Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: No Time to Die 4
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Ibi nearly fainted at the sight, flailing in panic, but the person involved remained perfectly calm. She even gave Ibi a dull, puzzled look, as if wondering why she was making such a fuss.
"Y-you, your leg! Your leg! No, your eyes! What happened to your eyes?!"
"Oh, this?"
Kang Areum casually brought her hand to her eye. An enormous amount of bloody tears had soaked her face, making it look almost like a tattoo. Despite her calm demeanor, she let out a groan, clearly feeling the pain.
"I have my own trump card, you know. You could call it my ultimate move. I don't use it lightly, but this time I had no choice. Well... I messed up the control, so it failed. That's why my eyes ended up like this."
"C-can you see?"
"No. But my nose and ears are fine, so it's okay."
Ibi wanted to scream, How the hell is that okay?! But there was another problem. This one involved Mina.
Mina had some external injuries, but she'd somehow returned to her normal form, and there didn't seem to be anything serious. That was good. But there was one glaring issue she couldn't ignore.
Mina's arm had split in half like it sometimes did, transforming into a massive mouth. That alone wouldn't have been a problem, but what that mouth was holding was none other than Kang Areum's right arm. She'd swallowed it all the way up to just below the shoulder.
In other words, she was moments away from snapping it off and gulping it down.
"M-Mina! What are you doing?! You can't eat that! Spit it out! Spit!"
"I know you're not saying it with bad intentions, but my arm isn't that dirty."
With her making remarks like that, Ibi had to wonder if anyone left here was still sane.
Meanwhile, Mina's condition was a bit odd. She looked utterly exhausted, drained of energy. She was even making a tearful face, as if her body wasn't obeying her. The mouth gripping Kang Areum's arm twitched. It seemed like her reason wanted to let go, but her body wouldn't comply.
"Looks like Mina's really starving. Well, I didn't expect things to get this rough."
"Is now the time for chit-chat?! Mina's about to swallow Areum's arm!"
It was impossible to tell who needed protecting from whom. Each other from each other?
But Kang Areum, the person involved, didn't seem too concerned this time either. She glanced back and forth between her own arm and Mina's face before tossing out a cool remark.
"No helping it. Go ahead and take it."
With that, she used her other hand to clamp Mina's mouth shut. Then she yanked hard on her firmly gripped right arm.
Ibi's eyes flew wide open. Mina's teeth were sharper than any razor blade. If she pulled that hard—w-wait, was she seriously—?
A sickening rrrip echoed through the air, and Ibi whipped her head away. But she'd already seen too much. The skin tearing, muscles exposed, bones laid bare, stretching with a wet squelch before finally severing and vanishing into Mina's maw.
"Ugh... this isn't easy."
"I-is that all?! Are you insane? Your arm—your arm got cut off! Kyaa! Don't look this way! I can see the bone! What if it haunts my dreams?! Mom..."
"...It's my arm that's gone, so why are you hurting more?"
Kang Areum picked up a scrap of black cloth from the ground with her remaining hand. She wiped the blood from her face and pressed it against her eyes like an ice pack. Her shattered-glass pupils gradually returned to normal. They were still bloodshot, with dark red blotches clustered in the whites, but better.
Next, she tried to tie the cloth around the stump of her severed arm. But with only one hand and barely a shoulder left, it was tricky. Nati had to step in and help. At least now the cut end was covered, so Ibi stopped freaking out as much.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. It'll grow back in ten days. Eyes too."
"What are you, a lizard?"
Kang Areum shrugged nonchalantly and stood up. Despite missing a leg, she didn't wobble. Still, it didn't look comfortable, so Ibi offered her shoulder. With one arm and one leg gone, Kang Areum looked far more frail than before.
Nati was helping Mina to her feet. Now that her hunger was sated, Mina seemed back to normal. But having unintentionally devoured someone's arm clearly weighed on her; she kept her head down. It was only natural, though the victim herself didn't seem to care.
For now, they hurried out of the park. With the incident resolved, civilians could wander in at any moment. They hadn't done anything wrong, but their battered appearance wouldn't make for a pleasant encounter.
"By the way."
As they neared the park exit, Kang Areum lifted her head and spoke up.
"When are we going for that pork belly?"
Back at Flower Mugwort Tea House, Aerin was collapsed feverishly on the sofa. The sit-in had dragged on far more intensely than expected. Haewon was tending to her right beside, but since it'd drained her energy too much, there wasn't much he could do. Nati said he'd take her to the hospital and headed out. The rest dispersed as well.
It was inevitable, really—the night was already deep into the early hours. There was still plenty to sort out, but exhaustion won. Technically one night, but it'd felt like days of nonstop running. So they called it for the day.
Ibi crashed straight into bed when she got home. No time for other thoughts; she sank into sleep like quicksand.
And dreamed. A dream of Nati.
It was the vision she'd seen when briefly godlike. What her real self hadn't had time to process resurfaced in the dream. Though a dream, nothing was missing or distorted. It was complete.
A vast wasteland dotted with sparse, short grass. Far off, mountains curved along the horizon. The sun hung over them, blazing red, painting a sunset.
The lespedeza scent sharp at dusk—I once followed without caution.
The red-tinged aura was on the verge of fading. The rest of the sky was deepening to navy. Sheep-like clouds clung to one side, yet rain fell.
Fox rain fell that day.
Two people stood in the wasteland. A man and a woman. The man stood; the woman knelt. He aimed a gleaming longsword at her neck.
Pathetic raindrops soaked the earth. Wet soil scent rose thickly.
The man's face differed slightly from the Nati Ibi knew. He looked a few years younger, fresh out of boyhood. His clothes were archaic yet simply luxurious.
"Speak."
He opened his mouth. His voice trembled uncontrollably. Rage? Grief? Whatever it was, it poured out.
"Confess every detail of why you abandoned me."
The woman lifted her head silently.
"Would it change anything? What's done is done."
"I trusted you."
"I did too."
"Then how could you do this to me?"
Despite the blade at her throat, her eyes held no fear. Defiance flickered instead.
"Does it matter now? As you say, I abandoned you."
"Give me one reason not to kill you."
She laughed. A corpse-pale laugh.
"Didn't you swear loyalty to your lord? Will you defy the king's command?"
"Speak."
"Aren't you of the Hwarang? Obey the order."
"One reason!"
He gripped the sword, yet his tone begged. Sobs leaked through gritted teeth. She merely lifted her chin slightly.
"You dared aspire to godhood."
"......"
"Your words, chasing arrogant dreams beyond your station."
Lightning flashed in the youth's eyes. His trembling blade whipped like a lash. Silver light streaked past.
It didn't take long. Something flew through the air.
Thud. Her severed head bounced on the grass like a ball, rolling far away.
Chasing the bouncing illusion, one after another.
The youth froze in his swing. Then, convulsing, he dropped the sword and staggered. Sobbing wretchedly, he rummaged through the grass where her head had gone.
Finally, he found it and cradled it in both hands.
"Answer me... Answer..."
The head he severed gazed peacefully, eyes closed. It would never look at him again.
"Why won't you look at me? Why won't you open your eyes properly and see me..."
No answer came, no matter how he yelled or pleaded. As he wailed, twilight faded to darkness. No stars rose that night.
Only upon looking back did I realize the path was cut off.
The youth bowed his head. Despairing tears flowed endlessly.
Ibi, watching, blinked in shock. Not for that reason. A new figure had appeared behind the bowed youth. The open wasteland offered no hiding spots. Impossible, yet there he stood, as if natural.
The newcomer approached the bowed Nati slowly. Black clothes shrouded him to the ankles, trailing the ground. His sunken eyes marked a haggard face.
But those eyes burned quietly, like a comet.
Ibi wanted to scream for Nati to look up, but it was a dream. She was powerless, absent, merely observing.
The Hollow Man advanced on Nati's back, slow but sure. One step. Two. Three.
Right up close, he raised a hand. And gripped Nati's shoulder.
Chin.
Do you understand the moment I was left alone?