CHAPTER 87…………………………………………
Lloyd chuckled.
“Originally, I would have let you live until your final awakening, but you’ve been way too reckless. I’ll kill you quickly and seal you in the sanctuary. Just like those souls.”
“…….”
“Oh, and don’t forget the brainwashing.”
At first, I thought Lloyd was just a lunatic for openly declaring his plan. But now I realized it was because he had no fear.
He didn’t have the fear of death that everyone else had. Even if he died, he could just take someone else’s body immediately.
‘What kind of monster is this?’
The book I had been reading was a mature, tragic BL novel, but because of Lloyd, it felt like it had turned into a horror story with a terrifying final boss.
Cassius spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“I’ll stop him here, so Sonia, go take your trial.”
I heard him clearly, but I couldn’t believe his words, so I asked again.
“Excuse me?”
Cassius was seriously injured.
In that state, he couldn’t face that insane, unknown guy alone.
“If you’re worried about me, then finish your trial quickly.”
“Your Highness……”
Lloyd, as if reading Cassius’ thoughts with his ability, intervened.
“Wow, impressive resolve. Want me to tell you what the noble thinks?”
I glared at Lloyd, who was grinning vilely.
“Don’t bother if you don’t want to.”
He really was the worst.
I wanted to stop Lloyd’s plan no matter what it took.
To stop him, I needed the Healer Priest who had completed their final awakening.
I knew the answer, but I couldn’t move my feet easily.
“Sonia, please.”
At Cassius’ desperate voice, I moved my feet slightly, as if they had been glued to the floor.
But I didn’t have the courage to leave him behind, so I hesitated.
A blue light shimmered beside me.
Looks like another ghost was about to appear.
─It’s so noisy I came up, and it’s a complete mess here.
It was Lucius, who hadn’t shown up until now.
Lloyd, who had only been observing the situation, smiled broadly.
“Wow, Master. Long time no see?”
Lucius’ diary ended with him taking a member of the Magnus family as his disciple. That disciple turned out to be Lloyd.
‘Could it be that they’re in cahoots?’
I worried for a moment, but…
─Tch. Disgusting creature. Don’t act like you know me.
Judging by Lucius’ attitude, it seemed Lloyd was the only one happy to see him.
“Seeing that you recognize me, it seems your memory has returned.”
─Yes, I remember everything, even how your ability affected me.
From what Lucius said, it seemed he had broken free from Lloyd’s mental manipulation.
When Cassius’ blood fell to the floor, an alchemy symbol appeared.
It was slight, but some parts had turned black. That small crack seemed to have helped restore Lucius’ memory.
Lloyd, who had been smirking, looked at me and wiped the smile off his face completely.
“I’ll have to kill that Omega girl quickly and fix the alchemy installed here.”
Lloyd snapped his fingers, and the golem that had been crouching obediently sprang up like a spring.
My body alone was the target.
Bang!
The golem, leaping ferociously, hit the water barrier.
“Break through that barrier!”
At Lloyd’s shout, I saw the golem’s body start to change.
The moisture in the soil disappeared completely, and it seemed to harden further.
Cassius, clutching his shoulder and rising to his feet, reached toward the barrier.
The barrier that his hand touched grew larger and thicker, blocking the transformed golem’s attack.
A loud clang, as if sharp metals had collided, rang out.
Lucius, who had been observing, spoke.
─I came up here to take the Healer Priest to the trial site. If you stay here without awakening, you’ll only hinder rather than help.
“…….”
─Hurry and take your trial while the author’s power still lingers.
Yes, that’s true.
Lucius’ calm words pierced straight to the heart, and I instinctively bowed my head.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, water surged, and Lucius stepped back in surprise. He shouted toward Cassius.
─What are you doing?! The one to attack is him, not me!
“Don’t say things Sonia hates.”
─……
“Don’t force me either.”
─Is this the time to debate? You should focus on awakening as soon as possible! Hey! Stop that golem.
“I can easily block this much without instructions.”
Muttering, Cassius lightly pushed the barrier.
The massive barrier collapsed onto the golem.
The golem staggered upon hitting the thick wall and fell toward Lloyd.
“Tch!”
Clicking his tongue, Lloyd gestured, and the golem’s form collapsed, reverting to its original state.
The moisture-free soil swirled up, clouding vision.
Cassius, beside me, grabbed my hand and guided me.
“Now. Go to the trial site. I’ll handle the alchemy.”
“……You remember your promise, right?”
When we reached the entrance to the trial site, he let go of my hand.
By then, the dust had settled, and I could see Cassius’ expression.
He smiled at me and spoke.
“Yes, I remember. Don’t worry about collapsing here. Go on and take your trial. I’ll be waiting.”
A vague unease churned in my stomach.
I still couldn’t move my feet, but I couldn’t stay still either.
The only way both Cassius and I could survive was through final awakening.
“I’ll come back as quickly as possible. But if it’s impossible, run!”
“…….”
“If I feel it’s too dangerous, I’ll run alone. Got it?”
He smiled faintly.
“That’s very Sonia of you. Understood.”
I tore my gaze away from him and sprinted down the stairs into the underground.
I wanted to glance back at Cassius, but I focused straight ahead.
If I looked at him, I might stop in my tracks.
Cassius watched Sonia’s figure disappear into the deep darkness.
He wanted to share all her trials, but this was as far as he could go.
There were enemies he had to stop.
‘Magnus, please light her path.’
He prayed to the God and looked away.
Lloyd spoke, his voice full of annoyance.
“Ah, because of you, I lost the girl.”
Cassius, with all traces of a smile erased, glared at Lloyd.
He shrugged, unconcerned by the sharp killing intent.
“I have no intention of killing you. If you turn back now, I’ll let you go.”
“Nonsense.”
“Though I’m impressed by your resolve to die, if you oppose me, I won’t let you go. Turn back while you still have the chance.”
I could give my life for her, but I wouldn’t go down quietly.
That bastard had tried to kill Sonia countless times.
I could never forgive him.
First, I needed to stop my thoughts from drifting.
Cassius focused his ability.
His psychic ability naturally activated, but he had struggled since childhood to suppress it so others couldn’t read his mind.
Thanks to that, he could also prevent his own thoughts from leaking to others.
Lloyd’s smirk hardened.
“Tch, I tried to be nice since you’re my descendant, but you just don’t get it.”
Ignoring Lloyd’s muttering, Cassius made several plans.
The top priority was to deactivate the alchemy installed in the sanctuary.
‘The greater the cost, the stronger the alchemy’s effect.’
That was a fundamental rule of all alchemy, ancient or not.
Though I worried Sonia might fret, Cassius deliberately pricked his fingertips. The most effective way to deactivate the alchemy was actually with the blood flowing from his neck.
He drew his sword from his waist.
He had told her he would wait.
He wouldn’t overdo it.
The underground, untouched by any light, was dark and cool.
Thanks to the lamp Cassius had given me, I could see clearly even far ahead.
I couldn’t stay still, thinking of Cassius’ injured shoulder and heavy breathing.
I ran through the maze, needing to pass through quickly to seize the power.
Ghosts suddenly leapt out from the walls.
Normally, I would have frozen in fright, but now they just felt annoying, so I ignored them and ran.
The ghosts murmured.
─A living person?
─How long has it been?
Ignoring them, I pressed forward. Then Lucius, who had disappeared earlier, appeared again.
─That disgusting creature. I didn’t expect it to survive until now. I thought it would die of boredom after a few hundred years…
“Lucius was Lloyd’s master in ancient times, right? Tell me if there’s a weakness.”
─If there was, we’d be finished already.
“Couldn’t you at least show me the way!”
─Priest, cheating is disqualification.
“Wow, really helpful. You might as well just finish your Buddhist rites quickly!”
The ghosts with healing powers needed to return to Magnus to fully awaken their strength.
─I also want to leave this cursed place, but unfortunately, the alchemy blocks the way.
Enough said. These ancient ghosts are no help!
I shot him a glare, and he crossed his arms and tilted his head.
─Anyway, if you read my diary, the trial should be fine?
It didn’t seem helpful at all.
Suppressing my anger, I moved forward.
I had seen the sanctuary’s underground layout and had once reached the doors myself.
With experience, I thought I wouldn’t get lost, but the walls were high and the paths complex, so I often hit dead ends.
Wasting time made me increasingly anxious.
I remembered wandering the underground with Jurgen, hoping it would help.
He had punched the wall just because the path was blocked.
