Chapter 1201. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle (21)

It felt like I was left alone in the vast open sea, sinking continuously with nothing but my consciousness remaining. Actually, I was indeed sinking. Obviously, my voice wouldn’t come out. It was like someone was choking me, but strangely, I couldn't feel anything.

‘Uh...’

I wasn’t sure if I couldn’t see or if my surroundings were just dark, but there was only darkness around me. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it felt like I was drifting through space. I was slowly sinking, drifting, or being swept away.

I had no idea where I was or what kind of situation I was in, but strangely enough, one question kept repeating in my head.

‘Who... am I?’

I couldn’t remember anything, nor could I feel anything, but one strange question remained in my mind. Although it felt as if disappearing like this was the role given to me, my unconscious mind sought out my identity.

‘What was it...’

What was it...

Of course, even that awareness was growing faint.

It was slipping back into the void as if it was returning to complete nothingness.

It was like it was telling me that this was the law of this place. Even the concept of

me

was gradually fading away. As if shrouded in mist, everything became blurry. It was gradually sinking deeper... and deeper... and then.

'Yeah, that's right.'

‘It might’ve been nothing.’

‘...’

‘...’

‘...’

Darkness...

‘...’

‘...’

‘...’

And then I heard a voice.

[You said you would accept my apology. I was just feeling unwell yesterday. Stop talking nonsense and head inside. This is embarrassing...]

[

Hmph.

]

[Actually, I want to talk about today’s expedition.]

Even though it was supposed to be impossible for me to hear these voices, I could hear them. I felt like I could finally close my eyes, but the annoying voice was making me feel irritated.

[The objective of the Elf Queen Elena Dungeon is clearing her garden. Obviously, the things growing in her garden aren’t ordinary plants. It appears to be made up of all sorts of demonic plants. As you can tell from the size of her garden... it’s highly likely that it will be a far more intense battle than the previous ones.]

[It may be called a garden... but it’s basically a forest. Are they

all

demon plants?]

[Yeah, pretty much. Since the area was large, it was easy to collect samples. It’s not exactly a comforting situation, though...]

[How are the results?]

[Just like I expected, the plants are weak to holy power, Mr. William. Like... to an extreme degree. They melted beneath an average priest's holy power, so you can easily imagine how weak they are. To be honest...]

[Yes?]

[I think this stage was made for the priests. Since Elena is protecting and managing her plants so that they can grow again. The question is whether we can get rid of those plants faster than she can make them grow again. Making the priests use their holy powers to their limits is the key to clearing this dungeon.]

[

Hmm...

]

[The priests are going to be the ones who will open up the path. The strike team will attack the Elf Queen by using the path that the priests has opened up for them.]

[If the priests reach their limits with their holy power...]

[The strike team will become isolated and get wiped out. That’s why the rotations are important. The duration of the battle is unknown, but the longer it becomes, the more disadvantageous the battle will become for us.]

[

Hmm...

]

[The barrier is open. Is everything ready?]

I couldn’t really understand what they were talking about, but I felt like the voices were awakening my senses. Something was twitching. I focused on that sensation and realized that it was my finger.

‘Finger.’

I had it along with my legs, hands, and everything else.

I was certain I couldn’t see anything, but I could somehow "see" my surroundings. Everything was still dark, but I could "see" the objects scattered around me.

To be exact, those objects were humanoid figures.

There were a myriad of them, and they all looked the same.

They had the same face, hair, hands, feet, and body. They were rolling around like trash that sank to the bottom of the ocean, and I couldn’t understand what they were.

What were they and why were they here with me?

Just then, the figures disappeared one by one, as if they were one with the ocean from the very beginning. I didn’t know anything, but I felt disgusted by the sight.

When I unknowingly tried to move, something rolled again.

Same face...

‘The same face.’

Empty eyes...

‘Silent mouth.’

I had no idea what it was, but I assumed that it had nothing to do with me.

[Move! Move! Mr. Hyo-Yeol!]

[I know, damn it.]

[Miss Seon! Cast your holy power!]

[W-What do I do, sir?]

[Melody of Healing has no effect. Use your holy power... no, your Melody of Protection.]

[Damn it! What are the priests doing? Don’t they see that we've been isolated here?

Ahhhhh!

Hurry up and open the path! We’re all going to die!]

[Stay calm, kid.]

[How can I stay calm right now? I knew I had a bad feeling about this.]

[Be careful, Lee Ki-Young.]

[Mr. Lee Ki-Young!]

[I told you to be careful! Damn it!]

I could feel myself trembling.

‘It hurts.’

It felt like I had bumped into something...

‘It hurts...’

The ocean trembled once more, and with a

thud

, I saw the figures I had seen earlier.

Unlike earlier, when I couldn't think about it...

‘Ah... so that’s... me.’

They were all

me.

I realized it just then. I swept my gaze across the

things

that looked like pieces of meat. I wasn’t sure why I saw those figures as myself, but I was sure those were...

[Lee Ki-Young!!!]

[...]

[Damn it! Lee Ki-Young!!!]

People referred to as Lee Ki-Young.

Those things called "Lee Ki-Young" were tangled up and rolling around.

[

Argh!

]

It soon became clear that I was the only one capable of any thoughts.

These things were all empty shells, rolling around aimlessly after getting reset.

They weren’t moving, and their eyes were closed. They couldn't feel anything, and they weren't capable of thinking. Like puppets with their strings cut, they were waiting for the ocean to consume them.

‘I need to get out of here.’

My instincts were talking to me.

Everything was still uncertain, but there was one thing I was sure of at this moment.

I was going to die if I were to stay here. No, I was going to disappear. My instincts to survive sounded the alarm.

There was no reason for me to do anything else, so I forced myself to get up and swim through the figures.

I flailed and I felt myself drifting away.

I stopped moving as if I had bumped into something. Then, I shook my head and continued. When I felt something, I grabbed it. I saw a figure that was unlike any of the other things here.

Like a machine, it kept saying the same thing...

“Hyun-Sung,” the figure said.

“...”

“Yes, resist. Protect. This time...” it said.

‘Uh...’

“Hyun-Sung. Yes, resist. Protect. This time...” it repeated.

“...”

“Hyun-Sung. Yes, resist. Protect. This time...”

How come this thing was still here?

“Thanks, Hyun-Sung,” the figure said.

“...”

“Thanks, Hyun-Sung.”

I flailed my arms and felt myself floating away.

I kept seeing figures that were saying the same thing.

“Ha-Yan. Ha-Yan. Ha-Yan. Ha-Yan. Ha-Yan.”

“Hee-Ra noona...

Ack!

It hurts... it hurts! Hee-Ra noona...

Ack!

It hurts... it hurts!”

“I’m going to burn the temple down. I’m going to burn the temple down. I’m going to burn the temple down. I’m going to burn the temple down. I’m going to burn the temple down.”

“You pig! You pig! You pig!”

“Hyun-Sung, do you remember? Hyun-Sung, do you remember? Hyun-Sung, do you remember? Hyun-Sung, do you remember? Hyun-Sung, do you remember?”

“I probably didn’t pick you. We were created this way. I probably didn’t pick you. We were created this way.”

“I have to give those bastards credit for this, at least. I have to give those bastards credit for this, at least. I have to give those bastards credit for this, at least.”

“It’s the last. Tomorrow, I’ll forget about it again. It’s the last. Tomorrow, I’ll forget about it again.”

“You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? You’ll remember again, right? Again... again... again... continue... continue...”

“Come out, you bastard! Come out, you bastard! Come out, you bastard!”

“O Creator. O Creator. O Creator. O Creator.”

“The Red God of War promised. The Red God of War promised.”

Huge chunks of their bodies had vanished, so I couldn’t understand how they were talking, and they were so loud that I wanted to cover my eyes.

How were they even talking? How come they had yet to disappear?

Ah

. These figures existed in this sea, and they were the foundation of this sea of data.

“It’s... over now. It’s all... over. It’s... over now. It’s all... over. We did it, guys. We did it, guys. We’re free. We’re free. We’re free. We’re free.”

“We need resources. We need resources. We need resources.”

“This place will collapse someday. This place will collapse someday. This place will collapse someday.”

“Don’t go, Hye-Jin. Don’t go, Hye-Jin. Don’t go, Hye-Jin. Don’t go, Hye-Jin. Don’t go, Hye-Jin.”

'What are you saying? Who’s Hyun-Sung and Hye-Jin?'

I couldn’t understand anything, but I knew what I had to do.

[Wake up, Lee Ki-Young. Damn it.]

[

Ahhh!

Mr.Lee Ki-Young.]

I swam in the direction of the voice.

Eventually, I was running out of breath. It was so hard to breathe that I kept panting, but I grabbed my throat and moved my legs.

Just then, I saw a faint light. The farther I moved forward, the brighter the light became.

Beyond the bright light, I saw a familiar face.

[Lee Ki-Young, are you okay? I told you not to follow me.]

“We can overcome this situation. It’s a fair deal. We can overcome this situation. It’s a fair deal. We can overcome this situation. It’s a fair deal.”

“I beg of you with all my heart, please consider this trade, O Creator. I beg of you with all my heart, please consider this trade, O Creator.”

Uh

. And then.

“I’ll come back no matter what, Hyun-Sung. I’ll come back no matter what, Hyun-Sung. I’ll come back no matter what, Hyun-Sung.”

I extended my hand toward the light.

“I’ll go back no matter what.”

Pwaaaaah!