Chapter 35
❖ ❖ ❖
They say medicine is just another form of poison.
If that’s true, then the effect of Elder’s drug meant only one thing — I was addicted to his poison. No wonder his skill worked on me.
Even so, I hadn’t expected him to use his ability. His power had a fatal drawback.
“You’re really going this far to save one human?”
When he controls someone, he becomes poisoned himself. That’s the limit of his skill.
I frowned.
“All this to protect the Saint’s dog?”
“To me, everyone is the same. No one is anyone’s dog.”
“…Hah.”
To risk your life for someone who means nothing to you — I couldn’t understand it.
“When I hold them, you run,” Elder ordered.
The trembling battle priest spun around and bolted. I tried to follow, but my body remained frozen, paralyzed.
Maybe I should have sent Elder to Shaila’s location as well.
“Release me. Unless you want to die.”
“I will, if you promise not to kill him.”
No matter what I said, he refused to lift the skill. Even though every second made the poison spread deeper through him.
“If you want to die, do it somewhere else. Don’t do it in front of me.”
“I don’t plan on dying. Why would you say that?”
“Look at your hand.”
His hand had turned bluish, nerves numbed by the poison. If it reached his heart, he’d die.
That’s why, even in the game, he rarely used the skill unless the situation was dire.
“…You knew? About my ability?”
He looked surprised, then gave a faint smile — unhinged, given the situation.
“If you knew everything, why did you use the drug I gave you?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d use your skill just to save a couple humans.”
In the story, he never used it unless absolutely necessary. That’s why I took the drug — to recover faster from the pain.
“I didn’t want to use it either. But someone asked me… for the first time.”
“…”
“He said to stop you — so you wouldn’t regret it later. I couldn’t ignore that.”
I didn’t have to ask who. It was obviously Rian.
Everyone around me kept saying the same thing — I’d regret it. Shaila said it. Rian said it. As if they could see right through me.
“Do I look like someone who’ll regret this?”
“To me, no. But someone else clearly thought so.”
Elder shrugged, and winced — another stab of pain.
“Stop. You can’t even move your arm anymore.”
If he pushed further, he’d die. Yet he still didn’t release me.
Were all heroes like this? Throwing away their lives for someone else?
Before possessing Rhehel’s body, I admired that kind of person. Maybe because I couldn’t understand them.
“Heroes really are fools.”
People desire what they don’t have. I must’ve been the same — idealizing them.
Now, they just irritated me.
“Let’s end this. I’m done entertaining you.”
Feeling returned to my limbs. After countless experiments, my body metabolized poison quickly.
When I regained control, Elder staggered back, shocked.
“…Did you neutralize the poison?”
“Sorry. Your one and only skill doesn’t work well on me.”
“Ugh—”
The backlash hit him hard. He collapsed to his knees.
Luckily, the poison hadn’t reached his heart. But he’d be useless for a while.
“Promise you won’t touch anyone on the island.”
“Wait—”
“Then stay out of my way.”
I walked in the direction the priest fled.
All I wanted now was to finish the quest and leave.
❖ ❖ ❖
A trace of holy power led into the small mountain nearby — faint, but unmistakable.
“Why go into the mountain?”
If he wanted to escape, the harbor was the logical option.
Confused, I followed anyway. Before long, I understood.
“May divine punishment strike the evil that blights this land.”
His voice echoed — and a golden chain of holy power wrapped around my wrist.
“…Tch.”
Light seeped into my skin, tightening painfully the more I resisted.
Was he planning to kill me alone? No… perhaps—
The sky brightened. Golden arrows of holy power rained down toward me.
Annoying.
I didn’t even move. The arrows froze before touching me, shattered into ice.
Clang—
The chain on my wrist froze as well, breaking into pieces.
“Kh—!”
I followed the sound. The priest slumped against a tree, coughing blood.
“A revenge attempt, huh?”
He hadn’t run. He’d stayed to kill me, using every last bit of strength.
“You picked the wrong target.”
It should’ve been the Saint you blamed.
I drew my sword. He was dying anyway — better to end it quickly.
Just as I swung—
“…Rhehel!”
Someone tackled me. A familiar scent, familiar warmth—
Rian.
My grip loosened; the sword slipped from my hand. We rolled down the slope together, his arms wrapped tightly around me.
We finally stopped near a creek.
Rian planted a hand beside my head, leaning over me. Our eyes met.
“Why are you here?”
The words came out cold.
“Answer me. How did you get here?”
A human could never reach this place from underwater alone. Shaila?
“She told me about the path you used before.”
“…A path I used?”
I remembered nothing of the memories with Shaila, but the answer was clear — she helped him indirectly.
She couldn’t help me openly, so she helped the person who would go after me.
Figures. No one ever truly chooses me.
“How did you get past the barrier? I put it there to keep everyone out.”
“You left a passage open. For me.”
“What?”
I understood instantly — and laughed bitterly.
I’d created a barrier… but instinctively left him a way through.
“Move. I have nothing to say to you.”
I turned away.
“Why… didn’t you tell me?”
“…”
“You could have said something. Even just a hint — why you suddenly needed to kill someone.”
He’d heard from Shaila.
“What difference would it make if you knew?”
“Rhehel.”
“Would you help me then? Help me kill humans?”
Anger, fear — feelings I’d buried spilled out.
I loved him. Too much. And he was a hero who protected people.
How could I tell him?
“I wouldn’t have let you bear it alone.”
“…”
“Didn’t you say you’d let me carry your burdens? Or… was that just my wishful thinking?”
I remembered the creek, the confession. The moment I gave him everything.
His words broke something loose inside me.
The truth surfaced.
It wasn’t because Rian would stop me.
It was because I was terrified.
That once he saw this part of me…
he would turn away.
“…I hated it.”
My voice trembled.
“I didn’t want you to see me like this.”
