The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Monopoly

Read chapter 65 of The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] by Adamus_Auguste on NovelPedia.

Chapter 65: Monopoly Ransley scrutinised Kael like a stray dog about to lunge from an alley. Red pulsed in the whites of his eyes, and every rattle of his cane against the floor sounded like claws scraping metal. The air thickened with the stench of death. Kael kept his chin on the back of his hands. If he shifted in his seat without noticing it, he would only lean forward to better return Ransley's gaze, not away. Silent. Fearless. His way of saying, whether you believe it or not, I'm not lying. Silence stretched between them. Ransley gave in first. The stench faded as he slumped in his chair, his cane falling onto his limp arms. "That's not possible... Ophelia. I need to ask Ophelia." He pushed himself up, but his arms wobbled on the table. Before his legs even buckled, he sagged against his chair's backrest. "You're not in any shape to visit anyone." Kael gestured to remain seated. "Besides, even if I haven't met her yet, I doubt she'd welcome a visitor in the middle of the night. I certainly wouldn't." "Right... she must be sleeping. "Ransley's fist dropped weakly onto the table. "You wouldn't be so calm if you understood the scope of what you're implying." "I don't imply—" "No. What reason would you have to? It means you and your friends escaped the gaze of the gods, or that it was always possible, and we went into debt with Malchor for no reason." Ransley shook his head. "Drake saw what he saw, and it still haunts him to this day. His brother—blasted to dust by Solaron the moment he anchored a truth on his own. I can still see him weeping when he warned us, the only time I've ever seen him cry." Kael's throat tightened, and Els inhaled sharply beside him. Her arms trembled on the table, her body taken by icy shivers. Even Kael felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple. Obliterated for anchoring a truth? He glanced at the ethereal ledger hovering beside him. Could it have hidden him? Wait, it didn't add up. Even if he accepted that Tonio, Giovanni, and Riccardo escaped divine smiting because of relic 78, a pair of round glasses hiding people from divine gazes sounded more ridiculous than being obliterated. Besides, he had found Els after she anchored her truth. His ledger couldn't have covered her, and it wasn't even its function in the first place. No, he was neither an exception nor protected by a powerful relic. Something else confirmed it: his father. He had anchored his truth thirteen years ago when the mine collapsed. Trapped in the unnamed temple, he later died of starvation, not divine smiting. Then was Ransley wrong? He squinted at the old man, who raised his pensive face. "If you're right, there is only one thing I can think of: something changed in the divine rules. Likely not yesterday or last month. Decades ago. Without anyone noticing it. That's what your anchoring means." It made sense... maybe. Kael didn't know anymore. "Not only." Ransley groaned. "You're not the last, and likely not the first either. Listen, Kael. Not a single day goes by without any of us regretting our deal with Malchor. But truths bestowed by a god come with stable anchors and predictable prices. If the gods truly lost their monopoly for whatever reason, there will be more heretics. Not many, maybe not even one in millions. But if that clueless one's anchor breaks..." "He'll turn into an anchor-ghast." Kael pressed his lips into a tight line as he imagined a monstrous creature appearing in Ashcoil Row. A single one would ruin the neighborhood before anyone could stop it. Perhaps... temples and churches called truths miracles to prevent that. No! By design or habit, Ransley used the most accurate term: monopoly. Ransley rose from his seat. "They're just hypotheses. Ophelia will confirm or deny them..." He glanced at the door. "Tomorrow. I'll show you your rooms. Your friend's almost done." "Why would she know more than you?" Just as Kael pushed himself up, the bathroom door opened. Tonio skipped to him, shaking his head to expose his