The Harvester-Chapter 456: Unforeseen Savior

A week went by.

Rakna spent most of that time with the girls and getting to know Ramsa better, making sure that she settled down comfortably. Naturally, he made sure to attend to Lilith as well, who was easily the most overwhelmed of the two.

Ultimately, he put her under the care of Oz. The poor wolf almost had a breakdown when he was told that he was receiving another ’subordinate’ capable of ending his existence in an instant.

Aside from that, Rakna extensively trained with Sonata, extracting every possible piece of insight into Spiritual Intent, and gradually establishing the Ghost Star as a mutated element.

According to Bhumi, it wasn’t unheard of to use a derivative concept as Intent. In fact, for Rakna, prioritizing his Internal Art was perfectly acceptable. As long as you have the talent to back it up, it’s even the best course of action.

Anyhow, his entire focus went toward that and the other Perks of Sonata. He had barely touched his magic or skills for seven days straight. After he thought it was enough, he eventually went back to New Athens alone to go through the Plateau Trial.

Apparently, everyone else had already done it, so he was the last of his group to go. Additionally, since it was a Major Plateau, it meant the Trial would be a Simulation.

"Out from one, back into another," Rakna muttered as he stepped onto the platform built inside the Pavilion. This particular Trial never moved locations with the Reset, so it always was hosted by the Pavilion’s infrastructure so that anyone could come and challenge it when ready.

As the light of the System swallowed him, the therian sighed. "I really don’t like the idea of going into another of that bastard’s Dreams..."

"{It should be fine. At least, it’s not a Path Quest, where the scenario is designed with you as the centerpiece,}" Fray commented. "{It should be as random as normal Simulations.}"

"That’s not what bothers me, honestly. It’s the idea that I’m going to visit a world doomed to end by the time I finish what I must."

"{...}"

Without further ado, Rakna felt his body and mind being transferred. He waited for the sensation to be over, slowly expanding his senses until he felt cool air hit his fur.

’...fur?’ He thought in surprise and opened his eyes. At the same time, he noticed that something cold was also constricting his wrists and ankles. ’Don’t tell me...’

Before he could even tell where he was, his expression was already twitching. And then... he saw it. The dark cell, the bars, the chains around his limbs, and the bloodstains on the cobblestone.

He really shouldn’t. But he couldn’t help himself.

"Azathoth, you mother--!"

* * *

Far away, the Eldrich God’s body went through the metaphysical equivalent of a cosmic sneeze.

* * *

"That narcoleptic bastard..." Rakna muttered as he eyed his jail. "...or is it Eva? She did imply that she could meddle with the Dreams at some point."

"{Instead of cursing at people who are not here, why not get out first?}" Fray deadpanned.

Rakna rolled his eyes and tugged at the chains tentatively. First of all, this place was nothing like the Lunar Dungeon. It would be an insult to the Moon Dwellers to even compare them. Currently, he had confirmed that his body hadn’t been modified upon entry into the Simulation.

Although, he had automatically been transformed into a werewolf. Either way, these constraints were a joke to him. Admittedly, he could acknowledge that there was quite a bit of effort put into it, but that’s it. The instant that he decided to leave, he could rip them apart by redistributing his attributes; not even a single bit of magic or internal energy was required.

"These are made to contain much weaker creatures," Rakna commented. "Weird. Simulations are meant to have a context, aren’t they? If we assume my strength is narratively consistent... which dumbass managed to imprison me and agreed that this would be enough?"

Muttering to himself, the werewolf lifted his eyes upward. "Bhumi. Where are you?"

* * *

Within the boundaries of the Simulation, deep inside a forest, an intricate Guandao planted into a boulder vibrated and pulled itself out. Promptly, a translucent being materialized in the air and caught the weapon before landing.

Bhumi popped the nonexistent bones of his body, slowly pouring Spiritual Intent into it until he was no different from a real human. "Beats me," the Ego shouldered Sonata. "It’s a forest about a hundred kilometers away from your location."

{And you were... just... there? No danger?}

"Aye. Nothing around me."

{...give me a moment.}

* * *

Rakna stopped communicating and closed his eyes, using Clairvoyance on himself, repeating his methods as the Moon Sentinel. He quickly got his answer without digging any deeper at all.

He opened his eyes in disbelief. "No way... some slaver found me sleeping, drugged me, and then hauled me back to be auctioned..." If he wasn’t chained, he would have face-palmed. "God... how stupid can humans be?"

"{Hey, at least they’re brave. Credit where credit is due,}" Fray chuckled. "{It’s not like they could know your physique mechanically destroys intrusive substances. They must have injected some kind of magical brand meant to control you and failed.}"

{So? Do you have an order for me? I could return to your soul right away.}

"...don’t," Rakna dragged his hand and looked at the System window hanging over his face.

❮ ◈ ❯

Simulation Title: The Unforeseen Savior

Objective: Save the country of Elvador from collapsing.

Time Limit: 10 Days.

❮ ◈ ❯

"What kind of objective is that?" The werewolf clicked his tongue. "Bhumi. Make your way to the city I’m in and help me find information. I will stay in this cell for now and wait for the auction to sell me. I’ll Astralize and meet up with you."

* * *

"Understood."

Bhumi turned Sonata into a scarf and wore it in one motion. He crouched and pressed one fist against the ground. "[Whisperer. Skulking Wraith,]" he intoned and his surroundings warped. A flicker of golden light entered his eyes. "[Heavenly Sky.]"

A pillar of Heavenly Qi descended on him and he spoke again. "[Veritable Sky – Fletched Veil.]"

The forest crumpled inward like paper. As for Bhumi, he split the clouds as he disappeared from the area. A golden aurora briefly overtook the sky and in the next instant, all of it vanished.

* * *

The capital city of Elvador, Eldor, had outstanding architecture built upon many layers of magic seals. It was defended by three walls, with districts nestled between each. The outermost part of the city, however, had no wall and consisted mainly of the slums, warehouses, farms, and sentry towers.

Stationed at the eastern gate of the third wall, two soldiers stood guard. They were not heavily armored like one would imagine, and sported shoulder cloaks and one-handed swords. This was a standard for Elvador; a nation known for its forces of magic swordsmen.

"Hm?" One of the two guards looked up as he sensed something odd. He scowled at the streets in front of him and then adjusted by looking at the sky. His hand slowly reached for his sword.

"Something wrong, sir?" The younger guard asked.

He didn’t get a response. The middle-aged officer could feel his hair standing from an unknown threat. And that’s when he saw a man fizzling into view a hundred meters away. It was so subtle that he wouldn’t have noticed had he not been on the lookout.

"Hey--!" He was about to call out, but he swallowed the rest of his words when the man breached his senses and, without warning, stepped past him as if he had always been there. "...!!"

And again, before he could turn around, a massive gust of wind hit the fortification wall, forcing both him and his younger recruit to shield their faces with their arms. Screams from the citizens working outside the city could be heard and the middle-aged soldier gritted his teeth.

He drew his sword and cut through the wind with a flash of blue. But it was too late. He whipped his head around just to stare at the empty path that led inward.

"Shit...! Call the headquarters!" He waved his hand at his junior. "We have a trespasser! Tell them to look out for a tall man with long black hair wearing a scarf! Hurry!"

"Y-yes!"

* * *

By the time the alarm was rung, Bhumi was strolling through the crowded streets. Nothing about his appearance exposed the one-way trip he had just made.

"{What a funny situation, huh?}" A voice spoke from above the Ego, revealing the Soul Projection of Rakna, crossing his arms. "{Here I am; taking your place as if you were the wielder.}"

Bhumi snorted. "It’s your plan."

"{Hm,}" the werewolf huffed. "{Anyway, look for clues. Ask people around; we are searching for news that will possibly lead to this country’s ’collapse’... tsk, what a pain. It had to be this kind of objective. If only it was the opposite, I could just raze it to the ground.}"

"What about you?"

"{I’ll spy on the upper brass,}" Rakna gazed at the noble district and royal castle in the distance.

"Got it."

"{Oh, and don’t get caught.}" After his final directive, the werewolf flew off with purple flames on his trail, drawing an arc in the sky.

Wordlessly, Bhumi switched Sonata from a scarf to a sword with a fake scabbard. He put it on his waist and controlled his Intent to subtly alter his appearance. With that done, he started walking toward a place with fewer people.

He looked around at the various buildings and people. Shops and restaurants; students running to school and workers repairing public infrastructure.

"...hard to see it as fake, indeed," he muttered to himself and arrived at a park. Detachedly, he sat on a bench next to an elderly woman. "It’s a nice city you have here," he commented.

The old lady tilted her head in surprise. "Oh? Are you new around these parts?"

"Yes. In fact, I’ve arrived in Eldor today. I was hoping to ask for directions."

"Hohoho..." She chuckled. "If it is some sightseeing you seek, I will gladly assist you. But..." Her voice trailed to silence and her aged eyes began to uniformly fill up with light. "Why did you sit beside me of all people, youngster?" She asked as her mana crept around them.

Bhumi silently praised and appraised her control; she was strong. Stronger than he was alone as a weapon, which was no meager feat. Any Host under Level 400 wouldn’t be his match even if he had no wielder... which implied that she was far above that.

"Please..." He spoke up calmly. "The strong and wizened should naturally know more."

"Haha!" The old woman cackled. "So, it was a practical decision, you say? But... why should your words be trusted? You are the one who landed at the eastern gate earlier, aren’t you? Coming to me right away is a coincidence?"

"Yes," Bhumi calmly said. "You are the closest presence I sensed that I consider powerful enough to exchange words with. Seeing as this whole city only houses about ten of your caliber, I figured a discussion with you should be informative."

"..." The woman sustained her magic for about ten more seconds before it dwindled. "...I am too old to trust you, but also old enough to lend an ear for courtesy’s sake," she scoffed softly. "What are you?" She followed up pointedly. "You are not human, are you? Not even of flesh and blood."

"I am a weapon," Bhumi answered and she raised an eyebrow.

"And whose weapon are you?"

"Someone who doesn’t wish you harm," he said.

"..."

"I am here to collect information. I leave it to your imagination as to how, but we have come to learn of a threat to this country. My orders are to search for a potential suspect or cause."

The old woman frowned deeply. "That... does not inspire confidence in any way, shape, or form."

"Cooperate with me here. There is no reason to chase the tail of an ally. Believe me, my... ’master’ is more than capable of destroying this entire country by himself. Do not look down on him."

Her expression twitched and she remained silent for a while. "A threat... you ask? There are many, as any nation would have. To the north, a coalition of merchants, mercenaries, and dark mages are poking us in the sides, trying to dig into our Ghama Stone mines."

"Ghama Stones?" Bhumi repeated and looked down at the ground. "Aah... I see. So, that’s where this ambient energy comes from. I did notice but assumed it was an ultra-scale gathering array. Is that some kind of ore unique to this land?"

"...I will ignore the suspicious fact of not knowing about such a thing," she deadpanned. "All that you need to know is that it’s a precious arcane resource no less valuable than mana itself. They have become brazen in their attempts to steal it; kidnapping, assassinations, bribing..."

"Hm... alright. Anything else?"

"The prince of the eastern Beast Kingdom is to be married to our princess."

Bhumi blinked. "And?"

"It is a political disaster," she sighed. "They proposed to each other out of love, and the Church has acknowledged it. Our two nations are otherwise hostile in every possible way. Already, there have been protests on both sides and disruptive terrorist attacks. At this rate, the wedding itself will be bombed and the Church is not going to be happy about it."

"How jolly. But is that marriage really such a bad thing?"

"...you, you really don’t know anything, do you?" She narrowed her eyes at Bhumi.

"...what is it?"

She rubbed her temples. "Our king died a month ago."

Immediately, Bhumi realized the problem. If Elvador’s king died, then it meant succession. "How many eligible successors?"

"...none. The princess cannot succeed since she is a woman. The king had a bastard, however, but as he is not recognized by the law or the nobility, he is currently trying to strengthen his faction."

"But, if the princess marries..."

"Then the Beast Prince will be entitled to wear the crown instead."

Bhumi leaned back with a grunt. "I see. The throne is basically in shambles."

"Hmph, you don’t say."

"And who are you in all of this? Someone as powerful as you does not have a role to play?"

"..." The old lady silently raised her arm and pointed somewhere. Bhumi followed her finger and spotted a building sticking amongst the roofs in the skyline. "Do you see that?"

"Yes?"

"It is my school. I built it myself after retiring. I wish nothing else but to run it peacefully. It is of no consequence to me what kind of fool rules this country. All I shall do is protect my students. I shall leave the country with them if needed."

"Really? What if the country collapses into anarchy? Will you not try to help at least?"

She snorted and stood up, leaning on a cane that artfully concealed a blade within. "Sure. But it’ll take more than a few terrorists and fussy nobles to end this nation. I have faith in the army that I fostered in my years."

Bhumi squinted at her as she began to walk away. ’Likely a former commander; not surprising.’

"Plus, if your intentions are upright and your master is truly as powerful as you claim, then there should be nothing for me to do, right?" She added. "I’m old. My time of rife has passed."

With those words, she tapped the ground with her cane and disappeared. "Well... approaching her was worth the risk," Bhumi commented casually. "But, indeed, something is missing. Is that all the Quest meant by ’collapse’? Hm... a third problem then? Or something hidden in between the two?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Rakna sat atop a mansion, overlooking the noble district. His body was hazy, like an art piece without linework, and soul flames danced on his shoulders.

He leaned his head on his fist with his eyes wide open and glowing golden. He hadn’t even tried to move from this spot. He could read the information of all things with Crystal Sight, whether it be in front of him or through walls.

Some interesting things had popped up. Ghama Stones, Juha Assassins, Black Rock Coalition, and a few political factions. He had the pieces to make a puzzle, but he would wait for Bhumi. Most of his focus was on the castle in the distance.

He marked three people. Fia, Arvis, and Filiana. Respectively they were the princess, illegitimate son, and widowed queen. ’No king, huh? Okay,’ he thought. ’Let’s see... three spies and one assassin in there. The rest are regular servants. And is that demonic energy I sense? No... just similar.’

Rakna rubbed his chin. "Hm, a knotty situation. Well... this kind of objective is not so bad once in a while. Otherwise, everything would already be over. Then again... I could also hunt every single last person incriminated by my Sight and get rid of them."

The werewolf suggested to himself without a hint of remorse. Had it been during one of his more merciful phases pre-System, he might have rejected the idea. But ironically, fixing his emotional state had made him far more selfish. That... and possibly another effect of Arch Madness.

"Well, I’ve seen enough. Next is..." Rakna’s eyes turned toward a library. He whipped his tails and jumped to his feet before dashing toward it like a bolt of purple lightning. He phased through the walls and landed in one of the many thematized sections.

He walked past several people unnoticed. Only a rather talented-looking librarian seemed to feel something odd and looked at his spot several times. Unfortunately for them, Rakna’s Astral Form was as high-class as the proficiency of his soul-related Skills.

"Fiction, fairy tales, science, magic, herbology, philosophy... ah, History," he found his target and flipped through the pages. The information was instantly recorded by Eye of Symphony back in his cell, where it continued to function.

"Next would be..." Rakna traced his finger over the titles after finishing the first book. After a few minutes, he found the rest of his goal. "Laws and public record."

He ’read’ them just as fast and promptly left the library, from which he decided to wander off for a few hours before eventually returning his soul to his body.

* * *

"You had a fun encounter unlike me," Rakna commented after he heard everything from Bhumi.

{Well, arguably.}

"And her information does fill up the gaps in my theories," he followed up. "I have identified the three red flags: princess dies, illegitimate prince ascends to the throne, war of interest."

{I understand the first and third, but why the second?}

"That guy had some kind of corrupted mana inside him," the werewolf narrowed his eyes. "Let’s assume that it’s a sign of those ’dark mages’ we’ve heard about. He’s either a traitor or connected to one."

{Hm, from what I’ve gathered, these dark mages seem relatively similar to Demonic Cultivators,} Bhumi said after some thought. {Their power grows upon the transgression of Order, a reversal of the flow of mana, and the suffering of others. If he is one...}

Rakna shook his head. "Let’s not forget about that ’Coalition’ vying for the Ghama mines. I would bet they’re backing Arvis to take over without facing the country’s renowned army. A good idea, if anything."

"{Then, the plan is to push the princess to the throne?}" Fray chimed in.

"Not viable either. This country is a full-blown patriarchy; it’s in their law. She can’t be the Queen without a King by her side. And while she is, in fact, qualified..."

"{Her fiancé’s identity is the thing that can lead to war if we consider the dark mages’ retaliation upon failing their current strategy...}"

"Bingo."

"{What a troublesome Simulation you’ve ended up getting... is your luck busted?}

Rakna snorted. "I hope not. For now, I can either throw away all pretense and kill every dark mage in this Dream... or cross the one avenue we’ve yet to explore."

"{Which is?}"

The werewolf grinned somewhat insidiously inside his cell. "Let’s scheme a little, shall we?"