Chapter 28
And now.
“…Velmareth….”
Lee Yeon-woo’s goal was nothing less than a ‘deep collapse.’
“Let the vein speak what I forgot.”
Immortality?
A body of blood?
Expansion of the self?
‘Interesting, sure.’
But that wasn’t what he wanted.
‘Even if it succeeds, it will only transform the body I currently have.’
Lee Yeon-woo simply wanted this ritual to fail.
Only then could he reach the “side effect” he sought. The plan was to touch the soul, the deepest element of blood, to trigger the resurrection algorithm.
“I will not return I have already bled.”
Of course it would fail. Lee Yeon-woo didn’t fully understand the text.
‘A superficial grasp at best.’
It was like shooting blindly, hoping the bird might be hit by chance.
‘So naturally, only the bullet will fly. The bird won’t fall.’
Still, he had to fire. This was the clearest form of failure he could produce. Predictable failure was better than unpredictable success. It was controllable.
This was not a method for survival. It was merely the choice he could make to the very end. As long as there was a choice, it was his responsibility.
“Spinal-red, hush the marrow.”
So long as he didn’t die.
‘I know the theory.’
His body began to collapse.
‘Consciousness still exists.’
Senses dulled—or sharpened.
‘Am I…?’
I, I. My blood.
Flowing downward.
‘Am I there?’
Beyond life.
Surpassing memory.
Crushing emotion.
Breaking will.
Touching the soul.
‘Or maybe…’
Only my memories.
Would remain.
Velmarethquorasolvendei
Disassemble the structure of the goddess Velmareth
Rithmarrithmardelashtainkeen
Open the lament of Rithmar
Myornbeunspokenskinrendtonamefall
Do not speak the name; tear flesh, destroy the self
Reduponredhushthebreaththatneverleft
Quiet the remaining breath upon the blood
Takenotmetakewhatknewme
Do not take me; restore the blood that remembered me
Mallianethbeturnedbelowtheknownvein
Turn Mallianeth below the recognized vein
Thebreathloopsbackwardsmynamediesbeforeit’sspoken
Breath loops backward, and the name dies before spoken
Spinalredbonedeephushthemarrow
The red of the spine silences the marrow deep within
LettheveinspeakwhatIforgot
Let the veins speak what I forgot
IwillnotreturnIhavealreadybledwhereImustbe
I will not return; my blood has already flowed where it must
MirrormeintheclotDrownmeinwhatIescaped
Reflect me in the clot; drown me in what I escaped
Mybonesdonotspeakmybloodwritesinsilence
Bones speak not; blood writes in silence
Returnnotthefleshreturntheproofthatbled
Do not return the flesh; return the proof that bled
Unfoldmeinredstitchmenot.Lettheleakremain
Unfold me in red; do not stitch me; let the leak remain
IbledwithoutdyingthereforeIremainwithoutname
I bled without dying; therefore I remain nameless
Stop!
“…….”
“…….”
…This.
Was not the failure I wanted.
Something was recording me. It was blood.
Memory. Self. Emotion.
It was repulsive—the way it pressed against nerves and mimicked itself, and yet it was me. An irony where parasite and host could not be distinguished.
But strange!
I understood that disgust. I could understand it. And understanding it made it no longer unpleasant.
Discarding form to survive. Sacrificing the self to persist.
Not wrong. Unpleasant, yes—but understandable.
The most basic choice all life has made.
I, Lee Yeon-woo, liked order.
But that…
Was not necessarily required.
I see!
Indeed.
This was not the intended failure.
An undesired correctness. A result he could not be satisfied with.
Yet, despite that, it could save a human.
Extravagant.
Yes. Extravagant.
“…….”
…It was a success.
“…Ha, hng….”
Though not in the way he had wanted.
“Haha, ha… ugh…!”
Now it was inside me.
No longer could it be pushed out.
No need to.
“Uk….”
“…….”
I.
“…….”
It simply was.