Chapter 125

Limit

The Memorier fell, and exhaustion washed over me as though every last drop of strength had been wrung from my body. I couldn't muster any strength at all.

Still, perhaps because there was no related quest, Berserk Fuss[?] made no appearance.

... Thank goodness for that. Facing Berserk Fuss[?] right now would probably have left my mind in tatters.

"Urgh...!!"

Predator[M]. An Ultra Instinct skill that fully awakened the instincts of Predation[S+]. It entrusted all perception and judgment to instinct, letting the body judge and move on its own rather than relying on the brain.

That gave me reactions faster than spinal reflexes. Simply put, it brought my reaction time close to 0 ms—the biological maximum.

It hadn't been assigned the assessment grade [M], for Myth, for nothing. It was one grade above Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L]. Perhaps that was why its side effects were so severe.

The first was mental. With all perception and judgment entrusted to instinct and the body, reason was shut out entirely.

Uncontrolled ferocity.

In my previous life, I would probably have become a rampaging monster, unable even to distinguish friend from foe.

But things were different now.

Successor's Will[EX].

With the limit of my mental fortitude at aleph-null, I could retain my self-control. I had overcome the most lethal side effect.

Still, being governed completely by instinct meant conscious judgment was excluded. I couldn't fight tactically. Following nothing but combat instincts had the drawback of potentially leading to inappropriate actions or excessive aggression.

But the greatest side effect and drawback of the Ultra Instinct skill Predator[M] was...

"Ghaaagh...!!"

Physical overload.

Bypassing every part of the judgment process based on information from the five senses, and thereby producing immediate, efficient movements at the biological maximum, meant that my bodily functions exceeded their limits.

It also meant subjecting my body to the maximum possible biological strain.

"Nnngh...!"

It truly felt as though my whole body would tear apart. No, it already had. Every muscle fiber was torn, my bones had fractured under pressure their density couldn't withstand, and my nervous system had literally snapped from the overload.

And that wasn't all. Perhaps because I had elevated the instincts of Predation[S+] to Ultra Instinct, it wasn't just my body that had overloaded—

◆Error: Cannot use the skill Regeneration[B+].

◆A 24-hour cooldown applies.

My skills had overloaded too. Predator[M] burned through everything I had.

In any case, it wouldn't have been strange for me to drop dead right then.

The only reason I was holding on was Ian's ability, I Alone Level Up[EX].

'Thank goodness I raised my stats...'

Otherwise, my body would have been torn to shreds and disintegrated while I was using Predator[M].

"Hhh!"

I sucked in a breath and raised the heart in my hand.

The Memorier's heart.

I couldn't use Predation[S+] on a heart that had lost all its life force. My entire body felt ready to tear apart, but I held on. I had to consume this with Predation[S+].

Without hesitation, I brought the Memorier's heart to my mouth.

CRUNCH.

The heart's tough flesh filled my mouth, and a message appeared before my eyes.

◆You have consumed the entity Memorier (Memoria)!

Fortunately, Predation[S+] wasn't on cooldown.

The Memorier had perfectly copied my abilities. Just as I began looking forward to what ability I might gain—

SHHHHHH!

Pitch-black darkness abruptly obscured my vision.

A side effect of Predation[S+]. And this was Madness on an entirely different level.

SHHHHHH!

The darkness grows deeper still. Reality distorts, and space crumbles. Every sense fades, and the boundaries of existence vanish.

Time flows as though standing still, twisting, shattering, eroding—

【While exploring ultimate infinity, a question suddenly occurred to me.】

A strange vision swept across my eyes.

* * *

A state of expanding and growing without end. We call this infinity.

And infinities can be compared in size. In other words, infinities of different sizes exist.

After long investigation, I discovered several different infinities. But ultimate infinity—an infinity greater than any other—was the one thing I could not find.

Perhaps it could be called the end of infinity.

The end of infinity. If I could find it, I could find ultimate infinity as well.

Let me change my approach. What about the opposite? Could I find the end of infinity in something that grows infinitely smaller, rather than infinitely larger?

There is a number in this world below which nothing can be smaller.

Zero, which signifies nonexistence.

There is no number smaller than 0. Negative numbers are merely concepts and directions, so in terms of mass, no existing thing can be smaller than 0.

Therefore, when it comes to growing infinitely smaller, infinity is finite.

I had found a lead. The end of infinity in a diminishing state. Let me find what exists at that end. Perhaps it can be found in the zero-dimensional world of a point.

Now, here is a point. Can't see it? Of course not. A point has neither area nor length.

A point is 0.

When such points gather, they form a line. A line has length.

... What?

A point has no length. It is 0, with no volume, size, or anything else. Yet when points gather, they form a line that has length?

0+0 is only 0.

0+0+0+0 is also only 0.

No matter how many zeros you add, the result is only 0.

... Then what is this? Was a point not 0? Did it merely appear to be 0?

Let me divide the point further. Further and further.

Again, again, again, again, infinitely...

There, that should do it. Let me gather the infinitely divided points again.

It's a point. It worked!

... No, wait.

... It has formed a line again.

When there was a finite number of points, it was certainly a point. But when an infinite number gathered, they became a line.

Adding infinitely many zeros had produced something.

... Infinity had created something from nothing.

In other words, the value of 0×∞ was not 0. That also meant there was no absolute 0 in the face of infinity. There were only things that approached 0 without end.

Even within an infinitely shrinking point, length and size existed (merely so infinitely small as to be meaningless), and they would never become 0.

There was no end to becoming smaller, either.

Does infinity truly have... no end?

It is too early to conclude that. Let me consider an infinitely repeating number. Take [0.9999...], for instance. This should be a number that only approaches 1 without end.

Let me compare its size to 1. Since it only approaches 1, it should be smaller than 1, however slight the difference (even if it is so infinitely small as to be meaningless).

But it wasn't. The answer was that they were equal.

This wasn't a matter of assuming equality for convenience. The infinitely repeating [0.9999...] was exactly the same number as 1, without the slightest discrepancy.

The proof was simple. 1/3 equals [0.3333...]. Multiply each by 3. The conclusion is that 1 equals [0.9999...].

What about in the infinitely shrinking world? Was there not even a difference as minute as a point (so infinitely small as to be meaningless)?

There was absolutely none. Even in the infinitely shrinking world, the two were utterly identical numbers.

... It had reached the end.

A question arose. What was different? Both merely approached something without end. Why, then, were their results so different?

One had clearly reached the end. Why couldn't the other reach it?

... The answer seems to lie here. I don't know what it is. But if I can find the difference between the two, I will be able to understand infinity.

Then, at last, I will reach the end of an infinity that has no end—the contradiction, the terminus.

The truth of this world.

* * *

◆Successor's Will[EX] resists the Forgotten Record of the Unknown!

◆3,024 Sanity has accumulated!

Translucent messages flashed before my eyes. At the same time, my memories, which had lost their continuity, returned all at once.

"Nnngh...!!"

... My head felt as though it would split apart.

A staggering 3,024 Sanity. I was too dizzy to hold myself upright. My body was already overloaded from Predator[EX], making it impossible to keep my balance.

I sank to the ground on one knee.

"Hah...! Hah...!!"

I struggled to catch my breath. Forcing myself to recover, I recalled the memories from the vision.

Honestly, I didn't really understand what any of it meant. But it was just like that time—the vision I'd seen when I consumed Avarus with Predation[S+]. The speaker was the same.

Someone who had called themself the Hero. Someone who wasn't Ian.

The content, however, was different. In a way, it seemed to represent the Memorier.

It had tried to draw endlessly closer to me—had sought to reach the end, only to fail—

That was when it happened.

◆You have acquired the Concept Skill Limit[M]!

◆Limit[M]

: A state in which a concept approaches a specific value without end. The player may attempt to integrate this with a specific concept based on their [Understanding of Limits]. When this occurs, the state of the integrated concept is converted into a Limit.

Contrary to my expectation of gaining an ability related to me, I had gained something else. It seemed I had acquired an Authority of the Legion Commander of Darkness—or rather, of the Sovereign of Darkness.

That was even better.

A class beyond a class of its own. I had gained a fragment of an Authority that even Ian couldn't resist.

Its assessment grade was [M], for Myth. And like Infinity[M], it was a Concept Skill. In other words, it required understanding.

Still, for now, I tried integrating it with anything I could.

At that moment—

◆The Concept Skill Limit[M] is being integrated with Dragon's Claw[A].

Unexpectedly, it seemed to be integrating with Dragon's Claw[A], and then—

◆You have acquired the fusion skill Monomolecular Blade[S].

◆Monomolecular Blade[S]

: By consuming [50 kcal] (per second), the player causes the [Contact Area] of Dragon's Claw[A] to converge toward a [Limit] of [0].

This allows the player to sever [Bond Structures] at the [Molecular Level], dealing direct damage by [Completely Ignoring 100%] of [Durability and Defense], regardless of [Material].

... This skill was insane.

Its assessment grade was [S], the same as Predatory Instincts[S].

It completely ignored 100% of durability and defense. In other words, it couldn't be physically blocked. Magical defenses, aura protection, the mysteries of sorcery, and divine blessings would all be meaningless too.

The strongest, finest biological weapon. It truly was a skill as overpowered as Predatory Instincts[S]. No, in a sense, it was even more overpowered.

What made it even more absurd was that Limit[M] was a Concept Skill. Just like Infinity[M], raising my understanding of Limit[M] would let me integrate it with other skills as well.

But I couldn't do anything about my understanding right now. More importantly, I had no time to worry about it. The fight wasn't over.

The she-spider of the Abyss, carrying fifty thousand young.

She was still out there.

Like Kraulgar, the she-spider was a Legion Commander of the Abyss. But unlike Iratum, Luseria hadn't yet been chosen. Even if it had manifested through her, it wouldn't be able to sustain a complete manifestation.

Even so...

'She can't handle it.'

Seraphia couldn't do it alone.

It was in a different dimension, figuratively and literally. Even the Spirit Mage, a hero of the allied army, hadn't been able to face the she-spider of the Abyss easily. And Seraphia had been frightened not only of the banshee, but even of Gremlins.

There were limits to what Mental Empathy[E] could do. Seraphia couldn't overcome the terror of the unknown that the she-spider of the Abyss inflicted.

I had to stop her from awakening as the Sovereign of Bitter Cold.

I had to move.

But just then—

"You there!!"

A shout suddenly came from behind me. I turned to see Leon running toward me, out of breath.

* * *

Adrian was heading somewhere. Leon hurried over to him.

"You there!! Are you all right?!"

Up close, Adrian looked terrible. He kept staggering as though he could barely support his own body, yet his mind remained clear.

"Your Highness? How are you here? Where's Seraphia...?"

"If you mean your younger sister, she's right here."

Leon carefully lowered Seraphia from his back. She lay as still as death, but the quiet sound of her gentle breathing was audible.

"Don't worry. She's only fainted."

"What happened?"

"Something truly extraordinary."

Leon briefly explained what had happened, from the battle with Luseria to the desperate fight against the she-spider of the Abyss. As expected, Adrian's eyes widened too.

"Right up until she fainted, she kept desperately insisting she had to help you."

Leon glanced at the unconscious Seraphia and shook his head.

"More importantly, are you all right?"

He checked Adrian's condition. The man was battered beyond belief. It was shocking that he was still on his feet at all.

"Where were you trying to go in that state?"

"I was going to help."

"In that condition?"

When Leon could see with the naked eye that his muscles were torn and his bones were screaming?

"Your Highness," Adrian said abruptly. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to take care of me too."

"Hm? What do you—"

Before Leon could finish, Adrian suddenly lost his balance. He crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, leaving Leon no time to catch him.

"H-hey!!"

Leon shook him hard, but Adrian lay limp, apparently completely unconscious. Still, the quiet sound of his gentle breathing was audible.

Leon sighed in relief.

Then, suddenly, he noticed Adrian and Seraphia lying unconscious, facing each other. Even battered to the point of passing out, both had been filled with worry for the other.

Leon smiled.

Though they didn't share a single drop of blood...

"You really are brother and sister."

Their care for each other ran deeper and held firmer than any bond of blood.

* * *

The black curtain that had covered the entire palace scattered in an instant, as though torn apart. Urgent footsteps sounded from every direction.

"How dare you cause a disturbance here! Do you know where you are?"

"We have orders from the royal court. Stand aside, Head Maid."

"Orders from the royal court? Do you not know who resides here, Commander Lucas?"

"I do."

"Then how dare you—"

"The royal court has ordered the arrest of Her Highness the Queen."