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Chapter 669: The Dreaming Machine (3)

“Grade 2…? You mean Grade 2 under cosmic law?”

Yeongwoo asked, his eyes wide.

At this, Chancellor Herisa carefully scanned their surroundings and nodded.

“When a Grade 3 entity is born, a Transcendent of a related lineage comes out to greet it. In other words, this is also one of the very few ways to summon a Transcendent.”

“…So that ‘Transcendent’ was a Grade 2 entity.”

Yeongwoo drew in a deep breath.

Though he had never once seen one, the name ‘Transcendent’ was something he encountered every single day.

After all, the Bastard was a weapon meant to oppose Transcendents.

【Authority Obstruction】

| Weakens the authority of Transcendents.

“……”

As Yeongwoo subtly glanced at the Bastard still stuck at his waist, Chancellor Herisa narrowed her brow and spoke.

“Don’t even dream of it. The moment you think about drawing that sword, your head will be torn off.”

“Are Transcendents really that incredible? To the point that you can’t even dare harbor hostility toward them?”

“Transcendents… are the unknown itself. They are completely different beings. To begin with, they hardly reside in the lower universe.”

“But you’re saying they come out to greet a newly formed Grade 3 entity?”

“That’s how interesting and rare it is. For Grade 2 entities, it’s quite the amusement.”

Amusement.

Yeongwoo did not like that expression at all.

Why would the powerful beings of the universe achieve great feats just to become entertainment for Grade 2 entities?

“Then what exactly does a Grade 2 do when it comes all the way down here? Does it just show off a bit and leave?”

At Yeongwoo’s irreverent remark, Herisa let out a small sigh.

“I understand you feel unpleasant, but I would prefer it if you restrained your words in front of a Transcendent. They are no different from natural disasters of this universe. They are not beings toward which one can harbor emotions in the first place.”

“No, damn it. That applies to the Records that just stay quietly stuck somewhere. Transcendents clearly strut around acting all high and mighty.”

At this, Herisa’s expression hardened.

“Listen, Planetary Fleet Master. Just because you drag around celestial bodies doesn’t mean you can smash everything in this universe. There are opponents you must compromise with.”

By the time their conversation reached that point, an enormous amount of steam burst forth from Lemu in the distance.

Chiiiiiii—!

At last, he was disabling the detonator connected to Maden’s Scope of Inquiry.

Having achieved everything he wanted here, it no longer mattered whether this body was damaged or the Scope of Inquiry was removed.

□ As promised, I will no longer affect Maden.

With those words, the detonator fell out from inside Lemu’s chest, and upon seeing this, Quiad immediately kicked Lemu down.

Thud!

—Since a Transcendent will be arriving to see you, I’ll let you live for now.

Even Quiad, who was quite hot-tempered, did not wish to provoke a Transcendent.

And upon hearing this, Lemu gave a bitter smile.

□ Indeed, Transcendents are remarkable. Then again, isn’t the universe originally structured as layers of heavens beyond heavens?

—Shut up, machine.

Quiad clenched his fist so tightly his whole body trembled.

Yet even so, he could not bring himself to crush Lemu’s head.

‘…Just like Chancellor said, Transcendents really are incredible. What kind of existence are they, for the Chairman to restrain himself like that?’

Watching Quiad’s ‘angry restraint,’ Yeongwoo couldn’t help but think of Chairman Dogo.

‘Could it be… even our Chairman has no choice in front of a Transcendent?’

Yeongwoo had never once seen Dogo submit to anyone.

But no matter how powerful the Chairman was, he wasn’t the absolute strongest in the universe.

There had to be someone stronger than him—and it was obvious those were the Transcendents.

After all, their classification under cosmic law was different from the start.

‘Still… seeing that a sword like this exists, it doesn’t seem like Transcendents are completely untouchable beings.’

As Yeongwoo once again turned his gaze to the Bastard, Herisa, who had concealed her presence as much as possible, spoke.

“They’ll be appearing any moment now. So if nothing else, please do not reveal hostility. That is a universal language—anyone can perceive it.”

At that, Yeongwoo looked at her quietly, then suddenly asked as if something had just occurred to him.

“But if Transcendents are that incredible, isn’t what you’re doing right now useless, Chancellor?”

“You mean my presence.”

“Yes.”

“This isn’t to hide from or escape a Transcendent.”

“…Then?”

“It’s to avoid irritating them.”

“……”

“We don’t know what kind of personality the Transcendent appearing today will have. Some are said to be nothing more than massive natural objects, with no discernible intent whatsoever, while others are pure ferocity, causing most who encounter them to be annihilated.”

“So hiding your presence and pretending to lie low is the best you can do?”

“Something like that. We simply pretend to be the ground. If we look like a protruding rock, we might be kicked or dug out.”

There wasn’t even a trace of shame in Chancellor Herisa’s eyes as she said this.

To Yeongwoo, it was utterly incomprehensible.

“Aren’t you all cosmic powerhouses and influential figures in your own right? And yet you willingly submit like this?”

At that, Herisa shifted her gaze into the empty air.

“It’s like moving under the eaves when it rains. So it’s not something you’d call submission. It’s unavoidable.”

Was she serious?

All Yeongwoo could do was gape in silence.

After all, Herisa knew far more about this universe than he did.

“Planetary Fleet Master, you’ll soon understand what I meant.”

With those words, Herisa closed her mouth, and Quiad, as if sensing something as well, slowly stepped back from Lemu lying on the ground.

‘What, is it finally coming?’

As Yeongwoo turned his head this way and that, searching for the strange presence, the empty air near Lemu suddenly split open with a crack.

“……?”

The space itself tore apart, forming a fissure—an utterly dissonant sight—and from within it, black smoke began to pour out.

Sssshhhhh—!

Like gas leaking from a small crack in a high-pressure pipeline.

“Th-that… what is that?”

As Yeongwoo pointed at the unidentified substance, Herisa whispered in a low voice.

“A Transcendent is deploying its domain.”

“Deploying a domain…? It can’t just appear here directly?”

“Who knows. It isn’t even known whether that domain exists to protect the Transcendent or to protect whatever it comes into contact with. Though I believe it’s the latter.”

“I see.”

After all, even a Grade 3 entity could kill most opponents with a mere glance.

So what about a Grade 2 entity?

Perhaps if it appeared without such a special domain, it wouldn’t just kill those it came into contact with—the very space itself might be affected.

Kuaaaah…!

In the meantime, the unidentified substance pouring from the fissure had already filled the entire reception hall.

And when the structure of the hall was completely obscured by the black smoke, the sense of the floor beneath their feet suddenly vanished.

“Huh…?”

Startled, Yeongwoo looked down—and instead of a floor, there was a dark, undulating space so ambiguous it could have been water or smoke.

At the same time, it felt endlessly deep.

‘W-what is this?’

As Yeongwoo squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again in confusion, he saw something massive pass beneath that black expanse.

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“…What?”

Goosebumps spread across his entire body.

But this wasn’t due to the creature’s overwhelming presence—it was purely an instinctive reaction.

A reflexive fear toward something unfamiliar and immense.

“Did you see that just now?”

When Yeongwoo asked Herisa, she nodded.

“That was a Transcendent.”

“That… was it?”

A Transcendent.

A Grade 2 entity residing in the upper universe.

No—rather than “residing,” the word “inhabits” felt more appropriate.

Because what Yeongwoo sensed from that Transcendent felt closer to a massive animal than a sentient being.

‘Ah… so that’s why the Chancellor…’

At last, Yeongwoo understood why Herisa had described Transcendents as natural phenomena.

They were beings belonging to an entirely different category from any powerful entity he had ever encountered.

If he had to find something similar, perhaps a black hole would be the closest comparison.

Swish!

Soon, as if all preparations were complete, the black substance filling the surroundings stopped its undulating movement.

Then, the interior of that black space—previously obscured by its rippling surface—began to come into view.

‘…My god.’

An endless, pitch-black expanse.

This was supposed to be the reception hall of the planet Maden, yet what lay before them now was a boundless dark plain stretching infinitely in all directions.

As if they had entered the depths of the ocean.

And within that vast, dark sea, something was swimming.

Something enormous… and long.

Its form was so unlike anything he had imagined that Yeongwoo doubted his own eyes.

A flat, elongated, rectangular white creature was moving within the darkness, forming an endless ‘S’ shape.

It made no sound as it moved, nor did it emit any presence.

“I-if that’s a Transcendent… what is it doing here? It’s not just here to greet, right?”

Though Yeongwoo spoke without taking his eyes off the white creature, Herisa did not answer.

Now that the Transcendent had appeared, she would not do anything that might create a detectable presence.

Then Quiad, who was also standing still and staring at the Transcendent, spoke instead.

—Do not disturb Herisa. She has much she must take responsibility for. That is why she is doing her utmost.

Then he shifted his gaze toward Lemu.

—A Transcendent comes here to observe the form of the new entity, grant it a title, and complete its ‘ascension.’

“What? Then are you saying it’s the Transcendent that effectively assigns the new rank?”

—It is not known what entity assigns the ranks. It may be the Records, or perhaps there are beings beyond Grade 2.

“Perhaps there are…? That just means you don’t know. And you’re a Grade 3 entity, Chairman—yet you don’t know what lies above you?”

—Unless one is born within the Records, it is impossible to know everything about the universe.

“No, but…”

Isn’t part of that very existence right before their eyes?

Grade 3 entities of the lower universe might not know who assigns ranks, but Transcendents—who dwell in the upper universe—should know.

So Yeongwoo swung his arm through the dark void and shouted.

“Hey! Eel! What the hell is in the upper universe?”

At that, Quiad grabbed the back of Yeongwoo’s neck in shock.

—Provoking a Transcendent is madness. And you wouldn’t get an answer anyway. The reason the Transcendent appeared here today is because of that machine.

As he said this, Quiad pointed at Lemu, but Yeongwoo knew his words weren’t entirely correct.

Because when he had called out to the Transcendent just now, he had seen countless protrusions rise and fall along the surface of the white creature swimming in the distance.

If it wasn’t his imagination, then that was…

‘Eyes. It opened its eyes just now and then closed them again. It reacted to what I said.’

And sure enough—

Whoooosh!

For the first time since arriving, the Transcendent emitted a presence and changed the direction it was swimming.

Straight toward Yeongwoo.

“W-what have you done?”

Herisa, who had been suppressing her presence to the extreme, recoiled in horror and moved away from Yeongwoo.

But Yeongwoo remained standing firmly in place, staring directly at the Transcendent.

Because the Prestige System had already activated.

「+2.4 from attracting a Transcendent’s interest」

‘Only 2.4 for attracting its interest? Then if…’

Yeongwoo’s eyes blinked faster than ever before.

His hand was already resting on the hilt of the Bastard.

‘If I make it feel threatened…?’

At that moment, Lemu, who had somehow risen to his feet, extended a hand toward Yeongwoo and spoke.

□ Whatever you are thinking, please refrain from acting further. This is my ascension.

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