00859 Be Infected, Six.
“In my humble opinion, I think Lord Thanatos’s words do hold some truth.”
“What?”
Akirov shot back sharply. Ian gave a half-hearted smile.
“Well, first of all, he is a god. The Crystal of Truth also said something similar…”
“No. I don’t care what you call it. Are you saying you believe that?”
“I’m not saying I trust it one hundred percent. But as long as the angel’s intentions remain unclear, isn’t it worth considering at least once? That is, unless you’re fine living like a puppet forever.”
“…”
As Ian laid out his points one by one, Akirov fell silent, his expression growing complicated. Then, Natalie, who had been watching both of them in turn, cautiously spoke up.
“Fine. Let’s say you’re right. But do you really think the angel will just come out and tell us everything now?”
“Unlikely. Even if we confront her directly, she’ll probably dodge the questions with vague answers. So we have to find out ourselves—either by hearing it from her or by piecing together clues.”
“You sound like you have something in mind.”
“Hmm. Actually…”
Suddenly, Ian reached into his coat and pulled out a rather large map, spreading it out on the table. Everyone’s eyes naturally fell on it.
“This is a map of the continent. Of course, I drew it based on my own imagination, so don’t expect it to be perfectly accurate.”
He calmly pointed to the bottom of the map.
“This is the Southern Continent—the place where we first started.”
Then, slowly moving his finger upward, he continued.
“After crossing the Orc Castle and pushing north, we discovered Ragnarok, where we are now. The Northern Continent pushed south through the Steel Mountains and reached Atlanta. …Of course, the other continents are in similar situations. For example, the Eastern Continent is blocked by barren wastelands to the west, and the Western Continent is cut off by the Frost Canyon to the east.”
“We know that already. You mentioned it before. What are you trying to say?”
“Well then, what happens next?”
“Huh? Next?”
“Think about it. Right now, since we just discovered these places, there’s plenty to explore and conquer. But eventually, Ragnarok will reach saturation. When that time comes, we’ll have to discover a new continent again…”
“……?”
Ian’s voice trailed off. He tapped the table lightly, his finger resting exactly at the center of the map. A few knights around the round table exchanged glances. Those quick on the uptake finally caught on to what Ian was implying.
“No way.”
“That’s right.”
Ian nodded heavily.
“The Eastern Continent pushes west, the Western Continent pushes east, the Southern Continent pushes north, and the Northern Continent pushes south… Of course, so far only we and the Northern Continent have succeeded in expansion. But one thing is certain: the distances between them are shrinking. In other words, they’re converging toward the center.”
“Wait, wait a minute.”
At that moment, a striking white-haired man, Ryan Winters, raised his hand in surprise.
“So you’re saying the next new continent will be surrounded by these four competing continents from all directions?”
“Exactly. Though realistically, it’ll probably come down to a contest between us and the Northern Continent.”
“Ian, aren’t you jumping the gun? Nothing’s been confirmed yet. Maybe they’ll cooperate to conquer it together…”
“Oh, come now.”
Ian raised his finger from the map and wagged it side to side.
“If you truly believe that, you’re being far too optimistic.”
Winters’ face turned awkward. Ian’s sly smile made him feel uneasy for some reason.
“If cooperation was really the plan, we would have heard some hints by now. Even if not, wouldn’t they at least have arranged to avoid war in the Northern Continent?”
“Northern Continent? War? …Ah.”
Winters’s puzzled question turned into a sigh. He recalled the invasion of the Northern Continent by the Western Continent two years ago. Though the demons had manipulated the situation using their seeds, the Southern Continent had stayed out of the conflict and didn’t know the full story.
Silence fell after that. Something felt off, yet the pieces fit together too well to dismiss as nonsense. No counterarguments came to mind. Instead, the thoughts gradually leaned toward one side.
“…So what lies ahead is war, then.”
Edward’s heavy voice broke the silence.
“Haha. Like I said earlier, this is just my speculation. Don’t take it as fact yet.”
Ian suddenly relaxed and smiled warmly as he began folding the map.
“The conversation went a bit off track, but the important thing right now is that woman. Oh, and Lord Thanatos.”
“Important?”
“Yes. The current residents have accepted us under the name of the Revelation. But she’s different. Unbelievable as it sounds, she holds the status of a god and is beyond the angel’s control. Perhaps, before the coming storm, we’ve gained a powerful weapon. Maybe even one that surpasses the angels…”
“Shouldn’t we tell Eldora about this?”
Natalie muttered anxiously, as if she couldn’t hold it in. Ian shook his head leisurely.
“No, there’s no need. If I know, then Melinus does too. They’re probably discussing something similar right now.”
With that, Ian carefully folded the map and tucked it away, flashing a sly smile.
“For now, let’s wait and see what those two do.”
Eldora lay on her bed in the lodging, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her face showed no change except for the occasional blink, as if lost deep in thought. In truth, her mind was a storm of swirling thoughts.
Several days had passed since the woman awoke. During that time, Thanatos mostly talked with Melinus and Ian or went out to see how the world had changed—actions that seemed perfectly normal on the surface.
So Eldora should have felt relieved and ready to decide how to handle the woman’s situation. But her heart was far from settled. Even setting aside the fact that Thanatos was a god, Eldora knew the issue before her was far from simple. The suddenness of the questions only added to her unease.
Of course, there was a simple way to make this complicated situation easier. Eldora had thought of the angel. If not for the special circumstances, as the guardian of the Southern Continent, she would have immediately gone to the temple for help, trusting that the user’s decisions were not hers to make. And she would have simply followed orders, as she always had.
But…
“Humans still act as the angels’ pawns. Just like in the past.”
“That’s why it’s so unfortunate. Without knowing their purpose or intent, we’re just being used.”
Those words Thanatos had let slip lingered in her mind.
It wasn’t just that. Her conversations with Melinus also made Eldora hesitate.
“So Melinus believes what that woman says?”
“No. Not at all. Though she claims to be a god, there’s nothing certain yet. …But.”
“But?”
“I don’t trust the angels either. They claim to be helpers on the surface, but no one knows what’s really in their hearts.”
“……”
“Clan Lord, you can only trust yourself and us. Keep that in mind.”
Right. The only ones to trust are us—humans. In such an uncertain situation, rash action is impossible. What Eldora needed most was information, whether true or false.
With that thought, Eldora sat up and pressed the call button. Soon after, an elderly man in a white robe opened the door and entered.
“Melinus. I want to speak with that woman.”
“Have you made up your mind?”
The gentle question was met with Eldora’s firm shake of the head.
“No. Not yet. …I just think we can’t let this go so easily.”
“……”
“Ian said this might be a good opportunity if we use it well. I agree.”
“A good opportunity?”
“To uncover the truth. First, we’ll listen to the woman’s story, then the angel’s. After that, we’ll decide for ourselves—no matter the outcome.”
“I see.”
Melinus nodded softly, a warm smile on his face. Eldora returned a faint smile, feeling as if Melinus was silently praising her for making the right choice.
“Very well. I’ll prepare the room immediately.”
A short while later.
Eldora sat across from Thanatos in the parlor. Thanatos was dressed lightly, her demeanor polite.
“You wanted to talk with me?”
“Yes.”
Eldora’s tone was still formal but noticeably softer than before. The hostility she’d felt at their first meeting had faded, thanks to Thanatos’s courteous behavior and actions.
“There’s nothing difficult about it. I wanted to talk with you too. Shall I place my hand on the crystal again?”
Eldora shook her head calmly, signaling it wasn’t necessary. She preferred to make her own decisions rather than rely on tools.
“I heard something before. That we’re just pawns of the angels.”
“That’s right. And after listening to you for several days, I’m sorry to say I haven’t changed my mind. I’m almost certain of it now.”
“What exactly happened in the past?”
“Hmm. How much do you know about Ragnarok?”
“If you mean the war of the gods, I’ve heard a little about it.”
“Alright, I’ll keep it simple. Long ago, several gods waged war over this world. I was among them, of course. But as the endless conflict dragged on, each side began recruiting followers to gain the upper hand.”
“So you’re saying humans fell under the angels’ sway and sided against you?”
“The angels were always on the opposing side, but humans were neutral at first. …That’s why it’s so tragic. I hoped humans wouldn’t get involved in this war that would never end, no matter what.”
At that moment, Eldora’s eyes flickered with a sharp golden light.
“A war that never ends… Are you saying it’s still going on?”
Thanatos fell silent for a moment, staring intently at Eldora.
“‘Still going on?’ Ha, that’s a rather pointless question.”
“……?”
“Humans never truly understood this war from the start. They don’t know how fierce it is, or how long it’s lasted. They’ve never experienced it firsthand or seen it with their own eyes, so how could they? After all, humans live barely a hundred years, so it’s absurd to expect them to grasp a war that’s raged for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.”
“So…”
“They’re just pawns, used for the advantage of whichever faction holds power in a given era. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“…….”
Eldora clenched her teeth. Thanatos’s words—about being ‘used’—suddenly began to resonate with her.
“Then, I suppose what you want to know is this: why on earth do beings who have no real connection to each other… no, more precisely, why are they summoned into this world and used as tools by others? Isn’t that right?”
Thanatos paused to gauge Eldora’s reaction. Seeing her focused expression, he nodded slowly.
“That seems correct.”
He spoke quietly.
“Then, perhaps you’ve heard of something called the Zero Code?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’ve been thinking a lot over the past day.
Reading the comments, I felt a bit regretful—some readers pointed out things I hadn’t considered.
There were definitely better directions I could have taken.
But now, it feels too late to change course.
Looking back, there have been a couple of similar moments over the course of more than 800 chapters.
Once when Kim Soo-hyun became an instructor, and once during the assault on the Steel Mountain Range’s third sector.
The difference now is the weight of the current storyline—it’s much heavier.
I’d skip over parts if I could, but there are crucial details scattered throughout that can’t be omitted lightly.
So I debated whether to wrap up the Southern Continent arc here and immediately return to Kim Soo-hyun’s perspective, or to intersperse Northern Continent scenes to ease the pacing.
After much thought, I’ve decided to proceed in the traditional way.
The journey to the conclusion of Memorize is carefully planned down to the smallest detail, and I’m taking it step by step.
If I were to hastily wrap up this arc, I don’t think I’d have the confidence to adjust the story’s progression later.
That said, I will condense the material.
Kim Soo-hyun’s perspective will return starting from Episode 4.
Originally, the remaining episodes were planned to be at least 8, possibly up to 12 or 14.
But I’ll trim Episodes 5 and 6 as much as possible without sacrificing essential content.
This is the best compromise I can make right now.
If the series were finished, maybe a remake would be an option, but I don’t think that’s the right path.
If it becomes too much to bear, you might consider setting it aside for a while and then binge-reading from Episode 4 when it comes up.
I’m not continuing this series just because readers have stuck with it for over 800 chapters.
I always give my best when writing.
Having received so much love already, what I can do now is deliver a proper ending as originally intended—not a rushed conclusion.
…It’s been a while since I wrote such a long note, and I can’t shake the feeling of apology.
Wishing all my readers a peaceful night. (__)