Chapter 443: Proof of Existence (31)
Chapter 443: Proof of Existence (31)
It had been a few days since our last encounter.
Perry’s appearance was much the same. His sturdy frame looked light, as if he had forgotten the meaning of fatigue, and his skin was so clear and blemish-free that he looked like someone returning from a relaxing vacation.
However, there was one thing that had changed.
His complexion was so parched it felt desolate.
The man I met again had a face cracked like mud robbed of all moisture. The cause was so clear I didn't even need to look into it.
The brand of a Dark Cult contract was etched into the young merchant’s body.
Soon, a mechanical voice offered me a greeting.
“Sir Ian, have you ever heard the saying? That grim premonitions always come true…”
Fumbling, Ria scurried backward on the ground. As she drew closer to me, beads of dew formed in her eyes. Her trembling, slender finger pointed toward Perry.
A tear-soaked plea followed.
“O-Oppa… hic. Th-that man… something is wrong with him. He’s not human… he’s a monster!”
I chose silence instead of an answer.
I simply watched Perry’s back with a hollow gaze.
His eyes were fixed on the Blood Sun hanging in the sky, looking for all the world like an artist admiring his life’s masterpiece.
Whether Ria burst into tears or not, the man didn't care in the slightest.
Instead, Perry began to speak to me in an even more relaxed tone.
“I had my suspicions, and it seems I was right. I thought the pieces fit together a bit too perfectly. Deliberately joining the merchant group, only to separate your path at the right moment…”
“You noticed?”
“To some extent.”
The man’s emotionless eyes turned toward me. The light had already vanished from his pupils, revealing that he was far from a normal state.
It was a look I had seen before.
It matched the pattern shown by the Faceless Assailants who had attacked the Saintess and me in the city—specifically, the one who had been possessed.
Realizing this, my brow furrowed slightly.
I had expected it, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
“…We’ve met before.”
At that, a dry laugh escaped the man’s mouth.
It was a voice devoid of even a shred of emotion; perhaps the word 'noise' suited it better.
“Of course. You have no idea how long I’ve been watching you.”
Slowly turning his body, Perry asked me a question with a hint of a subtle sneer.
“I didn't expect to be having a conversation with you so soon… Oh, have I not introduced myself?”
“Were you watching me back then, too?”
I didn't even pretend to listen to Perry’s words. I simply pressed him on what I was curious about.
My attitude must have been unexpected, as the man looked momentarily stunned.
Regardless, my interrogation continued.
“In the city. You kept staring at me.”
“Aha, you mean then? Of course I was.”
He shrugged his shoulders and played it off. His tone was artificial, like that of a stage actor.
“Was my gaze a bit too intense? Hahaha, please understand… It’s all irrelevant now anyway, isn't it?”
It was right after the man flashed a cruel smile.
Snap.
With the sound of a finger snapping, all light and sound flickered out.
It lasted only a brief moment.
A low, droning hum tickled my ears. A soft, gloomy melody brushed past my eardrums, and then the light returned.
In that short span, the surrounding scenery had changed significantly.
Dozens of black shadows were sluggishly pulling themselves upright.
Even then, my party—myself included—showed not a hint of agitation.
Only Ria sobbed in terror, clutching at my pant leg.
“O-Oppa…”
One by one, the shadows standing on the ground began to don husks of flesh and blood. With blurred features and hideously wrinkled skin, they were 'Faceless Assailants.'
I wondered why I hadn't felt any presence.
If their essence was nothing more than shadows, there was no way I could detect the breathing of a living organism. At this revelation, I almost let out a hollow laugh.
Was he happy to finally get a reaction out of me?
An awkward flicker of emotion crossed Perry’s face. A wave of ecstasy distorted the man’s facial muscles grotesquely.
He then bowed with exaggerated courtesy, a gesture clearly intended to mock.
“To commemorate our long-awaited meeting, I’ve prepared a simple wager. The condition is, well… how about finding my Main Body hidden among these?”
“Main Body?”
“Yes. As you can see, I can freely control these possessed vessels. It means I can move between these dolls as much as I like. But it’s no fun without a prize…”
Clap. The moment the man’s hands met.
Another anomaly occurred.
Flash. Amidst the lights that flickered on again, the Blood Sun began to stretch out its stalks. A faint screaming was mixed into the humming vibrations.
Aaaargh! No! Aaaaaah!
These weren't random outbursts.
The wailing voices were forming a specific rhythm. A grand yet ominous, and strangely upbeat melody settled into the darkened secret room.
It was twisted.
To play music using screams of pain.
Against the backdrop of that horrific performance, blood-red tentacles made their appearance.
The tentacles originating from the Blood Sun wrapped around the body of the unconscious girl in the blink of an eye. The strange creature, which soon covered the girl’s body like a cocoon, began to pulse with an ominous throb.
“How about using this child as the prize? It’ll be a good wager either way. If you can save her early enough, you’ll be able to spare her life, but even if you’re too late…”
Hehehe. A despicable laugh erupted from the man’s mouth.
“…It will have become a wonderful gift. I guarantee it.”
“Then shall we start right away?”
Despite the blatant provocation, my voice remained calm.
Perry clicked his tongue as if he didn't quite like that fact, but there was nothing he could do. He simply sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“Whew, you’re surprisingly dull. Does your heart not race even after hearing such a thrilling wager?! Fine, then let’s begin right—!”
Thud.
Before he could even finish his sentence, my kick found its mark. An unidentified body flew through the air, and the man’s wide eyes fixed on me.
It was a total surprise attack.
No one could open their mouth, except for the figure groaning as they sprawled on the ground.
The silence only broke a few seconds later.
Fragmented words leaked from Perry’s vocal cords.
“You… what are you…”
“You said let’s have a wager, didn't you? 'Find the Main Body,' was it?”
With that, my indifferent eyes turned toward a specific spot. Toward the girl who was gasping for breath after being kicked by me.
Golden eyes filled with disbelief stared back at me.
Perhaps the pain from the sudden kick was extreme, as the hand clutching her solar plexus trembled violently. Tears leaked from between her eyelids as she groaned in pain.
Wheeze, wheeze.
Because she had been struck in the abdomen, even her breathing was unstable. No matter how much she tried to steady her breath, the look of agony did not fade.
It was a heartbreaking sight.
Yes, at least until a moment ago, it would have been.
“…Isn't that right?”
“H-how…”
Gasping, Ria squeezed out a voice drenched in resentment and a sense of betrayal.
Her hand, pressed against the ground, clenched tightly, leaving bloodstains on the floor. Blood flowed profusely from her broken fingernails.
Moisture welled up in the girl’s golden eyes.
Drip, drip.
The tears falling one by one let out a mournful death rattle.
As if unable to understand, sobbing sounds were wrung from the girl’s mouth.
“How?”
It was the reaction of someone facing a reality they utterly could not believe.
For a moment, my heart wavered, but I silently endured.
The girl’s blood-stained fist struck the ground repeatedly. Thud, thud.
“How, how, how, how, how… HOWWWWWWW…!”
Crying, sobbing.
Filled with anger and despair, resentment and self-reproach, the girl shrieked.
Just as her breathing became nearly inaudible, buried under her weeping.
The trembling in her snow-white shoulders finally subsided, and the woman slowly began to lift her head.
And the moment I faced the girl’s countenance.
I couldn't help but let out a weary laugh, as if I had known all along.
“…How did you know?”
Wearing a hideously bewitching smile, the girl traced her finger along the corner of her mouth, pulling it upward.
A chilling, blood-red arc was drawn.
“Ehet.”
Along with a playful giggle that was entirely out of place.
The way she winked and poked her tongue out slightly looked so excessively mischievous.
I thought to myself.
It seemed today’s battle was going to be quite exhausting.
The second hand of fate was ticking once more.