Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Together for Life, Right?
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We descended along the slope. The dark path of the sewer soon came into view. Since it was still just the entrance, the stench wasn't too overpowering yet, but it still reeked pretty bad.
"You okay, Lachesis?"
[Nya, nyaa~]
Lachesis looked like she was on the verge of death. Well, she's an animal, so her sense of smell must be super sharp.
I glanced back to check on Sophia. She was following with a furrowed brow. Should've told her to wear something more casual.
White clothes get stained easily with filth like this. I asked if she was okay.
She nodded yes, so I pulled a flashlight from my [Inventory] that I'd grabbed ahead of time.
"It's really in a place like this??"
"Yeah. Don't worry. It's the ring that suits you best."
Sophia froze at my words. It was too dark to see clearly. Shining a flashlight in someone's face is rude anyway, so I didn't.
"R-Really~? For r-real~? It s-suits me well~?"
Her voice sounded the same, so nothing bad there.
This was the sewer. Just your average sewer. Of course, being in Justitia made it a little special.
It used to be the hideout of some nameless mage, the place where Sophia fled to right before her rampage in the original story. It's also where she picked up his artifact, fought Kim Tae-hyun, and got taken down.
What does that mean? It means this ring really suits Sophia. It powered her up enough to awaken Kim Tae-hyun, after all.
Am I lying? Nope. It really suits her.
For the record, the mage is long gone. Dead ages ago.
So, what we had to do? Simple.
"Let's grab it quick and get out."
"Okay."
I pulled the pendant from my [Inventory] as I listened to Sophia's voice. It wasn't glowing.
Follow where this thing lights up, and it'll lead to the pendant—
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
The pendant was glowing. No way. The ring couldn't be right at the entrance like this.
The hideout was deep inside. The paths were maze-like, and there was nothing at the entrance—
As if answering my thoughts, the pendant pulsed wildly, pointing straight ahead. Sophia must have sensed something ominous too; she stepped in front of me protectively.
[It's here, nya.]
Lachesis drove the nail in. I raised the flashlight. What stood there was...
「Uwaaaaaaaa」
Something unrecognizable. No idea where the sound was coming from. It wasn't even facing us.
It was like something stitched together—a ragged patchwork of a thing.
It just shuffled along. Something left by the hidden mage? No such lore in the original.
I racked my brain, but no answers came.
"What the hell is that?"
Sophia tilted her head curiously at my question.
"What is th—"
As if reacting to Sophia's words, it charged. It let out a bizarre screech as it lunged.
But its head flew off clean, and it crumpled.
"What the hell was that?"
No one answered my echoing question.
"You wanna keep going? There might be more weird stuff."
Sophia nodded at Lee Seong-hoon's question. Her reasons for not turning back were a bit complicated.
First off, she wanted that ring no matter what. She couldn't stand seeing Isia flaunt her left hand anymore.
Second, that bizarre creature wasn't that strong. Low attack power, even lower durability.
Not much of a threat.
Third, she'd decided to trust Lee Seong-hoon. If he said it was there, it was. Just follow him, snag the ring.
'On my, left hand.'
If he slipped it on for her...! The ring finger might be a stretch, but anywhere would do if he put it on himself!!
For those reasons, Sophia pushed to keep going, but Lee Seong-hoon didn't want to.
Simple reason.
It felt ominous. Something was definitely there. He wasn't the type to charge headlong into the unknown with his life.
His fighting conditions were clearly defined from the start.
First, Raphael and Levatein had to be present. That was the baseline.
Fewer onlookers the better, and magical enemies were ideal.
But right now?
'None of that.'
This was no place to fight.
He'd left the essentials—Raphael and Levatein—behind because this wasn't supposed to be dangerous.
The hidden mage was long gone, and he'd never written anything about threats here in the original.
It was meant to be a casual outing, but now something was here that wasn't in the story.
So, his choice was clear. Turn back.
Sorry, Sophia, but they'd come again later.
"Sophia. Let's head back. It's dangerous."
She flinched at his words. She didn't want to, but he was right.
No need to argue. As she started to nod—
"Whoa?!"
Lee Seong-hoon blocked her movement. The blue pendant around his neck pulsed wildly.
Looking where it pointed, a ragged figure waded out from the filthy sewer water.
"This is insane."
Three more visible in the flashlight beam. They felt off, like they were blocking the exit.
A scythe had appeared in Lee Seong-hoon's hand unnoticed. Sophia took a combat stance too, but...
Then the anomaly hit. The blue glow around his neck went berserk.
It had pointed only at the approaching rags before, but now it spun wildly, indicating nearly every direction.
Lee Seong-hoon sensed it. Sophia saw it.
Ragged figures crawling out from all sides. No clue where from. They just appeared.
「Uwaaaaaaaa」
They lurched with grotesque noises. The echoes in the sewer turned it eerie.
"Back the way we came!! Break through and go!!"
Lee Seong-hoon shouted after instantly assessing, but Sophia couldn't move.
Her red eyes saw through the dark like daylight.
No way back.
A massive swarm of rags swarming the path. Too many to punch through quickly.
"What's wrong?"
"Can't go that way."
"What do you mean— Eek?!"
Lee Seong-hoon whipped the flashlight around and yelped. He nearly dropped their only light, so Sophia caught it.
"Lee Seong-hoon."
"Y-Yeah?"
"You trust me, right, oppa?"
What the...? Sophia scooped him up princess-style while he gawked.
"W-Wait a sec!!"
Ignoring his weird protests, she scanned around.
'Least rags that way. Trap.'
They'd cleared a path like an invitation. Obvious bait.
No idea who set it, but it was luring them.
'Then that way.'
Next least infested spot. Sophia leaped toward it.
Rags lunged at the jumping Sophia, but their heads exploded futilely.
「Spirit Chant Burst」—unforeseen attacks. Clearing a path through the thinner group was easy.
"That's so damn cool."
Sophia smiled unwittingly at Lee Seong-hoon's sparkling eyes from her arms.
"Falling for me?"
"I'll serve you as big sis for life—!!"
Not quite what she meant. A bit disappointed he missed it, Sophia dashed on, dodging rags.
Not even knowing where she was headed.
"Seriously."
A red glow flickered in the darkness. It bobbed rhythmically up and down.
Like the head of someone chuckling with hacking laughs.
"God's not on my side?"
Another flicker joined it. Still red, but different.
A circle. Strange runes and letters etched inside.
A magic circle, commonly called. It emitted a bloodier crimson, revealing the woman's form.
Lime-green hair, red eyes, porcelain skin, sharp nails—as expected.
Too much hassle to maintain, apparently; her hair was short.
Mana swirled in the completed circle. Soon, it turned into a screen.
Like sharing someone's view.
Two figures: a black-haired man and a silver-haired woman carrying him.
"Talk about a windfall."
The woman laughed. How could she not? The setup was perfect.
She'd fled her asshole boss, and jackpot in the hideout.
Found her long-sought goal just like that. Tripped over a rat while backing from a cow.
"This might make him forgive my ghosting?"
Doubtful? Nah, he might even like it. Plus, that dumb vamp was clueless about the lure, grinning as she ran.
—Promise to serve forever?
—No way!!
—Why not. We agreed to be together for life. Just now.
—That was the heat of the moment!!
—Men and their two-faced words?
—Of course. I can do three-faced too.
—Not a promise kept. Bite him now?
—That's too scary for a joke!!
"Enjoy it while you can."
Won't be laughing later. Who lures so blatantly these days?
Just wait for the hooked vamp to arrive. Their banter was entertaining too.
"Bored waiting. Might as well prep some work."
Clap clap—!!
The woman clapped. Things staggered out from the dark.
Not one—several. Over five shambled before her.
Mismatched pupils, drooling mouths, sharp fangs. What folks called Apostles.
"Ugh, ugly. Don't worry. I'll fix you up nice."
Her finger plunged into the Apostle's gut.
Squelch—!!
With an ominous sound, the normal human-shaped Apostle swelled. Again. And again.
The bloated, burst-ready Apostle had become a ragged figure.
"Hm. Decent. Nah, not really. Fail."
Next.
The next Apostle met the same fate. Turned ragged, wrinkling her brow.
"Success rate's been trash lately."
Next.
Squelch—
Blood sucked in. Not injected—sucked. She sensed it instinctively.
"Success?!"
As if answering, the Apostle changed. Not into a grotesque swelling rag.
Something else.
"Ah. I like this one!!"
The woman beamed.