Ch.15Protagonist (4)

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

It was a dark passage without a trace of moonlight. With each breath, I felt the unpleasant sensation of damp air rushing into my lungs. The ground was so uneven that one wrong step could cause a serious fall.

I was running fearlessly through this ant-like tunnel. It was possible thanks to my enhanced senses—sight, hearing, and touch. In my current state, I could observe even the pores on Irefi’s porcelain skin with my naked eyes.

I could still sense Charle’s presence. When I came across several branching tunnels, I didn’t hesitate. I simply needed to carefully break through all the walls in my direct path.

Of course, even being careful produced considerable noise, which made the thugs’ movements more urgent. They probably thought Irefi had abandoned the Emperor and Empress and come after them.

‘What’s this presence?’

As I was moving swiftly through the winding passages, I sensed a human presence and stopped briefly. A man was standing at a fork in the path ahead, blocking the way. He wore his hat pulled low, obscuring his features.

The man blocking my path showed clear signs of bewilderment. He spoke first.

“I thought if there was a pursuer, it would naturally be the White Knight… but what an unexpected guest.”

“I happen to be that White Knight’s physician.”

Hearing my words, the man immediately nodded in understanding.

“Oh, so you’re that rumored… I see, a monster’s companion is also a monster.”

The man seemed to find this explanation satisfactory as he nodded to himself, but I couldn’t understand anything. Who was whose companion, and who was calling whom a monster?

In my irritation, I reflexively shouted:

“Don’t be ridiculous! Don’t compare me to that Godzilla! At least I haven’t defied the laws of nature!”

The fact that Netionpiece’s body had properly deviated from natural law was a trivial matter compared to that twenty-six-year-old unreasonable life form.

The man seemed to have unintentionally pressed my trigger button and was at a loss for words.

“Uh, um… right.”

“Never mind that. Hand over Charle. Do you even know who you’ve kidnapped?”

It was a bold demand, as if I were retrieving my own possession. A sinister smile appeared on the man’s lips.

“Of course I know! Isn’t she the bastard child of that whore of an Empress?”

“Good enough. I’ll take responsibility for sending you to Irefi.”

“That’s assuming you can.”

The man lowered his body and took a stance. It was an unspoken demand that no further dialogue would be permitted—only the language of combat.

I kicked off the ground and lunged at the man. Though I knew nothing about martial arts, I was confident in Netionpiece’s physical abilities. I should be able to subdue an ordinary human quickly.

“Hap!”

I realized my assumption was off the mark right after throwing my punch.

The man lightly matched his arm against mine, deflecting my punch and then thrusting his elbow upward to strike my chin.

It was a swift movement far from ordinary.

Even to an amateur like me, it was clearly the movement of someone systematically trained. Whether he was Duke Feita’s confidant or part of a separate group, I couldn’t tell. What was certain was that if men of this caliber were common, they were definitely not a force to be taken lightly.

“Ugh.”

I momentarily lost my balance and my knees weakened. Though my body might be immortal, a blow to the chin still rattled my brain just the same.

However, the possessed body was too robust to lose consciousness from a mere vital point strike. In a split second, I regained my senses and threw myself forward with all my might.

The man seemed not to have anticipated that I would recover so quickly after taking a direct hit, and his reaction was slow.

CRASH!

“Kuhak…?!”

It was just a headbutt where I simply threw my body forward, but the effect was substantial. This was possible because Netionpiece’s physical abilities were weapons in themselves.

The man got up from the dented wall and grumbled.

“You look scrawny but you’re incredibly tough. How has someone like you been hidden so well until now?”

“Well, I was hidden so thoroughly I thought I was fermenting.”

This body had been meticulously hidden for hundreds of years. It wasn’t just well-hidden—it was hidden too well, which was the problem.

I wiped away the blood that had seeped from my mouth, putting on a show of bravado. I had bitten my tongue hard when he struck my chin, causing it to bleed.

Though it regenerated quickly, he wouldn’t know that. If I stalled for time, he would eventually tire, and I could win unscathed.

‘But I can’t do that!’

This was an urgent situation where every second counted. For Charle’s safety, a quick resolution was necessary.

‘If only I could use Malice, I wouldn’t even have to worry about someone like him.’

Among the abilities Netionpiece had passed on was how to utilize Malice. Netionpiece’s abilities demonstrated their true value only when combined with Malice, making it an extremely attractive option. It was clearly a usage method he had passed on to tempt me.

However, activating Malice would affect the struggle for control over the body. Therefore, it was a power I should never use, something to consider only when there was no other option.

I shook off these distracting thoughts and leaped toward the man.

“Kuhak!”

The cry I let out was my own. The man deflected my attacks like a machine and landed blows on my face with minimal movement. Since he couldn’t win with physical ability alone, he was focusing on evasion and targeting me strategically.

He was truly a formidable hand-to-hand combat master. He knew exactly how to bridge the overwhelming difference in strength with technique.

Though wounds posed no threat to me whatsoever, having my movements restricted was annoying. Continuing to face him made me feel like a newborn with only overwhelming physical strength.

“Ugh…? Cough!”

An involuntary groan escaped the man’s lips. I noticed his wavering. Clear doubt emanated from him. I could easily guess the meaning behind his groan.

‘He must be bewildered. No matter how many hits I take, I bleed but show no signs of fatigue.’

The important thing was that there were no visible wounds because they healed so quickly. They were just hidden beneath the blood.

Moreover, he was already suffering from internal injuries after I had rammed into him. This was evident from his rough, blood-scented breathing.

Though I was concerned about the need for a quick resolution, it seemed the internal injuries from my headbutt were far more severe than expected.

The man might have acquired highly refined combat sense through training, but the difference in our species’ specifications was too great.

“Huff, huff. Are you some kind of immortal?”

“You don’t need to… know that!”

CRACK!

I easily found an opening in my tired opponent and drove my fist into his abdomen. The sensation of his ribs crumbling and caving in was all too vivid.

“Uh… ugh… keuuk…”

The man spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed without even uttering a scream.

That was my first murder.

The aftertaste of this inelegant victory, achieved by overwhelming physical superiority, was unpleasant.

“… Hmm.”

I stared blankly at the man’s corpse. A body lay sprawled, eyes still open. Despite having directly killed someone I’d never met before, I felt nothing.

Perhaps it hadn’t sunk in yet, or maybe the urgent situation left no room for guilt. Or else…

‘Was I always this kind of person? Or is it because I’m in Netionpiece’s body?’

I truly didn’t know.

I had prided myself on having a perfectly ordinary human nature, but the situation was far from ordinary. At this moment, however, it was actually for the best.

At a time when I needed to rescue Charle as quickly as possible, becoming mired in guilt would be a foolish mindset.

I left the man’s corpse behind and followed Charle’s presence.

“I said I’d proudly bring you to Irefi… tsk, I guess I can’t be a great person after all.”

◇

“Haah…”

Irefi sighed deeply, as if the ground might cave in. Her sorrowful expression under the moonlight accentuated her pitiful figure. She was conflicted in a corner of her heart.

‘Was it the right thing to do? This is beyond the scope of what I can take responsibility for.’

Charle had been kidnapped, the Empress was in a state of panic, and Irefi herself was bound by her duty to guard the Emperor and Empress. The Red Dome couldn’t be broken because the invited nobles had become shackles.

If even a single member of the Nelfrugia Knights had been present, she would have moved personally. For some reason, the knights were nowhere to be seen, while Duke Feita’s private soldiers were present with their ominous, gleaming eyes.

But such people posed no threat to Irefi. Among all the living beings she had encountered so far, only one person had ever seemed threatening to her.

Nepy Alteon. No, the Founding Noble Netionpiece. That man was truly someone who could be called a threat to the Empire. And now he had left Irefi’s side, his restraints removed.

“Fortunately, the ‘Holy Memory’ is still maintained, but it’s precarious…”

It was suppressing that much Malice. If rough actions like violent confrontations were repeated, it would shatter in an instant. The fact that the Holy Memory was maintained, albeit unstably, was evidence that Nepy was acting with restraint.

If he truly harbored ill intentions, he would have fled far away and broken free from the Holy Memory’s constraints.

‘There’s no use worrying any further.’

Irefi was human too.

A person who sometimes judged situations by emotion rather than reason. She was merely the possessor of an enormous power, but in reality, she was just a woman with ordinary sensibilities.

When Nepy bowed and made his request, Irefi looked into his eyes. She saw eyes like red jade, filled with sincerity and devoid of any malice. His attitude made her doubt whether he was truly the cruel Founding Noble.

It was as if a benevolent human had taken possession of Netionpiece’s body instead.

Even his awkward demeanor during their first encounter was unlike what one would expect from a Founding Noble. It was the complete opposite of the legendary Netionpiece passed down in confidential records.

Irefi made her judgment as a person who had experienced all of this. Perhaps he could be trusted, just this once…

For her friend and younger sister-like Charle, and for Miren Justitia, her only remaining blood relative, Irefi made her choice.

“Come back quickly… Don’t make me anxious. Nepy.”

She murmured, gazing at the ominously glowing crimson dome.

◇

I finally emerged from the tunnel and faced the outside scenery. It was a forest path under a clear sky, adorned with unfiltered starlight. Turning my head, I could see the red dome covering Duke Feita’s manor in the distance.

I spat out the bloody saliva pooled in my mouth and said:

“Found you, Charle!”

Before me stood three figures. There was Charle, who seemed to be under some restraint as she couldn’t move and could only cry, and a large man carrying her.

However, what concerned me now was not those two, but the third figure.

A small-statured man with a hood pulled over his head. Just by looking, I could tell that an aura incomparable to the man I had fought in hand-to-hand combat was flowing from him.

The moment I faced him, I felt a sense of déjà vu. An intense sensation as if my entire body was being shredded by countless blades and my soul might fly away… It was clear.

‘It’s exactly the same as when I faced Irefi’s killing intent head-on!’

Could another person of this caliber exist? Given that this was a point before the story of Eldchain began, it wouldn’t be strange for any character to appear.

The problem was, among those characters, who else could possess such an overwhelming presence?

‘Speculation won’t change anything. In the end, we’ll just clash!’

As I was shaking off these complicated thoughts, the hooded man spoke softly.

“I was relieved it wasn’t Irefi Justitia, but it seems I was mistaken. I apologize.”

It was an apology directed at the large thug carrying Charle. The large thug responded indifferently:

“Give me your orders.”

“Nothing changes. I’ll follow soon, so go ahead.”

“Understood.”

The large thug simply acknowledged and turned his back, still carrying Charle.

“I won’t let you escape!”

I leaped with all my might toward Charle and threw a punch, but it was futilely blocked. My fist collided with the flat of the hooded man’s sword and was grotesquely crushed.

Blood that had been flowing freely after my beating in the tunnel splattered messily onto the man’s hood.

“Ugh!?”

“Hmm!”

I groaned as my punch was blocked, but the hooded man also expressed surprise at the unexpected power. In fact, after blocking with his sword, the man slid backward before landing.

“I see why Ilea was defeated. Someone of his caliber would have been killed instantly. It would be even more dangerous to underestimate you because of your slender build.”

He was probably referring to the man who had engaged me in hand-to-hand combat. More accurately, it was a separation that included my headbutt, but his assessment was correct.

I deliberately provoked him with a show of bravado.

“Do you think you’ll be any different? I’ll send you off nicely in no time.”

“Haha. Amusing, for an extra.”

“We’ll see who turns out to be the extra when we fight.”

“Your existence is unexpected, but now is not the time to satisfy my curiosity.”

In an instant, the man’s aura transformed into something overwhelming, dominating the area. The wind brushing against my cheeks felt like rusty metal scraping, and even the insects fell silent, as if trying to hide themselves.

I also adjusted my stance and stared at him without blinking.

Then the man’s form disappeared.

“What…!”

I quickly corrected my misperception.

He had lowered his body like a predator stalking its prey and was approaching rapidly. The man’s coldly gleaming blade sought only to find and tear into any opening.

“Damn it!”

All I could do was jump in all directions and roll ungracefully on the dirt path. Even then, I had to tumble over and over to avoid the fragments of sword energy flying at me.

I tried to retreat into the forest to block his line of sight, but even that was futile.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Every time the man’s blade cut through the air, thick tree trunks fell like willow leaves. The concept of cover seemed not to apply to him.

‘This is insane. It’s not quite at Irefi’s level of formless sword, but I have no way to counter it!’

This was a fight where I would have been thoroughly toyed with if Netionpiece hadn’t imparted skills like sensory enhancement.

I could hold out a bit longer like this, but time was pressing. Even more despairing was the truth dawning in a corner of my mind.

Even if time weren’t pressing, even if I relied on immortality, I had no confidence in defeating him.

This was the unchangeable truth and reality.

It was the limitation of an ordinary person who had merely possessed a strong body.

As I was trying to think of a way to overcome this difficult situation, the man reversed his grip on his sword and thrust it deeply into the ground.

“Since I’m also pressed for time, I can’t drag this out. You’ll have to die now.”

It was a dry pronouncement. Then came the man’s incantation:

“Spirit of the earth that races across the land.”

I was startled from the very first words. Everything the man had been reciting from the beginning was already familiar to me.

This shouldn’t be heard here. If I were misremembering, I would nod my head up and down in understanding.

As the man continued his incantation, my eyes shook violently. These were words I could never forget. A symbolic skill I had heard countless times. The incantation that every player would recognize was coming from the man’s lips.

“You, you…! How do you know that!”

I instinctively rushed toward the man. Rather than fleeing, which would have been wiser, I charged forward for reasons I couldn’t explain.

When I reached close to the man, our eyes met.

Our red jade-like eyes exchanged glances. The difference was that my gaze was grotesquely contorted, while the man appeared extremely serene.

At that moment, the man’s incantation abruptly stopped, followed by the ground cracking open as golden pillars rose from the crevices, reaching the sky.

The man’s hood fluttered in the violent updraft. Even as I was engulfed by the golden pillars, I clearly saw the man’s face.

There stood a figure who, more than anyone else, should not have been present. I growled out his name:

“Why are you here, Zikharun!!!”

“Huh!”

A strange light flashed in the eyes of the hooded man—Zikharun. My body was melting away in the brilliant golden light, no longer able to function, but my desperate cry continued to echo around.

“To think you would know me. We should be meeting for the first time today…”

Zikharun retrieved his sword and left before the golden pillars had fully subsided.

“… He should be dead now.”

The golden pillars were actually massive heat rays. They drew and concentrated geothermal energy from deep underground, annihilating the entire area. It was impossible for a human to withstand.

After the light pillars completely subsided, the area was devastated. The forest was engulfed in flames, and the ground was split open like a cauldron lid, reminiscent of a world-ending cataclysm.

In this scene of one-sided massacre where all signs of life had vanished, only one mass of flesh maintained its form.

The sinful body that alone among all things in the world had escaped the providence of death.

Netionpiece.

“Ah… AAAH…! Why is he…”

Even as every cell in my body was being seared, only one question was etched into my mind.

Anyone, not just me, would recognize him.

For me… no, for anyone who had played the game, he was the most familiar character. He was the central axis driving the narrative of this world.

Zikharun Misrakh, the third-generation protagonist of Eldchain.

That was the identity of the hooded man I had encountered.

“Damn it… damn it, damn it! AAAAARGH!!!”

The appearance of the original protagonist was the first insurmountable wall of extreme incompetence I had faced. A wave of miserable emotions surged painfully like a massive tide.

A cry filled with the bitterness of defeat reverberated throughout the area.