Chapter 399

Chapter 399

Chapter 399

[Lee-kyung-ah.]

The chill from Dawon's absolute-zero cold expression gradually faded as he called out my name. The imposing presence of the unnamed entity surrounding him also became placid.

Only then did some of my courage return, so, in a cracked voice, I called out his name. "Dawon-ah."

Then, as if guided by my voice, Dawon-ie slowly landed on the ground.

His movements were silent, like a feather settling down; but for me, the fact that the Mage had planted his feet on the ground brought a strangely strong sense of relief. Because, just a moment ago, he felt otherworldly.

It was a feeling similar to encountering a monster in a dungeon. A completely different system or existencesomething belonging to a different world Something incomprehensible, unreachable

I was worried that Dawon-ie might turn into some inexplicable beinglike those monsters. I was keenly aware of this unease.

"Are you alright?" I inhaled a sharp breath as I approached the Mage. I wanted to touch him. The mere touch of his skin beneath my fingertips might reject that ominous feeling.

But, Dawon-ie just stared at me as I approached. His cold eyes were fixed on my wrist.

[He touched you again.]

"Huh?"

His words were not accompanied by a frown or any other change in expression. Unable to predict what would follow, I walked another half-step closer.

Plop!

At the same time, blood began to flow from both of Moon Issak's eyes.

"Arrghh!" Moon Issak screamed at the terrible pain of losing his eyes. I froze immediately; Dawon looked at my rigid self and quietly whispered

[How do you want me to kill him?]

Though he phrased it as a question, it was merely symbolic. He wasn't actually asking for my opinion. Eventually, he turned his head away when I remained silent.

Meanwhile, I saw Moon Issak's wrecked face with bloody tear tracks crossing his cheeks. The moment Dawon turned to look at the investigator, I could clearly see fear and horror on Moon Issak's face.

"G-Go away!" Using his mouththe only intact feature or appendage Moon Issak had, I heard a tremor in his voice that he couldn't hide.

[]

Dawon-ie silently glided to a stop in front of Moon Issakmirroring his movements from when he first landed on the ground. Then, the Mage raised his skeletal handbleached white bone after his skin had all been scorched awayand grabbed Moon Issak's neck. The investigator's face quickly turned purple even though it didn't seem like the Mage's grip was particularly strong. Moon Issak's blackened lips and eyes opened almost automatically.

"Choi Lee-kyung-ssi, something feels off. You should try to stop or dissuade Guildmaster-nim."

""

At that moment, Choi Kyung-sik approached me and quietly insinuated that I should intervene. I also felt the situation was strange, so I tried to step closer to Dawon-ie. However, just before my feet lifted off the ground, Moon Issak's scream echoed out; my nostrils smelled the metallic scent of blood.

"Knnngh.!" Moon Issak struggled and trembled in the Mage's hold. Dawon lifted his neck higher and higher until he suddenly bit the man in the nape of his neck.

I've seen Lackey bite the dead or near dead to turn them into Ghouls. However, Moon Issak was still alive, and Dawon-ie wasn't necessarily in his summoned form. Nevertheless, Moon Issak's neck swelled, expanding from the bite mark; soon, purple veins protruded from his skin.

"Gurgle!"

White bubbles began to form around the corners of Moon Issak's mouth. His eyes were rolled over into the back of his head, and only the whites were showing.

I felt something strangeneither liquid nor solidfilling my body. I bent over to spit or vomit it out, but whatever it was had already dug inside my stomach.

"Blergh!"

"Choi Lee-kyung-ssi!" A beat late, Choi Kyung-sik rushed to my side. However, the Alchemist also bounced off an invisible barrier. The shadow had peeled away from me and stood in front of Choi Kyung-sik, blocking his way. Unable to see the shadow, the young alchemist seemed flustered, "Damn it! What's in front of me?!"

"!"

I tried to inform Choi Kyungsik of the shadow's presence, but my voice would not come out; it felt like my neck and tongue had hardened.

When my eyes opened wide and I grabbed my throat, Choi Kyung-sik furrowed his brow, "Stay still for now, Choi Lee-kyung-ssi"

Fortunately, he immediately realized that something was wrong with me.

[Choi Kyung-sik.]

However, at that moment, my voice spilled out of the shadow's mouth. Choi Kyung-sik's eyes opened wide as he made eye contact with Dawon's shadow that had materialized in front of him.

The distorted surface of the shadow looked like bulging magmabubbles rising. The shadow, which looked like Seo Dawon until now, had changed to look like me in the blink of an eye.

Of course, from my point of view, the shadow didn't really have any substance and wasn't a solid presence, but.

"Choi Lee-kyung-ssi?" Choi Kyung-sik said, surprised. Perhaps to him, the shadow was a perfect clone of me.

Then, as soon as the shadow heard Choi Kyung-sik's words, it adopted a chilling smileeach corner of its mouth stretched wide, as if the smile was in danger of tearing apart the face. Then, it opened its gaping lips and gave a command' in my voice.

[The servant, Choi Kyung-sik,' will be exempt from summoning for 24 hours.]

"Wait!" Bewildered, Choi Kyung-sik tried to resist, but he vanished after the exemption was activated.

The shadow soon dribbled back beneath Dawon's feet, as if it were flowing water. I was both shocked and left cowering at such an unbelievable sight.

Thud!

However, Seo Dawon was also the one who quickly caught my stumbling self. He stared down at mesilent from shockwith an affable yet forlorn expression.

Though that expression was probably meant to deceive me, I still really wanted to rely on and trust him. I thought Perhaps there was an underlying reason for all thisOr perhaps the Mage wasn't in full control or he was acting against his will. But

"!"

My skin began to turn black from where Dawon was holding my body, and my body began to feel incredibly heavy.

I slowly sank towards the floor; at the same time, the shadow at Dawon's feet began to rise. The shape and color gradually began to take form, completing itselfas if it had absorbed my color.

[Dawon-ah.]

Finally, it,' which now looked exactly like me, stood by Dawon and spoke with my stolen voice. Astonished, I reached out; but, at that moment, I completely sank underground, as if I had been submerged in a lake.

However, as if I were standing at the opposite side of a transparent, glass wall, I could still observe Dawon and that shadow. The Mage nodded after coldly looking at my clone; the shadow then obediently opened its mouth.

[Summon all standby servants to my side.]

The Shadow used a command that even I was unfamiliar with. Every servant, except for the ones that had been exempted or reverse-summoned due to damagewas summoned to our location. I could only look on at the scene, eyes wide open.

TL: The chills

Sorry this is late guys, it's getting to conference season >.<