Chapter 591: Jealousy is My Power (91)
Chapter 591: Jealousy is My Power (91)
The endless wilderness was covered in corpses and bloodstains.
It happened on the day before the final battle. After much agonizing, I had gone to Emma to ask for an anesthetic, and once again, I lost consciousness. When I came to, I was here.
The boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness.
It was hard to believe that such a vast space existed within a mere human mind. Though I had come and gone from this place several times, I had never seen the end of this wasteland.
I spent some time lost in thought, staring at the horizon at dusk.
Then, a voice as dry as the soil of the wilderness rustled in my ear.
"Don't be too curious."
Startled by the words, I whipped around. There, as always, stood the man with weary eyes, clutching a sword to his chest.
His armor was tattered, and his cape was frayed. His equipment was so worn it wouldn't have been strange to call it 'scrap metal,' yet its innate luster could not be hidden.
It was likely something forged by a master craftsman.
There was no need to ask why his attire had changed. Not many things that happened here could be understood anyway.
Instead, I blurted out a dazed question.
"…About what?"
"Beyond that."
As the man took a step, the clanking of metal echoed. His golden eyes suddenly seemed to deepen.
"At the end of this space lies the unconscious. It is still too early for you to see it."
"You sound as if you already know what's over there."
"You will be able to see it too. Someday, if you become a Master… everything you wanted to hide."
I started to ask a few more questions, but I soon shook my head.
I didn't have time to waste on useless Zen riddles. The time I could exist here was limited.
Hardening my resolve, I cut straight to the point.
"Can you help me?"
A golden pupil flickered toward me.
He stared at me in silence for a long time before finally letting out a shallow snort.
"What nonsense are you…"
"Help me."
Perhaps my reaction was unexpected.
The man, who had been letting out a dry laugh, shut his mouth. His eyes didn't hide his bewilderment.
Even so, I didn't stop talking.
"With our current strength, we have no chance of victory. Somehow, I have to pull out a trump card the enemy won't expect."
"I have already revealed myself once, novice… and didn't I tell you?"
Avoiding my desperate gaze, the man muttered.
"It is impossible for me to intervene in your world indefinitely. Do you know what happens when you twist a major event before enough causality has been accumulated?"
"It wasn't like that last time."
Silence fell again.
The man seemed to have an idea of what I was talking about, so he deliberately avoided answering. Not that he could stop me from speaking.
"When I fought the Saint, you were reluctant to intervene, weren't you? To save it for a final showdown with him… You must have some of that saved causality left."
"The Saint never intended to kill you in the first place. Besides, me winning against the Saint wouldn't have weakened or strengthened humanity's overall power."
As if he could no longer listen to my arguments, the man finally began to offer a proper rebuttal.
He was likely frustrated as well.
After all, this incident involved none other than his own 'sister disciple' and 'master.' He would be more interested in this than any other event I'd seen so far, not less.
Yet, the man did not volunteer to help me.
There had to be a reason for that.
And that reason was now being revealed.
"But your opponent is one of the Seven Deadly Sins of the Dark Cult. Do you know how many lives were snuffed out by the Vampire's hands when the war began? If I were to kill that woman now…"
"Even if it's within the 'Boundary'?"
However, the man's long explanation was never finished.
My sudden words forced him into silence. For the third time today, those golden eyes stared at me wordlessly.
"You said it yourself. That this place is the boundary of time… but at the same time, it's the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness. Do you know what I saw when I entered the Vampire's barrier?"
The man just listened to me in silence.
His face still showed no trace of emotion. His eyes were like a dried-up well, and his face was like a calm lake that had forgotten the waves.
"The burning Great Forest… memories were floating between the cracks of shattered space. Just like here."
"…Is that the end of your reasoning?"
"Above all, there's no way I wouldn't recognize the 'Boundary'."
Meeting the man's hollow gaze, I spoke with conviction.
"Because I am a 'High Expert' now, too."
At that, the man let out a hollow laugh, as if he found it absurd.
In truth, I had already heard about the similarities between the Vampire's barrier and the 'Boundary.' The Great Witch had explained it herself when we fought the Vampire inside the barrier.
But that didn't mean I was lying.
I was a 'High Expert,' and I had crossed the 'Boundary' before. How could I ever forget that unprecedented power?
Even the dullest human couldn't forget it. It was that overwhelming an experience.
But the man seemed to find my words themselves laughable.
"To think you've only just entered the realm of 'High Expert'… Fine, you're right, novice."
It was a surprisingly straightforward admission, considering his previous silence.
I couldn't help but brighten up and ask.
"Then…!"
"It's still difficult."
However, the words that followed were so blunt and clear that it was my turn to fall silent.
Facing my dazed expression, the man spoke in a low voice.
"Do you still not realize how much is at stake in this incident? It's not just the 'Vampire.' The 'Great Witch's' life is on the line as well. Even if I exhaust all the saved causality as you suggested and penetrate the interior of the 'Boundary,' there are limits."
"…Is it completely impossible?"
"It is possible."
Step, step. The sound of footsteps treading on the wilderness.
The man spoke in a flat tone, his back turned to me.
"But you will regret it."
The fact that it was so matter-of-fact made it even more terrifying.
I realized that the man's warning was sincere. No matter how emotionless he seemed, he was 'me.' Naturally, I had that much intuition.
And yet, I couldn't let go of my lingering attachment.
I had no other moves left. I had to be desperate.
"I don't care if I regret it, just somehow…!"
"Novice."
His voice carried a sense of exhaustion.
I was momentarily speechless at the tone, which was beyond emotionless—it was empty. Looking again, I saw the man's gaze was slanted.
Down, down.
Toward the corpses strewn about his mental imagery.
"Do you think there is power without a price? Every choice comes with a responsibility."
"…Like when I didn't follow your will?"
"Yes. I warned you on the day you faced the Corpse Giant as well."
The man's gaze turned back toward me. Those golden eyes, flickering as they watched me, were sunken so deep I couldn't read his thoughts.
It was a warning I had heard many times.
I had forgotten it for a while, but why did those words feel so chilling today?
"You can't keep everything, novice. You might not know it now, but the moment will come when you must let something go. Do you still want to borrow my power?"
I couldn't give an answer for a long time.
My lips parted, then closed.
I agonized over it again and again. Would I truly be able to live without regretting this choice?
In truth, the man wasn't wrong. It was impossible to depend on his power forever, and as he said, the day would come when I would have to pay the price.
But even so.
"…Help me."
In the end, my decision did not change.
The man stared at me for a while, then turned his gaze back toward the vast wilderness.
"Do you want to protect them that much?"
"Because you look like you do."
The man's body, which had been silently watching the wasteland, flinched.
For the first time, he showed a hint of flustered emotion as he looked back at me. So, I sighed and explained once more.
"You can protect them now."
"I…"
"Then protect them."
The man, who seemed about to argue, eventually turned his gaze away quietly.
"Because I'm going to go save the person I need to save, too."
It was then, as I finished speaking.
"…I'll say it again, there are limits."
He didn't look back at me again. He simply stated the precautions in his usual, level voice.
"In the end, you have to be the one to do it."
"I know, I also…"
I let out a sigh, a bitter smile playing on my lips.
"…have someone I need to meet again."
That was the end.
The man and I decided to go our separate ways.
Of course, it wasn't a simple matter.
In order for the man to display his true skill, absurd conditions had to be met.
But I did it.
As my consciousness faded, I watched my body rise on its own and felt certain.
A very brief moment might be enough.
The man spoke without even properly warming up his body.
"Come at me. We don't have much time."
As if that were the only mercy he would grant today.