IBSSSCEA Chapter 78

Chapter 78

 

What should I say first? Where and how to begin?

As I hesitated, unable to speak easily, Choi Kkang-kang, who had been bubbling with anger, suddenly shouted:

“You…! Where on earth did you go until now…”

“I’m sorry!”

Honesty is the best policy, after all.

After throwing out that clean apology, I continued shouting to him, who looked dumbfounded:

“Actually, I tried to run away! I knew of a shelter only I knew about.”

Although I had convinced myself it would be okay, confessing the truth still made my heart race.

Looking at them focusing on me, I said with a nervous face:

“But, when I tried to go… I couldn’t bring myself to leave.”

My voice started trembling more and more.

“I, I don’t think I’m a psychopath after all. I mean, what I’m trying to say is…”

“Noah.”

As I started rambling in confusion, Baek Yi-heon gently called my name.

“Noah, calm down.”

Looking at his kind eyes, my churning heart settled a bit.

I finally mustered courage, clenched my fists, and shouted.

“Even though I’m like this… Even though I’m this selfish and lacking… Still.”

My heart was pounding hard.

I closed my eyes tight and shouted:

“If it’s okay, will you… accept me as a comrade?”

A moment of silence passed.

‘Why, why is everyone quiet?’

I trembled in fear, unable to open my eyes.

Did they become disappointed in me because of this incident?

Are they disgusted by the fact that I’ve been deceiving them all this time and even tried to run away alone?

My heart started pounding wildly.

Come to think of it, I only thought about whether to return or not, not whether they would accept me.

As if the floodgates had broken, tears started welling up in my eyes again.

‘Don’t, don’t cry.’

They’ll surely find it burdensome. I can’t do such a thing…

“Are you really an idiot?”

Just then, Choi Yu snapped irritably.

“Asking us to accept you as a comrade?”

“…Huh?”

I felt my heart sink and the blood drain from my face.

“If, if it’s too burdensome…”

“Then what have we been until now!”

Choi Yu lifted his chin as if exasperated and shouted loudly towards the sky.

Even the Ganghwa Island Awakened ones nearby flinched and looked this way.

“Comrade. It’s a wonderful word.”

Yu said in a gentle tone, smiling kindly.

“Sometimes friends, sometimes brothers-in-arms… and if needed, even family. That’s what that word can mean.”

“Noona! I like it too! That comrade thing!”

Sehun chimed in excitedly.

Choi Kkang-kang was still ranting, seemingly not having cooled down.

“This is really, really the last time! Got it? If you do this again, I’m just going back to Busan!”

“Noah.”

Just then, a soft voice was heard.

Turning to the side, I saw Baek Yi-heon, looking unusually gentle unlike his usual stoic self, patting my head and smiling slightly.

“Welcome back.”

Yes.

I have returned.

Shaking off all my anguish, back to my people.

The sun was already setting, dyeing the sky orange.

Feeling the cool breeze blowing from the distant sea, I smiled brightly at Baek Yi-heon with all my heart.

Perhaps, I thought, this might be the first time I’m smiling like this at ‘the human Baek Yi-heon’, not the protagonist or survival cheat key.

💎

Thump.

Something heavier than gravity pulled down Yi-heon’s heart.

He quickly placed his hand over his heart, feeling a sensation so intense it could be mistaken for pain.

‘This, this emotion is…’

A faint realization flashed through his mind.

‘Perhaps I… for Noah…’

It wasn’t just thinking of her as a comrade…

The feeling he had been trying to convince himself was mere camaraderie took shape, becoming a clear, single word approaching him.

It became two words he couldn’t bring himself to say to her, who was smiling so beautifully it hurt, calling herself his comrade…

Unable to contain his overflowing feelings, Yi-heon lifted his chin towards the sky.

The sunset dyeing the entire sky felt overwhelmingly intense.

💎

“Thirty-four casualties.”

In the village hall located in town.

Seo Jae-hyun, seated in the chief’s office, reported with a composed expression.

“Nine people have suffered fatal injuries that can’t be healed even with Heal.”

Depending on the healer’s level, generally, completely lost body parts couldn’t be treated.

It was the same principle as not being able to revive someone who had died.

“Still, it’s a miracle.”

Seo Jae-hyun said calmly.

“To be honest… I thought we were all going to be wiped out here on Ganghwa Island.”

He was in a cast, having suffered a major arm injury.

It was an accident where he nearly lost an arm, and he said he needed to rest for a while receiving healer treatment.

He bowed deeply to Noah despite his injured state.

“We owe you greatly. The debt of gratitude keeps growing.”

“It’s fine, really.”

Noah, who would have pretended to be nice in front of her companions before, waved her hand dismissively without pretense.

“I did it because I could. By the way, you said you captured a child named Rahab?”

“Yes. She’s currently imprisoned in a jail for awakened made by our craftsmen.”

Seo Jae-hyun nodded and answered.

“It’s a prison that blocks mana to prevent Awakened ones from escaping. We also conducted an Awakened detection test. …That child. She really is an avatar of an evil god.”

A heavy atmosphere fell over the office.

“But, surely such a young child… Is that even possible?”

“Well…”

Noah, who had been deep in thought with a grave expression, stood up and answered.

“We have no choice but to ask her directly.”

💎

The prison for Awakened ones was in the basement of the village hall.

A small iron cage, barely big enough to hold one person.

Rahab was sitting inside with her legs stretched out confidently.

Meeting her vicious glare without avoiding it, I bent my knee.

“…Hello? We meet again.”

“Yes. You worthless human.”

Rahab sneered in response.

“So you couldn’t leave after all? How foolish. Humans are…”

“Shut up. You’re in no position to talk, defeated and imprisoned by humans.”

“……”

At my rebuke, Rahab glared at me even more fiercely.

So what? What are you going to do if you are trapped in there?

Brushing off her gaze nonchalantly, I murmured lowly.

“I have many questions for you.”

Rahab turned her head away abruptly.

Her tightly closed small mouth strongly indicated her unwillingness to answer willingly.

I glanced briefly at my companions behind me.

Then, without bothering to lower my voice, I asked boldly.

“Yoo Hyun-min. He became an avatar of an evil god, didn’t he?”

“……”

“Offering human sacrifices would have been nothing to him.”

I continued speaking dryly, as if talking about a stranger.

The fact that that man is my father.

Those memories of him smiling and patting my head with his large hand until I was seven.

I’m going to forget it all now.

‘I’ve decided to protect my people.’

So, I no longer have a father.

“Answer me. What kind of evil god did he contract with…?”

However, Rahab replied with a sardonic smile.

“If I don’t answer, are you going to torture me?”

When neither I nor the others could respond, Rahab burst into laughter.

“That’s right! You can’t! Torture this tiny human body!”

So that’s how you want to play it.

It’s not like we naively expected her to answer willingly from the start anyway.

Instead of answering, I silently tossed a small object through the iron bars.

“This is…?”

“It’s the ‘Mirror of Covenant’.”

💎

Thank you for reading! ♡