Chapter 303: A Problem...

A few moments later...

Atlas and the four Mermaids stood in front of a massive, dark cave-like structure that seemed to extend deep into the World. At the center of the enormous chamber, a massive spherical orb floated between two narrowly extended sections of the upper and lower walls, remaining completely suspended in the air without any visible support.

The heat radiating from the spherical World Core was exactly as Melina had described, reaching an unimaginable temperature that caused the surrounding space to distort unnaturally. The space around the Core constantly twisted under the immense energy being released from it, making the entire area appear unstable despite nothing actually moving.

However, the five of them weren’t standing so far away because they were unable to withstand the heat itself. They had already bypassed that problem using their own abilities and techniques. Atlas had altered the Logic of Space around his body, essentially bypassing the portions of space where the heat was pressing down on him.

Melina had used her control over the Law of Death in a completely different way, causing the heat surrounding her to meet death itself, effectively making the heat die before it could reach her body. Jest and the other two Mermaids had also used unknown techniques through their tridents to protect themselves from the extreme temperature, allowing all four of them to remain unharmed.

There was something else preventing them from approaching the World Core directly.

"An invisible barrier, I see it has been made by the Laws."

Atlas spoke with a thoughtful expression as he stared toward the space surrounding the spherical Core. Melina and the other three Mermaids immediately nodded in agreement before explaining the situation.

The barrier couldn’t be seen through ordinary perception, but Atlas could clearly sense the numerous Laws intertwined within it, forming a structure that was fundamentally different from an ordinary defensive barrier.

"Yes, it has been created by the Laws of the World itself. It is the final resistance the World Will is showing."

Atlas nodded slowly while continuing to stare at the Core.

The moment he heard the words World Will again, his thoughts immediately returned to Eliomor. The existence of a World Will wasn’t unfamiliar to him, and the Core in front of him reminded him slightly of Eliomor’s spherical consciousness.

However, the difference between the two was so enormous that Atlas couldn’t even compare them properly. The size of this Core and the amount of energy contained inside it were on an entirely different level, making Eliomor’s World Core seem insignificant in comparison.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Atlas’s mind, and he immediately asked, "World Will, you say? Then why isn’t it showing itself? A World Will should show itself and speak to us, right?" His question immediately caused all four Mermaids to frown as they looked toward him.

For several moments, none of them answered because they seemed unsure whether Atlas had misunderstood something or was referring to a phenomenon they had never encountered before.

Melina was the first to speak. "What do you mean, Sir Atlas? A World Will cannot speak at all. Although it can relay what it is trying to communicate through different methods, a World Will itself never speaks. It is some kind of limitation to them."

Atlas’s eyebrows immediately twisted in confusion as he processed her answer. From everything he had seen so far, Melina wasn’t lying, and after the contract had been established, she couldn’t simply lie to him about something like this without suffering the consequences.

’Huh? Then how is Eliomor able to speak?’ Atlas narrowed his eyes into a slit as his suspicion toward Eliomor grew stronger. If Melina’s explanation was correct, then Eliomor possessing the ability to directly communicate through speech was abnormal.

He couldn’t determine whether that abnormality was connected to Eliomor’s true nature, something that had happened to it in the past, or a hidden ability that he simply hadn’t discovered yet.

’Something is suspicious...’ His expression became colder as another thought followed immediately afterward.

’I need to figure out if it is plotting something or not. For now, even if it tried to harm Seraphiel while I’m not there, I want to see it try.’ The thought came with absolute certainty.

Atlas had already taken measures to keep Seraphiel safe whenever he was away, and after everything that had happened, he couldn’t bring himself to trust anyone when it came to either his own safety or hers.

For now, however, he dismissed those thoughts and returned his attention to the World Core, "I see, so a World’s Will cannot speak."

Melina and the other three could only dismiss the strange topic and shift their attention back toward the invisible barrier. Melina’s expression became serious as she looked toward the Core before explaining the problem they were facing.

"The problem now is this barrier, although I can control the Law of Death, the barrier itself is made from several Laws at once, making it impossible for me or my subordinates to breach through it." Atlas turned toward them and nodded in understanding.

He had already sensed the same thing himself, and there was no reason to question their assessment. The barrier wasn’t simply a wall of energy that could be overwhelmed through brute force. Several Laws had been woven together to create it, meaning that breaking through it directly would require an understanding of every Law involved or enough authority to completely override them.

"Then what are you going to do now?" Atlas asked calmly. "You said your World’s life force was coming to an end, you must need this, don’t you?" His tone remained indifferent as he asked the question as the destruction of their World wasn’t something that personally concerned him.

He was only interested in understanding what they intended to do with the Core and whether their situation would affect his own plans. Melina nodded before lowering her head slightly.

"Yes. Well, that was the problem. As I said, we only stumbled upon this World while venturing through the Galaxy to find a certain person. That person could have been able to locate these types of barren Worlds for us." She paused briefly before continuing.

"But once we stumbled into this World, we thought this would be enough to restore our World to how it was, so we removed the thought of finding that person for the time being and tried to take its Core...but as you can see, we aren’t able to do that."

Atlas nodded again and turned toward the World Core. He remained silent for several moments as he examined the barrier and considered the situation from his own perspective. He could create a way for them to reach the Core without much difficulty, but doing so would only solve their problem without giving him anything in return.

’I can make a way for them to bypass the barrier, but...it doesn’t really benefit me.’

His eyes shifted toward the four Mermaids, who were clearly disappointed despite having finally reached the Core they desperately needed. Atlas exhaled quietly before deciding that there was no reason to let such an opportunity go to waste.

"Alright. Let me make a path for you to get there and do what you were talking about regarding fooling the power governing these Worlds. After taking the Core, you and I will share it."

The four Mermaids immediately looked toward Atlas in surprise. He continued before they could respond, "I would have been magnanimous and said we could share it equally, but...because I am the one providing the way to the Core itself, we will split it into sixty-forty."

The moment he said those words, Melina and the other three Mermaids widened their eyes. However, their expressions weren’t filled with fear or horror this time. Instead, their eyes contained clear reverence and respect toward Atlas, because even after hearing his demand, they knew that they were receiving an opportunity they couldn’t obtain on their own.

Melina immediately spoke, "W-We agree, Sir Atlas. We wouldn’t need more than that, even forty percent of this Core carries enough energy to not only sustain our World but also evolve it! Although the individuals will have to compromise for that, we can do that without issue! Thank you, Sir Atlas. Thank you very much!"

She immediately bowed toward him.

Atlas’s expression became uncomfortable as he looked at her. "I said you four are not some slaves, right? Do not bow to me like I am your master or something." His voice became colder as he spoke, causing Melina to tremble slightly before she quickly realized that Atlas had misunderstood her actions.

"N-No, Sir Atlas, you misunderstood. This is how our race shows respect to someone they respect and feel gratitude towards."

Atlas’s expression changed slightly as he arched an eyebrow.

’Sigh...’

He looked at Melina for a moment before finally speaking, "Alright, but even then, do not act like that in front of me. It is the last warning."

Melina immediately nodded and turned her attention back toward the World Core. The other three Mermaids also looked toward the enormous spherical orb, their expressions becoming more serious as they realized that they were finally going to obtain the thing their World desperately needed.

Atlas slowly raised his hand while continuing to stare at the World Core.

"Now, let’s get that thing."