Chapter 52: The Eve (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: The Eve (5)
I opened my eyes. I couldn’t breathe.
Thump, thump.
My lungs contracted, and the sound of my heart pounded in my ears.
My fingertips trembled. It felt as if I’d been holding my breath in deep water for an eternity, only to barely break the surface.
“Ah…”
The sound that escaped my throat was hoarse and cracked.
I… was alive.
Fragmented scenes still lingered in my mind. Was it a dream, or was it real?
Right now, I couldn’t tell the difference.
But one thing I knew for certain was that I had failed, or was destined to fail.
I looked around. The air settled heavily with each breath I took. A damp, humid chill seeped into my skin.
Even the air I drew deep into my lungs felt heavy.
The walls were made of roughly hewn rock. It wasn’t a naturally formed cave, but something that had been carved.
Scratches and fractured stones were scattered about irregularly.
I slowly raised my head.
There was no sky.
Only a high ceiling.
A cavern, curved like a stone dome, covered everything above.
And when I lowered my gaze again…
A colossal figure stood before me.
I thought my heart would stop.
A body that towered like a mountain of rock.
A massive silhouette that seemed to swallow the cave whole.
Even though it wasn't moving, its overwhelming presence was palpable.
I knew who it was. I just hadn’t expected to meet it so soon.
Enormous scales glowed a dark crimson.
It exuded an aura that felt almost transcendental.
Slowly.
It opened its eyes.
A red light bloomed in the darkness.
The Civilization Termination Beast.
Aldebaran.
The Primordial Dragon was looking down at me.
I scanned my surroundings again.
I had no weapon.
Even if I had, it wouldn't have made a difference.
Its red eyes swept over me.
I, too, simply sat still and waited.
—Was it bearable?
A deep, heavy voice echoed through the cave.
Before I’d passed out, it had been a hallucination that forcibly rang inside my head, but now it was clear.
The being that dominated this space was speaking to me directly.
“It was killing me.”
I never thought I’d face it this quickly.
The original plan was only to draw out Catastrophe’s true form.
The confrontation with this creature was supposed to happen later, after I was fully prepared.
But it seemed to have reacted more violently than I’d expected to the Fragment’s mana.
Aldebaran bestows a trial upon the one who awakens it.
And I got my ass handed to me.
I opened my mouth.
“What the hell was that?”
I was being sincere.
I was genuinely curious.
Aldebaran was a being that had long transcended the flow of time.
Thus, its trials manifested in various ways. The most painful moment, or the saddest.
It created situations where various emotions reached their peak, forcing you to experience them firsthand.
Whether in the past or the future. And only those who could endure it could pass the trial.
And the fact that I had arrived in this space meant…
[『Mirror-Still Water』 resists the ancient dragon’s trial!]
…that I had passed, to some extent.
For the record, I really almost died. Of course, I did die a lot, too.
In any case, it was a pain I never wanted to experience again.
But that wasn’t what I was curious about.
I couldn’t remember all the details of the trial, but I was certain of one thing: I had failed.
However, my state in the trial was different from my current self in many ways.
I hadn’t taken Iano’s Elixir, I didn’t have the Vitality Bracelet, and most importantly, I didn’t have the Fragment.
On top of that, I was technically far more inexperienced.
And among all that, the most shocking thing I saw was…
…that at the site of Vanquisher’s mission, there were three Apostles.
I couldn’t tell if it was a future that would come to pass or if the ancient dragon had simply stitched together information from my mind to show me.
But one thing was certain. If there really were three Apostles, the plans I had made up to this point would have to be completely revised.
My strength and Vanquisher’s alone would be nowhere near enough.
“Was that Future Sight?”
The colossal being looked down at me without a word.
“Or was it just a prank?”
It was an important question.
But Aldebaran slowly laughed.
—I do not know. Even I cannot predict it.
I frowned.
—But, does it matter?
—In the end, what you desire is to not experience that despair, is it not?
I swallowed. He was right.
Even if it was a mere possibility, I had to prevent it.
I gave a bitter smile.
“So, in that case, how about lending me some of your power?”
The Primordial Dragon slowly began to rise. The sound of sharp scales scraping against each other.
The grating sound of bones shifting.
As its body fully unfurled, the cave seemed to grow even darker.
If the first trial tested my mental fortitude…
The second was to prove my worthiness.
—That is another matter entirely.
The ancient dragon stood up.
Its massive form filled the cave.
Its red eyes stared at me.
I slowly got to my feet.
Clang!
A spear flew from somewhere and embedded itself in the ground.
A blade as black and sharp as obsidian.
Catastrophe.
Without hesitation, I pulled the spear free. Then I looked around.
This was a place I was sure I’d be visiting often from now on.
“Go easy on me.”
I charged forward with all my might.
*
A hospital run by Glory, equipped with the finest facilities. The highest-class VIP room on the top floor.
The room was filled with a heavy, tense atmosphere.
A man was lying in the bed.
His eyes were closed, deep in sleep.
And looking down at him were three women.
The expressions on their faces were all different, but in their shared worry for the man lying in the bed, their hearts were the same.
Slam!
The door was thrown open violently.
Black hair, red eyes.
Dressed in a neat suit, someone burst into the hospital room.
Kang A-rin.
She rushed inside and asked the other women.
“Is that it?”
Her finger pointed to a spear made of obsidian, resting in a corner of the room.
Yu Hana gave a quiet nod.
And then.
BAM!
BAM!
Kang A-rin threw her fists at the spear without a moment’s hesitation.
But despite the powerful impacts, the spear didn’t budge an inch.
With an indifferent expression, Cheon Yeo-wool drew a dark screen across the room. It was a conscious effort to prevent the sound from leaking outside. A protective barrier to shield Jung Hae-in from the brutish assault was an added bonus.
Kang A-rin took a step back. She bit her lip hard.
“Come out.”
She spoke to the spear.
To an outsider, it would have looked like an act of madness, but surprisingly, the spear responded to her words.
—Impatient, aren't we.
Black smoke began to rise from the spear.
It didn’t form a shape, but a voice flowed out from within it.
Kang A-rin stared intently at the smoke and asked.
“What the hell are you doing?”
It had already been five hours since he’d lost consciousness.
The other women remained silent, but their thoughts were the same.
—It is a trial.
“Ah…”
A sigh escaped from someone in the room.
That was exactly what they had been worried about.
His life had been too harsh to be dismissed as a mere trial. Any random moment plucked from his past would be horrific enough to be called a trial.
And they knew that better than anyone.
“When will it end?”
—Who knows. I believe he has just died for the 4,500th time.
In an instant.
The air inside the hospital room froze.
Their eyes all widened as they stared at the spear and the black silhouette simultaneously.
And their gazes—were filled with killing intent.
4,500 times.
That number represented the most brutal future among all the futures they knew.
“No… way…”
Ha Sion covered her mouth, horrified.
Cheon Yeo-wool shot to her feet.
A blue aura exploded around her.
“Get. Him. Out. Now.”
Her voice was low, but the fury contained within it blazed like a fire.
—That is out of the question.
—Since this boy intends to use my power, I have no choice but to respond in kind.
The voice was low and deep, like an echo in a cave.
“Do you want to die?”
Cheon Yeo-wool’s eyes grew cold. She was getting desperate. She had to wake him up now.
All four people in the room shared the same thought. This was not a trial a human could endure.
—It will be over soon.
—Besides, do you still not understand why this boy is undergoing this insane trial?
The black smoke spreading from the spear twisted and sent out a wave.
—It is the World’s Suppression Force.
—He is once again shouldering the backlash, the reaction to the flow of time you’ve twisted and distorted to your liking.
In that moment, the expressions of the four people standing in the room hardened simultaneously.
—Of course, this is a hundred times better than experiencing it directly… so I’m telling you to wait… Oh-ho.
Suddenly, the black smoke twisted bizarrely.
At the same time, Fzzt!
With a sharp crackle, like a fissure being drawn in the air, the smoke crawled back into the spear.
“...!”
She belatedly reached out a hand, but it was already too late.
At that moment. On the bed. A faint movement was detected.
Jung Hae-in’s fingertips twitched.
It was just a slight flinch, but the gazes of the four people in the room instantly snapped toward it.
And then, the man on the bed abruptly sat up.
“Whoa, fuck, this bastard is too strong.”
It was a heartfelt mutter.
Panting, Jung Hae-in slowly turned his head.
His gaze swept across the room, soon landing on the four women.
“Oh shit, you scared me.”
Jung Hae-in’s expression colored with surprise.
“...What are you guys doing?”
At his casual question, their emotions churned in an instant.