Obsession... What's That? I Just Wish Someone Would Help Me Escape - Chapter 54
What kind of crazy talk is that?
I stared at him in disbelief, and he lifted my hair as if he was trying to make rabbit ears.
“You’re not completely weak, are you? I like that baseless courage of yours.”
“Courage? No, it’s just a bad temper.”
Most sickly female leads are delicate, quiet, and give off a tranquil vibe.
But in reality, people who are sick are irritable and short-tempered.
Small and weak but vicious, like the fiercest little chihuahua.
Johann rested his chin on top of my head and spoke.
“You came back alive after meeting the executioner, didn’t you? Even if you claim not to remember.”
Executioner? Does he mean Number 27?
“What do you mean by that?”
I pretended not to know for now.
Johann pressed his chin harder into the top of my head and chuckled.
“Usually, during events like this, the ones at the bottom die first. By now, the prisoners in the 40s are probably all dead.”
“What exactly is an executioner?”
“A battle priest hiding among the prisoners. I felt faint divine power near the spot where you fell off the cliff. He must usually keep it hidden, but it looks like he revealed it when he tried to kill you. Maybe the demonic energy scared him off before he could finish the job.”
Could it be that Number 27 also saw that platinum-haired man who claimed to be a god?
As I was deep in thought, Johann lightly poked my cheek and said,
“Don’t let anyone know you’re a dual-ability user, Kido.”
Hearing Johann’s quiet voice, I swallowed dryly.
Just like Enrique said, he had already figured it out. But how?
“Maybe that demonic entity came to you earlier. Must have been frustrated that you haven’t awakened yet.”
The man, usually so strange, suddenly felt unusually serious today.
I let out a sigh and hung my head.
“Could the reason I can’t awaken be because I’m a dual-ability user? Maybe that’s why I’m always sick too.”
“You’re probably wasting away because your abilities conflict with each other. If anyone finds out, you’ll get snatched up for experiments and subjected to all kinds of tests. That’s what happened to the other dual-ability users. Then again, they might just kill you.”
In a way, he had uncovered a huge weakness of mine.
In a timid voice, I asked,
“If the church finds out, they’ll try to kill me, won’t they?”
“Then just don’t let them find out.”
Easier said than done.
Suddenly, I recalled what Enrique had said about a royal family member.
That person was also a dual-ability user, wasn’t he?
And yet, despite always being on the verge of death, he lived a long time.
“I heard about a royal a long time ago. Was that person experimented on too?”
“The princess? No, she lived a pampered life under her father, the emperor’s overprotection, until she eventually faded away. It didn’t end well, from what I heard. Some even said she was the last surviving Ancient.”
I thought she must have lived a century ago, but… was it more recent than I imagined?
I couldn’t understand why Johann used the word ‘faded’ instead of ‘died.’
“You won’t end up like that. You’re too sly and not nearly as nice. Good for you.”
With those cryptic words, he lapsed into silence.
Is that a compliment or an insult?
Not ending up like that—does that mean it’ll be a bad death?
I could hear soft, steady breathing.
Johann had already fallen asleep.
Wrapping me up like a kimbap and throwing his leg over me must have made it easier for him to sleep, huh?
He used to toss and turn, unable to keep track of even a single weapon.
I started thinking about the ancient beings that Johann and Number 27 had mentioned.
The Ancients, who were said to have existed thousands of years ago, were beings with such extraordinary abilities and knowledge that they had achieved immortality.
With the help of demonic gods, they built towers to challenge the divine, and as a result, a war broke out between the gods and the demonic gods. Their civilization was destroyed, and the entire world was said to have sunk beneath the sea.
The last remaining Ancients made contracts with the five demonic gods and restarted civilization, becoming the ancestors of our current world.
It was similar to Korea’s Dangun mythology.
If their civilization was that advanced, they probably could have launched rockets into space by now.
I curled up and closed my eyes.
There was a sense of relief, knowing that by tomorrow night I’d be free from this island.
But then, a sudden unease came over me.
If I become a power wielder, does that mean I’ll end up dead no matter what?
I hope I awaken with abilities that are just clever enough to be efficient and cunning—ones that wouldn’t lose to anyone.
