World Keeper - Chapter 1270: The Abyss

King Halls, the guild master of the Flaming Legions guild, paced in his office. “Have you still not discovered anything?” He asked, looking at the Extreme God of Prophecy that he had tasked with identifying a time when they could ambush the Keeper. 

With the recent change to the world system, the coalition had been whipped into a frenzy. Throughout countless worlds, buildings had collapsed under the newfound weight of the evolved bodies belonging to their higher level players. One or two may not have been much of an issue, but when fifty people all suddenly increased their weight by a dozen times, the material was bound to give way.

Although there were thankfully few fatalities due to this, as those affected had similarly heightened defenses, there were no small number of injuries. In addition, the property damage was horrific, with many facilities simply unable to handle the increased weight of higher level individuals.

Not to mention the fact that even peasants had been granted classes, and the ability to train themselves however they wished. This made public security a critical concern, with the formerly powerless masses soon able to grow strong enough to pose a threat to those in charge.

“My apologies.” The silver-haired goddess spoke, her eyes closed. She wore a white dress, a thin veil covering her face. “The new Administrator’s fate is clouded in a layer of fog. Whether it is his past, present, or future, it is difficult to identify his position.”

“What about looking at those around him?” King asked, narrowing his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be able to infer his future by seeing the effect he has on others?”

The goddess simply sighed in mild annoyance, thinking to herself. If you had even the slightest knowledge of what I do, you’d know that I already tried that. She cursed inwardly, yet focused her divinity again. In truth, she had no confidence in seeing the fate of the new Administrator, or rather, the Keeper. For one such as her, a target’s identity was of the utmost importance. Misidentifying her target could lead to her locking onto someone entirely unrelated.

How did I get myself into this mess? This goddess, Creta, had long since worked as an information specialist of the guild, but would only rarely need to seek out information against any individual being. Instead, she relied on a general divine ability that foresaw danger to herself and the guild.

However, because of King’s inane plan to assassinate the Keeper, she was being dragged into a mess that she knew could lead to catastrophic consequences. I know that you’re listening… I swear, I’m not doing this of my own volition.

Creta heard a faint giggle at that, before a playful voice responded to her, causing her to shudder involuntarily. I know. I’ve been keeping an eye on the situation.

Creta couldn’t help but gulp thickly, feeling the weight of the presence that she had connected with. This was another being that existed outside of fate, one that she should have never been able to track. Yet, Creta had a feeling of being watched whenever she tried to observe the Keeper. I… assume that this great being is the one known as Terra, correct?

You’re well informed. Terra responded in an amused tone. I’d expect no less from an information specialist.

It’s my job… I’ve researched all of the Greater Pantheon. Though, regardless of my warnings, this fool insists that your legends are exaggerated to build awe amongst the masses. That fear of you keeps them in check. I hope that you don’t see my work as overstepping my bounds…

Creta knew as soon as she felt that powerful presence, if Terra wished it, she could crush her like a bug with nothing but her will. It was as if she stood before a mighty abyss, one which laughed at her attempts to peer into it.

Don’t worry, I’m not so petty as to kill the messenger. Though, I must say, your boss is making it rather inconvenient for the Keeper to return to the mortal world. Terra’s words sparked some confusion in Creta, who couldn’t help but voice her thoughts.

Does this ragtag band of guild masters actually pose a threat to the Keeper? She asked in shock, having believed that the Keeper’s power would certainly be no less than that of what she felt from Terra.

The moment that Creta voiced this question, she felt an almost overwhelming pressure from Terra’s presence, as if a warning growl from a great beast. Her tone was no longer playful as she spoke into Creta’s mind. You would do well not to pry into his strength. What I meant is that the chaos caused by such an attack would be inconvenient for him. And for anyone involved.

Creta gulped thickly at that, her shoulders trembling. My apologies if I offended you, it was not my intention. If that is the case, is there some way that I may be of assistance? As things stand, the fools of the coalition will only grow more heated with every passing change.

There was a long silence following her words. Creta did not truly align herself with the Keeper, nor had she given up the biases that she had been raised with. However, she was no fool. She knew better than most the powers that she dealt with, and those who she investigated. Whether it was the spirit who walked in shadows, the slime who scribed legends for fun, or the herald of death herself, none of them were beings that should be lightly provoked.

As for the Keeper’s own spymaster, the faceless fox, Creta didn’t dare to peer too deeply into her fate. Whenever she looked at Lena, she always had the sensation that Lena was watching her in turn, though she knew that was logically impossible.

Finally, Terra’s voice spoke once again. I suppose it is inconvenient to just leave you to your own devices. In that case, let me weave a fate for you.

As soon as Terra’s voice faded, so too did a fog surrounding the Keeper. Creta gasped in shock as she found herself able to discern the Keeper’s past, present, and future. As if the veil of obscurity had just been lifted.

Nearby, King caught her reaction, looking over hopefully. “Have you found something?” He asked urgently, and Creta pursed her lips.

“P-Perhaps.” She said, uncertainly. The ease in which Terra lifted this veil of fate seemed unnatural. However, the alternative was far more terrifying. Terra… is this a false fate that you are presenting to me, to lure the coalition’s forces into a trap?

A long, throaty purr came from the feline goddess. Play your part, little seer. Don’t disappoint me. 

At that, Creta’s eyes opened wide, and she fell to her knees with a gasp, clutching her chest. Her mind was filled with visions of her own fate, her body being torn to pieces, devoured by wild animals, or refined into a living treasure through a dwarven forge. The pain felt too clear to be a simple vision, and she could still feel the heat of the flames on her skin.

King simply arched a brow at Creta’s display, seeming unconcerned. “Well?”

Creta grit her teeth, wishing every pain imaginable upon the guildmaster that had put her in this position. In her divinity, the infinite paths of the future had disappeared. In their place were only two outcomes… the one that Terra wanted to show her, and the promise of what would happen if she failed to comply. It was as if there were simply no other possible future, aside from these two paths.

The Goddess of Prophecy knew that this was a clear warning. Creta truly had only two choices, to live or die. “In four days… on the plains of Deckan, ten leagues north of Ashtanu, the Keeper will descend alone. His goal is to train a new spirit summoning ability, so he does not wish for any living soul to be nearby, lest they impact his training.”

When King heard this, he couldn’t help but grin. “I knew you could do it. Four days? That’s not much time to prepare. Still, we should make it if we hurry. I’ll need to gather several combat-oriented Extreme Gods. It’d be nice if we could rope a Master in, but it seems like they’ve all decided to submit. It’ll be a thrill to see their faces when I become the new Administrator.”

As he spoke, he failed to notice Creta’s face going pale behind her veil, the vision of the future shifting. A mountain of corpses, atop which sat a lone individual, staring back at Creta with an indifferent gaze. In Creta’s view of the future, the figure lifted their hand up, placing a bloodied finger silently against their lips.

“You sure you want to do this?” I asked, looking at Terra. “You said you didn’t mind leaving them alone for a while.”

Terra simply shrugged her shoulders. During her talk with the prophet, she had asked me if it was okay for her to take action. Naturally, I had agreed. “It’s fine. Whether they’re taken care of now or later doesn’t matter. But, they’re the biggest problem keeping us from being able to properly descend right now, so since they’re being so stubborn, I might as well deal with it.” She answered with a sweet smile.

I tried not to think about what plans lurked behind that smile, and simply nodded my head. “Sure. Let me know if you need any help getting things taken care of.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary.” She said with a calm shake of her head. “I’ve already got a plan in motion to take care of it.”

After finally defeating the last of the mechanical swarms in the Metong universe, Lifre huffed, appearing back in the halls of Olympus. Although she had enjoyed the initial wonder of testing her character profile at the Origin level, it was still a chore to track down all of the different swarms and wipe them out.

Worse, she had to make sure that she wiped them all out. Even just one little robot from the swarm, if left to its own devices–literally and figuratively–could rapidly grow into another galactic threat. Thus, she had to fly through the galaxy playing robotic pest control.

By the time she got back, she wanted to kick back, relax, and–”Lifre?” …Answer whoever it was that was calling her…

Turning her head to look, she saw Terra’s current incarnation standing in the hall, clutching her book to her chest. “Yeah?” Lifre asked, head spinning around to look at the woman directly. “What’s up, Terra?”

“The… other Terra has a mission for you. She said that you’ll enjoy it. Said that you’ll be able to use your Demon Queen persona…”

As soon as Lifre heard that, she perked up, her body spinning around to face the same direction as her head. “Do go on! Tell me more.” She grinned eagerly, having never had the chance to use this particular persona, ever since the stream where it was first created. One of her more evil playthroughs, as voted by her chat.

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