Chapter 1146: A Slightly Early Timing (4)

I watched as Lim Chae-Ryeong collapsed to the ground while spitting out blood.

“

Ah…

”

“...”

“

Cough, cough…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong coughed.

It was like time had slowed down to a snail's pace, and I watched as she fell to the ground in slow motion. As soon as the sword lodged in her chest was removed, blood immediately flowed out of the wound and from her mouth.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was having a hard time talking.

At first, she looked at her chest in disbelief, but upon realizing what had happened to her, she actually became… calm. It was like her face was saying, “This is the end for me. This is the end of my adventure.”

I thought I needed to stay calm… and be more composed during times like this, but how could a gentle soul like me remain composed?

Ignoring the screams around me, I immediately ran to Lim Chae-Ryeong.

Raymond had to have anticipated my unexpected behavior, as he immediately led the party members toward Lim Chae-Ryeong.

There was nothing more idiotic than a rearguard breaking the formation.

If Grandpa Bolt hadn't been watching my back, I would have gotten stabbed as well.

The silver-haired angel created some distance between us, and the party members immediately surrounded Lim Chae-Ryeong. Nam Goong-Seon, the member who had spent the most time with her, was the most shocked out of all of us.

“Chae-Ryeong… Chae-Ryeong… Chae-Ryeong…!” Nam Goong-Seon mumbled.

“U-Unni… unni…

cough

,” Lim Chae-Ryeong muttered.

“Chae-Ryeong…

heuk

… wait a little longer. I’ll—” Nam Goong-Seong paused.

“A-Am I… going to d-die?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“No… you’re not. I’m going to cast holy magic…”

‘But you’re out.’

She ran out of holy power a while ago.

She was doing her best to cast a spell, but the wound showed no signs of recovery.

“I’ll treat you soon. So… so… wait just a little longer…

heuk… heuuuk…

” she cried.

“U-Unni…

cough, cough…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong coughed again.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young… Chae-Ryeong… please help her,” Lim Chae-Ryeong begged.

There was nothing I could do other than hold her hand.

‘The holy power… isn’t working.’

The demonic energy imbued in the silver-haired angel’s sword was pushing out the holy power. I was pouring holy power into her while wearing the halo of light, but Lim Chae-Ryeong’s body showed no signs of recovery.

She was actually deteriorating rapidly. It was like the holy power had become poison, and she couldn't stop spitting out black blood. I couldn’t understand it, and I started to panic at the sight of it.

I cast spells nonstop, and my hands started shaking, which was unlike me. Without realizing it, I started crying, and I started imagining things I didn’t want to imagine.

I didn’t want to admit it, but a part of me was telling me that I couldn’t save Lim Chae-Ryeong.

‘You can’t save her…’

'This is… This is…'

Had she noticed the despair written on my face?

“Please… please…” Nam Goong-Seon begged.

“...”

“Don’t give up. Please… Miss Chae-Ryeong,” I begged.

Lim Chae-Ryeong’s eyes turned to Nam Goong-Seon.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“Unni… d-did I do well? Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“

Heuk… heuuuk…

” Nam Goong-Seon sobbed.

“I-I did well… this time, right? I did good… this time… right?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“...”

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young… I-I did well, right?

Cough… cough…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked again.

I was sure she was thinking about Party Two's role. No matter how many times I think about it, I couldn't say that she had done the right thing. How could I when I hadn't given her any order to break the formation?

“Y-Yes…” I answered.

“I was… a little helpful… this time, right?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“I-I-I think… I was… a little more helpful… I-I feel like I can do better now…” Lim Chae-Ryeong mumbled.

Perhaps it was because of my tears, but my vision became blurry.

I was certain that we weren’t that close, so why… why was I crying so much?

Why was I so sad?

“

Heuk… heuk…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong cried.

“You just did something unnecessary,” Woo Hyo-Yeol commented.

‘This asshole. He’s so heartless.’

“W-Was… that really… unnecessary—”

“But,” Woo Hyo-Yeol interrupted her.

“...”

“It wasn’t… bad,” Woo Hyo-Yeol continued.

“

He… hehe…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong giggled.

Lim Chae-Ryeong was frowning, but she did her best to smile.

Woo Hyo-Yeol looked upset. He knelt down, which was unlike him, and patted her head.

This was probably the most he could do to comfort her.

Lim Chae-Ryeong raised her hand weakly and placed it on his face, astonishing him.

Lim Chae-Ryeong said, “I… I landed a hit.

He… hehe

.”

“...”

‘Chae-Ryeong… damn it… I didn’t think you’d take it this far.’

“I landed a hit…

heh…

” Lim Chae-Ryeong repeated.

“...”

“Wish…” Lim Chae-Ryeong mumbled.

“...”

“Wi… sh…” Lim Chae-Ryeong repeated.

“...”

“W-Win…” Lim Chae-Ryeong stuttered.

“...”

“Take care of…

cough

… unni for me…” Lim Chae-Ryeong requested.

“...”

“And… And… s-smile… from time… to time.

Heh

… smile… even if… you’re in… a bad mood,” Lim Chae-Ryeong said.

“...”

'Woo Hyo-Yeol’s shoulders aren’t even shaking, damn it.'

Was Lim Chae-Ryeong’s attack not enough to melt Woo Hyo-Yeol’s cold heart? Had I made the wrong choice? Perhaps the timing wasn’t just a bit early; it could be

too

early.

‘I used it too fast.’

I executed the comrade losing event a little too soon.

If I had given them more time to create a deeper bond, we would have made a memorable scene. Despite letting the characters control the flow of the story to create the best outcome, not a single tear dropped from Woo Hyo-Yeol’s eyes.

He wasn't feeling sentimental, either. He was actually talking calmly as if he wasn’t being affected by this.

'Not bad? That's all you have to say? Is this jerk even human?'

How could he wear the mask of a human and act so indifferent about another person’s death?

He was probably the demon here instead of the Demon King of Sunset, Kim Hyun-Sung. He actually placed her hand down carefully and stood up. The way he looked down on the dying Lim Chae-Ryeong made him look like a psychopath.

Lim Chae-Ryeong added, “

Heh… hehe…

See? Y-You look…”

“...”

“

Heh… cough…

”

‘Hyo-Yeol.’

“

Heh…

handsome when you smile…” Lim Chae-Ryeong continued.

‘Did you… smile for her?’

“

Heuk… heuuuk…

Chae-Ryeong. Chae-Ryeong!” Nam Goong-Seon called out.

‘Did you smile for Chae-Ryeong… because she's dying?’

I felt heartbroken because I couldn't see Woo Hyo-Yeol’s face.

How was he smiling that it put her in such a good mood?

“Chae-Ryeong…

ahh… ahhhhh!

Chae-Ryeong! Chae-Ryeooooong!” Nam Goong-Seon yelled.

“

Heuk… heuuuk… kgh…

”

Ah

, I should cry, too.'

“Miss Chae-Ryeong…

heuk

… Miss Chae-Ryeong…”

But she’s not dead.

“Miss Chae-Ryeong…

heuuuk…

don’t give up. Please… please hold out a little more… don’t give up,” I begged.

“...”

“Right now… I’m…”

I used my hands to put pressure on her wound. After realizing that I had a potion, I took it out, but I had a hard time removing the cap because my hand was shaking a lot.

My body wouldn't cooperate with me.

“Stop… it… Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” Nam Goong-Seon said.

I continued doing CPR in hopes that I could get her heart to beat again. I was covered in sweat, and there was blood all over my hands, but I could feel her heart slowing down.

“

Heuuuk…

stop… just stop it… Stooooop…

heuk… heuuuuuung…

Chae-Ryeong… Chae-Ryeoooong…

heuuuuuuung!

” Nam Goong-Seon cried.

“...”

“

Heuk… heuuuuk…

Chae-Ryeong… is dead. S-She’s dead…

heuuuk… ahhhh…

” Nam Goong-Seon sobbed.

“...”

‘What are you talking about? She’s not dead.’

Nam Goong-Seon’s face was covered in tears, and it seemed like No Dam-Hye wasn't used to witnessing deaths, as she kept staring at Lim Chae-Ryeong.

“Chae-Ryeong…

heuuuk…

I’m sorry… I’m… I’m sorry…

heuuuuung…

” Nam Goong-Seon cried out.

‘She’s not dead.’

Of course, the wound was fatal, and she was probably losing consciousness due to the blood loss, but I was sure that she was still alive. After all, the four siblings weren’t allowed to kill.

The attack hadn't pierced her heart and her vital organs. Thronus probably used a method that sealed or temporarily restricted her movements. If I were to leave her here, I was sure they would be able to save her.

‘See? Thronus is surprised as well.’

There was a reason those kids weren't attacking us.

‘They’re shocked as well.’

They had never swung their swords against human beings before.

They were raised in a kind environment, and they also grew up as humans on our continent, even though their mindset was ultimately different from humans. I felt like Thronus was breaking down mentally at the thought that he had probably killed a human being.

Actually, he was probably having a mental breakdown because I was crying, but I’d like to think that it was the former.

“Don’t panic, Thro,” Cherubim said.

“...”

“Just think about our mission. Our mission is to find Father,” Cherubim added.

“Okay, Cheru,” Thronus said.

“Let’s get Father,” Cherubim said.

When the kids were about to make their move again…

“

Ahhhh!!!

”

A giant beam of light abruptly engulfed us.

I whipped around and saw Nam Goong-Seon with her hands clasped together. She had just unleashed something impossible to unleash with her talent and strength. It was a power that I couldn’t understand, but when I saw that light…

When I clapped my Mind’s Eye on that light, I instantly understood.

“

Aaaaaah!!!

” Nam Goong-Seon screamed.

Nam Goong-Seon had poured out everything she had. It was a once-in-a-lifetime miraculous ability that could achieve just about everything.

“...”

“...”

It was a spell passed down by the priests of Rohen like an urban legend.

The chance of her spell succeeding was extremely low, and there weren’t any stories or evidence that it was actually working.

It was nothing but a prayer to the gods.

She would give herself up as an offering and pray that the god she was worshiping would fulfill her wish. That was it—a self-sacrifice spell.

Considering how selfish the higher-ups were, it was like a wish for euthanasia in their eyes—a wish for a peaceful demise.

‘Goong-Seon… I mean, Seon… it's you?’

“Miss Nam Goong-Seon…?” I muttered.

“...”

‘You're the one who’s dying?’

“Miss Seon…” I mumbled.

It was an unpredictable drama. At this point, I had no idea who was going to get booted off the show. All I could do was look helplessly at the radiant light that pervaded the room.

I felt helpless.

‘I-I’m not… a genius… I’m not a genius commander… I’m not… the Saint of Flower and Fertility…’