Episode 376 With those two eyes,
I saw (2) a white ceiling with a grid pattern. Shaeak shaek. Somewhere in my ear, the sound of breathing that I don’t know who it belongs to keeps ringing.
Shhh.
Was it really someone else’s?
“Please…”
A desperate prayer tickled my ears. It was a voice full of tears that made it difficult to hear, but it was still a voice I knew.
“Please tell me something….”
Scholar Seonrim. Even though he was always in the top 5 in his school, he had to retake the exam just because he had an accident the day before the college entrance exam, but he was like bamboo and didn’t cry even at that moment.
I’ve only seen you cry like that twice. It all happened when I had an accident or wasted my life in the aftermath. But with this incident, there have been three in total.
I have no reason to look at you.
“Hey hey. Don’t play around. As for your prank… it’s enough that you’ve already fallen once…”
Replace your shoes. He was the one who pretended not to be someone who cried a lot and called us in every time the students he taught succeeded in their entrance exams and scolded us.
Still, the only days you cried were when the cause was joy, but I ruined that again. Sorry. Sorry. I’m sorry…
“Oh, ma’am. Now, now… hehe, he’s awake.”
Chicken Gangjeong Kang Jeong-hee. You boasted that you were going on a trip in two months, but given your affectionate nature, that trip was probably canceled. Because you weren’t nerve-wracking enough to keep up with your travel schedule even after hearing the news that your friend had collapsed.
Actually, I don’t mind if you go out and have fun.
“Hey, please, please wake up. Oh, I also found new tea leaves this time. The blending is just the style you like….”
Kim Tae-gyun, a tea leaf fanatic. You are trying to catch me with tea leaves, both in my dreams and at this moment. Do you think I’m crazy about tea leaves like you? Of course, I’m a little curious about the tea that is said to be blended in a style that I like…
Ah.
Why can’t we reach when we’re so close?
I also want to tell you something. I want to scream at the top of my lungs that I missed you, that I really missed you. I want to answer everything you say. I’ve been really suffering and I’ve been having a really hard time and I want to get counseling and comfort. I also want to apologize for causing you worry.
I really, truly want to do that.
“What’s going on?”
“Please get out of the way. “I need to see the pupil reaction—”
But….
“The patient is out of his mind—”
Cluck. An unpleasant sound resonates deep within the soul. It’s like they’re trying to take my soul somewhere, as if I shouldn’t come back here yet.
‘Promise.’
So, I barely managed to move my lips, resisting the enormous force that was pulling me. There is no way to know whether the old vocal cords gave the voice or not. Maybe even this was not conveyed because it was covered by the respiratory system and the nurse.
‘certainly.’
However, the wait is too long to hesitate due to such uncertainty. Even this is a very limited opportunity and time.
I tried to capture those faces as much as I could so I wouldn’t forget them this time. It was a shame that my parents were not there and that their outlines were blurred by the welling tears, but the desperate desire to remember them was greater than that.
‘It will definitely happen.’
Oh, I’ll leave a record as soon as I get there. I won’t draw it wrong anymore. I never will.
‘wait for me.’
I will never forget you.
Never until the day we come back and face each other again.
Sigh!
The disgusting sound of chains enveloped me.
.
.
.
“Huh!”
And after a very short… yet very long time, I felt the inside of my rib cage being filled with air. For some reason, it was difficult to breathe, but the priority was to wipe away the flowing tears.
“Ah…”
Guys, guys, guys…
I wiped my cheeks and rubbed my eyes over and over again as the tears welled up without stopping. It felt like my tear ducts were broken. The nostalgic face was on my retina and I couldn’t erase it.
[Oh my… it looks like you really had a hard time.]
“Ah…”
Actually, I didn’t want to come back from there. They said they would save the child’s life, but since he got better, I just wanted him to wake up right there. I really wanted to wipe the cheeks of my crying friends…
[Yes…]
But I knew that wasn’t possible. I knew that something engraved in my soul was pulling me, and I had a feeling that no matter what I did, I would be called back here.
So all I could do was say hello, which made me feel even sadder.
As expected, I want to go back.
At my house.
In my nostalgic world.
[You can cry more…]
I was touched by an unknown person and cried in his arms for a long time. Otherwise, I couldn’t get over it.
[No one will see you here, so you can cry in peace…]
“Hehehehehehe.”
Sorrow like a tidal wave poured out from my eyes and mouth. It was a sadness that would never go away and a resentment that I wanted to dilute with alcohol that was not suitable for my mouth.
“Guys…”
It was that kind of longing.
It rained for an incalculable amount of time.
[Now have you calmed down?]
“…Yes.”
How much did you cry? After a long time, I took my head away from the embrace of someone I didn’t know. Hehehe. I cried so much that I got hiccups.
[Puhuhuh. Now, water.]
Hi. When I hiccuped once more, the other person laughed. If it had been a laugh, I would have felt bad, but it was such a helpless smile that I ended up laughing too.
“Thank you persimmon.”
My neck is completely locked. I massaged my sore throat and took the glass of water he handed me.
Grumbling. As I naturally leaned forward to drink water, the long, tangled fabric around my shoulders fell off. It was a stole with a temple pattern.
[What. Compared to what you did, this wouldn’t even be considered an example.]
I glanced at the purple stole and then turned my head back to his face. The first thing I saw was hair that was red like copper, blue like lapis lazuli, black like ink, white like magnolia, and yellow like gold.
After that, the horns on the head came into view, then the dragon scales between the fur, and finally the whitish eyes whose irises were indistinguishable. Eyes with a thin border between the iris and the white of the eye, whether silver or white, cannot distinguish the direction of the gaze.
“…Who are you and where are you?”
[hmm? ah. sorry. I should have introduced myself first.]
Still, I didn’t feel scared of people. Even though the irises could not be clearly seen, the kindness contained in the eyes was very clear.
[I am Gestas.]
Then he introduced his name. Behind the animal-like face unique to the Shagi tribe and the white eyes that sparkle like starlight, the upside-down world tree is spreading its roots toward the sky.
[He is the first warrior who insulted God and incited lies.]
A strange space that was not reality welcomed me.
“The first… hero?”
[Oh, it’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it.]
No, how could that not be a big deal? I ended up making a subtle expression at Gestas’ words. [It’s not true.] The other person may or may not know how I feel, but he just laughs like a fool.
“…okay. “Then why am I here?”
[That’s it… Because I snatched it up?]
What does that mean?
I saw a black sky that felt different from the universe. There wasn’t a single star, but it didn’t feel dark because the huge world tree on the other side was emitting its own light. It’s a little strange.
“I think I need a more detailed explanation.”
[Hmm… even if it’s a detailed explanation…]
While I was looking around, the person with his butt against the curved earth—it was a single branch extending from a tree—was scratching his head.
[Your body… To be exact, the body you were using here was on the verge of death this time, right? So your soul went out to return to its original body.]
“Ah… Then what I saw was…?”
[It’s true. Although the body here survived, the contract was revived and I was captured again.]
It wasn’t a dream, after all. The tear ducts that had barely dried were stimulated again. The reason I didn’t cry was because I pursed my lips and held my head high.
My wet eyes stopped flowing and I looked straight ahead.
“…Then that’s why I’m here now.”
[I was about to return to that body according to the contract.]
“Ah…”
That’s what I meant by snatching it away. I finally understood what the other person said. I still don’t know exactly where this place is or what the other person’s identity is.
“Then… why did you steal me away like this?”
[Because I really had to talk to you.]
“A story?”
[Thank you for the dedication you showed to this world, and an apology for not being able to protect you from the sacrifices you were forced to make… all of that.]
However, the reason I was called here was by no means because of a trivial matter. I knew it right away.
“…okay.”
Also, as soon as I felt that way, my shoulders straightened and my back straightened.
“So whose spokes do you speak for?”
Only then did the giant Gestas’ eyes meet mine level.
[…the creator god of this world. The only god in the world. Or this world itself.]
And in those intertwined gazes, Gestas laughed as if he was crying.
[And a being that is different from ‘me’ but is the same as ‘me’. Everything that follows from now on is on behalf of them.]
Ah, for some reason, the thousands of fruits on the branches growing toward the ground seemed to be looking at me. It felt familiar.
* * *
The adventurer does not wake up. This was despite the fact that the body had almost completed regeneration and had regained its usual color. The Inquisitor’s heart began to tinge with anxiety.
“…Is the girl still there?”
She was even in a position where she couldn’t just look at adventurers. This is because there are as many as two people in urgent need of her treatment.
“The most important internal parts have been restored, but unfortunately there is no guarantee that it will heal completely.”
Divine power is not omnipotent. For example, although it is possible to restore a severed and crushed limb, it cannot prevent the mental aftermath that will follow, and it is possible to regenerate a damaged brain, but it does not remove what was lost when it was damaged.
“For now… I have no choice but to trust the girl.”
Therefore, if a girl who was left alone for several hours in the harsh winter gets injured due to something that cannot be resolved with divine power, there is nothing we can do about it. There was no choice but to wait for the girl to overcome it on her own.
“I’m sorry, Berserk.”
“…No, it’s not for you to apologize. “Because it’s not your fault.”
Berserk’s eyes lost strength at the Inquisitor’s explanation. Her face, which looks empty, somehow reminds me of an old historical site. It looks like it will collapse at any moment.
“Berserk….”
“Go see. “Isn’t there one more person left?”
“ah…!”
However, no one was allowed access to the historic site surrounded by crevasses. The Inquisitor eventually gave up on comforting Berserk and stepped back.
“I’m sorry for being late.”
“It’s not that you’re late because you want to be late.”
However, even after retreating, you cannot go to the adventurer. The Inquisitor’s footsteps reached the Deathbringer sitting in one corner.
“It’s completely broken…”
No, it looks closer to being crushed than broken. The Inquisitor clicked his tongue unconsciously as he checked the Deathbringer’s arm, which was spinning as it should.
“The frostbite was severe… This would have been extremely painful.”
Meanwhile, the frostbite is encroaching on the entire body, making it difficult to guarantee survival even if limbs are amputated.
The Inquisitor’s eyes became red as he felt the effort of the Deathbringer who had worked for them was measured.
“What kind of face is that? “I wish I hadn’t died.”
“The problem is that you are almost on the verge of death, you idiot!”
Still, at this level, it can be treated without any problems. She was truly relieved by that and gained strength. The golden light extending from the palm fluttered and flowed into the Deathbringer.
“cur.”
“why?”
“So what caused this injury?”
The cause of frostbite is obvious. But how on earth did the wound on his arm come about? Since the fog monster doesn’t use physical power, it must have been attacked by something else, but did such a thing exist in this snowy field?
“…I just got hit by an animal.”
“okay…?”
Regardless of whether beasts exist here, was it really a mere beast that made him like this? But how? If his arm was crushed like this, it would have been difficult for his upper body to remain intact…
“Why are you asking that?”
“…no. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk.”
However, the Inquisitor decided to simply ask her question. There was no particular reason. The Deathbringer had an expression telling him not to ask.
“…I also have a question. Why did you collapse?”
“That…”
“…Are you overdoing it again?”
If you dig deeper, the story may become more detailed, but if you summarize it, it’s true. The Inquisitor nodded heavily. “…Damn it.” Deathbringer bit his lip with an angry look on his face.
“…The job was done well.”
“maybe.”
The crack was sealed thanks to the milky white thread. The adventurer, who was on high alert, was almost left alone in the snowy field, but thanks to the sudden appearance of a bone shark, he was able to reach this safe zone.
Paaaaaa.
If you raise your head and look at a corner, you can see a dragon concentrating on something while emitting a soft light. Except for the Suzaku’s sacrifice and the adventurer’s coma… it was clear that the situation itself had come to an end. So maybe.
“…what should I do now?”
However, the fact that the situation has come to an end and the future outlook are two different things.
What should I do if the adventurer still won’t wake up? Because of Suzaku’s sacrifice, they have lost their way back, so how can this be resolved?
The young man’s sigh floated around the frozen cave.
[What are you so worried about?]
“Now that Suzaku has passed away…”
[Eh, I’m not dead yet.]
“I saw that he didn’t come back. What are you talking about…?”
[…?]
Then the Inquisitor noticed a small bird flapping its wings near his shoulder. Surprisingly, the bird’s body is made of flame, transmitting warm heat to the surrounding area.
“uh…?”
So, that was a masterpiece.
“Eek—?!”
Are you alive!? The Inquisitor’s scream echoed through the cave once again.