Chapter 17 - Light (13)
< 3 > Hunters are fucked in real-time lololololol
Author: Anonymous
[Photo of Aureli facing off with the Director]
The atmosphere looks really fucked, I’m seriously scared;
All the seniors here are tense, aiming their weapons to pounce as soon as that bastard releases their magical power, it’s really going to go down shit
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[ Comments ]
[1] This fucker is uploading photos to the gallery in that situation, what a crazy bastard lololololol
ㄴ Even if you’re going down, one last gallery post is fine, right…?
ㄴ [Original Poster] I have to let people know I was here before I die ㅠ
ㄴ How messed up is your head to be doing this
[2] What the fuck, what are you doing then? Shouldn’t you be fighting for your life too?
ㄴ[Original Poster] I’m just a fucking low-level Hunter, haven’t even been here a week; I came to the top floor of the Association on an errand and now I’m hiding in a storage room;
ㄴ Cra ㅋㅋㅋ zy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ bastard ㅋㅋㅋ Still trying to survive ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[3] This is really dizzying, just take my upvote for now
ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah whatever, gotta give a like ㅋㅋ Risked their life to take a photo ㅋㅋ
[4] Wow you crazy bastard, I’ll give you that, really
[5] Can’t you hear what they’re saying?
ㄴ [Original Poster] Nope; I’m hiding in a corner storage room so I can’t hear well
[6] Isn’t that the one who caused the terror incident before
ㄴ Yeah that’s right; Didn’t hear news of them being caught, now they’ve invaded the Association branch, crazy bitch
ㄴ So if they still haven’t been caught, aren’t they at least Ranker level?
ㄴ You still don’t get it? It’s Aureli, you fucking idiots ㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ At this point I’m really suspicious. Silver hair, blue eyes, smiling slyly in front of the Association Director, fuck
ㄴ What bullshit, are you going to say every person walking down the street is a top-tier Ranker too?
ㄴ Trolling cut!
Walking down the corridor plastered in white, I suddenly stopped.
[In the end, you have to go back to that girl again.]
“I guess so.”
I leaned against the white wall and twisted a lock of my side hair. The silver hair that had fallen down floated limply in the air.
Erica, yes, she said her name was Erica.
I’m not sure how she’ll think of me. It doesn’t really matter. When have I ever cared about others’ feelings?
But in my head.
Actually, I don’t know why I did it either.
Sparing someone who was so intent on killing me with murderous eyes. Why on earth did I do that?
“…..”
What am I saying?
You know why.
It’s because you became interested. Because you were captivated.
Are you trying to deny even your own mind now?
What, do you think you’re not allowed to be interested in someone?
“Haa.”
Yeah, that’s right.
My head hurts.
I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it. Smoke rose and colored the air.
Suddenly,
The words “No smoking indoors” caught my eye.
───Pshhhhhh.
What the?
Abruptly, my vision turned white. As the hat covering my head up to the top became heavier, water droplets spraying like a fountain struck me right in the face.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The cold sensation irritated my nose and the sound of falling water hit my ears.
Stumbling, I moved my feet as if running to escape.
The sound of splashing continued and my whole body suffered from the cold.
“Ugh.”
[Are you alright?]
Did the sprinklers activate because of the smoke?
“Haa.”
After coughing lightly, I took off my hat and shook my head back and forth.
It’s all damp.
My hair, my face, my clothes.
I threw the soggy cigarette butt that had absorbed moisture on the floor and stepped on it. My rough breathing continues to ring in my ears, drowning out the alarm that had been blaring noisily since earlier.
It’s cold.
[Let’s go outside.]
“That’s, the plan.”
I sprinkled blood in the air and lit a small spark. Five burning flames wander around me.
It’s warm. But it’s cold. It’s so cold my head is throbbing. The flames are bright but they don’t make my body burn.
They just keep their place beside me. Just that much.
Yeah, I guess there are days like this too.
It’s not even pitiful.
I was actually planning to go see Erica briefly to have a chat, but now that it’s come to this…..
Suddenly, I look at the flame moving through the empty space right next to my line of sight.
And I speak to it.
What do you think I should do?
“…..”
I reached the end of the descending stairs. As I lifted my head that had been bowed and bent, the moisture from my hair flows down my cheeks. It’s falling apart.
I open my eyes and take in the numbers visible in my sight.
1st Floor –
I take one step at a time with trudging footsteps. My body feels heavy and it’s as if weights are attached to my feet. The world is shaking.
But I still walk. Forward.
The things I see ahead, and the noises I hear, I’m not sure about them.
Facing a large space, I somehow move my feet.
Many aligned curtains and beds placed beside them.
It doesn’t matter if there are many. I can check them one by one.
I pull open a curtain.
“…..”
Not this one.
Next curtain.
Not this one either.
Next curtain.
This isn’t it either.
There are many left. But it’s not going well.
I feel like I have to do this somehow. Even though my body is damp and my mind is sinking, I feel like I have to do something. I feel like I have to keep what I decided to do.
I’m tired of giving up now.
With a burst of breath, I pull open the next curtain.
“…Ah.”
“…Hello.”
It’s not like I can see clearly ahead. But the figure that comes into view is recognizable.
Sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall with clear eyes, looking at me.
Suddenly,
I wondered, what did I come all this way for?
I’m not a friend visiting the sick, nor am I this girl’s guardian, let alone a doctor coming to examine her.
A complete stranger, connected by a dirty link.
No, such a villain, such trash, such a crazy woman.
I’m not at all bothered by the noise around me getting louder. The chain of thoughts stops and my vision ripples.
A perplexed face.
“Cute.”
“…You.”
“Let’s meet again next time.”
A large amount of red light envelops the ground, and a brilliant magic circle is created in the air.
After a moment of coolness, my vision turns black.
It was always cold.
This house is cold. The living room, the bathroom, and the hallway too.
But I still have to take off my clothes. That’s what a shower is for.
“Coming into the bathroom, you’re quite the pervert.”
[…..Aureli.]
You’re always so worried.
Without any reply, I turn on the faucet.
Hazy steam fills the space, and a stream of water full of warmth colors my body.
It’s white. Smooth and transparent. The derived water vapor is clear and clean. When I breathe, the cold sensation tickles my nose.
The constant and regular sound of water rings out and calms my excited mind.
It’s clean. Really. I feel like the blood is being washed away.
I look at the glass wall on the side for a moment.
The wavy hair that I usually kept tidy has all come loose in the water and is in a mess,
The dark blue eyes that seemed full of coldness are so wet with water droplets that they’re about to turn white.
Even the smooth and beautiful skin that gives off a stimulating scent is distorted and reddened by the waterfall.
Even if I became a woman and my body changed and my existence disappeared, even if I suppress the past when I committed murder and wear a human-shaped mask.
Even if I change my clothes, change my smile, change my walk and breathing.
With one stream of water that erodes everything in its path, it all washes away.
In the end, the me that is fully dyed in blood all over my body is revealed.
It’s a futile act.
For a moment, I lean against the wall and open my eyes again.
[That girl, are you thinking of going to see her again?]
“Erica.”
[Yes, that…..]
“She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
Her name is pretty, her eyes are pretty, her face is pretty.
“I wish I was that pretty too.”
[…..You are beautiful too, Aureli.]
I turned my head. Our eyes met. The red spirit blinked.
“Liar.”
[Why is this a lie?]
“Bad spirit.”
[…..]
I open my mouth slightly. The stream of water that was hitting my body now swirls inside my mouth through my tongue. I stay still like that for a moment, filling my mouth completely with transparency.
Groaning at the pain that rises up to my throat, I cough,
Ugh.
And then I vomit out the stagnant, rotten water.
It’s dirty.
“I think you’ve heard most of the story from the doctor. Please get enough rest and relaxation.”
“Yes.”
The medical staff left after saying those words.
Despite the commotion caused by that girl who had just invaded the top floor of the Association, and the situation that became chaotic when she came down to the emergency room and caused a disturbance, the back of the person steadily doing their job still looked impressive.
I brushed off the bread I had been chewing in my mouth, closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
And then I slapped both my cheeks with my hands.
“Get it together.”
In the end, I survived.
Even though it was an injury that could have been really dangerous even with my regeneration stats.
I survived.
When I opened my eyes, I was in that girl’s arms, and when I opened my eyes, I was on a bed in the emergency room.
Without time to adapt to the rapidly flowing situation, the girl who appeared in front of me again.
Saying “Let’s meet again next time,” she vanished suddenly.
Let’s go over it again.
Her name is.
“…..”
I don’t even know her name.
Well, it doesn’t matter.
What she was thinking when she half-killed me and then saved me again, why she performed first aid so neatly and moved me to the hospital.
It was full of things I didn’t know.
Flash.
Seeing the sword’s seal embedded on the back of her hand burning, she hardened her expression.
Next time, it will be at least a fatal wound.
What I’m aiming for is that girl’s heart.
And that incomprehensible smile.
That’s all.
Nothing else entered my sight.