After the War Ends (1)
“I'm gonna die...”
I lay sprawled out from the center of the cave, motionless for a good while. To be precise, I couldn't move. And that made sense—there wasn't a single intact part of my body. My ribs were all shattered, my arms and legs splintered or ground to dust. Naturally, my muscles were torn to shreds, and my meridians were beyond ruined. All of this from the battle I'd just fought with that bastard.
I'd been fine during the monster fights. But I had no choice but to push myself this far. I didn't want him spotting me, and I needed to make damn sure he was taken care of. A clone was still an outer god. Even weakened from Monster Season, it wasn't something you ran into every day. In the novel, even Evan hadn't managed to finish it off completely.
Thanks to that, I was the only one left in this state. Of course, even with my body in pieces, I wasn't at death's door. I'd been through this a hundred times before—at least a thousand, really.
“Still, I'll need some recovery time.”
That was from my previous body, though. This was the first time in Kyle Arden's. So yeah, I needed to heal up.
“Two months, maybe?”
Based on past experience, that was the bare minimum. And that was if I handled it my way. Normally, it'd be a year flat on my back.
“Augh...”
I groaned in agony as I waited. A moment later, space warped, and someone appeared. Cloi.
“Senpai! Good work out there~.”
Her voice was bright and bubbly. But it hurt my ears. They were messed up too— even the slightest vibration made me cough up blood.
“Shut up... what the hell are you doing?”
Cloi approached my side and just stood there, staring down at me. She scanned my broken body, then slowly opened her mouth.
“Senpai... you know you're extremely vulnerable right now, yeah?”
She propped her chin on her hand, eyes gleaming. Like she was about to do something terrible any second.
“So, what? You gonna try something?”
“Who knows~?”
Cloi dropped to her knees. She stretched out her arms, poking my face with her index finger.
“Of course not. I do keep my promises, you know.”
“Bullshit.”
“Don't say that—you'll make me sad? Have I ever broken a promise with you, Senpai?”
Mana flowed from her finger into my body. Cloi continued.
“But it's kinda wild, huh? Seeing you, who's always so strong, this weak. Guess even you're human after all~?”
“Shut... ugh! Easy there.”
Healing energy poured in. But her technique was rough—like my nerves were being scraped with a knife.
“Aw~ This much pain's nothing for you, Senpai. A normal person would've been dead ages ago in your state.”
She grinned, still treating me sloppily. It was just first aid, though—not full recovery. I could've used Time Regression to reset, but in this condition, no dice.
“There, done!”
Cloi pulled her hands away. Treatment over.
“Time to go!”
She slapped my shoulder, urging me on. The overwhelming pain was gone, sure. But I still couldn't move.
“Can't move...”
“Huh?”
“I said I can't move.”
“I healed you enough to walk, though?”
“This isn't the kind of injury that heals that fast.”
If it were, I'd have fixed it myself.
“Hmm...”
Cloi pondered my words.
“Ah! Then...”
Like she'd had a brilliant idea, she stood. Then slipped her arms under my knees and back.
“Up you go!”
She lifted me effortlessly. Princess carry, no less.
“Comfy now?”
I scowled at her smiling face.
“...Put me down. While I'm asking nicely.”
Not even a piggyback—just straight-up princess style. Top ten most humiliating moments of my life... fuck.
But Cloi ignored me.
“How's this? Feels like I'm the prince rescuing a damsel in distress, right? Oh wait—reversed in this case.”
“Cut the crap and teleport us.”
“Sadly, impossible~. Gotta be touching for teleport.”
What a joke. For a regular mage, maybe. But with her skills? Easy.
“Last warning...”
“Shh, rest up, you poor hurt Senpai.”
She placed a hand on my forehead. Sleep spell activated. Drowsiness hit hard. Exhausted as I was, no resisting.
“Great work today, Senpai~.”
Her soft whisper in my ear. I mustered my last strength.
“You bitch...”
“See you when you wake~.”
In my fading vision, Cloi's satisfied smile was the last thing I remembered.
Kyle was out cold. Cloi didn't budge for a while. She just gazed at her sleeping senpai in her arms.
Why? Only one reason.
“Senpai... what the hell are you?”
Cloi had overheard the conversation between that bastard and her senpai. Even for her, it was shocking. That they knew each other? Impossible, as far as she knew.
Those things didn't give a damn about mere humans. Toys—small, cute toys. Sure, they paid attention to some. But only two types: those fated for good or evil. In a world of five billion, maybe one or two. Ultra-rare.
Undeniable fact. She wasn't one of them by birth, but as allies, she knew the basics.
“So... not a reincarnator?”
Cloi had assumed Senpai was native here. But they hadn't been on this continent long. No way he'd known them. So, he must be a transmigrator from another world. That explained it—they'd met there.
One mystery remained, though.
“A being loved by the world...”
From their chat. But that didn't fit. Senpai's soul reeked of a classic villain. Not just any—world-destroying level.
“Ugh... no clue beyond that.”
Senpai never talked about himself. Not to her, not to close ones like Rana-unnie or Evan.
“So full of secrets.”
Made him all the more alluring. But no info meant no further guesses. Still, one way to find out.
“Ask that bastard?”
Most direct. But after today, he'd clam up.
“Whatever.”
No point overthinking—headache city. Cloi shook it off. Lowered her gaze. Senpai's face.
“Rana-unnie was right.”
Sound asleep, eyes closed—cute as described. She'd keep him like this forever if she could.
“But he won't budge. Such a pain.”
She tried hard, but no change. Yet he grumbled but accepted... maybe he felt something?
“Nah?”
Other guys were easy to read. Why not him? A real prize—hard to claim.
Enough musing. Time to go. Cloi cast her spell. Mana enveloped her and Kyle. Then they vanished.
I snapped awake, eyes opening instantly. White ceiling, patient gown. Infirmary, as expected. I sat up.
“Nngh...”
Pain shot through me. Priests had patched me roughly—not fully healed. Plus, soul wounds ached too.
Single room, empty. Window showed morning. No idea how many days passed, but everyone's busy cleaning up. People could wait—I lay back down. Hurt like hell; even sitting sucked.
As I rested...
The Possessor Has Achieved a Hidden Objective
‘Hidden Quest: Team Up with the Protagonist! Wrap Up Monster Season!’ COMPLETE
Lively fanfare after ages. Right on time. I wasn't in shape to care, staring at the window.
“Cut the bullshit and give the reward already.”
As reward for the Possessor's hard fight against a past connection: ‘Black...’
“Hold up.”
I halted the scrolling text, glaring.
“Who the hell are you? Only about a hundred folks know I have ties to those guys.”
Message transmission failed.
“Spit it out. Who are you?”
Message transmission failed...
“Don't fuck around. Tell me—or I'll trace you.”
...Ahem.
I'd left the system alone despite its cheekiness because it never forced me. Others would've shoved quests down my throat. The hidden rewards and no spam earned points. But if it knew me... that changed things. Meant a connection.
I waited. No guessing who—too many suspects who could build a system. Hell, I could whip one up easy. Like coding software.
But its response...
Pfft, whatever. Trace me if you want. Even if I give rewards, you bitch. Same cheapskate as ever—er, ahem... Reward: ‘Black Return Pill’! That's it! Bye~! Ugh, should switch to auto-reply next time.
It spewed that and vanished. I instantly cast a tracking spell on my soul—systems imprint there. But nothing. Connection severed temporarily.
“...Hoo.”
Deep rage boiled up. Wanted to unmask it now, but no way.
“Just you wait. Later...”
I'd hunt it down and beat it half to death. Gripping the Black Return Pill that appeared in my pocket, I calmed. Big help right now.
Peace returned. Short-lived. A familiar voice drifted through the infirmary window.
—I can't do that! No, I won't!
Evan's voice, no doubt.
“What the hell did you do now?”
I sighed, hauling my aching body up.