64 - Trauma

The chat was in absolute chaos. Those who knew about Adella's death from the start had kept the info airtight.

The story that plays out after taking Adella through Nightmare difficulty all the way to beating Professor Jin Chronicle. Among Korean streamers who prioritized speedruns, almost no one went through this route. Bringing Adella along was always a net loss. Her survival didn't affect the clear at all.

The shocking Part 1 ending, revealed only by a tiny minority of foreigners who were obsessed Adella fans (cat simps or cat moms), was a fact known only to those who truly dug into the community.

Where Adella's bloodstains had been, the pristine Laurel of Life stood once more. When Nami picked up the laurel, a different notification sound played.

Dead NPCs vanish cleanly once you're a certain distance away. That's why Nami couldn't leave Adella behind. Instead, she carried the coldly stiffening corpse toward the Abyss branch.

But she still didn't react to the generous sponsorship.

The Abyss branch was already in ruins. The ground was scarred with straight gashes everywhere. Jin Chronicle's doing. Had they predicted the invasion time too? Almost all members had evacuated, only for him to raid the home base instead—and run into Nami's group.

From the wreckage, Branch Chief Gestalt groaned and staggered out.

"NoName? You okay? What's that in your arms?"

"..."

"No way... it can't be?"

Drip. Drip. The patter of falling rain. Nami had covered Adella with every piece of clothing she could drape over her, skipping even her own coat. She gently laid down the corpse. The moment the chief peeked through the gap and saw her teeth, he broke into sobs and collapsed.

"In the end... in the end... it's all my fault... my fault... I should have gone with her..."

"Our vampire clan has the ability to see a human's lifespan."

"This poor Adella had less than half a year left..."

"My abilities were lacking; the only way I knew was the Laurel of Life. To save Adella, I ignored HQ's orders to stand by and did it all on my own."

"Maybe I was pinning my hopes on you. Felt like if not this chance, we'd lose it forever... If it's the forest keeper's charisma, could I borrow it just for a moment, even briefly...?"

"Even if she was terminal, there's no rule she had to die like this... All my fault..."

The chief explained the path ahead to Nami.

The group that stole the laurel was the imperial family; he listed suspected affiliates.

He also shared that Repi had been kidnapped—likely their doing. Daniel had left again to retrieve her.

"Alperion and Sisiela wait at the academy east gate with six members. And you, NoName—we won't give you a tough mission. You're still a rookie, haven't been with Abyss long. You get it, right?"

"..."

"Ahem, needs more explanation? It's simple. Go to the academy back gate, draw the soldiers' attention, and run."

The system shoved another infuriating choice in my face.

"Baldy?! Ahem! This is a plan I agonized over for over two months...! Anyway, you and Adella go tonight. Simple diversion op, easy peasy?"

Branch Chief Gestalt cleared his throat repeatedly, averting his eyes.

At the end of the finger he pointed, a cat beastkin with a sullen expression stood as expected.

"Details per squad from me and Daniel as we go around. Get acquainted in the meantime."

Adella slipped into her room before the briefing even ended, same as always—to chug the beer hidden there.

No need to watch more. I headed straight up the stairs. Room 302. Knocked, but opened without waiting.

The door wasn't locked anyway.

"Eung?"

Same as always. Adella on the bed, draft beer mug in hand, out of it.

"Adella."

"..."

"Adella."

"Euing...?"

Her faint reply froze me solid. Something felt off. I furrowed my brow trying to pinpoint it, but nothing came.

"Oh, it was you. Found me quick? Meeting end early nya?"

She drained the rest of the mug, then sat up.

"Kk! Nyaaaaah! Haaah, forest keeper, what's your name nya?"

After a big stretch, she tossed the exact same question as round 1.

I answered here, "NoName."

You replied, "Whoever named you has shit taste."

Same. But what was this unease?

Adella casually picked her nose carefree, blew on her finger. No trace of the seriousness from before in her expression.

Round 1 Adella's death hit hard again. Failed? Me? No. No, I didn't mess up. Not once. I can't mess up. I have to be perfect.

My obsession flared. Pushing aside the sorrow of losing a life, I hated myself more for not being perfect.

Adella dozed off on the bed again. Felt sorry for her, reached to pet her head.

"Nyaaat? What? You just tried to touch my head nya?!"

Flinch. Before my hand reached her hair, she freaked and ducked.

Face already red from booze, she snapped at me.

"Beastkin ears are super sensitive, don't just pet randomly! Rude! Rude!"

Yeah, found the source of the unease. Before, even if I swung a fist at her face, she acted like I was an invisible ghost. We shared space but talks often missed. Figured it was AI limits, glossed over it.

But somehow, round 2 Adella felt more human than round 1's.