Chapter 54

“…Let me ask you a question.”

Gia asked the question while barely maintaining her sanity, grinding her teeth.

“The bead you threw…”

“Ah… the bead. Right.”

Morrison, as if realizing Gia’s question just now, pulled his hand, which had been ruffling through his hair, away and looked up at the ceiling. 

Gia shivered as she looked at Morrison’s face, lost in thought as if recalling something that happened a long time ago.

“That bead. Cl-clang. What is its identity?”

“The bead… right. The bead. It was an invention made for long-distance travel. I made it because you guys were relentlessly chasing me. It was still in the experimental stage, but, huh… strange. There shouldn’t be any problem with my invention.”

In apparent confusion, Morrison’s hazy, veiled eyes rolled around.

“Hah. There’s no way to return to the original world?”

Morrison’s face, which was smiling when Gia asked, suddenly turned expressionless.

“Even if I know a way to return, there’s no research facility to create it. And I like it much better here. Why should I go back?”

Frowning, Morrison looked at Gia. His face, containing the question of why go back when things are good now, shone purely. Like a child not wanting to lose a toy. 

Gia’s face, looking at Morrison, became grim. So there is no way and no intention to go back.

Meeting Morrison, she thought there might be a way to go back. It was just her misconception. Disappointment overwhelmed her.

“It’s not fun anymore.”

As Morrison ran his hand through his hair, blood flowed down from sharp nails.

Drip.

The blood flowing from her shoulders to the floor, and from Morrison’s nails, continued endlessly.

“Kulk.”

Blood filled Gia’s mouth, and who was about to tell Morrison not to be ridiculous, blocking her throat. Morrison, looking at Gia with a satisfied face, licked his lips with a nimble tongue.

Whether it was because of exertion or the sight of blood, an unbearable hunger shook Morrison’s mind.

Should he eat her raw? Morrison’s hand, contemplating, rose as if to crush Gia’s skull.

Whatever way he eats, as long as the taste is good.

Now it’s over, thought Morrison, raising a relieved face, meeting Gia’s gaze. 

It’s time to go. Their enduring connection ends today.

In the intoxication of finally becoming the last winner, Morrison trembled. It’s the end of the tedious fate. Morrison leaned back, elbows wet, and stretched out forcefully.

“Gia!”

With a stifled cough, Kalion barely straightened his waist. Is this the pain of the intestines being severed? Blood gathered at the corner of his mouth as if a massive shock had hit the inside of his stomach. 

Kalion, surveying his surroundings, miraculously rose to face an attack from Morrison aimed at Gia.

‘Absolutely… It can’t happen.’

It felt like Morrison’s fingertips could pierce Gia’s skull at any moment.

No. No. 

Kalion moved so quickly that the thought that he was a wounded person did not even occur to him, as if he were a person who only knew how to utter the words “can’t happen” repeatedly.

With tightly pulled muscles pushed to the limit, the dagger that Gia had dropped was now clenched in Kalion’s hand, raised high. The dagger, precisely aimed at Morrison’s skull, was effortlessly blocked with a single gesture.

“I said the game is over here.”

Morrison, with his head strangely turned backward, locked eyes with Kalion.

‘Ah, it’s over.’

In that fleeting moment, Kalion sensed defeat.

They had been utterly defeated.

No matter what strategy they used, they couldn’t beat Morrison. The only consolation was that their sacrifice could prove Morrison’s existence. 

Thanks to that, the people of the empire and even beyond the continent could prepare in advance. Kalion decided to accept his death with humility.

But not for Gia. Not for her. He wished she wouldn’t die in front of him. Kalion’s eyes fell on Gia, lying on the ground.

Gia, too, seemed to be looking at Kalion, and their gazes collided in the empty air. As Kalion’s defeated hand fell powerless to the ground, Gia bit her lip.

What is she trying to say? Kalion looked at Gia’s blood-stained lips.

“Es-cape. Live… You…”

‘Why… Why are you.’

A hazy mist rose in Kalion’s eyes. He couldn’t understand Gia, who sacrificed herself so naturally even though there was no reason to go to such extremes. He neither understood nor had the intention to understand. No, rather, he became angry, and his head heated up.

Has he ever been so furious about something?

It’s a world unrelated to her, whether it perishes or not. Even if it’s for the sake of her father’s revenge, Kalion couldn’t fathom why Gia was so desperate to stop Morrison.

The gesture and the earnest look, pointing to other comrades as if saying, “Escape together,” seemed to be mercilessly pounding Kalion’s chest.

“Hurry.”

With the last remaining strength, Gia’s bloodied hand grabbed Morrison’s ankle. Morrison, who was about to swing his arm to finish Kalion first, was unexpectedly thrown off balance by the unexpected force.

“Quickly. Go!”

As Gia shouted, blood splattered around her. Kalion, staring blankly, clenched his fist, and a vivid blood vein appeared on the back of his hand.

“No.”

At the defiant response, Gia’s face contorted. 

She didn’t have the energy or the strength to deal with Morrison anymore. The corners of her eyes twitched as she watched Kalion struggle against him.

Gia grabbed Morrison’s ankles and clung desperately to him as he climbed on top of her, wrapping his thick thighs around her neck.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Kalion’s hand pulled Morrison’s chin down as if to rip it off.

“Die. Die! Please. Ugh.”

Morrison’s feet flew out from under him as he dodged the flailing hands, leaving cuts all over his body.

“Ugh.”

Under Kalion’s choking grip, Morrison struggled. In the grip of the constricting breath, in agony, Morrison twisted his body randomly.

“Die… Ugh.”

Two weaponized hands grabbed Morrison’s ankles instead. Even if he pulled away from Kalion’s, his fused fingers couldn’t find a grip, so he could only flail wildly upward.

‘Damn.’

As his breath was cut off, his vision turned white. Heat gathered on Morrison’s weakened head. 

For a moment, a strange sensation was felt in Morrison’s right hand. The heat, as if dipped in hot water, suddenly turned into a rush of blood, streaming to the right, and the blood vessels surged.

“Hehe.”

Everything is in the palm of his hand. Morrison couldn’t help but laugh, strangling with pleasure.

As soon as he sensed the danger, his cells moved, and Morrison’s hand that was on its way back was restored to its original state.

“Ku, Kuggh.”

Thud.

When Morrison tightened the fingers holding his chin and exerted force, Kalion’s hand twisted at a bizarre angle.

“Nng.”

With the sound of bones twisting, Kalion, with only his fingers held, fell away from Morrison in an instant.

Thud.

Kalion’s body, falling to the floor, showed no sign of movement.

“Ka, Kalion!”

Even when she called his name desperately, Kalion showed no reaction, as if he had lost consciousness. Fear flooded Gia’s eyes as she looked at Kalion, who had collapsed to the ground.

“You disgusting things. Persistent. Persistent. I’ll give you credit for that one thing.”

As Morrison spoke harsh words, his arm raised.

“Now shut up… Ku, Ugh.”

The joint of Morrison’s arm, raised to pierce Gia’s heart, twisted and contorted in all directions. Morrison, in pain, stepped back as if unable to endure it, and with his right hand, he ruthlessly scratched his throat.

“What, what is it.”

Morrison’s flailing hand decreased and repeated its change back to the original state, rapidly altering his condition. 

Why? Why is he doing that? Gia, avoiding Morrison who suddenly screamed and writhed, propped herself up on the floor.

She didn’t forget to keep an eye on Morrison causing a commotion towards Kalion. Although she didn’t understand why Morrison was causing such a riot, for Gia, it was an opportunity to escape with Kalion and the other members.

Each time Morrison convulsed, screaming suddenly and writhing on the ground, Gia, who had no strength left and was gasping, coughed up blood. 

The path to Kalion. 

On that path, Gia’s blood continued like a trail of mercy.

“Kal, Kal… Kalion.”

There was no response from Kalion. With anxious eyes, Gia cautiously grabbed Kalion’s shoulders and shook him.

Could it be? An evil thought crossed Gia’s mind as she hurriedly brought her fingers to his high nose. In the faint breaths dispersing, Gia’s shoulders sank as if in relief.

“Ka, Kalion… Wake up.”

Whispering and calling Kalion’s name, Gia’s voice gradually grew louder. 

Now was the chance to escape, but Gia had no more strength to move, and the members, including Kalion, were in a state of unconsciousness. Gia’s fingertips holding the unconscious Kalion turned pale.

“Ugh, Ugh. Nng. Why… Ugh.”

As Morrison opened his mouth to scream, a luminous blue substance poured down like fluorescent liquid. His teeth were changing rapidly, alternating between those of a beast and a human.

In that bizarre appearance, Gia, as if protecting Kalion, whom she pulled toward her, did not take her eyes off Morrison.

‘Why is he like this… all of a sudden.’

Even if there were only moments left for him to kill her. In an instant, Morrison, who was glowing unexpectedly, was incomprehensible. 

In a moment Gia bit her lips and had the fleeting thought of somehow moving her body to send Kalion out of here.

“Kraaaaah! No, it can’t be!”

For some reason, Morrison jumped out of the cave, disappearing abruptly.

“What… is it.”

Alone, Gia, who regained her senses, held Kalion in her arms and breathed a sigh of relief.

She don’t know why Morrison caused such a riot and then disappeared, but they had to hurry.

“Kal, Kalion.”

With a face covered in blood, Gia’s voice trembled endlessly. Knowing that he wasn’t dead, she couldn’t understand why it was so terrifying. What if Kalion never opened his eyes again? A strange fear consumed Gia’s heart.

“Wake up. Please.”

Although a steady pulse could be felt, Kalion continued to exhale calmly with a face that had fallen into a serene sleep.

“Kalion. Please.”

If it were someone else, she might have slapped their cheeks hard to wake them up. But Gia couldn’t bring herself to do that to Kalion. 

She sat dumbfounded, looking at his face, crying sorrowfully as if she didn’t know anything else to do.