episode_0069

“…Umm…”

I was wandering through a long nightmare,

I opened my eyes looking at a fairly familiar ceiling.

Moonlight shines through the rainbow-colored stained glass,

This place has a solemn and sacred air.

A place I visited every weekend when I was a commander.

It seemed like the place where I was lying now was a cathedral.

‘What…what happened…’

I tried to get up, feeling a pounding headache.

Less…

“Ugh…“

There was a red tube connected to my right arm.

When I raised my head and looked up, there was a red blood pack hanging there like an IV.

A hose was also stuck in my left arm,

My blood was flowing out little by little, as if I was donating blood.

“Are you sober…a little, brother?“

When I opened my eyes and stood up, Marie spoke to me.

With a blood pack attached to her arm as well,

Slowly she was giving blood.

“What…what on earth happened…?“

“You were asleep for quite a long time. You were talking in your sleep as if you were having a nightmare… Did you sleep well?“

I nodded slowly and got up.

The sight of him lying down on the white patient bed made him look like he had been hospitalized.

Fortunately, it felt like I was inside a cathedral, not wearing a hospital gown or in a hospital room.

“How long has it been since I fell into such a deep sleep…“

Those were the days when I couldn’t sleep properly.

But this time, I was really refreshed and felt like I was able to catch up on all the sleep I had missed so far and get a good night’s sleep.

My head still hurt a little, but I felt like I was feeling pretty good.

Growling…

“Hehe, I’m glad. I think your recovery is faster than I thought.“

Marie smiled quietly and carefully lined up the filled blood packs.

Then, use the healing skill on her body.

Immediately, the saint’s slightly pale face began to regain its vitality.

“Anyway…how long has it been since you passed out? Now, at a time like this…“

“Brother…! You can’t move like that yet. Because recovery is not complete…!“

When I tried to get up and get out of bed,

Immediately, Marie grabbed both of my arms and stopped me.

“After defeating the Salamander yesterday, you completely fainted. And he slept for almost 12 hours straight.“

“Did you keep sleeping all day…“

“First of all, it would be better to eat a little something. Your current condition is almost at the level of malnutrition…“

She carefully entered one of the rooms and brought out some warm soup.

Crispy toasted bread was placed on top of the yellow corn soup.

I slowly began to chew and swallow my food with her help.

Mutter…

“It’s delicious…“

“Right? Please eat a little slowly. If you consume too much, other side effects may occur.“

Marie smiled and wiped the soup from around my mouth with a tissue.

As I slowly finished eating for a while, a warm energy slowly spread throughout my body.

How many days, or maybe even weeks?

I feel hungry like this, and I also get an appetite just by looking at food.

These were feelings I hadn’t felt in a really long time.

“Now…then I have a few questions for you. Brother, you need to speak honestly. Got it?“

“… Sharpen your blade in advance, because there are so many sins I’ve committed… I’ll need it when I tell them all. “

“…That’s not the question. These are simple questions about your health condition.”

She took out a notebook, clicked a ballpoint pen, and asked me a friendly question.

“Are you eating well on a regular basis?“

“Yes. I’m eating well.“

“What about sleep? Are you sleeping well?“

“Just…I’m sleeping as much as everyone else.“

“…“

“…“

Click.

It was all a lie.

Since the day I returned to the past.

To be exact, it started around the day of the New Year’s party.

From that day on, I couldn’t eat properly or sleep.

The terrible nightmares that had plagued me in the past always appeared in my dreams,

For some reason, I couldn’t eat anything, so I just drank coffee on an empty stomach.

Even if it felt like I was going to fall, I had to move my body somehow.

With my mind flooded with nicotine and caffeine, I was just quietly accomplishing my task.

Thanks to my skill at lying, the other kids didn’t notice.

If you see Surtur looking at him pitifully from time to time, he seems to be in a very bad condition.

“Brother, you decided to answer honestly.“

“…You know everything anyway. What state is my body in right now?“

Fluttering pupils, irregular breathing cycle.

With tear marks that have not yet been erased from both cheeks.

Marie’s eyes were swollen, and veins appeared in the whites of her eyes.

And the sadness and pity on her face every time she looks at me.

From the moment I opened my eyes here, when I used my skills to project Marie’s mind.

I already noticed.

At that point I passed out.

She must have gone through all my memories.

“…Sigh…I was hoping I had seen something wrong. Those memories…I think they were all true.“

“I didn’t really want to show it to Sister Marie. I didn’t know you would look at it so arbitrarily.“

“Uh…I couldn’t help it. Suddenly, a level 4 monster appeared in that area… You cut it down with great skill and fell down right away. If it weren’t for the Skeleton Knights, you would have gone straight to the Bureau…“

“honorary name.“

The skeleton knights guarding the entrance to the cathedral in the pitch-black darkness bowed their heads in my direction.

I waved my hand slowly and helplessly at them,

They immediately stood guard outside, holding their greatswords.

“I guess I overdid it a bit. If I eat well and sleep well from now on… I’ll get better somehow… “

“That’s not it, brother!“

She held both of my hands and made a serious expression.

I looked at Marie’s face as she suddenly approached me,

I could sense that something unusual had happened.

“So…it’s not something that can be overlooked as if it’s nothing…“

“…There are people I need to protect. Sister Marie is one of them. I’m a little sick for that…“

“It’s not just a little painful…! Do you know how surprised I was…? Such pain… how much your brother’s body is being damaged every time you use magical power…!“

She was right.

The more you use skills that require a lot of magical power, including attribution, the more you use them.

The recoil of magical power accumulating in my body was increasing.

In the past, I felt refreshed even if I soaked in an underground water hot spring for just 5 minutes.

Now, after soaking for an hour, whenever I go to bed.

Every organ in my body was aching as if I was screaming.

When I opened my eyes every morning, my eyes were bright red and bloodshot.

It got to the point where it was difficult to survive without taking the painkillers that I secretly requested from Park Min-hee every time.

“5 years… Brother, there are only 5 years left to live…!“

“5 years…well, I survived until then even before the regression. Roughly…“

Marie held both my hands tightly and looked into my eyes.

“That too…if you don’t use magical power in the future. If you continue to use magical power like now…!“

“…“

“It won’t even last a year…I don’t know when you will collapse.“

“…“

“…“

She and I held our hands together and said nothing.

It was something I had planned on doing from the beginning.

When I returned to the past, I was determined to protect them.

No matter what the cost.

But it seemed that the damned god of this world would not allow even that.

Even if I finish everything according to my plan.

Instead of laughing and enjoying peace with the children,

It seems like life has become terminal and you don’t know when you will die.

“Brother, since you are not from this world… that is, you are the [Adventist]… it is dangerous to use magical power any more. [Glitch]… So… the curse that dug into my brother is getting stronger… “

“Ah…it’s been a while since I heard this. That word.“

Descendant.

An existence from another dimension that is not of this world.

[Glitch]

And the immune system to fight off those foreign substances.

Actually, I had some guess.

The last high priest I met before returning to the past.

And this is what the level 7 archangel who rules this world said to me.

“Maybe that’s a good thing? Even though it was an error, you were not awakened. Thanks to that, you, the descendant, survived this long without the curse of the glitch.”

The words he said to me while laughing like that.

I didn’t really understand that day.

But I hoped to be an exception.

In any case, I pretended to be ‘Han Seo-jin’, a character in the world of this game.

Therefore, things like Advent, glitches, etc. will be able to be avoided.

“That can’t be possible…this body is definitely out of this world…“

“…First, as a temporary measure, I transfused my blood into your body. I was lucky that my blood type matched… In order to stay as healthy as I am now, I have to minimize the use of magical power.“

“Ah…so my blood was being exchanged for your sister’s.“

“Yes, in theory it is possible to suppress the curse like this, but… it is only a temporary measure. If the condition becomes serious, even organ transplant must be considered…”

After all the blood packs attached to the IV were injected into the body,

She slowly stood up, pulled out the tube, and wrapped a bandage over it.

While Marie turned her head for a moment, she tried using the curse removal skill,

As expected, this curse also showed no signs of going away easily.

Rather, I felt like blazing eyes were staring at me in the dark.

It’s as if he’s warning me that if I do something stupid, he’ll kill me himself.

“You must visit me periodically from now on. If the situation is not favorable… you should administer your own blood… or the blood of someone with the right blood type.“

“…I still don’t quite understand…but for now…Thank you, Sister Marie.“

“…Finally, I have one more question.“

I couldn’t bear to look at her directly, so I lowered my eyes.

Marie approached me, holding my hand warmly.

“What I’m most worried about is my brother’s mental situation. If you ever completely break down mentally…“

“I’m fine. It’s true.“

“For example…suddenly becoming violent in everyday life…sadistic nature…the joy of revenge…suicidal impulses…“

“…I…I was prepared. You’ve seen it all, sister too.“

“…”

“…”

Without saying a word, she squeezed my hand tighter,

I was just looking at the moonlight flowing through the stained glass.

It was all already planned.

I just thought I was special and that I could bypass this curse.

For some reason, this world eventually recognized me as something like a contaminated virus,

Thanks to that, I was able to live a terminally ill life.

“So…don’t suffer alone like that. Brother…no…commander. I…and all my colleagues are alive…and I can help.“

Marie slowly and gently brushed my hair.

Her gentle and warm warmth.

When her hand gently caressed me,

In an instant, tears welled up in my eyes and the tip of my nose began to tingle.

“It’s not all your fault…You shouldn’t feel so guilty…and push yourself like that…“

“I…I…I…swore…that I would protect you…but…I stabbed you with that knife…Ugh…!“

“Right, right…It’s okay. It’s okay…“

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…Please…Forgive me…Please…”

I shed tears while being held in her arms.

Once I started crying, I couldn’t suppress my emotions.

Marie was just gently hugging me and rubbing my back.

“…me that day. I’m sure you wouldn’t regret it. You, a man… my brother who couldn’t even awaken… you were trying so hard to protect me.“

“Ugh…no…I was a person who deserved to die…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…“

I buried my face in Marie’s solar plexus and cried endlessly.

I didn’t want to show her those horrible days.

To her who accidentally brought up memories of me,

I was so sorry that it felt like my heart was breaking.

” Seojin is such a good person… Why is the world bothering you… Before you came to this world… Even after you came… He was always warm and kind… He was such a great person…◦ %◦

“No…everything…it’s all my fault…I threw myself away begging for them to let me run away from that world…so…I…ugh… “

“It’s okay… What happened that day… Because you jumped in to save that child’s life… As Miss Lapis said… Your brother’s mentality is the strongest… It’s okay… I…you know.“

I poured out all my sadness while holding her.

How long has it been since I cried so loudly?

There is a long way to go and a lot of work to do.

I couldn’t fall down in a place like this.

But for now.

For me, who was diagnosed with a terminal diagnosis that was extremely difficult to accept.

While being held in the gentle and warm arms of Marie.

I wanted to get some comfort for a little while.

I feel her kind heart for the first time in years.

My torn heart, full of scars.

It seemed like he was recovering little by little.