Chapter 25 - The Hidden Piece Ruins My Life (2)
It was an unfamiliar ceiling.
Navy blue.
No, a space closer to purple.
A surprisingly high ceiling and a hard floor.
More than anything, the bluish corpse sprawled out next to me was impressive…
"Aargh, f*ck!"
A curse escaped me.
To think the first thing I saw upon waking was a corpse.
I almost fainted again.
Anyway, thanks to the bluish shock therapy, the events before I fainted came flooding back.
A thick, jet-black energy was emanating from around me.
An energy different from the blue mana I was used to.
But though its color was black, it didn't feel damp or gloomy.
Moreover, its power was hard to describe in words.
The corpse of Aron, sprawled next to me, was cleanly sliced through, right down to the hard spine.
"You bastard. You must have had regrets. Couldn't even close your eyes."
I dutifully closed his eyes… just kidding.
I stomped on Aron's head with glee.
When I remembered I had almost died because of this bastard, my heart still pounded.
No, actually, there was another reason my heart was pounding.
The sword from that moment.
I still didn't fully understand it, but it had a power that made me tremble.
"Did I really do that?"
—Strictly speaking, it was this body that did it.
"Ugh, you scared me."
—A calm mind is the foundation of an assassin. Stop being so surprised.
The nagging made me regain a sense of calm I never knew I had.
This thing, for a sword, it sure lectures a lot.
A dagger that controls my body at will and even lectures me. At this point, I was bound to get curious.
"What the hell are you?"
—Hehe, you mean this body? It is only natural to be curious about this body. Hehehe.
A thought that I shouldn't have asked rose to the top of my head.
—I am the pinnacle of all assassins, the god of assassins. Kal Adun.
"Oh, is that so?"
—Why is your reaction like this?
"It's ridiculous. You're just a human butcher, what do you mean, a god."
—Are you not an assassin yourself?
"I'm a little different. Anyway, if you're a god, why are you stuck in a sword?"
—Because this body was too strong.
"The cause and effect don't really add up, do they?"
—But it is the truth. Because I was too strong, I incurred the jealousy of the gods. The Great Goddess, who feared me, divided me into several pieces and sealed me away.
"What. Then, you're not a god, but just one of a god's pieces?"
—To be precise, yes. But the fact that even that piece is a god does not change.
"Right. A god weaker than the goddess."
No matter how much of a hidden piece it was, there was no way it would just give me the power of a god for free. It was more reasonable to think of it as a piece of a god.
In any case, this piece of a god was not only stronger than me but also had the ability to show me the way.
'More important are my skills…'
I immediately checked my skills. The skills I had tried to use last night but couldn't. That memory was not wrong. Even now, I couldn't check my level, let alone my skills.
"Why isn't it working?"
—Are you looking for the goddess's blessing?
"Do you know something?"
—Of course. I am the one who severed that blessing.
"Excuse me? What did you say, you crazy bastard?"
—Did I not say it before? The goddess, those goddamn beings betrayed and sealed me. There is no reason to leave behind that filthy power.
"You son of a bitch, it's not yours, it's mine, who gave you the right to get rid of it? And what's with you being so confident after cutting off someone's livelihood?"
—Do not worry. Now that you have met me, you will be able to obtain a power that cannot be compared to the goddess's blessing. The power to kill a god if you wish to kill a god, and the power to kill the Demon King if you wish to kill the Demon King.
"Yeah, says the one who lost to the goddess even with that power."
—You wretch!
It seemed the goddess was a trigger for this guy. If that's the case, I should press it as much as I can. I'm in an unfair position too.
"Whatever, just give me back my abilities. Or I'll melt you in a furnace."
—Impossible. I am an expert in the art of killing. Reverting or reviving things is not my specialty.
"..."
This bastard wasn't the god of assassination, but the god of shamelessness. Ah, did he assassinate his conscience too?
—To repeat, you will not regret this. I am the pinnacle of assassins, a god. Kal Adun. If you follow my teachings, you can become a being stronger than anyone else.
This seemed to be Kal Adun's sales pitch. Forcibly take over the body, show off some great power, and then draw them to his side.
But not a chance. After all I've done, to throw it all away and start from scratch. I refused to do such a foolish thing.
"I guess I'll have to go see Elder Carrotina. To ask for the goddess's power back."
—Kahat! Kahahahaha! Kahahahahaha!
I almost collapsed again. Laughter that boomed inside my head. It was beyond unpleasant.
"Can you stop laughing?"
—Is it not funny? Go and beg all you want. Let's see how they treat you, who has awakened the power they sealed out of fear. You'll be lucky if they don't kill you. Kehehe.
It was a bizarre thing. To feel emotion from a dagger. But it was a feeling so strong that I couldn't possibly think it was a misunderstanding.
"What kind of bullshit is that? The goddess was the one who told me where you were sealed in the first place."
—They must have found a way to undo the seal and destroy me completely. You were merely used.
"That can't be right. They're goddesses, for crying out loud, would they really do that to a person..."
—Is the victim not right before your eyes?
"..."
I had nothing to say. The blessing that disappeared as soon as he revived. The anger he showed at the same time. All of it made his story seem plausible.
"F-first, let's just check from a distance."
My talent is hiding, so if I use that, won't it work out somehow? But there was a crisis I had forgotten about due to the one that had just befallen me.
As soon as I left the Moon Shadow, a bell rang, fast and loud. Flames shot up from right below the lord's castle. It clearly meant that something had happened.
"Damn it!"
I immediately headed for the northern wall where Franc and Lizi had been. It must be a mistake. Surely nothing has happened. The execution is tomorrow, and there's no reason for anything to happen yet.
However, all misfortune has a way of visiting without any reason. The soldiers were attacking the refugee camp at the northern wall.
Their gleaming blades mercilessly cut down those who had no power to defend themselves. The adults who couldn't move became the first victims, and behind them, the kids who couldn't escape were fleeing in terror.
"Try and catch me! You bastards!"
It was Lizi. Lizi had made herself a decoy to lure the soldiers. The soldiers were smiling from ear to ear, as if on a fun hunt.
—Stop. There is more than one or two.
"Shut up."
It was the most irrational choice of my life.
I thought I had no love for humanity. I had never formed a bond with anyone, so how could I have such a noble emotion?
But the sight I was facing directly was different. The sight of someone I knew, someone I was even trying to help, on the verge of death right before my eyes made my eyes burn with fire.
I immediately killed the soldier who was about to stab Lizi. I had stabbed a human, but it didn't feel like I had stabbed a human.
The same sensation as when I stabbed a goblin. In my mind, these people were no different from monsters.
"Who's there!"
Before he could finish his sentence, another one was dead. The last of the soldiers who had swarmed in was cunning.
"P-please spare me. I was just following orders. Please..."
"You shouldn't have made that face."
The look of ecstasy that had colored his face was still vivid in my eyes.
—See, you do well even without the goddess's blessing.
'I said shut up.'
"Ah, mister..."
Lizi found me. As if I were something special. We had only known each other for a short time, and the time we had spent face to face was less than 30 minutes, yet upon seeing me, she shed tears of relief.
"It's okay, it'll be okay. Where are the other kids?"
"Most of them escaped. Thanks to you. But the adults and a few others..."
"Get a grip, Lizi. I know it's a tough situation, but you have to do it. You can, right? No, you can do this."
I held onto Lizi.
"Take the remaining kids and run. Go to Carroty Village, or anywhere. Go to a place where you can feel safe."
In this goddamn land, I didn't know a single safe place. To think I would be so powerless!
"Jin-woo! You're safe! We have to get out of here! The whole castle is coming to get us right now!"
It was Mosilian. She had many cuts here and there, but it seemed she had survived thanks to her sturdiness and agility.
Seeing Mosilian, my mind cleared up.
"Follow her. She's a genius when it comes to survival, so she'll be a help."
"What? What about you, Jin-woo!"
"I told you. I have something to do."
"No. I can't leave you. I'm your first companion, aren't I?"
"Says who, you brat."
This brat, it's not even the end, but she's getting all sentimental.
"I'm not going to die, so go on ahead. I can survive on my own. You know that, Mongshil-i."
"..."
"I'll count to three. If you're not gone by then, I'll stab you."
"I'm going! I'm going!"
Mosilian took something out from her side and threw it to me. It was a small, crimson jewel.
"That's from my mom! She gave it to me as a final gift when I left home. It's been passed down in our family for generations, so you must not lose it."
"You brat, you must have watched a few movies."
Mosilian took off. It seemed she knew exactly what she had to do in this situation.
And I knew what I had to do in this situation as well. I went back to the northern wall and cut down a soldier who was stabbing the corpses one by one.
"Stop!"
Just then, I heard a familiar voice. The silver, radiant armor, it was Gilbert.
"Why do you side with them!"
"And what right do you have to kill those kids?"
"An innocent person was killed today. A prison break and even murder! How can you say they are without sin?"
My heart sank. In other words, it was because of what I did… as if I'd think that. The bad guys are these people. Who attacked the kids without knowing the full story.
They were probably just looking for an excuse to attack.
"Cut the bullshit and come at me."
"Phew… my, my. It seems the hero of the goddess has been brainwashed by a wicked group. You will need to receive treatment from our church. Ah, are you no longer a hero of the goddess?"
"...!?"
—Why are you so surprised? A hero of the goddess is marked with a brand that anyone who believes in the goddess can recognize. Now that you no longer have it, those servants of the goddess can tell.
'You should have told me that sooner.'
One of the last resorts I had thought of when I stepped before them was the nameplate of a hero of the goddess. Because no matter what I did, they wouldn't be able to treat me carelessly.
But now that I knew that wouldn't work, there was only one thing I could believe in.
"Come at me, I'll show you what it means to fight an assassin."
Swoosh, I melted into the darkness.