episode_0129

42. The traitor’s name is (3)

Something was approaching the place we were, leaving Ji-seong Oppa behind.

I could see it, sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the hole in the wall, with a ‘crackling’ sound like shards of glass being stepped on.

We were shocked when we realized what it was that was slowly approaching us.

A human being appeared before us, made of black crystals that seemed to have grown to replace the body it had lost, with crystals sprouting from all over its body.

There was no life in their eyes. No, to be precise, their eyes had already turned into crystals.

Yeah, if I had to sum it up in one word… I would say ‘modified human.’

” Charlotte, are you okay? ”

I couldn’t help but tremble at the sight, but my brother’s warm hand grabbed my hand, and my trembling body gradually regained stability.

Yes, they already… Choi Young-wol. They were manipulated by that person and became like that.

So what I can do is…

” Thank you, oppa. It’s okay. Let’s… let those people go in peace. ”

I slowly pulled away from my brother’s hand that was holding mine, summoned [Two Twin Swords. Hauteclair.], held them, and started to get into a stance.

Since most of their bodies had already been mutated by the crystals, they couldn’t move that fast, so I just turned on the light and quickly cut off their heads.

Their heads were separated from their bodies with a ‘kwaaang’ sound, as if struck by lightning, and their bodies left this world as ashes or melted by the fire.

My brother, who saw me move, also gathered up the wind and took a stance as if he was shooting a gun at their bodies and fired a bullet of wind, sending them away with a ‘bang’ sound and the sound of breaking glass.

When the constant ‘clanking’ sound was no longer heard, the dark interior began to brighten and illuminate itself with the burning flames.

After taking them all down, the sight of the interior was difficult to describe.

The image of a lump of crystals growing on the wall due to the crystals that grew on his body, and the image of people running away getting entangled and stuck to each other, trapped in the crystals.

And then there was the sight of a crystal statue lying on the ground with its head smashed in by someone.

All of these people were part of the reconnaissance team. When I saw the people who had been transformed into crystals, I could feel what they felt.

Betrayal by someone you trusted. And the fear of impending death, and the confusion caused by your body being covered in crystals or changing appearance.

I could feel the emotions flowing out of me to the point where I couldn’t breathe properly.

I slowly moved my legs to examine them. At least I could see what they were wearing and the shape of their bodies, so I thought that maybe Mr. Doosik was here.

When I look at their appearance, their expressions shake my heart.

Because if it hadn’t been damaged by time or broken by someone… I could see their expressions inside the crystal.

Clearly, if it weren’t for the modifications… it would have looked like it was alive.

I looked around, stepping on the debris and hearing a ‘cracking’ sound, but I couldn’t see the old man. Fortunately, I was able to find traces of the ‘axe’ stuck on the wall.

When I went down with my brother to find the traces, there were traces of a large axe, along with crystal pillars rising from the ground or walls.

” This is… As expected. The old man is here… ”

As I was examining the deep scar on the wall, which looked like it had been made by an axe, my brother also looked around and started calling out to me.

” Why did you call? ”

” Want to see this? ”

My brother handed me a piece of iron that was on the floor.

A piece of iron with a sharp edge. It was definitely the blade of an axe that the old man had used.

Now it was just an unsightly piece of metal, but the scratches and signs of age on it were enough to tell that the old man had used it with great care.

Looking around the area where the piece of iron was, I found several pieces of metal similar to it, and the handle of an axe broken off nearby.

We found a bloody crystal shard with traces of a broken axe.

” Sir… ”

As I picked up the crystal shard, I closed my eyes and thought of the old man.

The way he was genuinely concerned about the girl he met for the first time. The way he thought of his daughter who had left him first. The way he fought for people, risking his life.

I held the fragment in my hand tightly, recalling the memories I had with him.

Blood began to flow from his hand due to the sharp crystal shards that had been broken, but for a moment, a white flame flickered at the wounded area, and then his palm was clean as if nothing had happened.

‘Now, I don’t have to think about it, it just happens.’

After growing up again, there are times when I start to show more and more inhuman reactions.

” Are you okay? There’s definitely blood… ”

” It’s okay. See, it got better quickly, right? More than that… ”

I quickly changed the subject so that my brother wouldn’t be bothered and asked him to look around a bit more, focusing on where I found the bloody crystal shard. Soon after,

” Charlotte. Here too. ”

” This is… ‘Blood-stained axe fragment’. ”

” Yeah. I guess the old man wasn’t just sitting there taking it. So… ”

As I listened to my brother’s words, I looked around at the crystal pillars rising from the floor, walls, and ceiling.

A broken crystal with a rough yet sophisticated attack.

When I saw that sight, I remembered the old man swinging an axe, and I superimposed that sight on that spot.

He swung his axe, shattering crystals that were sticking out of the ceiling, breaking those sticking out of the walls where the axe wasn’t pointed, and then made a big swing, seemingly cutting through a wave of crystals coming from in front of him.

That series of actions told me where the old man was standing, and as I headed towards him, I saw the leather belt he was wearing.

There was a little bit of blood on it though…

” Charlotte, that’s… ”

” This is the belt that the old man had. I’ve seen these small daggers and various tools here… ”

Clearly, when I first met him. The sight of the old man who threw a dagger from his belt to help me when I was still unfamiliar with this body and it was a bit dangerous.

As I recall that sight and hold on to my belt tightly, the feeling of dried blood begins to shake my mind, which is trying to make a cool-headed judgment.

Slowly… I, who had been calmly analyzing, disappear and I, who am gradually consumed by boiling anger, appear.

Perhaps because of that, the crystals that had sprung up around them turned red and began to melt.

When I came to my senses, the crystals around me had already melted. The floor was coated with smooth crystals, sparkling.

What that means is that you miss any traces you might have found.

” Oh, no… I’m sorry, Oppa. ”

” No, I understand. I would be angry too. And don’t worry, I didn’t let it flow to a place where there would be traces. ”

” Really…? ”

” So don’t worry and just watch this? ”

My brother showed me a large bloodstain on the floor. It looked like… someone had fallen and bled.

” This is… a little bit away from where the old man was. ”

There was evidence of blood flowing from the place where the old man was thought to have been to here.

If my brother hadn’t stopped me, I wouldn’t have been able to properly confirm this huge trace.

” That’s a bit of a strange mark. It wasn’t just lying there… It’s like… ”

There were traces of ‘someone lifting the fallen person’.

” In my view, Choi Young-wol. I think that person took the old man away. Do you think so too? ”

” Yeah, but why would you do that? Up until now, everyone on the recon team… had their hearts cut out or were killed by crystals. ”

” Sir… is there a place you need…? ”

” Where is the uncle needed… What the heck is that… ”

Looking at his actions so far, Choi Young-wol, who ripped out the hearts of those with the abilities he needed and killed those who didn’t, why on earth did he take an old man who only had the ability to turn his body into steel?

‘ Hostage? No, if that’s the case… It would have been better to leave the others alive. I’m not trying to steal their abilities… Shit. I don’t get it. ‘

” Phew, let’s go back… It looks like the surroundings have been cleaned up anyway. ”

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out why Choi Young-wol took the old man and left, so I thought I needed other people’s opinions rather than just thinking about it on my own.

Since there was no longer any sense of threat even after spreading the divine power, I returned with my brother to where Yeonseo and my sister were.

There, Ji-seong Oppa, who had already returned, was waiting for us.

With the appearance of holding something in one’s hand.

*****

” Oppa, that’s… ”

Ji-sung Oppa remembered what I said, because instead of holding it in his own hand, he was using his power to float it above his palm.

What he brought was…

” Oh, this is it? As I went up, more and more ‘strange guys’ appeared. Where the heart was, there was no heart, but a ‘black crystal’ was in its place. ”

With those words, my brother used his power to hand over the ‘black crystal’ he was holding to me.

When I touched the crystal, I felt the energy of Thanatos. I could feel the fragments of the broken divinity.

” Ugh… This… I’m glad I didn’t touch it. ”

” Hmm… Judging from that reaction, that too… ”

The black crystal that had been on top of my hand had now turned into a transparent crystal.

The reason the crystal was dyed black was because it seemed to contain a small fragment of the divine.

” Hey, are you okay? ”

When Yeonseo looked at me with an anxious expression, I nodded and said it was okay, and asked Jisung oppa if there were any more of these black crystals.

” There are a lot of them above. I just brought one just in case. ”

” Okay… Phew, then… I’ll go and absorb everything. You can all go into the tent first. ”

” What?! No. It might be dangerous. So… ”

Sister Ji-ah was surprised when I said I would go and solve it by myself and gave me a hint that I should at least go with brother Hyun-seok who was next to me.

” Okay. I’ll go with my brother. The three of you go back to the tent first. Ah! Before that… It’d be good to take this with you. ”

I handed my sister the blood-stained crystal shards and the broken pieces of my uncle’s axe that I had kept in my bracelet.

” Okay, this is… Okay. We’ll just look into this a little more. Be back soon. ”

With those words, the three of them left for the tent first, telling us to be careful, and I stretched.

” Huh! Alright. Let’s finish this quickly and go back. ”

” Before that, I have something to ask you. ”

My heart started to flutter a little at the sight of my brother asking me while caressing my hand with a serious expression.

” What, what is it…? ”

” Fragments of the Divinity… is it really okay to absorb them? ”

” Oh, that’s right… It’s okay. I told you, right? I’m a vessel for creating a new god. Instead, I should be collecting fragments of divinity like this. ”

” Do you really… have to do that? ”

Instead of answering my brother’s words right away, I hugged him, buried my face in his arms, and said.

” I… like you, oppa. No, I love you. Really. That’s why… I want to be with you in this world, my beloved oppa. In order to do that… I have to defeat Thanatos, who’s messing with the tower’s system.

And I… must become a new god, following in the footsteps of the goddess Gaia. Only then will not only my brother, but also the people I cherish and their precious people be able to live comfortably in this world. ”

” Charlotte… I…! ”

My brother tried to speak, but before I could hear his answer, I placed my lips on his.

I conveyed my feelings to him through a quiet conversation with my lips, rather than a conversation with my mouth open.

My heart will always love him and be by his side.

Did my heart reach him?

He holds my head with his hand to keep my lips from falling and kisses me again.

His tongue comes in as if he is trying to convey his feelings.

I could feel his excited breath because our faces were close. And I, too, slowly let out my breath that was hot with the heat of love, and entwined my tongue with his, receiving his heart.

I slowly got out of his arms and touched his lips, then turned around

” Then, shall we go…? ”