For the past few days, Elian had been much calmer after realizing that, for the time being, his life was no longer hanging by a thread. The threat of death that once felt dangerously close had retreated slightly, giving him room to breathe. After returning from Melta, he spent several days studying various possible destinies, comparing his memories from the game with the reality of this world, making sure that every step he took did not stray too far from the safest path.
This afternoon, after finishing all his school activities, Elian finally made a decision.
He would advance to Sequence 8.
Inside his dorm room, Elian stood at the center of a magic circle he had arranged with extreme care. Every line was drawn with perfect precision, every ancient symbol placed in the exact order—none of them allowed to be even slightly off. A faint bluish light glowed beneath his feet, pulsing slowly in a rhythm meant to open a channel of communication to the god who governed fate—the Temporal Observer.
Elian closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. His thoughts aligned, his emotions suppressed until they barely stirred. This was a process he had performed countless times before—so familiar it almost felt routine.
The circle activated.
But—
There was no connection.
There was no divine pressure slowly descending, pressing down on his soul as if it were being weighed by something unseen. No sensation of being watched from beyond the currents of cosmic darkness. No voice, no whisper, no response of any kind.
The space before him remained empty, as though nothing had ever been summoned.
Elian opened his eyes.
The formation was perfect. There wasn't the slightest mistake.
He tried again.
The flow of energy was reinforced, the symbols stabilized, and the magic circle was activated for the second time. The light on the floor pulsed far more intensely than before, yet—
The result was the same.
Silence.
With a gloomy expression, Elian dismantled the circle. The light faded, the symbols disappearing one by one. Without wasting any time, he immediately constructed three more magic circles. These circles belonged to three different gods—divine entities that had already perished, yet usually still left behind residual echoes of existence that could be contacted.
Normally, gods like these almost never refused. In fact, most of them willingly handed over their destinies without asking for anything in return.
But this time—
The first circle activated.No response.
The second circle lit up.Still empty.
The third circle formed flawlessly.Silent.
Not a single one answered.
It was as if every path leading to the gods had been sealed shut.
This situation felt extremely strange.
In the game, Elian had never experienced anything like this. Even in the worst-case scenarios, there was always at least one path left open—whether through a minor god, a remnant existence, or an alternative method.
But this time, reality had completely closed off every possibility.
Even though he had a way to bypass Arc 1, that didn't mean his story would proceed smoothly afterward. There was even a chance that Arc 2 of Elian's story might not exist at all in this world.
Still, Elian understood one thing.
This world was not made up of his story alone.
Others had their own stories as well. And if they failed to complete them, the consequences could escalate into an apocalypse—ranging from small-scale disasters to massive cataclysms, somewhere in the world.
That was precisely why Elian needed to grow stronger as soon as possible. Whether to face sudden threats that might appear without warning, or at the very least to help others complete their stories—especially those with world-ending potential.
Elian opened his eyes and looked out the window.
The sky was still bright, painted in shades of orange by the setting sun. A gentle evening breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of life—something that felt painfully out of place against the unease in his chest.
"I guess I need to consult someone."
Elian left the dormitory with a clear destination in mind—Seraphina.
When he arrived in front of Seraphina's room, Elian knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Elian opened the door and stepped inside. In front of him, Seraphina looked frustrated, buried beneath piles of documents stacked across her desk. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her fingers flipped through page after page at a rapid pace.
"You again," she said without lifting her head. "What is it this time?"
Elian stepped forward."I have a small problem regarding my sequence advancement."
Seraphina finally looked up at him."Sit."
Elian took a seat across from her.
"By the way, you look really busy."
Seraphina let out a quiet sigh."The ranking examination will be held at the end of the third month. Even though it's still the second month, there's a lot that needs to be prepared for an exam on that scale."
Elian nodded in understanding."The thing is… I can't communicate with the gods."
"Have you tried contacting other gods?" Seraphina asked.
"I have. The result was the same."
Seraphina frowned."I thought you'd ask about a suitable destiny for advancing to Sequence 8. I didn't expect it to be this serious."
Elian met her gaze directly."Do you have a solution?"
Seraphina tapped her finger against the desk."Before that, we need to figure out the cause."
She raised one finger.
"I have three possibilities," Seraphina said."First—you've formed an exclusive contract with a god. If that's the case, then when you try to contact lower-tier gods, they simply won't respond to you."
She continued without pause.
"Second—the gods you're trying to contact have completely perished. There's no remaining existence left to respond, no matter what method you use."
Then Seraphina raised her third finger.
"And the third possibility—someone is deliberately blocking your communication channels. In this case, it's not that the gods are refusing you. Your calls are simply never reaching them."
The first possibility reminded Elian of Reinhardt's case. But even though he had no memories from the body's original owner, he knew that this scenario was almost impossible. How could a god allow their own subordinate to be destroyed so easily?
The second possibility was plausible, but it would be his last choice.
"Do you have a way to deal with it if someone really is blocking my communication?" Elian asked.
"Of course. But I'd need to examine your soul. During that process, I would see all of your memories."
"Isn't there any other way besides checking my soul?" Elian asked with a flat expression.
Seraphina shook her head."To block someone's communication with the gods, a barrier must have been left deep within their soul. That's why I need to inspect it directly."
Elian fell silent.
If Seraphina truly saw his memories, then the truth—that he had taken over Elian's body—could be exposed.
From the very beginning, where was the original Elian's soul? Did I absorb it? If so, that would explain everything—the power, the talent, even this barrier…
Elian swallowed.
He had no other choice.
"Alright," he finally said with a faint smile. "I hope you don't see anything embarrassing from my life."
"Don't worry," Seraphina replied with a slight smile. "I'm not the type who spreads gossip."
In an instant, a magic circle formed in Seraphina's hand. Its color was dark and oppressive, radiating an eerie aura. With just a glance, Elian knew—it wasn't an ordinary magic circle.
"What is that?" Elian asked, a little unnerved.
"Oh, this?" Seraphina answered casually. "We usually use it to interrogate captured enemies. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
Elian let out a long breath."Alright… I'm ready."
In the next instant, his consciousness vanished, and his body collapsed onto the desk.