Ch. 282 - Shadow Cast By The Wind (6)

Set in the Pung Empire, the inside of the gate appeared like a desolate, abandoned city with no people in sight.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely devoid of life. There were indeed presences within the Persona Gate.

Though they were not real people but NPCs. They moved according to predetermined stories and fates.

The lively chatter in the market irritated Hong Bi-Yeon, causing her to frown deeply.

It was the expression she wore when she was truly in a foul mood.

Normally, Baek Yu-Seol would tread carefully around her at such times, but today was different.

“Oh… It looks like this place is modeled after the scene from 150 years ago.”

“How do you know that?”

As Baek Yu-Seol observed the bustling market, Hong Bi-Yeon also glanced around. While she hadn't visited the Pung Empire often, the clothing styles and architecture seemed outdated compared to the present day.

"See that mask with the nine wheels? It was famously worn by an assassin around two centuries ago. He would kill corrupt aristocrats, steal their wealth, and give it to the poor. I guess to the people of that time, he was a kind of folk hero."

The strange mask with nine wheels painted on it could be seen everywhere, and some people were even wearing them.

Hong Bi-Yeon couldn’t understand what was so appealing about it, but she quickly realized that trying to grasp the foreign culture of 150 years ago was a futile endeavor.

“So, is this place called the ‘Legend of the Nine-Wheel Mask’ or something?”

“Not exactly. It’s just based on a novel. You know, like Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes….”

“Sherlock?”

“Forget it. Anyway, we don’t need to stay here, so let’s go.”

Once again, Baek Yu-Seol took hold of Hong Bi-Yeon’s hand and led her away.

The market was packed with people, and they could easily get separated in the crowd.

Though Baek Seol could use his spec to find her again, he decided it wasn’t worth wasting more time.

The artificial noise and the fake crowd no longer registered in Hong Bi-Heon’s ears. She had no desire to be bothered by anything fake.

According to some mages, even the NPCs in the Persona Gate could be actual living beings from another world, but that was just a theory.

Whether those entities were truly alive or not, she didn’t want to waste her time or energy on them.

After leaving the market, night suddenly fell, and a half-moon appeared in the sky.

This was a typical phenomenon in the Persona Gate—time and place would shift as the story transitioned from one to another.

For instance, when entering a tale about a werewolf transforming under a full moon, the scene would be set at night under a full moon.

Similarly, the story of the vigilante wearing the Nine-Wheel Mask took place in the bustling marketplace during broad daylight.

"Night stories are dangerous, so it's better to be careful. Don't get too reckless."

Although Baek Yu-Seol was already relying on his spec, which provided more accurate guidance than the Guideline Messages, he didn’t forget to warn Hong Bi-Yeon.

After all, in the original game, she was always one of the first characters to set off the death flag.

Usually, when he teased her like this, Hong Bi-Yeon would get angry and snap at him, which would ironically ease the tension. So, Baek Yu-Seol often provoked her in such situations to break the ice.

"... I'm not a child."

"Oh? Uh. Yeah. I know."

But this time, Hong Bi-Yeon just grumbled without giving him a hard time.

It was a response he wasn’t expecting. He had braced himself to get scolded, but instead, she only mumbled softly, which left him feeling awkward in a different way.

Baek Yu-Seol cautiously and deliberately progressed through the current story.

Baek Yuseol carefully moved through the current tale. It had the typical feel of a good-vs-evil children's folk tale, but when you looked deeper, there were often dangerous elements like tigers with intelligence, walking on two legs, disguising themselves, and even imitating human voices. He had to be cautious.

A powerful beast with human-level intelligence was more terrifying than one might imagine.

'What are those two doing?'

By the third day, Lu Deric was growing tired of following Baek Yu-Seol.

More than tired, he was actually getting bored. He hadn't expected that trailing behind his juniors would be this frustrating.

'Are they on a date or something. These damn kids...?'

By this point, Lu Deric was nearly certain. Whether Baek Yu-Seol was aware of it or not, Hong Bi-Yeon’s reactions were definitely unusual.

As a second-year in Class A, Lu Deric had been keeping an eye on the freshmen, especially Hong Bi-Yeon, who was quite famous. He had her studied her personality well.

‘Was the princess always like this?’

She was a master of delivering piercing words that aimed straight at the heart and stabbed sharper than a blade.

Despite possessing a face more beautiful than an angel and more innocent than a fairy, she wore a cynical smile and trampled on one's pride and ripped their soul apart with venomous language.

That was Hong Bi-Yeon Adolevit, the princess.

'Is that really Princess Hong Bi-Yeon?'

The Hong Bi-Yeon he knew appeared to have disappeared completely. The girl standing in front of him was just an ordinary, utterly normal girl.

“How does a duck tie its shoes?”

“I don’t care.”

“With a quack-knot!”

“Pfft. Hahahaha.”

Fwoosh!

However, as he watched the flaming ball of fire flying toward Baek Yu-Seol a moment later, Lu Deric quickly corrected his thoughts.

‘Hmm. I guess I was mistaken.’

That violent burst of flames reminded him that the Hong Bi-Yeon he knew had not disappeared after all.

How long had he been following Baek Yu-Seol?

After the moon had set and risen several times, they finally reached a place that could be called their destination.

‘So this is it.’

Lu Deric glanced at the Guideline Message and frowned. He hadn’t expected to reach the final destination so quickly or so smoothly.

It appeared like they had been flirting and wasting time, but looking at their progress, it was thorough, calculated, and flawless, leaving nothing to criticize.

'Well, what can I say...'

With a deep sigh, Lu Deric dropped the score sheets for Baek Yu-Seol and Hong Bi-Yeon.

At this point, continuing to look for a chance to intervene would only lead to self-deprecation.

———

It had been three days since Anella found herself trapped in this village. She was gradually realizing that for some unknown reason, she had been ensnared and could not leave.

‘It’s not a barrier nor is it an illusion.’

She was hiding in the bushes. On the edge like a squirrel, constantly scanning her surroundings.

Her appearance was a wreck.

Her clothes were torn to shreds, and her body was covered in small cuts, staining her with blood.

She had tried to tear what remained of her clothes to bind her wounds, but that only left her with less protection, which meant she would suffer even more injuries if she encountered the villagers again.

‘How can I get out of here?’

Her hair was soaked with cold sweat, making her incredibly uncomfortable, but that was the least of her concerns right now.

“There she is!”

“Check over there!”

“Damn it! Where did that vixen disappear to?”

“We’re out of time if we don’t find her by sunset! Hurry!”

The villagers were scouring the forest in a frenzy, looking for her.

Their movements were anything but ordinary.

Some were propelling themselves over great distances by summoning mana at their feet, while others were using their staffs to cast tracking spells on the ground.

Yet, despite witnessing this, Anella didn’t feel anything out of place.

‘Of course, it’s normal for farmers to use magic.’

Such strange logic had somehow taken root in her mind.

Sigh...

Why couldn’t she escape the village? She still hadn’t figured it out.

There was no sign of magical interference. If there had been, Anella would have sensed it immediately. After all, she was a dark mage and a master of mental manipulation.

‘It feels like the space itself is distorted.’

She had run straight toward the edge of the village, but somehow, every time she regained her senses, she found herself back in the village again.

She was trapped in a vicious cycle of escaping only to end up in the same place.

The number of villagers chasing her was around ten, and they were working in shifts of five at a time.

While they showed no signs of exhaustion, Anella was nearing her physical limits.

She hadn’t slept in three days, nor had she had a single sip of water.

Though, as a dark mage, she needed human blood more than food. If she wanted, she could simply grab one of the lone, unsuspecting farmers wandering nearby, snap their neck, and drink their blood.

It would be easy.

No matter how weakened she had become, Anella couldn't possibly lose to mere farmers.

Her perfect abilities allowed her to destroy the minds of humans, leaving their blood intact for her to consume.

If she could just replenish her strength, she wouldn't have to be chased by these insignificant humans.

’... But I don't want that.’

Her mouth was parched.

How long had it been since she last drank blood?

She had endured hunger and thirst for so long now. She didn’t want to start killing humans for such a trivial reason at this point.

’I am human.’

’I will become human.’

’I can hold on…’

The dark mages used to say that a dark mage starved of blood would lose control of their energy and become a mindless monster.

But Anella wasn’t like that.

She was far from losing herself to madness. She was thinking more clearly than ever.

’This is proof that I’m becoming human.’

Her trembling hand moved to her chest, where she had always clutched the charm given by Baek Yu-Seol. She offered prayers whenever she felt uneasy. But now, her hand grasped at emptiness.

’Oh…’

The talisman had been stolen by the witch, and she had lost track of its whereabouts. The emptiness she felt in its absence was overwhelming.

-Oh, how boring. Why are you just sitting there?

A sinister voice rang in her ears.

It was unmistakably the witch’s voice.

Anella jumped in fright, looking up just in time to see the tree she was hiding under snap and crash to the ground.

-If you're going to do it, do it right!

"Ugh—what?!"

Thud! Crash!

Anella tumbled clumsily, hitting trees and rocks before crashing to the ground, and in an instant, the villagers swarmed toward her.

“This way!!”

Anella staggered, trying to stand up, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed again.

She knew she couldn't stay there, so she gripped a nearby tree and forced herself to rise and run.

However, she was already exhausted, and it was impossible for her to run far.

Crack!

A blue magic circle formed in the air, sending a bolt of lightning that struck her body. Stones rose from the ground, binding her limbs.

After being hit by a barrage of water and fire magic, her body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

It was only then that the villagers—or rather, the first-year students of Stella Academy—stopped their assault.

"Finally... We caught her..."

"Ugh. That was so exhausting."

"This must be the 'forgotten myth' mentioned in the guideline message, right?"

"Yeah. The senior confirmed it."

The students cautiously approached Anella, who was bound by the stones and hanging limp. She appeared nothing like a human with black patches covering her body like a grotesque parody.

The sight of her made the students grimace with instinctive disgust.

"Should we kill it? It's so gross."

"What else are we going to do? Shake hands and make peace now?"

"If you're not up for it, step aside. I'll kill it and get some extra points."

"No way. I'll help too."

The students crept toward Anella, who appeared unconscious.

But as soon as her fingers twitched and her head gave a slight jerk, they all stepped back in unison.

"Scared, aren't you?"

"We backed off because of you!"

Embarrassed by the fact that they had been frightened by such a weakened creature, they turned on each other, venting their frustration.

"Let's just get this over with. I don't like this either."

"She might've been born a monster, but... It’s just a fake life anyway."

"Yeah. No need to let a fake creature ruin our mood."

Despite the words, none of the students dared to approach Anella. Finally, one male student from Class A rolled up his sleeves and approached her.

“Step aside, I'll do it myself.”

As he raised his staff above her head, ready to cast a spell—

“Your last chance~”

A chilling breeze swept by, and a small cut appeared on the boy’s arm, blood dripping to the ground.

“Ah!”

The pain caused him to retreat quickly, but the pool of blood remained on the ground.

'That sweet scent...’

Familiar, unsettling, but something she deeply craved.

Drawn to the scent of the blood, Anella involuntarily opened her eyes, gazing at the pool on the ground before her.

Just a slight tilt of her head, and it would be within her reach.

'Mage’s blood...’

It was a small amount, hardly a handful, but it was more than enough for Anella.

Enough to destroy the minds of every student here, enough to turn the entire village into ruin.

-You no longer have a choice~! If you're human, act human! If you're a dark mage, act like one! Everyone has their 'fated role.' But you... You were foolish enough to defy that fate.

-Now look at yourself, being trampled by humans who haven’t even lived 20 years. Do you understand the price of trying to defy destiny?

As the witch’s voice echoed in her mind, Anella felt herself sinking deeper into a daze.

-Accept your fate. What did Baek Yu-Seol tell you? Did he lure you with sweet words, telling you that you could change your destiny? You know those were lies, right? You're a dark mage. A stupid dark mage, only meant to be used!

Drip!

A drop of sweat mixed with the pool of blood. Anella’s gaze was fixed on it.

-Drink it. You have the potential to become a witch. If you drink it, I’ll share my blood with you. You won’t become human, but at least you’ll live a life far better than any dark mage.

The witch’s temptations invaded deep into Anella’s mind.

Human blood.

A witch's life.

After giving in to all those desires and pleasures, she could slaughter every human who tormented her right before her eyes.

■•Isn't it exhilarating, even just imagining it?

It was true.

Just thinking about it brought joy, excitement, and a pleasure that surged from deep within her heart.

And so, Anella...

"... Kill me."

She closed her eyes.

-What?

"I... No longer have a soul that can enjoy pleasure anymore..."

-Wait. What are you saying, child?

She was too exhausted, too worn out to chase after such pleasures anymore.

Her spirit was torn to shreds, and her soul was worn down. It could no longer find joy in anything.

If there was one last thing she wished for, it was to close her eyes as a human, even in her final moments.

'This is how I become human.'

After casting aside all the black temptations and embracing death.

'My dream will be fulfilled through death.'

That would be the most human end she could imagine, wouldn't it?

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