LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 250.1
Chapter 250.1. Manipulating Fate
A beautiful girl with lustrous blonde hair tied in a neat side ponytail gave a smug little snort.
“This is a great success. Thanks to [Turning Point Change], those troublesome people from the Amatsugahara Corporation have headed to Kyushu.”
The room’s walls, floor, and ceiling all gleamed with a dull metallic sheen. It was fairly spacious, with terminal monitors embedded in the walls. The light from the ceiling illuminated the room, and jet-black monoliths stood in a circle on the floor.
Red lines extended from the numerous monoliths, forming a geometric magic circle. At the center stood Fortune, one of the divine machines, who gave a light poke to a single, shimmering golden thread hanging from the interstice of space.
“Well done. Impressive, Fortune.”
Ares, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, gave Fortune a lazy clap of approval.
Fortune puffed out her chest as she glanced at Ares—whose face was as perfect as a Greek sculpture. In ancient times, he might have been considered handsome. As such thoughts crossed her mind, she gently swayed the floating golden thread, brushed back her hair, and opened her mouth.
“The golden thread reflects a predetermined future. That so-called Amano Sakimori has most certainly set out for the Kyushu expedition.”
“Excellent! Even with the magic circle’s assistance, this wasn’t an easy feat, was it? I’m honestly impressed. I’m glad I restored your powers.”
As he clapped enthusiastically, Omokane entered the room, flashing an unpleasantly sly grin. Fortune gave him a cold glance and a slight nod in response.
Internally, she stuck out her tongue at the annoying old man. Though she had regained her Level 8 abilities, multiple skills had been thwarted by some entity resembling Silky. Knowing the risks, she had relied on the ritual magic circle. Omokane’s words carried the implicit message: Your power alone wasn’t enough. What a disagreeable man.
Still, the plan had succeeded. The enemy now believed the destination was Kyushu, the opposite of Hokkaido. According to their intel, Kyushu was a battleground, and Amano Sakimori would not come through unscathed.
“However, was it wise to use the ritual magic circle? The elemental core comes with significant side effects. Using it at this scale could easily spawn high-level dungeons.”
From behind Omokane, the dwarf divine machine Bacchus voiced his concern with a grim expression. Every monolith surrounding Fortune was made from elemental cores. She had drawn upon their power to greatly enhance her stats before activating her skill. Though successful, elemental cores profoundly influence the world’s natural order. Their waves would almost certainly trigger nearby high-level dungeons.
The research vessel they had reclaimed resembled a battleship but was already dismantled internally. Bacchus had repurposed its components into a new research lab. A dungeon forming here would be disastrous, as the engines had been removed, making escape impossible.
They were also short on materials, so they had resorted to contacting the local Oda clan for resources. Starting over was not an option.
Bacchus’s concerns were valid, but Fortune was merely following Omokane’s orders. It’s the old man’s responsibility, she thought, shifting the blame onto him.
Ares and Bacchus likewise looked to Omokane, awaiting his response. But Omokane waved his hand nonchalantly, smiling as though unconcerned by their stares.
“Don’t worry. I always planned to use the elemental core to connect this world to our original one. When a dungeon forms, the dimensional distortion will be bent using a gate crystal. That distorted gate will link us back to our world.”
“So you were planning to take advantage of the dungeon’s formation all along… With Fortune’s skill, it might work, but this could still spawn even more dangerous dungeons.”
Stroking his bushy beard, Bacchus mulled over the situation. As the god of craftsmanship, he could predict the extent of the side effects.
“No problem. Once we reconnect with the original world, the military will arrive quickly. Even high-level dungeons should be manageable if we regroup with other divine machines, right?”
Omokane waved his hand dismissively, trying to dispel Bacchus’s concerns with a grin. Fortune studied his expression—there were no lies, but also no guarantees that things would go according to plan.
“Besides, we might even be able to control the dungeons. Fortune, did you notice the item that can alter administrator privileges? It’s associated with the Knight Order of Jesters, where some Pixies are said to be. That girl calling herself Rei—she’s almost certainly a Pixie.”
“Yes, with that otaku behavior, the chance that she’s a Pixie is very high.”
Fortune had encountered Rei several times at the Amatsugahara Corporation. Her speech was filled with references not of this world. If not a Pixie, then perhaps a Naja, but given her combat prowess, a Pixie seemed the most likely.
One time, during a New Year’s photo shoot at Amatsugahara, Rei had yelled something about burning Celica’s kimono, shouting, “Red Jealous Magicians, burn Celica’s furisode to ashes!” It was almost certainly her. Celica herself might even be Naja.
They had prepared vanilla ice cream to counter the flames, with Rei muttering, “Vanilla ice can negate fire.” Afterward, staff member Karin had shared the leftover ice cream with Fortune, its rich, milky sweetness spreading delightfully in her mouth.
An unfortunate pair: the otaku-revealing Pixie and Naja. Perhaps it was best to keep this knowledge from them.
“See? But even when I tried using administrator privileges through an angel, there was no response. It wasn’t just resistance—they didn’t even seem to notice. The privileges have been completely stolen, likely through an item from the Core Store.”
“Isn’t it possible this was achieved through a skill?”
Ares frowned, interjecting his thoughts, but Omokane shook his head.
“Skills have drawbacks—devastating ones that humans couldn’t possibly endure. If there were a skill like that, the side effects would include mechanical thinking and hostility toward humanity. However, both the Knight Order’s leader, Taira Konoha, and the hidden ruler Amano Sakimori display strong combat abilities and rational thought. It’s most likely an item.”
Omokane twirled his finger thoughtfully as he paced the room, displaying the sharpness of a seasoned researcher. He was known as one of the brightest minds—second only to the scientist who created the fairy machines—but otherwise a flawed individual.
“This world differs from ours in one significant way: the presence of the Core Store accompanying dungeons. It seems to embody the wishes of this world’s people, seeking salvation—something no longer possible in our original world.”
In the original world, all concepts had become fixed, preventing anything beneficial for humanity from emerging. But here, without such constraints, something advantageous might appear. Omokane’s theory was plausible.
The Core Store’s functionality was absurdly convenient. It converted worthless monster cores into currency via automated vending machines—an astonishing system when they first discovered it.
If there’s a skill that accesses administrator privileges, its drawbacks must be severe. Dungeon skills tend to be powerful but come with crippling downsides. Even if humanity could access those privileges, the consequences would likely align with Omokane’s prediction.
“My guess is that Amano Sakimori, closely tied to the Core Store, possesses a skill allowing partial manipulation of it. He’s far too powerful for a human, likely enhanced by precise, low-risk skills obtained from the Core Store. And I suspect the Pixie has been helping him—she seems to have mastered every known combat skill.”
“You may be right. Even assuming the fairy machines have regained their strength, the tales of Amano Sakimori paint him as a hero far too formidable for a mere human. It’s reasonable to assume he’s built the most efficient skill set possible.”