Chapter 317: The Time Frontline of Two People (1)
1.
[Congratulations.]
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■ is your constellation.]
[You are the only follower of ■■■■ ■■ ■■■.]
It felt like I had a dream.
A dream that wasn"t mine, but someone else"s.
-....
The dream felt both long and short, making my sense of time become disordered. It was as if I was standing in the middle of a stream, with the water wrapping around my waist on both the right and left sides, each flowing past at its own, different speed.
A sensation of being consumed by time.
-Hmm.
Tick.
A day had pa.s.sed.
Or, it felt like a day had pa.s.sed.
-This seems to be a screwed situation.
"Eh?"
-No, it"s no use talking about it now. I"m also under the control of a power. Even if I say something now, it will distort your memory, and surprisingly, it would distort mine as well.
"…What are you talking about?"
-Telling you is pointless, which is a very obvious truth of life. Zombie. I"m telling you that you"ve changed from a physical zombie to a temporal zombie.
What are you talking about?
-What to do about this. It"s quite nasty.
Bae Hu-ryeong muttered expressionlessly.
-If it was just memory distortion, there would be many ways to deal with it. But this seems to be [World Manipulation]. Indeed, beyond the 60th floor, it"s full of perverted lunatics. It"s lamentable why a pervert is attached to you, but thinking about it, it"s fitting. Zombie, this kid, has all the qualities that make the perverts of the universe drool and cling to him.
"…So, what exactly are you talking about?"
-What to do.
Bae Hu-ryeong"s eyes sank.
Ignoring my question, Bae Hu-ryeong immersed himself in his own world.
-How do we deal with this nasty b.a.s.t.a.r.d?
At that moment.
"Master?"
A very familiar voice gently caught and led my ears. Following the direction of the voice, I naturally turned my head and saw a [lovely beyond words] boy tilting his head.
"Is there something you"re worried about…?"
"Ah."
An anxious complexion. Worried eyes.
The boy"s every expression and gaze, perhaps even his existence, was flickering like a candle.
I wanted to protect that fragile and pitiful thing.
"It"s nothing. Just..."
-Hey. Don"t ever talk about me. Let"s see what happens.
"…Just, my mind is blank."
My mouth felt dry. The fact that I had to lie to this pure boy, that I had to hide something from him, my [only constellation] and [unique G.o.d], brought on an unimaginably deep sense of guilt.
"Huh."
The boy smiled with his eyes.
"Is that so? Master, you think a lot."
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
"Thinking a lot is a sign of a kind person, I think."
Saying that, the boy leaned his head on my forearm. The pleasant scent wafted to my nose. It was a fragrance I really liked… not from this place but somewhere else, from someone else, a deeply green fragrance.
-Hmm.
As I was enjoying this happy moment, Bae Hu-ryeong spoke for the first time in days.
-This seems to be a screwed situation.
"Eh?"
-No, it"s no use talking about it now. I"m also under the control of a power. Even if I say something now, it will distort your memory, and surprisingly, it would distort mine as well.
"…What are you talking about?"
-Are you hearing what I said for the first time?
What are you talking about.
"I knew you were not normal from the start, but you"ve never been as weird as today. Do you miss the Grey Spider? Sword Emperor~nim. Loneliness is an incurable disease."
-Good. f.u.c.k. Very good.
Bae Hu-ryeong smirked.
-Even without knowing what I said, you have the ability to automatically erase any memory or event that interferes with [your power]. No doubt about it. It"s definitely a five-star constellation.
"...?"
-Ah, please, I beg you, try to act a little. If you hadn"t become a hunter, you might have been an actor, our zombie. Is it too much to expect a small miracle from you, where you don"t show on your face whatever I ramble on about? Have I expected too much from the world?
"…It feels quite unpleasant, but for now, I"ll grant you that miracle."
-Thank you so much.
Tick.
A day had pa.s.sed.
"We"ve finally defeated the remnants of the Blood Demon cult. Master!"
The boy was delighted.
"To think that the Mad Demon Cult, White Demon Cult, and G.o.d Demon Cult were connected to the Blood Demon Cult from behind! And that the ultimate boss called the Heavenly Demon was hiding as the leader of your forces! Unforgivable!"
"Because, to Master, the t.i.tle of Heavenly Demon is more than just a name. You can"t forgive them either, right?"
That"s right.
I am currently traveling with the boy on the 61st floor.
It feels as though a week has pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye.
"How dare they falsely claim similar names to the Demonic Cult in four places, and even misuse the name of the Heavenly Demon. They are brutal b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!"
During this time, we"ve been defeating the false demonic cults .
We defeated the Blood Demon, and destroyed the cult that kidnapped the boy. While rescuing the boy, I learned several things. That he was a constellation that had lost his power. That he was on the verge of extinction because he didn"t have even a single believer.
『I will become your believer.』
I told him that.
The boy cried and hugged me, saying that he would become my own constellation. Even though he had no power, he would create quests solely for Master. So, let"s keep our spirits up until the day we reach the 100th floor, just the two of us.
『We have promised to accompany each other for life.』
Indeed, we had.
『A single hunter and a Constellation.』
This is our story.
-Huh.
Bae Hu-ryeong laughed happily for some reason.
-This is crazy. That"s why someone like Hamustra, a five-star constellation, ends up taking care of beginners. Although he"s a pervert like the rest, at least he doesn"t consider the world his personal property. It"s actually obvious, but there are no constellations that fulfill this obviousness. Think about it. How lacking in talent must they be to a.s.sign newbies to someone like Hamustra?
This is just ridiculous.
"Now! Master, let"s get going!"
The boy smiled brightly, arms crossed.
"This time, it"s a quest to beat up those White Demon Cult b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! My only believer!"
I smiled.
"Yes, let"s go. My G.o.d."
-I"m just curious to ask. If I say that the exchange between you two looked extremely cringey to me, would this also get censored by world censors.h.i.+p?
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
"Eh? What did you just say?"
-It gets censored. f.u.c.k. Look at this guy, being so childish.
We continued our journey.
The White Demon Cult members were lawless villains.
On every first day of the month, the White Demon Cult would descend to the twelve worlds they had colonized and gather three hundred children. They were offerings for human sacrifice. They sacrificed the lives of these children to acc.u.mulate internal energy, which they referred to as demonic energy.
I was furious.
『This is an evil that the Death King cannot tolerate.』
Tick.
A day pa.s.sed.
『The Death King did not hesitate to punish the false demonic cults. By the standards of the Death King, they were clearly evil. There was no need to consider the opponent"s circ.u.mstances. There was no need to heed their past. There was no need even to understand their hearts. Without any thought, simply, it was enough to swing the sword.』
Tick.
A day pa.s.sed.
『A fight where you don"t have to yield yourself. How delightful is a fight where it"s okay not to accept others? How enjoyable. How happy. Perhaps the Death King has long been thirsty for the act of fighting while forgetting himself.』
Tick.
A day had pa.s.sed.
-If you"re going to be childish, then I"ll join in being childish too.
Every day, a ticking sound could be heard from somewhere. It was just a sound that quickly faded into oblivion. It sounded like the ticking of a second hand on a clock, or like someone freely moving their fingers, clicking away at a typewriter.
-I don"t expect much from you. Zombie.
As if playing the keys of a piano.
-But do this one thing for me.
"Ah. What is it this time?"
-Every dawn, I will recite a sentence to you. Just don"t forget these sentences. Don"t worry. They"re not sentences that threaten your adorable G.o.d. They won"t shake the world, just meaningless sentences.
"…So you"re saying it"s all nonsense."
-Right. It"s nonsense.
Bae Hu-ryeong smiled.
His gaze was not on me but on someone else, beyond my shoulder, staring into the void.
-So, it"s just one sentence a day. Utterly useless nonsense. You can remember that much, right?
"Just say it."
-Craziness is abundant, so this year will also be a hit.
"...."
That"s pure nonsense, isn"t it?
It feels like if you squeezed it, nonsense juice would just gush out.
-Remember it.
However, Bae Hu-ryeong"s face was incredibly serious.
-Forget it and you"re dead.
"…Is there any meaning to this beyond using up the s.p.a.ce of my life"s disk cleanup?"
-Remember it before your entire life is thrown into the trash can, d.a.m.n it. It"s just one sentence a day. I won"t say anything else today, so please just listen.
"Hmm."
It was rare for Bae Hu-ryeong to beg like this.
His expression was so frightening that it almost overpowered the mood.
I sighed.
"Alright, alright. It"s not a big deal to remember it."
Tick.
A day had pa.s.sed.
Every dawn, or at least when it felt like dawn to me, Bae Hu-ryeong indifferently let a sentence slip.
-The king is a sage king, and the general is a famous general.
"...."
-I can see you want to say something, but just engrave it in your brain. Do I really have to beg you to listen to me?
"No, you don"t have to go that far. It"s just, you look so dumb. It"s pitiful...."
-Go ahead. Feel as much pity as you want. Let"s just wait and see.
Tick.
A day had pa.s.sed.
I succeeded in subduing the White Demon Cult members. It was a grueling quest. The sorcerers who had been offering human sacrifices for hundreds of years were strong, and the power they had ama.s.sed was solid, regardless of their karma. Evil deeds. Misdeeds. Villains. I had to put forth all my effort to defeat them, who perfectly fit the three bad qualities like a picture.
-The evening is happy, so the saint blesses it.
Tick.
Yet, the grueling fight was unknowingly enjoyable. Upon reflection, I think I loved giving my all in a confrontation.
Maybe that"s why I felt a surge of joy deep in my heart when I faced the Grey Spider of the Magic Tower?
-Lay out the stall and enjoy a lifetime.
Tick.
The journey with the boy became more enjoyable as the days pa.s.sed. The world was still overflowing with such clear evils. Harm did not breed harm, and harm did not pretend to be harmed. They were villains that could be cleanly sliced like cutting tofu with a knife.
-Terror be gone, death stay far away.
Tick.
Still, Bae Hu-ryeong spouted meaningless nonsense.
A day had pa.s.sed.
-Happy sailing, Kim Gong-ja, lalala, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
"...."
I just let it be from now on.
Just as I am me, Bae Hu-ryeong will always be Bae Hu-ryeong.
Meaning, people can change, but the Sword Emperor cannot.
-Master.
On the seventh day.
-Do you trust me?
Today, I was once again taking down false demonic cult followers with the boy. After the Blood Demon, G.o.d Demon, and White Demon, the last one left was the Mad Demon. After smas.h.i.+ng the enemy"s outpost, we headed to the Mad Demon Cult"s hideout with cheerful steps.
"Euhheungheung~."
The boy was even humming through his nose. Watching his back, I too felt proud. It was as if the canvas of my heart was being painted with the color of happiness.
Bae Hu-ryeong, in a way, was like ash unexpectedly sprinkled on a colorful canvas.
"No, I don"t believe you."
-I believe in you.
What?
I got gooseb.u.mps.
"Are you crazy?"
-But it"s not just you I believe in. I also believe in Marcus"s grandpa.
"...."
-If you can"t reach the 99th floor, eventually grandpa will take your place. Saying "instead" is funny because he"s not a subst.i.tute for you. But I believe you know what I mean.
Bae Hu-ryeong"s voice dissolved into the air.
-Frankly, it"s okay if you fail.
"...."
-Belief means thinking that the other person will give their best. And the best isn"t something decided by others but can only be determined by oneself. So, a relations.h.i.+p based on trust means that each decides their best and accepts the other"s decisions. That"s all there is to it. Nothing more.
"Do you know? I"m really scared right now."
Seriously.
Even if he cursed and swore at me 24/7, my legs wouldn"t feel as weak as they do now.
"What are you trying to bring up with such a preamble?"
-Just listen to me for a moment.
"I am listening."
-No.
Bae Hu-ryeong stared at me intently.
-Listen.
-Do you remember the nonsense I"ve been spouting for a week?
"I remember."
-Your memory is c.r.a.p. Do you really remember everything?
"You made such a big deal about remembering it, so should I take it lightly? And I have a good memory. It"s just that yours is perverted, but I"m not inferior to anyone else."
-Good to hear.
Bae Hu-ryeong nodded his chin.
-Then recite it.
"Out loud?"
-No. In your head.
"...."
Fine.
I closed my eyes.
"…Eh? Master?"
Perhaps because I suddenly stopped walking.
I could feel the boy, who had been walking ahead, stopping and turning back to look at me.
"I"m sorry. Please wait a moment, my G.o.d."
I asked him for a moment.
I quietly focused on the ritual.
"The nonsense Bae Hu-ryeong mentioned."
The image was engraving white letters onto a black canvas.
For an aura user, whose job is to manifest the products of consciousness externally, it wasn"t difficult.
Like stacking bricks, I pieced together the phrases from the past 7 days line by line.
Craziness is abundant, so this year will also be a hit
The king is a sage king, and the general is a famous general
The evening is happy, so the saint blesses it
Lay out the stall and enjoy a lifetime
Terror be gone, death stay far away
Happy sailing, Kim Gong-ja, lalala, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d
Indeed, it wasn"t difficult.
However, the reason Bae Hu-ryeong went to [such lengths] to say this.
To uncover that reason, I accelerated the time of the ritual.
"He wouldn"t make such an embarra.s.sing statement just for some simple nonsense."
What could it be?
What kind of prank had he set up?
"What did Bae Hu-ryeong say?"
I recalled.
Somehow, inexplicably, parts of the memory were as if eaten away by worms.
Yet, despite that, I could recall some voices.
『This seems to be a screwed situation.』
I remember.
But this alone doesn"t give me a clue.
『Are you hearing what I said for the first time?』
This too.
『Good.』
Then, what about this?
『If you"re going to be childish, then I"ll join in being childish too.』
I paused my accelerated consciousness on the timeline for a moment.
"...."
Childishly.
The Sword Emperor is inherently a childish person.
Therefore.
If you take only the first character of each thing Bae Hu-ryeong said,
"Ji"(지) from Craziness is abundant, so this year will also be a hit
"Dang"(당) from The king is a sage king, and the general is a famous general
"Je"(저) from The evening is happy, so the saint blesses it
"Jwa"(좌) from Lay out the stall and enjoy a lifetime
"Te"(테) from Terror be gone, death stay far away
"Eo"(어) from Happy sailing, Kim Gong-ja, lalala, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d
"...."
No way.
It doesn"t make sense.
Even if I take the last character and sound it out… Senineysera? No. Trying to combine them in my head doesn"t a.s.semble any plausible message. No, wait.
Just a moment.
"Ji"(지) from Craziness is abundant, so this year will also be a hit
"Dang"(당) from The king is a sage king, and the general is a famous general
"Je"(저) from The evening is happy, so the saint blesses it
"Jwa"(좌) from Lay out the stall and enjoy a lifetime
"Te"(테) from Terror be gone, death stay far away
"Eo"(어) from Happy sailing, Kim Gong-ja, lalala, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d
"...."
So.
Ji■■ ■■■■ Ji■■ ■■■■
Dang■■ ■■■■ Dang■■ ■■■■
Je■■ ■■■■ Je■■ ■■■■
Jwa■■ ■■■■ Jwa■■ ■■■■
Te■■ ■■■■ Te■■ ■■■■
Eo■■■ ■■■ Eo■■ ■■■■
....
So.
Now.
Right.
Away.
To that.
Constellation.
Die.
"...."
"Master?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Are you alright? You"ve been silent for a while. And your expression is, very blank."
"I believe in you."
"Ah. Perhaps because of the internal injuries from fighting the demon heads…? The continuous battles were indeed too much. We rushed the quests a bit too hastily, didn"t we? Shall we rest a bit before moving on?"
"Listen."
"...."
I.
"Master?"
I.
Handed the dagger to the boy.
"Ah?"
And then I pulled that dagger towards my own throat.
"...!"
A ripping sound burst forth.
"No, Master, what on earth…?!"
Everything happened in an instant.
Without giving him a chance to resist, without any time to use any ability or skill, I fixed his body with aura, and placed my life on the edge of the fixed blade.
My life was sliced diagonally away.
[You have died.]
Beyond the blade, the boy wore an expression of horror.
"———-!!"
A scream.
"Why! Why, d.a.m.n it! d.a.m.n it——."
A shout.
[A skill has been activated.]
And then, the world surrounding me shattered to pieces.
****
Note: I have left the puzzle sentences and the part as they are. If I had more time, I would have created new sentences to match the message, but that"s the best I could do for now.
****