🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 96
“I’ve wanted to meet you for a very long time.”
His lips, with their prominent canines, curved into a pleasing smile as if delighted.
‘Aaah! Aaah! Aaaah—!’
Contrary to the screams in my head, my body remained calm.
No, more accurately, it was frozen, pretending to be calm.
‘What is this! What is this! Whaaaat—!’
A siren blared endlessly in my mind. If I had a phone, I would have called emergency services immediately.
“Oops, did I scare you?”
Yet the man whose heart was impaled appeared completely unfazed.
‘Why?!’
Why is he so calm right now? My heart is shattered. How is he even alive?
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
If he didn’t mean to startle me that way, what kind of scene would he make if he actually tried to scare someone?
“A-are… you okay?”
I asked, dazed by the shocking sight.
Logically, a man with a heart pierced by a statue couldn’t possibly be okay—but my mouth and brain had long since stopped syncing.
‘Wait, why am I like this?’
Duke Eindelta is an S-rank ability user.
He possesses incredible regenerative abilities far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Even seeing him speak normally with a statue through his heart makes it obvious!
‘Even disregarding that, according to the story, he shouldn’t die here anyway.’
Then why am I approaching him with this misguided sense of humanity, thinking I should help?
After all, that assassin probably chewed up and spat out any notion of humanity long ago.
“Sh-should I help you?”
Why did I even say that? This guy is a stalker, a psychopathic killer!
‘Damn it… it’s because he’s a patient. A patient…’
As a former patient, my empathy toward others sometimes manifests excessively.
Like how I reacted on the first day of possession against the rampaging Harris.
“…You said you’d help me?”
His gray eyes widened, filled with curiosity.
“You? You’ll help me?”
“…….”
Of course, Duke is an S-rank.
Even with a gun, I’d just be a low-level nuisance to him.
‘I am a genius marksman, though!’
…Still, to Duke, I’m basically nothing.
‘Why did I even step forward?’
My runaway thoughts returned in regret at the shocking appearance. I wanted to turn and run, but
‘It’s already too late for that…’
Duke recognized me first. Even without recalling his killer rules, trying to escape here would be dangerous.
“…Then help me.”
“Wh-what? How should I help?”
“This.”
Duke Eindelta raised his hand and pointed to the small statue embedded in his heart.
“Pull this out for me.”
“…….”
Nope, I really can’t do this.
Seeing my pale, anxious face, he smiled faintly.
“No, it’s not heavy.”
“It’s not just the weight that’s the problem…?”
“It’s fine, fine. Once you pull it out, I’ll handle the rest.”
What do you mean it’s fine! Handle the rest yourself!
Despite the screams in my mind, my body moved as he said. My trembling hands gripped the statue…
‘…Huh?’
It’s actually light. If it were made of stone, it couldn’t be this light.
I stared blankly at the statue. The one that pierced Duke Eindelta’s heart…
“…!!”
[Congratulations! You have obtained the S-rank item <Angel’s Heart>!]
‘Oh my god, it’s real!’
At first glance, it was an unremarkable, roughly crafted small statue.
It was carved by the saint who was once a hero. Near the angel’s heart was a relic the saint had received after saving the world.
‘It’s there, I see it! A blue stone in the heart!’
Unlike the nearly impossible-to-find Haezoo stone, other hero stones were strangely easy to spot… Wait.
‘Why is this stuck in that guy?’
And why couldn’t Duke Eindelta pull it out himself?
I had many questions but kept them to myself as I removed the statue with a poker face.
“Ah, thank you.”
At that moment, Duke sprang up.
His smile appeared perfectly normal, but his heart was still empty.
I stared at the hollow hole and asked,
“A-are… you okay?”
Wouldn’t most people die from this?
“I’m fine, fine. I’ll be completely okay soon.”
“….”
I shouldn’t be saying this, but why is he alive?
‘Thanks to his ability.’
Duke’s ability is replication. What I’m seeing now is probably a replicated version of him.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s find an exit. We can’t stay here forever…”
“…You’re coming with me?”
“Well, two is better than one, right?”
Even as I said this, I was internally skeptical.
‘Hah, like he’d actually let me go alone.’
That voyeuristic freak. Does he think I wouldn’t notice him stalking me? He’d pretend to let me go while secretly spying.
Better to have him close and “mutually” spy safely.
Plus, Duke Eindelta is an S-rank ability user.
‘Wouldn’t a normal person like me—or even a normal guide—find the way better?’
I saved him, so he wouldn’t harm me, right? He should help in return for the favor.
Duke’s eyes widened, and he smiled mischievously.
“Hehe, fine. I’ll go with you.”
Despite being a full-grown adult, Duke laughed childishly and clung to me.
We wandered through the collapsed temple.
But the darkness was thick, and the temple was horrifyingly vast.
‘Damn, I hope we’re not trapped here…’
Duke Eindelta, you S-rank bastard! Do something!
I glanced sideways, only to find his gray eyes staring straight at me.
“Jade.”
“Yes, Net.”
Just the sound of my name gave me an eerie feeling.
“I… wanted to see you.”
Pleasure killer, why are you acting so friendly? That tone of familiarity is inappropriate.
“Last time, I could only see you from afar because of someone else, but it’s nice to see you up close.”
Duke smiled at me. Though friendly, a chill ran down my spine.
‘Why?’
Was that a threat? My instincts warned me of danger after all the trials I’d endured…
“Thanks for saving me.”
…No, maybe not.
‘Right. I just saved him!’
Even beasts remember favors, so even a pleasure killer wouldn’t kill me immediately.
Even Camillo, another high-ranking ability user, swore loyalty to Adrian after being saved.
‘Of course, I can’t guarantee Duke will look out for me after leaving this dungeon…’
But for now, things are okay.
Seeing his smile, which seemed innocent and fresh, made my earlier tension feel a little silly.
“Well, I’m glad if you’re okay with it.”
Of course, inside he’s probably scheming, but I won’t show any nervousness.
‘Duke Eindelta hasn’t even introduced himself yet.’
I shouldn’t provoke him by acting like I know him.
“By the way, Jade.”
His voice was unnervingly close.
Turning, Duke leaned so close to my neck that his nose almost touched it, smiling mischievously.
“You smell sweet.”
His split lips revealed sharp canines glinting.
Thump, thump.
The pulse in my neck sounded pleasantly close.
Duke Eindelta felt genuinely pleased.
Jade Rian, Harris Godwin’s companion guide.
Because of his obsessive surveillance, he couldn’t approach her easily.
‘Are all ability users with companion guides this obsessive?’
Tsk—Duke clicked his tongue in thought, slightly envious.
Most guides he knew either died after guiding him or were killed anyway.
So a “companion guide” was rare for Duke.
‘Well, it can’t be helped.’
It started as a request from the tower master but gradually became a personal interest.
She survived even the tower’s ambush and the royal assault.
‘Impressive.’
And now Jade appeared before him. Even saving him while he was attacked by a relic.
‘Perhaps…’
Duke thought.
Jade Rian, Harris Godwin’s companion guide, might be compatible with him.
Duke, as a high-level ability user, didn’t have many compatible guides.
Of course, not as peculiar as Harris Godwin, who was picky—he was less picky, willing to take any food offered.
‘Not sure how long this will last, though.’
The human garbage killer, unaware of gratitude, smiled.
Harris Godwin, that idiot, didn’t even cut off his guide’s legs after discovering them.
‘At least one ankle should’ve been removed.’
He obsessed over her so much, yet now she roams freely. No fool is this foolish.
‘Well, it works out for me.’
First, he’d figure out how compatible she was.
Duke Eindelta bared his sharp canines.
His method for gauging compatibility was rather direct: tasting the guide’s blood.
Some guides had died from excessive bleeding, so Duke restrained himself…
‘I can’t resist.’
The scent was too enticing, violently so.
Her neck was smooth, elegant, and tempting.
‘She wants me to eat her.’
Ignoring all manners, Duke leaned his teeth toward Jade’s neck when suddenly…
“Ah, really.”
A sigh.
Jade turned her head, meeting his gaze. Her large blue eyes were clear, showing no fear.
‘Why?’
Surprised by her unexpected move, Duke widened his eyes as Jade spoke slowly.
“Alright, alright.”
What does she mean “alright”?
Duke tilted his head, confused, only to have his eyes widen further at her next actions.
