When the Pope Becomes Competent - Chapter 131



Only Noblemtl

131. Room of Reflection
2024.03.10.

I stood there blankly for a moment after seeing the strange message that came to my mind.

After barely coming to my senses, I read the message again.

‘The letters are strange…? …?’

There have been many times when the contents of messages were confusing.

However, this was the first time that the letters themselves were strange.

It was as if there was some problem with the system that made up this world, and it was a little scary.

‘Is this space a completely different dimension?’

The dreamers had said earlier. This place was not the palace bedroom, but a completely different space. They

had simply taken an unfamiliar space from somewhere and attached it to the palace.

Judging from the fact that the creatures here were quite different, I thought that this might be a world in a completely different dimension from the world we originally lived in.

That might be why the system connection was unstable. Just

like how your phone won’t work when you enter an area that is out of service.

Above all, isn’t this strange system message that appeared before my eyes also telling me that we have come to an unfamiliar place?

‘This item cannot be used in this area.’

‘This is a big deal. The power of the ring doesn’t work here either.’

My original plan was to turn back time with the power of the ring if necessary.

Now that I couldn’t even use that last resort, cold sweat was forming on my back.

Then, Dionik suddenly asked.

“Hyung, what are you doing if you don’t turn back time?”

“… … .”

After hearing his question, I imagined for a moment.

If I told them that I couldn’t use the ring right now, how would they react?

‘… … They’d definitely get cursed at.’

I had lured the sleepwalkers here by telling them that I could turn back time and escape from here if necessary.

But if I honestly confessed that the ring, which was the emergency escape item, didn’t work… … .

They would feel despair and anger.

And they would swear at me for bringing them here.

So I decided. There was no need to make them anxious, so I would hide the truth for now.

“I thought about it, but it seems like a waste to just use the ring here.”

“… … ? Then let’s look for more?”

“Yeah. I think it would be best to somehow find the source of magic here and destroy it.” I

added because saying just that much seemed unconvincing.

“Think about it, if this space was created or drawn by those erased guys, then what’s currently maintaining this place must be their magic.”

Dionysian nodded with a puzzled look on his face after hearing what I said.

“Yeah, right?”

“Then if we destroy the source of magic and destroy this space, his magic will disappear along with it—”

“Are you saying that we can weaken that erased guy’s power?”

I nodded at Dionysian’s question.

“That’s right. We destroy his magic here. Then we can weaken him without shedding any blood.”

In other words, it was a plan to destroy the spider’s web and drain its power.

Dionique and Elodie, who heard my words, stroked their chins as if they were thinking for a moment.

Then Dionique spoke first.

“That sounds plausible… … ? Rather than fighting a dangerous guy with a spatial distortion skill and getting bloody, it would be easier to find the magic source here and destroy it.”

The spatial distortion ability was dangerous.

It was obvious that it would be much safer to indirectly weaken the guy’s magic source by destroying it here than to directly confront the Awakened with such a dangerous ability.

In fact, I’m not sure if things would really work out that easily, but anyway, this was the important thing.

‘Thank goodness. They didn’t find out that I can’t use the ring.’

If they found out that they couldn’t use the ring, they would panic because they knew they were trapped in a forest from which they couldn’t escape.

So there was no need to tell them that fact.

We just had to focus on destroying the magic source, which was our original goal.

So I was relieved that I wasn’t caught because I couldn’t use the ring.

[Sudden Sub-Oracle – Destroy ⑆⑉Space Core (Magic Source)]

―Destroy⑈⑉the core forming this subspace⑉and eliminate⑆⑉the magical power of the ‘Caregiver’!

[Trust Completion Reward]

―⑆⑉Luma +100 p⑉nt

Then, a sudden sub-Oracle popped into my mind.

This time too, the letters were strangely obscured, but the content was understandable.

‘The core forming the subspace… So, find the magical source, destroy it, and weaken the power of the Caregiver?’

As we expected, if we destroy the magic source here, the power of one of the erased ones… the caregiver… seems to be weakened.

Thanks to the surprise sub-oracle that came to me right on time, I was able to confirm that my prediction was correct.

That wasn’t the only benefit.

‘Why is there a hint attached to the oracle?’

Under the surprise sub-oracle completion reward, there was a *hint* in small letters.

*Hint* ― The core of the subspace⑉ holds strong magic⑆⑉⑆.

The core of the subspace holds strong magic… It seemed to say that.

Strong magic.

After thinking that far, I asked Dionic and Elodie.

“Do you guys have any magic detection items?”

“A magic detection item… … ? Ah!”

Dionic let out an exclamation and then said with an excited look.

“You’re smart, bro?! If it’s a magic source, it should hold magic, so you’re trying to find it by detecting the magic with a magic detection item?!”

“That’s right. I just had a thought.”

Actually, I was able to think of it thanks to the hint I got… Anyway, what I came up with was true.

Therefore, I was a little proud, and asked Dionik again.

“So, do you have a magic detection item?”

“Um, no.”

“… … .”

I thought it was a good idea, but it was useless if you didn’t have a magic detection item.

I then looked over at Elodie.

“Elodie, what about you?”

Elodie seemed to be thinking for a moment, then opened her inventory.

Then she took out a silver pendulum-like thing from her inventory.

Elodie said while holding it in her hand.

“I have a hobby of searching for ancient relics buried underground. I bought this detection item for my hobby, but I ended up using it like this.”

“Is it a high-grade item?”

“It’s an A-grade. You don’t have to worry about the accuracy.”

Elodie confidently said, holding the pendulum item.

I nodded and opened my mouth to them.

“Okay, let’s get going right now. Our first goal is to find the magic source.”

* * * She

cut down an insect-shaped monster flying in front of her with a single stroke. She

didn’t even have time to wipe away the monster’s bodily fluids that were exploding in all directions before a tentacle attack flew in from the side. Luciana swung her sword diagonally, cutting down the tentacles. ‘There are too many monsters… …!’ It was good that she had come to lead the Holy Knights and fight off the monsters in the palace. However, neither she nor Nickelus had expected that there would be this many monsters swarming around. “Lucy!! Watch out behind you!!” Luciana bent down after hearing Rubin’s shout that she had come with her. The monster’s poisonous stinger shot towards the back of her head barely missed her hair. If she had bent down even 0.5 seconds later, she would have been poisoned without a fight, but she didn’t have time to be surprised. She dodged the second poisonous stinger while simultaneously cutting down the monster that had stung her. ‘There’s no end to this. I have to quickly clean up the monsters and go to His Majesty… … .’ Nickelus headed toward the Emperor’s bedroom with the sleepwalkers. She wanted to go there quickly and protect Nickelus, as there might be a few monsters there. However, the monsters that filled the place would not allow her to leave. It was at that moment when she was swinging her sword, which had become heavy due to fatigue. “Help me, Lucy!!” Luciana turned her head after hearing Rubin’s shout. She saw Rubin tightly bound by the monster’s tentacles. The giant plant-shaped monster had tied Rubin up with its sticky tentacles and was pulling him toward its huge mouth. Luciana immediately raised her sword and tried to save Rubin— “… … !!” This time, the spider-shaped monster shot a web and grabbed her ankle. The sticky and tough web did not break no matter how many times she swung her sword. She quickly looked around and shouted at the Holy Knights. “Rubin has been captured! Anyone, go help!!” However, all of the knights were engaged in a fierce battle with the monster. There was no one who could go to help Rubin. In the meantime, the plant-shaped monster slowly took Rubin, who had been tied up, into its beak, and finally swallowed him. “Rubin!!” The moment Rubin disappeared into the monster’s stomach, Luciana shouted at Rubin at the top of her voice. Rubin, who had already been swallowed, of course could not answer.

In shock, Luciana cut the spider webs that were stuck to her ankles.

However, they were not easily cut, and at that moment when she was despairing―

squelch―!

A clear chain sound was heard.

Bliss, who had thrown a chain blade at the plant-shaped monster, slightly pulled the chain in her hand.

The chain, which had changed direction once in the air, cut the monster.

Bliss, Petros, and Cheonggwang, who had headed to the first audience room, had come back to Luciana.

Rubin, who had been swallowed, burst out through the stomach skin of the monster that Bliss had cut off and shouted.

“Gasp, gasp… …! I… I almost died… …!!”

Rubin was safe because he had been saved right after being swallowed.

It was just that his fur was slightly wet from the monster’s saliva and digestive juices.

Rubin was rescued by Bliss, and then Petros activated his skill.

Skill, the cutting spear. It was a skill that increased the spear’s cutting power.

Crunch―!

Petros cut the spider web that was holding Luciana’s ankle with his spear that had increased cutting power.

Then, he swung his sword made of water with a blue light and cut the monster that had shot a web at Luciana in two.

Seeing that the situation was more or less settled, Luciana asked Bliss.

“Did you go to the first audience room?”

Bliss nodded with a dark expression.

“I searched there, but there was nothing. That’s why I came to Sir Lazar’s side to catch the monster first.”

“Oh… …”

Luciana shook her head in regret at the fact that Ernen wasn’t there.

However, she couldn’t just be sad.

The monsters weren’t all taken care of yet, and soon a giant wolf monster appeared with a growling sound.

Luciana readjusted her sword and told her companions.

“Let’s just kill the monsters here and go to His Majesty together. His Majesty might have found you in the bedroom.”

Luciana reassured herself.

Surely, Nickelus would have found the emperor. She thought

that if she just took care of the monsters swarming around here, she could quickly go rescue Nickelus and Ernen.

She had no idea that Nickelus was trapped in a subspace called the Room of Reflection.