Limited Extra Time - Chapter 188

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

—— Page 1 ——

She stood speechless before the majestic landscape unfurling before her eyes.

Towering sand dunes rose first into view, and beyond them lay an immense oasis situated in the very heart of this nation—a sight of breathtaking grandeur.

The vast oasis sprawling magnificently between the endless dunes stole all words from her lips. The water shimmered with an emerald brilliance, and the sky stretched overhead in the most brilliant azure she had ever witnessed.

Truly, it was a place of extraordinary beauty.

“What do you think? Carina Leopold.”

“…You are dreadful, but this nation’s landscape is genuinely beautiful.”

Carina Leopold had never witnessed such a vista in all her life.

She yearned to paint it immediately—to capture every detail upon a single canvas. Her blue eyes gleamed with fervent passion.

In that moment, golden flames seemed to ignite within her azure gaze.

—— Page 2 ——

“…Ah, as I thought.”

Karsan Erha’s expression transformed as he beheld the magnificent spectacle reflected in Carina Leopold’s eyes.

“You are the one who must stand beside me.”

“….”

At the sound of the mountain breaking, Carina Leopold’s expression hardened. Looking out at this vast landscape, she felt as though she understood just how meaningless his actions were.

“If it’s a country like this, there must be many people who love this place more than I do.”

“Carina Leopold, do you know what the most beautiful gold in the world is?”

I’m not sure.

“When miracles happen, it’s the golden flames burning in artists’ eyes. Especially you—you possess a gold more beautiful than any gold I’ve ever seen.”

At Karsan’s words, Carina Leopold exhaled a long sigh.

Yet apart from that, the landscape unfolding before her eyes was breathtakingly beautiful. If not for this man, she felt she could have spent the entire day simply gazing upon this scenery.

“But these are flames that consume my life force, aren’t they?”

“That’s a problem we can easily solve. Carina, if you wish it, you can freely paint any picture you desire and bring it into reality.”

He descended slowly and set her down.

Landing near the Capital, he held her hand as they wandered through every corner of the Market Alley.

“…There are so many sick people here.”

Carina Leopold frowned as she looked around.

There were people limping, people missing an arm, and even the blind. Despite appearing to be a magnificent nation, the streets were filled with quite a number of afflicted individuals.

“There are many who suffer from Art Sickness, so it’s unavoidable.”

—— Page 3 ——

…So many people afflicted with Art Sickness?

No matter how many there were, I found it hard to believe that so many people walked these streets with bodies bearing some form of disability.

Yes, you know my nation is famous for sculpture, don’t you? Every building here, every statue, even the smallest carvings in my Castle—all were carved directly by my nation’s exceptional sculptors.

Carina Leopold’s mouth fell silent. There was no other way to describe it but madness.

So then, was he saying that all these people had lost parts of their bodies to Art Sickness while sculpting?

How could there be so many?

I had heard that Art Sickness had an extremely low infection rate. In fact, even searching back a hundred years, it wasn’t a disease that afflicted so many people. How could so many Art Sickness patients gather in one place like this?

This makes no sense. How could there be so many people?

My nation makes it possible. All my citizens are exceptional artists.

He led her somewhere. It was a building that appeared to be a space where children gathered to live.

Inside the pristine white building were children dressed in Karlan’s distinctive attire. All of them held chisels and hammers in their hands, and stones and cheap crystals were scattered everywhere. The children were busy striking their hammers repeatedly, sweat pouring down their faces.

Wow, wow! Teacher! Hassan’s sculpture is glowing!

Indeed, I always thought he created exceptionally outstanding works, and he truly is remarkable, Hassan. This is definitely the work of miraculous power. Who were your parents?

The Teacher wearing a pristine white turban nodded with satisfaction, a pleased smile on his face. His eyes studying the sculpture were sharp.

—— Page 4 ——

Yet his voice felt endlessly gentle.

“My father is Kalif and my mother is Halan.”

“Kalif’s sculptures were certainly beautiful. I wasn’t particularly pleased about him marrying a failure like Halan, but bloodline doesn’t lie, does it.”

The Teacher, murmuring thus, carefully stroked the child’s hair.

He withdrew a box from his pocket and took out a small golden badge.

He pinned it to the boy’s chest.

“You are already a successful person. Since the miracle has manifested, all you need do is refine your craft to create even better works going forward.”

Carina Leopold’s brow furrowed.

It was distasteful enough that people were being evaluated by bloodline as if they were livestock, but the way those who failed to manifest miracles were treated as failures made her disgust intensify even further.

That wasn’t all. In response to those very words,

the other children seemed to feel a sense of deprivation, clenching their teeth as they returned to sculpting with gleaming, desperate eyes. Not a single hand among them was unmarked.

“…What exactly is all of this?”

“My nation is a country blessed by the God of Art. Every year we offer tribute, and outstanding artists marry other artists to produce the next generation.”

“….”

“Their descendants will become outstanding and great artists in turn. And when they meet other brilliant artists, my nation grows ever more powerful.”

My stomach churned.

I even questioned whether what I was hearing was proper language at all.

She swallowed hard. Her head throbbed. His logic was not so different from that of a livestock market.

“So you brought me here as part of that plan?”

“As an outstanding artist myself, I too have a duty to leave behind a legacy—a

—— Page 5 ——

lineage. If this lineage and I produce a child together, they will manifest a miracle unprecedented in its power.”

Carina Leopold closed her mouth.

Something was deeply wrong here. She had never imagined a person could exist who would forcibly manufacture miracles.

Of course, even if miracles could be awakened, there were still ordinary people in the world.

But even so, if the number of people capable of wielding miracles increased, then the number of patients afflicted with Art Sickness would rise dramatically as well.

The probability was inextricably linked.

To think optimistically was folly—a ten percent chance of contracting Art Sickness was far too high. Above all, miracles artificially created this way could never be sound.

…Do you possess any awareness that you are committing madness right now?

I don’t understand what you mean. You simply haven’t yet grasped this grand vision. Have you considered it? The supreme being born from art alone—the strongest

creature, an army unto itself.

…

The mightiest, invincible sorcerer on earth?

Creating people is forbidden for a reason…

It’s all nonsense from weaklings, fools, and cowards. We have long received the blessing of the God of Art and worked to manifest that blessing as powerfully as possible, Carina Leopold.

Karsan Erha spread both arms wide as he spoke.

Yes.

And the greatest jewel I’ve found is you. You, who possess the Miracle of Creation. Among countless miracles, the Miracle of Creation is extraordinarily rare.

At his appearance, which bordered on madness, Carina Leopold’s expression hardened.

He was clearly not in his right mind. It seemed best to escape this place by any means necessary.

…I don’t want to use this ability to die. Obviously, I have no intention of using

—— Page 6 ——

this miracle.

“That can be resolved. If you ascend our independently developed vessel, use your ability, and place a substitute for my life in the paired vessel, you won’t have your lifeforce stolen.”

After showing her around, Karsan Erha snapped his fingers, and someone appeared.

The Movement Miracle Artist hurled a sculpture onto the ground. A door materialized on the floor.

“Cough… hack.”

The Movement Miracle Artist staggered violently and fell to his knees on the ground.

At his barely audible, thread-thin breathing, Carina Leopold’s eyes widened.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“…I’m fine, I’m fine. Everything is for the greater cause…”

The Movement Miracle Artist’s body collapsed forward. Other men approached and roughly hoisted him onto their shoulders. Seeing his chest still rise and fall, his breath clearly remained.

“We need to call a Physician.”

At Carina Leopold’s words, Karsan Erha placed his hand on her waist.

“You’re quite kind, aren’t you? That artist over there sculpts and possesses the Movement Miracle. Each time he uses his ability, his lungs deteriorate further—he’s clearly reached his limit. Even summoning the Physician won’t save him. It’s time we disposed of him.”

“Disposed of? Have you lost your mind? He’s still alive.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? It’s what he would want anyway.”

My head throbbed.

Carina Leopold stood frozen in place, her face drained of words for a long moment.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————