Ch.34Nightmare

# 1.

Black Curtain.

The sinister inner workings that control an entire story without being visible on the surface.

In this story, “Black Wolf,” the leader of the “Black Wolves” appearing in <Babylonia>, was the person who best embodied this term.

His name alone made the world tremble; his subordinates were nightmares, and when he appeared in person, he paralyzed the surrounding area with terror.

Once again, “Black Wolf” was the one who best embodied the term “Black Curtain.”

But Nahan possessed him.

Nahan, an ordinary twenty-five-year-old man who lived on the planet Earth, took over the body of a mysterious man with the same name as himself.

Because of this, Nahan pondered.

Who am I?

Is my Black Wolf truly Black Wolf?

Could “Nahan” from Earth become an overwhelming Black Curtain like “Nahan” of Babylonia?

The answer to the question was,

‘No? Absolutely not.’

It was impossible.

‘I’m merely acting as Black Wolf, but my emotions and Black Wolf’s emotions are separate.’

I could imitate him, but I couldn’t express those emotions while being “Black Wolf.”

But I was curious.

‘…what if.’

Just what if.

If I, who possessed “Black Wolf,” experienced intense emotional changes in that state.

‘Could I draw out his full power, like an enraged Black Wolf?’

The answer to this question was…

.

.

.

【You share <Black Wolf>’s emotions.】

【Due to temporary assimilation, Level 3 – <Method> is activated in a limited capacity.】

【You are now Black Wolf.】

Yes, I can draw it out.

【<Black Curtain(Ex)> is activated.】

【Through the <Ghost Demon’s Necklace>, a portion of the <Coercion(Ex-)> in this space is absorbed.】

【<Black Curtain(Ex)> is manifested to its maximum.】

From the center of the swirling pitch-black killing intent, the awakened Black Wolf warned.

“Get away from Luna right now.”

Before I tear you to pieces.

# 2.

Traveling Troupe – Disappearance.

Under the torn tent that now existed only in form, three shadows moved.

“…Ah, miss…”

The large, hulking idler, waving his hands in the air as if trying to grab someone.

“…Why, what did we do wrong…!”

Ruby, trembling in the corner, huddled among the flesh dolls.

“…Rose.”

Dalan, standing straight with his head bowed, as if observing a moment of silence while looking at a cemetery.

Was it because they were affected by Luna’s… no, <Mother>’s “something”?

“…Ah, miss…”

“…What did we do wrong…”

“…Rose.”

The three people could only wander inside the dust-covered traveling troupe tent like headless skeletons, repeating the same words.

Then.

…Click.

Luna, who had removed her mask, approached the three with her face hidden in shadow.

Step, step, step…

Her gait,

The timing of her breath,

The aura she emitted.

All of these were no longer things that “Luna” possessed, but closer to those of “Mother.”

Mother, who took careful steps to gather the three lost people, lined them up one by one under the streaming moonlight.

“Smile brightly, that’s how you’ll survive.”

“That’s right, smile a little more.”

“More brightly, smile until your mouth tears.”

“That’s how you’ll survive.”

The more she repeated these words, the stronger the coercive power of the mask became.

Like being aware of drowsiness washing over you but ultimately succumbing to sleep.

“Don’t tremble, that’s how you’ll survive.”

“When it’s too hard, wear a mask and cry.”

“Try and try again.”

“So that someday you can smile even while wearing a mask.”

Following the repeated murmurs, even the faint consciousness of the troupe members faded away.

A completely defenseless state.

“…”

As Mother, who had been watching the three collapsed members, took a step toward the moonlight, her face, which had been hidden all along, was revealed.

Stiffened mouth corners.

Grotesquely twisted mouth corners.

As if tied with thread and pulled upward.

Even the floating dust avoided her, repelled by the creepy, artificial smile.

Nevertheless, Mother whispered.

“Smile.”

While firmly grabbing the corners of the three collapsed people’s mouths and continuing to pull them up.

“If you don’t, you’ll die soon. …No. I will kill you.”

Sometimes furrowing her brow in anger.

She muttered like that for a long time, caressing the cheeks of the three collapsed people, but there was no way the three collapsed people could smile.

“…I said you’ll die.”

Finally, as she was about to insert her fingers into their mouths to tear them wide open—

【<Black Curtain(Ex)> is activated.】

【Through the <Ghost Demon’s Necklace>, a portion of the <Coercion(Ex-)> in this space is absorbed.】

【<Black Curtain(Ex)> is manifested to its maximum.】

Urgh!

“…!!!?”

She collapsed without even being able to scream as her insides twisted horribly.

“Uwup, uweeeeek!!”

Splat.

Dark, unknown energy spewing out along with dark red blood.

“…!”

After writhing for a while, Mother realized there was a problem in her “mental world” and quickly created a crack in reality.

Crack!

Like glass cracking, the real world, one of the two overlapping worlds, shattered, revealing the mental world that had been layered beneath it.

Mental World – Disappearance.

Mother’s unique domain, a perfect recreation of the place and time she had once inhabited.

【Notice.】

【Opposing Entity – <Mother(S-)> recovers part of the influence drawn into the real world!】

【Progress: …50% (35%↓)】

The moment she returned here, drawing back even the influence she had pulled into the real world—

“Get away from Luna right now.”

A terrible hostility, as if flaying flesh, bound Mother’s body.

“…!!”

She tried to quickly retreat, but was stuck as if in a swamp, unable to move.

Mother assessed the situation.

A money pouch in her left hand,

Luna’s soul in her right hand.

One was an illusion in repetitive memories, and one was reality disguised as illusion.

The man before her was enraged about the treatment of reality, not illusion.

Luna.

Danger.

Man.

After recalling words appropriate to the situation, Mother drew one conclusion.

‘Death.’

The result that if she continued to hold onto Luna, she would soon die.

Influence.

Additional recovery.

…Still death.

She tried to think of ways to struggle, but realized that, like a human facing a natural disaster, no amount of struggling would help.

…Grip.

Mother, gripping the money pouch and Luna tightly again, raised her head to ask a question.

“What do you want—”

“Shut it.”

Crunch!

The killing intent that had been tearing at her mind seemed to materialize with weight, heavily pressing down on her body.

Thud, thud, thud.

With unflinching steps, Black Wolf looked at Mother and thought.

‘She must die.’

Because the woman who had driven countless children to their deaths was now trying to kill Luna.

Thud, thud, thud.

…Stop.

Looking down at her, Nahan knelt on one knee and thought.

‘Whose emotions are these?’

It’s true that he was furious seeing these scum who sold and killed children.

It’s also true that he had grown attached to Luna, which made him even angrier.

But would the “real me,” not Black Wolf, come to the conclusion of punishing them directly?

Perhaps he was being consumed by the Method.

‘…Am I Black Wolf right now?’

Or am I still Nahan?

Despite the overheating thoughts in his mind, his outward actions were very simple.

Swish.

Black Wolf, now at eye level with Mother, reached out as if drawn to her and grabbed her neck.

“Gah…!!”

Like the children earlier, she was lifted into the air with her neck being strangled, but Mother was still smiling.

Crack!

Despite being lifted with enough force to crush her, she only dropped the money pouch, while her other hand still gripped Luna’s wrist.

“Guurk…!!!”

Mother’s bloodshot eyes turned toward the collapsed Luna.

Golden hair,

A face full of scars,

An expression that became peaceful only after losing consciousness.

What thoughts did these evoke in her?

“…!!!”

The gaze of the dying Mother turned violently toward Black Wolf, and

【Warning!】

【Opposing Entity – <Mother(S-)> recovers all influence drawn into the real world!】

【Progress: …0% (50%↓)】

【Opposing Entity – <Mother(S-)>’s rank increases by <SS+> within her unique domain – <Disappearance>!】

She attempted something to escape his grasp with her power increased by several levels, but—

“Sun Annihilation.”

【<Yellow Dragon(Ex)>’s Skill #1 – <Sun Annihilation(Ex)> is activated!】

【Flash!!】

Slash!!

“!!”

She failed as the space itself disappeared under the brilliant golden strike.

“…!”

Mother’s mask was also destroyed by the aftermath as she was split in a single line from her right hip to her left shoulder.

Splat.

Her lower body, cut in half, melted and fell like liquefied tar.

“…!!”

Her mouth opened and closed as if wanting to say something.

But since she made no sound, Black Wolf simply dropped the upper body he had been holding.

Swish.

Only then did Black Wolf fully embrace the fallen Luna, the young Luna, and whispered in her ear.

“Wake up, Luna.”

At that moment.

“…?”

Luna, who opened her eyes due to the Black Curtain’s energy, stared blankly at Black Wolf and murmured.

“…The big brother who held my hand?”

Black Wolf nodded.

Reassured by that solemn nod, Luna slowly looked around.

The tent.

The stage.

The audience seats.

Still on stage.

“Ah…!!”

She tried to get up as if startled, but Black Wolf stopped her and added.

“It’s all over.”

“Huh…? What do you mean over?”

“The auction, the trash—they’re all gone.”

“Ah… So I’m still dreaming…?”

Perhaps because she was still dazed?

Click.

Black Wolf picked up something and handed it to Luna, who was smiling broadly as if dismissing it as a dream.

“It’s all over.”

What he handed her was Mother’s mask.

The object that had made Luna this way, and at the same time, what the woman who had oppressed her had worn.

The moment that mask was reflected in her emerald eyes, which had cleared like a sky after cloudiness—

“…Mom?”

Luna’s face suddenly contorted.

“Where is she?”

“…? What do you mean?”

“Where is my mom?!”

Luna was struggling like a cornered animal.

Momentarily confused, Nahan pointed in the direction of Mother’s corpse and wondered.

‘…What’s going on?’

He had killed Mother and awakened Luna.

‘Sub-quest 2, fully understand Luna. Sub-quest 3, Mother’s peace. I should have fulfilled all of them.’

Why isn’t the quest completion notification appearing?

As his concerns continued to pile up, a red system window appeared.

【Notice.】

【Sub-quest – <The Face Behind the Mask> has failed.】

【Shortly, <Luna(S)> will go berserk.】

‘What?’

Bewildered by this message, he hurriedly turned his head toward Luna.

“…That’s too cruel.”

She murmured, cradling Mother’s upper body and turning her head toward Nahan.

“…I trusted you.”

You, who without hesitation grabbed my dirty, grimy hands that longed for another’s warmth.

-…It’s warm.

-I’m glad.

“I really trusted you.”

Drip.

“…I see. This must be a nightmare. This can’t be real.”

The moment Luna, who had finally lost her smile, put Mother’s mask on her own face—

【Troupe Member #4 – <Luna(S)>’s Skill #1 – <Masked Ball(SS+)> is activated.】

Watching what he had seen on the Gardner mansion rooftop being recreated before his eyes, he realized.

‘Something has gone terribly wrong.’

But it was too late for such realizations.

“【…I want to wake up from this dream.】”

【Warning.】

【Unique Domain – <Disappearance> merges with part of the real world.】

【Opposing Entity – <Idler(A+)>’s rank rises to <Idler(S-)> due to mask domination!】

【Opposing Entity – <Luna(A+)>’s rank rises to <Luna(S)> due to mask domination!】

【Opposing Entity – <Dalan(A+)>’s rank rises to <Dalan(A++)> due to mask domination!】

Nothing changed.

Nahan sighed and looked at the troupe members.

“…Are these masks trending these days?”

At that moment.

“…Ah, miss…!!”

“…No, don’t come…!!”

“……”

The three troupe members, dominated by the masks, charged at Nahan at full speed.

# 3.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the battle.

“…Cough!”

Luna, who had consumed most of her life force due to extreme mana exhaustion, spat blood.

However, Luna wiped it away lightly as if it were nothing, and carefully bowed her head.

“…Mom.”

What she was holding in her arms was <Mother>, whose upper body was all that remained after Nahan’s attack.

To Nahan, it might have appeared as just a black mass, but to Luna’s eyes, it was <Mother> with fatal wounds.

“…Lu, na.”

“No. Don’t speak. Okay?”

Luna firmly grasped the trembling hand with her small hands.

Luna endured the twisting pain inside her and squeezed out her life force to stop the bleeding.

Cough!

Cough, cough!!

Blood surging up and pouring out.

The terrible pain stirring inside her body, and yet the slowly dying form of <Mother>.

“Please… Please…”

Luna’s eyes, now a dull green, pleaded toward the woman who was growing pale.

“Please don’t die alone, Mom.”

If you’re going to die like this,

“Kill me first and then die…”

…Please, Mom.