Chapter 372: End of the Summit [5]
[Angel of Sorrow: You were able to overcome the event.]
The all too familiar notification finally flashed before my very eyes. I was stunned by the sight of it, momentarily freezing on the spot as I stared blankly at it for a few seconds.
Then...
Finally collecting myself, I hastily looked around me before rushing back toward my apartment where I locked the door behind me.
Clank!
It was only when I was sure that I was alone that I sighed in relief and checked the remaining notifications.
[◆ Main Quest Activated: Angel of Sorrow]
: Character Progression + 377%
: Game Progression + 14%
Failure
: Calamity 1+ 22%
: Calamity 2 + 16%
: Calamity 3+15%
As expected, the awaited quest completion notification appeared right after.
'...So in the end, the quest was completed right after the entire tournament was over. It wasn't just about defeating the Angel of Sorrow.'
◆ Game Progression EXP + 14%
Game Progression: [0%-----[56%] ----100%]
The game bar increased shortly after.
It had now surpassed the halfway mark, meaning that I was now halfway through the game.
"I'm still not sure about what will happen once it reaches one h-Ukh!"
I was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation.
Hurriedly reaching out for my head, my head started to throb immensely. I wasn't sure about what was happening, but it felt as though someone was pounding my head with a sledgehammer.
This had never happened before and so I was a little thrown off.
'What the hell-!'
I staggered across the room, just barely keeping myself from falling thanks to the bed that stood by the side.
Feeling the soft mattress, I breathed heavily.
My mind was in a mess and I couldn't understand what was happening.
"Ukh...!"
It wasn't the pain that was bothering me.
In terms of pain, this wasn't anything I wasn't used to. In fact, it could be said that it was rather mild.
The problem was the fact that I couldn't breathe or see properly.
Every movement I made felt delayed, leaving faint after-images with every action, as if time itself had slowed. The sounds around me became eerily still, a faint ringing filling the silence.
I blinked my eyes slowly as my brain stopped functioning properly and the moment I opened my eyes again, a pair of legs appeared before me.
Tak-
They stopped right before me.
'Uh...?'
I was confused, touching my face as I slowly raised my head to see who the legs belonged to. Delilah perhaps...?
Yes, if she was watching then she might see my distress and help me.
I held onto that hope while raising my head.
But...
"Ah."
I felt the air get stripped away from me as an all too familiar face appeared before me. It wasn't Leon. It wasn't Delilah. It wasn't Atlas. It wasn't anyone but... myself.
As if gazing into a mirror, I found myself staring at my own reflection, looking back at me with a cold expression.
No... not cold. It felt more like one filled with an endless amount of emptiness and rage.
Right, rage.
Why was I...?
"You took it from me."
My reflection spoke. Its eyes turned hazy as his hand reached forward to grab my collar. I stared into his hazel eyes without doing much.
...I thought it was merely an illusion.
A hallucination of sorts.
But...
Grip.
Such thoughts left my body the moment his hands came gripping against my clothes, pulling
me closer to him.
That's when I finally snapped out of my haze and my mind cleared a bit.
'What in the...'
"Give it back to me."
He mumbled coldly, my spine tingling as I kept my face straight.
"You took what didn't belong to you. You know well that this isn't yours. Give it back to me."
"...."
I could hardly muster a word, staring back at Julien whose face started to twist.
My lack of response seemed to have triggered him.
"Give it back to me!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice booming through the room as his eyes flushed a
deep, angry red.
Grip!
His grip tightened.
"You took what is mine!! Do you think I'd just watch as you take everything that was supposed to belong to me?! Do you....!?"
He brought his face closer to me, his face twisting further. Despite everything, I kept my face
from changing.
I knew this was real.
....That this was no illusion.
The one standing before me was none other than the previous Julien. The one Leon knew...
and the one I had been trying to replicate for so long.
Why now...? Of all times, why did he suddenly show up now?
Wasn't he dead? Why was he...?
I had a lot of questions in my mind at that moment, but I kept them to myself and silently
locked my emotions.
"Say something!?"
His grip over my clothes tightened once more.
My mouth was dry, but with my emotions sealed, I could finally find my voice again.
"....What do you want me to say?"
His expression twisted further but before he could say anything else, I cut him off and
brought my hands up to grip his arms which were clenching my clothes.
"I'm sorry? Is that what you wanted to hear...?"
Julien looked a little taken aback.
He probably didn't expect me to say something like that. And he was right.
I wasn't sorry.
...Nor would I ever be.
"I'm not giving you the body back."
"........!"
Julien's expression changed, but I didn't care.
"It's now mine. I need it to achieve my goal. But I do feel sorry for you. Not because you're a
bad person or anything like that, but because..."
I lowered my head.
"...I was the one who took your body of all people."
"What does that...!?"
"It means that I'm not giving it back."
I gripped his wrists tightly, narrowing my eyes to stare back into his eyes. "Your body is a means for me to achieve my goal. A tool of sorts. Since I need it, I won't
discard it. No, I've grown used to this body. You died, and now you're nothing but a ghost
clinging to what you've already lost. I'm sorry."
I pulled his hands away from my collar.
He could hardly put up a resistance. There was a clear difference in our strengths.
"...But it's now mine."
Julien's face twisted upon hearing my words. But it was only for a brief moment before his
expression eased.
His eyes regained some sort of clarity as he shook his head.
"You fucker, you have no idea do you?"
He almost seemed to be gloating as he said this.
I frowned.
An idea of what?
"Ah, you don't..."
A smile suddenly appeared on Julien's face.
"Your body..."
His body suddenly started to grow faint as his smile grew wider.
"...You're slowly starting to lose control of it. The more you progress the more your control
ceases while mine increases. You think I'm a ghost?"
He laughed, his expression turning rather repulsive.
"I'm far from dead. I'm still present."
He snatched his hand away from me, pointing his finger directly at my chest. "Lingering within your body, I'm still here, patiently biding my time until I reclaim what is
rightfully mine. And when that time comes... I'll take back everything you stole from me-and
more!"
Julien laughed, his figure growing even hazier.
"Keep doing whatever you're doing. Whatever it is, it's helping me. I want you to keep that in
mind."
With the same repulsive smile, his figure slowly faded away from my view.
|||||
Even as he left, I remained standing where I was, unable to utter a single word.
What in the...
My heart was steady, but the locks in my mind weren't. They were rattling, on the verge of
shattering as I processed Julien's words.
Blinking my eyes, a notification appeared before me.
Game Progression: [0%-----[56%] ----100%]
"Fifty-six percent..."
My heart started to sink.
"...It can't be, right?"
I secretly swallowed my saliva, an idea forming in my mind as my entire body grew tense.
Julien's words kept repeating in my mind over and over again
'Keep doing whatever you're doing. Whatever it is, it's helping me. I want you to keep that in mind.'
Could it be a tactic to mess with my mind...?
I wasn't sure, but it sure as hell was working on me.
"Hoo."
Letting out a long breath, I brushed the thoughts aside. The situation was extremely problematic and I wanted to find out answers, but there was something else that was taking
my attention.
And that was...
Character Progression EXP + 377%
Exp: [0%???????[81%] -100%]
...The sudden increase in experience as a warm current flowed into my body, invading every
inch of it as my mind started to clear up and my mana surged.
I could feel my strength increase at a visible rate.
I couldn't get used to the feeling.
...It was euphoric.
Unfortunately, all good things came to an end. This too as the experience bar stopped
increasing after a certain point.
Level: 45 [Tier 4 Magician]
Exp: [0%-—-
[88%]-100%]
"....Halfway through tier 4."
I was only five levels away from finally reaching tier 5 and fully unlocking my domain. I knew
that my concept was still not fully completed, and I'd need more time, but I knew that it wouldn't be long before I'd be able to fully complete it.
By then, my strength would drastically increase.
I couldn't wait for that.
[◆ Active Main Quest: Prevent the Calamities from awakening or dying.]
Aoife K. Megrail : Slumber
: Progress - 7% Kiera Mylne: Slumber
: Progress 19% Evelyn J. Verlice: Slumber
: Progress 9%
-?[Julien D. Evenus]. —
The final notification appeared and I sighed in relief upon seeing that the 'calamity'
percentages were still low.
For now, I was doing well in this department.
...But for how long could I keep this up for?
Each quest was starting to become harder and harder for me to handle, and it became clear to
me that outside factors came into play when it came to increasing the percentage. Failing a mission wasn't the only factor that could increase the percentage... The thought stressed me, but I could only bury the feeling down and plan for my next steps.
Which were...
"Vacation."
Right.
"...I need a vacation."
Or just some time that I could use to focus on my curse magic and just train in peace.
I was both mentally and physically exhausted.
Though I liked to push my body to its limit, I had now reached such limits. Any more and I was
afraid of breaking.
"Huu."
Closing my eyes and canceling the spell that suppressed my emotions, I leaned back against
the bed and blankly stared at the ceiling.
"Two months..."
That was how much time I had left for myself.
"...I better make the most of it."
***
End of Volume [3]
Thank you for sticking until now. A short mass release will be held in six hours.
