A clock made of light attached itself to Noah.

The clock hands began to turn backward.

Then, Noah's surprised expression returned to her original indifferent face.

Tap. Tap...

She began stepping back, returning to her own room.

[It really works... Now I can control others' time as well.]

Watching this, Urd smirked.

[Since the 'normals' have disappeared... I can take over the Ark immediately.]

Behind her, countless clocks made of light began to emerge.

As the screen gradually faded,

Id let out a sigh after seeing the scene Noah had shown.

"...I see. So this is how Urd began to take over the Ark?"

"That's correct."

"Why couldn't the Transcendent Being subdue her?"

"At the moment Urd was about to merge with the Transcendent Being, her trait 'Time Reversal' seems to have been greatly enhanced. She also absorbed some of the Transcendent Being's power, enabling her to apply her ability to others."

At her words, Seong Jihan asked,

"So originally, she could only reverse her own time?"

"Yes. As an isolate, Urd's ability could only reverse her own body's time, so her trait wasn't highly regarded. But when connected with the Transcendent Being, it exhibited incredible power."

So, in the end,

"Her ridiculous ability was a mess that you guys created?"

"...That's how it turned out. But isn't it fortunate for you? Thanks to that, you were able to be born."

"Huh. Is that so?"

"Yes. If Urd hadn't been trying to find a way to control the Transcendent Being by operating servers up to number 4212, your world wouldn't have been born."

So because she wasn't absorbed by the Transcendent Being, servers were created up to this point.

In a way, she was like a creator.

'Well, but that doesn't change that she's an enemy that needs to be eliminated.'

She did create things, but since she's targeting his Blue stat, he couldn't just let it be.

As Seong Jihan thought this, he asked Noah,

"Alright... I roughly understand the situation. All the normals have merged into the Transcendent Being, and the Transcendent Being tried to absorb Urd's power but was countered."

"In simple terms, yes."

"So what exactly do you want from me?"

"Please kill the Urd of the Ark."

Kill Urd.

Well, that was what he wanted all along.

However,

Listening to Noah's story this time, a question arose in Seong Jihan's mind.

"Even if I kill Urd, what happens to our server afterward?"

"The servers are originally supposed to be reset... But if you eliminate her, I will permanently maintain Server 4212."

"Well, that's hard to believe."

"From your perspective, that's understandable."

As if agreeing that his skepticism was natural, Noah told him the method.

"Kill Urd and take the position of Ark's supervisor from her. Then, using the authorized rights within Ark to maintain the server permanently, you can protect your world."

"Aren't you the supervisor?"

"Naturally, that position was taken by Urd."

Well, wasn't that something.

As Seong Jihan looked at Noah incredulously,

"...Hah. A Transcendent Being... I almost wish I didn't know."

Realizing that the stories about the Transcendent Being were true, Id touched his bald head with a gloomy face.

"So even if I obtain one more light trait, I'll just be absorbed into that..."

"Being integrated into the Transcendent Being is an honorable thing. Do you, as a human, deny that?"

"Hah. Then why didn't you integrate?"

"I would if I could... But I'm under Urd's control."

Then, the Divine Eye that had risen from Noah's eyes

Ziiiiing...

Shone on her abdomen.

There, a clock made of light appeared.

Its hands were continuously spinning backward.

"Hmm... So the other isolates are alive, at least."

Seong Jihan looked at the isolates lying next to Noah.

Like her, they had clocks attached to their abdomens.

Their faces had some color, and their breathing was steady.

Somehow, they looked healthier than Id, who was so thin he looked like a patient.

"They seem better off than you."

"...Hah. It does seem that way. I was holed up alone with the Power of Protection."

"Why is Urd keeping the isolates alive?"

"She's extracting and using our abilities."

"Extracting them? Can't she just take them?"

"If she did, we'd be classified as 'normals' and be absorbed into the Transcendent Being."

At her words, Seong Jihan recalled the scene he had seen earlier.

"Didn't Urd resist being absorbed by the Transcendent Being using time reversal?"

"Yes. But that was because she reverted to a state of having only one trait, allowing her to resist absorption. If she remained in the state of a 'normal,' even she couldn't have resisted the Transcendent Being."

"Hmm..."

"So she keeps the isolates barely alive and only uses our abilities when the server is about to shut down."

"When the server is about to shut down?"

At her words, Seong Jihan recalled when the world of Dongbang Sak had ended.

Back then, Urd had used eyes similar to the Divine Eye to find Dongbang Sak.

So when the server shutdown begins, she can use other isolates' abilities as well.

'I must avoid creating a situation where the server shuts down.'

Just the time reversal ability was troublesome enough.

It would be even more problematic if she used the abilities of other isolates as well.

As Seong Jihan was thinking this,

"I have explained all the circumstances I know. Being from the server, will you join hands with me?"

The Divine Eye shimmered as it asked Seong Jihan.

[Urd is one thing, but that woman also seems hard to trust fully.]

'Yeah. Promising to maintain the server permanently... She could just pretend nothing happened once Urd is gone.'

Noah had even thrown an isolate into the Transcendent Being as a test.

To her, someone like Seong Jihan, born from Server 4212, could easily be used and discarded.

However,

'But for now, there's no one as knowledgeable about Ark as she is.'

Id seemed to be an empty shell who knew nothing.

The one who actually held information to oppose Urd was Noah.

No matter how untrustworthy she seemed, they had to cooperate for now to confront their opponent.

Even if he decided to stab her in the back later, depending on the situation.

"For now, I have no choice but to join forces."

"A wise decision. Then..."

Ziiiing...

The Divine Eye completely separated from Noah's body.

[Let’s go upgrade your body first.]

The eye floated and went out the door.

"Sigh... I have no idea where this is heading..."

"Are you going to stay here?"

"What are you saying? Of course, I'm coming. If we're going to replace our bodies, we're probably heading to the medical facility. There might be something to eat there."

Even in this situation, he was thinking about food.

As Seong Jihan thought this, he followed the Divine Eye along with Id.

Soon, when they arrived at the fork in the road from earlier,

[This way, please.]

Noah guided Seong Jihan and his party toward the direction filled with a strong life force.

To the 'Western Sector.'