MTLNOVEL Chapter 268: A Little Discussion
Noah was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were two origins hiding here and coincidentally, or maybe not, one of them was the origin Ester needed to finally complete her transformation.
He smiled.
"What a delightful surprise. So tell me what type of forbidden zone is that?" he asked, eager to go there and retrieve these two origins to finally complete his conquest inside this realm.
But Nixie just looked at him in a very weird manner.
"Do you truly want to know?" she asked, her face now bore a slight subtle smile. Something that didn't happen since the start of their conversation.
Seeing this, Noah immediately knew something was going on. But still—
"I do want to know." He said, his voice quiet and filled with unspoken confidence.
"Fine." Nixie agreed.
"I call it a forbidden zone, but it's not quite accurate. It's a pocket space that exists inside the shadow realm but at the same time is independent of the shadow realm."
"It's a space no one, even the Originals, have ever set foot in."
At her words, Noah started to feel that something annoying was going to happen.
"And why is that?" he asked, his expression now slightly serious.
"You cannot enter there without the permission of Shadow and…" Nixie paused a little, then—
"No one ever had its permission to step foot in it." She said simply.
Noah stayed silent.
Shadow, Sword, Lightning…
It's not the first time he had heard those names being uttered in a very special and unique way.
Yuki once told him that it was 'Sword' that guided her toward the formless sword concept. Sophie also told him she was acknowledged by 'Lightning' as its daughter. And even Shadeva said she was the first daughter of 'Shadow.'
All of this told him that in one way or another, these concepts… were alive.
But the question Noah always asked himself was how? And what exactly are they?
Are they the very personifications of their corresponding affinities? Or their… origin?
'Then if they are the origin… what's the matter with those origin stones?'
Once again, he was lacking information about a part of the universe. But it was fine, because this was a very good opportunity to learn more about them.
He looked again at Nixie and focused his white runic gaze on her.
"This Shadow you're talking about looks pretty sentient to me, right?" he asked.
"It is." Nixie responded simply.
He smiled, "Then wouldn't it accept to meet the person who freed its first daughter? I mean, it has to show some appreciation, right? As a good parent."
As he said those words, he stood up from his chair and looked at the sky.
'I have a title that makes me close to Shadow but we never know. Let's be as thorough as possible.' He thought.
Since the matter with Sari, he had learned his lesson. Now he wouldn't barge into someone's domain or even do anything without being as prepared as he could.
That's why…
"Epithet." Noah's voice echoed as the shadows around them rippled and immediately distanced themselves from Noah, as if feeling something dreadful.
Even Nixie unconsciously shuddered like someone with deep-rooted PTSD.
And how could she not?
Every time she had heard that word being uttered inside her realm, a ridiculous event always followed.
'W-What will he do again…?' she couldn't help but wonder as she looked at Noah, who was still looking at the sky, his eyes glowing with a slow but quiet light.
'I have to prepare for everything.'
'My life can be in danger. I can be killed, captured, or even possessed.'
'I have to put a counter against all of this.'
A title that can help in case any of these scenarios—or even an unexpected one—arise.
He had no choice but to be careful, because if he died or even got captured, the whole world of Laeh would go down with him.
That's the downside of being a World Bearer.
After thinking for a moment about a good title, Noah finally thought of something.
It was something very daring, but he decided to just try.
"I shall be named… The One Protected by The Records."
VOOOOMMMM—!!!!
The whole space shuddered with unbelievable power, so much that the realm of Nixie was slowly collapsing into itself.
The shadows around them started to shatter as if they were physical matter. Each one of them seemed to try to escape, but it was useless, as everywhere was affected.
Time seemed to be twisted in a strange way as Noah couldn't even feel the very concept of time around him. It looked like it completely disappeared. But it was not…
It was just that time seemed so afraid that it had lowered its presence to absolute zero. Something space should have done but it was the stubborn type, so it was being shattered slowly and painfully by the growing presence of The Records around them.
Noah stood in the middle of all this scene, untouched. Everyone and everything were either being shattered, or trying to escape, or just hiding—but only he didn't budge, and nothing happened to him.
He looked at the sky silently.
He knew he had dared something very outrageous but…
'It didn't hurt to just try, right? I have nothing to lose by doing this. And…'
"As your favorite, I can at least ask this much, right?" Noah asked, tilting his head, his lips curled into a small subtle smile.
For a moment, there was absolute stillness until—
{We are neutral. We cannot protect anyone.} The Records' voice echoed through Noah's head.
Noah activated a barrier around him, making his words unable to be heard or even guessed by any means possible.
"Someone neutral doesn't have favorites." He answered calmly.
{We are limited in how we can help our favorites.}
"Well then I won't ask for much. One time. It might be today or years after but… for one time, protect me from dying, or being imprisoned, or possessed, or even from any other situations I'm not accounting for." He proposed at last, trying to negotiate with The Records.
Something utterly inconceivable.
But the more ridiculous thing was—
{Granted.}
{One time. Only once.}
The Records said before disappearing completely, making the will zone of the shadow realm recover its stability.
And then—
{You have received a new title.}
{Title: The One Protected by The Records (One Time).}
Seeing this title, Noah finally turned his head toward the still trembling Nixie.
Looking at her, he couldn't help but wonder how the will of a Prime World could be this fearful.
But what he didn't know was that it was all because of him.
But Noah didn't care about that.
He smiled at Nixie.
"Nixie, I'm afraid I have to ask you another little favor."
He paused for a moment before—
"Please tell Shadow I would love to have a little discussion with him."
"You can do that, can't you?"
—End of Chapter 268—