Chapter: 81. Daily Life with Thunder (1)
I’m late.
It was already a completely dark night as I trudged back to the lodging, pulling the empty ricar.
There were several reasons for my delay, but one of them was surely Linshua.
Turning my head to look at the cargo area of the ricar, I spotted two kids.
Han Abin, who seemed tired, was fast asleep, and Linshua suddenly appeared to play, seeking affection as soon as Han Abin dozed off.
I had told her to hide if she sensed Han Abin stirring, but that never happened, and Linshua ended up falling asleep quietly as well.
Those few hours of playtime had dragged on, and now it was the middle of the night.
I entrusted Linshua to Irha and carried Han Abin as I headed to the lodging.
Since I had a small frame, her shoes were dragging on the ground, but at least they were sneakers, so they wouldn’t get damaged.
As I pulled my body along, I gazed up at the sky.
The northern lands where humanity had vanished.
Beyond Earth.
Stars shimmering above the dark veil.
What a sight!
I stared at the twinkling stars in the amethyst sky.
Stars.
Surely, Al’Sirin claimed she was of the star race, and that she was a priestess of the stars.
What did that mean?
Looking back now, I should have asked her. Is it Cthulhu?
Those lightless external entities.
Or perhaps constellations that are said to rest on every star?
Chuckle.
I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing already that it wasn’t like that.
We’ve experienced countless things and considered countless possibilities.
From classic novels to playful internet stories, the narratives of heroes were generally similar to those.
It’s not like such existences didn’t exist. Someone, even now, must be experiencing it.
A whisper of encouragement from the stars. The ultimate story referred to as an outsider;
but of course, all of them resembled superhuman beings from ancient tales.
Ah. There’s another one.
The gigantic parrot clam is still snoozing somewhere in the Atlantic. The one humorously referred to as Cthulhu.
The only 0-Rank Monster that humanity has lost to.
If that creature were the end of this tale, that would be amusing too. Because if we defeat that thing, it all ends.
But, such a straightforward story is unlikely.
A being at the end of the narrative.
Why was that name assigned to it? According to her, it self-proclaimed that title.
Are those beings you can meet after reaching the story’s end? If so, why do the heroes who end the story never mention it?
Mental Manipulation? Or is some condition from the origin required?
If I proceed with the story, will I encounter them?
Or is the story just a simple metaphor for beings that appear at the end of the invasion?
It’s complicated.
I decided to clear my mind and gazed up at the purple sky. The hues faded from the dark night sky and the stars above due to the light emitted from the Association’s buildings.
They resembled Linshua’s eyes.
This thought had crossed my mind from the beginning.
The being at the end. The star race. Linshua’s influence. Linshua’s eyes. The sky I was currently gazing at.
It felt as if the origin was leading me to some conclusion.
I seemed to recall having seen such records somewhere. Common claims were made by those who had completed the stories…
Stop.
I jolted.
A sudden voice echoed, prompting me to summon my hammer and assume a combat stance.
What is that? Where did that come from?
I pulled Han Abin close to protect her, using my left hand to embrace her tightly before beginning to scout the surroundings.
I had already encountered two bizarre incidents today.
Han Abin’s awakening.
Al’Sirin’s Otherworld Invasion.
If two occurrences could happen, then three might as well.
I thought while waiting a moment, but nothing happened.
Only the twinkling cluster of stars flowed silently above. The only sound was Han Abin’s gentle breathing.
Another hallucination?
I must be on edge.
This was close to a contaminated area. Wasn’t it possible for unusual hallucinations to occur here? If I responded to each sound, I wouldn’t manage to get any proper sleep.
Thinking this, I relaxed my guard and found myself standing before the entrance of the lodging.
The iron door was slightly ajar, with the cool air from the underground seeping out.
Upon realizing I had reached the lodging, the tension that had enveloped my body quickly dissipated.
I need to rest. Today was such a hectic day that I must have become more tense.
Grrr.
Making a heavy sound like a metal door, I stepped into the lodging.
Although I made a fuss about calling the management office to find out where Han Abin’s room was, I safely returned her to her room.
“What on Earth is today…?”
Seriously, it’s exhausting until the very end.
“Tomorrow is training in full gear.”
Beep.
I threw off my coat slung over my shoulder and opened my room door.
Home, sweet home. Although it’s a temporary place to stay, knowing it’s my own lodging makes it a comfortable place to rest alone without any pressure…
“Thunder God?”
Why is the Thunder God in my room?
Is this even my room?
I was shocked and looked up, but the numbers on the door confirmed that this was indeed my room.
“What are you doing? Are you going to keep a girl waiting?”
Zap!
A short spark flew out.
She sprang from the bed at an incredible speed and grabbed my hand.
Destination: the bed. Her embrace.
“Thunder God?! I’ve had a busy day; I’m struggling to grasp the current situation!”
Stammering and struggling to maintain grip on the doorknob, I resisted as best I could.
“Why not? We slept together yesterday.”
The Thunder God grinned wickedly, twisting her lips into a devilish smile.
“No, that was special about yesterday…”
“Haram doesn’t have time to play with me, yet finds time for another girl? Seems you went off to meet someone again today.”
Another girl? Other than Han Abin and Linshua, who could that be?
“Wait. Perhaps there’s a misunderstanding, but yes, she is a girl.”
“Why not hide the marks on your hands and say that?”
= What now?
Reflexively lowering my gaze to the doorknob, a crimson stain came into view.
Looks like it’s a red mark, as if the origin had absorbed something.
Octopus’s suckers?
Wait… does this mean…
“Hang on. I can explain!”
As I panicked and let go of the doorknob—
“Gotcha.”
The Divine One didn’t miss that moment and pulled me in.
An overwhelming acceleration.
My vision blurred rapidly.
Then, I saw the cozy, warm texture of the soft fabric.
Before I had a moment to evaluate those sensations, her two golden arms wrapped around my body like yesterday.
I was restrained.
I realized that only after the Divine One had me tightly in her grip, just like the day before.
Sarrok.
The intense clash ended, topped off with a delicate blanket that floated in the air.
It settled down upon us.
Complete restraint.
Even in such a terrifying situation, other thoughts raced through my mind.
What excuses will convince the Thunder God? Why am I panicking this much? What will the Thunder God say?
In truth, it was only a red mark.
In a way, it resembles some kind of bruise.
Why am I worried over something so trivial?
As I pondered countless thoughts…
Thump. The Divine One’s chin rested on top of my head.
“You don’t have to explain. I know the truth.”
“You met Sirin, didn’t you? No doubt you challenged her.”
Though not entirely incorrect, it was also slightly different.
“Thunder God, have you met her as well?”
“Yeah. She was quite elegant, wasn’t she? Even though she was a monster, she managed to gain people’s trust. Of course, things may have been a bit different for the Cherry Mallet, who just charges in blindly.”
Elegant?
Hearing that term brings to mind the image of an octopus dancing and wobbling around.
“Well, considering you returned quietly, it seems you didn’t harm Sirin.”
“If I had harmed her, what do you think would happen?”
I already inflicted significant harm on my own body.
“How many escaped through here thanks to her? The residents likely fled too, right?”
“I thought you would rip off an arm or two and then listen to the story, but you seem more tame than I thought.”
Hmm… Breaking a neck and damaging a skull should be fine, right?
“Why so serious? You suddenly went quiet. You didn’t wipe the floor, did you? Is that why you were late?”
She whispered with a hint of laughter, jokingly.
I nearly did something similar myself…
“I’m not that merciless. Divine One. I’m still alive with limbs intact, and the local residents have not been harmed.”
That’s right. The limbs are intact.
The neck and skull don’t count as limbs, so…
She had reassured me. I could brush this off shamelessly.
“Then it’s all good.”
She played with my hair with her right hand while continuing.
“Now, can you tell me what happened today?”
“Why should I?”
Today’s tales are not much different from my tragic history.
Premature judgments. A colossal farce. Countless mistakes. Everything went wrong today.
“What did Haram say yesterday?”
What did he say?
“I remember him saying that if you’re bothered by thoughts of the past, you’ll not enjoy yourself. Now I’m thinking about what Haram did today.”
That was indeed a nuance a bit different, but similar.
“Sir Haram is not the kind of hero who goes back on his word, is he?”
I could feel the Thunder God’s grin even without seeing her.
If it’s her, it’s probably fine to share.
So, where should I start this tale?
“First, I took Han Abin with me and…”
The tale continued.
The story of her witnessing overlapping realities and how her sense of self collapsed.
The strange phenomenon that arose suddenly.
Han Abin’s new power.
Advanced Mental Magic.
“And also…”
I hesitated, looking up to her face. She was gazing down at me with interest.
Pacifying smile.
If it’s her…
“Divine One. Can I ask one thing?”
“Don’t go serious on me.”
Was she brushing off the serious tone in my voice?
She kept her bright smile, but there was a hint of unease.
“What about the student left behind by those who died in battle?”
“I’m no longer a hero.”
“What happened to the student?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Those who shared the student’s secrets, they either break free or vanish. Why? Are you thinking of speaking of an important story here?”
Perfect.
“Han Abin. Within her, a Happiness Drop has been implanted.”
I felt her body tremble slightly while holding onto me.
“Hey. Wait a moment. What’s that about? How did it happen?”
Her questions poured out like a waterfall, and as she shook my chin, I ignored her and continued.
“Additionally, it is presumed that the magic she awakened was inherited from her.”
“Advanced Mental Magic that includes Emotion Sharing… she inherited that…?”
Though I was surprised she didn’t let go of me. Shocking truths were still many to come.
“Moreover, she is also believed to have faintly awakened Blood Magic. Details unknown.”
“Are you going to just push this onto me?”
She firmly grasped my collar.
Pulling me in while keeping me in her grasp? That’s quite a bizarre move.
“From my tale, the higher-ups showed up.”
Even as I felt the pressure on my neck, I spoke.
“You cannot lose!”
Her blind faith was appreciated, but I’m human too.
“I didn’t lose, but I did come close to dying.”
No way.
“That’s no lie. So I’d like to tell you, the one I can trust the most, about the student’s secret.”
“Stop!”
Her loud voice made my ears briefly ring.
Simultaneously, I felt the strong embrace pulling me in.
“Don’t die… Stay with me. Don’t leave me behind, Haram.”
Through the arms that held me, I could feel her warm presence.
Was it due to the intensity of emotions? A slight prick of electricity ran through me, but I moved my hands to entwine around her arms.
“I’m not dying. If I did, I wouldn’t be here already having shared this information.”
I clasped her hands, allowing her to feel my warmth.
…For some odd reason, it felt more real than normal, which makes it worse. Silly Haram.
Was my movement comforting her? The electric sensations flowing through her seemed to weaken slightly.
“Then let’s skip that and continue the story.”
“Is there more?”
Ignoring her surprise, I continued my tale.
Meeting people, the boss of the shelter, and the conversations I had with them.
The Divine One listened to my story, crying and getting angry.
And she remained blissfully unaware of the lies hidden in my words.
A colossal ocean of emotions concealed beneath the vast sea of deception.
Even a child would easily recognize the flimsy disguise of my truths, yet she remained oblivious.
I had lied to her.
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