Chapter 63
Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: To Kill That Bastard
To kill that bastard.
I looked down at the man's corpse sprawled on the floor.
It was over the instant his heart was pierced. He probably didn't even have time to feel the pain.
It was the last mercy I bestowed upon awakening after thirteen long years.
"Hey, kids?"
At my call, one of the black tentacles circling the body flinched to a halt. It had been wrapped around the man's ankle, about to drag him away.
"Hungry?"
The tentacle quivered as if protesting its innocence.
Not trying to eat him—just clean him up. That's what it seemed to say.
"I know, I know. I was just messing with you."
I wanted to lighten the mood somehow. It wasn't just because it had been thirteen years since I opened my eyes; facing them stone-cold sober felt like ancient history.
"Anyway, we should grab anything worth taking first."
A chuckle escaped me unbidden.
I crouched beside the man. Nothing obvious caught my eye. As I reached for his pockets, a strand of the Abyss darted in ahead of me.
Silver coins clinked onto the floor in front of me moments later.
"Good work."
Honestly, I didn't need them.
Still, it was cute that they'd found something, so I absentmindedly stroked the tentacle.
That must've been the trigger.
Five or six tentacles rushed in all at once, wriggling furiously like they were shouting, "Me first!"
Shloop.
Dozens more tried to tear into his clothes entirely.
"Whoa, hold on. You'll rip the clothes."
Truth be told, I wouldn't have minded if they did—but I had no desire to see the dead guy's naked body.
"That's enough. Stop."
The tentacles withdrew reluctantly.
I pocketed only the useful bits from the random junk they'd uncovered.
"We don't need that anymore. Get rid of it somewhere out of sight."
As if they'd been waiting, a black shadow engulfed the corpse. In an instant, the man's body sank into the floor's darkness like it had never been. Not a single bloodstain left behind—a perfect cleanup.
Quiet settled over the room once more.
I leaned back against the wall and sat down.
"Kids."
I addressed the Abyss. The tentacles all swiveled toward me in unison.
"It's really been thirteen years, huh?"
The surrounding Abyss writhed in sync. Their tips curled slightly.
To me, it looked like nodding.
"Can't you guys transform into human shape?"
A tentacle bobbed up and down once.
An affirmative.
Transformation wasn't one of the Abyss's abilities.
It was the power of the Blood Cell—forcefully wrung from life itself. No wonder they couldn't use it freely.
That day, they'd burned through it all and turned back to stone.
"Esira's joined the Commander, huh."
Not just Exim, but the Commander's group too.
She's walking the exact same path as in the original story.
Should I take that as a good sign?
At least it meant things were likely to unfold the way I knew. That eased my worries a bit.
"...The road ahead is what matters."
The whole world thinks I'm dead.
Even I believed it, so it was no surprise.
Esira must believe it too.
In the original story, she was fated to thrive just fine without me.
I worried that my sudden disappearance after playing mom might have hurt her.
But she'd have powered through.
She'd always had that unbreakable spirit, even in my past life.
I gazed quietly at the greatsword resting on my knees.
The blade was filthy from years of neglect, but the edge was still keen. It'd swing just fine.
"You've had a rough go with a lousy owner."
As my finger trailed along the blade, the Abyss surged forward like they'd been waiting.
They polished the sword gleefully, buffing away the grime.
"...You're not planning to eat it, right?"
They shook their tips as if to say no, even showing off the now-clean blade.
Heh.
Moments later, they pulled back to reveal a respectable sword, good as new.
"Thanks."
I hefted it.
Heavy. A familiar weight.
Originally, they came in a pair—another greatsword just like this one.
Wonder where the other is now.
"You haven't seen any other greatswords around, have you?"
The Abyss waved their tentacles side to side.
Nope.
Then Esira must have it.
"Better that way. She'd have taken it as a memento from her mom."
Knowing the remaining blade was by Esira's side put my mind at ease.
I clenched and unclenched my empty fist, surveying the Abyss surrounding me.
"You know, right?"
The playful wriggling stopped dead. They all turned to me.
They were more attuned to my emotions than anyone.
"Why I joined Exim. Why I killed people."
I gave a bitter smile.
I'm not exactly a saint.
"I joined for revenge."
The humans from my past life who drove Esira to her death.
Finding them and cutting their throats—that was the goal.
And I succeeded.
"I found the bastard who killed Esira."
I couldn't do a thing while my memories were sealed away.
Now I had my answer.
I stood up.
My body no longer trembled as time passed.
Clear-headed, almost invigorated.
Hard to believe this was the body of someone who'd lain dormant for thirteen years—it felt so light.
Maybe I hadn't just been sleeping the whole time.
Otherwise, it meant the Abyss had ceaselessly stimulated my muscles and nerves while I was out, keeping my body intact.
Less human and more... Abyss myself, maybe.
I pushed aside the complicated thoughts. Priorities first.
I picked up the gray robe from the floor—the dead looter's.
Pulling the hood low hid half my face.
The greatsword on my back was invisible.
A gift from the Abyss thirteen years ago.
"How's it look?"
I spread my arms. The tentacles shook wildly, curling their tips upward like thumbs-up.
Perfect.
"Alright."
Preparations complete.
Asrania is dead. That's what the world believes.
For now, I'll make use of my "death."
"Let's go."
I took a step forward.
To kill that bastard.
"Didn't you say we have to head there this time?"
A muffled voice buzzed in my ear.
It felt like I was submerged underwater, sounds dulled—yet the conversation came through with unnatural clarity.
"I was planning to go with Marlboro."
"But Marigold insisted on coming along."
Male and female voices alternated.
"She wants to go with Esira."
"Esira?"
The moment I heard my name, Esira's eyes snapped open.
Her vision blurred for a second. She'd dozed off slumped in the chair, and now her neck ached stiffly.
She rubbed her forehead with one hand, scrubbing her face like it was dry.
Esira pressed her temples to force down the throbbing pain.
She leaned toward the source of the voices.
...Did they just say my name?
That conversation hadn't been a dream.
Esira straightened her disheveled uniform and grabbed the door handle.
Opening it, the Commander on the sofa turned his head.
He grinned wide, like he'd been expecting her.
"Oh, Esira! Speak of the devil."
The Commander waved carefree, like they were plotting a picnic.
"We were just talking about you."
"...About me?"
"Yeah. Exim sent an official support request."
Esira's brow furrowed.
"Exim?"
The Commander picked up the letter on the table and unfolded it as he continued.
"I was thinking of sending Marlboro, but Marigold pushed hard. Said she wanted to go with you no matter what."
Exactly what she'd half-heard in her daze.
Esira took a steadying breath and asked calmly.
"It's not just simple support, is it? What's going on?"
The Commander folded the letter and set it down. His easy smile faded bit by bit.
"A few days ago, there was that Blood Cell rampage."
"Rampage..."
"Yeah. 'Exploded' might be more accurate."
The Commander paused to catch his breath.
"A crack formed on the red gem's surface, and some unidentified liquid oozed from deep inside."
"A sticky liquid?"
"Yeah. Not blood-red, not water-clear... something black and glossy. They say it devoured everything it touched on the floor."
Her hand trembled faintly. Memories of the past surged up.
He noticed her agitation but pretended not to, pressing on with a heavier tone.
"The liquid kept growing. No way to stop it, apparently. Anything it touched got swallowed instantly."
Esira blurted out,
"...How did they stop it?"
"'Stop' isn't quite right. It just vanished without a trace at some point."
The Commander emphasized,
"Overnight."
"Why am I hearing this for the first time?"
"It was initially classified as a monster mutation. The Blood Cell link only came to light recently."
"..."
"Someone handled the inspection. Black Purple checked it out too."
He met Esira's eyes directly.
"Said it was similar to the Abyss."
Abyss.
At the word, revulsion boiled up from the pit of her stomach.
Esira clamped her jaw shut so hard it hurt. Something—a scream or a curse—threatened to escape.
The Commander broke the silence first. No trace of a smile now.
"Esira."
"..."
"I know how much you hate it."
Her clenched fist went white. Nails dug into her palm, drawing blood.
"Hate doesn't cover it."
"I know."
The Commander dropped his gaze briefly, then met hers steadily.
"That's why your name came up in this request. Of course, if you don't want to, we can decline. It's your call."
"You know I won't say no."
"...Yeah."
The Commander hesitated. The real meat of it was coming.
"They reached out first."
"They?"
"Arachnoid."
Exim Number 2.
He used to prioritize unity among Exims.
Was Mom's death the spark?
After that, he'd never mentioned harmony again.
"Got it. I'll prepare."
Before leaving, she glanced back at the Commander.
"Commander."
"...Yeah?"
"Thank you."
She gripped the door handle tightly.
"For retrieving Mom's sword that day."
The day they couldn't even find her body. It was the one keepsake Mom left me.
The Commander fell silent a moment, then replied in a hoarse voice.
"...Go. You'll be late."