Chapter 124
The effect had been good, but completely defeating the pests was impossible. Moreover, it seemed that my sacred energy was affected by my physical stamina, because after swinging the poker a few times, I quickly ran out of strength.
Giving up on clearing them completely, I took advantage of the pests all being knocked down and unable to rise, running through the gaps and escaping the dead-end path. Even as I fled, I noticed a few of them staggering to their feet, so they would likely pursue me again soon. Perhaps I’d actually overdone the potion.
Anyway, now was my chance. If I retraced the path I had come from, I could escape this wretched temple! I was going to show the world my prowess as a symbol of escaping this world!
But why did all the hallways start to look the same? Wait a minute—had I really come down this path? Huh, I was sure it had been the left turn, so why did I end up in a room I had never seen before after turning?
I decided to give up on the Hall of Escape Fame. I must have run so frantically that I forgot the way I had come.
As I ran, instead of getting out, I was only moving deeper inside, and with the pests chasing behind me, I couldn’t turn back.
Damn it! Why does everything always go wrong for me? Is it me who messes things up, or is it just circumstances?
As if things weren’t already bad enough, I came across another dead-end. At least one door was open. I had no idea what kind of room it was, pitch black without a single speck of light, but could I really afford to care? Without slowing down, I used every ounce of energy I had left to rush inside and slammed the door behind me. After groping around frantically a few times, I managed to pull the latch down—BANG! The door vibrated from the impact.
“Eek!”
I landed hard on my butt.
“Ouch, damn it, those pests.”
Tears pricked my eyes. When I tried to stand, my sore butt and aching waist reminded me that even my twisted wrist wasn’t spared. There wasn’t a single unscathed spot.
The pests numbered over thirty, and I worried that if the door broke, we would be doomed. I watched the door anxiously as it thudded repeatedly. But that fear was unfounded. Feeling the abundant sacred energy in the room, I realized the door wouldn’t be breached anytime soon.
Apparently, this was a private chamber. If the temple’s outer walls’ sacred energy was like a stream, the energy here felt like an ocean. The door looked so old it could break just by knocking on it, so it was clear that the sacred energy itself was preventing the pests from entering.
Finally, I exhaled a sigh of relief. The sound of knocking irritated me, but I forced myself to ignore it and focused solely on steadying my breath. The quicker I stabilized my breathing and recovered my energy, the higher my chances of escaping.
Once my breath calmed, I could examine the private chamber more carefully. The basic structure of chambers in temples seemed similar. Other than the dimly lit inner room and the carpet leading to the central altar, the pillars densely packed like a forest and the gentle light from the central altar were reminiscent of the Spring chamber.
Yet, there were noticeable differences from the Spring chamber. The pillars were beautifully colored like autumn leaves, glimmering in the faint light. Something crunched under my feet—it was small wooden chips, scattered across the floor except for the carpet, making a sound like falling leaves with every step.
BANG!
The door slammed again, making me flinch. I almost didn’t get a chance to relax.
Still, now that I had a bit of composure, I could assess the situation. This was already the third attack. The first two could be dismissed as coincidence, but from the third onward, it had to be intentional. If they were targeting me, I wasn’t going to give up easily while cornered like a rat in a trap.
“Maybe even the oracle anticipated me being killed by pests.”
Recalling the vividly glowing axe blade made me shiver, biting my lip.
If I died, would everything really be restored? Would the pests vanish, the world’s rift caused by the possessed person be healed, and everyone I cared about remain unharmed?
Since I had decided to die if needed, I had to be cautious. I only had one life. I didn’t want to waste it on a wrong choice.
The first task was clear: get Nine out of the snowy plains.
But to do that, I first had to escape the chamber.
“Could there be another exit besides that door?”
Probably not.
I looked around for another exit, but except for the faint light spreading from the central altar, it was too dark to see even right in front of me. There was no way there could be another door. Moreover, the colorful, autumn-leaf-like pillars distracted my eyes.
I ran my hands along the walls, relying on touch. Ignoring the wooden chips underfoot, I constantly scanned between the pillars and walls with my eyes. I had to find the door. After witnessing the Winter God in the chamber last time, I instinctively prepared for a repeat encounter.
These pillars were far too colorful. Every time my gaze shifted from the walls to the pillars, my vision blurred and swirled. It was so extreme I rubbed my eyes. Just like Spring, it could’ve been plain white. Why make it so colorful that it hurt the eyes?
[Chambers that serve the god’s oracle are decorated according to the season immediately preceding the current season.]
The voice floated in like a breeze, stopping my hand from rubbing my eyes.
Raising my head, I saw something pale between the pillars. It wasn’t the Winter God. It was a familiar face peeking out from between the pillars.
[The Spring chamber was based on Winter. This one is Autumn, because Winter cannot come without Autumn. It represents the natural order.]
My feet froze.
The face I had seen every morning and evening in the mirror looked different from how it had appeared there. Younger, more innocent.
[This is the first time we meet like this, isn’t it? Should I say I’m glad to meet you?]
The girl hesitated, peeking out from behind the pillar, looking embarrassed. Then, a bright smile bloomed on her pale face, soft and heart-wrenching, the kind that makes you want to do anything for her.
She stepped closer, seeming to understand my frozen state, and shyly introduced herself.
[My name is Alicia Gardner. Ahaha, it’s my first time introducing myself to someone else. Saying my name feels really embarrassing.]
“What the…?”
I muttered instead of screaming.
The girl, who looked exactly like me, shone as if she were a light in the darkness. Claiming to be Alicia, she widened her eyes at my words. Her smile was so tender and fragile that I wanted to hug her immediately.
[Why are you so surprised? You knew I existed, didn’t you?]
Alicia, harboring resentment towards me, had manifested as a spirit. My panicked mind froze, unable to think clearly.
Of course I had known.
The unknown consciousness that emerged whenever I faltered, naturally taking control of my body. The emotion that overflowed whenever Adrian confessed his feelings. Yes, I had searched for you too.
Alicia nodded with a smile, as if reading my thoughts.
I tightened my grip on the poker.
“You… you really were inside my body?”
I had no intention of swinging it. If it passed through her, that would prove she really was a ghost.
[My body? It’s my body, of course. Where else would it be if it wasn’t?]
Her tone was gentle but somehow irksome, like it was teasing me. I had heard such a tone somewhere before.
Alicia smiled softly as if dismissing my minor complaint. Her face, identical to mine, radiated all the purity and sweetness of the world. Her smile instantly melted away my doubts.
Ah, the tone. I remembered where I had heard it.
“You’re a lot like Cecilia.”
Perhaps because they were sisters.
Alicia’s eyes slightly furrowed, so briefly I wondered if I imagined it. Then she smiled prettily again.
[I saw everything you did. Why were you struggling so? I had already given up my life.]
“It’s not your life anymore, it’s mine now. And you came here to die anyway. But not now—I have to save Nine and then die.”
Even without knowing if this Alicia was real, my words flowed freely.
Alicia tilted her head.
[Why?]
“Of course. Because they’re important to me.”
[How important must someone be for you to risk your own life for them?]
“As much as you love Adrian?”
[Oh my.]
The girl blushed shyly at the mention of her crush’s name. Her reaction was identical to Cecilia’s.
Seeing the real—or at least living—Alicia in front of me made me question those who had been fooled by my imitation of her. Hesitation itself looked nothing like this lovable girl. Had everyone else’s eyes been off?
Another question arose: how could Alicia, who was inside my body, emerge and talk to me? Was this also an effect of the prohibition?
‘Am I hallucinating, or is this really Alicia in front of me?’
I had never hallucinated before, so she was probably real. But Alicia’s sudden appearance was so unexpected that believing it was a hallucination wasn’t unreasonable. Of all the bizarre appearances I’d seen—pests, Winter God—Alicia had been the most abrupt.
[It’s really me.]
Alicia timidly insisted.
She seemed to read my thoughts, answering even before I spoke. I leaned toward hallucination or auditory illusion.
[You’re being too harsh.]
Her pout at my harsh thoughts was just like Cecilia’s cute gestures. With Alicia, it seemed tailored just for her, making her all the more endearing. I felt compelled to comfort her.
“Ah, sorry. Not a hallucination, huh.”
With a half-hearted apology, Alicia smiled again.
[You truly are a merciful saint.]
“Thanks for the compliment. Is it a compliment? Anyway, I need to get out of here, Alicia. Do you know a way out besides this door?”
[This is the Winter Temple, just like you thought.]
Ignoring my question, Alicia spun around, saying only what she wanted. Hey, listen to me too! I even thanked you for the compliment!
