Chapter 108 #35 The Witch of the Ice Castle (3)
“Hello.”
Her greeting made me grimace. There was nothing hello about this. No, actually, it wasn't me who wasn't okay—it was her.
“This doesn't seem like the time for greetings.”
“Is that so? Sorry, I'm not used to meeting people my age.”
The woman burst out laughing—pahaha—a hearty smile that didn't fit the situation at all.
“Haa.”
I let out a sigh without realizing it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I rolled my eyes. I had no idea what was going on here. Or even what to say to this woman.
“I know I died. I know you're pitying me. And I know you think this whole situation is bullshit.”
Her words made me look at her.
“Reading my mind? Yeah, at least inside this space. But I won't anymore. We need to talk without that, right?”
She mimicked my speech pattern perfectly, reciting my words back to me with a pretty smile. Haa. I dragged a hand down my face.
“Why the hell did you bring me here?”
“You wanted to talk to me. And I wanted to talk to you.”
I shut my mouth at her words. Ah, right. Yeah, that was true. I studied her face. Strictly speaking, she'd died because I'd figured out her 'conquest method'.
Was there no resentment toward me?
“If you keep staring at me without saying anything, I might read your mind again?”
“Sorry. I just don't know where to start.”
“Then tell me what you wanted to say to me. What you wanted to talk about after waking me up.”
I licked my lips. What I wanted to say. There was a lot. But...
“Don't feel guilty. Plenty of people would have killed me even if it wasn't you. No, you didn't kill me anyway—it was your friend. Ah, but even so, I'm fine with it.”
“He's not my friend.”
“Yeah, I can tell.”
I slowly met her gaze and opened my mouth.
“I wanted to talk to you to see if there was another way. Or... maybe I just couldn't bring myself to erase you like that.”
Saying I'd find another capture method was a lie. The system had confirmed my thoughts weren't wrong, but at that moment, I was ready to play the hypocrite.
After learning this woman's fate, I couldn't just let it slide. For some reason, my heart went out to her.
“There was another way.”
“There was?”
“Yes.”
I clenched my fist. Maybe there was still a chance...
As if reading my mind, she spoke.
“But not anymore. Because I'm dead.”
Yuseonje, you bastard. If it weren't for him, maybe we could have cleared this gate differently.
“It's okay. Anyway, like your friend said—ah, the real friend this time, the one in your head—this world is all fake. It's just repeating. Even if you saved me, the me in the next world would die, and it'd repeat over and over.”
She rolled her eyes as she tried to comfort me.
“But thanks to you, I learned a truth I didn't know.”
My body twitched at her words. It had to. Whatever truth she'd learned, it could only be bad news for her.
What good could come from realizing the stepmother she'd grown attached to—the one who'd cared for her—was actually worse than her own father?
“I half-knew already, but this is the first time I've learned the details.”
“You okay? Knowing something like that.”
She looked fine on the outside, but who knew inside. She giggled at my question.
“You're really worried about me. How curious.”
“Um...”
“I'm fine. I'm a monster anyway.”
“No, you're human.”
Compared to the inhuman scum I'd seen—people I wouldn't even call human—this woman was more human than anyone.
She'd just never gotten the chance.
Never had that one shot to live like a person.
“It's okay. No matter what, I never hated Dad or Serena.”
“You didn't hate them?”
“They're pitiful. If I hadn't killed Mom, Dad never would have done something like this. So I get it.”
I couldn't agree with that at all. If it were me, I'd have smashed the count's head in, yelling why is this my fault, stop blaming me.
How could she not hate those two?
Ah, no way.
Until I found the basement, I'd thought Count Herman had used some trick to seal that ice.
But now I realized. The one common point between the two intact places in this castle.
“You wanted to save them? Those two?”
“They're still my dad and mom.”
Having grown up without parents, I couldn't understand her feelings. People who'd abused and tried to kill her—were they still parents? Was it okay to treat them like that?
Those two were standout trash among all the garbage I'd seen. It wasn't even my business, but I couldn't forgive them—how could she say something like that?
“You know? Constantly hating someone is exhausting too.”
“Pardon?”
“I've experienced this world so many times. The first time I learned the truth... yeah, maybe I hated them a little. Regretted trying to save them without knowing, cried a bit.”
This was the first time I'd learned the full story, but she'd already known Serena was the real culprit behind turning her into this.
She'd watched herself destroy this world, over and over.
“You don't need to worry about me. I'm already dead, this world just repeats, and a set fate can't be changed.”
Then why the hell had I come here?
Why meet this woman, hear this heartbreaking story?
“But your world is different.”
I looked up at her words.
“Like your friend said, our world will be the bridge invading yours. But how that bridge from this world lands in yours isn't set yet. Whether this door closes properly, shatters open... or...”
“Or find another way?”
“Yes. Each leads to a different outcome.”
I widened my eyes. If she was right, the gate's clear method changed its aftermath.
Ray had said a gate break was the worst—mana flooding our world, spiking concentrations.
So I'd thought conquering it was best. But there were other ways?
“Of course, worlds like this are rare. Usually, just smash it. But some special ones? Yeah, they'll definitely help your world.”
Find scattered riddle-like info, uncover the gate's truth, then a different clearance strategy becomes possible.
Serena asked, watching me lost in thought.
“You got a talent during that riddle-solving, right?”
“How did you...”
“It's our gift. More precisely, from people trapped in worlds like this. Gates worldwide hide all sorts of things.”
Talents are fixed to one. That common sense shattered. I'd thought my new talent here was possible only because I'd already implanted countless mana circuits.
It wasn't? Anyone could get a second, third talent? Huge info.
But one problem.
“I'm not a hunter.”
I'd planned to snipe bad guys from behind, rescue folks, then hang back and chill.
No intention of wandering gates devising new raid methods.
She laughed at my words.
“I know. This isn't your burden. You don't have to do anything. Your world won't end for 10 years—no, 9 now—and you can do your best other ways. But if you really want to change that outcome...”
She tilted her head.
“It'd be good to try something.”
Ugh. That shut me up. To stop this world's destruction, sure. But wasn't this snowballing?
“Lucky you're the kind of person who shows kindness even to someone like me.”
“I'm a criminal, not kind at all...”
“Thank you.”
“Wait.”
“Goodbye.”
The same greeting as before, but opposite meaning. Darkness swallowed my vision again.
I opened my eyes again to Yuseonje standing before me. My hand was outstretched, ready to grab his collar.
Stopped time resumed.
“Haa...”
That woman, really. Instead of grabbing Yuseonje's collar, I wiped my face. The rage boiling to my scalp had vanished, but seeing him brought back unpleasant feelings.
If I named this emotion... well, probably...
Contempt.
“Nothing to say to me?”
I asked Yuseonje.
“A monster came out, I killed the monster. What's the problem?”
His eyes were still defiant.
“You know we had to kill that monster to escape.”
“You knew her hostility was gone. Don't say you didn't. Someone like you reads mana better than anyone.”
“Does that make a monster not a monster?”
She wasn't a monster. I glared at Yuseonje.
“If the boss monster loses hostility, if conversation's possible, didn't you say you'd give me time, Team Leader?”
I shifted my gaze to the Sirius raiding team behind him. Han Seohyun stared at me, lost in the serious situation.
“Hah.”
If he'd said so beforehand—she might be dangerous, just take out the witch—I might have understood a bit. But Yuseonje said nothing.
I turned from frozen Lee Hyewon. The real culprit was elsewhere.
“Well, no surprise. You've always been like this.”
Yuseonje was arrogant. Dictatorial. I'd known his personality since the old academy days.
Team play scores always sucked.
Yet no one could call him out.
Why?
Results were perfect.
“Only you matter to you. You don't care about others. Because you think they're inferior! Their opinions, suggestions—worthless.”
I didn't want to recall the past, but his arrogant words surfaced. Do you think you'd help me?Why give you a chance?
“But you know? You could stand here and kill the witch because of me. I gave you the chance, and you...”
I exhaled. The barely calmed emotions threatened to erupt. Hoo. I breathed out.
“You know? There was another way to close this gate. A hidden piece no one else found.”
“You expect me to believe that...”
“Yeah, yeah. Great Yuseonje wouldn't believe me. I know.”
I gave him a bitter smile.
“If you'd just trusted me a little, even for a moment.”
He didn't believe me again, and I tasted another failure in this world.
Or was it failure?
The gate cleared anyway.
“Whatever. Do what you want. It's none of my business now.”
I didn't want to deal with this arrogant prick anymore. I gave up on Yuseonje. I'd spared his life—handle it yourself from here.
We just didn't mesh.
“Agent John, let's find the exit and get out.”
I couldn't stand being near this guy another second. I turned to Han Seohyun beside Team Leader Lee Hyewon.
And saw it.
Lee Hyewon's pupils turning yellow as she stood next to him.
I'd seen that scene far too many times.
“Hah.”
Time slowed. Team Leader Lee Hyewon, A-grade Sword Talent. Her sword left its sheath in an instant.
Yeah, my life wouldn't go that easy.
I reached out, pulling Yuseonje toward me.
And at the same time, Lee Hyewon's sword pierced me.