Chương 158: Chapter 148-Chosen Guilt

Death. She's an old friend of mine. I've seen her so many times over the course of my life. My mother. My first friend on the streets. The old man who never missed a day to give me shit. Death is everywhere. My mother used to tell me that Death isn't someone to be afraid of. She isn't the cause of Death; She just is Death. A comforting presence to ferry you from this world to the next. Even then… it fucking sucks to see her. I don't want to see her. I'm tired of seeing her. Sorry, Death, but not fucking today.

Stay the fuck over there, and we'll stay over here. A nice distant relationship.

"Can you explain to me again how you found him?" Professor Stargazer asks as she looks down at me.

"Random chance. I was out buying some stuff, and some homeless people pointed me to him. They must've recognized the uniform," I [Lie].

"Are you sure that's all you want to tell me?"

"Is he okay?" Professor Stargazer lets out a long sigh.

"He's lucky you found him when you did. Any later and he might not have made it."

"So, he's okay?"

"The healers said that he lost a lot of blood. They healed what they could, but he's not waking up. They believe it's his body's response to the trauma."

"When will he wake up?"

"They don't know. It could be hours. It could be days. It could be that he died and his soul has already left his body. Whatever he was doing… It is dangerous," she says with a knowing look.

"I know," I say as I watch Ilota's chest rise and fall ever so softly.

"I'll leave you for now. Get some rest and let us hope for some good news in the morning," she says, putting her hand on my shoulder. The door to the room closes with a thud. Left alone with the silence, I take a deep breath. I told him to be careful. I told him that the Purists would be looking for him. He said he would be okay. Why isn't he okay? Gods fucking damn it! I knew I shouldn't have involved him.

"He knew what he was getting into. He wanted to help," Blue says.

"I should've stopped him. I knew how dangerous these Purists are."

"So did he, but that boy has passion. Nothing you would've done could've stopped him. I've seen it before. Young warriors who wish to fight for the safety of their families. Nothing you say gets past those thick skulls because they can only see one path before them. Their path. The only thing you can do is make sure you're with them if they stumble," Blue explains.

"That's the thing, Blue. I wasn't there."

"You were there when it mattered. He's alive because of you. Don't sully his determination with your guilt."

"... You're right. This isn't a time to be wallowing in guilt. There's work to be done." As I go to stand, the door opens, and one of the nurses walks in.

"Apologies. I came to change his bandages."

"No worries," I say as I watch her spin a magical quill between her fingers.

"Vashrin, that's her," Yellow says with a hint of anger. Leech Dagger in hand, I [Throw] it between her hand and Ilota.

"Don't touch a hair on his head, Prideborn."

"Ah, that's no fun. Let me guess. Hofrin~?" she asks as her skin shimmers to reveal her true form.

"Careful, Vashrin. You may be good at getting under people's skin, but she's in a whole other league," Yellow warns as Prideborn looks down at the sword.

"You almost killed him."

"Hofrin? Oh no, I did kill him. He was such a bore~."

"You know who I mean."

"Oh, you're talking about him~?" she asks as she gestures at Ilota.

"Don't play dumb with me," I say as I watch her spin a silver dagger.

"Honestly, I could care less about him. The only reason I even know who he is is because of you. My children, on the other hand, are much more sensitive about those who poke into our business~."

"What's your connection with those Purists anyway?" I ask as I watch her move to the window.

"They're my children. Well, not really, but I created them. The movement I mean. Before me, they were a bunch of bumbling fools without an ounce of legitimacy to them, but look at them now. They span three continents, they've infiltrated governments and nobility, and their influence is rising. With each passing day, they grow larger and stronger. Like a cancer hiding in plain sight. How beautiful, don't you think~?" she asks with a toothy grin.

"You think this is beautiful? They hurt people. They kill people. They're monsters!" I say, letting a hint of anger out. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"And aren't they wonderful, my little monsters?"

"What are you even doing here?" I ask, hiding my disgust.

"I wanted to warn you. If you get involved with my children, they will kill you. I'd rather they not, but they have a mind of their own. You understand, don't you~?" she asks, walking to the door.

"Don't worry. I'll stay alive long enough to watch you lose our game," I say with a cocky tone.

"So much fun. I hope that's true. Stay alive long enough for me to kill you, Chosen One~," she says, leaving the room.

"How many [Levels] would I need to fight her?"

"More than you could safely get. Listen, Vashrin, the way to beat her isn't through brute force. I tried that already. Everything I threw at her didn't even leave a scratch. It's the same for Orange and Red," Yellow warns.

"He's telling the truth, CJ. No matter the [Skill] or the attack, she was seemingly untouched. We believed ourselves to be the strongest, but she proved us wrong. Do not make the same mistake," Pink says as politely as ever.

"Okay, I get it. Don't fight the unbeatable Demon. I have other problems to deal with anyway," I say as I glance at Ilota and notice something odd. Something is sticking out of his closed hand. Walking over, I gently open his hand to find a folded-up piece of paper. As I unfold it, I realize that it's a page from a notebook. This must be from the one he's always writing in. Vulix-Dead. Zurik-Dead. Douglas-Missing? Carina-Alive! Wait a minute. These are the names of the possible survivors.

Does this mean that Ilota found Carina? Wait, wait, wait. If he found her, then that must be who the Purists are looking for. It's smart that he didn't write down where she lives, but how am I supposed to find her before they do? … Actually, I may have an idea. Penelope taps me on the forehead, breaking me out of my focus.

"Can I help you, Penelope?"

"Are you okay, Charlatan?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You're more serious than usual. I heard what happened to Ilota. Does it have to do with him?"

"No. I just want to focus on [Leveling Up]. Can't exactly let you take the lead every time, right?" I [Lie] as I look over at the end of the treeline. Penelope gives me a strange look.

"Okay. Hopper, you hear anything?" Hopper hops down from a nearby tree.

"Yeah, I think I hear a Wyvern not too far from here. Probably best if we steer clear until it leaves." Penelope nods.

"It's a shame, but a Wyvern's a Wyvern."

"What if we used this to our advantage?" I ask as I scan the mountains.

"What do you mean?" Hopper asks with a hint of curiosity.

"That Wyvern you hear is probably scaring everything in the area. What if we set up a trap or funnel nearby and use the Wyvern to herd some of the nearby creatures into it?" I ask as I take in the enormity of the Ravclin Mountains. Penelope gives me a shocked look.

"You want to use the Wyvern as a herding dog?"

"It's not the worst idea," Hopper says as he sneakily takes a bite of a carrot.

"If worst comes to worst, the funnel should slow them down enough for us to run away."

"It's not the worst idea. The creatures that are too strong for us won't even budge an inch, while the weaker ones will run for the hills, or rather, us. Just one small problem. Somebody has to get the Wyvern moving. Who exactly is going to do that?" she asks as she stares through me.

"I'll do it."

"Hopper's faster. He can do it."

"I can?" Penelope shoots him a glare.

"Better yet, I can do it. I can take a hit if the need arises and I have [Step]."

"I'm the only one who can get its attention, and you know I have the best chance of pulling this off," I say with a determined look.

"I still don't want you doing it," she says without backing down.

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"Why are you being so bullheaded?" Hopper stands between us with a worried smile.

"Okay. How about we let this weird tension go and maybe take a deep breath?"

"This has something to do with Ilota, doesn't it? I saw you guys talking earlier in the week with hushed tones. What were the two of you up to?" Penelope asks.

"Or we can just get right back into it without acknowledging me."

"That's really none of your business, and weren't you the one who was insistent on us [Leveling Up] more? I thought you would be all ears for my plan. What happened? Get a little scared?" I [Taunt]. Hopper throws his hands up.

"I swear it's like talking to two brick walls."

"And weren't you the one who told me to be careful and levelheaded when making decisions that could get somebody killed? You know that includes yourself, right?" she asks, throwing my own words back at me.

"... I'm sorry. You're… I… You're right. It's probably best if Hopper does it." Penelope gives me a worried look.

"Good. We're in agreement then. Hopper will get the Wyverns attention."

"Whoa! How did we come to this? I didn't agree to anything."

"You're the fastest, and you have [Hide]. You're our best bet," Penelope explains.

"Okay, I suppose- Down!" Hopper yells. Without hesitation, we hit the ground. The moment we do, the treeline above us is shredded as a Giant Worm crashes through it. The ground shakes as a Giant that puts the trees to shame walks right past us. With a swing of his club, he bludgeons the creature to death, sending a strong draft past us. Frozen still, I watch as the Giant drags its prey back towards the mountains.

"It's gone," Hopper says.

"Okay. We may need to rethink the plan," I say as I shake the fear out of me.

"You think?"