ITETP Chapter 117

It was a pitch-black, boundless sea. Carl Windsor had jumped in there with a bomb.

 

“Dana.”

 

As she stood there, stunned, Rumie placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“It’s okay. He’ll be alright.”

 

But his words of comfort didn’t reach her.

 

Dana knew the power of that bomb. It completely destroyed this massive cruise ship… The Daiana, as grand as a palace. This ship, made of steel, was swept away and destroyed by that explosion. Surviving that explosion is impossible.

 

Dana knew it with her foresight, having clearly seen the future. The power of that explosion—

 

Ah. Right.

 

Yes, foresight. Today, her foresight had awakened, allowing her to glimpse the future. So, as always, that power must still linger within her body. Which meant…

 

So, as always, that power must still be lingering in my body.

 

Show me. The future of Carl five minutes from now. What happens to Carl Windsor when the bomb goes off. Right now, hurry!

 

The moment she wished for it, darkness crashed down upon her. This blackness filled her vision entirely. Already accustomed to it, Dana observed the future.

 

The place was at the pitch-black depths of the sea. Carl Windsor had dived far below, swimming deeper and deeper, endlessly downward.

 

Dana was horrified when she checked the bomb he was holding. There were ten seconds left. No, nine seconds left!

 

Ten seconds left.

 

Hurry, throw the bomb!

 

Wasn’t it said that letting go of the bomb would detonate it? Perhaps that’s why he seemed intent on stalling for as long as possible.

 

There were seven seconds left. But Carl still swam gracefully, diving even deeper.

 

Dana grew anxious, wanting to shout in his ear. Throw it and get away, now!

 

Six seconds left.

 

Hurry, quickly!

 

Five seconds left.

 

Quickly, throw it already!

 

Four seconds left.

 

At that moment, Carl checked the bomb again.

 

Three seconds left.

 

Throw it!

 

Finally, he swings his arm wide.

 

Two seconds left.

 

Get away!

 

The bomb sank ever so slowly, descending into the depths.

 

One second left.

 

Hurry!

 

At that moment, Carl turned upward. As he moved his limbs to swim, it happened.

 

Zero seconds left.

 

Flash. A blinding light swept across the seabed. The silent explosion engulfed Carl Windsor’s body in an instant—And Dana saw it. His hair violently whipped, his skin shredded as if peeling away, and he was swept away by the explosion.

 

No.

 

His exposed red muscles were stripped away, revealing white bones laid bare, and his round eyeballs protruded—

 

“No!” A scream burst out from her lips.

 

Dana collapsed onto the deck. Bang!

 

“Dana, are you okay?”

 

A hand reached out to help her up. But Dana remained sprawled on the deck, gasping for breath. Sweat that had gathered on her forehead dripped onto the deck.

 

It was horrifying. She felt like throwing up.

 

“Dana, are you okay?”

 

At that moment, Dana clamped her mouth shut. A wave of nausea surged up.

 

“Aah.”

 

Only after she let it out did she realize it wasn’t nausea. It was a groan, or maybe a sob, or perhaps a scream. She didn’t know. But one thing was clear. Carl Windsor’s face was grotesquely distorted. That he would die so horribly. That was the only undeniable truth.

 

* * *

She didn’t know how much time had passed since.

 

“Send out the search party so we can find uncle’s body when it surfaces.”

 

Mechanically, Dana did what needed to be done.

 

“And gather the crew to take care of the bodies on the deck.”

 

Carl Windsor had vanished into the sea around 10PM. Time has passed since then. Dana waited and waited. Tick-tock. The sound of secondhand echoed in her ears like a hallucination.

 

“I’m sorry. We couldn’t find him.”

 

Around 3 AM, the crew who had gone out on the lifeboat for the search returned.

 

“I see.”

 

There was no point in ordering further searches. Even the freezing wind had turned the crew’s lips blue.

 

“You’ve done well. Go back and rest for now.”

 

After sending everyone away, Dana slumped onto a bench on the deck. For a while, she stared blankly at the sea, then checked her pocket watch. It was already 5 AM.

 

All the passengers aboard the cruise ship were already asleep. Once the dawn broke, chaos would erupt. Because Carl Windsor was dead.

 

Sandra is going to lose it. Her beloved husband died overnight. Thinking about it made a bitter laugh escape her.

 

Carl died so meaninglessly. That monstrous man—gone just like this?

 

How could this happen? Making such a sacrifice was so out of character for him. He was trash. A terrible person who even planned to kill her to take her fortune!

 

B*stard.

 

Slowly, anger began to boil inside her. She resented Carl Windsor. How could he brush her off without a moment’s hesitation? After putting in so much effort to take her fortune and then just give it up?

 

I shouldn’t have let him go like that.

 

She should have forcibly grabbed and cut off his fingers. No—she should’ve done it sooner. His fingers should have been cut off a long time ago. There was no need to wait until she became the deputy head. She should’ve taken any means necessary to cut off his fingers—or kill him to steal the relic!

 

Then what do I do now?

 

Once her fiery rage subsided, overwhelming despair rushed in.

 

What should I do? There’s no way to leave this world now.

 

She had lost the holy relic. The only key to escaping this world was gone.

 

Does this mean I have to live in this world forever? Waiting 99 years for the dimensional gate to open, as Raios had said, stuck here with the hypocrites who had deceived her and living in a body that wasn’t even hers? That thought made her dizzy.

 

Overwhelmed by the horror, Dana clasped her hands together without realizing it. She whispered with her eyes tightly shut. “God, please.”

 

Please, just one more chance. Please.

 

“Please, save Carl Windsor.”

 

If God returned him to her, she would make sure of it this time. That she would take the holy relic, even if she had to kill him. So, please.

 

“Please bring him back to me…”

 

But it was hopeless. Carl had died in that explosion, taking the holy relic with him. And she was trapped in this world forever.

 

As she thought that, tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. The moment Dana wished she could cry,

 

“Dana?”

 

Dana’s eyes flew open.

 

“Why are you sitting there like that?”

 

Before she knew it, the sun had risen. The blazing light of dawn pierced the horizon, flooding her vision. But Dana couldn’t close her eyes.

 

“Ah. Sorry. I lost my clothes.”

 

The sight before her was overwhelming. Dana couldn’t tear her eyes away. The man’s wet, naked body glistened smoothly in the first rays of dawn.

 

“Sorry, but could you hand me that cloak? It’s a bit embarrassing.” With a wry smile, he extended a hand toward her.

 

Dana stared blankly at the man.

 

“Dana?”

 

It was Carl, sweeping back his wet platinum hair, standing stark naked with dripping water on the deck. She couldn’t believe it.

 

“Dana, the cloak…”

 

She had seen all his skin gruesomely peel away. Even she had seen his cheekbones, and his eyes popping out. But now, Carl’s body was whole and complete. No, his condition was perfect. He looked like a god in male form.

 

In the increasingly intense sunlight, Carl’s magnificent physique shimmered with a golden glow. It was a breathtakingly awe-inspiring and beautiful sight.

 

Was it out of surprise? Dana’s grip loosened, and the cloak she was holding fell away. Carl reached out to grab it and casually wrapped it around his waist.

 

“Thanks. Sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sig—ah.”

 

Carl stopped speaking. It was because Dana suddenly rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

 

It’s really Carl.

 

Dana hurriedly ran her hands over his back, shoulders, and waist. The slick, wet, muscular body. This firmness. This smoothness. It was real. Everything was real. He had come back alive.

 

“I was so worried!” A wave of reality hit Dana, and she felt like she was about to cry. “Do you know how worried I was? I really thought you were dead. I thought Uncle was gone forever!” Still clutching him, Dana mumbled over and over. She didn’t know what was happening, but anything was fine.

 

Carl—and her relic had appeared. Dana lifted his hand and pressed it against her cheek. The cold touch of the relic brought a tidal wave of relief.

 

“Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness…”

 

Ah, she was saved. Her relic was safe. She could still leave this world. The only key to leaving this world was still here.

 

“Dana.” Then, Carl, who had been staring at her, asked. “Were you worried about me?”

 

Is that even a question? Dana replied with a hint of resentment. “Of course! I really thought I’d lost you forever!”

 

“Were you sad?”

 

“Do you even need to ask? I thought I’d die from sadness!”

 

“Do you like me?”

 

What is he talking about? Dana looked up at him with wet eyes, displeased. Then she flinched in surprise.

 

Carl was gazing at her quietly with a serious, almost frighteningly serious, expression. He smiled slightly with just his lips.

 

“Do you like me?”

---

Hi, now you can purchase 10 advance chapters in here.