A Broken Promise and a Rude Awakening

Karvan immediately pressed his lips to mine and began to pour magic into me, but my health bar, already turned black from the ‘Fatal’ status, did not recover.

“Gak, cough…”

Radugan, trampled under the Suras’ feet, was now coughing up more blood than I was with a stabbed chest.

“Valta!”

At Tegen’s furious call, Karvan nodded without taking his eyes off me. The escort Suras who were restraining him moved immediately.

Following that, the distinct sound of something breaking was heard.

“……”

Radugan didn’t even let out a common scream, nor did he resist. Even as he died with a broken neck, he just kept staring at me until the very end.

I watched Radugan fall with a thud, my flickering eyes barely open.

His expression, as he grew cold with his cheek on the floor, was calm. He looked relieved, as if he had done what he had to do.

‘The blessing of immortality, is it still valid for you?’

Perhaps, he had intended to kill me from the very beginning.

His other words might have been a trick to divert my attention, and he might have been testing me to confirm that very thing.

‘Yes, it’s valid. As long as I’m not caught by the Grim Reapers.’

Seeing as he killed me even after I answered that, did his hatred surge to a point he could no longer bear?

I pressed on my aching heart and stared at the red eyes that had frozen wide open.

“…Bi.”

“It’s okay, I’m, lay me down on the bed.”

Karvan poured magic into me, stubbornly keeping me breathing when my life should have ended right away.

I refused his offer to begin the imprinting treatment in earnest.

A fatal wound like this would require me to cling to Karvan like a parasite for days on end, and even that might not be enough. That would delay the plan to usurp Midvalen, so it seemed better to just respawn quickly.

After all, I would wake up in the closest and safest city, this Bahalgras.

Respawn.
An ability I had considered non-existent, as I couldn’t even close my eyes outside of Midvalen because of the Observers.
I didn’t know whether to be grateful to Radugan for making me realize it and kindly helping me use it.

“Shinbi-nim, I know it’s painful, but if we pull out the sword, the bleeding will worsen…”

“Yeah. It’s okay. I don’t feel any pain at all.”

“…I will prepare a recovery potion so you can recuperate as soon as you wake up.”

Fortunately, when I explained my ‘respawn’ to the Varg, they seemed to understand quickly.

Perhaps they, who had lived as monsters, knew better.
They must have seen countless times the Awakeners, the players they had killed, reappear perfectly fine a few minutes later and walk around.

“Huuuung, that bastard. I should have ripped his head off long ago.”

“I’ll be back alive soon, Tegen. Stop crying.”

“Sob sob sob, Shinbi-niiiiim. Aigoooo.”

“…He’s noisy, take him out, Mashak.”

“Yes, Valta.”

Tegen, who was crying his eyes out as if at a funeral, was dragged out by Mashak, and I was suddenly left alone with Karvan.

I blinked my eyes awkwardly while lying on the bed under his intense gaze.

“…Karvan.”

“Why, is the pain severe?”

“Nngh, no.”

I just wanted to die quickly and wake up healthy, but I couldn’t possibly ask Karvan, who had gone to the trouble of pouring his magic into me to extend my life just to see my face a little longer, to kill me again.

Having no choice, I just lay still, waiting for my breath to stop.
Then, kwaang! I felt the ceiling vibrate slightly with a loud noise from outside.

“What’s happening, outside?”

“The Black Manes. They seem to have lost their minds because their chief was killed.”

‘Are they using this as a pretext to start a rebellion?’
I recalled Radugan, who had stared at me so intently right before he died.

“Don’t make that face. I was being patient with a man who should have been killed long ago.”

“Sorry. It’s my fault again.”

“…You, even in this state, you can say such things.”

“What!”

‘If you want to see me perfectly fine, then kill me quickly!’
I was about to say it playfully, but I closed my mouth when I saw his dead, black eyes.
Even though he had accepted that I wouldn’t really die, it seemed he was finding it very hard to watch.

“Are you really not in pain?”

“It hurts less than when you bit my nipple in prison.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back alive soon, you know? I’m an Awakener, after all. There’s nothing in this world I’m afraid of except for the Grim Reapers and you.”

“It seems you’re afraid of me. Still.”

“Ha, really. I can’t even make a joke. Why are you so serious. Especially today.”

I was trying to comfort Karvan, whose face looked like he was at a funeral, but it was still noisy outside.
Amidst the intermittent sounds, I could hear loud footsteps and the clanging of metal.

“Shouldn’t you go see? It sounds pretty serious outside.”

“I’ll go after I see you fall asleep.”

From the moment Radugan held the knife to me, I had been curious.

Did he intend to take revenge on me from the beginning?
Or did he have some other plan?

【An <Observer> will appear nearby.】

It seems it was the latter.

Radugan’s corpse, a ‘bugged entity’ like me, began to attract the attention of the Observers.
They didn’t seem to be able to enter Bahalgras because of Karvan, but I could feel that we were surrounded.

Observers outside.
The Black Manes’ rebellion inside.

“Karvan, I…”

“I won’t let them lay a single finger on you, so don’t worry and sleep.”

Karvan, as always, was completely composed.

“It will all be sorted out by the time you wake up.”

He injects a pain reliever into my forearm and then speaks, pressing his lips softly on the injection mark.

“Keep this. If a Grim Reaper comes, cut it down.”

He says with a blank expression, unfastening the bluish sword he was wearing and placing it in my hand.
In my vision, which was blurring as if sleep was washing over me, an equipment window popped up with a ding.

【God-Slaying Sword: A sword made from the pure elemental power of a ‘God Slayer.’ Only those who are permitted can wield it.

• Inflicts <Freeze> status ailment on hit. Stackable.

• Deals more critical damage to untargetable objects.

• 100% chance to ignore attack reflection skills.
  (Owner: <Karvan Baharga>)】

He slowly kisses my forehead as I stare blankly into the air, then looks down at me.

“Don’t show unnecessary mercy to the Grim Reapers.”

Even though he was standing right next to the bed looking down at me, my vision was so blurry that I couldn’t see him.
A sudden fear washed over me as his face became hazy, as if shrouded in fog.

“Karvan!”

As if waking from a nightmare, I even flailed my arms and shouted.
The man immediately leaned down towards me.
A warm touch met my outstretched hand, and his blurry face came right up to mine.

“I’ll be by your side even if you don’t call so loudly. Always.”

“…Th-this, at least, take this.”

To the man who was slowly stroking my wet forehead, I summoned and handed over the thing I considered my lifeline.

【Do you want to temporarily transfer <Leviathan (SL)>? (Special Legendary grade weapons can only be unequipped using a specific artifact. It will be automatically returned to the owner upon the owner’s retirement.)】

“If you give me your weapon, what will you fight with?”

“Take it.”
I pushed it forward again with a weak hand, and he slowly took it.
The reddish, two-pronged spear didn’t seem to suit him, who was all bluish-gray, but now that he was holding it, it looked good.

“It’s the only one in the world. It’s my most prized possession. Don’t treat it carelessly.”

“You’re giving something so precious to me?”

“Who said I’m giving it! Cough, I’m lending it to you…!”

My breath started to run short, as if my stamina had really hit rock bottom.

【Awakener ‘Shinbi’-nim is currently in a <Fatal Injury> state. If appropriate follow-up measures are not taken, you will retire within a few seconds and resurrect in the nearest town.】

I feel like I’m sitting in mud that has come up to my neck.
Pant, pant, I gasped for breath and continued speaking like a joke.

“Or, you could just take that and never look for me again!”

“…Was it you.”
The man, who had been frozen for a moment, mutters something incomprehensible.

‘What are you saying, I can’t hear you.’
I waved my hand, telling him to speak louder, and he took my hand and leaned down.
His icy blue golden eyes, like the full moon I had seen one day, filled my vision.

“I will find you.”

An icy cold, hard voice is engraved into my ear.

“Wherever you are.”

Without giving me a chance to say anything, the man lowered his head and pressed his lips against mine.
As if my last breath was also his.

I felt his hot fingertips slowly trace my neck, and then I closed my eyes.

【Awakener ‘Shinbi’-nim’s <Fatal Injury> status ailment has been removed.】

And, when I opened my eyes again with a light body.

“…Bi-nim, Shinbi-nim!”

Brilliantly gleaming fangs were in front of my eyes.
Along with a face I hadn’t seen in a truly long time.

“My goodness, when on earth did you return?”

“…Lok, tis…?”

【Loktis: Knight Commander of the <Empire>, the ruling race of <Midvalen>】

“Did you get promoted?”

“Ah, yes. A little while ago.”

He used to be the vice-commander.
I was about to offer my congratulations to the vampire man in his uniform, which now had a few more emblems, when I shouted in alarm.

“Ka-Karvan! Where’s Karvan?!”

“Who is that now?”

Loktis, who had, as always, drawn a clear triple-line frown on his forehead, asked back as if it was strange.

“My, my. You talk in your sleep every time you come. What on earth are you dreaming about?”

‘Right, it’s a dream!’
I quickly slapped my cheeks, but the man in front of me was still looking at me dubiously.

“Wh-where is this? Don’t tell me….”

“Where do you think it is? Hah, go wash your face and come back.”

‘You don’t even smell of alcohol, why are you being like this, really.’

With Loktis clicking his tongue and leaving, I frantically checked my status window.

【- The nearest town at the time of retirement – <Destroyed Bahalgras> was unstable, so you have been resurrected at the most recent respawn location, <Neutral City Midvalen>.】

I had woken up in my bed in Midvalen.