[Star’s Proxy].

It was the authority Sven Parab obtained when he stayed behind in the burning temple, ready to die, to help the others escape—an event that resembled an “awakening.”

After various experiments, we’d concluded that Sven Parab had somehow acquired the rare Sage-blooded bonus, something only Saints could obtain.

We still hadn’t figured out what kind of skill [Star’s Proxy] was.

So then, what were its activation conditions?

Even with my extensive gameplay experience, I’d never seen this skill before. It was a power granted directly by a god.

Surely, it was a skill that would be immensely helpful in the journey ahead, so I’d tried every possible means to activate it even back in the city—but failed.

I even thought maybe it could only be used inside the dungeon and planned to test it once we entered.

But that wasn’t the condition either.

And yet...

“It just suddenly activated...?”

[Star’s Proxy] had triggered.

Proof?

A dazzling silver light was radiating from Sven Parab’s body in real-time...

“Fufufu.”

...and he was even speaking.

Like this.

“It’s been a while, Bjorn Yandel.”

The voice was the same, but everything about the tone made it clear—this was someone entirely different from Sven Parab.

“To think I’d get to see you give up. I’ve witnessed something truly remarkable, albeit unintentionally.”

The hand raised to cover the mouth, the twisting posture, the gentle expression.

“Even the greatest of heroes have moments where they crumble. You’ve done well.”

The collection of these subtle traits gave off an undeniably feminine impression, and combined with the fact that Sven Parab was a paladin, all evidence pointed to one being.

“No way... Reatlas?”

Upon hearing my question, Sven Parab simply covered his mouth and chuckled.

“Fufu...”

That laugh was the answer.

I didn’t know how it had happened, but Reatlas had descended into Sven Parab’s body.

A descent-type skill...?

But if that were the case, something didn’t add up.

Even when players job-changed their characters into Saints and triggered “descents,” it only ever let them borrow divine powers—not possess the player’s body directly like this.

'...But is that really important right now?'

Countless questions sprang to mind, but I chose to ask the most urgent one first.

“Can you resolve this situation?”

Was there a way for us to survive?

To that question, Sven Parab—no, Reatlas—smiled softly and replied.

“Who knows?”

...What?

“I wouldn’t have come if there weren’t.”

Ah, my heart.

“There’s not much I can do. But even so, the situation looks fairly favorable.”

Right as she finished saying that—

Screeeeech—!!

Sniktura let out a monstrous cry as her one-minute cooldown ended and she rose again.

And then—

“Hup!”

With a rather out-of-place-sounding shout, Reatlas raised her palm...

Fwooooosh—!

A thick, translucent wall of silver light appeared between us and Sniktura.

BOOOOOM—!

Sniktura lunged with a full-body slam like she didn’t know what the hell this thing was, but the translucent barrier didn’t budge an inch.

Reatlas (still in Sven Parab’s body) had casually performed a miracle—trapping a Grade One monster.

She shrugged, turned to us, and winked.

“How long can it hold?”

“Long enough to save your lives.”

[KRAAAAAAAAH—!!]

Sniktura shrieked in rage, her eerie cry echoing as she thrashed within the barrier—but we no longer had a reason to worry about her.

Because something far more unbelievable had suddenly appeared.

“Is... is that really Lady Reatlas...? I-I mean, is it?”

“Fufu...”

“I-I can’t believe this... T-The Twilight Star shall guide us all...”

Our companions were crossing themselves in disbelief at the divine miracle before them.

But not all were reverent.

The one who showed anger was none other than Beleg, who had just awakened from healing.

“Is it really... you, Reatlas...?”

She didn’t answer.

Yet after everything we had seen, there was no need for her to.

Regardless of a response, Beleg continued.

“...Why? Why did that child have to die? Was that the destiny you decreed?”

Again, Reatlas said nothing. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

She merely gazed at him with eyes filled with sorrow.

Perhaps it was that gaze—those unspoken emotions—that further provoked his anger.

“Answer me! If you truly are the goddess who governs fate... then speak!!”

Beleg raised his voice, shaking with emotion.

But regrettably, he didn’t get to finish his words.

Because while questions alone might have been tolerable—

BAM—!

He suddenly lunged forward with his front foot, looking ready to pounce.

“Urgh...!”

The one who slammed him to the ground wasn’t me, but Kaislan.

“...Don’t be disrespectful. All our lives now hang on that one’s will.”

“...”

“I understand you have questions. I, too, have lost people. But surely even you must know—she is not the one to question.”

“...”

“Then I’ll take your silence as understanding and let you go. But don’t make a mistake. Got it?”

“...”

Kaislan released him, but Beleg remained on the ground, not even trying to get up.

He stared into the void with empty eyes.

To say I didn’t feel pity would be a lie...

'Whether this is a descent or whatever, a power like that probably won’t last long.'

As soon as the situation was resolved, Reatlas would likely leave Sven Parab’s body.

So before that—there was one thing I had to confirm among the countless questions I had.

“What’s the activation condition for that authority?”

“B-Bjorn!! Y-You can’t just ask Lady Reatlas something like that—!!”

...What’s she even on about?

“Don’t mind her. Just answer.”

“...Do you really want to know? It might be better if you didn’t.”

Coming from a goddess—especially one associated with fate—that sounded ominously significant.

Even so—

“...I still want to know.”

If ignorance is bliss, then bliss is just a painkiller.

All it does is delay the agony. It doesn’t solve anything.

“If that’s your choice.”

Then Reatlas spoke.

“This authority allows me to intervene in the real world only when Sven Parab is fated to die with certainty.”

I was speechless.

...That was the condition?

No wonder it never activated back in the city.

“Then why say it’s better not to know?”

“The moment Sven Parab becomes aware of the condition, activating this authority becomes dozens of times harder.”

“...What?”

“There’s not enough time to explain in detail, but to put it simply—once he consciously recognizes the condition, he’ll begin to rely on this power. That creates two coexisting fates. And I cannot intervene in an uncertain fate.”

That explanation made zero sense.

Maybe it showed on my face.

“Fufu, I did say it was difficult to explain.”

“...”

“If you don’t ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) understand, just memorize this: from the moment Sven Parab understands the condition, activating this authority becomes dozens of times harder. Got it?”

“Memorized.”

“Good boy, good boy...”

Reatlas smiled like she was talking to a child.

It was disconcerting to see her acting like that in Sven Parab’s body...

Anyway.

“There’s something I must tell you.”

“...?”

“Fate is called fate because it inevitably arrives.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Right now, Sven Parab has changed his fate. And along with him, many others who were fated to die today have survived.”

“...So? Speak plainly.”

“The fate avoided today will inevitably return to all of you.”

“...Are you saying we’ll all die eventually anyway?”

“Well, why do you assume it’s ‘all’ of you?”

“...”

“Bjorn Yandel, even if I hadn’t intervened, you wouldn’t have fallen here today. You might have faltered for a moment, but eventually, you would have found your resolve and struggled to the bitter end.”

“So what’s your point?”

Reatlas gave a deeply complicated smile but didn’t say another word.

Instead, her voice echoed inside my mind.

Seven people.

“...?”

[Remember this, Bjorn Yandel. Seven people escaped death here today. Sooner or later, that fate will return to them.]

[Raise him well. He resembles me more than any other human.]

[And who knows—if he grows and grows, until he truly becomes one of a different class...]

[He may be able to change not only his own fate, but that of others as well.]

With those final thoughts, Reatlas spoke aloud once more.

“Well, then. It’s over.”

“Over?”

“Fufu. Until next time.”

With that abrupt farewell, Sven Parab’s body crumpled to the floor.

'...That wasn’t even three minutes.'

Sniktura still had at least two more minutes before she died.

And—

BOOOM—!

Unlike before, every time Sniktura slammed the barrier, cracks began to spread across it.

BOOM—!

Judging by the speed and size of the cracks, four or five more hits would shatter it completely...

'She just left like that?'

When I asked how long it could hold, Reatlas clearly said long enough for all of us to survive.

So what the hell was this?

Was she just bullshitting earlier?

Such blasphemous thoughts crossed my mind when—

KZZZZT—!

The previously sealed door opened, and a familiar voice came through the supposedly broken speaker.

It was distorted with static, but still recognizable.

[Ah... ah... Can—Can you hear me?]

“Auyen...?”

[P-Please come out, quickly!]

With those words, everything made sense, and my body went slack.

So that’s how this ends...

***

Once we retrieved the fallen Sven Parab and escaped the lab—

BOOOOOM—!

Sniktura, who had finally shattered the barrier, lunged at us.

THUUUUUUUD—!

The door closed just in time, barely blocking her.

BOOM—!

She kept slamming her head against the door, but the thing didn’t budge. It looked like we were safe now.

[Phew...! Thank goodness I wasn’t too late!]

As the voice continued, I quickly looked up and asked,

“Auyen, what happened?”

We hadn’t brought him into the boss room. We’d left him up top. So how was he speaking through the speaker?

“Don’t tell me you got into the control room?”

[I-I don’t know if it’s the control room, but...]

“Can you see inside the lab with the devices in there?”

[Yes! I can see it clearly!]

Then it is the control room. But how the hell did he get in there?

The explanation was surprisingly simple.

[Just as you said, I waited up top until it was over, but then all the doors around me suddenly started opening and closing. I thought something was wrong, so I went through one of the open doors.]

Apparently, as we trashed everything down here, some malfunction must’ve triggered something above.

It’s not unreasonable.

We’d planned to take Arta and come back up to access the control room anyway.

[Once I got inside, I could see everything going on. Then I heard you shouting to open the door, and I just started messing with every device I could. Eventually, it opened—and the speaker came on too!]

A string of unexpected coincidences.

But I couldn’t call it mere coincidence.

Yeah... this was how it was meant to happen.

Even without [Star’s Proxy], events likely would’ve played out like this.

We’d have fought desperately.

Seven people would have died, just like Reatlas said.

And then the door would’ve finally opened, letting us barely escape that cursed lab.

BOOM—!

The vibration from the wall made me turn my head.

Once more, the voice echoed from the speaker.

[It’s still rampaging in there. M-Maybe you should come up just in case?]

“No, we’ll be fine.”

[Sh-Should I come down then?]

“No. You stay up there for now.”

[Understood.]

Even after the conversation ended, the periodic thuds continued.

BOOM—!

BOOM—!

BOOOM—!

How long did it go on?

Eventually, the timing of the hits grew faster—more violent—

“...”

“...”

—and then it stopped altogether.

Had she finally died?

I didn’t even need to wonder.

You can feel it, crystal clear, when a Grade One monster dies.

「Sniktura has been slain. EXP +9.」

Sniktura was dead.

[...It—it’s down, Captain!]

With that double confirmation, there was no room for doubt.

Despite everything...

We’d slain a Grade One monster with zero casualties.

Essence...

I almost asked whether we got one.

But I barely held it back.

“Auyen, open the door.”

Yeah—something like that, I had to see for myself.