Chapter 304

Chapter 304

The time he could maintain his sanity was getting shorter and shorter. When he opened his eyes, he was drowning in a sea of blood of unknown origin, and when he closed them, he was immersed in hellish thoughts. There was no escape, and it occurred to him that he might as well go completely insane.

He didnt know how many months had passed, and his sense of time was blurred. He had long since given up keeping track of the days. There was no point. There was nothing, really, nothing that mattered.

Its broken after all.

He blinked slowly through blood-stained eyelids. His pupils, glazed over with helplessness, captured the sword body broken in two. It was a greatsword purchased from a merchant for a small fortune. He thought it was a pretty solid one, even if it wasnt very promising.

Did it last about a week?

Even if he wanted to be gentle with it, when he woke up, the blade was already chipped. If he couldnt even control his own consciousness, how could he keep an eye on the condition of the greatsword?

Without hesitation, he threw the half-destroyed greatsword down, and instead of a dull clatter, there was a splash. A pool of blood, and around him a mountain of brutalized corpses of monsters. Occasionally, he could see the bodies of wild beasts.

Van walked slowly, looking at the gruesome scene with indifference.

* * *

I, I wont sell it to you.

The arms dealer, who had come out to greet his customers with enthusiasm, turned blue. He backed away as if frightened by Van, who was covered in blood, but refused to yield one of his greatswords. Vans impassive expression cracked in response.

Give it to me. I dont buy it to kill you.

Is that what you think you look like right now? I have my standards, even in business, and I will not sell weapons to a madman.

Im not crazy yet. Unless you really want to see something crazy, youd better get it out soon.

A snarling voice rang menacingly in the arms dealers ears. Each step Van took reeked of blood and gore. It looked as if he was about to slaughter a living man and drink his blood.

As he neared, Van nudged the arms dealers shoulder, and the man shuddered and jerked his body as if in a seizure. Without so much as a glance at the arms dealer, Van pushed past him and entered the shop.

His golden eyes scanned the weapons on display nonchalantly, until he spotted a greatsword. Grasping the thick handle, he pulled it out without permission. With his free hand, he fumbled with his pouch of money and turned away, just in time to see the arms dealer approach and snatch it from him.

Didnt, didnt you hear that I wouldnt sell it?!

Ill pay for it, Ill double it.

I dont need it! Get out of my store now!

.

Get out!

The arms dealers strength was formidable, but it was nothing compared to Vans. Van glared at the arms dealer as he tried to wrestle the greatsword from his grasp, not budging an inch. He watched the mans actions with a sort of indifference.

As the questions piled on top of each other, he slowly came to his senses. He could feel his muscles pulsing, smell the sickening stench of his own blood, and hear the clang of his greatsword as he swung it wildly.

He wondered what he was cutting down this time. Hed deliberately chosen an uninhabited forest. The forest was said to be haunted by monsters. In a place like this, no one would come, so he could rampage without fear. That was what he thought when he came to the place.

His vision flashed intermittently, clouded like a blood mist. His body refused to listen. He swung his sword frantically as if he were being controlled by something.

He could barely feel the sensation of slashing. Maybe it was just his body going on a rampage, even though there was nothing to kill.

He felt like a monster. No, he was already a monster. He should have been dead, but he wasnt. He couldnt figure out why.

Van.

He felt like he was really, truly going crazy. He heard voices, voices he didnt want to hear. But in the back of his mind, he knew he wanted to hear it again.

Van.

And then the old voice spoke again. It called his name over and over again as if to remind him of who he was.

Im sorry.

This was a line he never wanted to hear.

Im sorry, Van.

Something was wrong. His heart, which had been calm the entire time, began to race in contrast to his out-of-control body. He blinked rapidly. His vision cleared as if he had a mucous membrane.

He saw the greatsword. Blood dripped down its broad blade as it lay on the ground. And beside it lay a man, equally covered in blood. His sense of reality blurred. The sense of reality, which had never been there in the first place, scattered into the void as if it had fallen into space.

Im sorry. Im sorry for everything. So.

A trembling hand reached out, but it fell flat, touching nowhere. Tears flowed from his watery eyes like an overflow. They flowed without ceasing.

Please dont be hurt.

It was him. The man hed thought of a moment ago, the man hed missed and resented. Now, the man lay beneath him, covered in blood.

Why.

It was Cadel, and the moment he recognized him, all his senses sharpened, like loose nerves tightening. With a rush of breath, he slid off Cadels body like he was running away.

For the first time, he could see the world properly. It was still the forest, and the torn and tattered corpses of monsters littered the ground around him.

So this was real. But Cadel shouldnt be in his reality. Trembling eyes swept over Cadel on the ground. He was soaked in blood. Was it the blood of a monster? It had to be. It absolutely had to be. He had to have accidentally stepped in a puddle of blood and gotten covered in monster blood.

But then, his desperate gaze found the deep gash in Cadels side, the blood oozing madly from it. Vans eyes clouded over.