Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: 19. The Deepest Place in the Abyss (4)
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This won't do. The sword is going to break.
Yoo Ji-tae, who had been holding back to keep his sword from piercing Hasaetbyeol's heart, changed his mind. He twisted the blade's path away from her heart and stabbed into her abdomen instead. Even avoiding her organs, fresh blood sprayed out. But it wouldn't threaten her life.
"Kuh..."
Hasaetbyeol groaned, her mouth slowly opening.
"Why... why won't you kill me...?"
It wasn't a neutral voice.
Hasaetbyeol was speaking in her own voice.
Yoo Ji-tae didn't respond. The sword stayed embedded where it was, unmoving.
He silently took off his outer coat and draped it over her near-naked form. The tiny Hasaetbyeol disappeared into the folds of Yoo Ji-tae's large jacket.
"Why won't you kill me...? You killed me before..."
He scooped her up into his arms.
And without a word, rose toward the surface.
"You have to kill me... You did it before, didn't you? You killed me. You tortured me all night long until I died slowly. That was you. You have no idea how much it hurt."
As Yoo Ji-tae headed for the surface, Hasaetbyeol glared at him like a demon, spewing curses.
"You killed me. You let others die too. You were an incompetent leader! And now you're feeling guilty? Is that why you won't kill me even though I've become a demon?"
Reaching the surface, Yoo Ji-tae erased his presence. Then, holding Hasaetbyeol, he flew off into the distance.
Eventually, beyond the sea of Heteia, he set foot in an uninhabited place.
"You must feel sorry, huh? To me. I wish you felt even more sorry. I was really hurting back then."
Seven regressions.
About a century's worth of time.
He thought he had emptied himself completely after wandering alone through that not-insubstantial span.
He had believed so right up until moments ago.
Apparently not.
"That morning... I was really..."
―I'm... cold...
"...cold."
Those final words from long ago pierced his heart like a dagger across the years.
If Hasaetbyeol had survived back then, would she have cursed him like this? Even as a regressor, he couldn't know.
"Say something―!!"
Hasaetbyeol screamed with a face like a vengeful ghost.
Still, Yoo Ji-tae didn't reply.
To him now, there were two enemies.
One was Hasaetbyeol, who had become a demon.
The other was the existence beyond the horizon of providence.
A truly tangled situation. But the regressor had a way to unravel this knot of fate.
He closed his eyes and sank into his inner subspace with Hasaetbyeol.
The space Yoo Ji-tae used as a warehouse.
In the darkness, Yoo Ji-tae and Hasaetbyeol opened their eyes.
Even as the surroundings changed, Hasaetbyeol screamed heedlessly.
"Why won't you talk? Why! Why won't you kill me! Do you think sparing me now will absolve your guilt? That killing me like this will set you free?"
He ignored her and thought.
The 'lords' dwelling in the abyss can't directly affect the present world anyway. So they lend power through contracts, like with the Hasaetbyeol before him. That's how 'demons' are born.
There was only one way to save Hasaetbyeol.
As a regressor, it was tedious. Annoying. Difficult. A shitty method no matter what.
To directly kill Rakshata, the 7th Lord of the Abyss she had contracted with.
"You're a sinner. Sinners must be punished. So kill me. Kill me again like before! Remember the guilt you forgot. Regret it with those memories. Suffer. Forever! So hurry up―"
The problem lay in the unique nature of the space called the Abyss. It was deep. Dark. Vast on a dimensional scale. Filled with the mingled auras of countless lords.
Finding Rakshata's palace there was impossible even for him as a regressor. But Hasaetbyeol, having completed her molting, carried Rakshata's aura intact.
In short, she could serve as navigation.
"Kill me―!!"
But before meeting Rakshata, there was one thing to settle first.
Yoo Ji-tae crouched down with a calm expression.
And looked at Hasaetbyeol's demonically twisted face.
"You just don't learn."
"...!"
His expression was strangely serene.
That seemed to irk her.
As the distance closed, Hasaetbyeol raised her hand. As if to slap him, her shoulder and body moved.
Slap!
But it was Hasaetbyeol's head that turned. Yoo Ji-tae had slapped her first.
Hasaetbyeol touched her reddened cheek and glared back at him.
The regressor's lips curled into a sneer.
"Hey."
"..."
"Fun possessing a poor girl's body and throwing a tantrum?"
A dry voice escaped him.
Yoo Ji-tae wasn't home today.
Whenever that happened, she would always sit by the front door with her bear dolls, waiting.
But now she knew. He would return soon enough without her waiting. Thinking that, Winter rolled around on the living room sofa―Yoo Ji-tae's favorite spot.
Then an uneasy feeling crept in.
Winter climbed down from the sofa and cautiously headed to Bom's room. Sure enough, the flowers in the pots were drooping limply.
Where was Big Sis Bom?
Not in her room.
Worried, Winter conjured water from thin air. Plop. A blob of mana-born water rippled and floated.
Winter watered the wilted pots. But even infused with Blue Dragon aura, they showed no response. So Winter went looking for Bom.
Bom was on the balcony opposite the living room.
Perched on the windowsill, Bom gazed anxiously into the distance.
For some reason, it worried her. Winter toddled over to Bom.
And hesitantly asked.
"...You okay?"
Bom turned her head. Her expression looked somehow sad. Lonely.
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"..."
Winter spread her arms and approached Bom.
Bom picked her up and sat her on her lap.
"..."
Holding Winter, Bom turned her gaze back to the distance.
It was strange. Something ominous invisible to her 'providence' lingered. Like ink splattered in the center of a perfect painting. Only that escaped the bounds of 'providence'.
And Ajusshi had to confront that 'ominous thing' no matter what.
He might get hurt.
He might suffer greatly...
Bom bit her lip.
But Ajusshi had to show his intent to that 'ominous thing'. And uncover information about it. That was the best path among the many futures Bom foresaw.
"..."
Turning back, she saw Winter looking at her worriedly.
So Bom fixed her expression and stroked the child's head.
"Wanna wait for him together with Unni?"
Winter nodded.
Things had been off from the start.
Prototype X.
And her appearance and abilities as a demon.
Finally, the curses pouring from her mouth.
Like an exquisitely woven trap. Every element here demanded Yoo Ji-tae kill Hasaetbyeol.
Yet when he delayed, it openly revealed itself, forcing him to kill.
Kill Hasaetbyeol.
Relive those memories and suffer.
That was 'its' message.
When he endured, it started babbling through her mouth. Kill me and feel the guilt.
What a joke.
Yoo Ji-tae snapped his fingers in the darkness. Snap! With the sound, shadowy hands from the subspace emerged, seizing him and Hasaetbyeol.
The hands dragged them deeper into the abyss.
Reaching a slightly deeper level, the skill's name changed.
Into a place where nothing was visible or audible. Yoo Ji-tae and Hasaetbyeol descended.
As they did, Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"Must have been fun, huh? Just watching from afar and spewing nonsense."
"...!"
He spoke again.
"Do you want me to fall into ruin?"
The woman's eyes widened round.
This woman wasn't Rakshata, the 7th Lord of the Abyss. Its voice was neutral.
Nor was she truly Hasaetbyeol.
A will from beyond the horizon of providence had followed the Guardian Sword into Hasaetbyeol's body.
In other words, the Hasaetbyeol before him was the 'thing' cursing him from beyond the horizon.
And this was the first chance to speak with it directly.
"What are you talking about? Don't you even remember my voice?"
He had expected it to flip out demanding how he knew, but it was committed to the act till the end.
Yoo Ji-tae ignored 'its' words.
By then, entwined by the subspace hands, they passed extremely deep.
Dense, murky demonic energy began filling the surroundings. Yoo Ji-tae had never come this far, so it was unfamiliar even to him.
But the regressor paid it no mind, gazing into Hasaetbyeol's eyes as he spoke.
"I don't know who you are."
"..."
"And I don't know why you're doing this to me."
"...!"
"You probably won't tell me. My confusion must be your amusement too."
Hasaetbyeol's face twisted demonically. "What nonsense is this!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Yoo Ji-tae felt confirmed again. The moment 'it' got agitated, ominous mana rippled along the sword in her gut.
"Like you said, I'm a sinner. I've killed many. Many have grieved because of me. Is that why? Because sinners deserve punishment?"
As Yoo Ji-tae spoke, she unleashed a torrent of curses with a shriek.
Listening, he smiled faintly.
"I've come too far to atone."
He approached Hasaetbyeol. She screamed for him to kill her in a frenzy.
Ignoring her, he continued.
"It was a very long time."
Another shriek erupted.
Too noisy to speak. Yoo Ji-tae grabbed 'its' throat, choking off her air. "Guh, kuh..." The air grew heavy. The regressor's gaze deepened.
"At first, I was annoyed thinking you were interfering with my loops. But then I realized it's fine. You don't know me well. You're sloppy in places. If this is your best shot, you're sorely lacking to punish me. So do whatever you want."
As if desperate to speak, Hasaetbyeol gasped, "Kuh, eu."
Not worth hearing.
"But today and from now on, anytime. You won't see me suffer. I've already received more punishment than you know, and I'm still receiving it."
Yoo Ji-tae quietly continued.
"The time I've lived has already been hell. Pain is quite familiar."
Gazing into Hasaetbyeol's eyes.
Into the eyes of the existence beyond the horizon of providence.
"Must suck, after all that crawling up. Right?"
Then, the suppressed Apocalyptic Clock (EX) began regaining power.
"In return... I'll start looking into you from now on. Who you are. Where you're hiding. Why you're doing this."
By then, they reached the base of the depths.
The hands set Yoo Ji-tae and Hasaetbyeol down somewhere.
The deepest part of the subspace Yoo Ji-tae used.
Still just darkness, but invisible demonic power pressed down like molten iron swamp.
Most rankers probably couldn't even breathe here.
He turned around.
The darkness parted. A golden door, vast as the sky, stood behind him.
This was the grand entrance to the palace of Rakshata, the abyss entity contracted with Hasaetbyeol.
Yoo Ji-tae turned away. He looked at his old lover, held in his arms, feet dangling in the air.
"Once this is settled, I'll slowly start searching for you. What you are. Where you are. Why you're doing this. Plenty to learn. But I'll find you. And someday. Somewhere. When you face me..."
The regressor's gaze sharply met Hasaetbyeol's eyes.
"Try crawling up then too."
He drew the Guardian Longsword from her abdomen. Then, like issuing an expulsion order, swung it at the "palace door".
Claaaang―!
The powerless Guardian Longsword shattered to pieces.
At the same time, Hasaetbyeol collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. Her connection to 'it' severed completely.
Yoo Ji-tae carefully lifted the fallen Hasaetbyeol again.
And pushed open the sky-vast palace door.
The 7th Lord Rakshata turned out to be surprisingly stubborn.
"Cancel the contract."
It sneered. Even after politely asking twice and then beating it a few times, it held out.
But when the palace was half-destroyed, it relented. It would void the contract and keep silent about this. Yoo Ji-tae took considerable damage too, but nothing that hindered recovery.
Thus, Yoo Ji-tae returned to Shallowest Abyss (S) carrying Hasaetbyeol.
He gazed at the woman passed out in his arms.
Looking back, from the moment Yoo Ji-tae encountered Hasaetbyeol, she hadn't been truly herself for even an instant. First as 'Rakshata's contractor', then as 'its' vessel.
But thanks to that, she became navigation for the abyss, then for beyond the horizon of providence.
Seems fate kept tangling them together.
For now, priority was restoring her wrecked body.
Yoo Ji-tae decided to take her back to the dorm.
When she woke, she would be Hasaetbyeol.