< 126. In Search of the Scream (3) >
#126
“senior?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. The one who got off the carriage was not Baron Dantel’s incompetent son. The woman brushed off her long hair and shot a venomous glance.
“Senior, what are you talking about?”
Adeshan was standing there. Only the face was the same, but there were many differences from the Adeshan he knew.
Like the ridiculously luxurious suit draped over his body, or his arrogant attitude that lacks his usual friendliness. The eyes shining through the thick eyelashes were filled with cold contempt.
I had no idea where to start. Ronan, who had been dumbfounded, barely opened his mouth.
“···What are you doing here?”
“Hah, how dare a beggar talk to me so carelessly.”
Adeshan snorted. She approached Ronan with great strides and struck Ronan in the face. slam! Her face was tilted to the side as she felt a burning pain.
“Do you really want to die?”
“···her.”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even think of avoiding it. A drop of blood flowed from the burst lip. Suddenly, a startled cry was heard from inside the carriage.
“Seo, senior…?!”
“What, what happened?”
Four more people got out of the carriage with a loud noise. This time too, they all knew each other. Ronan, who saw their faces, laughed.
“This is too much.”
Those who got off the carriage were members of the Special Adventure Club. Asher, Mary, Ophelia, and Schlieffen were all wearing rough clothes that a gangster would wear, as if they had made an appointment.
Ronan narrowed his eyes. In her previous life, she was wearing the clothes of the poachers she had cut down. Asher asked in a confused voice.
“Ro, Ronan… are you okay?”
“no.”
Ronan placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. No matter how cursed it may be, this has gone too far. Asher, pale and tired, took a step back from her.
“Hey! “Calm down…!”
“shut up. You fakes. “What are you doing, imitating my friends?”
“Ronan. “We are not fake or anything.”
Maryah helped Asher. Adeshan was still grinning the whole time, as if he was still angry after hitting Ronan in the face. match! Marya, who caught everyone’s attention by clapping her hands, shouted to Adeshan.
“Seniors. “Come to your senses now!”
“Don’t be presumptuous! Are you trying to match the topic of lowly poachers?”
“I was too absorbed…”
Ophelia, who was watching the situation, sighed. Schlieffen nodded her head in agreement.
Unlike Adeshan, the personalities of the other four people didn’t seem to have changed much. Marya quickly leapt forward and caught Adeshan from behind.
“Professor Secret said. “You can’t get too absorbed in it.”
“Let go, what are you doing?”
“Sweetheart, hurry up.”
Adeshan struggled with all his might, but it was impossible to escape Maya’s strength. Asher approached her hesitantly and whispered something into her ear.
Judging by the melody, it was assumed to be the chanting of some kind of spell. Suddenly, a short scream came from Adeshan’s mouth.
“Ahh!”
Adeshan clutched his head and let out a painful groan. It was only after about a minute that she raised her head. Her venomous eyes softened.
“W-this place…?”
“It’s Ronan’s mental world. “Don’t you remember?”
“Did I lose my mind again?”
Marja nodded. Adeshan’s eyes wandered around and landed on Ronan. The handprints were still clearly visible on his dirty cheek. Her eyes widened.
“Ro, Ronan! “Maybe this is good…!”
Looking at the reaction, it seemed like he had figured out the situation. Adeshan staggered and grabbed Ronan’s face with both hands. A wet voice came out from between her distorted lips.
“Sorry. “I’m truly sorry…”
“That’s Okay. “What happened?”
“Well, that is…”
Ronan asked. Her tone of voice was reminiscent of the Ade Shan she was familiar with. She lowered her head and was about to say something. Suddenly she fell from her carriage and her coachman helped her up.
“Ugh…my, why me…”
The hat that was covering his entire face had flown away somewhere. Ronan, who saw the coachman’s face, cursed. She was a familiar face.
“f*ck.”
“···Ronan?”
Braum, who encountered Ronan, twisted his mouth. Red blood was flowing down from his forehead. It was because he was hit directly by a rock thrown by Ronan.
I noticed that my ankle was turned in a strange direction. Her mouth appeared to have been injured as a result of falling from her carriage. Ophelia, who was standing still, approached Braum.
“Braum… are you okay?”
“Ugh… I can just hold on. “I guess I was overly immersed.”
“be careful. “I told you that if you get hurt here… you’ll get hurt in real life too.”
“what?”
Ronan’s expression distorted. He asked, grabbing both shoulders of Marya who was next to him.
“What kind of bullshit is that? “You get hurt in real life too?”
“···It’s literally like that. “But I can fix it when I go back.”
“You crazy bastards. What on earth have you done? ”
Ronan, who was looking around at the members, growled lowly. He seemed ready to stab me at any moment. Onlookers flinched as the murder spread over their shoulders.
“If you don’t tell me straight away…”
“I’ll explain.”
Then Adeshan stepped forward. It was sad to see the grass dead. Ronan, who barely swallowed his anger, nodded his head.
“…Tell me something.”
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“We are here to help you. “Do you know that three months have already passed outside?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Really. You keep falling asleep in Sephardio. “Professor Secret said that time can flow differently in the world of images.”
Ronan’s face hardened. I couldn’t understand what that meant. It must have only been a few hours at most since I entered the world of images, but it’s been three months.
“It seemed impossible, so we all went to see Professor Secret. I asked if there was any way I could help. “I begged him for three days and nights to tell me no, and eventually he let me in here.”
“There’s no way something like that is possible.”
“It’s the truth.”
Schlieffen nodded helpfully. The explanation continued. On the fifteenth day after Ronan entered the sea, Secret succeeded in developing a magic that allows others to enter the world of images.
Secret tried to dissuade him, saying that the magic was not yet perfect, but the members did not listen to him. Typical precautions include the possibility of experiencing identity confusion like Adeshan or Braum just mentioned, and the wounds suffered in the image remaining in the body in reality.
That was why several people were sent even though it was a simple mission. If one person gets tired, the others have to come to their senses. Adeshan, who was rummaging through his pockets, held out something.
“Still, I’m glad I found you quickly. Now, take it.”
“What is this?”
Ronan tilted his head. It was a small, flat cube the size of the palm of your hand. A red needle was spinning inside the glass plate.
“A compass that finds the source of the curse. Professor Secret created it using magic. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that I came here to deliver this.”
Adeshan explained that the source of the curse can be found by following where the six-sided needle points. It was a simple yet powerful effect.
Ronan accepted the compass while looking suspicious. At that moment, the needle that had been rotating non-stop suddenly stopped. The red, pointed point was pointing behind Ronan.
“what?”
Ronan turned his head. She was crying as the girl held the dying Sita.
no way. Ronan mumbled and walked to their side. The needle slowly turned and pointed to the girl and Sita again.
“Damn.”
Ronan laughed. If Adeshan’s words were true, the implications were obvious. The girl, who felt Ronan’s eyes change, hugged her Sita tighter.
“Why, why are you like that…?”
Instead of answering, Ronan circled around the girl and Sita. The tip of the needle, which rotated every time it moved, remained fixed on the two.
Ronan went around once and stopped in place. He suddenly noticed that sparkling mana was creeping up the girl and Sita’s bodies. The members approached Ronan, who was frozen like a tombstone.
“Ronan. “You have to accept it.”
“Everyone, everyone is worried… that they won’t be able to wake up like this forever.”
Asher said in a voice filled with concern. He let us know that everyone was worried about the anniversary being longer than expected. Ronan chewed his lips. Schlieffen suddenly approached and held out her sword.
“Do what you have to do.”
Ronan accepted the sword as if possessed by something. It was a pretty good sword with a good edge.
Schlieffen was right. He had to cut it even if he didn’t feel like it. Nodding her head, Ronan looked back at her girl and Sita.
“···okay. “I have to go back.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
The members’ expressions became brighter. Ronan sighed softly and pulled the hilt of her sword. Suddenly. A semi-circular slash passed through the four people except Adeshan.
“Huh…!”
There was no one to resist. Four heads rose into the air. Sigh! Blood spurted out like a fountain and wet Ronan’s face.
Disembodied heads fell to the floor. Screams erupted from the street. Ronan swung his sword again. The sword energy fired along the sword path flew straight toward Braum. Suddenly! Braum’s body, unable to move due to an injured ankle, was cut in half and he fell. His Ade Shan’s face turned pale.
“Ro, Ronan. What now…!”
The special adventure club was wiped out. Ade Shan, whose legs became weak, sat down. Ronan, who silently led the way, opened her mouth.
“I’m disappointed. “I thought you would spit out some useful information.”
“Everyone, everyone is dead…why…!”
“Do it in moderation. This is fake. “If you were planning on deceiving me in the first place, you shouldn’t have brought that bastard.”
Ronan lifted the tip of his chin and pointed at Schlieffen’s head. Ade Shan, who was sitting back and walking backwards, spoke in a trembling voice.
“W-what do you mean?”
“That guy is a good guy even if he doesn’t have much talent. “I have to protect my sister, but there’s no way she’s coming.”
If he was someone who would break his oath by only being away for three months, I wouldn’t have asked him to do it. Ronan slowly approached Adeshan. As she drove up to her carriage, she looked up at Ronan with her terrified face.
“and···.”
“Gagging!”
Ronan, who was dragging the horse’s tail, grabbed Adeshan’s neck. She struggled with all her might, but Ronan did not loosen his hold on her. He growled, pressing his face against hers until their foreheads touched.
“They all promised me. I will work hard until I return. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“Ro, Ronan…!”
“How dare you insult my friends?”
A metallic sound was coming out from between the bloodless lips. Ronan never relaxed his grip. Adeshan’s struggling body went limp. Ronan stood up and muttered as if spitting.
“More than anything… my senior isn’t as ugly as you.”
Ronan closed his eyes and opened them. The person held in her grasp changed. Ade Shan was gone and a young man who had eaten her was dead with his tongue sticking out. He was the son of Baron Dantel, who had committed suicide in his previous life.
“Jerk the.”
The decapitated bodies of the members were also replaced with those of the poachers seen at the time. Ronan, who had thrown the young man away, turned his head.
Many of the buildings and people disappeared everywhere, and only the long and wide street remained, extending beyond the field of vision. Sita and the girl, who had suddenly recovered, were looking at Ronan blankly.
“So, what are you guys?”
Ronan said. The sparkling mana could no longer be felt in their bodies. The girl, who was smiling brightly, gave a belly bow to Ronan.
“Thank you.”
“month!”
Sita, who was wagging her tail, barked loudly. Her face looked like she was smiling as she stuck out her tongue and panted. Suddenly, Ronan’s vision became blurry.
“멍청한 개새끼.”
People who should have died did not. I felt like I had made up for my past mistakes. Ronan wiped her eyes with his sleeve and opened her mouth.
“Don’t ever appear before my eyes again.”
No answer came back. When Ronan looked ahead again, the two figures had disappeared without a trace. There was a wide expanse of space left with nothing but a road.
“Shit···.”
Ronan rested his forehead and sighed. He felt tired, as if he had just been through a war even though he had clearly done nothing.
No matter how fake you knew it was, it wasn’t easy to kill people close to you. Just then, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“It’s pretty good.”
Eerie goosebumps ran all over my body. She didn’t notice any signs of popularity until she approached. Ronan turned her around, pulling on the hilt of her sword. A beggar resembling a water strider was standing with his hands in her pockets.
“you···!”
“It seems like you have enough insight to make the right decision. “You can move on to the next step.”
Ronan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. The water strider’s face turned into a black shadow and was waving. She resembled the shadow of her father whom she had seen earlier. Ronan instinctively recognized that the beggar in front of him was the source of the curse.
“You’ve grown so much. “The growth rate of mortals is simply admirable.”
“die!”
Ronan swung his sword reflexively. The water strider easily dodged the attack by twisting his neck.
Even if he tried to throw a series of slashes, he just continued to evade by freely changing his body. Kagak! The water strider holding the blade with his shadow opened his mouth.
“Calm down. “Because I’m not the one you need to cut.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“I’ll show you how to gain strength and get out of here. However, there is something you need to see before that.”
It was an incomprehensible sound. Ronan was about to say something. The shadow that extended his body as if exploding fell upon him. A gloomy voice rang out in the darkness where nothing could be seen.
“We’ll have to decide by the time we get out of here.”
“······!”
I couldn’t move my body even though it felt like it was licking my brain. It felt like my body was melting into liquid form. All five senses were disappearing one by one. It was a moment when even my last remaining sense of hearing was about to melt into the distant darkness.
“What is right and what is wrong…black and white.”
The shadow whispered softly. Ronan’s consciousness, which had been moving away, finally broke out. The completely melted body began to flow somewhere.
****
“Huh oh oh!”
Ronan jumped upright. His five lost senses had returned. He felt something strange and quickly looked around him.
“This place…”
It was a simple room. Jardin’s office was even better than this. There was no furniture other than a bed, desk, and chair to be found in the space made of grayish-white stone.
Ronan suddenly noticed that his visibility was much higher and turned his gaze with his hands and feet. The large palms sticking out of her white sleeves were not her own.
“Damn, what happened?”
Ronan stumbled and headed towards the desk. A few sheets of parchment, a feather pen, and a small pendant were placed on a table made of worn-out wood. Ronan’s eyes widened as he picked up the pendant.
“This···!”
The crude pendant carved out of stone was in the shape of a seven-pointed star. It had the same shape as the badge on the sleeve of Teranil, the bishop of Nebula Clage. Suddenly, what Secret had said in the past flashed through my mind.
‘Father’s memories.’
He explained that his father’s memories may have flowed into him when he placed the curse. In fact, even at the time of his previous rebirth, Ronan wandered around Nimburton, which was created based on his father’s memories.
So what about this now? Ronan was thinking about various scenarios. The door was opened with a short knock. A woman in a pure white robe came in with her head down. Her long, pointed ears, which stretched out to about the width of her shoulders, were evidence of her race.
“Savior. Are you okay?”
“···what?”
“I came here after hearing screams. “Did you have a nightmare?”
It was the first woman I saw. The only thing that caught her eye was the robe she was wearing. Other than her material being a little dirty, she was identical to what Nebula Clazie’s followers wore. This was the car where Ronan was standing without saying anything. Her lips pursed as she pleased, and her voice flowed out.
“no. Okay.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. She tried to add something, but her voice wouldn’t come out. It felt like her soul was trapped inside her body, not even moving as intended.
“Is that so. “Thank goodness.”
The elf woman raised her head. She was an impressive beauty with her bright red eyes as if they were studded with rubies. Her grin opened as she pointed to her door.
“Then go. “Innocent people are waiting today too.”
