SSEI | Chapter 3.9

The words of the man who said there was no guarantee Yuan would be in his right mind when he returned to the sanctuary flashed through Yuan’s mind. It felt like pieces of a puzzle were coming together in a way that wasn’t good.

“Anyway, it’s concerning. They say he killed the kids you were with in the last round too? Maybe that guy holds a grudge against you more than you think?”

“Oh, no. That’s…”

“Even if it’s not a grudge, maybe he’s trying to use you. I feel bad for running away last time, wondering if I should have stayed…”

Lork’s timely intervention shook Yuan’s heart. If he was talking about the incident with Sael and Eren Noeul, it was probably a coincidence, but Yuan couldn’t bring himself to say it. After all, the man might have deceived him, and whether intentional or not, it was true that such things happened.

Yuan glanced at the Red Man, sweating nervously. The man neither confirmed nor denied anything, simply tilting his head as he looked at Lork.

“You didn’t come to protect the newbie you abandoned and ran away from, did you? So, what’s your purpose in finding us?”

“No, I didn’t come looking for you on purpose. I just saw you while passing by, so I came over. Besides, there’s something that’s been bothering me…”

Before the other could finish speaking, the Red Man swung his blade. Clang, the metallic sound rang out again, and this time Lork staggered back. In his hand was a massive hammer-like weapon.

But it wasn’t clear what Lork had done just now. When the giant swung his greatsword, even though it was sudden, Yuan could vaguely see the trajectory of the sword being deflected. But this time, it seemed like Lork was just standing there and suddenly got hit.

Yuan was sure Lork had attacked the Red Man. It reminded him of the time when he first teamed up with Lork. He couldn’t be sure if it was the same phenomenon as back then, but maybe.

“You’ve figured out how to obtain a procedural bypass weapon without sacrificing your body. Even if I let my guard down for a moment, you cause trouble…”

“Is that a compliment? While you were suspiciously tailing the newbie, I was diligently searching for ways to get stronger. But still, you managed to block it somehow. As expected, I can’t beat you.”

It seemed it was indeed the same weapon from back then. As the man pointed his blade and slowly approached Lork, Lork grinned and tightened his grip on the hammer.

“Yuan, run! We’ll hold them off so they can’t chase you right away!”

“Huh, huh? What…?!”

– If you don’t run, I’ll consider you on their side. Get out of the way and leave!

Without any excuses or responses, the Red Man immediately lunged at Lork and the giant. The attack, leaving only the result without any swinging process, clashed with the Red Blade, sending sparks flying everywhere.

⌖♕⌖♕⌖

Even though he heard the words “run away,” his legs wouldn’t move as he wanted them to. Yuan watched the battle, not knowing what to do.

Just as Lork had said, “I can’t beat him,” the Red Man seemed to be blocking Lork’s attacks quite well. Yuan didn’t know how he was doing it, but the man was blocking attacks without any visible trajectory almost perfectly.

‘He doesn’t even seem to be using the power of the calamity yet, and he’s this good. Plus, the guy doesn’t seem to have any weapons or equipment other than the blade…!’

The Red Man swung his blade, aiming for his opponent’s vital points whenever he saw even the slightest opening. Lork tried to dodge, but he ended up with minor scratches or lost his balance, stumbling. It felt like if things continued like this, the man would win cleanly without any interference.

Of course, that would only be possible if they continued fighting one-on-one.

‘Huh?’

The Giant, who had been watching their fight, started moving a beat late. But this time, he wasn’t charging at the man with a greatsword. Instead, he planted the greatsword into the ground and threw off his cloak and upper garment.

‘W-why is he doing that all of a sudden? It’s not like he’s an exhibitionist…!’

The Giant wasn’t trying to show off his bulging muscles, of course. As soon as he took off his clothes, what was most noticeable was his body, with barely any intact skin, revealing flesh and bone.

His body was being eaten by small, unidentified fish. Each fish was no bigger than a pinky finger, but there were easily over a thousand of them, densely covering his body instead of the skin that had already been eaten. It seemed like it would be painful to have his whole body being eaten like that, but the man didn’t look like he was in pain or even itchy.

The fish were coming out of a white orb embedded in his abdomen. To be precise, it seemed more like the seawater flowing from the orb was floating around, creating the fish. The mysterious sound of water that had been heard all along seemed to be coming from that orb.

The Red Man frowned fiercely as soon as he saw the orb. It wasn’t just because the appearance was grotesque.

“Even a seawater generator… You’re really going all out, huh?”

“This game is great at balancing things out. No matter how amazing your Crimson Calamity is, you can’t just use it recklessly, right? If the two of us are lucky enough to get decent weapons, we can push you back!”

The fish, grown from eating flesh, quickly swarmed the Red Man. Even though they were small, the sheer number of creatures joining in quickly turned the tide.

“……!”

The fish, having found a new prey, began tearing at the man’s clothes and biting his flesh. Whether Lork’s procedural omission weapon affected the fish as well, they disappeared and reappeared as if teleporting, continuing their feast.

With the sound of flesh and bone being torn, the man’s blood splattered everywhere. Even though it wasn’t him being eaten, Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

The man didn’t scream, but his twisted face clearly showed his pain. His movements, swinging the blade at Lork, were still fierce, but it was evident that they were becoming a bit sloppy or slower. It was definitely taking a toll on him.

‘This makes it a close match… No, that’s not the important issue right now. What should I do?’

Yuan, momentarily dazed by the intense, bloody battle, finally snapped back to reality. Now wasn’t the time to be distracted by watching someone else’s fight.

‘This isn’t the time to be swayed by the situation in front of me. Anyway, in this game, life and death don’t have much meaning right now.’

He felt sorry for Lork, who had bought him some time, but honestly, running away now wouldn’t benefit Yuan much. Even if a rookie with no experience or knowledge tried to escape, there was no way he’d survive in the night zone. He’d likely be killed by someone else or get caught in the ebb tide and sucked into the fish tank, becoming fish food.

And in the same context, it doesn’t really matter who dies or survives in the battle before him. Once the match is over, both will return to the sanctuary in one piece and prepare for the next game. Even if they fight as if they’re going to kill each other, they can’t completely eliminate one another.

This isn’t just about running away or not. Yuan realized he needed to think ahead and ponder deeply. It’s time to ask questions that will affect not just this match but all future games.

‘Who should I trust?’

At first glance, it’s a ridiculously silly question. The Red Man, who kept killing and tormenting him, and Lork, who helped him and even gave him a chance to escape. If he had to choose between the two, Lork is overwhelmingly more trustworthy.

All the deaths Yuan experienced were caused by that man, and if the Giant’s words are true, the Blue Dot, his partner in this match, might have gone crazy because of that man.

Moreover, Lork, who is on the opposing side, was his partner in the first match and just now stopped his partner from attacking Yuan. He even volunteered to buy time so Yuan could escape safely. If you had to pick who is more trustworthy, Lork is definitely the better choice.

However, this isn’t a decision to be made lightly. It’s true that the Red Man hasn’t earned his trust, but still, he…

‘He knows things I don’t.’

More precisely, he seems to know what Yuan is drawn to. It’s true that the Red Man has been a significant threat to Yuan, but thanks to him, Yuan was able to fill in many blanks. He learned that he has a purpose in this world and that he left a precious lover in his original world because of that man.

‘These are things more important than anything to me. I must remember them to keep my heart from breaking until I return to my original world.’

Yuan wasn’t confident he could maintain his desire to return to his original world after dying dozens or hundreds of times. Besides, unlike others, he has something to gain in this world. At least as long as he stays here, he can avoid dying completely from a terminal illness. He briefly thought it might be better to continue living here rather than struggle to return to a world he doesn’t even remember.

But thanks to the Red Man, he learned. Yuan had a lover, and he must return to his original world for that person. For Yuan, who had lost his memory and had no goals, there was no clearer guidepost than that.

It can’t be a trick or fake. If the intense longing and sadness he felt when he saw that past were fake, then there are no real emotions in the world.

Moreover, Yuan began to realize. The Red Man may have a twisted nature that allows him to kill people without a second thought, but he doesn’t seem like someone who would deceive or exploit others.

‘If you look closely, he’s surprisingly straightforward and lacks cunning. He doesn’t get very angry even if I act mean or nitpick, and while I wouldn’t call him kind, sometimes he’s undeniably considerate, and even though he finds me annoying, he tells me all the important things…’

Even if he kills a bit, he’s a decent person. I know it sounds nonsensical, but that’s the only way to explain it. He has a personality that could earn a bad reputation, but he still inspires a strange trust.

Being with him makes me feel like things will work out somehow, and even though many deaths will pile up, in the end, we’ll surely head in the right direction, a voice whispers in a corner of my heart.