Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Recor Dak (6)
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Scrrrtch— scrrrtch— craaaack—
A grotesque noise emanated from the guy's entire body. His skin had turned a dark crimson, no longer resembling anything human, and steam hissed from every orifice—eyes, nose, mouth.
Dangerous.
"Looks like they forced some drugs down his throat."
Well, "forced" was putting it mildly, but judging by those symptoms, it had to be Neoz.
A banned substance capable of outperforming even Perion depending on the dosage, but with side effects and agony forty to fifty times worse.
That much was already a lethal dose. He was on even borrowed time than I was. A doctor would probably tell him, "You've got thirty minutes left."
Rooooarrr—!
The freak bellowed and charged. Elise gave my back a light shove.
"Hey, come on, you—"
"Can you buy us some time?"
As she spoke, she began prepping her mana. A blue aura flickered into existence around her.
Mana Body.
"...I'll hold him off, so make it count."
"Don't you dare die on me."
In a DPS-tank split, this was the only option.
I summoned Perion first. My whole body heated up in an instant.
That's when the bastard appeared right in front of me. He swung his fist at an unnatural speed.
Whoosh—! I dodged the slashing attack—or so I thought. It was a combo. Heavy straights came flying wildly from above, below, left, and right.
"Shit!"
I dodged some, blocked others, then glanced back at Elise.
Her eyes were closed, murmuring something. Looked like she was setting up a mana ritual... no, a spell.
Boom—!
Suddenly, he thrust out his leg. A gale-force wind whipped up from that simple kick. I urgently bent backward at the waist, and the tip of his foot grazed my nose.
I took a big backstep.
"...This guy's insane."
No joke—this speed was real. And it was only getting faster.
Overload.
His body was heating up and accelerating like this, only to explode the moment the drug wore off.
Probably ten to twenty minutes.
More than enough time to kill two people.
Crack— He cracked his joints. Steam rose from both ears.
Rooooarrr—!
He charged again with another roar.
"How many minutes?!"
My body was fully amplified by Perion too, but his speed was on another level.
Hard to keep up.
Crunch—!
His fist grazed my chest. I avoided half of it. But that half was enough to crack my ribs.
"No, how many seconds?"
I clutched my chest and muttered. Elise probably couldn't hear me, but mana was starting to ripple from behind me.
The sheer pressure of the mana waves was impressive.
This one's gonna pack a punch.
Grrrrroooowl—!
The zombie noticed the threat and lunged at Elise. I quickly tripped him.
—Gahk!
I mounted the fallen bastard. I rained down fists, going for ground-and-pound, but...
—Groooar...!
He powered up purely through brute strength, flipping me and pinning me down.
"Ugh, what the fuck, an elephant?"
Pinned beneath him, I worked my lower body. I wrapped my legs around his face and squeezed.
Guuuuh—
Finally, the zombie let out a pained groan.
But the very next moment, my eyes flew wide open.
A searing pain stabbed my side.
"Ah, fuck..."
The bastard had sunk his teeth in. His yellowed gums were stained with my flesh, muscle, and blood.
Ptooey—!
The moment he spat something out, blood gushed, and my strength drained away.
"...All set."
Thank god, Elise opened her eyes just in time. She simply spread her palm. The zombie's body was engulfed in mana and whoosh—floated up. Defying gravity, it hung fixed at thirty meters high.
"Whoa..."
I watched the scene from flat on my back.
True pinnacle magic.
It felt surreal.
Raaagh— raaagh— rooooarrr—!
The zombie flailed its arms wildly in the sky. Elise pressed it down with her spell, keeping it from descending.
We just needed to buy time. He'd self-destruct anyway.
So, situation resolved.
"Hoo..."
I slowly relaxed. The world faded, leaving only my breathing and the patter of rain in my ears. My vision blurred.
...I opened my eyes. The sky came into view. Still Recor Dak, but the rain had stopped, and it was clear now.
I tried to sit up and flinched. Sharp pain in my abdomen. And that wasn't all. Blood sloshed under my back.
"You're up quick."
"...?"
I turned toward the voice. A woman swam into my hazy vision.
"Can you hear me?"
"Uh..."
My focus sharpened gradually. My vision cleared.
Rain-soaked Elise. Bandage scraps clinging to her blood-soaked hands, iron wire and scissors scattered on the ground, and an open emergency kit nearby.
I asked blankly.
"...Were you a doctor in a past life or something?"
Elise snorted.
"You know how many hospitals Petra owns? How'd you end up like this?"
I glanced at my torso. The bite wound on my side was already stitched up.
"...Figures you're too dumb for that."
Hated to admit it, but she'd saved my life.
"..."
I looked up at Elise wordlessly. She pursed her lips and snapped.
"What're you staring at? Gross."
"...I'm not actually grateful, you know. Without me, you'd be dead too."
"Hmph."
Elise snorted again. She washed her hands with saline and said.
"Truth is, I considered letting you die. I hate you way more than you think."
"Is that so?"
"Fine, since you bought time like you said, call it even—we saved each other. Water under the bridge. We never entered the isolation zone, never met anyone inside."
Water under the bridge.
I chuckled and lay back down.
"Yeah. Whatever."
My mind was still a bit foggy.
Was this a dream? Or had I really regressed?
All because of this woman.
Elise Petra.
I hated her. Hated her family, obsessed with council seats. I didn't want even the tiniest bond of "favor" with them.
Ironically, proof I didn't hate them as much as Libra. To crush Libra, I'd gladly become their lapdog. I would.
Elise herself bore no original sin.
Sure, if killing her brought my mother back, I'd at least consider it.
But the world didn't work that way. Killing her as "my mother's enemy" would just be pointless rage.
Like Noah Lusille today.
...That's why.
"Me too."
I tilted my gaze from the clouds to Elise. Her platinum eyes, narrowed thin with contempt, stared back.
"I hate you."
I can only muster hate for you.
I can never feel anything good toward you, born from my mother's death, or your family.
"You, your goddamn family—way more than you think."
Hate that's just one step short.
I don't want to force it higher or scrape it lower. That's where Elise Petra stands.
And it's not because of Elise herself.
"Oh? Thanks."
She smirked. As if my malice was no threat. Almost grateful.
"Keep hating me. It'll just make your despair deeper."
She stood, her heels clicking—click-click—as she walked away with steady strides.
"..."
I watched her back, then closed my eyes.
Suddenly, an old voice seeped into my ear.
...I have a favor to ask, friend.
A memory long gone.
Times that rippled toward me, existing only for me.
...Once you leave here.
I was a Recor Dak inmate. Not just any inmate.
Charge: treason against the state. Sentence: twenty years.
But I had no twenty years to spare, so I broke out. And succeeded.
The cost was another life.
...Tear it down.
Yael.
He died for me. Sacrificed himself for my freedom.
...The family that made me like this.
Those moments were gone now, lost time. But I wouldn't let them stay lost.
Lost time defined me. I continued within it. That's who I was.
Even if the world discarded it, I remembered.
...Kill the Petras.
Yael, praying for Petra's downfall amid fading pulses.
His story, confessed only on the brink of death.
But back then, I couldn't understand his dying wish.
...Protect Elise.
You left me that—protect Elise—even though you didn't know my name.
"What bullshit."
I know your name now too, but back then, I didn't get why.
"But what can ya do."
Honestly, I thought you'd misspoke.
"Kill them" became "protect them."
Never imagined you'd be blood-related.
"Turns out he's your little brother..."
I rummaged in the inner pocket of my Endex uniform. My fingers closed on a card. I held it up to the sky.
———!
In that instant, lightning cracked across the clearing sky by pure chance.
The brilliant flash illuminated the name on the card.
[Elise Petra]
"...I really, really hate it."
"...Are you really okay? Like, really?"
"Ugh, I'm fine. Stop asking."
Recor Dak's visitation room. The mana storm blackout had been fixed in twenty minutes, and all the seniors from the mana prison had gathered safely—minus the one dead guy.
Sion Askal was... already back, slumped over his desk sleeping.
"If you're injured anywhere—"
"I'm not."
Annoyed by the nagging, Elise waved him off. The guard finally backed away.
"...Haa."
What a tiring day.
The crime scene was swarming with people already. One senior and one inmate dead from an outside intruder—reporters would be all over it.
Elise started to sit, then spotted someone.
Gerkken was in the chair next to hers, clutching something.
"...What's that?"
"..."
Gerkken glanced at her, then stuffed the item into his bosom.
"No, seriously, what is it."
Her voice sharpened involuntarily. Gerkken muttered softly.
"Treasure."
Treasure. Probably meant the assignment item.
Elise ground her teeth slightly and eyed Gerkken.
"You grabbed it already, huh."
"Living quarters corridor statue. Underneath."
"...Liar. Show me and I'll believe you."
Elise reached out. Gerkken tensed up like a porcupine.
"Forget it. Can't you see I'm beat? Go write up your report over there."
"Fine."
He pretended to give up, but when she turned sharply, Gerkken started to stand—then plopped back down.
"God... I'm so dumbfounded I'm getting dizzy. Dizzy..."
With those final words, Elise collapsed flat.
She'd passed out.