Every human has their own persona. Society is too harsh to show our true selves completely, so everyone packages their personality to some extent.
We hide our selfish sides, conceal our depression, and tuck away our gloomy selves behind active masks.
These personas, even in uncomfortable relationships, enable some level of communication. Just like now.
"There are monsters ahead."
"I'll cast a dark curtain around us, everyone attack at once."
A week had passed since I learned dark magic and fought with my party members.
During that time, we were getting along surprisingly well.
How should I put it...
We maintained a business partner-like relationship.
We didn't share personal feelings, but we still worked together.
Setting aside uncomfortable emotions, we focused on our goals.
Unexpectedly, the unconditional antagonism had decreased lately.
Perhaps because I showed my anger once. After confirming I had thorns too, they seemed somewhat cautious.
Of course, I don't know what will happen after we leave Chunghoe Castle...
But for now, that's how it is.
We're uncomfortable with each other, but we don't explicitly express it.
*Sigh.*
Anyone who's lived in a group knows this kind of atmosphere is the most uncomfortable.
*How frustrating...*
I'd rather have everything explode once. Not knowing what they're thinking inside makes it even more uncomfortable. At least when I was being antagonized, I could clearly see their emotions, but now I can't even do that.
After briefly entertaining these thoughts, I decided to push them aside.
Ah, forget it.
What's the point of thinking about this? Better to have more constructive thoughts.
Despite growing distance with team members, my personal growth was progressing well.
I'd gained another level recently...
And I was slowly working on my dark magic skills.
"Hero, ahead!"
"Yes."
As Camilla shouted, I saw a monster rushing toward me. A scorpion-type monster twice my size.
It had paralyzing poison, a shell harder than most plate armor, and moved surprisingly fast, making it difficult to deal with.
As soon as I spotted it, I activated a skill.
[Blood Flow Acceleration is activated!]
[Temporarily increases strength, speed, and magic casting speed!]
In other words, Gear Second.
A skill that pumps blood flow to temporarily maximize physical abilities. Unfortunately, my body didn't turn red or emit smoke.
However, it did put strain on my body afterward.
But "Regeneration" would cover that.
Thump thump!
As I activated the skill, my heart began to beat rapidly. The pounding heart pumped blood furiously throughout my body.
With slight excitement, a feeling of exhilaration washed over me, like I could do anything.
I added "Mana Blade" to my sword and struck down.
Slash!
A chilling sound echoed as one of the scorpion's pincers was cut off. Given its size, cutting the entire body in half would be difficult.
Hisssss!
With one arm severed, perhaps from pain, the creature thrashed wildly. Its massive body made a racket in the narrow corridor.
"Kyaaak! Bugs are falling from the ceiling!"
"Clean them up quickly! Ugh! They're gathering because of the noise!"
Lily waved her hands above her head, brushing off bugs.
Camilla, who was picking off monsters one by one in the corridor, shouted urgently.
I nodded briefly and placed my hand randomly on the creature's body. Then I activated another skill.
[Blood Energy Absorption is activated!]
All living creatures with movement have blood in their bodies. Insects and bugs are no exception.
Even if our blood colors differ, it exists somewhere in their bodies.
And if there's blood, I can now absorb it.
Hiss... Hisss...
As I activated the skill, the creature gradually calmed down.
Through my palm, I could feel its blood slowly evaporating.
This was the most useful skill I'd found in Bloodcraft.
When the creature seemed sufficiently subdued, I swung my sword down again.
Slash!
The creature's head fell off.
I continued to use "Blood Flow Acceleration" to slaughter monsters left and right.
Fortunately, we were able to easily handle the monsters that rushed at us this time.
A battle that would normally take 30 minutes more was completed faster. Skills definitely speed things up. This is why characters need to choose a class. It makes combat easier.
Of course, there were some downsides. This wasn't the true advantage of self-harming dark magic.
Its true value shows when you're injured...
*But I need to get injured first.*
The class I chose was like a berserker who gets stronger the more they're hurt. But recently, I hadn't had many opportunities to get hurt, thanks to Chunghoe Castle's characteristics.
While the swarms of monsters were certainly overwhelming, they weren't dangerous.
So my skill development wasn't progressing as well as I'd hoped.
Instead, I was only increasing proficiency in "Multicasting" and "Fireball."
"Phew..."
"..."
As I wiped away sweat, I felt strange gazes on me.
Turning my head, I saw them looking at me with displeased expressions. As if they'd seen something unpleasant.
...This was their reaction whenever I used dark magic.
They didn't say anything explicitly, but these unconscious reactions seemed unavoidable.
"Phew... We've worked hard today... Why don't we take a break now?"
Fortunately, not all changes were negative.
"...No. Let's continue."
As I wiped the sweat covering my body, Camilla spoke while catching her breath.
We had already been fighting and exploring for over eight hours.
Usually, everyone would disperse around this time.
Eight hours of continuous combat is exhausting, and rest is crucial in such harsh environments.
"...Alright, fine."
But lately, these exploration periods had been increasing.
Even if they didn't like what I said, they must have realized something. They understood we couldn't stay in this state.
Perhaps they'd shattered the illusion in their minds that they could win somehow.
Either way, it was good news for me.
Though physically demanding, my growth was accelerating.
I had less free time, but that could be made up with sleep.
So we continued hunting for several more hours.
*
"Work time. Please handle this."
Thud!
After finishing our daily routine, Camilla threw something at me.
It was the corpse of a monster I had just slaughtered.
Just when I thought combat was over, dissection work came back after a long time.
True, we hadn't done dissection work recently...
The amount of monster carcasses we'd discarded could easily buy a mansion.
Especially this monster we just caught—it would clearly fetch a high price.
But despite that, I couldn't help but curse inside.
*Shit.*
Because dissecting this would be entirely my job.
I never thought they'd get back at me like this.
Since they couldn't say anything to my face, they gave me annoying tasks instead.
"I wanted to rest..."
Though complaints came out of my mouth, I had no choice but to pick up the dagger. If I refused, I'd look petty.
Having no allies means frequently suffering through situations like this.
That's why everyone should learn office politics when they join a company.
*This time it's a crustacean monster.*
As I examined the dagger and the dissection angle, I noticed one troublesome point. Creatures covered in chitin shells.
This meant they would be extremely difficult to process.
The blade doesn't cut through easily. Joint sections are hard to find.
And freshly killed ones are so fresh that the meat doesn't separate.
In many ways, they're like assholes.
Just like my party members.
But what can I do? I have to do it...
So I began the dissection work. At least the quantity was manageable, so I could finish before bedtime.
While thinking that, someone approached me.
"I'll help you."
It was the Saintess.
Wearing a nun's habit covered in dust, she sat down beside me and handled a dagger.
"Let's see... This is my first time dissecting. How do I process this?"
"..."
I couldn't help but be surprised.
I've repeated "why is she acting like this lately" so many times that it's becoming cliché.
If I had to pick the party member whose psychology I understand least, it would definitely be her.
Even when receiving kindness, not knowing the underlying intention made me uncomfortable.
I decided to refuse once.
Not only was it annoying to teach her, but working alone was better than in an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Wearing my usual smiling mask, I said to her:
"It's fine. What if you hurt your hand? Besides, it's easier if an experienced person does this, so you can go rest."
"As a Saintess, I can heal if I get hurt, so what's the problem? And from what I see, you need even an amateur's help. How will you finish all this?"
Of course, I was cleanly rejected.
She said that and carefully observed how I processed the carcass. Then she started dissecting on her own without instructions.
"Ah, I see. Insert the knife into the joint and slowly turn it to pull it out..."
"..."
She seemed quite dexterous. She quickly stripped down one carcass.
Of course, her strength and technique were lacking, making her somewhat clumsy... But she seemed capable of doing her share.
Haah.
I let out a small sigh. She didn't look like she would leave even if asked. I decided to just let her be.
It would be awkward to firmly refuse someone who came to help.
"..."
"..."
A silence fell between us.
In the dark corridor, only the sounds of bugs moving and dissection work echoed.
While working, the Saintess seemed to have something on her mind, alternately looking at me and the carcasses for a long time.
What is she doing...
It bothered me, but I decided to ignore it. Ignoring is usually the answer for such things.
"...Um."
Suddenly, the Saintess looked at me and opened her mouth.
"Please don't hate the others too much."
I was startled and had to ask:
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Well, you fought with everyone a few days ago. About the dark magic issue... I know everyone's feelings are hurt because of that. I'm asking you not to hate them too much. They have their own values too..."
I could only stare blankly for a moment.
So that's why she came—to say this.
"Well, it's fine. I made mistakes too... Learning dark magic, their reaction is natural."
I don't hate them. Probably.
The constant antagonism honestly makes me angry sometimes... but that's due to my curse's influence.
There are plenty of reasons for leniency.
The unusual one was actually her.
I decided to ask something I was curious about.
"Aren't you bothered at all, Saintess?"
"About what?"
"Dark magic. It's certainly not a righteous path..."
In the game, she particularly despised dark magic. So why has her attitude suddenly changed this time... I still couldn't understand.
That's not all.
My body is covered with countless curses. Curses that cause fear, disgust, irritation, and distrust just by looking at me.
Is she not affected?
Does God's blessing provide immunity to such things? Or is it purely her nature?
Or... is she hiding some intention?
I'm still curious. I'd like to resolve some of that curiosity now.
After waiting for a moment, she said:
"I said it was a necessary choice."
"..."
I was almost moved to tears.
"I believe in you, Hero. Even if I don't fully understand it. You must have had a reason for choosing this path, right?"
She smiled benevolently, her sapphire-like eyes shining so warmly that I felt momentarily healed.
"..."
This was the empathy I longed for.
I didn't need universal admiration, historic achievements, or recognition from authorities.
I just wanted this small word of support.
At least the belief that someone supported the path I was walking.
It seems I had been yearning for this without realizing it.
"I... see..."
I awkwardly answered and then turned my head away.
If I kept looking, tears might flow, making it difficult to face her.
... I still don't know if those words were sincere.
Anyone can offer hollow comfort, and expressions are surprisingly easy to fake. She might be thinking something else inside.
But what does it matter?
At least I was touched by those words.
I felt a corner of my heart being healed a little.
Moreover, she even opposed the party members to defend me.
I wasn't foolish enough not to notice how she had been considerate of me all this time.
So perhaps... just a little bit, I could trust her. Maybe it's okay to be optimistic that there's at least one person supporting me.
"..."
We resumed our dissection work.
The same heavy silence enveloped us, but it wasn't uncomfortable like before.
I even felt a sense of ease.
After working for a while, when I glanced at her, I noticed something.
*Ah.*
I saw a small bug attached to the back of her soft neck. This was common in the bug-infested Chunghoe Castle.
Usually, people notice immediately when something attaches to their body.
*She must not notice because she's concentrating.*
Then I should remove it.
I don't know if it's poisonous, but having a bug on your body is never pleasant.
So I carefully moved my hand toward the back of her neck. With absolutely no ulterior motive...
And...
—Slap!!
I was rejected.
In my clear vision, I saw her hand forcefully pushing mine away.
Her startled eyes were filled with undisguisable displeasure.
The benevolent smile disappeared into a frown, and rough breathing escaped through her throat.
I couldn't help but be surprised by such a harsh rejection.
After a moment of silence.
Our eyes met.
"...Ah."
"...Huh?"
Her eyes began to tremble uncontrollably as she grasped the situation.