Chapter 124
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Revisiting (4)
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“Hah…!”
As my senses returned, my breath caught in my throat. My head throbbed like someone was pounding it with a hammer.
“Ugh…”
The things I’d seen on my previous visit had been shocking enough, but they paled in comparison to the records I’d just witnessed.
Damn it… Shit…!
In truth, the reason Seo Yu-ju had regressed was me.
No, I was the one who had essentially pushed her into it.
I’d turned myself into a hostage, setting up the board so she had no choice but to regress, and deceived her heart in the process.
And… I think I understood why I’d chosen Seo Yu-ju as the regressor in the first round.
First off, her potential for martial prowess.
I didn’t know what a Transcender was exactly, but from the talk of creating one, it seemed like a realm no ordinary talented player could reach.
Second, she was someone I could build rapport with easily.
We started together from the Tutorial.
Our starting points were different, but if I built a connection in the first round, it was practically guaranteed she’d seek me out in the Tutorial during the second round.
That way, I could form the closest bond with Seo Yu-ju faster than anyone else, and the chances of starting in the same clan as her would skyrocket.
…And that’s exactly what happened.
She was probably the only one who met both those conditions.
But that wasn’t the problem.
Fuck, the real issue is… I toyed with Seo Yu-ju’s feelings and used her like a chess piece.
No matter how much I pride myself on cool judgment and not hesitating to use others when necessary, I’d received so much help from her in this second round without any first-round memories.
Even someone like me couldn’t help but feel guilt.
And… the next biggest thing is that there’s no hope for Eras.
I didn’t get much concrete info on that front, which was frustrating.
No, that was actually the most critical issue.
All I’d gleaned was that a threat was approaching Eras, and without a Transcender, there was no hope.
Fuck… What the hell am I supposed to do? It’s half-confirmed I was trying to turn Seo Yu-ju into a Transcender… But what even is a Transcender?
Still so much I didn’t know. I needed to stop thinking for now.
My head hurt too much from the sudden influx of info and emotions.
As I turned to leave the library, Ut approached and spoke.
“Are you leaving?”
“…Yes.”
“Haha, I hope the records of the Library of Records prove helpful enough.”
I probably wouldn’t return to the Library of Records again. Most likely.
“….. Fuck, when’s she coming?”
That woman had said she’d find me in a week, so I couldn’t stay at the clan house on the day she’d mentioned.
There was too much risk of the clan members spotting her.
And… if that woman and Seo Yu-ju crossed paths no matter what… No, maybe letting them meet wouldn’t be so bad.
Seo Yu-ju was probably burning with rage right now in this second round, hunting for the woman who’d killed me.
But she doesn’t know her face or voice.
The voice had been altered by magic, and she’d worn a hood and mask, so the odds of recognition if they bumped into each other were low.
…Still, better to play it safe.
For those reasons, I’d booked a high-end inn and was holed up there all day.
In case she came to my quarters, I’d left a note with the inn’s location.
Damn….
It wasn’t like this was my first blind date or anything, so why was I so nervous?
As I fidgeted with my nails on the bed out of anxiety, a knock came at the door, followed by a voice.
“…. Master. May I come in?”
She’s not appearing out of nowhere without a presence like last time.
“…. Yes, come in.”
Just like before, she wore a hood pulled low.
“…. Do you recognize me now?”
“…. Luska.”
At the sound of her name from my lips, she shed her hood and coat, approaching with a smile that seemed genuinely pleased.
Fuck… I still can’t get used to it.
Without first-round memories, she felt awkward to me, and her appearance was intimidating in its own right.
When I’d read about extinct elves in books, I’d heard that elves and dark elves transcended human beauty standards. Seeing her now, I got what that meant.
With Seo Yu-ju or other women, I just felt they were beautiful or pretty. But this woman stirred something more… a man’s…
You crazy bastard, what the hell are you thinking right now?
…This wasn’t the time for such idiotic thoughts.
“Master, I… I’ve come to find you. It took a long time, but…”
“Uh…?”
The problem was she didn’t stop there and kept closing in on me.
“Wait a sec…”
As she pressed forward, I had no choice but to lean back halfway onto the bed, and she crawled toward me on all fours from there.
“I… regretted it so much. Why I couldn’t get closer to you. Why I couldn’t voice my feelings or thoughts.”
“What…”
“…Am I making you nervous? You’re definitely different from the first round. Back then, you were so broken. You rarely showed emotions, and I never saw you flustered like this.”
“…. Yes?”
“This side of you is awfully cute. Honestly… it’s a bit devastating. Do you know that?”
“W-what… are you talking about?”
She continued with a seductive smile and a knowing glance.
“When I entered the inn, the innkeeper mistook you for calling a prostitute. He didn’t see my face, of course, but he heard my voice and knew I was a woman.”
Fuc… fucking hell…
The atmosphere felt off. Way off.
“How do you feel right now, Master?”
She whispered right in my ear.
“What do you want to do in a situation like this? Go on, say it freely. I’m your slave, after all.”
“That’s…”
“Yes. Just follow your instincts.”
I nearly blurted out something swept up in the mood and my impulses, but I barely held back, sat up on the bed, and spoke.
“Enough… with the jokes. For now, is it okay to call you Luska…?”
Fuck, that was close.
I’d almost lost my reason without realizing it. Her allure went beyond mere seduction—her looks and vibe were overwhelming.
Hearing me, she looked disappointed.
“Hmm… What a shame.”
“…..”
“Call me whatever you like. Whatever feels comfortable for you, Master. Slave, Luska, anything you want.”
Slave? Fuck no… Am I trying to get stabbed?
“Then I’ll call you Luska. Uh… Let’s start with names. Can you drop the ‘Master’ thing?”
“…..?”
Her face said, Why?
“Look, I did see the first-round records, but I don’t have those memories. Doesn’t it feel weird for you to call me Master? Strictly speaking, this is only our second meeting…”
“No, to me, you are my Master. Didn’t you dye everything of mine in your colors? You’re not trying to dodge responsibility just because you don’t remember, are you?”
What the hell? That sounds all wrong.
Anyone overhearing would think I’d done something awful to her.
“…. I’m not dodging responsibility. But won’t people misunderstand if they hear that title?”
“I don’t care if they misunderstand. No, I wouldn’t mind turning the misunderstanding into reality.”
Crazy… I mind.
“…. I mind.”
If a clan member or someone who knows me overheard her calling me Master, what would they think?
Just imagining it is horrifying….
“…Fine, then. I’ll call you Master when we’re alone. But around others, I’ll say ‘you’ instead.”
“…Understood.”
I’d prefer she never used ‘Master’ at all, but she clearly had no intention of that.
At least she wouldn’t say it around others. Small mercies.
…What should I ask first?
I had a ton of questions, but no idea where to start.
“…I heard elves went extinct. Were the books wrong?”
Start with questions about her.
It was genuinely something I was curious about. Eras’s history books said elves had died out a century ago.
The World Tree they revered like a god had been deliberately burned and destroyed by someone.
“No, it’s accurate— all elves except me are extinct.”
“…I see. So how are you still alive, Luska?”
“Because I was the one who wiped out the elven race.”
“…Pardon?”
What?
I thought I’d misheard, but her following words were absurd.
“Elves were a hopeless race. They were deceived by a tree pretending to be sacred, worshiping it and offering their life force and mana. If left alone, the World Tree would have destroyed Eras.”
“The World Tree?”
“Yes, Master. The World Tree in the history books wasn’t the holy tree everyone thinks. It was just a demonic tree parasitizing the world and devouring the continent.”
Her words contradicted all records, leaving me stunned and speechless.
What she was saying essentially denied the entirety of Eras’s history.
“I warned my fellow elves time and again. The tree you worship is a demonic tree trying to consume the world.”
“Then…”
She sighed and continued.
“I was originally the youngest Warrior Chief of the elves. But no one believed me. They branded me a heretic instead. From that day, I left the village of my own accord and became a dark elf.”
“Ah…”
Her stats made sense now—she’d been an elven Warrior Chief.
I suddenly recalled one of her titles: Youngest Elven Warrior Chief.
I read that elves become dark elves if exiled from their village or separated from the group… So that’s what happened.
“I had to make a choice. Leave my beloved kin to their fate, or kill my fellows—who were feeding the demonic tree their life and mana—for the sake of the continent.”
“So… you took out the elven race and the World Tree…”
“Yes. As you know, Master, I’m a warrior… but also an assassin. Assassinating the elven high officials wasn’t too hard for someone like me, a former Warrior Chief and killer.”
“…. I see.”
Eras’s histories never named who burned the World Tree. They probably never found out.
“But… no matter how much it was for the continent, the fact remains I killed my own kin with these hands. I didn’t care when humans captured me as a slave instead of killing me. If I was sold off and suffered… I saw it as my punishment.”
“…And that’s when you met me?”
“…Yes. When life had lost all meaning, I met you, Master.”