CH 78

Why?

Ash thought.

Why the hell?

His hand was held tightly by a person next to him. He tried to wriggle and pull his arm, but the strenght that was holding his hand only became stronger. A strange warmth was felt through the palm of his hand.

When he sensed an abnormality in the shopping mall at Yongsan Station, the first thing Ash did was checking his mana.

[You are using Mana Saving Mode.]

[Mana recovery amount: 35%]

[Due to lack of mana, some spells may be out of control when used.]

He had recovered enough mana to kill a monster like that.

Just as he was about to release his magic, a soft hand stroked his forehead.

“Ash, I’ll be right back after seeing what’s going on. Wait here.”

She gave him a worried look, as if he’s a weak and young human being.

He has always thought it was annoying, but somehow it bothered him.

Once she finds out who he is, this human won’t pat him on the head or smile to him with that stupid face. She will be wary and afraid of him.

Just imagining it is very … he felt bad.

Maybe it’s because he thought about that.

[Magic control is unstable.]

“……!”

At this rate, the person next to him will be caught up in uncontrolled magic. Ash hastily pulled back his magic.

It can’t be helped. The only way left is to die. He made up his mind like that, but Ash couldn’t understand.

Why does this person make such a sad face?

Ash’s current body is not his real body.

Asmodeus, an incarnation formed by gathering magical powers of the primordial chaos, is also a small and fragile imperfect body due to lack of mana.

This dim-faced human seems to think of himself as just a ‘8th Grader Syndrome‘.

Since it was a word that was not in the Human World Knowledge (Basic) that was first downloaded, Ash did not know what the 8th Grader Syndrome. It is probably a rare disease that affects children of a certain age.

Back to the main idea. In fact, even if this body dies, he will return to the original primordial chaos and a new incarnation will be created. It is different from the extinction of real existence.

That’s why Ash himself didn’t feel much of a sense of crisis. He just intuited the expected end.

But why is this stupid-looking human being so desperate?

“Yoohyun-ssi, first … I need to take Ash to the store. It is safe there.”

“There’s a way.”

A man named Ki Yoohyun created a door in the air.

“It’s a door that forcibly breaks down the space. However, the area near the Dungeon Gate is inaccessible, so you have to walk from there.”

As soon as the space is broken, the attack will come, so he added that he will go with them.

“….I see.”

The usage is simple.

Without hesitation, Rieul grabbed Ash’s hand and opened the door. The surrounding black veil faded like a mirage.

The next moment, the stone wall of the Great Dungeon Abyss appeared red in the evening sunset.

Normally, it would have been a very beautiful sight. However, straight away, black monsters poured down from the Gate in the sky.

The monsters rushed in with a strange cry. Monsters that have crossed over from the Otherworld Gate, brought in by The Faceless One. There is no easy way. They’re wandering endlessly in search of food.

That food is himself. It’s an incarnation created out of primordial chaos. They won’t stop until they have swallowed Ash.

“……!”

Recognizing the existence of Ash, a black monster suddenly began to run fast.

The dark-eyed man quickly used his skill, and a net of light stretched out and caught the monster.

“Run. I’ll take care of these.”

“……I got it! Ash, hold my hand.”

That dark-eyed man probably hated him.

He smelled of white light. A person who uses the power of the Spinner in Darkness would have quickly seen through his identity.

In fact, this man glanced at his information right away with a cold expression on their first meeting.

And yet why….

The clasped hands did not lose any strength. She still held him tight and pulled him in.

He’s sure that she already knew. At least, the fact that he’s not a young and weak person.

Still, why is she so desperate?

Thud! A monster appeared from the opposite side of the direction they were running.

The arrow that flew in stopped him from rushing towards Ash.

“…… you!”

They were the twins he had met before. One of the twins shouted at Rieul, who turned around.

“Eonni, hurry up and go!”

Rieul, who briefly looked worried, held Ash’s hand again and ran. She opened the door of Cafe Rieul and shouted as she pushed his body in.

“Kwon Mieum, open the door!”

“Waeooong, waeoog (What are you talking about all of a sudden?! Whoa, what are those monsters)!”

“Kkyuu!”

The strange talking cat was startled. Next to her is a slime that always recites strange things. Even these cat and slime have never been afraid to him, an enemy.

“I don’t have time to talk. I granted permission to enter the space to the target, a part-timer at our house, Kim Ash!”

“Nyaaaa!”

A subtle light wrapped around his body, and soon there was a blue door on the wall leading to the space.

Rieul pushed Ash into the door as it was. However, she doesn’t come inside. Her hand that was holding him tightly fell off, and Ash’s hand scratched the air.

“Ash, listen.”

Beyond the door that was dazzled by the light and could not be clearly seen, Rieul grabbed Ash’s shoulder and whispered.

“It’s safe in here. No one will find you.”

A face stained with sweat and dust, but Rieul’s brown eyes, which are infinitely soft, were deeply captured in his eyes.

“You may be bored, but don’t ever come out and hang in there for just one day. I’ll be back soon, so just stay here until I come. Okay?”

“……Yes.”

He ended up not asking anything he wanted to ask, until the door closed and she was completely out of sight.

━ Why are you trying to save me?

Beneath the huge tree trunk, Ash hugged his knees and sat down. His warm hand is cold.

Somehow, he felt like crying.

It’s only then that he realized.

Even if he was just a piece of Incarnation that came out of chaos, “he” wanted to live.

***

[ 1. Protect the Incarnation

Hide the Target in a safe place: (Completed)]

As soon as the quest was over, the next quest appeared as if it had been waiting.

2. Find the Fragments of the imitation of ‘Shining Trapezohedron‘.

Fragments of the imitation of ‘Shining Trapezohedron‘ are hidden throughout the city.

The Gate Opening cannot be prevented unless all fragments are removed.

Find the fragments and destroy them completely.

When the Time Limit (04:31:22) has passed, the quest will fail.

Destroying the Fragments 0/5: (Incomplete)

Note: Coordinates 37°29’xx.4″N 127°00’xx.0″E]

When I safely hid Ash in the space and came back, I saw Ki Yoohyun following me.

First, let’s start by sharing information. I read the contents of the system window that appeared in front of me as it was to Ki Yoohyun.

“The system gives you such detailed instructions? I’ve never heard of that before …. No, I got it for now.”

“Do you have any more questions?”

“There’s a lot, but … I am not going to ask you now.”

It’s the same for me.

“Me too. For now, I’ll pretend I’m not curious.”

Ki Yoohyun suddenly appeared, and his abilities…….

The questions that filled my head were put away into a corner. It was more urgent to deal with this situation than to resolve the questions.

In such a dramatic way, a ‘let’s talk about it later’ alliance was born between Ki Yoohyun and me.

The only way to solve this situation is to destroy the fragments. There must be something called the fragment at the coordinates given by the system.

But how do you move to the coordinates?

While I was busy thinking about it, Ki Yoohyun took out an item that looked like a scroll.

“It’s teleportation scroll.”

It’s originally illegal to use it in the city, but since it is an emergency now, it’s okay’s fine, he added.

“It’s hard to move to a place I’ve never visited just by coordinate values. It could be a dangerous place. If you tell me the coordinates, I’ll use the teleportation magic.”

“Umh, Yoohyun-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“Do you mind if I come with you? I don’t know what will happen.”

“That’s all right. I’m curious about the quest, and I’m also worried about Rieul-ssi.”

“……thank you.”

As soon as I tore the scroll, light wrapped around my body, and I felt as if my spirit was being sucked into something.

We arrived at an ordinary playground.

There was no need to worry about how to find the fragment in this wide place. This is because Ki Yoohyun quickly found it with his white light net. That skill is very convenient.

What came out was a star-shaped ornament. Is this a fragment of the Tra-something?

[Item: Fragment of the imitation of Shining Trapezohedron (☆☆☆☆☆)

It’s an imitation, but the effect is certain.

It strengthens the power of The Faceless One.]

As soon as I held the fragment in my hand, a notification window popped up.

I applied force, but it doesn’t break easily.

“Rieul-ssi, use the ring you’re wearing now.”

“Ring? …. Do you mean this?”

Ki Yoohyun pointed to the Cthugha’s ring in my hand.

Was this such a great thing? I used it almost exclusively for coffee roasting. I was skeptical and tried it.

Hyuurr.

As I concentrated my mind, the rising flame burned the fragment. It became completely white ash and the fragment crumbled.

….you were right, this ring is really great.

Immediately, the new coordinates were updated on the quest window. It’s probably the location of the next fragment.

“Then, let’s go to the next location!”