Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Nursing
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No sooner had the words left my mouth than a system window popped up in front of me.
[System Message]
[ A crisis situation has been detected. ]
[ It is judged to be a level of direct threat to your life. ]
[ Applying ‘Skill: Desperate Situation’ at EX rank. ]
And fittingly so, the moment she heard my words, her face showed no reaction whatsoever.
She was as still as if she had forgotten how to even breathe.
“...Master, what? You don’t... need me...? Huh...?”
She muttered in a tone as if the entire world had come crashing down.
The color was draining from her eyes bit by bit.
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Seras’’s corruption level is skyrocketing! ]
[ She will soon enter a confirmed berserk state! ]
“Master, I’m not... your master anymore...?”
“...”
Really.
I’d only told her to stay away, basically issuing a keep-out order, and her mental state shatters to this degree. What a pain.
Of course, even so.
“Yeah. Don’t come within 5 meters of me.”
Rules are rules.
If I didn’t draw this line, she’d cling to me all day and cause all sorts of disasters. That much was certain.
“Instead.”
Of course, I couldn’t just push her away like I said earlier—the moment I did, her corruption level would explode. So, I couldn’t leave it at that.
I added more.
“Don’t go farther than 10 meters away either.”
“...”
Seras—or more precisely, the Purple Devil—wore a look of utter confusion.
[System Message]
[ Target’s corruption level is rapidly decreasing! ]
At least it made clear I wasn’t casting her out, so her expression brightened a little. Her corruption level dropped too.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
“And don’t think you’ll see me every single day.”
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Seras’’s corruption level is skyrocketing! ]
“Instead, I’ll play with you one day a week, no exceptions.”
[System Message]
[ Target’s corruption level is rapidly decreasing! ]
“And even when we do meet for the day...”
Every time I continued like that, her corruption level spiked and fell repeatedly.
It surged whenever it sounded like I was pushing her away, and dropped when I indicated she could stay close.
[...What am I supposed to do here? Make up your mind?]
‘I’m managing the distance right now.’
As I’d said before coming here.
When dealing with the Purple Devil, controlling the distance is key to survival.
It was basically declaring I’d keep her at arm’s length and manage her, but laying it all out like this was fine.
“Instead, if you obey my orders well.”
Better than just blindly telling her to obey.
The key was to tame her, molding her to fit me.
Approach it like raising a dangerous pet where one mistake means your life is over.
Impossible with other devils, but it worked on her.
“I’ll give you rewards.”
“...Rewards?”
“I’ll let you get a little closer over time. I’ll let you sleep a bit less. I’ll gradually increase our playtime.”
As I said that, I ruffled the hair of Seras, who was straddling me.
Her face, which had been full of confusion from my string of words, melted into a goofy grin as I petted her head vigorously.
She looked like just receiving my attention made her the happiest being in the world.
‘...Devils are inseparably tied to their vessels.’
I recalled the theory I’d established before.
Half-confirmed from the relationship between the Blue Devil and Liru.
Devils are influenced by their ‘vessels’ more than expected.
So.
“And above all. If you listen to me well.”
The words I was giving her now.
They were directed at both the Purple Devil and ‘Seras’ simultaneously.
“I’ll never abandon you.”
“...”
Her goofy smile froze solid.
The grin slowly faded, and she blinked down at me.
She stayed silent like that for a long while.
The words I’d just uttered.
They touched on why she sought a ‘master’ to submit to.
And on Seras’s past as well.
“...A promise, Master?”
After a long silence, she hesitantly spoke.
It was unusual for her, who’d only shown frantic reactions until now.
“Yeah.”
“You won’t abandon me or the vessel? You’ll stay with us forever?”
“Yeah.”
“No matter what happens, to the end?”
“No matter what.”
I’d just declared I’d keep all six devils with me.
If I couldn’t handle something like a large dog causing chaos, how could I achieve that?
“...”
Of course, the scale of her chaos was enormous.
But I was a man of my word. Including her, covering everyone was sincere.
“Then.”
With that firm answer carrying my resolve.
Seras—or rather, the Purple Devil controlling her—nodded.
“I’ll listen.”
With those words, she beamed and stuck out her pinky.
“Pinky promise. Got it?”
“...”
For a devil, it was an astonishingly innocent demand.
But seeing her childlike demeanor made it understandable.
A devil’s fragment symbolizes the ‘lack’ suppressed and rejected by the vessel.
This ‘bouncy child’ represented what Seras could never have.
“...”
With that in mind, I hooked my pinky with hers, and she beamed again.
“Then, Master.”
With those words.
“See you next time.”
Seras’s body slumped over me like a puppet with cut strings.
The devil controlling her body had clearly retreated back into the mental world.
“...Haaah...”
I let out a deep sigh.
Good news for the day.
Dawood Campbell, survives again.
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Anyway, the conclusion.
At least I didn’t get split in half again. Success for now.
[...But are you okay?]
“What?”
[No, those promises you made earlier. You good with that?]
“...Oh, that.”
If I summed up the promises I made with the Purple Devil in one sentence.
I’d be stalked by the continent’s top assassin, who wouldn’t stray too far for most of the day.
And plenty more, but the most glaring one off the bat was that.
“...”
Yeah.
That’s how it was.
“It’s manageable.”
[How?!]
“She might not do it, but the other vessels would try it eventually anyway?”
[...]
Even Kalliban fell silent, seemingly agreeing with me.
[...The Devil of Obsession is over there, but this side’s the real mess.]
“That one’s just intense with obsession, not completely unreasonable.”
Of course, the White Devil wasn’t safe either.
The moment the fragments gathered and I showed my true face, it’d be an uncontrollable disaster.
Even so, I agreed she was the only one with a single fragment who could torment a person this much.
And as I walked the corridor thinking that.
“...”
My head spun.
I staggered, barely catching myself on the wall.
Cold sweat poured out. My vision blurred slightly.
[...Hey. You okay?]
“Yeah, sure.”
I checked my status window in surprise, but the Mark of Heaven wasn’t glitching, nor was any part of me broken.
So, what was this.
Why these symptoms all of a sudden.
[...How much have you rested lately?]
“...”
Ah.
Right.
I hadn’t slept and had been running around handling things nonstop.
Including my time in the Crucible of Struggle, I hadn’t rested properly in ages.
‘Studying, managing devils, awakening Phey nol’s emotions, preparing for the events from the Emperor’s academy visit later...’
Just listing them was overwhelming.
With multiple events to prepare simultaneously, it was unavoidable.
Not just handling them at once, but to get the best results, I couldn’t half-ass any.
And always factoring in the Foreseer variable.
[Even with that thinking, it won’t work, you idiot.]
Kalliban clicked his tongue.
[Handle what you can, one by one. Otherwise, nothing gets done and you just wreck your body.]
“...Since when do you give constructive advice?”
[You’ve been shaky lately. Especially after that tightrope fall last time—you seem even more cautious.]
“...”
Yeah...
I wasn’t always perfect at handling everything, as I’d proven by splitting myself in half before.
The problem was.
“...If I mess up, other people could die.”
The main scenario had derailed like an uncontrollable runaway train multiple times already.
And I was the clear cause.
So, in my current situation.
My mistakes wouldn’t just hurt me. Sudden events from them could sweep others away.
And the most crucial one.
“...Elnor’s the top priority.”
I let out a sigh with those words.
The Foreseer targeting her most relentlessly was undeniable.
So I had various plans prepared for her...
“...I just want to see her at least once.”
The issue was she wouldn’t even meet me.
I’d tried every route to talk, even once, but she firmly shut me out. Still haven’t seen her face.
Not even once since parting in the Crucible of Struggle.
“There’s something I really want to tell her, but I’ve been so swamped lately...”
I muttered weakly, pushing off the wall.
The dizziness and vertigo had faded, so I could move.
But the moment I did, I realized.
Ah, this.
Not recovered—just a fleeting return of strength right before collapse.
Like a last burst of light.
[Hey, you idiot?!]
I heard Kalliban’s voice, but I couldn’t hold myself up.
My head dropped straight to the floor.
“...Dawood? Dawood! Hey, you!”
At that moment.
A familiar voice faintly reached me.
Beyond my blurring vision, I glimpsed hair of a familiar color.
"..."
Huh.
That’s Elnor.
Talk about perfect timing. Like she was nearby and rushed over the second I fell.
Did she overhear our talk?
Hope I didn’t look like a lunatic chatting with Kalliban.
No, more importantly, did I say anything stupid?
Those thoughts flashed through my dazed mind.
[System Message]
[ Target ‘Elnor’’s guilt is amplifying-]
Before I could finish reading the sudden message.
My vision went black.
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