Chapter 734 – Dead and Nightmares

000

My body is heavy.

I felt it when my mind awakened in the darkness and I became unable to open my eyes.

A feeling as if something is pressing down on one’s body from above.

Strangely enough, even though none of my five senses were functioning properly, I was able to perceive that my body was heavy.

‘What… What happened…’

Because of my upset stomach, I felt so bad that I wanted to vomit out what was inside, but even so, I couldn’t move my body properly.

In a mind so dizzy that he couldn’t remember the last time he was fine, the five senses that slowly began to return were the first thing that gave him back his hearing.

“Hey, wake up. Maybe it’s because this guy is the last one, but he rarely wakes up.”

And the first thing I heard was a male voice that seemed like I’d heard it before somewhere, but it felt like I was hearing it for the first time.

“In that case, leaving me to die here would be an option.”

What came next was a voice I had clearly heard before, but was very angry.

As Cleon listened to those voices, he slowly opened his eyes and tried to somehow raise his staggering body.

“Oh, you finally woke up.”

And then, what caught Cleon’s eyes was a man dressed in Oriental style clothing, with a long sword hanging from his waist, and a ghost mask covering the upper half of his face.

He was a man with a black greatsword strapped to his back, black armor like the sword, and a mask resembling a wolf.

＂Ugh… You guys… ＂

It was Cleon’s first time seeing them with his own eyes, but even so, as soon as he saw them, he knew who they were.

In both cases, the skin in the areas not covered by the mask is pale, and the eyes beyond the open eye sockets are pitch black.

Also, a clan of black horses whose hair falling back is also characterized by black color.

And they are not just fellow kin to Cleon, but past beings born with the same soul.

These are Cleon’s past lives.

＂Rakshasa… And the demon sword emperor…?＂

I would have known who was who without having to point out.

The Eastern Kingdom-style ghost mask is a Rakshasha, and the wolf mask carrying a great sword is the Demon Sword Emperor Cain.

Both were human beings who had already died in their time, and it was natural for their corpses not to even exist, but it was natural that the fact that they now appeared in front of him in a proper physical form felt nothing but an anomaly to Cleon. .

“What, were you called by that nickname? “Isn’t it cool?”

＂… Ha.＂

When Rakchal spoke to him with a cheerful smile, as if she liked Cain’s nickname that Cleon had mentioned, Cain let out a tired laugh.

Then she speaks to the fallen Cleon.

“So? How long will the ground remain flat? “I want to resolve the situation quickly.”

＂Kuh…＂

This guy, she must have been defeated by herself in the image space she saw before, but she doesn’t stop being cocky.

No, to be precise, it could be said that it was not Cain himself, but the will of the reincarnated person imitating Cain.

But Cleon didn’t want to keep looking up at him, so he moved his arms and tried to raise himself from the ground.

However, she soon realized that her arms were tied to something, and she couldn’t move, and she once again looked down at her body with a puzzled expression on her face.

There, a vine of a plant? Or, the smooth tentacles, like the legs of a marine creature such as a squid, were tying their arms and body together, as if they had made a cocoon.

＂What is this…!?＂

The slippery sensation was not very pleasant, and the more I moved, the more it felt like my body was being tightened to suppress it.

When Cleon unconsciously lets out a voice due to the extremely unpleasant sensation, Cain speaks coldly to Cleon without losing his composure with a cool expression.

“Have you noticed it now? Unleash and stand up with strength.”

“Ugh, even if I don’t say it, something like this…!”

When Cleon said that and tried to loosen his restraints by forcibly spreading his arms to the sides, the vines tightened their grip on Cleon’s body even more.

When Cleon relaxes for a moment, thinking that if he continues like this, his arm might break, the Rakshasa looks at Cleon and squats down to talk.

“You can’t just use that much force. You have to have a knack for solving it.”

“Hey, if that guy couldn’t get up on his own, he would have said he would abandon him.”

＂That’s right, I understand. Well, that’s how it happened. If you don’t try to get up quickly, it will be dangerous.”

＂Kuh… It’s dangerous?＂

When Cleon talks to Rakshasa as if to say something, he smiles and stands up, raising his hand and pointing behind him.

Therefore, naturally, when Cleon’s eyes turned towards that direction, and he somehow turned his neck, there was ‘it’ in that place.

＂…!＂

An extremely large creature whose body was composed of a vine-like material wrapped around Cleon’s body appeared to be sleeping peacefully while lying on the ground.

What should I say about its form? Should I say that it is a messy chimera that looks like it has the head of a boar, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion.

Cleon was very surprised at the questionable form, not even whether it was a living thing in the first place, but he saw venom dripping from its tail and falling to the ground.

And every time, a burning sound of ‘chiiik…’ Resounds from the area where the poison touched, and steam rises.

Although it was hard to see, it seemed clear that that part was being dissolved by strong acid.

But the most important thing is the direction in which the poison flows.

The poison, which melted the ground and slowly created a hollow road, was slowly flowing towards the place where Cleon had fallen.

The progress was slow, but in a few minutes, we would reach the place where Cleon was lying.

Of course, it didn’t take much imagination to know what kind of terrible thing would happen if the poison reached Cleon’s body.

Cleon, who felt an eerie sensation passing through his back, of course once again put his strength into his arms and tried to tear off the tentacles binding his body, but he only realized that he could not escape the same way he did now.

＂Damn, what on earth is this that won’t work out…!＂

Cleon’s urgent voice rings out, but neither Cain nor Rakshasa can answer Cleon’s questions.

It’s just that Cleon will be able to free himself from the restraints, or will he fail, and his body will melt away due to the poison of his tail.

The vine that bound Cleon’s body was clearly not connected to anything and could not be called alive.

As it becomes more and more powerful with every struggle, Cleon notices that in addition to the tightness of the restraints, he feels something else coming from the vines.

I thought it felt bad because of the slippery texture, but that wasn’t the case.

This vine had the property of forcibly taking away magical power from the body of the person it was wrapped around.

In the first place, it would be better to know that fact and despair.

Taking away magical power was no different from taking away any means of resistance other than strength.

But- it was different for Cleon.

Cleon immediately confirmed that his magic, which had been absorbed by his vines, had properly flowed into the guy and filled his stomach.

And, using the ‘magic power absorbed into other people’s bodies’ that had not yet been used and accumulated, it was possible to carve an ‘imprint’ for the first time in a long time to use it on someone other than a human.

Keying! And when the magic power shines strongly, a unique sound resonates, and immediately a purple imprint is engraved on the vine.

A magical imprint unprecedentedly powerful in history that can not only control the target’s body but also modify it.

It is the ‘Seal of Domination’ that can only be used by members of the Dark Demon clan from the previous life, including Cleon.

＂Okay… Release it…!＂

When Cleon gives that command, the vine slinks free, as if all its resistance and restraint had been a prank by a friend whom it had not seen in a long time.

Cleon immediately stood up and left the place so as not to smell the stench of the poison that was right next to him.

The reason was that if it was a poison strong enough to melt the ground, it could damage the internal organs just by inhaling the smoke, even if it did not come into direct contact.

As he took a deep breath and stood up and took a step back, something touched Cleon’s back with a thud.

A young man wearing a ghost mask was watching Cleon.

It was a Rakshasa.

“Oh~ I can’t believe I used the engraving properly to get out. “Is it great?”

＂…＂

As Cleon hears Rakshasa’s voice, he senses that he also has a physical form and asks him a question.

＂Where am I? “What on earth is that look?”

When you look around, what you see is a huge vine monster that was slowly creeping towards you a little while ago, releasing poisonous liquid.

And, in the greenless wasteland that extends forever, you can see what looks like ruins with collapsed buildings.

It makes me think that the abnormal weather where the sky is gray and occasionally flashes a sulfur color is something that actually happens rather than a fantasy.

＂Ah~? Are you talking about this masked figure?”

However, in response to Cleon’s question, the Rakshasa speaks while touching the ghost’s mask covering his face.

“… It’s not that, it’s why are you alive and breathing?”

However, Cleon did not change his mind and asked them directly.

That’s right, the fact that Cleon is alive is possible because they are dead.

“We are not alive. You are the only one alive here.”

However, Cain intervenes from the side, denying Cleon’s point.

“Yes, that’s right. We look like this and make noise, but we are just ghosts. Also, your soul has already passed on to you, and what remains is just an illusion created by the dregs of your personality and residual thoughts.”

And the Rakshasa who agrees with that shrugs her shoulders and fixes his mask with his own hands.

“This mask is a symbol for the dead.”

When Cleon makes a subtle expression while looking at the Rakshasa, which is said to be a kind of death mask, Cain turns her body and speaks.

“Do you remember what happened before you lost your mind?”

“… Yes, that’s right. At the border with the imperial territory, while talking about the barrier… I was grabbed by a tentacle extending from there and dragged in… So, does this mean that this is inside the imperial territory?”

When Cleon talks while looking at the surroundings, which have become a much more serious demonic world than he thought, the Demon Sword Emperor, who was the original owner of the territory, speaks.

“Half right, half wrong.”

Cain answers Cleon’s words as if they were wrong.

＂Don’t equivocate, tell me properly, what on earth is this place?＂

Cleon responds harshly as if he doesn’t like Cain’s attitude, but Cain remains silent this time and just looks at Cleon as if he doesn’t like it.

As expected, Cleon puts his hands on his waist, thinking that that guy is the worst version of his past.

Cleon can feel Galatea’s touch in his hand, but suddenly feels that no will is coming from it, so he looks down at the sword in confusion.

Clearly, the shape, weight, and feel were like Galatea itself, but I could see that it did not have any willpower as an important magic sword.

＂This is…＂

“If you can move, let’s move. There is no more time to delay. If you want to save your magic sword.”

＂Save Galatea…!?＂

It was also strange that he did not have Galatea in his hand. When Cleon, hearing that he was in danger, approached Cain and tried to stretch out his hand, this time Cleon’s hand pierced through Cain’s body.

In an inexplicable situation, a question mark appears above Cleon’s head, but the Rakshasa approaches Cleon from behind and speaks while tapping him on the shoulder.

“I told you. We are thought forms. If you want, you can just collapse the physical form and really act like a ghost. Well, never mind. Because we are like spirits clinging to you. Right now.”

Cleon, who was approaching much more gently than Cain, saw that the Raksha was also starting to walk somewhere behind Cain, and tried to follow her as if he had no choice, but then he shook his head and closed his eyes. 〉

What was being chased was the presence of ‘Galatea’.

Then, three types of signs similar to Galatea were felt around.

Cleon frowned after seeing Cain walking towards the direction from which the most sinister energy was flowing.

＂Hey, Demon Emperor.＂

＂…＂

When Cleon shortened the title of Demon Sword Emperor to that, Cain stopped in his tracks and looked back at him.

“Galatea is not that way. If you go there, what you have is your sword.”

＂Huh? “Is that so?”

When the Rakshasa looked at Cain as if he was surprised and spoke, he clicked his tongue and said ‘Tsk’.

＂I just thought it would be helpful in terms of military power if I retrieved my sword first before I retrieved your sword.＂

‘You’re lying…’

Cleon looked at Cain, who was lying casually, and then snorted and looked back at Rakshasa.

“… I think there’s your sword too.”

“Ah~ I’m fine. Anyway, I’ve rarely used a magic sword in my life, and the sword I’m using now is better.”

While saying that, what he pulled out was a single-edged sword made of adamantite that was hanging on his waist.

The Rakshasa grinned as he glanced at it, which was made in the Eastern style.

… Cleon nodded her head hesitantly as she looked at the Rakshasa, who looked like a young man with a refreshing feeling, making her wonder if he was really the same soul as her.

“I save Galatea. It’s after that I get your sword.”

“I heard that’s true? Well, the only decent person here is Cleon, so I’ll follow him. What are you going to do? Mr. Ephedra.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Cain responds as if the title is truly unpleasant, and she turns to Cleon and speaks.

“Then guide me. To where your sword is.”

＂Why are you acting so proud…＂

Cleon responded as if he was dumbfounded and turned his body towards that direction.

In fact, the same scene spread out in every direction, so it was a perfect space for him to lose his sense of direction, but Cleon began to move his steps in pursuit of his partner’s faint sense of magic.

What came to mind clearly was the fact that she didn’t have much time.

＇Within 24 hours, catch the devil who escaped towards the Eastern Country and bring the evidence. ＇

This is because the quest was not over yet.

Even if you are not confident, you want the party members to complete it – but it would be better to return quickly just in case anything goes wrong.

However, there is no visible barrier within the field of view, and even if you try to raise your voice through the magical power channel of the engraving earlier, it does not reach anyone.

I thought for a moment that maybe this space was a border area separated from somewhere else, but Cleon thought that things would get a little better once he got Galatea back, so he tried to take his steps slowly-

Suddenly, I realize that there is something lying around at the end of my vision, and I move closer towards it.

As he got closer, he realized it was something he knew, and his pace quickened.

＂…＂

And, when Cleon almost ran and got closer, what he saw there was a group of corpses.

Corpses that appear to have lost their lives because somewhere was cruelly torn off or forcibly twisted and broken.

It is the head of a girl with red pigtails, emerald hair, and wolf-like ears, and the corpse of a girl with platinum-blond hair.

Cleon looks at it blankly for a moment, then turns to the Rakshasa and Cain who followed behind and speaks.

“… I understand now. What kind of place is this?”

“It’s faster than I thought?”

＂For it to come out so blatantly.＂

Rakshasa and Cain talk about Cleon’s words as if they were unexpected.

“It’s only natural that you who should have been dead are alive and moving, and the corpses of my colleagues are hanging out. … This is my nightmare.”

Rakshasa and Cain did not respond to Cleon’s conclusion, but denial also did not return.

And when Cleon looks up at the sky – which was hidden in the gray sky –

I could see that a black sun with a red glowing border was looking down at me.

The sun had eyes and a mouth, and was shining down on this side, laughing, like a red torn crescent moon.