ASIN 11

Chapter 11

After the inexplicable incident came to an end, the two of them escorted me back to the hotel, where I finally got to rest.

“I really hate going outside…”

As I enjoyed the perfect combination of cool air and a warm blanket, the events from earlier replayed in my mind.

That’s actually pretty interesting.

Although some of what I’d heard was rather irritating, the information I received from Choi Ha-min, a fellow Returnee, had been extremely useful.

Returnees automatically Awaken the moment they return to Earth.

But I hadn’t.

There were two possible explanations.

First… because I didn’t return through the normal route.

Unlike the other Returnees, who had been sent back to Earth by some mysterious force, I had found my own way back.

It seemed like a trivial difference.

But problems often arose from the smallest details.

And the second possibility…

…was simply that I was too powerful.

“…That’s entirely possible.”

It was a rather embarrassing thought, but it wasn’t narcissism.

It was a serious hypothesis.

I didn’t know who—or what—was responsible for the process known as Awakening, but it was entirely possible that, for some reason, my power had been judged to be a dangerous anomaly.

…

Something else had bothered me ever since meeting Choi Ha-min.

Why hadn’t my usual aversion been triggered around him?

And what exactly was the scope of this strange side effect?

For now, the dungeon monsters and Choi Ha-min—both of whom were exempt from triggering my anxiety—shared one thing in common.

They both possessed power originating from another world.

If that was true…

…then perhaps this side effect only applied to beings native to Earth.

In other words…

It had been designed to prevent me from harming Earth’s inhabitants.

That was the theory I had come up with.

Thinking about it that way…

…it fit surprisingly well with my previous conclusions.

Of course, Seoha is still an exception, so I can’t be certain yet.

If I could meet other Returnees…

…I might get a little closer to the truth.

With those thoughts settled, I immersed myself in my game for several hours.

Then, once again, the hotel intercom announced a visitor.

“…Who is it this time?”

Grumbling, I headed toward the door.

This time, however, I remembered to check the security camera first.

“…”

The visitor’s identity was obvious the moment I saw her.

It was the S-Rank Hunter who had clashed with Seoha earlier.

The woman named Helena.

The instant I recognized her, I stopped moving and held my breath.

Maybe if I pretend I’m not here… she’ll just leave.

Of course…

…there was no way that would happen.

“I know you’re inside. Are you really not going to open the door?”

“I-I promised not to let anyone in…”

“I could open it myself, you know.”

“…I-I’ll open it.”

In the end, I surrendered and quietly unlocked the door.

For an S-Rank Hunter, breaking through a locked door would probably be effortless anyway.

Her dark teal hair swayed gently as Helena stepped into the room.

“We’ve met once before, haven’t we?”

“…”

She wore an enchanting smile.

Yet beneath it, I could clearly sense her overwhelming desire.

Whether it was good or bad…

…she had definitely come here for a reason.

“I can’t stay long, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

After smiling warmly, she asked as though she already knew the answer.

“Are you hiding your power?”

“…”

I could only stare blankly.

Hiding what?

I don’t even have any power left to hide.

Apparently she interpreted my silence differently.

“You’re a Returnee.”

“Th-That’s true…”

“And you’re the one who taught Song Ha-yeon.”

That caught me completely off guard.

I hadn’t expected her name to suddenly come up.

At the same time, though…

…I finally understood why all of this had happened.

She had become interested because of Song Ha-yeon.

I never imagined it’d turn into something like this…

Maybe her confrontation with Seoha had been for the same reason.

I fell silent, carefully considering my answer.

If I replied carelessly…

…there was no telling how she’d react.

Watching me hesitate, Helena smiled again and slowly reached out toward me.

“…I suppose you don’t intend to tell me willingly.”

“In that case…”

“I’ll simply ask your soul directly.”

“Eh?”

No, I had every intention of telling you!

I was just trying to figure out how to explain it!

Before I even had time to protest…

…my vision gradually lost focus.

And then…

…I blacked out.

* * *

As an S-Rank Hunter, Helena possessed profound knowledge of necromancy.

She was exceptionally talented in that field.

Naturally…

…drawing out someone’s soul and questioning it directly was well within her abilities.

Whoooosh…

“Show me…”

“Your soul.”

After speaking with the girl, Helena had begun to suspect something.

The answer she sought…

…was undoubtedly inside this girl.

Smiling expectantly, she summoned the soul of Baek Eun-ha.

Shhh…

She had no intention of harming her.

Once she found her answers, she would erase today’s memories and leave.

That would be enough.

Those thoughts vanished the instant she saw the girl’s soul.

…What is this?

The soul had appeared.

And yet…

…she couldn’t actually see it.

Something resembling enormous chains completely wrapped around it, binding every inch.

Helena had performed this technique dozens of times before.

She had never encountered anything like it.

For the first time in a long while…

…her heart raced.

…

If there was something she didn’t understand…

…she had to learn what it was.

Otherwise, she couldn’t rest.

Clink…

Carefully manipulating death energy, Helena peeled away part of one chain.

The moment she did—

BOOM!

Ah.

The world suddenly turned black.

She couldn’t see anything.

It wasn’t because she’d gone blind.

Rather…

…the death energy erupting from within had instantly filled the entire room.

“What is…”

It was dense.

Unbelievably dense.

Even the high-ranking undead Lich she had once encountered inside a dungeon had never possessed death energy like this.

The difference…

…was absolute.

“…Ah…”

She understood instinctively.

She had touched something…

…that should never have been opened.

And yet…

She couldn’t stop herself.

I want to see more.

Clink… Clink…

As though possessed, Helena continued removing chain after chain.

One layer.

Then another.

And eventually…

…she regretted it.

“Ah.”

She heard screams.

The endless wailing of ghosts.

The howls of damned souls imprisoned in Hell.

She couldn’t tell whether it was reality or hallucination.

But they echoed unmistakably in her ears.

Her thoughts froze.

Her five senses ceased functioning properly.

Only then did Helena realize…

…that the overwhelming death energy she’d witnessed moments ago had been only a tiny fraction of what lay before her.

This…

…was something that should never exist in this world.

She could scarcely believe such a thing had managed to assume even the outward form of a human.

It was…

living death itself.

…

Like a mouse before a cat…

Helena stood frozen in place.

She couldn’t move a single muscle.

Cold sweat streamed down her body.

Her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

Even so…

…her mind calmly processed one final realization.

When human beings encountered terror beyond all limits…

…they cried without realizing it.

Ah…

Helena knew.

She was going to die.

Right here.

And even after death…

…her soul would not remain.

It would be devoured completely.

Ah…

Once consumed…

…her soul would remain chained forever to the being before her.

Unable to escape for all eternity.

As punishment for her insolence…

…she would suffer endlessly.

Until the very end of the world.

Just as despair completely overwhelmed Helena—

The world suddenly reversed.

Clink…

The chains she had removed moved on their own.

One after another, they returned to their original positions.

Covered once more by those countless chains…

…the terrifying soul disappeared back into Baek Eun-ha’s body.

Whoooosh…

“Ah…”

“I…”

Helena had no idea what had happened.

Nor did she have any desire to find out anymore.

As her vision finally returned…

…she simply sat there blankly…

…tears streaming endlessly down her face.

* * *

“Hic…”

“U-Um…”

“H-Hic… sob…”

I stared helplessly at the woman before me, utterly bewildered.

The last thing I remembered was Helena reaching toward me.

Then everything had gone black.

Now…

For some reason…

…she was crying uncontrollably.

“C-Calm down…”

“S-Sob…”

The composed elegance she’d carried earlier had completely vanished.

Her beautiful eyes were swollen red from crying.

Her body trembled violently.

She had gone so pale that all warmth had left her.

It took an incredibly long time…

…to finally calm the utterly broken Helena down.