My Strange Savior - Chapter 121

Chapter 121

“Time travel… and I was a person from the past.”

Gia’s head spun in complexity. 

She carefully examined the book again, but the symbol on it was indeed that of the Shelter. It was more confusing for Gia, who had frequented that door countless times and now couldn’t recognize it anymore.

Whether she knew how it was discovered or not, the weapons drawn by Myers were not significantly different from those Gia had used before. Myers had discovered a door and its symbolic drawings by chance during his travels. The book, which detailed the weapons scattered around it, caused great confusion for Gia.

The drawing of weapons and the door was so intricate that it looked like a photograph. The large iron door was rusted shut, covered with numerous vines to the point where one couldn’t even tell if there was a door. The weapons scattered around were almost buried in the forest, all worn and corroded by the passage of time.

“In the end…”

Leaning deep into the carriage sofa, Gia continued speaking with dry lips.

“My world has perished. I struggled so hard to survive like that, but in the end, everyone died.”

Otherwise, everything humanity had built wouldn’t disappear without a trace. Everything Gia had considered as hypotheses perfectly fit.

“How can this happen…”

She didn’t particularly want to go back to that world, but the approaching emptiness was inevitable. “You said it was Mount Yotun where he found this.”

“Yes.”

Gregory mentioned that he discovered it while organizing the master’s belongings. Since it was crucial to make weapons from a dragon’s corpse and deceive the emperor’s eyes, Gregory tried to pass it off casually. No, he tried to. However, what was drawn inside was too similar to the gun Gia had received.

Why did the master know about this? Perhaps someone else came and spread the information before Gia arrived. Gregory swallowed his rising suspicions and, after showing it to Gia, realized that it wasn’t something simple.

Gia felt the same way. She had thought it must be dimensional travel. But it wasn’t. She didn’t know how much time had passed since her world perished, but Earth had created different life forms again.

Why did it perish? Did everyone get eaten by zombies in the end? Unable to know the process, Gia held her forehead, lost in thought.

“In the end…”

Gia, still caught in an ungraspable confusion, bit her dry lips. Kalion, who had been watching Gia restlessly, looking at her fidgeting, suddenly moved. Moving from the facing position to the adjacent seat, Kalion grabbed Gia’s shoulders and pulled her towards him.

“Gia.”

“Uh…”

“I understand you’re distressed. I am confused too, but how about you?”

“Yeah…”

“It must have been inevitable.”

Realizing that Gia was mentally listing the reasons for the apocalypse, Kalion sent a deep comfort. Kalion’s firm thigh pressed against Gia’s.

Gia, who had been staring blankly at the approaching Kalion, closed the book she was holding. 

“Yes… That’s right. What am I even saying?”

“Please don’t burden yourself too much.”

“Yeah…”

The fact that humanity had all died was a greater shock to Gia than the realization that she hadn’t crossed dimensions. Her face was filled with self-blame, thinking that her father played a significant role in that destruction.

Sensing such emotions, Kalion offered appropriate comfort. 

“If we go to this place… maybe we can find out something. Why did everyone die? How humanity perished. And…”

Maybe there could be a cure or vaccine for the zombie virus. Amidst the confusion, hope sprouted.

Watching Gia pouring out her words seriously, Kalion listened attentively. Observing Gia swallowing her hope, he saw her swallowing the hope within.

“If a complete cure has been developed…”

“It’s possible, you know.”

At Kalion’s words, his face turned even paler than Gia’s. 

“It’s unfortunate that it’s not precisely marked where this place is.”

Gia, who was rummaging through the book again, let out a sigh. She tried not to consciously consider the possibility that hope would be shattered if she found nothing after going there.

There were only four partial cures that allowed her to maintain her human form. Time was still flowing, reminding her of the approaching time for the next cure.

‘If things go well, I might escape from the virus…’

A small hope began to bloom.

“Kalion…”

“Yes?”

“While we’re making weapons from the dragon’s bones and heart, could we investigate this place? Without informing others, of course.”

Kalion counted the days at Gia’s words. Anyway, the time given to make weapons from the dragon was a month, maybe two if done well. During that time, if they somehow climbed the mountain, it might be possible.

“Is Mount Yotun far from here?”

“Fortunately, it’s not that far. If we go without a break, we should arrive within three days. The mountain isn’t very steep either. It’s a place where I used to train.”

Gia sighed with relief at the good news. 

“That’s good. Then all that’s left is deceiving the emperor’s eyes. If we suddenly leave our positions, the emperor will surely become suspicious, right?”

“Yes, that’s likely.”

The bigger issue than finding the Shelter’s door was avoiding the emperor’s watchful eyes. If they inexplicably left for a long time, the emperor would undoubtedly be more cautious.

“Hmm… We need a suitable reason.”

Gia flipped through the pages, pondering. 

“Shall we think about the reason a bit more? After all, we have to participate in the hunting competition.”

Thinking about the emperor’s order to participate in the competition, Gia suppressed a groan. 

“Right… After that.”

“I will think of a suitable reason.”

“Okay, let’s think about it together.”

“Yes.”

Gia’s complex thoughts lightened considerably at Kalion’s response. With the hope she had unexpectedly gained through the discovery, Gia’s face lit up with vitality.

“Really… I wish there were a cure.”

If not, Gia was content with the current situation. If she could continue this resilient life if she could stay by Kalion’s side a little longer, that alone would be enough for Gia.

She had always thought that the gods weren’t on her side. But thinking about it now, they didn’t seem as harsh as she had believed. Seeing hope being handed to her, she thought this way.

“If we’re lucky…”

“Yes?”

“There might be weapons I used left in the Shelter.”

“Are you talking about the weapons you used initially?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s best to go as soon as possible.”

Kalion, too, started planning in his mind how to utilize the weapons Gia had used, knowing their performance better than anyone. If they found those weapons, Gia wouldn’t have to face Morrison in a weakened state as she had in the past.

For this reason, while Kalion hoped to find the weapons, Gia had different thoughts. If she found those weapons, she intended to protect everyone, especially her lover, from Morrison. 

It seemed like she could prevent Morrison from laying a hand on Kalion if she had those weapons, rather than just barely surviving against him as before.

Even if Morrison had become stronger with enhanced regenerative abilities and combat skills, he wouldn’t be able to deflect hundreds of bullets in an instant.

The two, engaged in a beautiful daydream, faced each other.

“To be honest, I was incredibly shocked today.”

“Yes.”

“But now that I think there might be a cure, my mood has improved quite a bit.”

Gia, whispering, bit her lip. She found herself somewhat detestable, pitying herself like a person who doesn’t care at all about how others perished or what the end was like. Still, being able to be with Kalion like this made her think that way.

Gia’s eyes, looking at Kalion, flickered. Is it normal to have such feelings? Did she truly not care about what happened to others as long as she had the cure that was created?

She pretended to forget who had created the virus. She didn’t know if those sacrificed by the zombie virus would lament and find her disgusting in the afterlife.

Nevertheless, Gia felt a strong desire not to let go of Kalion, whom she held in her hands. It’s hopeless. After putting on various acts, pretending to be kind, pretending to be human, was she always such a selfish person?

“Gia.”

“Yeah?”

“Is it really okay for you?”

Kalion enveloped Gia’s face with his hand as she forced a smile. His hand was so large that it covered more than half of Gia’s face.

Kalion’s thumb, precious as it gently stroked Gia’s face, wiped a tear that had unknowingly gathered on the corner of her eye.

“Oh… Why are there tears?”

“Why are you crying?”

Kalion asked, not knowing the reason for Gia’s tears.

Exactly. Why is she crying? Is it because she feels too much like trash? Unable to explain even to herself, Gia, with tears still in her eyes, looked at Kalion.

“You can tell me.”

Won’t he consider her trash? Won’t he point fingers at her, thinking she’s a harsh person? Hesitant, Gia succumbed to Kalion’s unwavering gaze.

“Too… I feel… I seem too selfish.”

“About what?”

“People are all dead, and the world I knew has collapsed. I… I’m just trying to find a way for myself to survive.”

In response to her lover’s confession, Kalion lowered his body. He carefully raised his face, as if digging into the ground towards below.

“A truly selfish person wouldn’t even feel these emotions.”

Wiping away the flowing tears with his thumb, Kalion pulled Gia closer. His brow distorted in sympathy at the sight of her crying.

“I’m too selfish…”

“Not at all.”

The surprise was only momentary. Considering the world she lived in had come to that, thinking only about finding a way to survive alone seemed cruel, making her question whether they were truly the same kind of people.

Did she feel even a bit of sympathy for the world that perished due to her father? 

Such conflicting emotions tormented Gia.