Chapter: 464
I barely opened my eyes, lifting my heavy eyelids.
“…?”
When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a vast expanse of water.
‘What the heck?’
I didn’t do anything sudden that would make me lose my breath.
Carefully rolling my eyes, I checked my surroundings, but no matter how much I looked, all I could see was water.
‘…What is this?’
What on earth is this ridiculous situation?
How did I end up in a place like this?
I tried to recall what just happened.
Remembering how Shin Noya appeared and how I destroyed something called a bowl.
Then, the bowl broke, and I was swept away by the water.
Plus, the clearly vivid memory of being killed once by the Heavenly Lord with my heart pierced came rushing back.
I looked around again, thinking over that.
It was all water.
All I could see was water. I tried moving my arms.
Fortunately, moving doesn’t seem to be too inconvenient…
‘Is this all, by any chance, the water from before?’
The water that wrapped around me and broke the bowl.
Could this really be that water?
The space didn’t seem at all cramped, but did all that water really pour down to fill it up?
After glancing around a few more times, I quickly shook my head.
When I thought about it, I realized there was no need to worry about this.
After all, this isn’t a real space.
No need to think about the water or the space.
‘The important thing is what to do now.’
Why am I here?
I need to figure that out first.
According to Noya, breaking this bowl means you’re no longer human.
‘What has changed?’
At the moment, I couldn’t tell what had changed.
I was simply letting the gentle waves carry me.
I lifted my head and looked up at the surface of the water.
It seemed like it would be possible to swim up if I really tried.
‘What’s up there?’
If I go up, could I possibly get out?
‘Breathing.’
From what I can tell, I’m not currently suffocating, so breathing itself doesn’t seem to be the issue.
For now, I thought I should just swim up like this.
I attempted to move my body upwards.
Swish…
Woosh—
Suddenly, my body stiffened.
I sensed something.
Where is it? Where did I feel that presence?
The issue is that there’s something in a space I initially thought was mine alone.
Swish…
I’m getting goosebumps from head to toe.
This isn’t just a light feeling.
Something is definitely different.
I could feel it instinctively.
Slither…
An unusually pronounced sound echoed in my ears.
The presence was gradually getting closer, yet for some reason, I couldn’t catch sight of it.
What the heck?
What is lurking around?
A chilling sensation crept in instinctively.
Should I call this feeling deadly?
It was something shallow yet much stickier.
Cold sweat trickled down my face.
I wondered how sweat could run underwater, but that’s definitely what it felt like.
Sigh.
The sensation that had lingered suddenly cut off at some point.
Then, the tension that had been there melted away from my body as if it was all a lie.
‘…’
Still, my eyes were darting around, searching like crazy.
It wasn’t something that would simply vanish so easily.
‘Where is it?’
I looked all around, rolling my eyes madly.
I glanced into the void but still couldn’t see anything.
I scanned the sides and the bottom, but all I could see was endless darkness…
Swish.
“…!”
What the hell.
As soon as I looked down at the floor, I cursed inwardly.
I saw darkness.
A depth that was unfathomably deep.
“…”
Yeah, that was definitely it.
Swish.
The place where the unknown presence is felt is, indeed, that darkness.
Is something hiding in there?
I used to think that way when I first saw it, but not anymore.
After just a few seconds of watching, I understood well enough.
It’s not hiding in the dark.
Slither…!
That darkness itself was the threat.
Kyarruruk.
Did it notice that I noticed?
Something unusual began to happen in the darkness.
A pure white gap slowly appeared and started to stretch out.
The sight was reminiscent of…
‘a mouth?’
It resembled the mouth of a beast.
In confusion, I opened my eyes wide.
Kuuunng-!
Kraaaaaaaaaa-!
‘What the hell!’
A massive darkness swooped down on me.
Kwaaaaah-!
I quickly turned my body, feeling something rush towards me.
Crunch-!
‘Ugh…!!’
Since I was underwater, my movements were slow, and I couldn’t shield one arm.
The creature clamped down on my arm and began to swim roughly through the water.
The speed was far faster than expected.
‘What kind of little demon is this…!’
I squinted at the thing biting me, wincing under the pressure.
I hadn’t noticed it when it was cloaked in darkness, but looking closer, I could see some features.
‘What the… is this?’
A long form with a sleek, flowing figure became visible.
At first glance, it seemed to be a snake-type monster resembling a thief.
But I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.
‘It has arms and legs.’
This creature had limbs that a snake would lack.
Its scales appeared far thicker and clearer than that.
Although it was hard to make out, there were unknown horns on its head, with hair along its back extending to its tail.
‘What on earth is…’
What could this be?
It was a creature of a shape I had never seen before. Not a snake, nor a beast.
Kwadddeuk-!
“Krrrrr!”
While I continuously examined the creature, my body slammed into something.
It seemed the thing had just slammed me against the wall.
Woof-!
‘Ugh…!!’
I felt pain as if my torn arm was being ripped apart.
Something felt amiss.
Then, I bit my lip and suppressed a scream from an oncoming wave of pain.
Despite it all, I knew I had to move or I’d have no chance of escaping.
[We are dignified.]
An unearthly voice echoed through my bitten arm.
[All races except us are lowly and inferior.]
For a comment that should sound casual, there was a suffocating arrogance lurking beneath.
The voice reverberated through my body, wrapping around my mind and sending it into a frenzy.
[You must escape. Break free from this disgusting vessel and become a splendid being.]
‘…What the heck?’
I gazed at it, listening to the voice that seemed to strangle my thoughts.
The owner of that voice was glaring right at me.
It must be the creature that’s got me!
[What a truly insignificant body. Unable to break free of its confines, how could you not feel pathetic?]
[Don’t you crave to rise higher than others and look down upon the earth? Wouldn’t you love to spend eternity with a noble title while the lowly grovel at your feet?]
[Then do not hesitate. Embrace me. Cast aside the worthless mold and be reborn.]
‘Ugh…’
The more I heard the voice, the more it felt as if my head was splitting apart.
Something within me started to swell.
What flooded into me was a barrage of emotions.
Arrogance, an unfamiliar sense of pride, and a bizarre desire to climb higher.
‘Is this it?’
I thought, wrapping my forehead with my remaining arm.
This was in response to the warning Shin Noya gave me.
Noya said.
If you break this bowl, your death as a human is all but guaranteed.
Also, when I opened my eyes, I wouldn’t be human anymore.
‘I might not even be able to be myself.’
He said that when I woke up, it’s possible I won’t recognize myself as ‘I’.
Now, I feel I finally comprehend that mysterious warning.
‘So, it’s you.’
The glowing blue eyes of the creature stared back at me.
‘You were the one.’
The moment I made the choice to give up being human and become something new.
‘Are you here to claim that space for yourself?’
The creature that wished to stake a claim where I had once stood.
That seemed to be this being.
[Don’t you wish for it?]
My ears buzzed with noise.
[If it were I, your desires would be easily fulfilled.]
[Didn’t you wish for peace?]
[Give it to me.]
[Hand over all your regrets, anxieties, and fears. Find peace with my help.]
“…”
I was about to lose my mind.
The unending chorus of voices had the power to drive anyone insane.
The bitter feelings swelling in my chest grew harder to suppress.
On top of that…
‘…Peace?’
For some odd reason, the creature’s words sounded so tempting.
It was asking me to surrender everything that tied me down.
Making it sound like I could glide effortlessly to where I’ve always wanted to be.
My gut feeling told me it was true.
What on earth happened to bring me to such a state?
Why must I abandon my humanity after all I’ve been through?
What will become of me if I’m not human anymore?
I couldn’t figure any of it out, but the allure was compelling enough that I thought it could be okay.
[Hand it over to me.]
[Seek peace. Guyangcheong.]
[Then, you shall achieve all that you desire.]
I had yearned for such things.
To thwart every horrific bloodbath before my death.
To ensure those who sacrificed themselves for me and lived for my sake could bask in a time of peace.
So I could address my regrets and sorrows.
To finally grant myself peace.
Thinking back on it all.
[Allow me to fulfill that for you.]
The creature continuously whispered in my ear.
[Didn’t you long for this? Didn’t you wish so desperately for someone to take the burden from you?]
I indeed did.
I wished with all my heart for someone else to take it all away.
I wanted to leave behind this dreadful fate.
[That’s right.]
[This is the moment.]
[Give it to me.]
Knock knock.
Blood dripped from my nostrils, creating ripples through the water.
I could also feel the veins around my eyes bursting.
“…You…what are you?”
Those were words I blurted out without thought.
It was absurd that such a clear voice came from underwater; surprisingly bizarre, but there was no time to ponder.
The creature must’ve caught on to my inquiry.
Karrr.
Its lips curled into a smirk, almost like a smile.
[I am a noble being.]
[Unlike your lowly kind, I’m a great entity granted transcendence since the beginning.]
[It is a miracle that you, as an inferior being, have been given permission to aspire to this.]
Pompous, arrogant to the core.
Yet for some reason, it seemed to fit just right.
How could such a distasteful statement resonate so well? Even while in agony, it was still amusing.
[So.]
[Hand it over to me.]
It just kept repeating the same words.
Every time I heard it, I found myself wavering.
Let’s just shove it aside and relax.
Isn’t it exhausting anyway?
What bloodshed could I avert being this weak?
Those thoughts surged through me.
Every time I tried to act, things only went sour, and in some places, I was treated as misfortune incarnate.
Even if this was better than my previous life, could I truly put a stop to the Celestial Demon if I continued down this path?
And now, with the Demon of Blood lurking, my mind raced with possibilities.
Why was it up to me to carry this burden?
The resolve that had anchored me wavered.
Why must I undertake that painful path?
If I could just offload this onto someone else, wouldn’t it be the best strategy to lean back and chillax?
‘Ah…’
Snip.
The strings connecting my mind frayed one by one.
The creature’s grin deepened at that sight.
If I were to relinquish anything to this creature, what would become of me?
Would I just no longer exist?
‘Is that even an issue?’
If I could escape like this, what’s there to fear about disappearing?
I never really took death into account anyway.
[Yes, that’s it.]
A voice fluttered with laughter rang out.
[You can simply hand everything over and rest.]
“…”
I felt myself unraveling little by little.
The consciousness I fought so desperately to hold on to was slipping away.
What on earth was I wrestling against?
“…”
Yeah.
Let it go.
I’m done now…
-I wished for a normal life.
“…”
Just as I began to drift into tranquility, a flash of memory flickered by.
As I recalled it, my vision, which had grown so blurry, sharpened anew.
It burrowed deep into my sinking mind and grasped onto the fading breaths of awareness.
It surfaced. Unwelcome memories turned up like pages of a book being flipped.
At first, it was the sorrowful expression of a blonde woman.
-Thank goodness…
Then a white-haired woman who smiled sadly.
-I’m alive.
Next was a cold-faced woman, soaked in blood, with resolute words.
-I’m truly sorry to you.
Lastly, a woman who had lost her sight, extending an apple as an apology.
Afterward, all sorts of memories surged forth, calming the emotions that had spiked.
“Ah…”
My vision, which had darkened, returned in a flash.
Just before my obstructed breath erupted.
Before anything else, my right arm moved.
Phew—!
!!!—!
I focused all my strength into my fingertips and thrust my hand toward the demon’s eye.
Then, the creature let out a shriek and started writhing.
Kyaaaaaaaaaa-!!
With that moment, my trapped body broke free, and I barely managed to escape.
[This brat…!!]
[Why!!!]
The creature glared at me resentfully.
I could see blue blood spilling from the eye I had stabbed.
[You lowly creature…! It would’ve been easier if you had just given in completely! How dare you hurt me-!!]
I grinned as I responded to the creature, who was screaming in vehement rage.
“You also took a bite at my arm, so let’s call it even.”
I displayed my dangling left arm and chuckled softly.
Of course, it seemed the matter couldn’t simply be resolved like that.
[How could you make such a choice!?]
I twitched my brows at the booming voice.
The still throbbing headache demanded attention.
That’s why…
“…No, I just happened to think it over.”
It wasn’t anything profound…
It would’ve been easier to leave everything to this being.
In reality, who knew if this creature would act according to my wishes or not, but I sensed it instinctively.
Whatever that may be, it was at least a higher probability than what I could achieve.
[You knew that and still chose this-!!]
“…But where was I going with this?”
Suddenly, that thought struck me.
“If I leave my responsibilities to someone else, I wouldn’t be able to face my kids.”
If I commit to something, I must see it through to the end.
I should never hesitate or falter.
There are things I have to do myself—things I can’t leave to anyone else.
I wish I’d recognized these basic truths in my past life.
That realization was somewhat regretful.
The creature that listened to me exhaled heavily.
[… I’ll give you a chance even now.]
As I inspected my torn arm, the creature spoke to me as if it were the last time.
Its voice reverberated throughout my being again, causing my head to ache.
Thank goodness it felt much better than before.
What on earth is this creature?
Why did it suddenly appear, trying to take control of my body?
Could it be the one that kept making those rattling noises?
It didn’t seem to fit…
I didn’t know.
If I didn’t know, I could discover it from here on out.
“Yeah, when has my life ever been easy?”
It had always been that way.
If there’s a scenario that can’t be resolved through conversation,
There was only one way to handle matters in this fucked-up Central Plains.
I’m fully aware that I’m someone more suited for action than words.
[Krrrr…]
The creature grit its teeth as if it were about to threaten me.
I flashed it a wide grin, determined to show the maximum possible amount of joy.
In that state, I swiftly uttered.
“Get lost.”
From that point onward…
Kyaaaaaaaah-!
The creature lunged towards me with its mouth wide open.
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