Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Assemble!
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It felt like I'd been trapped in a long, endless nightmare.
But in a way, it might not have been a nightmare at all—more like the happiest dream I'd ever had.
All around me were wary stares, eyes filled with suspicion and strangeness, but one person alone was smiling.
"...Ah."
Sunlight suddenly filtered through her eyelids, and Trisha slowly opened her eyes.
Her body felt impossibly heavy, like a thousand tons weighing her down, as she struggled to sit up.
But her legs and arms refused to respond—no strength at all.
It reminded her of that time long ago when she'd nearly drowned playing in the water, and Jimmy had saved her.
That same limp helplessness, when she couldn't do a thing.
"Hngh..."
She wanted to speak, but even her voice wouldn't come out properly.
Not a single finger would move, not even her tongue.
Panic hit her all at once.
What the hell had happened?
Why was she like this?
Why, what...
"You're awake.
Dark Dragon?"
Was that her brother, Jimmy?
No, it wasn't.
This voice was far more playful.
It felt unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar too when she thought about it.
Trisha rolled her eyes to the side.
And there, sitting beside her with a smile, was a man.
"Sion-nim."
"Looks like you're finally coming around."
"...What... happened?"
"What else?
The Dark Dragon inside you went 'Kwaaa!' and roared its head off.
Just like you told me last time."
He said it playfully, but his mouth and eyes weren't smiling.
Trisha had always been good at reading emotions, so she quickly realized this wasn't just lighthearted teasing—something serious had gone down.
'Something happened.'
The moment that thought crossed her mind, a sharp pang flashed through her brain.
An intense headache hit her, twisting her face in pain.
But she kept pushing, refusing to stop, trying to remember.
What had happened? Why was she in bed with Sion sitting next to her?
"...Hahaha."
Then it all came flooding back, and she let out a disbelieving laugh.
She laughed weakly like that for a while, caught her breath, and quietly spoke.
"It was real."
"What was?"
"The Dark Dragon inside me.
I thought it was just nonsense, but it was real."
"Didn't I tell you?
Everyone's got a Dark Dragon in their heart somewhere..."
"No.
Not that.
The monster inside me."
Her reason had flown out the window, but she hadn't completely lost her grip, so remembering was only natural.
Sion let out a light sigh at her reaction.
"Wh-what about the maid?"
"Lishi?"
"Lishi, Lishikida Amstel.
Her...
She's..."
"What if I said she died?"
"Huh?"
"You said she took something from you.
What if I said you killed her? How would that sit with you?"
Trisha's heart dropped at Sion's question.
She'd acted strangely before, sure, but she'd never actually thought about killing anyone.
The idea that she might have hurt someone terrified her.
But what scared her more was the thrill she felt, even if just for a moment, when Sion asked if Lishikida had died.
The thought of the one who coveted and tried to steal what was hers vanishing—it made her feel good without her even realizing it.
"D-did I really hurt someone?"
"Luckily, no.
You're not the only monster around me, calling yourself one like that.
I've got plenty of monstrous folks nearby.
They're not the type to go down easy."
"That's a relief.
Really a relief."
"You really think so?"
Trisha jumped at Sion's sharp tone and looked at him.
"Guys trying to steal something precious from you.
No, if they steal it and keep it, that's one thing.
But what kind of lunatic would gleefully toss it all into the flames?
Ah, or maybe they want to make sure you never have it—erase it forever.
Yeah, that sounds right."
"Wh-what are you saying..."
"Trisha.
Someone who just wants to be friends with me, or someone trying to kill me and burn me to ash.
Which one's worse?"
"Wh-who said anyone's trying to kill you, Sion-nim!
What kind of person would..."
"Answer me.
Which one's worse?"
The answer was obvious.
Stealing a doll and playing with it was bad, but worse were the idiots who'd throw it into the fire and laugh about it.
"Obviously, the ones trying to burn everything precious to me..."
"What if those guys tried to burn me?"
For a split second, Sion felt like a brilliant meteor was crashing right in front of him.
Her orange eyes, which had been wavering with doubt about what she'd done and who she was, now churned violently.
"...I'll kill them."
Whoa, shit.
That's fucking intense.
It bruised his male pride, but damn, it nearly gave him chills.
The Stigma, said to only fully activate with the return of the Celestial Race to this land.
Right now, it swirled wildly with her shifting emotions.
'So that's why—Jimmy dies, she's left alone, goes through hell, her twisted heart fully awakens the Stigma with the Celestial return, turning her into the pitch-black Black Flame Dragon.'
He couldn't know exactly how she'd become so obsessively selfish.
She hadn't popped up in the mid-novel; she appeared when the story he knew was already declining.
No buildup, no solid setup—just sudden characters.
That's what made them dangerous.
They could slip through the tiniest cracks, twist everything with a few actions, or be impossible to change no matter what.
"I'll kill them, I'll kill them..."
"Trisha.
Calm down."
At Sion's words, the woman blazing like flames whipped her head around.
Sion eyed her warily, wondering if he'd have to call Kim Yu-hyun again, as she looked ready to shoot laser beams from her eyes.
"I'm never letting them take you."
"Yeah, I get it, so calm down first."
"Jimmy-oppa, I get—he's family.
He needs to find his own life.
I knew it deep down.
That someday he'd have to.
It's the bare minimum line we humans have to hold."
Grab—.
Trisha suddenly snatched his hand, and Sion shot her a what-are-you-doing look.
In that moment, he noticed her change.
The thorny vine patterns etched on her body writhed like living creatures.
Even creepier—they were creeping from her forearm to her hand, across her fingers, and now onto his wrist.
"But you're different, Sion-nim.
You can be mine—only mine.
Perfectly, completely.
Forever looking only at me, cheering only for me, praising only me, staying by my side until the world ends."
"Tr-Trisha?
Maybe calm down a bit..."
"I told you.
At the end, I could have you.
If that's true, then I'll have you now.
No worries about anyone stealing you—I can hold you tight from here on out."
It was just an 18-year-old gripping his wrist.
Normally, he'd shake it off no problem.
Even without mana, he wasn't some weakling without basic strength.
Sion Klausen had put real effort into wielding a sword, after all.
'But what the hell is this?'
He'd shattered her heart perfectly, then slipped into the crack to become the flower she'd treasure most.
The issue was, while others would treasure that flower, she reacted with extreme obsession and possessiveness.
Hiding it away so no one could touch it, smell it, even look at it—only her touching, smelling, staring endlessly.
'This is getting dangerous.
A little... no, not a little.
Fucking dangerous!'
Shifting her obsession to himself had been the plan from the start.
But he hadn't anticipated the Stigma partially activating, blurring the line between Trisha and that selfish side, making her obsess like this.
The thorny vines crept up his own forearm now.
This could go really bad if it kept up, but with Trisha clinging tight, refusing to let go, Sion was stuck.
But hey, when the sky falls, there's always connections to punch a hole through.
"How about we leave it at that?"
Grab—.
With flowing silver hair, a woman's hand seized Trisha's wrist.
She gripped it hard, like she'd snap it any second, baring her fangs.
"Is some pigeon-shit cleaner still eyeing my man?
There's a limit to what I can stomach hearing, and an end to how much bullshit I tolerate."
"You."
Rustle!
Like petals scattering at once, the thorny vines climbing Sion's arm vanished back into Trisha's body.
Lilith growled at the fiery woman before her.
"Don't get cocky.
Sure, no mana means I can't finish you off, but I could still behead you if I wanted."
"...Why's a demon clinging to a human?"
Trisha was plainly human, yet she didn't flinch at the sight of a demon now.
The Stigma had manifested unstably, but it was shining through nonetheless.
Like a trumpeter bent on burning the world riding atop her original self—some unstable mashup.
"What, you synced a bit with the Stigma in that short time?
Damn, what kind of monster is this?
Dark Dragon, and now you're really a monster?"
"I chose it to keep from losing what's mine.
I'm not giving it to anyone.
I'll never let it be taken."
"Eek."
Trisha yanked Sion toward her, trying to pull him into an embrace.
But Lishikida grabbed him from behind, stopping her.
"...You."
"You can't monopolize the young master.
That's part of the deal."
"What nonsense..."
"Let go of that arm!"
"Nyaang!"
Somehow they'd all piled in—Lucia and Ria too, grabbing Trisha's arms, pulling with all their might to separate her from Sion.
Trisha couldn't hold on anymore and released his wrist, sweeping her blazing gaze over them.
Without the Celestial Race's return, she couldn't fully wield the Stigma's power, making it near impossible against all of them.
Yet she burned with the will to shove them aside and claim Sion for herself.
"Sion.
Get out."
"Huh?
B-but, Lilith-nim..."
"Unless you want to die."
At her razor-sharp tone, Sion bolted up and left the room without looking back.
He'd worried Trisha might grab him, but luckily, she didn't.
Click—.
"Whew."
He shut the door with a sigh and turned at the sound of footsteps nearby.
There was Kim Yu-hyun, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
Staring at the future's strongest, Sion blurted out without thinking.
"Kim Yu-hyun."
"Yes, Young Lord Sion."
"...Is there no way for a mana-less cripple to get strong?"
"Pardon?"
"No, forget it."
Sion sighed deeply.
Knowing Kim Yu-hyun's personality, he'd either say flat-out "No," or if there was a way, "I can't make you as strong as me"—a brutal fact-check either way.
'And he'd probably interpret 'getting strong' as beating enemies in fights.
Guy lives by 'just win' mentality.'
Sion didn't even aim that high.
Today's lesson: he might not attack, but he needed basic defense.
Worst body that couldn't handle mana at all—Lilith called it a mana eunuch, plain and simple.
But having an incurable disease didn't mean dying tomorrow.
There were always ways to barely extend life.
'If I can't use a sword, I'll pick up a shield.'
Plenty of swordsmen around anyway.
He'd be the shield, secure survival first.
No matter how great the sword, a dead body was useless.
―――――――Author's Note―――――――
Commemorating 10,000 bookmarks—double chapter bus departing!