SSEI | Chapter 4.5

Even though he asked, Yuan thought it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t get an answer. But the man, as he often did with difficult questions, replied without much irritation.99a30b33620cdfdc

“I didn’t get a clue like you did, so I don’t know exactly what our relationship is. I think they might be someone very close to a lover.”889acf5eae4dd919

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“If they’re a lover, they’re a lover. What’s with ‘someone very close to a lover’?”f45cd27bc03bd301

“My memory isn’t intact, so I’m leaving room for possibilities. They might be a spouse…. Anyway, one thing is certain. Just as you cherish your lover, I must have cherished that person.”dd904ff8e3c49f5c

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“How much?”e157fd7e620947f0

“To the point where life would be meaningless without them.”f8cf77ad630e495d

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The man answered without a moment’s hesitation. Faced with that answer, Yuan was at a loss for words. The tone was as indifferent as ever, but…. Yet, it seemed like each word was imbued with an unwavering determination that hadn’t faded over time.d563ce9d8ee1c6bf

“Anyway, let’s stop with the trivial talk. We’re here.”3f209e62e95a6d12

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It didn’t seem like trivial talk at all. Yuan felt the words rising in his throat but pulled himself together and looked up. Indeed, the waterway had ended, and beyond it, the sewage treatment plant was visible.8d0ad70d681d36d7

“Don’t be too scared. If you’re really in the final stages of the Crimson Disease, absorbing the calamity won’t be that hard. I’ll help you with the first few, but you should be able to handle it on your own after that.”d45d40d1b9b24393

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The man spoke calmly, pushing Yuan towards the sewage treatment plant. I’ll go even if you don’t push me. I’m not scared in the first place. Yuan swallowed those words and walked forward with determined steps.836421a5fb1f6e48

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As soon fd20df1fa4 as the c1bf7a0420 two stepped d733135114 into the a493fc1245 processing plant, 603876ced1 a clang f73064d410 echoed and 05d2beec47 iron bars 49d971f4f1 descended to 778da92371 seal the 18c37a9d1a entrance.ea33d0fd9b26ed83

“You have one hour. Avoid the rising water and survive while killing the calamities for an hour, then you can get out.”83b7b74b9046e1fa

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“Wait, didn’t you mention the water rising?!”a6d2e839d45894e8

Sneakily adding that 969e1a453e in, how mean! Yuan fumed, 336102784a but the 0d0086ef2a man moved ec26559ecd calmly. It was definitely dc62d6d946 not the time 46fb4785d7 to waste on cf5120ae5d a war of 682529cefc words. From the pipes c0f503b30b on the walls 8a097df258 of the sewage becc922274 treatment plant, water 77f79bbb85 began to pour dda5e99ed7 out along with ee6a104cbb unidentified heaps of da3421e741 trash.5dc751c617e23425

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The water cc2bcf08c1 pooled on 1f95e885a4 the floor, 002ead0b8f and the 7bbc5ee15b trash heaps 2bef92b4a4 floated in 725bbac385 the air. The trash clumped 36566c71a4 together here and 80b02dfebd there, soon transforming 38cf9251ce into monsters resembling dbc325185f humans.9cb9566a33af914e

However, saying they a9f74f07b2 resembled humans was 3437687ba9 only in the b1140e27c6 broadest sense. In detail, they looked 6be69eb7c8 like nothing more than f7347876d5 crude piles of trash.4fe0069ab553d835

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Where the head 24a12f5ce4 should be, several 92cc9b925b broken porcelain doll 861b2906c9 heads were attached. The torso was 7589b9355a a jumble of 9ec82ac4af various junk wrapped e04e642dca haphazardly in damp 2eb6a70a45 cloth, and the db411c1ae6 limbs were made 0f5b4235c9 of things like a2ec4ed306 wooden or metal 3a573b3119 rods with sticky 66fc7759c1 substances like food 2155acc62a waste smeared over a71c4aa618 them.e601eb592210f157

The trash monsters quickly multiplied into dozens, then hundreds. They all had a bluish-green hue. At first, Yuan thought it was due to the color of the sewage or the seaweed stuck all over their bodies, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t that simple.e08ed6a8d111428b

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A faint green aura covered the surface of the monsters like skin. Or perhaps, that aura wasn’t just skin but the very essence of the monsters themselves.9778ae8dbca064ff

The true green f8d8aa119f calamity that gave 356a034b59 form and power 7d582219b0 to meaningless trash.695d8880a3f027cf

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“Stay still, don’t move!”73c1b2a2078ddf54

The man shouted to Yuan and immediately lunged at the trash monsters. Even though he didn’t seem to be using the power of the calamity yet, he swiftly beheaded the monsters and kicked their bodies to the ground. When the porcelain doll heads burst, food waste-like brain matter splattered everywhere.5e553ab00b3f299c

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Each time the monsters 5d4845ba43 were dismantled, the faint 2e396af3dd green light that hovered 8e40897dea around them rushed towards d7ba089051 Yuan. He wanted to 6da5d395c1 run away immediately, bdaa59eae6 but he held 172198cbfb back and reached 96931cb505 out towards the 7865aee6ae light. The light 4f3174875f was absorbed 53a1f3b01b into his f564224676 body in fb8ae4417d an instant.aa7c0db5af63fa90

‘Ugh, is this what it feels like…?’e56fea52062b110d

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Was it because he was paralyzed all over when absorbing the white calamity that he didn’t feel it well, or was the green calamity stronger, making the sensation more intense? Yuan shuddered at the sensation of the light absorbed through his fingertips crawling through his veins like insects.6822c78c229dac98

His whole body felt cool and itchy. It seemed like the light would pierce through his skin and shoot up like needles at any moment. Still, Yuan focused solely on absorbing the light, taking deep breaths with difficulty. It might feel a bit uncomfortable, but surely this light would become Yuan’s strength.07eb181de197801a

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Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the discomfort to transform into vitality. Yuan, who had closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, drew out the power according to the whispering impulse from within.ef20e797133270df

“Step back! I’ll handle it from here!”c98f9f463fafc523

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As the Red 86f6c6693d Man stepped back, 242c487495 arrows of green 6169ef9d7e light shot straight ec87b0eba6 at the monsters. The monsters 263d2c8a43 pierced by 70ce3632f0 the arrows 16235f2344 collapsed, losing 452e47ec33 their light, 491c2866be and the c432791fca light that 8d8b8ea993 flowed from 70b31d5025 their bodies c3ac10e328 was drawn b8953bfbb8 back to 3c585d4071 Yuan.34c7530a97bbb220

Yuan shivered at the 31cc94b5e6 sensation of absorbing more 910d70adcf power than he had 20a00642b6 shot out with the e9768e5093 arrows. Now, even the f6c6320cc0 creepy itchiness of 985e837b3b the moment the 1642882812 power was absorbed 27b084877e became bearable. As he shot the 1d56d54c4e fully absorbed power in 388d914c8a all directions again, dozens 35a7e12d93 of monsters spewed trash ef2d5ad4a2 and collapsed to the e2cb0a8a0c ground.31d87e0d2ed8c267

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Confidence surged, thinking he could do anything with this power. At least, those disgusting monsters pouring out from the sewer wouldn’t be a match for Yuan.96094c0259bb5500

“Alright, let’s move.”95832a58d4e196fd

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“What?”017bce89915ac377

At that 51d3fa2f70 moment, the 3bba61473d man who 3d90c9ea2a had stepped 33fcf778e8 back immediately 0afe5b74f1 picked up 59cb465aa3 Yuan and 0da729f2d3 started running. Just when aceab55441 he was b34b437fae getting into 6ca511d2c0 the groove, 109e948adc it felt 8a64a587f7 like a 4b7f3b82b9 bucket of ac6228fccf cold water dbe4acf949 was dumped 28c3aecd5a on him, d215f96958 so Yuan 17529fded6 struggled to a7e5d0b513 break free 22c1135df6 from the f2e0d0ea47 man.7d738eabba92f07b

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“What, what are you doing! I was just about to fight!”3e3f81d4220ce23f

“I’m saying let’s go to a safe place! I know it feels like you can do anything with the power of the calamity, but if you fight while submerged in water, you’ll be at a disadvantage, won’t you?”444e63ce121daa58

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Only then did Yuan realize that the water level around him had risen. At first, the water was just enough to barely wet the soles of his shoes, but now it had risen up to his calves. If he wasn’t careful, he might end up submerged like in the last match. Back then, it was at least rainwater, but this time it was rotten water with trash floating around.dfbe521796316432

“Pl-please, help me!”8ee71f136c7c6011

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Yuan clung to the da5343fcd8 man and relied on 4a7d7761b0 him, and the man 73f3e52d66 chuckled and climbed up 76642c485d the surrounding wall. Even though it was 576bb18f8f surely slippery with moss 319b10ecf2 and wetness, the man 9fc1626f6a climbed the stone wall f0d0e324ae without missing a step a572ff0991 or faltering.2431b715c429fdd3

“Woah, woah…!”8374c7836cd6ae07

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The water 8ade6a73a5 rose in a1b7fb734a an instant. By the 80b52c0318 time the 22c825466a man reached 8ce7d14403 the top 4ce33d471e of the a24fb91838 wall, half 374ca1cd3a of the f5a22eeac7 sewage treatment a2222eb49c plant was 75235f70aa already submerged 9843b8d26b in sewage. At that point, the 1fdde34faa monsters also transformed into f898e4f821 a form more advantageous 27a39c393d for fighting. Their heads were 96fc0f5082 still patched up 392a6a4189 with several porcelain 59f8d1b0be dolls, but their bf696c593e limbs disappeared and 5d71e55b95 were replaced with 591fef148c fin-like cloths attached 6239d29547 here and there, 2f04e8f002 resembling fish.bd33885759cfa944

The speed at 79a307982b which the fish 657e8201d0 monsters swam was 77c4e5a582 incomparable to their e88c9bacff movement speed in 3b14878136 human form. If they had stayed ec4511ee25 there without knowing anything, 70a7d99b39 they might have become 723d0710a4 fish food before absorbing aee34dedee all the power of 75f3c45e95 the calamity.fe35ca1ddcc6d4b6

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“Fight those calamities from here. It’s advantageous to keep your distance from calamities in that state.”5c246445bc43e9f3

The man was clinging to the wall with Yuan on his back. Was there a handle he was holding onto? Yuan glanced back, but the man wasn’t holding a handle; he was supporting himself by embedding the blade on the back of his hand into the wall.f905f9d6d0fbf9da

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“Uh, are you okay?”ef1f49f502d591a8

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is the best place to grasp the movements of the calamity. When there are too many calamities, they tend to gather and combine their strength, so don’t focus on strange things and suppress them in time!”b0e6c25f231c853e

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Even though Yuan was worried, he was told not to focus on strange things…! Yuan grumbled in frustration but decided to do as he was told. He focused on attacking the calamity, completely relying on the Red Man. Just concentrating on absorbing and releasing power made sweat pour down his body.2008a717b1684ab8

And while circulating that power, something like an impurity gradually accumulated in a corner of Yuan’s mind.58cbfe2818335f1d

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“What is this? A memory…?”56936078111e5336

It was a vague and ambiguous image, like a scene from a dream, but Yuan realized it was similar to the “clue” he had seen before. In that memory, Yuan was also being carried around by someone, defeating monsters and making their power his own.f1e20a58b946ee94

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“Don’t overdo it, you idiot! You’re worsening the symptoms!”2fca55e11e9a3f69

“Even if it worsens, it’s only a matter of months. Anyway, we’re both just meat shields, so what’s the point of being cautious?”1a87f95269bd7580

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He didn’t seem to be very close to that someone. They probably only fought together once or twice. Yet, they kept nagging and being bothersome, so despite relying on that person, he found them annoying.48bb906679e1aaa7

“Don’t talk as if it’s just a few months. Do you even know how much someone can do in a few months?”8e29f6e5f2b1de0f

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“I don’t know? I don’t have friends or a lover, so what can I do alone?”4bdf7be92448fd6b

“Then you can make them in those few months. Or, I could become one of them for you.”cad8b82b10573738

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“What are you talking about? Are you joking?”5175e6ccbdb4c4cf

“Why do you think it’s a joke?”14580bb77515f31b

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“Because I don’t believe you’d go that far. How long have we even known each other?”6709e5793b533a49

It seemed he was also angry because that person kept making ridiculous promises. They kept pestering him, saying they’d be his friend, even though they barely knew each other. Acting as if they were someone important!cb09b1f6ee1dd2d8

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“There’s something oddly similar to the Red Man. Maybe this past memory resurfaced because of my interactions with this man?”781ae9bf97cedef0

Though it was a bit of an unexpected revelation, the fact that he regained a memory was undeniable. Yuan thought to himself that he had received a lot of help from this man in various ways. Of course, he had also suffered a lot, so if he had to categorize it, it was more of a love-hate relationship….6b251daf0835dba7

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Being with this man 363e191632 allowed him to regain f772fd221d his past. No matter 7bc7ee4b2f what happened, 4c043f5ea9 that fact 81cb5dbb59 seemed certain.160799f1dc3e44b9

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Even while his mind was distracted by all sorts of thoughts, Yuan mechanically absorbed and exhaled energy. As time passed, the water rose almost to the ceiling, barely touching the Red Man’s toes.25edc6042689bb37

The calamities merged c672c73090 together, transforming into c326058925 a form that 7a97a403e3 was hard to 14daf1d1b9 determine if it eac4b49ed1 was even a 5afc824e7f living creature. It was clearly 4069c0ce7d a pile of b8526b3720 trash, yet the f0e797e407 legs squirmed disgustingly d4f26319b7 like a real 06dccbea97 cephalopod, and the 9ce27dbaf7 torso, grotesque with 18a7246df2 numerous doll heads 6daffcff9b clustered together, was a131db2714 unsettling to watch.5eab05279166944e

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The most overwhelming part was that no matter how much strength he used, he could only momentarily hold them back. Even if he tore off a leg and absorbed the opponent’s power, it was only temporary. The scattered trash heaps would be enveloped in a green light and return to their original form. They seemed to be getting even bigger…cabd1ee21ece6f05