Ghosts and similar entities existed in this world.
Chico C. Hammett's "Urban Legend" magic could summon and gather the spirits of Magnolia to fight, so Marco was no stranger to them.
The reason he'd never suspected Robaul wasn't human was that the old man seemed too normal.
Compared to the mindless, wandering spirits, it was impossible to imagine him being the same kind of being.
"That's right," Robaul said, finally letting go of all pretense. "I was a member of the Nirvit Clan from over four hundred years ago. I invented Nirvana. My original intention was to end war, to end the hatred and slaughter between people. But sadly... everything went wrong."
He had even frankly admitted his status as a ghost.
Marco's jaw dropped in astonishment, finding it all utterly unbelievable.
A ghost... a ghost that had existed for four or five hundred years... and still possessed enough Magic Power to create so many Thought Projection?
And each of those Thought Projection had its own independent personality, acting almost like a true living being...
Marco couldn't even begin to imagine how powerful Robaul must have been when he was alive.
'As expected of the one who created a magic as heaven-defying as Nirvana,' he thought.
'He can't be judged by ordinary standards.'
"Did the Nirvit Clan... perish?"
Marco gathered his thoughts, pushing his astonishment aside.
He now understood why Robaul had guarded this place for over four hundred years and why he wanted to destroy Nirvana.
Judging from Robaul's final verdict on Nirvana and his original purpose for creating it, he must have used the magic and caused irreversible, terrible consequences.
And considering the current situation—Robaul guarding this place alone as a single "ghost"—the Nirvit Clan had likely been wiped out long ago.
"That's right," Robaul confirmed. "After Nirvana was activated, some evil people did become good. But far more good people were corrupted. They exposed the desires hidden deep in their hearts and ultimately... destroyed everything. The Nirvit Clan was annihilated. I sealed Nirvana with my last breath and became a spirit, forever bound to this place."
As expected, Robaul's story matched Marco's suspicions almost perfectly.
He was now certain: Nirvana was truly dangerous and had to be destroyed.
'It doesn't turn good people evil,' Marco realized. 'It twists normal people. Everyone has desires, but normal people can suppress their sinful urges. Under Nirvana's influence, those suppressed desires are infinitely amplified, turning ordinary people into demons.'
"Where is Nirvana? We must destroy it."
Marco didn't hesitate.
He made his decision instantly.
The Oración Seis must not get their hands on it.
In fact, no one should ever possess it.
It had to be destroyed! Nirvana was simply too dangerous.
"Are you sure you can do it?"
Robaul looked at Marco with doubt in his eyes.
Destroying Nirvana wouldn't be easy. It was a vast city—an ancient city that had survived to this day.
"Let's put it this way," Marco replied. "If even I'm not confident, there probably aren't many people in this world who would dare to say they are."
Faced with the old man's skepticism, Marco just smiled.
His claim might have sounded a bit exaggerated, but he believed he had the right to make it.
When it came to sheer destructive power, he was second to none.
"You brat, are you really that strong?"
Robaul remained half-convinced, half-doubting.
He had been isolated in the Worthwood Sea for so long, and the Cait Shelter Guild rarely had extensive contact with the outside world.
He had no firsthand knowledge of Marco's true strength, only that he had a big reputation.
"Old Man Robaul," Marco said, his expression turning serious, "you've only seen me joking around. But once the fighting starts, you'll understand why I can afford to be so carefree. It's because my strength backs me up."
His earnest tone convinced Robaul—though the trust built up between them over time was the main reason.
Robaul believed Marco wasn't the kind of person who would covet Nirvana.
He trusted that Marco understood its dangers—that it was a tool for ambitious schemers, not for someone who genuinely wanted to make the world a better place.
"Alright, let's go. I'll show you."
In the end, Robaul nodded, deciding to trust Marco.
In all these years, Marco was the first person he had ever agreed to show Nirvana to.
The main reason was the current dire situation: the Oración Seis were already lying in wait outside.
Since Marco was confident, Robaul felt it was worth a shot.
The location of Nirvana wasn't within the Cait Shelter Guild's headquarters.
Robaul led Marco through a winding maze of paths to an area filled with strange, towering rock formations.
There, they finally saw the sealed Nirvana—but it didn't look like a city at all.
"Isn't that... a tree?" Marco asked.
Before them stood a colossal, faintly glowing tree, bound by heavy chains.
"That's my seal," Robaul explained. "Nirvana's true form is beneath this tree. Or rather, the tree itself is part of Nirvana—just a small portion of it that's visible on the surface."
He continued, "Of course, we couldn't just leave Nirvana out in the open. It would attract far too much attention. We probably wouldn't have even had to wait for the Oración Seis to find it; countless others would have come for it long ago."
"Do we go down? Or do you bring it up?"
Marco nodded.
He could see that the seal was far from simple, the technique was incredibly sophisticated.
No wonder it could hide an entire city underground.
No, it wasn't just hidden underground.
It seemed to be sealed within a special pocket dimension, with only this small part left as a visible manifestation.
Through this small part, Nirvana could be released once more.
"Only by releasing it can we truly destroy it."
Robaul's expression was grave.
This was why he never brought anyone here lightly. Releasing Nirvana would cause a massive disturbance, one that would almost certainly be noticed.
"Marco, are you sure about this?" Robaul asked, looking at him for final confirmation. "The moment I release Nirvana, those Oración Seis members will definitely notice. It's the same as directly revealing Nirvana's location to them."
This was no game.
With enemies already lying in wait, keeping Nirvana hidden might have bought them time.
Once exposed, there would be no room for maneuvering.
"Don't worry," Marco said with a mischievous grin. "I specifically checked before coming—the Oración Seis haven't shown up yet. We can definitely handle this before their main forces arrive. Let me give them a surprise—one they'll never see coming."
His plan was simple: destroy Nirvana before the Oración Seis arrived, catching them completely off guard and ruining their scheme!
Then, with the Alliance already gathered, they wouldn't just disperse.
The Oración Seis, their plans thwarted and humiliated by Marco, would surely not back down.
This would set the stage for a direct, head-on battle, eliminating the need to worry about the Dark Guilds' usual tricks and schemes.
"Alright, then. I'll release it."
Seeing Marco's unwavering confidence, Robaul cast aside his hesitation.
He began to undo the seal, preparing to release Nirvana's physical form.