#501

Interim Summary (5)

Following Doctor's words, the other members naturally climbed onto the god statue's hands. As Lennok was about to step onto the eighth hand in front of him, a voice raised an objection from behind.

“How do we verify the authenticity of the information, rather than the artifact?”

The lanky puppet, Chevien, asked, creaking her jaw. 

“Couldn't someone just guess and falsely claim results...?”

Even if they input information from the Old World and produced actual results, what would happen if it was just a lucky guess? Can we recognize such unverifiable information as legitimate results?

“We've borrowed Sabrina's speech magic for that part. From the beginning, we had her help when creating the god statue,” said Doctor, pointing to Sabrina with his furry body. 

“With the help of her speech magic, at the moment the information is input, it cross-verifies whether the caster has convincing grounds for belief.”

“Cross-verifies?”

“Well, it's not too complicated,” Sabrina said as she hopped down from the knee of the god statue and climbed onto the leftmost hand, which had been placed on the ground.

As Sabrina knelt on the enormous palm and began forming hand seals, her mana surged, causing the ancient characters engraved on the god statue to start glowing.

Ssshhiiiiiik……!!

Newly engraved character arrays appeared, centered around Sabrina's feet, forming concentric circles. At the same time, countless characters climbed up the palm and began covering the entire length of the first arm, glowing brightly.

Standing up and dusting off her hands, Sabrina pointed to the array she had engraved and said, “Once I input the magic pattern like this, it's done. My speech magic embedded in the god statue will then detect whether the caster is lying or not.”

“......”

“We all know that these magic patterns don't last long, right? Don't worry about leaving traces, let's just finish this quickly,” Sabrina added, and one by one, the others began climbing onto the palms of the god statue.

Rumble……!!

The fingers of the god statue gently curled inward, as if to protect the riders, and the eight arms began rising, each to a different height.

Members like Soryu, Maya, and Vernon formed hand seals and drew their mana, skillfully engraving their power into the palms they had mounted. 

An interesting point was that the magic arrays they engraved seemed to be altering the state of each arm of the god statue in real time.

Crunch……!!

The arm Soryu touched started freezing over, covered in icy frost. From where Vernon infused his mana, a thick smell of alcohol wafted out, while from the arm Hyulno touched, thick blood began dripping. There were even arms altered by a massive puppet and one transformed by a muscular man, now sprouting thick fur.

But what stood out the most was the arm that Maya had mounted.

Kiiiiriiik……!!

The densely packed magical array radiated an unmistakable presence from the god statue's palm. The array, which had dug deep into the statue's palm, seemed as though it might begin consuming the power that the statue emitted. Simultaneously, the shape of the arm itself started transforming into the form of a giant cogwheel, beginning to reassemble itself in real time.

It wasn’t just a matter of reflecting one's mana onto the god statue’s form—it felt as though the sheer force of her innate magic alone could alter the very nature of the statue. Even Lennok, watching from a distance, couldn't help but be slightly impressed by Maya’s undeniable strength. This was more than just transcending the usual hierarchy.

After reaching level 8, she had continued to hone and refine herself, reaching a remarkably high level. She was like a ghost, haunted by an obsession with the failed Ascension Gate project, a core undertaking of Machina, the mechanical city. Maya Renslit’s dedication to refining herself had far surpassed what any ordinary person could even imagine.

As Lennok thought this and was about to raise his mana for the final time, the muscular man sitting on the god statue’s finger spoke up.

"Hold on a second. We’re missing one number to proceed with the settlement, aren’t we?"

"Logia, what are you talking about?"

"That one, standing at the back. Isn't he planning to join this settlement?" The man, called Logia, glanced over at a shadow standing behind the theater stage. 

From the moment Lennok entered the theater, that figure hadn’t moved an inch. Though it showed no signs of life or reaction, everyone was aware that it was standing there, alive and present in the space.

"There are two stones that rolled in, so one of them has to step aside," Logia said with a grin, looking at Lennok. "Let’s settle this cleanly between the two of us."

Logia’s blatant suggestion showed no intent of hiding his true feelings. However, Lennok simply smirked in response rather than giving a direct reply. Doctor, finding Logia’s suggestion amusing, chuckled quietly.

"There’s no need for that. That one isn’t a member here for the current settlement."

"...Not a member?" Logia frowned, his displeasure evident.

"Well, it’s not strange to think that way... But it’s faster to just show you." As Doctor spoke, Sabrina flipped on the theater’s lights. 

Click! 

One of the old lights hanging from the ceiling flickered on, illuminating the exact spot where the shadow stood. Under the light, the figure that appeared was a giant lion-faced man with a blank expression. Lennok already knew who that giant was.

The white lion of the tower of Blaver, Turan, who had once run rampant in the western continent. Even though Lennok had personally killed him and handed his body over to Agneta, there Turan stood, alive in this place. Lennok didn’t give it much thought, though.

Although Turan was breathing and standing on two feet, his eyes were clouded and unfocused. From the moment Lennok laid eyes on him in the theater, he had known that Turan was irreparably broken.

“This is...”

Logia, realizing that Turan wasn’t in a normal state, grimaced.

"You don’t seem familiar with this since our paths never crossed, but he used to be a member of our organization," Doctor said softly. 

“So, you’re just using a dead body as a tool now?” 

“We regenerated his damaged head using genetic restoration and transplanted it. Though his brain didn’t fully regenerate, leaving him a simpleton, he’s become a very reliable companion for physical tasks.”

“...Hah.”

At that moment, Logia realized that the white lion in front of him was the one responsible for transporting the statue here, and let out a sharp laugh.

“You seem quite confident when it comes to physical tasks as well. If circumstances arise that require it, you should give us a heads-up.”

Doctor added slyly, “It would be such a waste to have that strong body of yours return to the dirt without even getting your worth out of it.”

Logia scoffed. “What a joke. Don’t even dream of it.”

“In any case, he’s not a participant in this settlement. Which means there’s still room for Victor to participate,” Doctor said, giving Lennok a look.

“Shall we continue?”

“......”

Without a word, Lennok formed a hand seal while under the gaze of the others, standing on the eighth palm of the god statue.

Wuuuung…!!

As he began drawing out his mana, he twisted and distorted both its nature and pattern. It transformed entirely, adopting a form and color that suited a manipulation-type sorcerer. The moment he poured the gathered mana into the god statue’s palm—

ZZZZZTT…!!!

Along with an unknown noise, the arm of the statue itself began to collapse.

“...!!”

Shrouded in a pitch-black, alien-like magic, the space itself seemed to warp and flip. The statue’s fingers and arms, which had been still, twitched as if convulsing. 

CRACK!!

The eighth arm of the statue spasmed in place, as though it had been given an improper command it couldn’t follow. The others watched the scene with a mixture of curiosity.

“As expected of a manipulation-type sorcerer—his magic infusion is bizarre beyond words.”

“Can we even call that a proper engraving of the array...?”

Although the arm of the statue eventually calmed down after its brief convulsion, the pitch-black magic that occasionally flickered along the arm still seemed like it might destroy it at any moment.

“Mmmm…”

The furry creature, who seemed quite displeased, let out a deep sigh.

“There’s no issue with the statue’s functionality. It’s just a side effect of the manipulation-type magic.”

“If that’s the case, it’s not a major problem, but…”

“This took longer than expected. I’ll go first,” Logia said as he slapped down a hornpipe that looked as though it had been carved from the horn of a goat.

“This is an artifact from the Second World I found in the central city of Kriven, the [Hornpipe of Steadfast Heart]. The conditions for use are physical abilities at level 5 or higher. Its main ability is granting strong mental resistance through significant amplification. The maximum application range is over 1,000 people.”

"A relic that grants mental resistance abilities to over 1,000 people?"  

As soon as Logia placed the hornpipe on the god statue's hand, where he had infused his magic, the statue's hand moved and gripped the hornpipe. Naturally, everyone’s attention turned toward the statue's eyes.  

The two faces, each with five eyes, began to open one eye at a time from the left.  

Click, click, click, click! 

The four eyes that had fully opened on the statue’s face silently scanned the surroundings. The other members quietly muttered their observations.  

"About a level 4 causal adjustment? Not bad."  

"Artifacts or rules from the Second World tend to have relatively low volatility. Given that, it's quite a valuable relic."  

Sabrina and Soryu's evaluations were favorable. Logia, who had gone first, spoke excitedly.  

"Of course! I found this after scouring the sealed fortress in Kriven. If it were a cheap trinket, I would’ve killed everything guarding the place!"  

"......"  

Meanwhile, Sabrina, standing nearby, pulled out a heavy sack from behind her speech podium.  

Thud!!  

She retrieved a large statue of a one-armed man from the heavy sack and said,  

"This is the [Statue of the Arm of Retribution], which was stored in the Lamasuria Cathedral in the southwest. It’s enchanted with a ritual that induces bleeding within a 400-meter radius."  

When she placed the statue on the god statue's hand, it clenched its fist again, and its eyes began to open one by one. Three eyes opened, but the last one didn’t fully open.  

Sabrina grumbled in frustration,  

"This is ridiculous. Do you know how hard it was to get this, and it doesn’t even reach a level 3 adjustment?"  

"Statues usually have low versatility, so their adjustment variability tends to be poor. Sometimes the foundation that holds the statue is more valuable than the statue itself."  

"It doesn’t matter if the adjustment level is low because of the speech magic anyway, does it?"  

"Well, since you’re done, it's my turn..."  

After Sabrina, the others, who had been loosely gathered around the stone slab, started presenting their results one by one. Unlike the first two who presented Old World relics they had collected, some began to reveal information only they were privy to.  

Those who had finished their submissions climbed down from the god statue’s hand and began exchanging information with one another. The cold silence from earlier was replaced by a much more engaged atmosphere.  

“I found an advance base of the Awakening Brigade in the northern lion’s tower. If you want more details, talk to me separately.”  

“One of the generals of the Hedro warlords has died. The body is in the custody of the Order of Spells. The exact location is here...”  

“The ritual weapon of the military sorcerer who disappeared in Yorta 20 years ago has appeared at an underground auction. It’ll probably be listed in the catalog in two months.”  

Even if it wasn’t just about collecting Old World relics, the value of exchanging information necessary for such efforts was evident. Lennok silently watched the situation unfold with interest, waiting his turn.  

Chevien and Vernon each lifted the relics they had obtained from the Old World and placed them on the statue's hand. Maya also placed a small mechanical box and stepped back.  

As the god statue’s hand clenched into a fist, the two heads engraved with eyes blinked rapidly. Most of the relics and information submitted reached levels between 3 and 5, stopping after affecting five of the eyes on one of the statue’s faces. Only the item submitted by Maya reached level 6, causing the second face’s eyes to twitch but not fully open.  

It seemed that the variability observed in the database, as well as the relic’s inherent ability or function, was an equally important factor.  

Once the turns of the other six participants were finished, only two remained who had not yet presented anything—Soryu and Lennok, both sitting with cold expressions.  

“It’s my turn.”  

As attention began to shift toward him, Soryu made a slight motion with his finger.  

Kirrriiik!!  

Simultaneously, a long bracelet unraveled from his wrist and slithered like a living snake onto the palm of the statue’s hand.  

In a cold voice, Soryu said,  

“This is the [666th Restraining Orb], a relic from the First World, stored in the vaults of the Kabahim royal family.”  

A quiet murmur rose from the stone slab.  

“Mmm...”  

“You brought back a numbered item from the First World?”  

“Impressive... I remember Amber was searching high and low for that one.”  

“This is probably the most valuable item here.”  

With a sense of anticipation in the air, the statue clenched its fist, and its eyes began to open quickly. It was the fastest response to any relic or information submitted so far.  

In an instant, the eyes of the god statue surpassed level 5 adjustment, with the sixth eye fully half-opened and the seventh eye just beginning to open before stopping.

"Looks like it's near level 7 causal adjustment."

"It's a numbered item from the First World. It's no surprise that it’s powerful enough to shake the existing data with such volatility."

"Doctor’s going to be busy for a while…"

"One more."

While the others whispered among themselves, Soryu immediately spoke up.

"The preparations on the Kaiushu side are nearly complete. We plan to begin as soon as Yanikus leaves. If you're interested in participating, let me know."

"......"

The atmosphere instantly grew quiet.

As expected, Soryu’s presence in Kaiushu at that time wasn’t to obtain the Tear of the Archangel. Just as Hairea had mentioned, he was likely working on something hidden within Kaiushu. Judging by the reactions of the others, it wasn’t an ordinary matter, but unless Lennok asked directly, there was no way to know.

“It ended faster than expected…”

“Only one person left now, huh?”

“Let’s see what impressive results this guy has brought.”

As Soryu finished speaking, all eyes naturally turned to Lennok. Not only Chevien, but also Vernon, Sabrina, Soryu, and even Maya were watching him. Since Lennok was not originally planned to be here, they assumed he must have brought something valuable or important information.

Lennok could clearly sense the blatant curiosity and expectation in their gazes. He nodded inwardly.

‘Was participating at this time the right choice after all?’

If this had simply been a gathering to confirm results, Lennok would have been fine tossing out some random relic. But the atmosphere here was distinctly different. It wasn’t just about confirming results and exchanging information—it felt more like an evaluation of those results and receiving appropriate compensation.

Considering that Doctor was the one leading this process, it was likely that after assessing the adjustment levels, they would be rewarded accordingly. With this in mind, Lennok realized he needed to show his best results without incurring any losses.

He needed something related to the laws of the Old World, but without any immediate risks to himself. No hesitation was necessary. He hadn’t dragged his exhausted body back to the battlefield of the labyrinth for nothing. This was the perfect moment to sell his information at the highest price.

On the flickering, noise-filled hand of the god statue, Lennok whispered the information infused with magic.

"The supply of materials and personnel within the Gido Sect will face significant difficulties for a while. If you plan to act against the Order, now’s the time."

"What?"

"Amrita, one of the ten apostles of the Order, is dead. Her apostolic magic won’t be usable for some time."

"......!!"

Lennok’s unexpected revelation caused the others to quickly turn their gazes toward the god statue. The eighth hand, which had been empty, suddenly clenched into a tight fist.

This indicated that the information Lennok had provided was judged to be highly relevant to the laws of the Old World.

Whirr!!

At the same time, the statue's eyes began to open at a much faster rate than before.