ESMLT 24

Chapter 24

I looked around at the male leads one last time.

“If ‘Darkness’ comes, stay in one place with your backs against each other. If the terrain shifts, grab hands and hold on.”

“Grab hands? We don’t even know who’ll end up standing next to whom.”

The Crown Prince cast an uncomfortable look at Sien.

Sien tilted his head with half-lidded eyes, glaring back as if to say, So what? What are you gonna do about it? I pretended not to notice.

“Then just link arms if that bothers you.”

After explaining the route through the Forest of Dawn, I rolled the map up and slipped it into the front pouch of my pack.

Then I rummaged inside until I found it.

‘Ah, here it is.’

Thankfully, it didn’t take long. I quickly handed one each to the male leads.

“Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this. But just keep it with you.”

When they asked what it was, I only told them to hold onto it. They stared at it curiously, then tucked it away.

I adjusted my belt and checked my pouch.

Only after rolling up my shirt sleeves and tightening my boots did I turn back to the group.

“Well then, let’s cross the boundary.”

The Forest of Dawn felt cooler and eerier than the Sacred Forest.

The air was heavy, and breathing felt stifling.

‘It must be because the tombs of past Tower Masters are here.’

The oppressive weight pressed on me without my realizing it.

How long had we walked since entering? No zombies so far.

That’s when the Crown Prince, scanning the surroundings, spoke.

“Neither zombies nor Darkness have appeared yet.”

Say things like that, and they always do appear.

Sure enough—

Suddenly, like a flickering light bulb, my vision blinked.

The omen of Darkness.

“Backs together!”

At my shout, the three immediately turned and pressed their backs together.

Pahh!

No sooner had we formed formation than the world went black, as if a light had been switched off. At the same time, the ground began to twist and shift on its own.

“Link arms! Quickly!”

I heard the sound of them reacting swiftly. I hooked my arm with one of the men’s and flailed the other in search.

But the other person kept his arms pressed tightly to his sides, making it impossible to link.

So I grabbed his forearm and slid down until I found his hand, clasping it.

The hand twitched at the sudden contact, but I ignored it.

‘Who cares if my carefully collected Dr*gon Balls scatter now!’

Crack!

Just then—

Craaaack! Snap! Snap!

Thick branches split all around us.

The shifting ground grew more violent. The way it sank then surged up made it impossible to keep balance, like being on a sinking ship.

The earth beneath my feet flung forward like a flying carpet.

“Ugh!”

Naturally, both the arm and hand slipped free.

“Lia!”

“Redria!”

It was Sien and Jaeger shouting.

So they’d been standing next to me.

I flailed, trying to reach, but only leaves and brittle twigs brushed past my hands.

Thunk!

A heavy branch flying from behind struck the back of my head.

“Ugh!” The cry burst out as white pain flashed before my eyes.

I clutched the back of my head, staggering.

I couldn’t even tell anymore whether it was the ground shaking or my body swaying. At last, I blacked out.

“…Damn it.”

When I came to, I was standing before a fog-drenched, eerie cemetery.

“Ugh.”

I rubbed the lump on my head as I stood.

Judging by the lingering pain, not much time had passed since I fainted.

All around me was darkness, a suffocating, dense forest.

‘So I ended up separated from them after all.’

I couldn’t scream their names like a lost child in a supermarket—zombies might hear.

Sighing, I pulled a light-stone from my pouch.

First, I needed visibility.

“Kiik!”

Something clawed at the back of my knee.

I lit downward with the stone. A rabbit was bouncing around, scratching at my leg.

“So you followed me too, huh.”

How precious.

I hugged the rabbit, then shone the light around, turning in place.

Ahead, a straight forest path. Behind, a glowing cemetery cloaked in mist.

The fences, the fog—it looked terrifying.

‘Feels like a ghost could pop out any second.’

I swallowed hard.

For the record, I only fear two things: spiders and ghosts.

And yet here I was, stuck in exactly that kind of place.

Caw! Caw!

The cry of crows made me shrink my shoulders.

Flap!

A crow landed atop a tombstone, glaring at me.

Was it because these were the graves of past Tower Masters? The atmosphere was bone-chilling.

‘Still, an unexpected opportunity.’

I had promised Sien we’d search for the urn of a former Tower Master—but truthfully, it had felt hopeless.

But now, the grave stood right before me. A blessing, really.

However…

I swept my eyes around the dark forest.

‘This is… way too scary.’

Shaking pupils, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Inhale, exhale. Calm down.

‘Think rationally. Keep it together.’

Currently, Sien was showing me unusual kindness. But human feelings are fragile—he could turn back to the Sacred Forest at any time.

If I fulfilled my promise and erased his debt, it would benefit me even in the Empire later.

‘Yes. This is my chance to keep the promise.’

Resolved, I set the rabbit down, strode toward the grave, and rummaged in my pouch.

‘Where’s the shovel…’

I pulled out a tiny shovel and enlarged it. Then, reading the epitaph, I found the name:

[ Ashtalt Dreon Manegher. ]

Thankfully, it didn’t take long.

I squeezed my eyes shut and raised the shovel high.

‘Forgive me for desecrating your grave. It’s for the sake of your foster son.’

Thud—

The moment I drove the shovel down—

[ You’ve lost your way. ]

A sudden voice made my eyes fly open.

I jerked around stiffly.

Only trees and pale mist.

‘Wait… that rabbit?’

I glanced down. But the rabbit only blinked innocently.

‘Then who—’

[ Shall I guide you? ]

The voice came again. My shoulders trembled.

I bit my lips, scanning the surroundings.

‘Please, pick either occult horror or apocalypse. Not both.’

I raised the shovel backwards, stepping away instinctively—ready to swing if something appeared.

[ Child, where are you going? Come here. ]

Didn’t hear that. Didn’t hear that.

[ Come closer. ]

Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah, Amen.

[ Only if you come nearer can I help you… ]

I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘I really didn’t want to do this, but…’

Shaking, I muttered under my breath.

“Glo-ry be, Hallelu-jah… Glo-ry be, Halle-lu-u-jah…”

Softly, barely audible. Loud would have been too embarrassing.

[ Oh dear, I startled you. It is I. ]

‘Yeah, but who the hell is “I”?!’

I darted frantic glances around.

[ Enough mischief. That One is urging me to help you. ]

‘That One?’

[ Enough talk. I shall send you back. ]

Suddenly, the ground beneath me softened like jelly, dragging me backwards like a receding tide.

“Whaaa!”

I collapsed, unable to keep balance. The earth cushioned me like a cradle.

[ Come again on a brighter day. I’ll be waiting. ]

Shhh—

The grave shrank away like a white dot, swallowed by trees.

Only then did I snap back to myself.

I couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.

This scene hadn’t been in the original story.

My transmigrator’s instinct screamed—

‘That ghost… was a former Tower Master, right? Then who is “That One”?’

Whatever it was, the fact that it was a ghost sent shivers down my spine.

I had nearly been caught grave-robbing by an ancestor.

I rubbed my arms, trembling, and looked around.

‘But didn’t it say it would help me? So… where exactly am I?’

I put the shovel away and lit the area with my stone again.

Still, the same forest.

And then I remembered the creature I’d forgotten.

“Oh, right. The monster rabbit.”