Chapter 176

Chapter 176

Choosing to stay behind when the opportunity to escape safely presented itself was a decision anyone would deem foolish.

Even though they might have tried to dissuade me, the expedition members respected my choice and prepared to leave.

Their sense of camaraderie alone wasn’t enough reason to stay in such a dangerous place, and, after all, they too had homes and families they needed to protect, so they wanted to avoid unnecessary risk.

“...Sorry, everyone. I can’t go back with you.”

“No, Hero, I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Sanson, representing the expedition, showed respect and a hint of bitterness.

As he stood at the exit and looked up at the residence of the Pope, there was a vague sense of concern in his gaze.

“But before we part, may I ask you one thing?”

That worry was no doubt directed at the girl who had entered there ahead of us.

The question made me pause, my steps halting as I turned my head toward him.

“About Flang’s power... Did you already know about her true identity, Hero?”

Come to think of it, he had likely seen the extent of her power when I lost consciousness.

Seeing all the grotesque creatures slaughtered by that small body, he probably couldn’t even imagine following her into such danger.

“I’ll explain when I get back.”

And I too realized, seeing where she had gone, that I couldn’t stand by her side.

The reason I stayed here was purely because Airi’s guidance led me into this city.

Although I couldn’t be sure if it would lead me to that girl, the vague certainty that I had to follow the note’s guidance was all that moved me now.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“...Yes, then we’ll see you at the capital.”

With that, the expedition members wished me luck as they set off in their carriage, leaving me behind.

After turning my back on them, I entered the city and unfolded the note Airi had left me.

[The future I predicted was that the entire expedition would safely escape the fallen sanctuary and return to the Empire.]

The first line implied that I, too, would have left this city with the others.

This suggested that I had now deviated from that prophecy, but below it, the note contained a much longer message.

[However, due to the events that took place there, the transcendent being who was with you may have had a whim. I’m sure you, Hyo-sung, are more aware of this as you read this note.]

Indeed, Flang could be called a transcendent, and I hadn’t expected her actions to unfold this way.

Airi’s predictions were always vulnerable to whims brought about by a transcendent’s intervention.

The note was written considering the possibility that the future I was supposed to follow might change due to Flang’s whims.

[If the intended prophecy has really changed... Personally, I would advise you to immediately destroy this note and leave that place quickly. The future with a transcendent’s intervention is an ‘unknown territory’ that no one can predict.]

[However, I hope you will continue your mission as a savior. My duty, as someone who is supposed to assist you, is not to impose absolute safety or danger, but to provide you with choices.]

Whether to choose safety or to pursue the path of a savior despite the risk.

Realizing I had two choices now that the future had changed, I swallowed dryly and turned to the next page.

[Considering the twisted future, I will give you two choices.]

[If you don’t want to take the risk, please return to the capital with the expedition. Although you won’t all return together, this alone will ensure the safety of both the expedition and you.]

The first choice was a strong temptation for me.

I couldn’t handle the problems that had arisen here on my own, and although I was worried about Flang, who had entered this place for some reason, her power was beyond what I could match.

Moreover, Airi, who left this note, was about to give birth.

We were scheduled to get married, and entering a death trap while leaving that future behind would inevitably test many things.

But...

[However, if you still choose to pursue your mission despite not knowing what awaits ahead...]

If she offered an alternative choice, I had to at least see what it entailed.

[Enter the location specified in this note, and at the destination, meet a certain person. Hearing their story will greatly influence your next course of action.]

“...A survivor?”

A survivor. That was the first thought that came to mind after reading that phrase.

If I were to meet someone and hear their story, it could imply that there were still people alive in this city, now overrun by grotesque creatures.

Whether such a survivor could truly exist in this city was uncertain, but if Airi’s prophecy mentioned it, there had to be some basis for it.

[After hearing their story, I leave it up to you to decide what to do next. Please, return safely...]



“Hey, can you hear me? Hey!”

Still wary of potential danger, I demanded an answer while standing in place, and the man began to slowly lift his fallen body towards me.

“A familiar voice... I wondered who it was, and it turns out it was you?”

“Wait, you are...?”

“Haha. I didn’t mean to, but I’ve shown you an unsightly appearance.”

The man lifted his head with a burst of laughter.

Though soaked in sweat and blood, his face was familiar to me.

Although I hadn’t met him many times, every encounter had left a striking impression... because he was a vampire.



“It’s been a while, young man. Have you been well?”

Virgil Huntress.

A notorious fugitive and vampire in the Empire.

“Mr. Virgil, why on earth...?”

Why was he here, and why had he taken the form of a grotesque creature, thrashing about in the sewers?

In response to my bewilderment, he chuckled nonchalantly and replied.

“It’s nothing much. I was investigating some personal matters... and ended up getting severely beaten.”

“Beaten... here?”

“Living a long life isn’t always a good thing. My thoughts have become rigid... and I was slow to react to an unexpected counterattack.”

Virgil spat blood from his mouth and glanced down at his hand.

Noticing the feathers sprouting from it, he gave a wry smile and directed his weary gaze towards me.

“Isn’t it funny? A noble of the night, claiming to be noble and beautiful, reduced to rolling in filth, abandoned in the depths of the underground.”

Even while facing me, his body convulsed.

The crunching sounds from various parts of his body indicated that he was consciously suppressing the transformation back to his grotesque form.

Though he recognized me and temporarily regained some sanity, he was on the brink of reverting at any moment.

“Anyway... why are you here?”

Despite his deteriorating state, he looked at me directly.

Even though he knew he might fall back into that grotesque form and never return to normal...

“You’ve likely seen what has happened in this city... So, why don’t you forget about this place and go in search of your love?”

Struggling to maintain control over himself, he waited for my answer, his expression filled with anguish.

Before him, I quietly took out the note and compared its contents with the person before me, speaking softly.

“...There is something I want to hear from you.”

“From me, you say?”

“Yes, anything.”

The note clearly referred to him.

Though it was a stretch to call him a survivor, as I initially thought, he was the only being in this land with whom I could communicate.

“Haha, I see... Following the words of that fortune teller girl, you’ve come to hear this old man’s last words.”

And he, too, seemed to grasp the situation, seeing the note in my hand.

Then, turning his back to me, he began to walk down the dark corridor with trembling steps.

“This isn’t a good place for a conversation... Follow me; I’ll answer your questions.”

Despite his trembling as if he could collapse at any moment, his steps were unwavering in direction.

Before following him, I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and asked him the most pressing question.

“...Who?”

Why had the people in the sanctuary all turned into grotesque creatures, and what connection did the vampires and beastmen have with this place?

And why had he ventured into this place, only to end up in such a wretched state?

“Do you know who is behind all of this?”

I asked, hoping to confirm the mastermind behind it all.