บท 91: Chapter 91: Anchor
Chapter 91: Anchor
Bernadette, who failed to discern the source of the threatening feeling, looked at Alice. The sensation from a moment ago seemed like an illusion, but recalling Alice's words, Bernadette cautiously answered her question: "To advance to Sequence 0, He needs the extraordinary characteristic of the 'Mercury Snake' and the uniqueness of the 'Wheel of Fortune'."
"The extraordinary characteristic of the 'Mercury Snake' and the uniqueness of the 'Wheel of Fortune'..." Alice repeated Bernadette's words, her voice still lacking much emotional fluctuation. "First, we can be certain that I don't possess the extraordinary characteristic of the 'Mercury Snake'."
Bernadette watched Alice analyze calmly, slowly furrowing her brow.
"Then... what is the uniqueness of the 'Wheel of Fortune'?" Alice's gaze fell on Bernadette.
That inexplicable threatening feeling resurfaced, as if an invisible net had enveloped her. If her answer was unsatisfactory, this net would constrict and then... strangle her.
Bernadette found it difficult to determine whether she feared this moment more or the gaze of the hidden Sage. Looking at Alice, she answered in the most steady voice possible: "For a Sequence 1 to become Sequence 0, they need to accommodate the uniqueness of that pathway. 'Wheel of Fortune' is the name you mentioned for the Sequence 0 of the 'Fate' pathway."
The invisible net silently disappeared. Bernadette saw Alice furrow her brow, displaying a troubled expression befitting her age and demeanor. She pouted and muttered, "So, I might be the uniqueness of the 'Fate' pathway? Or, or have some connection to it?"
Bernadette, observing Alice's actions, expressions, and tone unconsciously revealing a hint of childishness, tentatively asked, "Don't you feel that... your state is somewhat off at times?"
"What?" Alice looked at Bernadette in confusion.
"Divinity is a form of contamination targeting high-sequence extraordinaries," Bernadette said gravely. "After entering high sequences, extraordinaries need to constantly fight against divinity to maintain their humanity."
Alice was slightly taken aback.
She was certainly aware that her state was abnormal at times, which terrified and unsettled her, yet she could do nothing about it, not even find the cause.
She could only watch helplessly as she transformed into a completely unfamiliar version of herself.
This change was obvious at certain moments, but more often, it was a subtle, gradual alteration. Alice wasn't even sure if her current self was affected.
So... did that influence come from her connection to uniqueness? Was it the contamination of divinity? No, that wasn't quite right either... Could divinity affect someone from such a distance? But, at least the general direction should be correct...
Alice asked with a furrowed brow, "So... while uniqueness is giving me power, it's also influencing me, or rather, contaminating me?"
"This is just my guess," Bernadette said, frowning as she looked at Alice. She actually wanted to explore Alice's condition and her relationship with uniqueness, but obviously even Alice herself didn't know the answer. Considering the source of the threatening feeling from earlier, Bernadette thought it best not to force Alice to do anything she didn't want to.
— Regardless of what relationship Alice had with uniqueness, or whether that relationship would affect Alice's humanity, at least before Alice lost her humanity, that invisible net could strangle her.
Alice asked thoughtfully, "...Assuming your guess is correct, do you know how to solve this problem?"
"Have you heard of an 'anchor'?" Bernadette asked.
"'Anchor'?" Alice repeated the word, making her own guess, "An 'anchor' to stabilize humanity?"
"You've heard of it?" Bernadette asked in surprise.
"I'm just guessing," Alice blinked twice.
"...To be precise, the function of an 'anchor' is to stabilize one's mental state. Generally speaking, from the angel level onwards, extraordinaries need the help of an 'anchor'," Bernadette explained after a moment of silence.
"Stabilize mental state... from the angel level onwards..." Alice repeated Bernadette's words, recalling her initial question — why did gods want to spread their faith?
With the final piece of information in place, Alice finally found the answer to her question: "Are believers the 'anchors' for gods?"
This irreverent statement elicited a noticeable emotional change in Bernadette.
This wasn't a difficult concept to grasp. After knowing about the existence of "anchors" and Sequence 0, and understanding that divinity was actually contamination, the significance of believers to gods became obvious.
The real challenge lay in speaking it out loud like Alice did.
For extraordinaries who knew of the existence of true gods, even non-believers couldn't maintain Alice's mindset.
"...Are all those people you mentioned like you?" Bernadette couldn't help but ask.
"Like me?" Alice repeated in confusion, unable to understand what she had done wrong.
Bernadette looked at Alice and sighed helplessly: "You seem to have no reverence for gods — whether mentioning that 'Fool' or making such conjectures just now."
Alice was silent for a moment before finally saying, "No, I am a believer of the Goddess."
Bernadette frowned as she looked at Alice, noticing that she didn't show much reverence even when saying this.
Seeing Bernadette's skeptical look, Alice shrugged and sighed, "Alright... but, no one would worship a Sequence 7, right? Even if I'm about to become Sequence 6..."
"Wait," Bernadette urgently interrupted Alice, "You have Sequence 7?"
"Yes," Alice nodded, not finding this strange at all.
"Didn't you say you were only 15 or 16 years old?" Bernadette looked at Alice, unable to comprehend.
Alice stared at Bernadette, and after pondering for a few seconds, said, "I think not directly becoming Sequence 1 is the abnormal thing."
"..." Bernadette looked at Alice's serious expression, recalled the guess about uniqueness, and finally chose to change the subject, "Tell me the honorific name of that 'Fool' you mentioned."
"Wow, are you going to pray?" Alice asked with interest.
"I don't have a habit of praying to unfamiliar evil gods," Bernadette emphasized weakly, looking at Alice's excited expression.
Remembering what she had done, Alice's eyes secretly glanced to the side, pretending to be intently studying the pattern on a tourist's hat.
Seeing Alice's expression, Bernadette suddenly made some guesses about how she found that "Fool".
Bernadette: I don't have a habit of praying to unfamiliar evil gods.
Alice: (Looks away)
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