Abandonment
by Afuhfuihgs
After learning how to use the circuit diagram from the Wizard King-nim, Ellie escaped the mental world and headed to the sixth floor of the labyrinth with the Wizard King-nim, who was carrying the unconscious Ross on his back.
Even Ross, who created the world, couldn’t predict what would be on the fifth floor of the labyrinth, so Ellie asked the Wizard King-nim, who claimed to be a veteran of the labyrinth, what was on the sixth floor.
,What’s on the sixth floor of the labyrinth?
,Well, you’ll have to go in and see.
,?
When Ellie looked at him with a meaningful gaze, the Wizard King-nim shrugged and said as if it were nothing.
,It’s not that I don’t know what’s there, it’s that it’s always different every time.
,What do you mean….
,The fourth floor of the labyrinth and beyond is an unknown place where nothing is set to exist. It’s become a place where anything can be. And that ‘anything’ is what exists in the unconsciousness of Jin Sian, the author.
At that explanation, Ellie suddenly felt exhausted all over. Ellie sighed and followed the Wizard King-nim, matching his pace, and said as if she understood.
,So that’s why you said I need to get stronger than I am now. Because even you don’t know what variables might appear.
,Safety is important in everything.
,Then is it possible to break through the sixth floor of the labyrinth with my current skills?
At Ellie’s question, the Wizard King-nim, who was walking ahead, turned around, saw Ross’s face on his back turn to the other side, and carefully regained his balance.
With a face mixed with annoyance as if dealing with a drunkard, the Wizard King-nim frowned, put his hand behind him, turned Ross’s bent face back into place, and answered.
,Of course.
The Wizard King-nim spoke with a confident voice, but Ellie wasn’t particularly confident. She had engraved the circuit diagram on her body, but she was still inexperienced in how to draw out its full efficiency. It was clear that she had grown as if she had suddenly awakened, but it was incomparable to reaching the realm of transcendence.
Perhaps her uneasy mind was showing on her face, the Wizard King-nim smiled at Ellie.
,Don’t worry. You’ll soon know why I’m so sure.
***
The sixth floor of the labyrinth that Ellie saw was hell. Countless demons swarmed to kill the challengers of the labyrinth endlessly, and a giant demon the size of a cathedral, the largest building in the capital, wielded a greatsword larger than herself.
Moreover, she couldn’t even hide from the swarming enemies. A kind light that told the demons her location was floating above the challenger’s head on the sixth floor. As if possessed by that light, countless demons doubled in number with every breath and surrounded her.
Even if she spammed synthesis magic until her mana ran out, it didn’t seem like the number of these countless demons would decrease much. The overwhelming quantity and the powerful magic they each emitted had a strange power that intimidated the challenger.
Except for the veteran of the labyrinth, the Wizard King-nim.
,Awesome! I got my favorite!
Seeing him look at her with a truly happy face, Ellie made a face as if she wouldn’t react anymore.
,Why? This is one of the easiest places to get to the seventh floor.
Where should she start explaining? With a sigh, Ellie unknowingly raised her head, saw the light floating above her head, and tilted her head as she looked at the Wizard King-nim with the sight of countless winged demons flying in from afar.
,Really? Then I’m counting on you?
The Wizard King-nim chuckled, as if he liked Ellie’s words.
,Use the circuit diagram to keep releasing mana. With the feeling of filling the space around you with mana. That’s all you have to do.
Ellie was about to open her mouth to say something at the incomprehensible instruction, but the demons didn’t wait for their conversation. A giant greatsword fell towards the Wizard King-nim, cutting through countless demons as if splitting the sky.
,Watch out――!
The greatsword, which was falling with enough power to overturn the entire surface, was bounced back by something invisible just by the Wizard King-nim flicking his finger and exploded.
Kwaaaang―――!
The fragments of the greatsword exploded like grenades, literally grinding hundreds of demons to dust. But the Wizard King-nim didn’t care at all and fixed his gaze on Ellie and said.
,Hey, a newbie shouldn’t worry about a veteran. That’s… too cute.
,….
Ellie, who was about to warn him, belatedly realized how stupid she had been. She was doing something self-deprecating, warning someone hundreds of times stronger than herself. While Ellie was grabbing her forehead, the Wizard King-nim, who had turned his body towards the demons who were rushing in as if they had no concept of losing their lives, put his hands together and muttered quietly.
∥Art(技藝)―――World Suppression(世上抑制)∥
Ellie instinctively thought that the Wizard King-nim had caused some kind of magical phenomenon and released her mana around her as she had been instructed in advance.
And Ellie saw it.
Just one step.
That step that the Wizard King-nim took towards the demons.
Causing a silent shockwave, creating a phenomenon that made her wonder if hundreds of demons had been ashes from the beginning.
,This is….
Ellie looked around. There was nothing left of the flesh, blood, or entrails left by the countless demons, just ashes seemed to be stuck in the air. It was blocked by the mana that Ellie had released around her.
Even if it was Ellie from another world, the magician’s unique mana wouldn’t change, so the Wizard King-nim had excluded only Ellie’s unique mana from the effects of his magic, as usual.
,…I see.
Only then did Ellie realize.
The reason the Wizard King-nim had grown her was not to cooperate in advancing through the labyrinth. It was just a consideration not to be swept away by the magical phenomenon that felt like the divine power created by the Wizard King-nim.
Ellie, who was blankly watching the Wizard King-nim from behind as he leisurely moved his steps for Ellie who was following behind and turned all the surrounding demons into ashes, gave a bitter smile.
,So this is the inferiority complex that Ross felt.
Too strong, the difference is too big… the feeling that the very idea of catching up is arrogance and wrong.
The old Ellie didn’t know that, so she couldn’t understand the depressed Ross who had given up on everything. So she deliberately compared him to Roel to stimulate him and forcibly made him stand up and follow Roel. Thinking that it was for her friend Ross.
But she was wrong. Telling him to approach an existence that makes him feel this way was like blowing the wind to tell him to flap his wings towards a burning flame.
Looking at the face of the unconscious Ross on her back, Ellie suddenly had this thought.
No matter how much she struggled, wouldn’t Ross never forgive her?
Ellie shook off the emotions that were weighing down on her and said in a small voice.
,…Who cares.
She had already prepared herself to become a lifelong sinner.
***
It’s dark. Without realizing it, I groped the wall out of habit and smiled when I felt a familiar sensation on my fingertips.
Tak-!
When the lights turned on, the dark room became bright. An unfamiliar yet familiar room. It was the room I used to live in.
,…What, is this a dream?
I don’t have any memories of what happened last. What did I do…? I feel like I’m suffering from a terrible hangover.
Suddenly, I could hear the sound of the television coming from beyond the door. With a hopeful heart, I opened the door slightly, and through the gap, I could see Uncle sitting on the sofa.
Without realizing it, I opened the door and headed to the living room. This is the first time. Uncle has appeared in my dream.
,Sian, are you awake?
And he’s even talking to me first.
,…Yes.
,I thought you’d be waking up soon, so I ordered jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk. It’ll be here soon.
A friendly voice without any awkwardness towards me. It feels like I’ve gone back to the old days when that incident didn’t happen. When I was a son and Uncle was a dad… those were the days I miss.
,Yes.
Feeling a strange feeling, I sat down next to the sofa. My gaze was directed at the television. Looking at Uncle is quite difficult, even in a dream. A strange fantasy drama was playing on the television. The female lead is murdered and the male lead is having a hard time… a frustrating and uncomfortable drama that doesn’t fit in this difficult era.
As I blankly watched the incomprehensible content, Uncle spoke quietly, thinking that I was interested in the drama.
,…You can stop if it’s too hard for you.
For some reason, I suddenly felt emotional at Uncle’s cautious tone.
,Why?
,Because it’s too hard and painful.
My head turned towards Uncle. He looks healthy. The image of him in my last memory, looking dangerous and twisted, had disappeared, and my dad was looking at me in the way I remembered him best.
,So you can give up. No one will blame you.
Strangely enough, those insignificant words made me cry like a child. Maybe I wanted to hear those words from someone all along.
The moments when I wanted to give up on everything,
There were too many for me.
0 Comments