Chapter 73
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Epilogue - Rick (2)
"Who the fuck are you!!!"
No matter how much I screamed, there was no reply. She just stared at me with an eerily unwavering gaze.
What the... what the fuck. Why the hell is she looking at me like that? For the first time, I felt a primal fear of the unknown and swallowed hard. It was just some ordinary bitch standing in front of me, but she radiated this bizarre magnetism, like dark magic pouring out of her.
"Fuck..."
But I forced myself to calm down and let out a long breath. Wait, yeah. She's just some ordinary bitch. There's no reason to be scared. Why the hell should I cower like an idiot? She could just be a regular drunk. Hiding in the corner isn't gonna change shit. Time to man up. Man up.
"Hoo..."
I steadied my breathing and took my first step forward. My eyes stayed fixed on her as I clenched my fists and finally planted that first foot.
Thud.
The sound of my own footstep echoed ridiculously loud. It felt like everyone in the inn should've heard that.
No. I'm just being paranoid. It's the booze making me overthink. With that thought, I took another step. Thud. Another massive echo pulsed with my heartbeat. But the mysterious woman still didn't budge, just kept staring. This fucking bitch is really pissing me off. What do I do? Try talking again? But that didn't work before...
...
Huh.
Suddenly, I noticed something off and stopped in my tracks. I was yelling curses loud enough earlier—why hasn't anyone come running? Sure, the guests might ignore it, but the staff or innkeeper should've shown up by now.
Why is it so suspiciously quiet around here?
Only then did I stop again and look at her. Cold sweat trickled down my back in the unnaturally still night air. By the time I felt my shirt soaking through, a unfamiliar voice finally came from her for the first time.
"Rick."
"F-Fuck...!"
I flinched and staggered back. But she only moved her lips to say my name—no other motion.
"What the hell are you? Who are you?"
"Rick."
"What the fuck!"
No answer. She just stared silently again before suddenly throwing out a random question.
"Do you think you can be forgiven for the sins you committed in the past?"
Sins from the past...?
"What kinda bullshit is that? What the hell did I do!"
"Answer me. Do you think you can be forgiven for the sins you committed in the past?"
"Who are you? Who sent you? Those Menix bastards? The guild? Or those Erendel street punks from back then? I don't care who—it wasn't my fault. I didn't do shit!"
"So you think you can be forgiven."
What the fuck is with this crazy bitch? Asking and answering her own damn questions. But her words kept circling in my head. Who sent her? Or is it someone with a grudge? I desperately racked my brain. A woman. That country girl I fucked and ditched last time? The archer I framed by jizzing in her bed while she slept? Or some whore I met once?
Past memories I'd never felt guilty about came flooding back, choking me. Who the fuck. Who. Who. Who!
"Then let me ask something else."
As I uselessly dwelled on my own sins, she spoke again. And tossed another incomprehensible question.
"Do you think you can be forgiven for the sins you'll commit in the future?"
"What... what the fuck does that even mean..."
"The sins you'll commit in the future, Rick. Can even those be forgiven?"
Sins in the future? The grammatically mangled nonsense was impossible to grasp. What the hell is this psycho babbling about? Why's she fucking with me?
"How the fuck do you forgive shit I haven't even done, you crazy bitch! If you're gonna spout nonsense, just fuck off!"
"...Fair enough. That must've been too hard a question for you."
She nodded to herself, drawing her own conclusions just as arbitrarily as she'd appeared. Then she dropped a chillingly calm line.
"Then let's end this."
"End what the fuck..."
I tried to sound nonchalant, but my voice trembled anyway. Blood ran cold. Kicked out of the party. Leo nowhere to be found. This mystery woman showing up out of nowhere.
Maybe today was the worst day of my life.
"Hoo..."
That's when I glanced aside and spotted a small window. Barely big enough for my body, but if I forced it, I could probably squeeze through.
...Fuck.
To think I'd even consider that.
I looked at her, then sidelong at the window. No matter how I denied it, I had only one option.
"..."
She reached toward her backpack again. No more time to hesitate. I had to decide.
The next instant, her hand dipped into the bag. Seeing that, I screamed at the top of my lungs and lunged.
"Uwaaaaaah!!!"
And charged at her full tilt.
Fuck that. Scared of one bitch, squeezing out the window and jumping? Bullshit, not even worth considering. I don't care who she is—I'll teach her a lesson. Acting all high and mighty without knowing who I am!
The idiot bitch didn't even expect me to rush her; she just stood there staring. Frozen in fear? Didn't see this coming, huh, you cunt?
I smirked, imagining the next moment. Slam into her, smash her skull. Or check her out first and show her a good time. Either way, but personally, the first. No need to waste stamina on a bitch trying to set the mood. I rushed to pulverize her tiny head.
But the next instant, what shattered wasn't her skull—or mine.
It was the window.
Crash!
"Wha...!"
As I shrieked like a dying animal, the window exploded and something pitch-black burst out. I shouldn't have looked. But I turned anyway.
And a massive hand seized my throat.
"Guhk...!"
The unknown grip crushed my neck like it could snap it. I heard my vertebrae—or maybe my life—cracking through my bones. Clear terror hit as my vision blurred instantly.
"Ah... guhk... ugh...!"
What the fuck is this? Can a human hand be that big? Demonkin? No way. Or some that snuck past the border? What's with her and the demon...
No. That didn't matter.
Am I... gonna die like this?
"Ghek...! Khek...!"
My crushed throat couldn't even scream anymore. The faint gasps leaking out clearly signaled death.
Die like this? So pointlessly? Without knowing why, just die?
"...! ...!"
I thought I could at least struggle. Put up some fight.
But nothing. My body raced steadily toward death. Then, through my bizarrely sharpening vision, she approached like the Grim Reaper.
"..."
I reached for the red-haired girl finally in view. Please spare me. Just once. Forgive me once. I don't want to die. I don't!
Did my plea reach her? She finally spoke. Maybe salvation.
"......"
But her words drowned in a snapping sound.
Crack.
"...!"
Splat.
...
My body hit the floor like a paper doll. The fall's agony engulfed me, but I couldn't even writhe in pain.
"Ahg... ebuu... ahgaak..."
Unintelligible groans leaked from my throat. I felt my pants soaking wet below, drooling stupidly without knowing my state.
"Eh... egruuk... aheee..."
"I didn't kill him, did I?"
Her voice dropped slowly then. A rough new voice followed clearly.
"No. I left his senses intact, as ordered."
"Can he hear?"
"Yes."
"Can he speak?"
"Doubt it. He can probably only move his eyes."
"I see."
They talked about my body overhead. Senses intact? Can't speak? What... what the fuck am I now? Alive? How...
"Aa... uh... aaa..."
My mind burned madly, but only feeble groans escaped. Then a hand flipped me over to face the ceiling. I rolled like meat, no resistance.
And finally, her face came into view above.
Framed by red hair, she looked like a girl not even twenty. Her delicate, sharp features would've been cute in another situation, but her rigidly hardened expression and tightly pressed lips radiated cynical chill, filling me with dread just looking.
"Ah... uh..."
One thing clear: never seen her face before. No matter how I searched memories, no girl left this impression. Hell, is she even human?
"Uaa... aaa..."
"..."
Who the hell are you... to do this to me...
"Aa... aaaa..."
"Yeah. You must have a lot of questions. But so do I."
"Auh... a..."
"Plenty to verify."
"Auh... aaaa..."
"But I don't want to waste much time on you. So just the important stuff."
Then a sharp dagger appeared in her hand. From the bag earlier? I couldn't thrash, just tracked the blade's gleam with terrified eyes. She glanced at them, then at the mystery demonkin.
"Pain's intact?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She replied curtly and vanished from view. I naturally rolled my eyes to follow. But no need.
Tearing pain hit my index finger.
"Ahgaak... aaaak...!!!"
Senses fully alive, as the demon said. The dagger's slice felt vivid—ripping flesh, tearing muscle, gnawing bone, every agony stimulating my brain in sequence. And agonizingly slow.
"A... eeeuk... egak... gaak...!"
Slice slice
"Ahgaak... gaaak...!"
The hand cutting my finger was neither precise nor skilled. Hence, slow and crude. It slashed wildly, slipping to shred side flesh; dug obsessively but grumbled when tendons blocked, knife stuck. Only I suffered.
"Gaaak... gaaaaak...!"
"Tougher than I thought. Figured a finger would be quick."
"Shall I?"
"Nah. His screams are kinda fun. Got a hammer?"
"Easier if I snap it."
Snap.
"Gaaak... gueeek!!!"
"Ah, not literally. Whatever."
Impact snapped the bone, shards tearing flesh. But my useless finger still dangled from the tip.
"Ahguuk... agaak... gaaak...!"
"Haa... damn."
She deliberately yanked the dangling finger. Twang. Pop. Pop. Flesh and muscle snapped one by one, searing my brain. When it finally tore free, I felt relief over pain.
Of course, pain didn't vanish.
"Gaaaaak...!!!"
"Hoo. Done."
"Gaaak... gra... aaa... geeeek..."
"Now, Rick. See? Ring any bells?"
She wiped sweat like a laborer after hard work and dangled the severed finger before my eyes. I didn't grasp the meaning, just wailed for my ruined archer's life.
"Ahgaak... graaak...!"
"Rick. Doesn't ring a bell? Really?"
"Aak... ugraaak...!"
"No memories, huh. Well, one finger won't prove it."
She sighed deeply and dragged her bag over. Tears streamed from my eyes meanwhile. Why me? Why the fuck me?
As questions welled, she pulled items from the bag. Muttering to herself.
"Memory's fuzzy too. Finger, eyeball, both nipples—in that order?"
"Ahgu... gruuaa..."
"And finally..."
"Aa... ahgu..."
Last out: a potion bottle sloshing red liquid. Looked like basic HP potion, but crucially different. Filled with thousands of nails.
"Ah... aaaa..."
What the hell with that? Dreading futures I couldn't imagine, I rolled my eyes. She gazed blankly outside. Then dropped a spine-chilling line.
"Think it'll finish before dawn."
"Aa... aaaaa...!"
I screamed at the unknown horror. Someone hear. Save me. But my cries sounded pathetically weak even to me.
"Let's start."
"Gaaaaak...!!!"
My final scream escaped. Final because I lacked strength after. She shredded my eyeball with glass shards, nailed my nipples and pried them—I writhed soundlessly in agony. When she yanked my pants to shove the nail-potion up my ass, I couldn't breathe.
When another potion emerged after, I gave up everything.
Pain didn't stop, though.
"Egek... hiek... ahgaak..."
"..."
I looked down at Rick's mangled wreck. Covered in blood, potions, filth—he was a total mess, yet still clung to life. I felt neither disappointment nor relief.
Just reconfirmed a fact.
"Haa..."
Aside from that one person, am I the only one back?
Not certain yet. Bobby, the Ennesic Order's archbishop, might've returned. Leo could've endured with anti-magic.
...
No. Doubt it.
For some reason, it felt like only me.
Why?
Chance to apologize to him?
Or the unfinished prophecy's prank?
Dunno. No way to know.
Just hope it's the former.
"Done?"
My border infiltrator spoke. I snapped back to reality and nodded.
"Yeah."
"What about him?"
"Feed to the Minotaur. Tell it to take its time. You know what I mean."
"Yes."
He replied curtly and dragged Rick. His unfocused eyes drifted my way.
"Eggek... uhek... ah... ugh..."
The worm groaned meaninglessly again. Pathetic scum. Laughable that this trash dared enter my land and take everything—in under ten minutes, I'd made him a lifelong cripple.
But that thought lingered.
Actually, that hasn't happened yet.
It was from a future that wouldn't occur. One where he got swept into unintended fate, trapping himself in tragedy and giving villains like me a chance to bring out his true nature—a future no more.
Yeah. In a way, this was pointless venting.
...
In a moral sense, from an incompetent goddess's setup.
But this tale couldn't be judged by simplistic morals. It was atonement to a youth who could've lived normally, and prevention for countless suffering from this filthy life.
And after days of watching, this human deserved death regardless.
"...Haa."
I sighed, instinctively glancing skyward before dropping my gaze. No right to heaven. Mood plummeted, foul emotions surging.
...
Two left.
"Graaak... auaa... agek..."
Tenacious life still groaned. Crawling like a bug, a smile crept up. Fun watching this fucker break. Like a drunk rummaging for booze, I idly dug in the bag.
"...Oh ho."
Two potions remained. Smile returned.
Sunrise still a bit off outside. Time for a little fun.
"Graaak... aak..."
Revenge like drugs—blissfully forgets all while high. Meaning, still time to enjoy.
"Hold up."
"Pardon?"
"Still some bottles left."
"Ahguuk...! Geek... ahguuwek...!"
I stopped my subordinate dragging him, grabbed a potion, approached. To prolong his nightmare a bit. To delay mine.