NOVEL NEXT Chapter 742
<742 – Who Did That (13)>
After saying goodbye to Ishtar, Darknodi curled up in the Isolation Room, which she called home.
‘No matter how hard I try, nothing good comes of it. In the end, I’m the only one who gets hurt.’
Even the instinct of the duplicate, trying to take over its original place, was subdued.
When she thought of the pain her friends had experienced and would have to endure, she couldn’t even dream of rising against it.
‘If I have to die, that would be fine. Oknodie can harm friends who have formed bonds not with me, but with the other me… If Oknodie is truly the same as the Marine Who Specializes in Strength All-in from my memories, they could do whatever they want without hesitation.’
The horrific actions of Oknodie, who had shocked her to the point of realizing she came from such a being, led her to another character.
Taking on the form of a girl, her submerged nature eagerly possessed an evil curiosity that even the Evil God would pray with reverence to.
‘So I’m not giving up. I’m protecting everyone by not trying.’
No matter how much she tried to deceive herself, she couldn’t hide her pitiful form, curled up and relying on her own body heat.
– It’s the magic of [Peaceful Time] that makes you feel better.
It was warm in Ishtar’s embrace…
That soft sensation touching her back was still vivid.
[Peaceful Time]
The [Peaceful Time] that she had recreated with the same talent as Oknodie enveloped Darknodi’s body.
Different.
This isn’t the shape.
Different.
This isn’t the warmth.
Different.
Different.
Not a single thing was the same.
Everything was a chaotic mess.
As Darknodi could no longer contain her rage and unleashed her emotions, a fierce dark mana was released, shaking the entire Isolation Room.
The mattress burst, the sofa cushions tore apart, scattering feathers everywhere.
Through the ripped wallpaper, the split rare metal alloy and the mana connection network beyond writhed like veins supplying blue mana fluid.
The gaping cracks healed, and the burst matrix and cushions regained their shapes, but the scattered [Peaceful Time] and the wounded heart could not recover their forms.
“Darknodi. A package has arrived for you.”
“…”
“Cruel asks if you no longer want to talk.”
“…”
“Advice: Today’s lunch is golden cookies baked by Riske herself. These cookies, imbued with the warmth of sun-baked wheat, have the effect of bringing peace of mind.”
No clue at all, huh?
Or is she just trying to tease me?
“I don’t need it.”
“…”
“Go away.”
Despite Darknodi’s harsh rejection, Cruel did not back down. Her usual stoic expression remained, yet the girl, looking like she didn’t know the human heart, unusually spoke up to Darknodi.
“You are the one who rescued me from the Great Prison. You are also the one who knows how to use dark mana. Cruel thinks of you as a friend.”
“…I don’t care. The friend I wanted isn’t…”
You’re not it.
Words so harsh that they weren’t even voiced due to her kind heart.
Caught in the tension of silence, Cruel gazed at her with a blank expression.
Why is it?
Even after I said something so cruel, Cruel still didn’t seem to want to leave.
Did she really think of me as a friend?
“You have a story to hear about where your package was delivered. I’ll postpone leaving until after that.”
“…”
“The sender of the package is Frill City. According to Seonhwang’s investigation, Titosso’s friend Frill collaborated with the chairman of the Dark Trading Company, Jezel, to build this city.”
Titosso.
The best friend of Oknodie, and a kid with whom Darknodi had shared a fair bit of interaction.
A kind and gentle-hearted child.
It was her friend.
Recalling further, one of the two female students who always followed Titosso around came to mind.
Titosso. Want a cookie?
Hieek!! What kind of status-altering cookie are you trying to feed me this time?
There’s no status-alteration at all.
Lying is bad!
It’s not a lie.
If it’s not a lie, then why are you trying to give me an ordinary cookie that doesn’t have a status-alteration? Oknodie wouldn’t be carrying that kind of cookie!
I just wanted to smell what scent it gives off when warmed with warming magic. So, it’s not actually a lie!
Ugh, Oknodie is giving me leftover cookies!
…Cookies that smell don’t get dirty, you know?
More amusing than I could have imagined, Titosso was just as fun as I remembered.
At the time, it was Titosso, looking glum, who had her cookie snatched by Drithel, a girl with drill hair, who chewed it delightedly with loud sounds.
Gluck…
The sound of someone swallowing echoed enough for Titosso, gazing enviously, to be offered a cookie, only to snatch it back to her own mouth, causing Titosso to whine.
That kind girl, full of compassion, was Frill.
Thanks for always looking out for Titosso. Oknodie has been skipping and always felt lonely.
Ugh, Frill! You said that was a secret!
Oops. Sorry, sorry. But I thought being honest would be better.
Fuzzy memories that I’d pushed to the back of my mind suddenly re-emerged.
Still, I’m a bit envious. Even with all those lectures, you manage to make time for Titosso’s food. Will you take care of us sometimes too?
I’ll try.
Wow, I can’t believe I’d hear something like that!
No wonder it was surprising.
Oknodie didn’t easily show kindness unless they were a talented child.
That’s why it felt better.
This relationship wouldn’t be taken from me by Oknodie.
That was a sly thought—different from the pure kindness that approached me from Frill.
Perhaps that gap in purity was what made me feel ashamed.
The reason I hadn’t had any special conversations with Frill since that day was probably for this very reason.
Swish.
Unraveling the ribbon tied around the packaging.
It was awkward yet pleasant.
I couldn’t even manage a decent farewell.
Was that short conversation so impressive?
Frill’s heart sending a gift felt so dazzling.
Should I send a letter…?
I was startled by the thought I had.
There’s no way I could send it.
After receiving such a warning from Oknodie and being locked away.
Oknodie wouldn’t forgive me, for sure.
I might face some ludicrous retribution.
But it wasn’t necessary to refuse the present that had already come.
“Cruel.”
“I’m listening.”
“Can you keep the fact that a gift arrived a secret?”
“Is that a request from a friend?”
…Knowing that I’m not in a position to ask, I still did, but I’m not that shameless.
Darknodi, who came to find her friend.
Yet she herself denied their bond.
Carrying feelings of longing for the Academy throughout the days they shared.
She was also the one who drew the line.
“As your benefactor who pulled you out of prison, I’m requesting to repay this debt.”
“……Understood. The debt I owe you will be settled by keeping this secret.”
Darknodi felt relieved as she unwrapped the packaging.
Then, she froze.
“…Blood?”
To be precise, it was blood-soaked Frill.
How is this even a gift…?
Even a fool could understand.
This isn’t a gift.
There’s no way Frill would send such an unpleasant gift.
She shouldn’t send it.
This could make it seem like something bad happened to Frill.
Just a silly worry.
It must just be my imagination.
While I was trying to console myself,
The sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Someone had arrived outside the Isolation Room.
“Darknodi! His Majesty commanded me to convey urgent news. Please step outside for a moment.”
“Say it here.”
“But…”
“The fact that Seonhwang hates Darknodi doesn’t give you the right to force me to act. Cruel could also inflict pain on you if she just sets her mind to it.”
“Such terrible words! Oh, in the fight between whales, only the shrimp gets hurt. Fine, but you must keep this a secret from His Majesty.”
Once Cruel nodded, the messenger spoke.
“A moment ago, we received reports that Frill City was engulfed in a [Dimensional Explosion] and that 80% of the city has evaporated.”
“?!”
“According to the information received, prior to the evaporation, the Foundation’s Assassin Maid was spotted in the city…”
Cruel hastily reached out and activated the [Silent] magic to suppress her voice.
What a foolish act.
It’s already been figured out.
Thump.
With her hand loosening, the box rolled on the ground.
Blood-soaked Frill.
The vanished Frill City.
The Foundation’s Assassin Maid.
Everything clicked into place.
I understood perfectly.
Oknodie was determined to keep pressing until I fell before I died.
“Did you really have to take everything…?”
I could have been satisfied just keeping it as a memory, yet even that wouldn’t be permitted?
I was foolish.
A monster obsessed with collection.
Oknodie.
She wouldn’t stop until she took everything I had.
“You started this.”
In that moment, full of the potential of an adversary, Darknodi finally opened her eyes to her own essence.
A duplicate that cannot coexist with the original.
The one who can only survive by killing the original.
The thought that if she didn’t take, she would be taken, released the instinct of her duplicate, which had been suppressed by Darknodi’s innate sensitivity.
“I will never forgive the enemy of Frill.”
As Darknodi’s anger surged forth, the dark mana output exceeded all limits that the security measures of the Isolation Room could withstand, engulfing all circuits and magic circles.
*
“What happened to the city, where I poured all my property and even borrowed on loan…?”
“Your city has gone to another dimension.”
“Ugh, give me my city back!”
At the same moment, Darknodi imagined the deceased Frill, who was crying while hearing the bad news.