Ch.142Reddened Face

1.

In Lactea’s moment of life-threatening crisis.

“I’ve come to save you.”

The Black Wolf appeared from somewhere, extending his hand toward the fallen woman.

“The path I walk ahead is stained with blood and despair. Will you still come with me?”

His eyes gleamed fiercely.

It was a kind of proposal.

A pressure implying that if she didn’t have the resolve, he would leave her behind.

And so, Lactea thought at that time.

She was already a person who had stepped into misfortune.

If she could protect Reina from afar, there was nothing to hesitate about.

That’s why she had taken the Black Wolf’s hand and walked with him on the path stained with blood and despair.

But now, the situation was different.

‘This place is inside a nightmare created by the Abyss.’

If this was indeed a dream…

‘…Wouldn’t it be easier to rest here than to return to reality and resist fate?’

Lactea was exhausted.

Entities she couldn’t oppose,

Things like the Abyss or fate, she had spent too much strength fighting against them.

How tired she had become of resisting things that had never changed and could never be changed?

She had tried harder than others from an earlier age, so perhaps it would be fine to rest now.

Look,

‘『Child, lay down your body.』’

Even the nameless deity who had drawn her into this place was encouraging her that it was okay.

Her consciousness grew hazy.

It was all the whispers of the Abyss, and her mental strength had worn down to the point of being deluded, but even if she realized it now, it was already too late.

“…I will not go with—”

Just as Lactea, her resolve broken, was about to open her mouth to reject the Black Wolf’s proposal.

Another person beside her extended his hand.

“Let’s stop this and get out of here.”

…Stop and get out?

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

She was sincere.

For Lactea, whose mind had been worn down and deluded by the nightmare, only one choice remained.

‘…To find peace.’

To stop resisting fate and quietly meet her end somewhere unknown.

The rest she had longed for was right in front of her, so why was he interfering?

Just as Lactea was about to glare at him, something unexpected happened.

“Stop pretending.”

The man before her embraced her.

He stroked Lactea gently with his rough hands and whispered tenderly.

“You realized it a while ago. That this is a nightmare.”

“……”

Her mind partially returned and she recognized the situation, but what difference did it make?

Whether this was inside a nightmare,

Inside a fantasy,

Or even inside reality.

“I can’t get up again…”

When you’re running hard, you don’t notice.

How far you’ve run, how difficult it is, how much is left ahead.

When you focus only on running, you suddenly find yourself forgetting everything and just running.

But once you sit down, you realize.

How far you’ve come,

How hard it’s been,

How much is left ahead.

Strong people immediately get up and run toward their goals, but those who aren’t so strong sit and ponder.

Thinking that they’ve done enough and can stop now.

Lactea was currently the latter.

She had lost the Emperor.

She had endured for her sister’s sake.

She had trusted people but was betrayed.

She had endured for her sister’s sake.

She had chosen to walk into danger of her own accord, but upon meeting the Black Wolf, she decided to resist fate once more.

That path was one of carnage.

Even as her entire body was stained with blood,

She endured solely for her sister’s sake.

It was okay.

Because she had the Black Wolf as her support.

No matter what path she walked, if she had a trustworthy companion, she could endure.

But now he was gone.

The entity that had swallowed him was a god-like being, and even if the entire world cooperated, victory against this being couldn’t be guaranteed.

The Black Wolf was still gone.

If there was any hope, it was the nameless soul occupying the Black Wolf’s body.

That’s why Lactea was wishing.

“Leave me to rest like this, and save the world…”

In truth, she knew.

-They call him the Savior of Possession.

The person standing before her was someone who had crossed over from another world, someone completely unrelated.

If he abandoned this place and returned, no one could blame him.

According to the Black Wolf, to him, the people of this world were just characters in a novel.

The probability that he would place his own life and their lives on the same level was low.

Therefore.

Because she was now worn down and exhausted, with her will to resist completely broken.

“I don’t care what happens to me, so do as you wish.”

Lactea, in the man’s embrace,

Quietly lowered her head.

And so Nahan asked.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“What’s the point of saying anything more?”

“You just… want to rest a bit?”

“That’s what I said.”

“…Alright. Then rest.”

Lactea thought.

‘…As expected.’

He wouldn’t risk death to save a character from a novel.

“There’s not much time left. If we’re not careful, we’ll both perish, so just leave.”

As she waited for Nahan to leave after those final words.

Nahan lifted Lactea like a princess and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“…What?”

An incomprehensible situation.

Lactea squirmed in his unexpectedly spacious embrace and shouted.

“Didn’t I tell you to rest?!”

“Yeah. But it’s not great to rest here, you know?”

“No, what are you—!!”

“Once we get out, I’ll move you outside the system, so go rest at the hideout.”

“Huh?”

What nonsense was this?

“Did you take that literally?! You fool…!! The rest I was talking about—!!”

“Enough.”

Squeeze.

His hands holding Lactea tightened.

“Let’s rest after we get out. Okay?”

A forced smile.

Lactea finally realized.

‘He knew all along.’

There are people like that.

Those who mature quickly, but act foolishly to hide it.

“Don’t worry. The nightmare has progressed quite a bit, so we can get out now.”

He was moving to save her life, which even Lactea herself had given up on.

“So… I’ll get you out quickly, and once we’re out, just rest a bit, Lactea.”

Lactea couldn’t help but ask him, who was smiling sadly as he spoke.

“Why would you go this far for me…?”

A meeting less than a year old.

Though they had been together almost every day, they were still people from different worlds.

They had deceived each other, and even in a situation where they had to risk their lives to help each other.

“How can you not give up on me?”

To Lactea’s question as she lay in his arms, Nahan answered as if it were obvious.

“You just said it yourself. To do as I wish? So—”

“No. I need to hear a proper reason.”

Lactea cut off his playful answer.

Finally, Nahan voiced the true feelings he had kept deep in his heart.

“Because I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know about you all, but you’ve all become too precious to me.”

A completely transparent smile.

And because of that, even the sadness hidden within it was revealed without filter.

“What, are you…”

It was truly an absurd situation.

The fact that he had jumped in to save someone far more capable than himself,

The fact that he was now being saved instead,

And—

◆ Reward.

: <Lactea Babylonia(S+)>’s love.

Even her face that was suddenly turning red.

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【The Unsaved – You have saved <Lactea Babylonia(Ex-)>.】

【So far… [8/10]】

【All revealed characters have been saved!】

【The next salvation target will be revealed.】

【<Black Wolf黑狼(Ex+)>】

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Nahan finally noticed the silent Lactea and held her even tighter.

“Be careful. We’re going out now.”

“Ah, um, that—”

“It’s okay. Just rest.”

As soon as he realized this place was a <Nightmare>, he had thought of a method, but had hesitated because he hadn’t been able to recover Lactea. After checking on her once more, Nahan activated <Usurpation簒奪> and made a choice.

【Due to the effect of Usurpation簒奪, the grade has increased – <Sacred Territory(Ex+)> is activated.】

Crack!

The sacred territory expanded in the form of a massive dome.

The dream that had been continuing like a film shattered into countless fragments that flashed by.

-Your Majesty the Emperor…!

-Accused of assassination…

-Sister…?

Among the various mixed fragments that appeared, one caught Nahan’s eye.

-Trainee No. 44, Nahan. A lowly being greets the sun that will soon rise.

The Black Wolf before he was selected as the goddess’s proxy.

‘…The memories from that time must be the key to saving the Black Wolf.’

With that final thought,

【<Nightmare> is ending.】

The two escaped from the shadow of the Abyss.

And so Lactea did not see.

Just before they escaped,

“What should I do…”

Nahan’s expression that had darkened.

2.

Crack,

Crack!

The deep shadow of night split open as Nahan and Lactea appeared.

They were located at the back of the Imperial Palace.

Unlike the front where the Abyss and the others were battling, it was quiet.

“…Ugh.”

Lactea trembled in his arms.

Now that they had returned to reality, the aftermath of forcibly using spirit commands seemed to be hitting her.

“It seems the Gardeners have joined in too… We can leave it to them.”

Saying that, he manipulated the system window.

Now only one bad ending remained.

【Bad Ending 15 – <■■■■ ■■ ■■>】

【*The hidden letters will be displayed when the Abyss’s 2nd seal is released.】

Unlike other bad endings, even the name had conditions for its disclosure.

In other words,

【2nd seal release is in progress.】

【Seal release… 75%】

It wouldn’t be long until it was revealed.

‘…I’ll handle it before the letters are revealed.’

Just as Nahan, having made up his mind, was about to move while carrying Lactea.

“『Now I can finally use it.』”

Along with a voice that seemed to scratch the inside of his ears, the Abyss’s finger was raised.

What it touched was,

“『First, as always… the annoying ones.』”

“…Aack. What should we do, Casler?”

“…Die, I guess.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry. I should be able to come back to life…maybe?”

“What?”

It was Casler and Yuria.

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【Warning.】

【<Abyss(???)>’s 2nd skill – <Annihilation掃滅(Ex+)> is activated】

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“…Cancel that, Yuria.”

“Wha-wha-what are you saying?!”

“That would kill even me.”

“Stop talking nonsense and run—!!”

Crack.

The space touched by the fingertip was annihilated.