Chapter 54: The Second Trial [1]: Trial Of Truth

"The Founder?" Renelle was the one who spoke up as she kept her eyes on the translucent figure.

The thing was, it shouldn’t have been possible for him to be here, he disappeared over a century ago.

{Don’t worry little one,} the translucent, figure identified as the founder, spoke with a smile, {I’m not actually here, this is just a pre-recorded message....well, not exactly.}

"Not exactly?" Adrian asked with a frown, since the dungeon was never shown in the manhwa, everything that had happened so far was out of his expectations.

The man chuckled at the question .

{A simple recording would be far too dull, wouldn’t it?} he said, {after all, how could I judge those who enter, if I cannot speak to them?}

"That means," Adrian muttered quietly, as the founder continued.

{What you see before you is a fragment of me, anchored to this place through a manipulation of time itself.}

{To put it simply,} he added, tilting his head slightly, {this is me... and not me. A version of myself that exists at the moment you stand here.}

Renelle’s brows furrowed as she muttered, "that doesn’t make sense."

{Of course it doesn’t,} the founder smiled, {time rarely does when you try to look at it too closely.}

Adrian remained silent for a moment as the mention of time put the final piece of the puzzle in place.

"You split your existence across different points in time," he said calmly, "so that anyone who enters this dungeon doesn’t interact with a memory... but with a version of you from their present."

The founder’s smile widened as he turned to Renelle, {see, your boyfriend’s a sharp one.}

"He’s not my—" She started only to be cut off by him..

{Yeah, yeah, he’s your butler who you just found out is from another world and yet you still don’t want him to leave your side,} the founder said casually, his tone far too amused for the situation.

Renelle froze as her denial died in her throat before it could fully form.

A faint flush crept up her neck, though her expression tried, unsuccessfully, to remain composed.

"...That is not—" she started again, only to pause midway, because she couldn’t actually refute it.

Fortunately, Adrian soon switched the topic, saving her some face.

"You seem to know about our pasts and yet you still allowed us in?"

{Why wouldn’t I?} His gaze moved between the two, first resting on Renelle.

{A girl who has already seen the end of her story,} then he turned to Adrian, {and a boy who came from outside of it.}

He paused and looked at the two.

{Tell me,} he said softly, {what kind of fool would I be to turn away such interesting guests?}

Adrian observed quite a few things from the founder’s words, the old man had seen both their memories, and wasn’t the least bit bothered that this world was from a manhwa in Adrian’s previous world.

In fact, he seemed entertained by them?

{Now,} he clapped both translucent hands together, snapping him out of his thoughts, {since you all completed the first trial, it’s time for the next.}

Before they could ask, the founder said,

{Ah, don’t worry though, I won’t be digging anymore into your memories,} he paused and placed a hand on his chin, {though, I don’t think there’s anymore of it left to dig into.}

{The second trial is... a bit more straightforward,} the founder continued, though the amused glint in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Adrian didn’t trust that smile, not one bit.

Renelle, on the other hand, had already regained her composure, her expression returning to its usual calm indifference.

"Define straightforward," she said.

{You just have to be completely honest with each other,} the founder muttered, {well, not that you’ll have a choice though.}

Again, before they could ask anything, the ground beneath them started glowing, but just when they expected something to happen, the light faded.

"Huh?" Renelle let out as she scanned her surrounding.

Unlike previously, the environment didn’t change, the only change was that Adrian was standing directly opposite her.

{Now then,} the founder spoke up again, {you two may begin.}

"Nothing changed," Renelle observed, looking around.

{Oh, it has,} the founder responded, {try lying.}

"...." Renelle had a blank expression as she muttered, "what kind of childish—"

"Are you flustered, my lady?" Adrian said calmly.

"I am not," She immediately denied.

{Lie.}

A voice suddenly came from all around them, similar to the founder’s, but it was very clearly not said by him.

Or at least not by the him currently before them.

{This space rejects falsehood,} the founder explained, {spoken or unspoken, even the ones you tell yourselves.}

"How troublesome," Renelle clicked her tongue.

{Very,} the founder agreed.

He then took a step back, as his form beginning to fade further.

{You may begin.}

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving the two alone.

***

The duo were quiet for a while, Renelle had so much to ask, but she had no idea where to start.

"Earth," Adrian suddenly spoke up, pulling her attention to him.

"Hmm?" She asked a bit confused.

"The name of the world you saw in that memory," he explained, "it’s the world where I was born in, before I arrived here after I died."

{True}

Even without the voice’s affirmation, Renelle was sure that he was telling the truth, due to the look in his eyes.

"Then why did you say you were a regressor?" She asked, her blue eyes looking into his grey ones.

"Because I was scared that there would be some type of mechanism in place that would ensure I told no one," he answered calmly, "I was scared of what would happen to you if I had told you."

{True.}

Again, the voice confirmed his words.

"About you being obsessed with me," She slowly asked, "was that true?"

Yes she had seen it in his memories, but still, she wanted to be completely certain.

"Yes," Adrian answered.

{True}

"I see," she muttered as she processed his answers, "then one last question."

Renelle took in a deep breath before asking, "am I still just a character in a picture book, to you?"