Chapter 148. A Dreamy Night (3) (2/2)

“Please… please….”

She murmured to herself while staring at the crystal restlessly. However, the intensity of crystal’s light remained the same. But as she was repeating the same procedure several times without giving up, light suddenly burst out.

“Sohyun!”

Phi Sora shouted happily.

“Sohyun, Sohyun! Are you okay? Where are you? Are you alive? Say something!”

Seol Jihu furrowed his brows. The call had gone through, but only darkness was reflected in the crystal.

—Huuuuuauuuuu….

“Sohyun—!”

When an indescribably dreadful sound rang out, the frantically screaming Phi Sora flinched.

—Wheeeere aaarre yooouuu… coooomee baackk….

“So….”

—Saaavvveee meeee… Unnnniii….

“….”

—Yoooou raannn aaawwaayyy… allooonnee….

It was an unpleasant sound of something scratching a metal plate.

Seol Jihu sighed as he looked at Phi Sora who had become speechless and was standing in a daze.

The eerie voice was decipherable, but even Phi Sora knew that it was a trap.

Seol Jihu carefully spoke up.

“You already know it….”

Tk. The crystal ball fell on the sand and flickered off. Phi Sora’s legs went limp and she fell on her knees.

“…I don’t know….”

She muttered in a weak voice.

“I’m sure… there were four people left… we ran away… and I said I would be the bait….”

“….”

“We barely managed to escape… but it was suddenly too silent… I told them to leave while I was attracting its attention… but I didn’t hear them running away….”

“….”

“It was too quiet… and strange… so I went back in a hurry… and everyone was….”

Gulp, gulp. Seol Jihu could hear the sound of her swallowing.

“I just don’t know… I couldn’t think from that point… I went crazy, wanting to find it and kill it… and suddenly, everything turned black….”

Phi Sora muttered as though she was entranced before suddenly burying her face in the sand.

Seol Jihu bent down and quietly stared at the woman clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

If she were to be blamed, it would be because she made the decision to enter that villa.

‘Wait, now that I think about it….’

Seol Jihu still had a question left unsolved.

Why did that villa appear colorless?

Hoping to see the villa’s change in color from a distance, Seol Jihu activated his Nine Eyes and was shocked speechless.

The villa wasn’t the problem. The whole shore had changed its color.

From yellow to orange. From Attention Required to Do Not Approach.

‘Fucking hell….’

The situation had developed in the worst possible way.

Now wasn’t the time to just sit around like this.

Seol Jihu glanced at Flone who had canceled her materialization before he noticed. Her lower lip was protruding out in a pout, but she obediently approached him and got ready to fly.

“Miss Phi Sora! Come here.”

“…Huh?”

“Come into my arms. Hurry.”

Seol Jihu opened his arms. Phi Sora blinked several times before spitting out with a stunned expression.

“A-Are you crazy?”

“What?”

“I didn’t think you were someone like this— I mean, I’m thankful that you saved me, but this is just wrong! You could have at least started off with consoling me a bit….”

“Cut the crap.”

Seol Jihu spat out angrily. He was already in a rush, and wasn’t in the mood for Phi Sora’s nonsense.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t realize that his words could have been misinterpreted. But the fact that the color of danger had increased by a level meant that it was possible for it to increase again.

He had to escape when he still could.

“This is the Parasites’ territory. We have to leave as soon as possible.”

Realizing this, Phi Sora went ‘Ah’ and got up.

“But how are we going to—”

“God! I have a good method! So hurry!”

When Seol Jihu shouted, Phi Sora shrunk back a bit in a startle. But Seol Jihu was only acting this way in fear of the color becoming red - Immediate Retreat Recommended.

“Then you should have said so first!”

Not knowing the situation, Phi Sora shouted back.

“Why are you shouting after saying something that can easily be misinterpreted!? I’m sad enough already….”

While shouting with a sobbing voice, tears began to well up around her large eyes.

“I got it, so hurry!”

Seol Jihu swallowed his anger and softened his voice. Thankfully, Phi Sora was experienced and didn’t have her head stuck up her ass. She obediently grabbed Seol Jihu’s arm.

Although she was startled when Seol Jihu sighed and suddenly pulled her in his embrace, but when they started flying up in the next moment, she could only make a confused face.

Seol Jihu took the initiative.

“It’s a flying artifact.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, I found it in a ruin by chance. It’s bound to its user and has limited use. Anyways, don’t ask about it further.”

“W-Who asked you about it?”

“I’m telling you not to go around spreading rumors.”

“Then you should have said so. Geez.”

Phi Sora pouted.

[No!]

However, the silently listening Flone seemed aggrieved.

[I’m not a flying artifact! I don’t have limited use!]

“….”

[Why did you lie!]

Because of Flone’s endless protest, Seol Jihu nodded his head and apologized secretly.

*

The male and female duo… no, the trio didn’t say a word as they crossed the quiet morning ocean.

When the Nine Eyes returned to green color, Seol Jihu was finally able to relax.

Phi Sora was docilely holding onto his body. Seol Jihu couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry when he saw her looking down at the ocean blankly and meekly.

She had lost seventeen of her comrades, some of whom she had been together with since the Tutorial. It wasn’t surprising for her to be a bit out of her mind.

Seol Jihu smacked his lips and finally said something.

“At the villa….”

“….”

“Many, no, more than many remained.”

“…Huh?”

Seol Jihu felt a strange gaze piercing his chin, but he kept his eyes out front.

“Your comrades, I mean. They remained at the villa after they died. Because they were worried about you.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t they die?”

“I both saw and heard them. A young Priest guided me to the room you were in and asked me to save you. She helped me escape as well”

Phi Sora’s eyes widened when she heard the words ‘young Priest’, but Seol Jihu couldn’t see her.

“She stopped that thing desperately. It was thanks to her that we were able to escape with you.”

“Don’t lie.”

“You can believe it or not. It’s your choice.”

“…Well, I guess it’s better than soulless comforting words like ‘Cheer up’.”

With that, the conversation ended. But soon, Seol Jihu felt his arm shaking faintly. When he looked, he saw Phi Sora crying. Although she had turned and was facing the ocean, Phi Sora was crying soundlessly.

Seeing her teardrops fall onto the ocean, Seol Jihu couldn’t help but think how disciplined she was.

‘I….’

Was it when he confirmed Dylan’s death?

To be frank, he felt he would go berserk if he lost even a single member of Carpe Diem.

Seol Jihu didn’t say anything and went back to looking straight ahead. Only, he slightly loosened the grip of his arm and carried Phi Sora more comfortably, like carrying a princess.

Just like that, time passed. As the sun began to rise over the horizon…

A harbor began to appear in the distance.

It was the port of Nur.