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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“…….”
He slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry, the darkness gradually giving way to hazy shapes.
His mind was a jumble of confusion, his body aching, as if he had been slammed against the ground.
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped his lips. He tried to look up, but all he saw was a void of darkness, a seemingly endless abyss. The absence of a ceiling was more unsettling than the darkness itself.
He tried to sit up, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings.
The ground was littered with rubble, the massive pillars of the temple shattered into dust, broken statues and twisted murals scattered everywhere.
And—
“Ugh……”
—a faint groan from nearby made him turn his head.
Lucy was lying on the ground. She was motionless, but her chest rose and fell slowly, a faint, shallow breath escaping her lips.
She was still unconscious, her face pale, her lips pressed together.
“Upperclassman… Ugh—”
He tried to get up, but his legs gave way, and he collapsed back to the ground. A wave of pain washed over him, a sharp, stabbing sensation in his ribs with every breath. He might have a few cracked… or even broken… ribs.
‘…I should be dead after a fall like that.’
But his initial shock was quickly replaced by a mix of relief and bewilderment. He had survived a fall that should have been fatal. It was a feat that surpassed human limits.
He had often wondered about it in the game.
‘Even if it’s just a game mechanic, how could the protagonist, even with his heroic potential, survive a fall from that height?’
“…Ugh.”
But now wasn’t the time to ponder such questions. He had to tend to his injuries first.
“Heal.”
He muttered the incantation, casting a healing spell on himself. A faint green light enveloped his hand, a warm glow spreading through his body, soothing the pain. But the spell wasn’t strong enough to heal his injuries completely.
Holy magic wasn’t his forte. Basic healing was possible, but he couldn’t mend deep wounds or broken bones with a simple spell.
“This is… the best I can do.”
His words echoed in the silence. Still, it was better than nothing. He would have to use the potions he had brought to treat the remaining injuries. For now, he had recovered enough to move.
“…….”
He slowly got to his feet and looked at Lucy. She was still unconscious, her face pale, a sheen of sweat on her forehead, her breathing shallow, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
She seemed to be having a nightmare. Her fingers twitched, a faint, convulsive movement.
He gently shook her.
“Upperclassman.”
No response. It was as if she was trapped in a deep, dark abyss. It seemed… Louisil’s interference had begun again.
This was one of the reasons she was so determined to kill her creator. As long as Louisil’s spirit existed, Lucy would never be truly free. She was a cursed puppet, her soul bound to the fallen god.
Louisil, her creator, saw her as both a creation and a betrayal. She was supposed to be a loyal, obedient vessel, but she had developed a will of her own, a desire to defy her fate.
Even with a free body, her spirit was still connected to Louisil, who could pull her into the realm of consciousness at will, a place where she was powerless, subjected to endless torment.
That was why she had been collapsing so often, her mind trapped in a nightmare, her body a mere shell.
He reached into his pocket and carefully took out a scroll. Fortunately, it was made of paper and hadn’t been damaged in the fall. He straightened the slightly crumpled edges and looked at it.
It was the Holy Enchant Scroll he had prepared before entering the dungeon. It was usually used to imbue weapons with holy power, but he had another purpose for it.
He looked at the moaning figure before him and spoke quietly,
“Wake up, upperclassman.”
But she remained unresponsive, her lips pale, her breathing growing more ragged. She was struggling in her nightmare, and Louisil wouldn’t let her go. He unfurled the scroll without hesitation.
Whoosh.
As he unrolled the paper, ancient, glowing runes floated into the air. He channeled his magic power, and the scroll erupted in a brilliant flash of light, the air shimmering with a strange energy, a warm glow spreading from his fingertips, purifying the surrounding area.
Now, there was only one thing left to do.
He approached Lucy without hesitation and reached out his hand, taking immediate action.
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“Louisil…”
It was dark. And terrifying.
She tried to act brave, but her heart was on the verge of shattering, a chilling fear seeping into her bones.
It seemed it had started again.
“Did you like my gift~?”
A familiar, yet chilling, voice. Her creator, the one she had to destroy, the ancient being, Louisil.
‘She’ was mocking her.
“How did you do that…?”
Her voice trembled, her hands numb.
“Now, now, calm down. I just wanted to surprise you.”
‘Her’ voice was filled with a playful, yet malicious, tone.
“I have something… special prepared for you when you wake up.”
She gritted her teeth. What was ‘she’ planning now…?
“What are you planning?!”
She shouted, but the other simply laughed, a mocking sound that made her fists clench.
She glared at ‘her’, her disgust intensifying.
“This time is different…! I’m much stronger than before!”
She declared, her voice filled with a desperate resolve.
“I won’t let you have your way-”
“Stop.”
Everything froze.
The single word, cold and hard, made her gasp, the temperature dropping, a chilling aura enveloping her, making it hard to breathe.
“It seems you’ve become even more impudent in my absence.”
‘Her’ voice was soft, but laced with a chilling undertone, ‘her’ condescending gaze making her shiver.
“I think you need a lesson before we meet face to face.”
‘She’ snapped ‘her’ fingers, and a strange pressure, like an invisible hand, gripped the space around her.
“Huh?!”
She tried to move, but it was too late. Shadowy tendrils coiled around her wrists and ankles, their touch cold and unpleasant.
“What is this…?!”
She struggled, but the tendrils tightened their grip, her limbs growing numb, her strength draining away.
“Let go!”
She thrashed and twisted, but the shadows only dug deeper, threatening to consume her.
“No, please…! Not this…!!”
She pleaded, but the other just looked at her with amusement.
“Giving up already? How pathetic.”
Her pride crumbled. Despair washed over her, an irresistible force crushing her.
“N-No! Stop it!!”
She had no strength left. She had to give up.
But just then—
“…Huh?”
—a blinding light, as bright as the sun, filled her world, and the shadowy tendrils began to fade.
And then—
“What?”
—’her’ expression crumbled, ‘her’ previously smug and amused face contorted in shock.
That was her last memory.
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“Upperclassman, are you okay?”
A faint voice. She opened her eyes to a familiar face.
Arnold…
Had he fallen too?
Boom-!
A tremor shook the ground.
An earthquake? Or was Louisil shaking the temple again?
Boom-!!
No.
This was—
Boom!!!
—different.
The air grew heavy, the presence overwhelming, a suffocating darkness that threatened to consume her. A chilling cold seeped into her bones.
And…
Thud-
…something was awakening in the darkness.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
