EP.98 Walking Death
Death is commonly described as having no feet. This is because no matter where one hides or how far one runs, it closely follows behind, and even those who are always wary of death fail to notice and fall victim to it.
However, Lieutenant Callis's death was clearly walking on two feet.
A pretty boy, pretty enough to be mistaken for a girl, approached with clear killing intent and the ability to back it up. With every step he took toward Callis, she drew closer to death.
Her survival instinct sounded a warning.
"W-what are you doing? As an instructor of this Tantalos, a trainee who doesn't obey orders..."
Knowing it wouldn't work, the officer stammered out an excuse toward the approaching regressor.
Of course, it didn't work.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't let go. She'll die anyway."
If she didn't let go after hearing such words, she would only be tying herself down.
The officer threw the chain aside and backed away unsteadily. The iron chain clattered to the floor, and Aji opened her small eyes. Although the chain was still wrapped around her neck, Aji didn't pay much attention to it. She wouldn't be hurt just by the chain being pulled like that anyway.
She merely watched the sight of humans fighting each other with a little sadness.
Sensing the smell of blood that would soon waft through the air, Aji turned her head toward the darkness.
In contrast, the immortal, who did not fear death, faced the proudly approaching death head-on.
"Hey. Aren't you the boy who shamelessly liked men! It's unfortunate, but the Lieutenant is a woman! You must have mistaken her because of her stiff attitude!"
It was a tasteless joke, but it didn't work on the regressor now. Once the switch was flipped, only killing intent, forged like a blade, existed in the regressor's heart.
That killing intent was not satisfied by the death of just this lifetime.
A will to annihilate from a more fundamental, transcendent perspective... depriving her of existence in all future possibilities.
"...Must you really go that far, boy?"
Even the immortal, who had never experienced death, couldn't smile facing that momentum which surpassed the sheer killing intent. The immortal watched the regressor, his body pulled taut, ready to spring out at any moment.
Before long, the distance between them was 20 paces. The regressor spoke to the immortal blocking his way as if annoyed.
"It's better when your limbs are torn off. At least then, you weren't in the way."
"Boy, there were times when it was better when you were flustered and panicking. You were quite human then, but now you are truly... like an Asura."
The immortal let out a hollow laugh. It wasn't from composure, but from realizing the difference between him and his opponent.
Even though they had gotten this close, his speed didn't decrease.
Even though he possessed the ability to send blades of wind flying, even though he could unleash a barrage of threatening attacks from this distance, the regressor didn't slow his pace. As if an immortal like him wasn't even a hindrance.
Step by step. Neither slow nor fast, he was getting closer. Constantly, like an appointed time approaching moment by moment.
If he reached the officer, who was trembling bound by the killing intent, in this state...
The immortal muttered.
"Callis. Run."
This place was the Abyss. The most dead-end place with nowhere to run in any direction.
Even knowing that, the immortal had no choice but to mutter so.
"Anywhere, hurry!"
The officer, coming to her senses, nodded and immediately ran, her frantic footsteps echoing.
The regressor looked at the officer's back and muttered.
"As expected, it's better if you don't exist."
The regressor pulled his arm back. Just by doing that, the wind filling the corridor was sucked into one place.
Wiping away the faint remaining smile, the immortal shouted in an incredibly urgent voice.
"Run, quickly-!"
Right after. The regressor aimed at the center of her back and thrust Cheon-aeng.
Cheongeomgi, Sah-il (Shooting the Sun).
A gust of wind blew. Compared to the tremendous omen, the result was utterly insignificant. A light, small sound like someone blowing a puff of air, "whoosh," flowed along the corridor.
However, to dismiss it based on that, its power was far too fierce.
"Hah!"
The immortal immediately moved his body to block the tip of the regressor's sword. As expected, the invisible sword qi pierced through his body. Past his crossed arms, muscles, bones, lungs filled with wind, all the way to his back skin in an instant.
The immortal's expression turned agonized. The penetrating power far exceeded his expectations. An overwhelming force that couldn't be blocked by merely crossing his arms and throwing his body.
"Duck!"
Shouting so, the immortal twisted his body.
The sword wind pierced through him and advanced, grazing the officer's hat. The peaked cap symbolizing the military nation's authority spun in the air. The officer, staggering from the impact, barely regained her balance and hurriedly ran up the stairs to escape.
The regressor clicked his tongue.
"Tch. You twist your body even in that situation?"
"Haha. It was close to a stunt. But I succeeded somehow!"
While the sword wind pierced the immortal, the immortal filled his entire body with strength and twisted it. Since it was passing through his body at that moment, it was the same as being caught by his whole body. Because of that, the sword qi that was said to shoot down the sun also deviated from its trajectory, grazing above the officer's shoulder instead of her neck.
Although he failed to kill her, the regressor didn't feel any particular regret.
"It's only for a moment anyway. This is the Abyss, no one can escape from here. The Lieutenant is going to die."
"Haha. Take it easy, boy. She was just pushed into a corner."
"Because she was cornered, her true nature came out."
"True nature is not singular, boy. Everyone has good parts and bad parts existing simultaneously like front and back. In this place cursed by the Earth Mother, in this dark and gloomy land, only her bad side stood out!"
"Right. I understand."
The regressor nodded slightly and added.
"So I'll kill the bad part. You handle the good part... if she's still alive, that is."
It seemed no one could persuade the regressor. It even seemed like no one could stop him. Also, the regressor's anger had a justifiable reason, and even the regressor himself had no intention of stopping.
Feeling a sense of helplessness, the immortal spoke to him.
"Must you see blood, boy?"
Seeing the regressor's complexion gradually growing cold, the immortal hastily added.
"Ah, don't misunderstand! Of course I'm talking about my blood!"
"What about you? Do you have a reason to protect the Lieutenant even while seeing your own blood?"
"Of course. She is my friend!"
The immortal declared proudly without an inch of hesitation. The regressor swept his hair back as if annoyed and said.
"I wasn't going to say it because it seemed like I was showing off, but if this goes on it'll be annoying, so I'll tell you. The one who revived you wasn't the Lieutenant. It was me. I threw your right arm, which was suffering from the curse and groaning, into a recovery potion made of World Tree leaves and regenerated it. It looking like the Lieutenant saved you was a perfect coincidence..."
"Haha! I know! My right arm told me! I'm really grateful for that, boy!"
"...Then, why?"
The immortal spoke breezily.
"Anyway. She came with the intention to help me, and she had the ability to! Even if my right arm hadn't arrived right on time, the Lieutenant would have helped me! Then well, aren't we friends!"
"Haa. Right. Got it."
Letting out a deep sigh, the regressor raised Cheon-aeng and resumed his halted steps. The immortal stretched his right foot far back and shouted boldly.
"Of course, I consider you a benefactor too, boy! I have no intention of being hostile! Ah! I'm not saying this preemptively because I think I'll lose!"
"Tch, of all things an immortal, so I can't even kill you.... It'd be better to blow you away and go. Hah."
"I don't know if I can stop you, but I won't let you through easily!"
Seeing the regressor raise his hand, the immortal let out a fierce cry and charged at the regressor.
Not to attack, but to reduce the time the blade would tear through his body. The further he stepped back, the longer he would be ravaged. This resembled light infantry running head-on into a charging heavy cavalry.
Anyway, the immortal ended up in a similar state. As the violent wind grazed past, the immortal's robust body collapsed in an instant.
In a physical sense.
*****
'Escape, I need to escape.'
The Progenitor is indifferent to humans, the dangerous figure is currently getting along well with the convict without any issues, the immortal had his limbs torn off, and the target, the King of Dogs, is friendly to humans.
Because of that, Lieutenant Callis judged this mission would be easier than expected. Entering the Abyss filled only with those indifferent to humans, all she had to do was secure the King of Dogs. As long as nothing dramatic happened, Callis would be safe too.
The convict living brazenly until now was the proof of that, she thought. She made the most terrible misconception.
'It wasn't. The moment I touched the King of Dogs, they all reacted.'
The convict interfered the moment Callis approached the King of Dogs.
The Progenitor protected him with all her might, and for his sake, was willing to even accept antagonizing the nation.
Approaching the King of Dogs secretly and putting the 'chain' around his neck, the dangerous figure's eyes rolled back and he charged to kill her directly.
'Everyone here is an enemy.'
Then, this was a massive disaster for the Lord of All Things. She had undertaken the operation with the casual mindset of picking up a lost item, but it was actually of a difficulty similar to walking into hell and stealing the treasure of the Underworld's king.
'Did they grow attached? Or did they figure out our identity and are trying to interfere? Either way, I need to inform them. The operation must be canceled. And...'
That the situation is unfavorable, so she would escape to survive.
Giving up midway is not tolerated, but they wouldn't expect Callis to succeed in this hellish crucible. It would be better to plan for the future than to throw away her life.
Callis arrived at the 4th floor. She was out of breath. A soldier of the military nation wouldn't be out of breath just from running up stairs, but her body, which had indirectly experienced death a moment ago, was desperately craving proof of life through intense breathing.
Red hair stuck to her face. Only then did Callis realize that the hat that always pressed down on her hair was gone. She felt anxious for no reason, but she should at least consider herself lucky that her neck was still attached.
Callis opened the hidden part of her belt and took out a bundle.
'For communication.'
The military nation's Sync-type Magic Golems are inventions of the century, but they cannot resonate without a special Unique Magic. For ordinary people to deliver news, they must use communication facilities or revert to more primitive methods.
Like the brooch with four gems that Callis was holding now.
'Break one for safe, two for caution. Three for danger... and break all four, and it means everyone present is a perfect hostile entity.'
The twin gems created through special alchemy were made so that if one broke, the other would break too.
It had the disadvantage of being disposable and useless unless a signal was decided in advance, but the secret society, the Lord of All Things, fully utilized that characteristic.
'I must assume even the Progenitor is hostile to us. The gems to break are four.'
Callis pulled the pin attached to the brooch. Strangely, a heavy iron ball was attached to the tip of the pin, which should have been sharp. She pulled it as far as it would go and let go, and the iron ball bounced and struck the red gem.
Clang, the sound of the gem breaking echoed through the corridor.
'She said to definitely break the gems before escaping. So that they could prepare an escape route from above.'
One, two, three, four. The sound of gems breaking rang out in succession.
Having broken all the gems and finished communicating, Callis took out the last remaining escape bundle. The escape bundle was sealed more firmly than the other bundles. Even as her hands slipped repeatedly from nervousness, Callis continuously scratched the knots with her fingernails.
It was then.
[Loyalty. Lieutenant Callis. This is Communications Officer Captain Aby.]
A small golem walked out from the cafeteria. It was the communications officer's Sync-type Magic Golem.
Callis was startled by the unfamiliar voice, but her complexion brightened once she recognized its identity.
"Captain!"
To hide her track record as the 'Lord of All Things', she had to keep the communications officer away. She had received such orders too.
But from the standpoint of trying to escape, even a communications officer was a precious ally. The only ally who could relay the outside situation.
"You came at a good time. I intend to get out of the inside of Tantalos. The trainees here are still too violent to be resocialized. So, Captain, help me..."
However, the words delivered by the golem cut off Callis's words.
[...The military authorities have approved the temporary suspension of Lieutenant Callis's authority.]
"What?"
She was so shocked that her hands untying the escape bundle, which was practically her lifeline, momentarily stopped. In contrast, the communications officer's words were flat and dry without any intonation.
[Although you say you entered Tantalos by mistake, that too is a blunder. The military authorities have decided to take disciplinary action regarding that blunder.]
The word 'disciplinary action'. Even in the crisis of death, that gave Callis a different kind of shock.
The military nation's screening is strict. To reach Level 4, there must be no disqualifying reasons. Having no blunders was even more important than establishing public merits.
But disciplinary action? Callis protested.
"What, what are you talking about? Didn't they say there was a problem with the order! The order I received stated to supervise the supply process!"
[That may be, but the Abyss is a Level 5 security facility. Even if you followed the order, we cannot help but question entering Tantalos without any confirmation.]
"I will explain. I can explain that part."
Callis spoke urgently, but the answer delivered from the golem was heartlessly rigid.
[This unit merely delivers the content and does not exert any influence on the decision-making process. You are recommended to give your explanations to the investigation team that will arrive later. That is all.]
As if having nothing more to say, the golem gave a short salute and returned to the cafeteria. The strength drained from Callis's body.
How, why did she risk her life to come here. The dream that led Callis here was fading into a mere dream.
'No. I just need to escape.'
The Lord of All Things is spread throughout the military nation. Since they are rooted in all sorts of places from the military to the administration, if she just returned, they would solve this problem. She just needed to escape.
Callis grit her teeth and untied the tightly bound knot.
Finally, the knot that had been causing her a headache came undone. Callis hurriedly rummaged through the bundle and saw what was inside.
It was a packet with geometric shapes drawn on a square, hard body.
'Equipment Packet!'
The Equipment Packet, an alchemical weapon that creates equipment with simple structures like daggers or shields.
This packet would be the method of escape. Callis immediately opened her bio-terminal and inserted the packet. The packet, flowing along the Aki Avatar that covered her entire body, began to take shape around her shoulder.
'How do I use this? Are there no other instructions?'
It was when Callis looked inside the bundle to find other clues.
A blade protruding upward grazed her neck.