Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Dispel (4)
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A world without sound.
Thump, thump. The silence was filled only with the sound of my racing heartbeat.
Within it, I carefully dug into the earth. My body was drenched in sweat, and my hands gripping the shovel trembled uncontrollably.
This moment felt far more tense than facing that monster just moments ago...
The side effects of Perion were starting to hit, making my whole body feel like it was shattering apart, but no matter what—even if it killed me—I couldn't let go of this thing.
I absolutely couldn't give up on it.
"...Got it."
Finally.
If there were such a thing as the ugliest baby in the world, it would look like this. If there were a baby so hideous that even the parents couldn't bring themselves to say it was ugly, it would look like this.
"Because of you, I've been suffering like hell all this time."
I grabbed it by the side and hoisted it up. Its grotesquely twisted face lit up as it let out a scream.
Screeeeech—Kwaaaaah—
Something like that, anyway.
Of course, I couldn't hear it. I had earplugs amplified with Perion jammed in my ears.
"Thanks."
I carefully placed the mandragora into the triple vacuum-sealed box.
Thud.
After fully sealing it, I slowly removed the earplugs. The sound was definitely blocked.
Now, if I took this to get appraised and sold it, I could afford medical treatment.
At the continent's top medical facility, naturally.
—Ah, ah. This is Asilen. Seniors, can you hear me?
A voice blared from above through a loudspeaker. I looked up. Paper birds were fluttering across the night sky.
—This is supervisor Asilen. Due to the unexpected natural mana phenomenon 'Dispel,' the College Board event will be concluded early.
The current time was 9:21.
Dispel's effects had just ended. Its duration had been exactly 20 minutes, just as I remembered.
—Everyone, please follow the paper birds down. I repeat, due to the unexpected natural mana phenomenon 'Dispel'...
I stuffed the triple vacuum box into my duffel bag.
The 5th-grade mana phenomenon 'Dispel' naturally dissipated after 20 minutes, but the university association deemed the surrounding environment too altered before and after, so they ended the College Board early.
Not just in this Fog Mountain of Paraskal, but all exploration zones at exactly 9:20.
"Alright~ You can submit your reports by 1 a.m. today~ I'll be waiting, so take your time~"
At the entrance to Paraskal Fog Mountain, where it met the city streets, supervisor Asilen had set up a desk and sat there.
"Let's just submit our report as is. Sound good?"
The other teams seemed a bit thrown off by the sudden Dispel, but Soliet's team had nothing particular to add or revise in their report.
Mana with spirit attributes produced by mushrooms—fungi.
The info Sion Askal had shared as "repaying a debt" was high-level knowledge that maybe only three or four teams knew at most. Her teammates were already excited, faces flushed at the thought of high scores.
"Agreed."
As Soliet nodded, someone approached hesitantly.
"Um..."
It was Kielli.
With his annoyingly strong recovery, he already seemed fully healed, scratching the back of his neck as he spoke.
"Team leader. Wanna go together when you leave? The car's still parked."
"..."
Soliet stared at him wordlessly.
"S-sorry."
"I'm fine. Go with the team members."
Even so, Kielli lingered awkwardly. Soliet furrowed her brow and asked again.
"Is there more you want to say?"
"Ah, well..."
He continued in a shrinking voice.
"Keep what happened back there a secret, please..."
A secret. Even pushed to that brink, this guy was still worried about his pride.
Soliet let out a sigh without realizing it.
"...Understood."
"Phew. Thanks, really. I'll make it up to you—"
"Get lost."
"...Yeah."
Kielli slunk away dejectedly. Once in front of the team, he put on his tough act again and got in the car.
Anyway, the group assignment was finally over.
Soliet watched the departing van and let out a breath of relief. The mere word "team" had been too burdensome for her right now.
"..."
Alone now, she looked somewhere. A lone figure was walking down the street.
Sion Askal, his gait staggering with exhaustion.
He was alone like her, but unlike her, he'd been alone from the start.
His destination...
Soliet looked up at the distant sign.
[Paraskal Station]
Screech—
A discordant grinding of gears inside my body.
Screech—
Pain spread through me as if my organs, muscles, and bones were twisting together.
Screech—
It hurt so much I couldn't even make a sound.
My sanity seemed to fly away amid the unreal agony. Like falling off a cliff into an endless abyss, falling and falling...
My knees and hips were growing pains, but the far worse abdominal pain was probably the cancer in my dantian.
I writhed for a long while before opening my eyes. My body was soaked in sweat.
—Clack-clack, clack-clack.
Still, the mana liner rattled along the rails.
Inside the train, I absentmindedly looked at the seat in front of me.
"..."
I jolted in surprise. My heart pounded like crazy. It felt like a dream.
There was an unreal person right in front of me.
Sitting with perfect posture, not a single slouch or hunch, staring straight at me.
Blue eyes, straight nose, large square bandage on her cheek.
Soliet Arkne.
As if she'd been waiting for me to wake, she handed me a flyer with her bandaged hand.
[At Your Service].
I gave a small smile.
"What can I have you do for me?"
The residual poison still churned like aftershocks, but I held it back.
Soliet asked.
"Do you know anything about that guy?"
"Who? The monster from just now?"
I deliberately played dumb.
"...In the mine."
"I said tell me who it was."
Soliet clamped her mouth shut. As if she couldn't even bring herself to say the word.
"Can't say it?"
But she couldn't overcome it that way. She couldn't do anything.
If she couldn't face it head-on, it wasn't hatred—it was fear.
"...Haa."
Soliet sighed. Maybe it was a deep breath.
Finally, she uttered her reverse scale.
"Do you know anything about... Nightmare?"
I knew something.
Yeah, I did.
"Well."
Pre-regression Soliet had chased him her whole life. In that process, I was a very minor helper.
Just a 'very minor' helper.
She'd ultimately found the answer herself. Completed her revenge with her own hands. And at the end, chosen emptiness.
I didn't want that ending for her.
There must have been better options for her back then.
"One thing I do know."
So, as someone returned to the past, there was only one thing I could tell her now.
"Nightmare."
I looked into her eyes. They weren't full of expectation. As always, they were like half-rotten fish.
"Is alive."
The Nightmare that nearly everyone on the continent believed dead. Even Soliet wasn't certain yet. But I knew he was alive.
He was definitely breathing, hiding somewhere on the continent, watching us.
"..."
For a moment, her eyes slowly widened. Emotions of every color swirled and spread like a child seeing the world for the first time. Her bandaged hands clenched tight.
"Th-that..."
She tried to speak, swallowed it, took a big breath and swallowed again, just choking down the words swirling in her mouth...
"Excuse me, sir."
Someone interrupted. We both looked up.
It was the conductor.
"Tickets, please."
"Ah, sure."
I fumbled in my pocket.
"No, not you."
The conductor shook his head and gestured to the seat across from me. Soliet. I pointed at her too, asking.
"...This person?"
"Yes. You're in an empty seat. Ticket check."
I looked at Soliet.
"..."
She said nothing. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she swallowed hard.
The conductor spoke again.
"Ma'am. Ticket, please."
"..."
"Ma'am. It's the early morning train—if you're riding without a ticket—"
Whoosh—! Soliet shot up from her seat.
"M-ma'am!"
"Who are you?"
She shook off the conductor's grab.
"No, not who—just wait."
"I don't know you."
"Wait—"
Soliet bolted with terrifying speed. She vanished from the seat to the end of the car in an instant.
"Ma'am!"
I let out a hollow chuckle and looked out the window. The familiar scenery of Edshilla's capital was approaching.
About to arrive soon, I pulled out my smartphone first. Opened the Dark Web app.
Dark Web
[Lv.3 EasyCash]
[Commissioner / Client]
…
[Auction House]
Auction House.
Still level 3, so 30% fees, but it'd level up the Dark Web too, so whatever.
[Auction Item Registration Request]
· Mandragora 500g
· Condition: Perfect
I attached a photo of the mandragora I'd snapped on the mountain.
To brag a bit, it was flawless, without a single scratch. Mandragoras are extremely shock-sensitive; when dug up, their limbs or even tiny root tips usually break. Not mine.
Every part was perfect.
The true meaning of 'perfect condition.'
['Mandragora' registration request confirmed.]
"...Should I save just one?"
It felt a bit regrettable. Should I cut off one tiny root? Not a leg or anything; a root tip wouldn't affect the condition rating much.
You never know. Might come in handy later.
I carefully cracked open the seal on the triple vacuum box I'd placed safely in the next seat. Click—
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—
I slammed it shut fast.
"Okay."
I patted the box.
Opening it here would be a disaster, so I'll hold off. Wait till I get home. Home.