Leon’s expression, which had been one of focused listening, instantly stiffened.
That phrase, “too weak,” immediately brought back the Sage King’s words about his “insufficient level”...
Dammit!
He was a Silver rank priest now!
He wasn't the Bronze rank priest he had been when facing the Sage King!
Could it be... could it be that he couldn't even listen to a single sentence?!
Leon asked, refusing to give up, “Then what is the reason I can’t hear the cause of the reincarnation?”
Big Alicia shook her head again. “Your... strength... is... not... enough... and... you... cannot... hear... it.”
Leon: “...”
“Fine,” Leon said helplessly. “Even if you can’t tell me directly, you should at least tell me what level of strength I need to reach to know that hidden knowledge.”
“Epic,” Big Alicia said.
“You... must... advance... to... Epic... rank... before... you... have... the... ability... to... escape... death.”
“Epic rank, huh? I’ll remember that.” Leon grit his teeth.
It was just the Epic rank. As long as the interest on his Arduous Meditation trait for Sacred Light Meditation kept compounding, he was guaranteed to speedrun his way there!
Crack—
Right then, a sound like shattering glass exploded across the wilderness.
Leon turned his head and saw the world in the far distance being swallowed by an endless darkness. Whether it was the sky or the sandy ground of the wilderness, everything was breaking apart inch by inch.
“Time... is... almost... up.” Big Alicia withdrew her gaze and said, “Do... you... have... anything... else... to... ask?”
“Yes, I have two more questions,” Leon said quickly.
“First, when I’m strong enough, how do I find information about ‘Alicia’ and ‘reincarnation’?”
“History,” Big Alicia said. “The... history... of... the... Second... Era.”
“The Second Era? I’ve never heard of that concept, but I’ll remember it.” Leon nodded.
Then, he gripped the steaming hot water on the stone table and asked the second question: “This is a place like a dream, right? That’s why you can create these chairs, tables, and cups?”
Big Alicia nodded slowly.
“Since it’s a dream...” Leon rubbed the cup in his hand. The cup suddenly began to melt and shrink, eventually turning into an object about the length of an index finger.
The object had a stick at the bottom and was wrapped in paper at the top. On the paper wrapper were the words: “Produced by the Coo Coo Merchant Association: Orange-Flavored Super Lollipop.”
“Orange flavor. It’s a flavor she and I both like,” Leon said, handing the lollipop to Big Alicia.
Big Alicia was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take the lollipop and put it directly into her mouth.
Leon opened his mouth to remind her, “There’s a paper wrapper on the outside that needs to be torn off. The candy is inside...”
“No... need... to... worry,” Big Alicia said softly.
“This... candy... is... presented... using... your... memory... as... a... medium. Therefore... its... taste... was... known... to... me... the... moment... you... generated... it.”
Big Alicia looked at Leon, a smile in her emerald eyes. “It’s... very... sweet. It... is... the... sweetest... candy... I... have... ever... tasted.”
Rumble—!
The darkness from afar swept in like an overwhelming tide, and everything in this world was shattering.
“You... should... leave... now.”
Big Alicia spoke as she heard the sounds around her grow increasingly violent.
As her voice fell, Leon felt his body suddenly being pulled by a force. This force was rapidly drawing him from the wilderness toward the sky.
Leon watched Big Alicia as she grew smaller below him, and she watched him in return.
“Take... good... care... of... her. Her... destiny... ensures... that... she... is... fated... to... endure... countless... hardships.”
“I will.” Darkness rushed in like a tide. Leon looked at Big Alicia within the darkness. “Goodbye.”
Below, Big Alicia looked up at him and returned a gentle smile.
In the next moment, her figure was completely swallowed by the darkness.
...
In that sensation of floating upward, Leon felt himself touch a thin membrane. As his body passed through it, a strange perception washed over him.
He snapped his eyes open. What met his gaze was no longer that boundless wilderness or the darkness that swallowed everything, but a classic, simple room.
In the room was a large, neatly made bed. On the bed lay a pink-haired girl, sleeping haphazardly with a lollipop stick—already licked clean—still in her mouth.
“I’m back?”
Leon looked out the window. The sky was brightening. He didn't know how much time had passed since he entered that dream-like wilderness.
“The waters of this world run deep...”
Thinking about his experience in the dream and the terms Big Alicia had mentioned, like the “East Continent” and the “Second Era,” Leon sighed.
As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you realize how little you know.
Leon was in exactly that state. Although he had learned quite a bit from Big Alicia, more doubts had arisen in his mind.
If the East Continent existed, why had he never heard of it before?
And as for the so-called “Second Era,” he had never heard that term from the teachers who taught history to his family.
If there was a Second Era, there must be a First Era, and possibly a Third Era afterward. So what point in time was he currently in?
Furthermore, why could Alicia reincarnate? What was the reason that he couldn't be told because of his lack of strength? And what was that soul-infecting 【Hunger】 in the wilderness...
Leon didn't even know where to begin investigating all of this.
“Fortunately, Big Alicia isn't a riddle-maker like that old geezer. She even gave me the goal of the Epic rank...”
Leon felt that among all this information, the only useful part was being told that only upon reaching the Epic rank would he be qualified to seek the answers to these questions.
If he lacked the strength and tried to dig forcibly, he would likely violate some taboo and get an immediate Game Over.
Casting aside his complicated thoughts, Leon glanced at the peacefully sleeping Alicia, his gaze lingering on her hair, which had changed from black to pink.
“Pink hair... she’s gone full non-mainstream... I wonder what her expression will be when she wakes up and finds out her hair turned pink...”
Leon reached out and pulled the lollipop stick from Alicia’s mouth to prevent the girl from rolling over in her sleep and having it poke her.
“Hmm?”
As he reached out to remove the stick, Leon paused and looked at his right wrist.
For some unknown reason, a faint silver mark had appeared on his right wrist.
This silver mark was divided into two parts. The upper part consisted of many nested circles.
The lower part was a three-dimensional cross.
The circles and the cross were connected, forming something that resembled an “Ankh.”
Leon raised his left hand and pressed his fingertip against the silver mark—
【Perceiving...】
The panel that suddenly popped up startled Leon.
After a half-second pause, Leon looked at the flowing light on the panel.
【Perceiving the gift of "Alicia's Inherited Memory": The Will of the Gondor Empire】
【The Will of the Gondor Empire Experience +0】
【None → The Will of the Gondor Empire Lv0 (0/1)】
“The Will of the Gondor Empire?”
Leon looked at the new divine art appearing on the Divine Art Panel, sensing its effects...
“A passive divine art? It strengthens the will and... greatly reduces mental attacks?”
Rate on N.U.
