Chapter 302

'Arcane Civilization.'  

To be honest, I had no personal interest in the Arcane Civilization. Mysterious ancient civilizations and artifacts were other people's obsessions, not mine.  

Countless rulers and powerful figures were deeply fascinated by the Arcane Civilization. The legacy it left behind had, at times, shifted the balance between nations and driven rapid technological advancements.  

'There are plenty of people captivated by the Arcane Civilization itself, like Ilay Carthica or Paolo Kwan.'  

Clearly, I wasn't suited to be a scholar. I still found it hard to understand those who were obsessed with the Arcane Civilization out of sheer intellectual curiosity.  

However, regardless of my personal interests, there was no denying that research and attention toward the Arcane Civilization influenced the flow of events on Planet Novus.  

Whenever I heard the word "Arcane," I felt an unsettling chill deep in my chest. The incidents surrounding the Arcane Civilization had almost always ended in a bloodbath fueled by greed.  

"Quilia, please bring it here."  

The Parish Overseer spoke.  

Thud.  

Quilia placed the item wrapped in white cloth onto the table.  

Srrk.  

The Parish Overseer carefully unfolded the cloth and revealed the item inside.  

'An Arcane Artifact?'  

It was a capsule, about the size of a palm. Faintly glowing electronic circuits, resembling intricate ornaments, adorned its surface.  

"To put it simply, this is a type of capacitor. Are you familiar with the Arcane Civilization and Hollistone?"  

"I know a little, but if I come across something unfamiliar, I'll ask."  

The Parish Overseer lifted the capsule. Its circuits glowed as if responding to the movement.  

"Our human civilization primarily uses electricity as its main energy source. No matter what form energy takes initially, we ultimately convert it into electricity. However, the Arcane Civilization directly utilized Holenergy extracted from Hollistone."  

Something Jin Gaw, the director, would find interesting.  

I fought to keep my focus from wavering and continued listening to the Parish Overseer.  

"Naturally, then, the primary energy source for Arcane Artifacts isn't electricity, but Holenergy. However, with our current level of technology, we have no stable method to extract Holenergy from Hollistone. The only reliable sources of Holenergy we come across are artifacts like this. Even then, most of them are either completely discharged or have very little energy remaining."  

"Was the item Kinuan took from the auction a Holenergy capsule?"  

"Yes, and in a remarkably intact state. I heard it also contains an exceptionally high amount of residual Holenergy."  

I listened on.

Holenergy capsules were crucial for relic research. Many relics seemed to require a stable form of holenergy to function.  

Scientists had attempted to activate the relics using electricity or hollistone, but they either failed or resulted in incomplete activation. This was due to the difference in stability between hollistone and holenergy capsules, despite both being sources of holenergy.  

It was a simple and obvious principle. Even electronic devices powered by electricity would malfunction if the voltage was incorrect or if the power supply was unstable.  

Ssssss.  

I felt my brain stiffen with tension. It was like an ice worm crawling over my cerebral cortex.  

‘Your patience is still unbelievably impressive, Kinuan.’  

Kinuan had layered multiple schemes and conspiracies in an uncertain situation. He had spun his web like a spider, waiting meticulously for his prey to be caught.  

‘Kinuan stole the Mind Transfer Device from the Empire.’  

And to operate the Mind Transfer Device, he also needed holenergy capsules of the right specifications.  

‘He made contact with those researching the Arcane Civilization and its relics, waiting until news of the relic he wanted came to him.’  

Kinuan’s grand plan unfolded in my mind. I could see what he had endured for and why he had relocated to Border City.  

"In principle, all Arcane relics must be reported to the national government as soon as they are discovered. However, not all relics hold strategic significance or great value, and it is realistically impossible to monitor and regulate every single one. Even decorative items or everyday goods from that era qualify as Arcane relics. But when a relic holds strategic or research value, nations fiercely compete to obtain it. The same applies to this holenergy capsule."  

"So someone took advantage of the chaos to put the capsule up for auction. Selling it on the private market would fetch a much higher price than handing it over to the government."  

"There are many wealthy individuals of other races at the Border City auction house. It’s not just humans who seek Arcane relics. I’m ashamed to admit it, but with the parish's budget, winning an auction is nearly impossible. That’s why, as soon as I obtained the auction item list... I entrusted the matter to Kinuan."  

The Parish Overseer had provided Kinuan with the auction information. It made sense—only the Parish Overseer could have obtained the list in advance. The parish’s network of believers spread throughout Border City, and their intelligence capabilities were substantial.  

‘The Parish Overseer could never have imagined that Kinuan’s true goal was an Arcane relic. If Kinuan had no use for a valuable relic, he would have given it up without hesitation.’

Kinuan had patiently waited for the Parish Overseer to discover the relics he needed while steadily building a close relationship with him.  

‘The Mind Transfer Device and the Holenergy Capsule.’  

After all that patience, Kinuan had obtained both relics.  

‘What’s his next goal?’  

The Mind Transfer Device was a relic that allowed memories and personalities to be transferred to another being. In a way, it was a form of immortality.  

‘If Kinuan were to transfer even his brain with the Mind Transfer Device…’  

There would be no way to track him down, and he would free himself from the natural limits of a brain’s lifespan.  

A chill ran down my spine. It had already been quite some time since the auction house raid.  

‘I have to hurry.’  

My cybernetic implant reacted to my anxiety. I felt my knees tremble and forced myself to steady them.  

“We need to move immediately. If we find Kinuan… I’ll hand over the Holenergy Capsule to you, Parish Overseer. It has no value to me.”  

Our negotiation was falling into place naturally.  

“Take Quilia with you. She’ll help you find Kinuan. The cognitive distortion veil Kinuan’s subordinates use is actually Quilia’s ability. Show them a demonstration, Quilia.”  

Quilia took a deep breath. She reached into her robes and pulled out a pure white mask with a faint smile carved into it. Then, she put it on.  

The eyes and mouth of the mask glowed with a bluish light. It seemed to be a catalyst for her Force abilities.  

Wooooong.  

Quilia’s form wavered and soon blended into the background. It was near-perfect invisibility.  

It was the exact same concealment ability Kinuan’s subordinates had used.  

Srrrk.  

I sensed Quilia’s presence reappear. She had somehow moved behind me without a sound.  

‘She’s using the Force to make herself completely unperceivable. That’s an unsettling ability.’  

Several questions popped into my mind, but I swallowed them for now. We needed to move immediately.  

Creak.  

Quilia tucked the mask back into her robes and stepped out the door. She seemed to be waiting for me outside.  

Tap. Tap.  

I tapped my wooden collar with my fingers.  

“Parish Overseer, if I step outside the temple like this, the device in my collar will activate. You stopped it just before it triggered. If it goes off, I’ll probably…”  

“I understand.”  

The Parish Overseer must have already considered a solution—otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent this long speaking with me. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them as he continued.  

“Lukaus Custoria, I shall now show you the blessing our God has bestowed upon us.”

The Parish Overseer’s eyes shone brightly, a light so intense that even his pupils vanished. His bracelets jingled, and the chains vibrated as if they were about to break.  

Rumble.  

The furniture in the reception room began to move on its own, crashing to the floor. The sheer force of the Parish Overseer’s Force exerted physical pressure on the surroundings.  

“Deceleration, stop... and reversal.”  

The light emanating from the Parish Overseer’s Force instantly concentrated at the ends of his chains. The light took form, and the chains became enveloped in a shimmering Force aura.  

Kiiiririk!  

The chains coiled around my wooden collar and began to spin.  

I felt the delicate electronic and mechanical components within the collar shifting.  

‘This is impossible…’  

Even seeing it with my own eyes, I found it hard to believe.  

The Parish Overseer had reversed time for an object—just by a few seconds—stopping my collar at the moment before activation.  

It was a localized time reversal.  

“Haa... Haa...”  

The Parish Overseer panted, his body drained as if he had endured grueling labor. His cheeks had hollowed, and his eyes were sunken. It wasn’t just exhaustion—he had burned through his very life force.  

‘Even if it was only a few seconds, reversing time can’t be easy. He paid the price for it.’  

He wasn’t a high-ranking priest of Corite for nothing. Even someone like me, ignorant of Force abilities, could recognize this as a near-miraculous feat.  

“With power like this… there’s no need for you to struggle as the overseer of Border City’s parish. You could easily rise through the ranks in the homeland.”  

I touched the wooden collar, which still faintly shimmered with residual light. My words were a subtle probe—someone of his caliber wouldn’t remain in Border City unless there was a reason.  

“That may be true, but…”  

The Parish Overseer paused to take a sip of water, his throat parched. He wiped his damp lips with the back of his hand before continuing.  

“…if not me, then who would protect the parish of Border City?”  

I silently observed the exhausted overseer before rising from my seat.  

“Parish Overseer, let me say one last thing. I am not like Kinuan. I will not repay goodwill with betrayal.”  

The Parish Overseer smiled, his sweat-soaked face betraying his fatigue, and leaned back against the sofa. For the first time, he appeared more human, less bound by the cold dignity he had maintained. His exhaustion must have made it impossible to uphold his usual composure.  

“I certainly hope so, Lukaus Custoria.”  

*         *         *  

I left the Pioneering Temple with Quilia. The subtle oppressive force in the air dissipated, and the glow surrounding my wooden collar faded.  

‘…Even knowing in advance, I’m still amazed.’  

My collar was functioning stably.  

‘I don’t know how the report reached Ivan, but…’

I shrugged. Looking around, I noticed that Gaya had already returned to the hospital. If Gaya was back, Lars would come looking for me soon.  

“This way, Lord Luka.”  

Quilia gestured toward an air vehicle, guiding me.  

“Give me all the information and clues you have on Kinuan. My ability to analyze and compile intel is better than yours.”  

I spoke while walking toward the vehicle. There was no time to waste. Everything needed to be used efficiently.  

Quilia showed no emotional reaction to my words. She wasn’t just good at controlling her emotions—she seemed to have wholly suppressed them.  

“And… explain your ability to me. It looks complicated. If Kinuan’s subordinates are still roaming around while invisible, that’s going to be a problem.”  

Quilia entered the air vehicle first and operated the controls in the cockpit.  

Wooooong.  

A holographic display lit up, showing the records and intel on Kinuan that the Border City parish had gathered. There was a lot I didn’t know.  

“This is classified information.”  

“Obviously.”  

I muttered as I stared at the hologram.  

Kinuan had carried out numerous missions at the request of the Border City Parish Overseer. Some of them were even assassination contracts.  

“My Force ability allows me to create a cognitive distortion field, concealing my presence from external perception.”  

“So you embedded that ability into equipment so others could use it, and now Kinuan’s subordinates are using it? If that were commercialized, assassins across Planet Novus would throw fortunes at you to get their hands on it.”  

“The conditions for use are strict. The clothing must be made from a material that acts as a catalyst, and the stored ability dissipates within half a day.”  

I stared at Quilia. It wasn’t just that she hid her emotions—she seemed devoid of them. She felt more like an android than a human.  

“And?”  

“Cognitive distortion doesn’t just affect external perception. The user’s ability to perceive themselves is also diminished. Someone untrained in its use wouldn’t even be able to control their own body. They would feel as if they didn’t exist.”  

I flinched.  

‘They would feel as if they didn’t exist.’  

That phrase echoed in my mind.  

“…Is that why your emotions have faded? A side effect?”  

“You are quite perceptive. If anyone can find Kinuan hiding in this city, it may be you.”  

“That is… if he’s still in Border City.”  

I imagined the worst-case scenario—Kinuan had already left, having achieved his goal with the Mind Transfer Device and the Holenergy Capsule.  

“Kinuan is still in Border City. Check the final data file.”  

Quilia operated the air vehicle’s holographic interface as she spoke with certainty.  

Bzzz.  

I flipped through the holographic screens until I reached the last page—and stopped.

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