Chapter: 99
“Haa, haa…”
Noah panted heavily, gulping down dry air. Her throat felt like it was splitting apart and a bitter taste bubbled up from her insides.
Holding back her urge to vomit, Noah lifted her sword.
Kreeer!
A monster with a long beak and wings that stretched over 6 meters like some ridiculous bird, the size of a three-story building, charged at Noah with bloodshot eyes.
Kreeer!
Kyaaak!
There were three of those beasts! Gritting her teeth, Noah swung her sword. Thankfully, the monsters had zero brains, making it easier to hit their weak spots.
But even that was becoming a challenge.
‘How long has this been going on?’
Noah tried to focus her fuzzy vision to count how long she’d been stuck here. It was at least over a week.
‘When is this fight going to end?’
In the sprawling blue forest, monsters kept charging at her from every direction without a break. Since dropping into this place, Noah had been continuously swinging her sword like a madman.
Yet, the monsters kept rushing at her endlessly.
Facing the never-ending trial, Noah felt an overwhelming mix of despair and stubbornness rising inside her. But such thoughts didn’t stick around for long.
In this place where monsters were coming in droves, wasting time thinking was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Noah swung her sword furiously, learning how to survive in the chaos.
In a moment of desperation to become a support for others, the wall in front of her crumbled away in an instant.
‘More, more, more! I can get stronger!’
Beyond her limits, Noah unleashed the pent-up desire for growth she had suppressed for so long. Her eyes gleamed fiercely, and just being there was enough to knock some monsters out cold.
Then, out of nowhere—
“Die!”
“…!”
A group of humans launched an attack on Noah. With scruffy clothes, messy beards, and eyes glittering with greed, their ragged looks were contrasted by the decent swords and leather armor they carried.
Despite their shabby appearance, they were surprisingly tough! Each attack was sharp, and one little mistake meant more wounds piling up.
As little scratches formed and healed naturally, she began to see where the humans’ vital points were.
She instinctively learned how to take down enemies faster and more efficiently.
And just like that, Noah leveled up again!
Every time Noah adapted to an assault from enemies and the situation itself, the forest shook and spat out more foes. After cutting down all the enemies, Noah always showed at least a level-up in her skills.
“Huff, huff…”
Thunk!
With her blood-soaked sword planted in the ground, Noah panted like a worn-out dog. It felt like she could collapse and faint any moment now. Her legs trembled, and her head was spinning.
Swoooosh -..
Suddenly, the previously gloomy sky had opened up; it began to pour rain endlessly. She could feel the sticky blood washing off her body.
Could it be because she just sliced down dozens of people and monsters?
All she could hear was the rain pouring down and her own labored breathing. As she watched water drip from her hair, Noah recalled memories from the past.
Noah and Nero. Though they were siblings, they couldn’t stay together for long thanks to the slave market’s nature.
Nero had black hair and black eyes, while Noah sported brown hair and green eyes.
Despite being siblings, Noah looked like their dad while Nero looked like their mom, making them seem completely unrelated. They looked so different that unless you stared hard, you’d struggle to find similarities.
If they had looked alike, they probably would’ve been sold together. But since Noah and Nero looked so different from each other, they were often separated and sold off unless they protested.
Every time that happened, Noah would fiercely cling to Nero to avoid being split apart.
“Get off, you little brat!”
Even when a furious slaver stomped on and kicked her, Noah hugged Nero tightly like her life depended on it.
In this ruthless world, Nero was the only one Noah had to protect. That fact was her only support, so she stood firm against any violence that came her way.
Noah and Nero were both cute, which made them pretty marketable. Unless someone wanted to kill her, they had to keep Noah and Nero together for business.
Noah, spitting blood from her throat with her whole body covered in cuts, focused all her energy like a lioness protecting her cub, determined to keep Nero safe.
That was her only reason to survive in this terrible world.
“Haa, haa…”
Noah thought. Nothing had changed from then to now.
Like before, she was rolling around in the dirt, forcing her battered body to keep standing.
‘Why am I doing this?’
Why couldn’t she stop these painful, exhausting actions? Why did she keep pressing on? Wouldn’t it be easier to just—
Noah blinked slowly. She could faintly hear a monster’s growl coming closer.
She wanted to die. But at the same time, she wanted to live. To survive, she needed a reason, and that was Nero. Once Nero was safe, that reason shifted to Lian.
Protecting someone was the ‘right thing.’ Growing stronger to protect someone was the ‘right thing.’ So Noah believed she was walking the ‘right path.’
Noah let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
‘Is this what they call a life flashing before your eyes?’
She thought solving the trial was ultimately her selfishness. Wasn’t she just diving headfirst, intoxicated by the idea of being ‘the protector of Lian like a storybook hero?’
Swoosh, thud, splat.
Watching the raindrops splatter on the ground with bleary vision, the monsters’ cries grew near. Yet she couldn’t even wiggle a finger.
‘Is it right to die like this?’
In this infinite cycle of fighting, Noah genuinely wished for a moment of rest, or so she thought.
Krrreeek! Kehak!
With her powerless gaze drifting through the empty space, she braced herself for imminent death. An awful fishy smell invaded her nostrils. Faced with death, Noah recalled a memory entirely different from the ones before.
Blood saturating the ground, her first encounter with horrific ‘experiments.’ Even Noah, who had been raised on nothing but harshness, was gripped by fear as the true face of death flashed before her eyes.
At that moment, Noah remembered.
[ I’m fine. ]
The lips that once casually claimed to be fine, always busy wrapping around others without even realizing she was in pain.
Just like Noah clinging to life, wouldn’t Lian be doing the same thing back?
Wasn’t Lian’s sacrifice no different from her own selfishness, using the excuse of ‘sacrifice’ to endure this cruel world?
The thought that Lian’s sacrifice mirrored her own selfishness washed over her mind like melted raindrops.
Grit.
Noah clenched her teeth and swung her sword. Her stance was a mess, her body creaked in protest, but she didn’t stop. As she pushed on, the cacophony of thoughts in her head quieted down.
Swoosh -.
The rain, which had felt muted, began to trickle back into her ears. Noah swung her sword without hesitation, cutting through the consuming thoughts in her mind.
‘Was protecting Nero pushed by my selfishness? Maybe that is true.’
This world was far too cruel just to rely solely on family love. Sometimes, the thought of death felt like a comforting embrace.
So even if her past self clung to Nero due to selfishness, she couldn’t deny that fact.
But—
“Roar!”
As a monster looking like it was melting approached, dissolving the trees in its path, Noah sighed softly and propelled herself off the ground. The rain made the muddy ground cling to her feet, making her body feel heavy.
‘The sacrifice of that person…’
Noah thought of Lian’s warm smile that felt like a ray of sunlight.
‘It’s not selfishness.’
The thing that had been gnawing at her mind began to ignite with strong will and defiance.
[Kreeeek!]
Something screamed out in her mind, and something tiny, no bigger than a pinky finger that had been latched onto her nape, crumbled into pieces and fell to the ground.
“Haaa!”
Noah, completely unaware that anything had fallen from her, swung her sword diagonally. The blade glimmered pale, like a lake reflecting the moonlight.
In that fleeting moment, she broke through her last limit. And just like that, she woke up from a long, deep slumber.
*
Clatter, clatter, clatter! Splash!
“Be careful with the fire there!”
“Move aside for a moment!”
The kitchen, usually tranquil at this hour, was bustling all of a sudden. A party was underway to celebrate the boss of the organization reaching a new level. Lian attempted to roll up his sleeves and pitch in, but Lily held him back.
“Oppa, stay with Noah oppa for a bit.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s a surprise party for Noah oppa! He’s really quick on the uptake, so if anyone else goes, he’ll definitely catch on. So you go and keep him distracted!”
“Uh, I’m not so good at this kind of stuff!”
Lily pushed Lian forward as she spoke.
“Just ask him about his training to kill time! We’ll get everything ready as fast as we can!”
And with that, Lian was booted out of the kitchen. Scratching the back of his head, he made his way to Noah’s room.
‘Though the situation is urgent, we can’t leave right away. Let’s celebrate with a calm heart, too. Oh, and I should hint that we need to be leaving this place soon.’
What if Noah didn’t want to leave?
Considering all that, Lian headed toward Noah’s room. Absorbed in thought, he arrived quickly.
Knock, knock.
“Noah, are you in?”
[ Come in! ]
A familiar voice called from beyond the door, mixed with laughter. It was Julianna’s voice. Lian opened the door and stepped in right away.
“Huh? Where’s Noah?”
Inside was just Julianna sitting on the bed, engrossed in a book. Lian, puzzled, asked, and Julianna grinned.
[ Ah, she went to clean up because she got pretty dirty during the trial. ]
Lian’s gaze shifted toward the bathroom. Just as she said, he could hear the sound of water from that direction.
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