Chapter 290

Chapter 290

‘Something’s off...’

Normally, Caron used the window as if it were the front door, so coming through the window wasn’t particularly strange.

But today, there was one thing different.

Caron had crawled in on all fours, like a dog.

Thud!

He even tripped over the window sill and fell, failing to land properly. It was more like he tumbled forward.

And there was the overwhelming stench of alcohol. This could only mean one thing.

‘Is he... drunk?’

No way.

Caron was the Empire’s rat! He was supposed to be a terrifying character!

At that moment, Caron, lying on the floor, pointed at me and shouted.

“You insolent brat... stand up straight! Don’t lie on the floor!”

...Sir, you’re the one lying on the floor, not me!

This confirmed that Caron was drunk.

And heavily so. Completely out of it.

I handed him a glass of water and grumbled.

“Keke, drinking at a time like this. Are you giving up on Luna?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I was forced to drink with a bad adult.”

“A bad adult?”

“Yes, the worst adult in this world. Hehe! You better watch out too.”

...What on earth is he talking about? This drunkard.

Caron downed the glass of water in one go and leaned heavily against the wall, breathing hard.

A 8-star knight, getting drunk in a situation akin to war. The world really is ending.

‘Is he distressed because Luna is hurt?’

It wasn’t exactly strange. Caron cherished Luna to a suspicious degree.

Caron’s body swayed as he closed his eyes. He really looked like a typical drunk.

Maybe I could punch him now and get away with it?

How many times had he called me an insolent brat and knocked me on the head?

Yes, I should use this opportunity to give Caron a taste of his own medicine. A little payback!

Just as I raised my fist over Caron’s head.

“Ugh!”

I couldn’t help but scream. Caron suddenly stood up.

Was he pretending to be drunk to see what I would do?

Setting a trap like this, as expected of Caron. No, of a bad adult.

‘You cunning bastard!’

As I flailed my arms to block Caron’s potential strike.

Thud, thud.

“...?”

Caron passed me by and stood next to Luna’s bed.

Then, he took something out of his pocket.

It was a small round container, about the size of a fist.

When Caron opened the lid, a pleasant aroma wafted out, filling the room.

Caron poured the contents of the small container into his palm.

A round, silver stone fell out.

The aroma was wonderful, but the shape was unusual. I immediately used the information window.

‘That’s...!’

[Sun Moon Soul Pill : S]

A legendary elixir said to revive the dead.

It can’t actually bring the dead back to life, but it can heal most injuries.

It has a curious property of making the user always smell pleasant.

Upon consumption, health recovery rate +500% for three days, mana recovery rate +500% for three days.

Level +3

Charm +10

All stats permanently increase by 10.

Health and mana recovery rates permanently increase by +100%.

In this game, there are consumable items called ‘elixirs’ that can permanently increase stats.

They are mostly given as rewards for dungeon exploration but can also be obtained through serendipity.

‘Just like now.’

The Sun Moon Soul Pill was an elixir I had never seen before, even as a seasoned player.

But I could tell it was extraordinary. Its stats were among the top five I had ever seen.

The stats focused on ‘recovery.’ If I gave this to Luna, she might wake up soon.

The problem was.

‘It looks really hard.’

It was an elixir, so it might not be as hard as a stone, but Luna wasn’t in a state to chew anything.

I couldn’t just ask her to wake up and eat this.

So the only option was...

‘He’ll have to feed it to her by mouth.’

Chew the elixir into small pieces that even a sleeping Luna could swallow, then feed it to her little by little.

Mouth to mouth.

‘A cliché. There are similar storylines in this game too...’

But Caron couldn’t do it. That would be criminal(?) behavior in many ways.

So, the only one left...

‘Is me?’

I noticed Luna’s lips. Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed, but now they looked small and cute.

They didn’t seem like the lips that had bitten me.

Promising to kill his student with his own hands. What a teacher.

Did Caron sense my displeasure? He chuckled.

“I confirmed Lizbeth’s existence. Stronger than I thought. Pure combat power-wise, the strongest I’ve met so far.”

“That much?”

“Yes. She had multiple demonic powers mixed in. The toughest enemy yet. Didn’t seem to use all his power either. Even when retreating, she used a mysterious force.”

Lizbeth’s escape was something even Adonis couldn’t stop. It wasn’t just spatial movement but ‘spacetime’ movement.

Adonis and Caron couldn’t have dealt with a technique that troubled even experienced players.

“What happened on your end?”

“...Didn’t you get the report from the rats?”

“It’s part of information gathering. And...”

Caron looked at Luna lying on the bed and continued.

“I don’t blame you. I just want to hear what happened.”

The night in Carpathia was long. I slowly told Caron what happened.

The demon attacks starting from Area 1.

The children’s efforts and the continuous battles.

The appearance of the high-ranking demon Benius after killing Mabelga.

Dwener’s performance and how Luna got critically injured.

I told him everything.

Was it just my imagination? Caron seemed pleased.

“Blood doesn’t lie.”

“Pardon?”

“It means it wasn’t your fault. It’s because Luna has strong blood. If anything, we should blame this side more.”

Caron looked at Luna and continued.

“That child... is the pride of the Lester family.”

I knew it, but Caron wasn’t normal either.

What’s so important about pride? More important than life? And even if it were.

“It doesn’t change the fact that Luna got hurt because of me.”

And this would keep happening.

Because of my mistakes. Because of my wrong judgments.

You shouldn’t get emotionally attached to characters. That’s the first rule for clearing the game.

But, strangely, it seemed impossible for me.

“In that case, maybe...”

Wouldn’t it be better to stop here? Leave Luna and the others and continue alone?

Wouldn’t that be the way for everyone to be happy?

Just as I was thinking that.

“Overthinking.”

“What?”

“It’s impossible to always make the right judgment. Especially in battles where you have to make decisions in real-time.”

“But...”

“No, how could you do what even I can’t? You’re still just a baby rat!”

“...I remember refusing the offer to become a rat.”

“Quiet!”

Whack!

Oh, come on! Stop hitting me!

“I didn’t go to save Luna either. I could have, but removing the erosion was the priority. In terms of proportion, it’s more my fault that Luna ended up like this.”

“...”

“Not running from a high-ranking demon and fighting it was an amazing feat in itself.”

“But...”

“Enough! You think too much. That’s your biggest problem.”

Sure, I had been thinking more than before.

I had been thrown into a world where I only had one life, but I was also in the best condition for success.

Of all my countless playthroughs, I was the strongest now at this stage.

Maybe that’s why. I wanted to do everything perfectly, and naturally, I thought more.

Had I developed some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder without realizing it?

“Those who always run toward their goals. They’re great people. But those people also need time to rest.”

Many people lived that way.

Living without realizing their body and mind were being worn out.

People who fall over unknowingly while running toward their goals.

“I don’t know what your goal is... but you haven’t lost that heart, have you?”

No way. It wasn’t a big flame like the first moment I was possessed, but it was still burning bright.

I was gathering fuel, logs to make a bigger fire than then.

Clearing this game. That’s my goal.

I had stumbled due to an unexpected event. But such a thing couldn’t extinguish my passion, my desire.

Yes, I will never give up on this game.

If I fall, I’ll get back up. If I collapse, I’ll push myself up from the ground.

Slowly, step by step. Moving forward. Until I clear this game.

To gather strength, or perhaps because I felt like I might cry at any moment.

I buried my head between my legs without realizing it.

Yes, Luna is just taking a break. She’ll soon get up and shake it off.

Let’s believe and wait patiently.

Until Luna.

Gets back on her feet.

–TL Notes–

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