episode_0088

*****

The other world is a place that is similar to this world but follows different principles. However, after experiencing hundreds and thousands of different worlds, there are quite a few principles that have a high probability of being true.

In that sense, it was a fairly reliable theory that ‘the weak group up against the strong.’ Because I’ve rarely seen a case where it went astray.

This time was no exception.

“Heh!”

Wow!

I hit the white wolf that bravely attacked me with my palm. Although it is a large body that is easily 2 meters tall, its movements are wild and based on instinct. It wasn’t difficult to dodge the attack and blow away.

Of course, just blowing one away doesn’t make a difference to the group. Some wolves attack, looking for a gap in the attack, while others watch as if they see an opportunity.

Those guys probably don’t think they can catch me now. Because I felt only persistent persistence in the movement of the group. It must be waiting for my stamina to drop like this.

Or maybe they expect Hwa-in to get tired.

Whoa!

“Pfft!”

The moment Hwain blocked his attack, I immediately ran over and knocked the wolf away. Even though he had simply blocked the attack, the painter was exhausted and out of breath.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay, ah… .”

You’re just saying this with a face that doesn’t look okay at all. Still, there isn’t much left. He patted the painter’s back to tell him to hold on a little longer and moved forward further.

Even though it seemed like they were attacking us at random, the movement of the wolf pack was pushing us in one direction. Originally, he would have been able to escape by breaking through the siege with his help, but the painter’s current physical condition makes him feel a little uneasy.

If you look at the surrounding terrain, you can roughly see what the wolves are aiming for, so let’s use it in reverse for now.

“Wait a minute. Ami, not here!”

Whoa!

Hwain noticed it too late and tried to escape in another direction, but the wolves interfered. Hwain had a frustrated look on his face, but since this was all experience, he decided to leave it alone for now.

As expected, we soon found ourselves at the top of the hill. The wolves surrounded us with our backs to the cliff. I think I’ve seen this scene often in movies and cartoons.

“… sorry. Even you, ARMY──”

“What are you saying? At best, I guided them to a place where it was easy for them to escape.”

A cliff at the back and numerous monsters at the front. At first glance, it seems like a desperate structure. However, just as the other world has the common sense of the other world, the awakened have the common sense of the awakened.

I grabbed Hwain and jumped down the cliff.

“Wow!”

“Close your mouth, bite your tongue!”

Quad deud deuk. The sound of fingers scraping down the rock wall is loud. Above, wolves are barking as they have lost their prey, but what can we do if they are still wolves?

Sometimes, wolves actually have wings on their backs, which is an otherworldly quality, but fortunately there was no sign of that. Since we didn’t kill it on purpose but just flew it away, it will most likely go find other prey instead of us.

“Ami, you… .”

After arriving on the ground, Hwain opened his mouth with an expression as if he was holding back his words. Are you angry because I suddenly jumped off a cliff without saying a word? I wanted to, but Hwain was staring at my hand.

… oh. I made a mistake.

“Don’t worry. You know that I have the ability to recover.”

“No, but… .”

Well, it looks like it’s a bit harsh. It was torn in several places and the ligaments were stretched and turned purple.

I knew I had to worry, so I tried to hide my hands as soon as I got down. I guess the pain made my judgment a little dull.

I thought of many excuses, such as it wasn’t broken so there was no problem clenching my fist, or I was used to pain anyway, but Hwain shook his head and didn’t say anything.

It’s no use talking about it anyway, are you thinking the same thing?

“Well, I guess I got rid of those annoying guys after a long time. This time, let’s find a proper place to stay.”

Reminding yourself of your purpose helps change the mood. Hwain and I walked back to find a place to stay. Our goal now is to secure a base until the rescue team arrives.

When I first got caught up in the Lich’s space magic, I planned to move Hwain to a safe place and then attack the Lich again. However, the enemy seemed to have figured it out, and the place we were sent to was a borderline where cracks were collapsing.

If you are caught up in the collapse of subspace, you will be thrown somewhere in reality that corresponds to the size of that subspace. And, unfortunately, the place where the artist and I were thrown was in the middle of an otherworldly snowy mountain.

“If you look around here, you might find a good place.”

If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to forcefully dig up the frozen ground, but I want to put that off as a last resort. Since I don’t have any decent equipment, I have to mobilize magical energy, but then the aggro caused by noise and magical energy becomes too much.

That’s why my hands weren’t healthy when I came down from the cliff just now. In such an isolated situation, it was necessary to refrain from using excessively large amounts of magical power.

“Ami, doesn’t that thing over there look like a cave?”

“Oh, nice!”

Was it worth climbing down the cliff? Fortunately, I was able to find a fairly decent cave.

I thought there might be a monster inside, but surprisingly there was no trace of it. I could catch a glimpse of the strangely crafted walls and what looked like an altar inside.

Rather, I realized now that there is a slight barrier in this cave. At best, it hinders recognition and makes it difficult for nearby monsters to enter. How did Hwain find this place so easily?

There were some concerns, but judging by the traces, it was a space that had been abandoned for a long time. Since there would be nowhere else to hide, we decided to hold out here.

“Are you okay?”

“Somehow… .”

He was a painter who could not open his eyes for a while after falling into the snowy mountain. Somehow he recovered to the point where he could walk, but his condition didn’t look that good.

No, did he even recover in the first place? I feel weaker now than right after I opened my eyes.

“Shall we use fire?”

“No, it’s okay. Please conserve your stamina for now.”

Since there is nothing to burn here, it takes Hwain’s magical power to maintain the fire. In comparison, it is much more efficient to consume magical power to maintain the basic physical functions of an awakened person.

Inside the cave to avoid the cold wind as much as possible. The entrance to the cave to ensure minimal light. At the compromise meeting, Hwain and I sat side by side, leaning against the wall.

“You shouldn’t sleep?”

“Yes.”

It’s no joke that you die when you fall asleep. This is not a temperature that an ordinary human being can withstand with nothing but clothes and no heater.

“Is everyone okay? You left that Richie behind, right?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Because the one-armed swordsman must have been on his way. The reason the rift collapsed in the first place was because the lich ran away.”

Naturally, Hwain and I started talking. It was small talk, stories about famous heroes, and worries about the people they left behind.

… I was very surprised that Hwain had awakened the basics of the mind’s eye without any hesitation. That’s a skill that isn’t learned until the end of the second year in the original.

“Still, the priestess’ training was really intense.”

“That’s right, it looked too much even to me.”

“… what? Have I ever talked about the priestess’s training?”

“Well, I’m just saying that’s because I’ve seen your condition lately!”

There is a sense that things to talk about naturally flow from each other, rather than forcing the topic because there is nothing to say. Then, even if the conversation stops for a moment, it doesn’t feel awkward and feels comfortable.

It may be different for each person, but when I feel this sense, I often feel that I have become close to that person. It’s only been 3 months since I met Hwain, but quite a few things have happened.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend the time like this talking with friends until the rescue team arrives. That feeling came to mind when I saw the moonlight streaming in from the cave entrance.

I think that was a very complacent idea.

“… After all, there is no way to return right away?”

“It’s difficult because I don’t know the direction.”

I don’t even know if the general way to determine direction will work here or not. If you take the wrong direction and end up moving further north, it really is a matter of life and death.

We had already talked about it all. Have you forgotten it already? I tried teasing him, but there was no response from Hwain.

“So, Raon at that time.”

“Yes… .”

“What’s wrong with your voice? Did you doze off?”

After that, the conversation continued, but the number of times I opened my mouth increased. Well, it’s hard to stay asleep just by chatting in a dark place with only moonlight. Hwa-in’s stamina was low due to the battle.

I thought it wasn’t strange that he was falling asleep, so I tapped Hwa-in’s back to wake her up.

There was no eerie warmth on his back.

“… You!”

Something is wrong. That ominous feeling went up my spine. When I forcibly lifted Hwain’s head from his bowed position, I saw that his lips had already turned from blue to purple.

“Why didn’t you tell me until this happened!”

“If you have to endure it anyway, you too… .”

“This… ! You idiot!”

As soon as I knocked him down to check his condition, Hwa-in’s body started shaking like crazy. The moment I was surprised by the sudden reaction, I saw bloody fingernail marks on the painter’s palm.

“This… .”

It’s not a sudden reaction. For quite some time now, Hwa-in had been trying desperately to suppress the tremors in her body. So that I, who was next to him, wouldn’t notice.

Why? No, that kind of thing is fine. Now we have to do something about Hwain’s condition.

Hwain was showing typical symptoms of hypothermia. However, the fundamental problem is not low body temperature. It’s a lack of horsepower. If you have magical power, you can withstand this much cold.

“Hu-eup.”

“… !”

As soon as I made a decision, I brought my lips to Hwain who had fallen. The coldness that passed beyond my lips was terrifying and struck my magic with the force of erasing even that sensation.

“Puha, haa, haa… . How are you feeling?”

The amount of magic power was so powerful that even I could barely breathe. No matter how low the efficiency of this method is, it would have recovered significantly at this level.

However, Hwain’s condition showed no signs of improving. Even after waiting for a while, his body was still cold. why? Did you put in too much at once and cause a runaway of horsepower?

No, if that were the case, the temperature should have risen at least. The feeling right now is like pouring water into a bottomless pot… .

“Damn it!”

I had a guess, so I pulled down Painter’s top. The cursed brand that Lich had engraved on Hwain’s collarbone and in the center of his chest was glowing dark red.

This is it. This is sucking Hwain’s magic power.

Now I think I understand why Hwain tried to hide his condition. If I know Hwa-in’s condition, I will definitely pour my magic into Hwa-in. I guess they thought that if that happened, I would be in danger too.

I certainly don’t have the means to do anything about that curse right now. In the current situation where it is unclear when the rescue team will arrive, I can understand my reluctance to run out of magical energy.

I can’t understand it though!

“You, huh!? If you are in that situation, say something!”

“But then even you… .”

Ah, I’m pissed. A near-death experience, awakening of the mind’s eye, and dealing with an Elder Lich. Since I am already in this situation when I am exhausted, I know in my head that I will not be able to think properly.

But,

“My friend is dying right before my eyes, and there’s no way I’m going to sit back and let go!”

Isn’t this common sense!? If you can’t think of it, you should have engraved it on a subconscious level a long time ago!

“Punishment for a fool who doesn’t even know such things!”

“Wait a minute, what are you doing──”

“Noisy, take it off!”

Even if Hwain tried to resist in his current state, he didn’t have the same stopping power as a summer breeze. Hwain quickly became naked from the waist up and was thrown to the floor of the ruins.

And it was the same for me too.

“You… .”

“I don’t have time to joke around. Hug me quickly.”

Aversion to hugging a man naked from the waist up? Of course there is. But right now, Hwa-in’s appearance was so miserable that I could put aside any feelings of disgust.

Although it is awkward in many ways because you are not used to it in the first place, this is essentially no different from magical power transmission. Is there anything to be ashamed of in life-saving actions?

I spread my clothes on the floor and Hwa-in’s clothes on top. My body will be much warmer than clothes frozen in melted snow.

Hwain hesitated for a moment, but as soon as he felt the warmth of my body, he immediately clung to me tightly. okay. That’s all.

“Really, the young guy is making such a pointless refusal.”

“You’re the same age, right… .”

Fortunately, the 36.5-degree stove seemed to be quite effective and Hwa-in’s body began to gradually warm up. Since Hwa-in has grown considerably, his body is probably much stronger than that of an average person.

However, if that happens, another problem inevitably arises.

“… … .”

“Well, what is it? Don’t you turn your eyes?”

“No… .”

It’s good that the color has turned, but Hwa-in’s reaction is becoming more and more uneasy. As I look down, a similar feeling of goodwill is conveyed as when I left school.

Now that I think about it, was it because of this that I kept my distance from Hwain during this experiential learning experience? I was hoping for an appropriate crisis for Ra-on and Hwa-in, but why did it get so twisted?

“Why is your face blushing again!?”

“You, you turned red too.”

“I’m embarrassed because you reacted strangely!”

When I blamed her like that, the painter avoided my gaze and became even more embarrassed. So, such behavior is rather… . Ah, really!

… Whoa, let’s calm down. Even if it’s just appearances, you’re hugging a girl, so you can’t help it if you get that kind of reaction. It’s not a feeling you can’t understand.

Once I keep a straight face, I am sure Hwain will calm down as well. Even the Chinese will know that this is a life-saving activity.

The time has come to show off an unwavering expression that surpasses even Marie.

“… I told you not to stare.”

“Oh, sorry… .”

Failed. Pain is a gaze that feels like potential.

“Then please wait a moment. My condition has improved a lot, so if I turn back──”

“That’s not possible.”

Hwa-in, who was trying to turn around, was stopped by a tight hug.

My body is smaller than the painter, so if I were not hugging her in the current form, the area touched would be greatly reduced. Considering the surrounding temperature, even the current contact surface feels insufficient. It couldn’t be reduced any further.

“Then close your eyes. each other. Got it?”

“Okay.”

“You must never open your eyes?”

“If you keep emphasizing it like that, it makes me want to float.”

In the end, they both agreed to close their eyes. Since I couldn’t fall asleep, I decided to keep talking.

I feel unnecessarily concerned about voices coming from a much closer distance than usual. I can’t stay calm at the fact that someone else is invading my personal space.

If you think about it, wouldn’t a situation like this in a snowy mountain be a very heroine-like event? Why on earth is this guy wasting this golden opportunity on me? If it’s the main character, I wish they would target the heroine more properly.

While I was complaining internally, I felt Hwain’s gaze on me. This guy is committing foul trouble again.

“So, how many times have I told you not to open your eyes──huh?”

Wow. My shoulder was grabbed. To whom? To Hwain. The speed of thinking does not properly follow in sudden situations.

uh? What is this? That kind of situation?

For a moment, a shiver ran down my spine. I barely stopped my reflexive attempt to push Hwa-in away. It was Cheonun who noticed something strange about Hwain’s condition just before that.

“Fine? Fine!?”

“Ugh, ugh… .”

The hand that held my shoulder was not one of craving, but of patience to bear the pain. A dark red light began to shine stronger on Hwain’s chest. Needless to say, it was Lich’s seal.

However, there is nothing I can do right now. Even if I urgently kissed Hwa-in and poured magic power into him, his condition only improved for a moment, but he soon returned to normal.

“Hwain, come to your senses! Sarah! What is Sarah saying!?”

“My life force is being sucked out… .”

It seems that the effect of the curse did not only apply to magical power. The undead’s specialty of stealing the vitality of the living. Originally, it would have been difficult to greatly affect an awakened person with magical power, but the current Hwain lacks magical power.

Should I give it a little more horsepower? But no matter how many times I kiss her, my magical power just gets sucked out. No matter how hard you have built up your magical power, it will run out quickly.

Should I just run out with Hwain on my back right now? It’s impossible. Even if I knew the direction, I couldn’t make it on time right now.

If you could convey the vitality itself… . But I don’t know how to do that. In the first place, is it possible to give and receive life force from others? This is a concept that is rarely used except for the undead.

… no. there is. There is only one way to give life force and share life force!

“Fine, listen carefully.”

It was fortunate that Hwain still had enough strength to talk. I explained as best I could. And then, I kissed Hwa-in again.

The magic power that extends from me circulates around Hwain’s body and becomes Hwain’s. Before it was taken away by the curse, the magic power returned to me once again through the magic path I had connected.

Considering the efficiency of magic power transmission, it is inefficient to throw magic power into the air. But now it was needed more than anything else.

“Hueup,”

I moaned involuntarily at the feeling of someone else’s magic invading my body. If the magic power were to break here, everything would be in vain, so I desperately clung to Hwain.

Thanks to suppressing my resistance, Hwain’s magic slowly spread within my body. From here on, it’s an area I don’t know anything about.

What I was aiming for was Hwain’s potential, the ‘contract’. If I remember correctly, if I made a contract with a tangible being, it would certainly have been possible to share life force.

Originally, Hwain’s potential could not be contracted with humans. But what if I have a dragon body? And, if I were to say that my soul was changing accordingly. Maybe it’s included in the contract.

The contract process begins with accepting Hwain’s magical power. In that case, Hwain will be able to capture the target’s soul and make a contract.

But right now, Hwain’s magic was just circling around my body and couldn’t find a clear point. Why? Hwain’s lack of experience? Or, because my own soul is human?

Passs.

Hwain’s magical power inside his body was decreasing in size by the minute. To me, it felt like Hwain’s remaining life was fading away.

Something more is needed. His vast experience as a hero, all of it unfolded before his eyes like a fantasy. If the hallucinations seen in times of life crisis are flashes of light, then this must also be flashes of light.

The answer, surprisingly, was quite recent.

[From now on, each time you use magical power, your soul will get closer to your body little by little.]

[It goes without saying if you use the power of the dragon.]

Pajijijik. Black scales cover the hand pressing the painter’s back. A voice I don’t know if it’s mine or not reminds me of my usual regrets.

Haven’t you already sacrificed your life enough? Here again, is there a need to cut off something of oneself for the sake of others?

Answering that question was easy. I am a hero. That alone was reason enough to sacrifice myself.

But is it because it is Hwa-in’s magical power that is inside her body? What came to mind was a different reason than usual.

It wasn’t anything special to me, but it was said with sincerity.

‘Because I said I would save you in that case.’

I just try not to make the promise of that day a lie.

Click. With the feeling that something inside me is coming together one more time.

I felt Hwain’s magic grab hold of my soul.

*****