We walk in the darkness. The only source of light is the emergency flash light I snatched from the station.
"Ekh*"
Puff*
I couldn't help but laugh. Every time there is even a little sound Shin Yoosung would jerk up.
"Hey, if you're that scared, let me carr-"
"N-no I am not scared. I-I can walk."
"Oka" says the girl practically walking glued to me.
[Main Scenario #2 – Meeting]
Category: Main
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Cross the tunnel and meet the survivors in the first main base.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 500 coins
[Failure:???]
Pause
"It seems we are-"
Shriek!*
I lock eyes with the ground rat.
I wanted to kill it immediately for interrupting but,
"Hey, let's try taming again" at the mentioning of taming, Shin yoosung's shoulder shrunk down.
"…mm"
The rat tried to fight, I just slapped a few times before it stopped resisting.
"Okay, try it now, it should be safe."
Seeing Shin Yoosung, it tried baring its teeth. I enthusiastically waved my hand. Surprising light of wisdom flashed in its eyes as it started wagging it tail as Shin Yoosung approached.
'Would you look at that, not every ground rat is mindless.' Hey it might even get a breakthrough and step in the path of cultivation.
Shin Yoosung extends her shaky palm toward its head. I wanted to give her words of encouragement… but don't want to break her concentration.
I sense a mana in the shape of a hand follow under her hand. My eyes widen.
'this is the one!'
It's much more stable than before. My hands clench up in anticipation.
But at last second, her concentration broke causing the connection to break.
Shin Yoosung stars at her palm. Her eyes tear up. "I am usele-"
Flick
She quickly clutched her forehead.
"Can you quiet that, you failed this time doesn't mean there is no next time."
"b-but I failed so many times."
"Then we will try again…"
As she locked my arms around me, I could help but pity her. She made it here by killing her pet only to needing to tame.
It kind of left a bitter taste in one's mouth.
"…"
Wait
I am forgot something… no?
The ground rat!
The earlier times, when the ritual failed, the rat would go berserk and attack immediately.
I could help but narrow my eyes at this one. This one was still standing like a good boy.
'Was it because the skill execution was much stable or did it really get some kind of enlightenment?'
I look at my palm
'Slap of enlightenment?'
I chuckle at my own joke.
Exhale
"Anyways, sorry, enlightened or not, you have die."
It shook as if it understood and began running
?
Hah?
"GET BACK HERE YOU!"
I gently scoop up ShinYoosung.
In seconds I am in front of it. It paused, looking back where we came from.
Then looked back at me.
It flipped upside down, showing its belly.
?
Did I slap it too hard?
"You know what, now it feels bad to kill you. You live I guess."
Shin Yoosung walks up to it, rubbing its belly
"Wow, so soft!"
After she was done we walk away, squealing sounds echoes behind us.
'look at that. I have slapped some sense into a rat. Truly, nothing beats violence'
While I walk feeling proud, Shin yoosung pulled on my jacket.
'hm?'
I follow where she was look
'Ah!'
It wasn't squealing because it's grateful. It is squealing because it couldn't get back on its feet.
"Should… we help him?" she asked my exact thought.
As she look at me
I shrug 'I don't know'
"Maybe we should…"
"sure?"
I gently get it on its feet…. Well gently as a kick that is enough to flip him over can be. It looked at me resentfully.
I physically recoil back. The sight felt… disturbing.
Wait, Can a mindless rat even look at me resentfully? I shake my head
'I am hallucinating things now'
Shin yoosung quickly got up toit, soothing the place I kicked. "Please be gentle with little ratty"
?
She named it already?
I was more bewildered, the rat was wagging it tail at being pet.
It cartoon scenarios were real, multiple question marks would float on my head.
"ummm… didn't…you say you failed?"
She blinks
I blink
She looks at the rat that was rubbing its head against her thigh then at me
"….it said failed to tame…I think…."
"…"
"Try commanding it"
She look at it, seems to do something
Sigh. "It doesn't work, says I have to tame it."
"Do you want to take it with us?" I ask. She seemed reluctant, unsure about whatever she was contemplating.
'But it would be troublesome, if we face a hoard, and for some reason it goes berserk…'
Shin Yoosung opens her mouth, "let's go."
As we walk, I notice her reluctantly waving at the rat.
Sigh
"Come on, let's take it"
…
We walk for 20minutes with nothing. I grip my sword harder, as a go forward, my instinct signals. Not exactly danger but yet danger.
Crack*
The gravel shifts beneath my feet.
That's it.
At the distance I start to sense faint mana signatures.
"Behind me"
I position myself in front.
Grip
I slowly try to step forward.
'is it really good idea?'
I look back at Shin yoosung
I feel conflicted, although the instinct was signaled distress, but also that I won't lose.
Frown
'I am already in danger?' my instinct signals.
But… I sense nothing.
Excitement sparks but gets dowsed by worry.
'should…I walk back?'
I maximize output of my mana sense.
'….but the second main scenario is on the other end…'
Exhale,
I kind felt Park sang-hoon's words. 'But I also…' I look a shin yoosung 'believe she just needs a little jumpstart. Then she will be equal in her own way.'
Step.
[You encountered a sub scenario]
[Sub Scenario – Phantom Prison]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: D~F
Clear Conditions: Escape from Phantom Prison within the time limit.
Time Limit: 1 hour
Compensation: 300 coins
Failure: ???
[Sub-scenario – Phantom Prison has begun!]
Suddenly a mana induced fog filled at area. Holding my breath I try to jump back to cover Shin Yoosung's face.
We are already deep in.
'Ah! So that w….'
I was unable to land as my vision suddenly got trippy
"Yoo-"
-Darkness
{{...…}}
Where… am I?
My hand was transparent
I was on the road
[exclusive attribute reason…..]
I frantically look around…
Do I know this?
This….place
This road…
Am I …forgetting something?
"Awwh jin, bleh! You can't catch me!"
I turn to the sound.
He should have an umbrella – contextually and glasses.
I see a white haired boy running. But he was dressed… familiar. Body covered with cloth. He has an umbrella. I couldn't quite see his face as his back is turned to me. He was chasing another kid ... "Slow down, please! I give up!"
A girl, brown hairs blowing through the air as she running in front of the boy finally stops.
Both were carrying elementary school bags.
Though at first it seemed like a bully was bulling, their laughter dismissed such assumptions.
As more of the scenes unfolded, the cogs in my head turned
The girl who was about 5meters away from the boy finally stops, deciding to turn around. To check if he's okay
Slowly I…I remember…NO-NO No
I put every ounce of strength into my legs.
Nothing
It won't budge.
Please no no stop.
My voice broke down
"STOP! DON"T PLEASE, AAHHH SOME One, God PLEase"
The girl was standing at the edge of an outer wall of a house. Since it's inside the suborns, the roads have did not have a big of a sidewalks.
"Gotcha!"
The boy…me then, suddenly rushed toward her to catch her by surprise. Startled at my sudden burst the girl stumbles a few steps backward.
Bang*
The boy failed to catch up to her as he plummets down, scraping some of his skin on his hand. He started crying at pain, holding his hand he got up looking around resentfully, why his friend wasn't coming over.
A loud honk was echoing through the quiet neighborhood. Where should have been the girl was now a truck. The boys sees the people from the truck getting out in hurry, going in front of the then disappearing behind the neighborhoods high raise walls.
Curious, he follows.
The sight froze him to his spot. But only now, I could move freely.
I move to her,
"Why god, why god…"
I try to lift her, use heal. Yet nothing worked…why! WHY! She still had breath, I see her breathing…please god, anyone, just let me do it….
I banged the road. Yet it stayed perfectly still. Slowly blood flowed over to where I was hit, none stuck to me…
My mind felt scrambled, saliva feel from my mouth like a rabbit dog yet I couldn't care, I pulled my hair at frustration. Repeated screams turned my voice hoarse.
Again darkness, the scene shifted to where …
"dad? Mom?"
I ….know this…
The scene, how it would unfold, I know. I try to get up. Yet as if some being is punishing me, to just watch
I tried to denying but no use.
Like a moving clip, it was coming to its main point
Just then
[Exclusive attribute "reason" overpowered the lies of illusion]
The fog in my head cleared a bit. I slowly remembered.
"Shin Yoosung!"
"I am sorry"
"I am –"
I heard her, but the fog, it made it impossible to find her. It was messing with my senses. I disperse mana from my body, making a somewhat mana barrier due to mana density, not letting more of the fog in.
Soon, I found her. She crawled up; head between her legs, the fog kept entering her. Beside her was the ground rat.
I tried heal, injecting mana. But the mana keeps entering.
I am scared; do I mess with the mana in the brain?
What….do I do?
"…hey, wake up, it's not..."
Was about to say not real…but it is.
Phantom Prison.
A space that led to madness by touching a person's trauma.
I just kneel there holding her in my arms.
What if I could remove this fog
But how…
No matter what I do,
The fog kept filling in.
My blood bubbled yet I could do nothing but watch her squirm in my arm.
'Will I have to watch…some …again…'
Tears started streaming down
Grip on the crystal sword loosens
As reason started to falter, my mind first became numb then clear
[Reason activates at maximum capacity]
Quickly but gently, I place Shin Yoosung on the tract.
I point my sword toward the approaching enemy.
The mana signature from before…
My mind was blank from killing intent, but I didn't…could charge…
'Who..will protect her…'
"…"
I gripped my sword, hazardously pushing mana into it. First it just glowed then a blue light build up, waving light a concentrated beam around it.
'I just want them gone, blown to dust.'
Following just my instincts on whether it will work or not.
I swing the sword down.
Swish
Bright light
Shake.
I shield Shin Yoosung in my embrace, for anything.
Rumble
…
The shake stopped very soon. The dust settled.
[You Hunted grade 8 Spector]
[You have met the conditions to clear the sub-scenario!]
[You have earned 300 coins.]
[Despite not being able to see the memory many constellations guessed the theme]
[Many constellations cast their sorrow ridden gaze]
[Demon like judge of fire is telling you everything will be okay]
[The curious constellations are sorry that they can't peek at your memories.]
…
The beam had gone vertically down. The fog was gone. The attack had created a long glowing scare on the floor, creating a scar in the floor that falls short of being a trench.
Huff* Huff*
I pay no mind to that. I secure Shin Yoosung in my arm.
I could help but look at the rat in new light. Despite the fear, of the 8 grade monsters it stayed by her side.
Steps
At the end of the tunnel - Pale light