Beyond the Eternity

Chapter 242 Alternate World Bubble [1]

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And so, the search for their missing, mysterious leader began.

The main force of dispersed across the ruins of Seoul, with the sole objective:

To find Kim Jakga.

Normal methods of tracking were impossible due to the fact that person left no clues of his whereabouts and eliminated all his traces as well.

It felt less like a simple search and more like an investigation into a ghostly disappearance.

And so, they turned to a different approach.

The Star Contract.

Walkers who formed contracts with Constellations gained access to their skills and blessings, becoming vessels, the Reincarnation Bodies of their celestial patrons.

In essence, Avatars served as extensions or secondary bodies of their Constellations, allowing them to descend into the Lower World while their true forms remained beyond reach. More importantly, a Constellation could always sense the presence of its Avatars.

But the reverse was also true.

If a Constellation could locate its Avatars, then its Avatars could also trace their Constellation, whether through proximity or their established connection.

The same principle should have applied to Kim Jakga.

Yet, Kim Jakga wasn't a Constellation.

And still, he had somehow turned Yoo Rin, Yoo Jinsung, and Kuro Miyuki into his Avatars.

For that reason, they immediately sprang into action.

While the group searched for Kim Jakga with a direct approach, Angelica took an indirect route by visiting the High Priestess in her tent.

Using Avatars to track him might have worked, but there was no guarantee. Consulting a diviner seemed like the more faster approach.

Of course, this meant she was essentially informing one of the Tarot Kings that their ruler had gone missing, but Angelica didn't care in the slightest.

After explaining the situation and providing the necessary materials, Moon Jiyeon, the High Priestess, prepared for Divination.

She invoked an unknown ritual, calling upon the spirits for guidance.

"..."

For the next few moments, there was only silence.

This was what you call 'complete silence'.

It felt like waiting for someone to pick up the phone on the other end of a foreign call. There was no sound, just a waiting pause. The High Priestess' eyes faintly glowed, like wisps of white smoke.

Angelica, unfamiliar with the strange phenomenon, could only sit silently, unsure of what to make of it.

... She didn't have to wait long.

Moon Jiyeon awakened from her Half-Cognition state, her pupils returning to their normal shade, then frowned with displeasure.

"This is strange. This has never happened before."

Angelica's expression seemed to silently ask, Why is that the first thing you're saying? But instead of voicing the question, she chose to ask:

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure how to explain this. But first, I would like to ask, have you heard of Spirit Dowsing?"

"Spirit Dowsing?"

"It's a form of Divination. At its core, Divination is the art of gathering data from available sources. For example, if you're looking for a missing person, you do it by collecting data from the environment or any residue they may have left behind. Do you know that something like the 'Spiritual Plane' exists?"

"Um, do you mean something like the Spirit World? Sorry, I'm not very familiar with the topic."

"No, that's okay."

Moon Jiyeon shook her head and wore a faint smile. She took pleasure in explaining her hobbies to others.

"Well, you're right to an extent. But I wouldn't call the Spiritual Plane a 'world' since it's more of a 'dimension.'"

Hearing this, Angelica's eyes seemed to say Explain, please, and Moon Jiyeon continued.

"Actually, it's quite simple. I'll use something like this to explain it. Think of the entire World (宇宙), as a bubble. If you look from the bottom, you can never see beyond the outer layer. Even if you travel to the moon using a spaceship, you're technically not reaching the outside. You're still residing within the bubble."

"That's a strange way to put it. But I think I understand."

"I believe you must have seen many articles online from researchers who say they haven't seen anything outside this world. In fact, I don't think anyone has seen 'outside' this world."

... Damn it. Kim Jakga, where the hell are you?

Angelica bit her lip, hard enough to nearly draw blood.

She was worried. He was someone who shouldered burdens alone, and always kept crucial information to himself.

What if he had discovered something and decided to handle it alone?

Moreover, he was confident in his own abilities. He wouldn't see the need to tell them and would simply vanish to deal with it himself.

The others in their group had similar tendencies, but Kim Jakga took it to an extreme.

What if he had walked into a trap?

What if he had been captured by an unknown enemy?

What if he was locked in a desperate fight against some unfathomable monstrosity?

All these possibilities only weighed down Angelica's mind and spirit.

And if she ever found out the truth, if he had disappeared for some utterly reckless reason, she would strangle him for making them all worry needlessly.

Pushing aside her spiraling thoughts, Angelica exhaled slowly, steeling both her heart and body.

She turned back to Moon Jiyeon and asked, "So... there's really nothing we can do?"

"Sadly, no. However, I do believe he's perfectly fine, wherever he may be."

"I thought your Divination didn't work?"

"True, it didn't. That much is painfully clear. But what you're seeing here is the Intuition of a Diviner."

"Your Intuition says he's alright?"

Moon Jiyeon nodded.

"That's correct. The spirits may not give me all the answers, but I have other ways to make up for it. It's the only reason I've made it this far."

"... So you're saying he will come back."

"Of course. Individuals like Kim Jakga don't perish easily. A random death in some back alley or obscure place just doesn't suit someone like him. So, there's no need to worry. He'll probably return in a few hours or so."

"... I see," Angelica murmured hesitantly.

She wasn't fully convinced by the idea of relying on Intuition alone, but the thought of Kim Jakga being safe brought a small sense of relief.

With that, her chaotic mind, filled with depressing thoughts, began to ease.

It was as if she heard the words that needed to be heared.

Angelica spoke with sincerity and gratitude.

"Thank you."

"No worries. I'm just doing what I can to help. Kim Jakga-ssi and I have a... unique relationship."

"You mean a business relationship?"

"Yes, exactly. You catch on so quickly. How could I possibly let my business partner perish?"

"I see. But you really need to work on your wording. The way you phrased that could easily cause misunderstandings."

Moon Jiyeon tilted her head, genuinely perplexed. "What's wrong with it?"

"Ha. Never mind."

Angelica rose from her seat, thanked the High Priestess for her hospitality, and made her way toward the exit.

Just before stepping out of the tent, she paused, glanced back, and asked,

"By the way, is your Divination still free?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just curious. When are you planning to start charging?"

"If I do, will you pay?"

"Ah, no, of course not."

She chuckled, and Moon Jiyeon smiled as well. Somewhere along the way, they had come to understand each other.

And with that, Angelica finally stepped out of the tent.