Necromancer Survival

Chapter 421

"Hyung-nim." A shadow quietly loomed from behind me while I was stricken with shock. Still horrified, I looked back. There stood Dawon, looking as if he was about to cry. He stared back at me.

Dawon glanced at my ragged clothing and messy hair. His face distorted as his gaze scanned down, but, even though his teeth were clenched, he still gently reached out with his hand. "Hyung-nim, don't think anything weird."

The Dawon who had given the cruel order to bring me back even if it meant cutting off my limbs, and the Dawon standing before me now, seemed like two entirely different people.

I forced the tension to leave my arm and pointed the dagger at Dawon.

When he saw the dagger pointed at him, Dawon finally spoke a bit fiercely, "Put it down. Now."

"…I'm sorry, Dawon-ah."

This world's Dawon had some similar traits to the real Dawon, so it felt like I was betraying the real Mage. My heart felt heavy.

However, if Dawon captured me, and I got a game over…

‘I won't be able to see him again.'

Though it was painful, I accelerated and buried myself into Dawon's arms. Despite the sudden attack, Dawon remained immobile. I basically jumped into the arms of a resistant, unrelenting child.

"……!"

And, when I pressed the blade gently to Dawon's stomach… I noticed something strange. My mouth flew open. Dawon hugged me tightly–the breath was knocked out of my lungs. His strength far exceeded that of a normal child.

"See."

"You…"

"Hyung-nim can't kill me." Dawon lifted his moist eyes and gripped my wrist.

He was right. My dagger could cut down ginormous monsters as if they were sheets of paper, but now I couldn't even cut through Dawon's clothes. I just uselessly pressed bluntly against him. Moreover, Dawon didn't stop there; he roughly twisted the wrist that held the dagger.

"Let me go…!"

"….."

Clatter–!

Unfortunately, the conflict ended in Dawon's one-sided victory. The dagger rolled onto the floor, and Dawon pushed me hard against the wall.

When the back of my head hit the wall with a thud, I screamed. My eyes shut tight, and my body was wracked with dry coughs, "Cough…"

"Hyung-nim. Hyung-nim, you're suffering from a disease."

Dawon kept me pinned to the wall and began to talk in a hypnotizing tone. "You’ve been tormented while creating the Shikigami, and now you’re suffering from strange delusions.”

At those words, I momentarily forgot about my excruciating headache and shouted, "…It's not some weird delusion. Let me go!"

Dawon’s lips quivered as he listened to my words, and eventually, he burst into tears and cried out, "There's no other place than here! You can't run away!"

At the same time, Dawon's eyes began to turn violet. I didn't know what that meant, but the change was ominous.

I tried to resist, but, by then, Dawon had already done something to me.

‘My body… Actually–I can't even speak.'

In the end, I collapsed, unable to keep my balance.

Dawon gently helped me and leaned me against the wall. At that moment, I felt like I was going to lose my mind from fear. Even my eyelids were paralyzed, and I couldn't close them at will.

‘…Is it because of his eyes?'

Dawon's eyes still shimmered with a strange violet hue, and as I stared into them, I began to doubt whether I was even breathing of my own volition.

On the other hand, Dawon gently caressed my frightened face… and then lowered his head to kiss me. In his round face, I could see the older Dawon's dark-clad gaze. But now, there was a more violent undertone.

"I don't think you'll understand me at this point."

"……"

"But soon, once we're married…"

"……"

"All your confusion will be forgotten." Dawon said, as if he was trying to convince himself, rather than talking to me. Then, afterwards, a servant–who knows when it arrived–approached and politely held out a small basin.

Dawon wet the tip of his handkerchief and began to wipe my face. The lukewarm temperature felt startlingly uncomfortable. Of course, even at that moment, I couldn't even shiver, as I hadn't been ‘given permission.'

However, Dawon continued to ‘care' for me. He wiped my collarbone carefully and threw the stained handkerchief into the basin; then, he dressed me in the long, dark clothes the servants handed him. He placed a silk band–a blindfold–over my wide-open eyes.

After blocking my view, he coldly commanded the servant, "Sprinkle the red jade in the bathtub. I'll wash him, so don't touch him. Take good care of Hyung-nim while I go run some errands. And let me know immediately if he wakes up. Just go ring that useless bell you've got around your neck."

Jingle, Jingle–!

I heard the jingle of the bell when the servant nodded its head.

And, Dawon was definitely…

Clap–!

He clapped.

That's the last thing I remembered.

* * *

"Gasp…!" I floundered and woke with a start; the air felt suffocating. However, even after I opened my eyes, my confusion continued.

"This is…?" I clearly had regained consciousness after meeting Dawon on the second floor; when I had opened my eyes, though, I found myself in a bath full of hazy steam. I was already submerged in the bath.

"Hyung-nim, doesn't your bruise hurt?"

"Ack!"

Moreover, Dawon was there, casually at my side. Fortunately, it didn't seem like I was naked; thin fabric covered my body. However, that didn't make this situation any less uncomfortable or awkward.

I viciously pushed Dawon's hand–which was touching my bare forearm–away. "G-Get away! What are you doing?!"

"……."

Dawon stared at his hand for a moment when I hit it away, but his silence didn't last long. He raised his head again and smiled, "You've gotten incredibly dirty and hurt yourself. I've brought you here, in the bathroom, so you can freshen yourself and relieve your fatigue."

"What are you plotting…? You know as well, I…Mmmph!"

But, as soon as I tried to tell Dawon about the [Vengeful Ghost Memory], I suddenly found myself speechless, and all my strength drained away. It seemed like the same method that had been used to make me lose consciousness earlier.

Dawon embraced my now pale body, scooped some water with a lotus leaf that had been floating in the bath, and began pouring water over my body. I naturally slumped against Dawon's shoulder, and he carefully held me.

"Hyung-nim. You've been suffering from delusions for several years. As to what caused it… I already know. You've become sick because of me."

"…You…" Fortunately, my voice wasn't blocked this time. However, I was still unable to move.

Dawon-ie stroked my face as he pleased and kissed me again. Though the contact was quite intimate, the emotions behind his action were so unclear. I was frightened.

Looking down at me forlornly, Dawon said, "I… You were afraid because a paltry imitation Hyung-nim made surpassed you, right?"

"……"

"So, I wanted to take care of Hyung-nim for the rest of my life–without betraying you. I even wanted to marry you, but… You kept refusing me. You didn't have faith in my feelings."

"….."

“You still don't trust in them at all."

Of course, I didn’t. I had the real Dawon. But, despite his childlike appearance, there was a deep sense of loneliness and pain emanating from Dawon's eyes.

I couldn't help but sigh after seeing his face. ‘Why does he have to have *his* face?'

This question popped into my mind a dozen times in this memory, and, once more, this unbidden question lingered in my thoughts. After a certain point, Dawon–the lovable and loving Dawon–became my biggest obstacle in these [Vengeful Ghost Memories].

Actually, I could vaguely guess at the cause for this phenomenon. [Vengeful Ghost Memories] are realms created from our consciousness; ultimately, I was being tested by forces borrowing the appearance of one I love the most: Dawon. To summarize, Dawon was my weakness. So, even if I shouldn't feel resentful…

‘So evil… Damn it.'

The frustration made my insides boil.

However, I couldn't just sit around like this. I closed my eyes tightly before opening them and making eye contact with Dawon.

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Dawon, whose pupils were outlined in a soft purple glow, smiled damply when our eyes met.

I pushed down my fear and asked, "…When is the wedding?"

"Tomorrow, at midnight." Dawon replied obediently before placing small, fragrant stones atop my body. Then, he began to rub my skin with those stones. A nose-piercing rosy scent wafted from its smooth surface.

"……"

"After midnight tomorrow, you can be calm and happy again." Dawon murmured, clearly anticipating the coming day. But, those words meant something different to me–that was the final deadline for this [Vengeful Ghost Memory].

I took a deep breath and called out, "Dawon-ah."

"…Yes, Hyung-nim?"

"I get it. I'll be your bride."

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TL: Sorry I"m being so slow you guys! I'm so so busy lately–especially since it's the start of the semester.