Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Gospel to the Snobby Bitch (11)
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...
Terror wasn't just gripping her.
The entire group watching from behind had gone pale as ghosts.
No, after leaving her to dry out like jerky for about ten days, now he was dunking her in and out of the barrel like she was laundry in a washing machine.
Was this even something a human would do?
'A demon... a demon...'
It was torture so brutal that even Satan in hell might gasp, "Whoa, there's talent like that out there...?"
First, it shattered her mind. Then, it crushed both body and spirit in one go with intense waterboarding!
It was beyond scary—it was downright chilling.
"Had enough water?"
"Kuhk! Khek!"
"...No answer? Guess you haven't drunk enough."
"W-Wai—!"
"Drink up again."
With a gurgle, Alicia went under once more. Only the bubbling told them she was still exhaling.
The moment the bubbles slowed, he'd pull her out, let her breathe for no more than three seconds, then dunk her back in...!
And he didn't even ask questions or demand answers.
"All done?"
"Kuuugh!"
"Not quite yet, huh."
This was the endgame.
Not interrogation—just pure toying with her. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Brutal..."
Didn't he say he didn't want to resort to pain?
Valian realized how foolish his assumption had been that Luke would go easy.
Wasn't this even harsher in its own way!
If this kept up...
Drip...
"A-Alicia!?"
"Sh-She's not breathing?!"
...that's what would happen.
Beyond losing consciousness, she had stopped breathing entirely.
Valian's superhuman senses picked up her heartbeat flatlining first. He lowered his eyes in horror.
'...To think this woman would meet such a pathetic end...'
Unlike her personality, she was undeniably a [Warrior].
A brave fighter on the battlefield who knew honor.
Yet for such a warrior to meet a tragic, meaningless death like this...
'What a tragedy.'
Hiding his heavy heart, Valian prepared to pray for her soul.
Yeah, if living had been that miserable, maybe this was one way to end it...
Heart Stopped
"Kuhk!!"
"Why'd you up and die on me? Get up, you bitch."
"...Kkhuhh!"
"Hm, looking healthy now."
"......"
...
Alicia had come back to life.
Forced back by Yuseong's lightning, she stared at him with a ghostly pale face. Valian paled for entirely different reasons.
'...What the hell did I just witness...?'
Not even death was allowed.
Did that make any sense?
'...Terrifying.'
Valian reminded himself once more.
He must never become enemies with him. But supposing he did...
'Maybe taking my own life would be the merciful end.'
No matter what, never make an enemy of Luke.
That was the mantra running through Valian's mind.
Alicia's mind was blanker than a fresh sheet of paper!
Unable to even hold onto consciousness properly, she quickly grasped what had just happened to her!
'R-Right now...! D-Did I... ju-just die and come back to life!?'
She had experienced death and resurrection.
Was this even possible!?
But that wasn't the important part right now.
Having survived, she now had to...
"Alright, time for more water."
"...!?"
...get back in that barrel. That was what truly mattered!
"N-No more! That's enough...!"
Amusingly, Yuseong gave her exactly three seconds to breathe. Instead of wasting it, Alicia unleashed a rapid-fire rap of precise words that would impress even a pro.
A miracle born from the terror of death.
Hearing her...
"Oh? All done?"
"Yes! I've had enough!"
"...You know what?"
"...W-What?"
"Koreans think giving just once is heartless. You gotta give at least two or three times for it to feel sincere."
"!!!"
"Just two more rounds of water, yeah? I'm doing this out of affection."
"N-No need! My throat's not even dry!!"
"Nah. You're parched. Bone dry."
"Kkuuugh!!"
Alicia trembled violently, staring at the rope (lifeline) binding her that he was loosening again, overcome by pure dread.
Again! She had to go through that again!
'Death...!'
She'd die! Die again!
This time for real!!
In that split-second when her heart stopped and breath failed, Alicia remembered her body floating away, the whole world drowning in darkness.
She never wanted to feel that again—it was an indescribably horrific ordeal!
Alicia had never imagined death could be so terrifying and gruesome.
No, who could truly define what death is...!
Only a god could.
Alicia...
"Sp-Spare me..."
"......"
"P-Please, spare me...!"
...
She didn't want to die.
Not like this—miserably, horrifically.
Dying by water was cold and gruesome, endlessly unfair and heartbreaking.
Alicia wanted to live.
With a survival instinct stronger than she'd ever felt!
However...
"Did you just say you want to live now?"
"......"
"Remember what I told you?"
"......"
"Good thing you do."
...She didn't need to remember—every word he'd said burned vividly in her mind now.
—You said you wanted to die, right? Let's test that. See if you really do. But if you change your tune after the test... ...You'll be begging me to let you die.
The moment she slipped up, he'd make her beg for death.
Alicia shuddered.
Hadn't the last ten days proven it?
He could back up his words, and he could inflict far worse pain!
Recalling the past ten days and dreading what was next, Alicia finally...
"........."
"...This bitch stopped breathing again?"
...succumbed to terror and passed out cold.
Without even a breath.
Death had claimed her once more.
Heart Stopped (Again)
"Kuhk!"
"Breathe. I said breathe!"
"...Khek! Heok! Heook!!"
"Yeah, like that! Keep breathing—!!"
Yuseong refused to let her faint or die.
To any third-party onlookers, it almost looked like a gospel being bestowed upon an elf who wished for death.
A lesson and teaching for the elf.
Before this fearsome gospel, the rest of the party kept their heads bowed.
They racked their brains, wondering if they'd ever wronged him in the past.
Better to die outright than end up like that—the Hero Party thought as one.
「Yuseong Gospel, Chapter 1, Verse 5.」
.........
.........
"Not Valhalla?"
"......"
Why did this feel so culty?
She didn't seem like a goddess at all—more like a shady salesman hawking miracle cures.
Oblivious to Yuseong's increasingly irreverent gaze, Io gently stroked Alicia's cheek.
Io knew exactly how this young high elf had ended up with such narrow, bigoted views.
Elves who raised her in their arrogant, insular worldview...
The World Tree that watched idly as one of its own strayed down the wrong path.
One elf born from neglect and flawed education—perhaps she was just a brainwashed, pitiful kid.
Innocent to a fault, yet capable of unmatched cruelty like any child.
"Feeling sorry for that bitch?"
"......"
In a way, it was very goddess-like.
However
"Pity and stupidity are two different things. You know that."
"It's a ridiculous story to begin with."
The girl who always preached how much she loved her kin, the elf race, but in truth...
"—She just got used and tossed aside by her own people. That's the punchline, the goddamn joke."
Even after realizing her own kind exploited her, she still boasted about them.
How absurd was that?
"That bitch picked the wrong career."
Instead of archery, she should've gone into black comedy, Yuseong thought, shaking his head.