Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Patient Protection
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“Hey, you bastard.”
The door flew open as if it might shatter, and in stormed Level 999 Veronica.
The usually ferocious dragon girl looked even more pissed off than normal today for some reason.
‘What should I do?’
Three options.
Attack.
Stay still.
Run.
‘…First strike wins?’
Rejected immediately.
Even with restrictions on her, I was sure one flick to the forehead from Veronica would kill me.
No way was I going to attack first and die shamefully.
‘Stay still?’
Rejected.
If I did that… I’d have to listen to whatever nonsense that wicked dragon spouted and take whatever she dished out.
‘Run?’
I quickly scanned the surroundings.
Two escape routes.
The door.
The window.
Both possible, but…
‘Can I get away?’
No.
No matter how I thought about it, I’d just end up like a grasshopper thrashing around futilely.
In the end, there were no real choices from the start.
“Hey.”
[Yes?]
Veronica called out to me, and I reflexively whipped up the whiteboard and wrote.
My body remembered the survival instinct.
Veronica stared down at me intently.
That gaze… full of dissatisfaction.
Eyes blazing with fury.
“What are you.”
[?]
“What are you, I said.”
[What?]
Veronica let out a sharp inhale, as if utterly exasperated.
Then she exhaled slowly like a delinquent girl smoking, and glared at me again.
“You.”
[What about me?]
Swish—
The moment Veronica leaned over the bed, I retreated until my back hit the wall.
“You…”
Tap.
Veronica grabbed my chin with her finger and lifted it.
“…….”
“…….”
Close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Veronica and I stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.
Her purple eyes and my golden ones reflected each other’s colors.
And—
“…Not it.”
[?]
Veronica’s head tilted smoothly.
The motion was so abruptly mechanical—cut off sharp—that it sent chills down my spine.
And… even closer now.
Veronica leaned in until our noses nearly touched and peered into my eyes.
“Sip… not you.”
[What?]
“Hmm…….”
[??]
“Hey.”
[What’s up?]
“I’m looking for a guy.”
[And?]
“And it’s you.”
[???]
Veronica’s words made no sense at all.
Let me sum up what she’d said so far.
Veronica was looking for someone right now.
…And it was ‘me.’
But at the same time, not ‘me.’
Conclusion… total bullshit.
[Dean?]
“What.”
[I’m really worried about you.]
“Oh, really?”
Veronica’s eyes sparkled brightly for a split second.
Seemed like ‘worried’ hit the right note.
But I crushed that hope immediately.
[Are you getting senile?]
…Whoosh.
The warmth vanished from Veronica’s eyes.
Empty.
In those utterly hollow eyes, I saw something crystal clear.
‘Killing intent’—a brutally murderous word.
…I slyly averted my gaze.
“Ugh, you little shit.”
Flick.
Veronica suddenly kicked off the bed and stood, then flung open the wardrobe in the corner without a word.
Thud, bang, rustle!
She yanked out blankets haphazardly and started tossing them on the floor.
“Sleep.”
[I couldn’t sleep because of you, Dean.]
“Yeah. Bullshit.”
Veronica casually raised her hand and flipped me off with her middle finger.
I nodded silently.
I’d learned from experience that her gestures could mean life or death.
And Veronica kept pulling blankets from the wardrobe.
“Hup.”
About seven blankets out, she stacked a few into a pedestal like an altar, then elegantly placed a pillow on top.
[What are you doing?]
“Going to sleep.”
[Why?]
“Sleepy.”
[Why sleep here?]
“Where else?”
I was speechless for a while.
Well, to be precise, I couldn’t talk anyway, so my brain just shut down temporarily.
[Sleep outside.]
“Cold.”
[Cover with blankets.]
“Hot.”
[Don’t sleep.]
“I’m sleeping here.”
Was this a loaded question?
Or just broken logic from a cracked skull.
‘Hmm.’
Let me think.
This was my room.
I’d claimed it first, opened and closed the door myself.
A space imprinted with my warmth everywhere.
Yet Veronica had invaded my territory as if it were natural, stacked blankets into a tower, and sprawled on top.
“And you—”
Swish.
Veronica lay down shamelessly on her blanket tower.
She just craned her neck, scanning my body.
“Looking at you now, your condition’s fucked.”
Even in the dark, Veronica’s eyes gleamed clearly.
Her gaze trailed from my neck to shoulder, shoulder to arm, finally settling on the back of my hand.
…My hand, covered in spreading purple cracks.
Still hot to the touch, like lingering heat.
“What if you croak in your sleep.”
[Good eyesight.]
“Say a dragon has good eyesight again, see what I do to you.”
[Don’t have to.]
“Yeah, sure~”
Veronica dragged out the words mockingly with a grin, then…
Fling—!
‘Ack.’
She chucked a blanket at me.
Guess my answer didn’t sit well.
“Sleep.”
[Once more, it’s because of you—]
“Can’t see.”
[Thanks to you, I can sleep now.]
“Sleep, I said.”
[Yes.]
***
The feared event didn’t happen.
……At least, not the worst I imagined.
It happened, but only halfway.
Half dead, half alive.
As always… just that much.
“…Your condition is seriously bad.”
I opened my eyes.
First thing I saw… Rev, holding paper and scribbling busily with a pen.
“……Your mana circuits are wrecked everywhere.”
The paper had a rough human figure drawn on it, modeled after my body.
And on it…
Red circles packed densely, no intact spots, just as Rev said.
[Explain simply.]
“Your body’s a rag.”
…Very simple explanation.
But those simple words didn’t come from Rev.
Flick.
I naturally turned my head.
The bizarre structure of stacked blankets.
And on top, Veronica wriggling under a cover.
“Man… you’re something else.”
[?]
“You’re still kicking when you should’ve died already.”
[??]
“You human? Tough as hell.”
I sighed at Veronica’s blunt remark and raised my hand.
My hand, spread with purple cracks.
Not my first time with this…
But it lingering a full day was new.
“…….”
Tap.
Then Rev cautiously took my hand.
“…No clerics here, so injuries are trouble.”
Rev unwound the bandage and wrapped my hand carefully.
I looked at it and lifted the whiteboard with my other hand.
[You’re here, Rev.]
Then—
“Fucking—write fairy tales.”
Ptooey.
Veronica spat in disgust, face full of irritation as if she’d seen something gross.
‘Hmm….’
I clenched and unclenched my bandaged fist.
Didn’t think I overdid it that bad…
But if Rev said so, it must be serious.
‘Sigh.’
I let out a breath.
This damn glass cannon body.
I’d thought strength was the weakest link, but now it was clearly stamina.
Push a little, and I’m on death’s door.
‘……Something wrong?’
Or maybe someone poisoned me on the sly?
…Ridiculous delusion. I chuckled at myself and dismissed it.
[Let’s go, Rev.]
“……Okay.”
I slowly rose, leaning on Rev as we left the room.
From behind, the wicked dragon’s voice.
“Yeah, get lost. Moderate the lovey-dovey crap.”
[When you leaving, Dean?]
“I’m crashing here.”
[Until when?]
“Till you drop dead.”
Sigh.
Was she going to set my death date too?
I swallowed a long sigh and headed out of the mansion with Rev.
“Hm! Everyone’s here.”
Outside the mansion, the whole party minus me and Rev had gathered.
Caden stood in front as representative.
“Before the explanation, two things you’re most curious about!”
Flick!
One finger shot up.
Caden inhaled and unleashed words like a machine gun.
“First! As you guessed, I am an elf! The last. One. Of my rare kind in the world.”
Flick!
Another finger up.
“Second! Why I’m standing here? Veronica asked me!”
“…….”
“Not me asking! Veronica! Herself! Pleaded! Remember that, please.”
Why emphasize so hard that he didn’t ask…
I let out a hollow chuckle.
“Now, the main point!”
Clap!
Caden clapped his hands lightly.
“You’ll enter the so-called ‘World Tree Trial’ in a week.”
World Tree Trial.
Origin of the phrase: ‘Those who reach for the World Tree shall advance further.’
“Of course, no worries if you fail! Retry anytime. It’s open the whole time you’re in the Great Forest.”
“Oh….”
“You could try now, but… it’s no easy trial. That’s why I’m giving you a week.”
The trial’s content: one thing.
Confronting your past.
And that trial—
Was the sole reason I came to this Great Forest.
“In the end, I’m just the guide. The student council handles the rest.”
“Guide! Question!”
As Caden edged away, Seros shot up his hand.
“What’s with the head bandage!”
All eyes locked on Caden’s head at Seros’s words.
A neatly wrapped bandage.
Like he’d been bonked on the head.
Caden clenched his fist in fury.
“Proof I lost a bet… Truly tragic.”
Flick.
He bowed his head and scratched his bandaged noggin.
“Of course! Winning the bet would’ve been its own problem!”
With that—
Poof.
Caden melted into the wind and vanished.
“What.”
“He’s gone?”
“Artistic exit.”
Flick!
Seros turned to me, opening his mouth.
“So, top seat!”
[?]
“Yesterday was a humiliating loss, but today won’t be easy?”
What’s he on about.
Head injury too?
Guess when he burned to charcoal yesterday, some brain cells vaporized.
“Today’s the day I end you with water strider—”
Swish.
I ignored Seros’s bullshit and ducked behind Rev.
[I’m being bullied.]
Then…
I immediately asked Rev for help.
“…Top seat?”
Rev read the whiteboard, face unchanging, and raised her hand.
Whoooosh—
The air currents around Rev shifted.
“……Patient protection.”
Crackle—
“…Top priority.”
Suddenly, storm clouds gathered overhead…
And as if waiting, rapidly condensed.
Next instant.
KABOOM—!!
‘Oh my.’
Time for Seros to charcoal again…
Less than a second.
“Won’t mess around again….”
Of course, reviving from charcoal to Seros took under five seconds.
“Sigh, this time water strider impale.”
“Third Place—”
“Quiet.”
“…Yes.”
Anyone else seeing this would call it a miracle…
But we just shrugged it off.
Daily sight, so we were used to it now.