Chapter 99
Chapter 99 - Blessings Upon This X-ing Amazing World(1)
"... Ugh."
Gritting my teeth and enduring the intense pain, I pulled out Tara's mother’s rib that was deeply embedded in my torso.
No, not Tara’s mother’s anymore. Should say something that used to be Tara’s mother’s.
"Gurk. G... gurk."
A mass of grotesque flesh still writhing with bizarre groans.
Six arms sprouted from its back scratch the ground. The wide-open chest cavity keeps gaping like it's craving food. It continues to emit dying-like shrieks of "keek, keek."
I briefly observed it through my blood-reddened vision.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Blessed Urbanite - Sarah Annette]
[HP: 52/1510 MP: 0/0]
[Strength: 229 Agility: 143 Intelligence: 3]
[Details: One of those chosen by Astarte, the Blue Flame Demon King. The fragile human body degrades into a poor vessel containing the bestowed power, and when possessed, can no longer be considered human.]
So they're saying it's labeled as a monster because it can no longer be considered human.
Astarte. With that name appearing, it's safe to assume this surprise party was prepared by those Immortal Cult bastards.
Moreover, "one of those chosen" suggests there might be more such monsters mixed in everywhere besides Sarah?
—Mo, monster! Monsters! Help!
I suddenly recalled the screams of citizens from my previous life.
That... perhaps it wasn't the rampaging Immortal Cult members, but actual monsters they were screaming about?
"This is absolutely insane."
After letting out a belated exclamation of realization, I quickly reached for my waist and drank an ether.
However, beep beep. Another status window blocked my view with a warning sound.
[Status Ailment - Recovery Impossible]
[Details: Curse of extinction has been inflicted. This is Astarte's unique magic, and its end is only death. Can be cured with blessing at the goddess's temple.]
[Status Ailment - Hemorrhage (Major)]
[Details: Critical bleeding. Continuously loses health. Will die shortly without treatment.]
"Good lord, Fu*k it."
Just getting better and better.
Seems wounds from monsters like Sarah make recovery impossible. I let out a bitter laugh at the absurdity.
"Cough!"
As if protesting my body's destroyed state, blood spurted out with my cough. While excruciating pain rushed through my entire body, blood also gushed from the holes pierced through my stomach and back.
Dizziness struck. Before I knew it, I had collapsed beside the mass of flesh that used to be Sarah.
"Gurg... urk..."
Noisy. Please be quiet, Mrs. Sarah, my head is ringing.
Shunk. I stabbed my sword into the monster that kept making horror movie sounds beside me to finish it off.
After trembling briefly, it went limp and fell completely silent.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Then came the level-up fanfare three times. Checking my level to be sure, my ears weren't wrong. I gained 3 levels from killing this one.
My current level is 183. Having slaughtered many Immortal Cult members while escorting Sarah through the city streets. About 8 levels higher than my previous life.
I vaguely looked up at the sky while barely holding onto my fading consciousness.
'Maybe I'll just wait to die.'
How should I put it? I'm tired of everything.
A dark emptiness wells up from deep in my chest. The emptiness grew madly whenever I looked at the bizarre creature... Sarah... lying beside me.
I've given up. Kill me if you want to. I don't care anymore.
"... Ungh. Sigh."
But in the end, I struggled to get up. Though moving even slightly brought dizzying pain, I somehow managed to walk towards the back alleys of Kern.
What made me get up were the faces of two girls - first was Lucy's face looking at me with disdain, and second was Tara's face gazing at me with desperate eyes.
'Right. Even if I'm going to die, I should at least report the results.'
At minimum, I need to tell Tara.
That I'm sorry... that I ultimately couldn't find her mother.
That since I couldn't find her, she must be alive somewhere having escaped the chaos.
I need to tell her that.
This is my last conscience, having failed the quest after already receiving the reward.
"......"
"......"
Just as I reached the entrance to the back alleys past the wide plaza in central Kern, I suddenly sensed presences behind me.
Turning around, dozens of Immortal Cult members had their swords pointed at me.
"You bastards are like ghosts. Did you hear about Park Jeong-yong's belly fat restaurant?"
I cracked a forced joke with a voice that could barely come out due to the blood gurgling.
However, as always, they just charged at me without a word. Still showing that blade-like group behavior.
"No sense of humor."
I let out a metallic laugh and gripped my sword handle. And slowly drew my sword.
Only then did I realize I didn't even have the strength to draw my sword.
"Ah."
Thud, crack, crunch!
My dumbfounded exclamation and dozens of sword blades being thrust in happened almost simultaneously.
I lowered my gaze. I could see myself with blades protruding all over like a hedgehog.
"Cough."
I tried to understand this with my barely functioning mind.
But in the end, I couldn't understand it.
'I can't... die... quietly...'
Though I still couldn't accept the fact that I was about to die.
Even in that situation, my desire to tear apart and kill these Immortal Cult bastards was surging.
"Fatal... Thorns."
Pabababak! According to my will, the cloak was torn into twelve pieces. The bodies of those surrounding me are torn apart by thorns swinging wildly.
My eyelids are losing strength gradually.
It's pitch black.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
.......
....
The mood-deaf fanfare shook my mind with surprising clarity.
* * *
[The Immortal Demon King, Lustica Asmodeus, has forcibly altered the regression fixed point.]
[The immortal regression point has been updated.]
[Time - Continental Calendar 1108, January 13th, 02:44]
[Location - Marktress. Upper region of the Plains of Promise, West Gate of the small city of Kern]
As I dazedly looked down at the panel, Lucy slowly pulled away her lips that had been touching mine.
Maybe it's just my feeling. Lucy's pale white face seemed to be slightly tinged with red.
"Aiyoo. Another failure? Even I'm getting embarrassed now! How many more kisses do I need to give! Just kill me! Kill meee! Waaaah!!"
And suddenly Lucy collapsed on the spot. Like some manga character, she lay down and started throwing a tantrum.
Being flustered by the sudden kiss wasn't enough, and now receiving such a reaction. It's only natural that my confusion doubled.
"Hey Lucy. You're acting weird, and it's not just today, but why are you acting up again..."
Just as I said that. I noticed a purple light flowing from the pouch at my waist.
And a notification window popped up a beat later.
[Item Information]
[Name: Box of the Dead]
[Notice: Item Update - Box of the Dead stored items from previous life have been updated.]
"......"
I rummaged through my pouch and took out the Box of the Dead.
Perhaps because I've done this so many times. I naturally opened the lid and checked the contents like flowing water.
[Find a kid named Tara in the shantytown. There's a legendary quest with a surprising reward.]
[A girl about 7 years old. Brown bob cut with gray eyes. You'll know when you see her.]
That's what the note said.
Shantytown? Tara? Surprising reward? Legendary quest?
What... What does all this mean?
'Wait. Calm down... let's calm down.'
Let's not panic like an amateur. It's not like this is my first time experiencing this situation, right? Yeah. It's familiar. So familiar it makes me want to vomit.
'Given Lucy's reaction just now...'
It seems like it's 'that situation'.
Well, asking the person who still has their memories would be the fastest way. I immediately turned to Lucy.
"Hey Lucy. Is this that?"
"It is that!"
"......"
So it is that. I kind of expected it but.
As expected, hearing about my own death(?) from someone else is an overwhelmingly depressing feeling. It's disconcerting no matter how many times I experience it.
As I fidgeted in place, Lucy, who had already reverted to her original state, stood up straight with blazing eyes. Then she pointed at me with all her might.
"What are you dawdling for! Go prepare for battle right now! Like we have time to waste! This is why you keep failing! Put some spirit into it! Pak-ssi!"
"... Alright, geez. Why are you nagging so much..."
How many times must I have failed for her to act like this. Her momentum is so fierce that I can't even ask. Honestly, isn't up to five times within acceptable range?
I reluctantly headed towards Kern city, feeling like a head of household.
"Hey Lucy. If I get possessed by a Xiongma and go crazy, stab me in the belly to wake me up."
I said to Lucy, half-joking and half-serious. It was something I had been thinking about since she updated the regression point.
Glancing at her reaction, Lucy was blinking her eyes as if surprised. She soon let out a deflating laugh.
"Well well. You're always the same."
She said while shaking her head. Well... I guess my previous self must have said something similar.
Anyway, Lucy said with a mischievous smile on her lips.
"I've already answered that twice. Find out when you recover your memories."
"... Making it expensive, tsk."
I immediately drew my dual swords and crossed the night sky like a meteor using black wings.
Tuhak! With one leap, the surrounding scenery passed by like an arrow.
* * *
"Let's see. It's quite close."
I decided to first recover the residual sentiment as Lucy said.
I'm not particularly curious about Lucy's answer, but I am curious about what happened in my previous life.
'It's this way.'
I was able to find the residual sentiment after not too long. The lantern light stopped near the entrance leading to the back alley from Kern's city streets.
Died in a pretty ambiguous place. That was my first thought.
'And... Tara, was it?'
I lingered around the entrance and border of the shantytown, peering at passing vagrants.
Then I looked at the note in the Box of the Dead again.
[Find a kid named Tara in the shantytown. There's a legendary quest with a surprising reward.]
[A girl about 7 years old. Brown bob cut with gray eyes. You'll know when you see her.]
"About 7 years old with a brown bob cut... gray eyes..."
To think such a child has a legendary quest. I should at least accept the quest if I happen to see her. I mentally thanked my previous self for leaving this tip, and walked straight towards where the residual sentiment were.
And when I found the residual sentiment...
"Oh."
I froze right there.
While my corpse with dozens of holes all over it lying there was shocking enough, that wasn't the primary reason I was surprised.
It was because of a girl crouching next to my corpse, looking towards the city.
"... Tara?"
I called out her expected name, and as if confirming my guess, the girl turned towards me.
The little one's brown bob hair swayed. Gray eyes quietly scanned me. After staring at each other for a while, she tilted her head sideways.
"Mister, who are you?"
A natural reaction that kids show to adults they've never met before.
It was a tone full of wariness.