*
"Are you okay? You don't look so good."
"Ah."
"You're sweating a lot too... Is something wrong?"
"Is this the last save point..."
I remembered saving the game for the last time at the accommodation the night before departure.
I honestly thought those Cult Leader bastards would be easy, but I never imagined such a hidden danger was lurking.
'Is it that bastard's ability?'
The moment that bastard got up from his seat, my body became heavy, and I lost my sight and hearing along with a stinging sensation.
I thought I had adapted to most things through my many experiences, but it seems there are still new things left.
"You?"
"Ah... Thanks for worrying. I just think I had a bit of a nightmare."
"Pretending to be okay, are you worried about what's going to happen tomorrow? Hoho. I'll take care of it, so you can hide behind me."
Park Hye-ji said that while laughing with exaggerated gestures, she's probably acting like that to ease my tension.
"Really?"
"Yes. I'm one of the top three strongest in the Academy."
"You mean third place?"
"N-Not third place, but one of the top three strongest!"
After making a silly joke, I felt somewhat calmer.
The experience of not being able to see or hear anything was honestly the worst, to the point where I never want to experience it again.
It was one of the most memorable experiences I've had, not at all inferior compared to the experiences I've had so far.
If my body was normal, it would be one thing, but I can't even use Mana properly, so I can't even resist that bastard's power.
'If I could have used the power of Anti-Demon, I wouldn't have been helpless.'
Well, there's nothing that changes by regretting it in a situation where I can't use it.
At times like this, that restriction or whatever is just annoying.
Maybe it's more difficult because that bastard is also in a state of power that is free from restrictions as he came down to this world.
Honestly, I can't deny that I died without being able to react because it was a completely unexpected ability, but even if I knew, I have no idea how to respond.
"Can't you sleep?"
"A little?"
When I opened the window, the sound of insects chirping and cold air entered the room.
I felt a little calmer as the slightly hot air in the room cooled down.
Authority and power, honestly, the information was too lacking.
And seeing that he can use such ridiculous abilities, I thought that he might be the Apostle that bastard was talking about back then.
I feel a little dizzy thinking about those bastards with those abilities invading.
"Don't you think you're worrying too much? You're going to do it without any problems anyway."
"Is that Park Hye-ji-yang giving me recognition?"
"Don't tease me for no reason. You're stronger here anyway."
"Well, that's true."
"Don't you know what it means to be stronger than me?"
Well, does that mean I can do anything if I'm stronger than her?
Unlike Park Hye-ji, who doesn't have any Secret Sword Art or Secret Mental Cultivation, I have them, so at least in this world, she can't be my opponent.
"Yeah, I'm stronger than the great Park Hye-ji-nim. Who could win?"
"... It sounds like you're teasing me... So don't worry too much."
Well, nothing will change much even if I worry about it.
'Machina.'
["Yes, Si-woo-nim."]
'That bastard was babbling about authority and power. Do you know what that is?'
["Authority is similar to the unique ability that Si-woo-nim uses."]
'Is it a unique ability used by a god-like being? Then what is power?'
["It would be easier to understand if you think of it as a space where you can freely use your abilities."]
'Is it a space free from that restriction or whatever?'
["It may not be completely free, but it may be compared to other spaces."]
I wondered why that bastard's ability was so fraudulent, so that was the reason.
Well, the output felt a little different. The feeling of ignoring everything and taking away sight and hearing, so the word authority suits it.
Because it was an effect that suited the word God's ability.
'Does Machina also have that ability?'
["I am just an existence bound to the system... I don't have that ability."]
Well, each world and each god have different circumstances.
In the end, there is no part that can be called an answer, so in the end, I have no choice but to face it.
When I turned my head, I saw Park Hye-ji looking up at the night sky without saying a word. I thought that appearance was cute, so I hit her butt once.
"Kyaak? W-Where are you touching!"
"Just because?"
"I knew you were a pervert!"
There is someone I have to save, so I can't give up.
*
I retreated as far back as possible with Park Hye-ji.
It was because I thought that if the distance got farther, I might be able to get out of the influence of that bastard's ability.
And that expectation unfortunately went wrong.
"A-Are you there?! Are you there?"
"I'm here."
As my eyes started to go blind like before, I could feel Park Hye-ji trembling.
If I hadn't experienced it in advance, I would have been the same as Park Hye-ji.
When I held Park Hye-ji's hand tightly, I felt the trembling gradually decrease.
There were times when I imagined what would happen if I couldn't see.
I thought it would be very uncomfortable, but I didn't know it would be this bad.
They say that the sense that is most affected when humans recognize something is sight.
A sense that makes it difficult to even stand properly, with a messed up sense of direction, not knowing where the front is or where I am standing.
__Aaaaaaah!!!
__Save me!!
__Get lost!! Get lost!! Die!!
Humans began to wield their swords at each other in the terrible darkness.
The evil thing about Kim Cheol-soo is that he continues to stimulate you in a situation where your vision is limited.
__Tingle.
A small wound on the surface of my arm, maybe it's because my vision is limited, but it felt more stimulating.
The fear of being attacked by something unknown if I stay still.
Because that fear makes it impossible to stay still.
__I-It's me!! You fucking bastards!!
__You crazy bastards!! Put your swords away!!
__Ahhh!! Freya-nim!! Save us!!!
I knew this would happen, so I was at the very back, so I was less affected by the chaos.
I pulled Park Hye-ji into my arms so she wouldn't get hurt.
"I... Is that you?"
"Yeah. There's still more left, so prepare yourself."
"Wh-What do you mean..."
Silence.
The moment I couldn't hear anything, I felt a sense of floating, as if I was floating alone in the universe.
It was hard when I lost my sight, but when my hearing was also limited in a state where I lost my sight, I felt like all my senses were paralyzed.
In a situation where I felt like I was going crazy, I could clearly feel the body temperature and heartbeat of Park Hye-ji, whom I was holding in my arms.
They say that if there is a problem with one sense, the other senses become more sensitive.
In the abyss of the sea where I felt like I was going crazy, Park Hye-ji's heartbeat kept me sane.
'Are sight and hearing the only senses that bastard can limit?'
Sight and hearing are the senses with the highest proportion, but there was no reason to keep the remaining senses alive.
If he could limit all the senses, he could bring down that human without even lifting a finger.
I reflexively swung my sword at the light breeze felt on my skin.
A sword passing by with the feeling of cutting something, and after a while, a hot and unpleasant liquid splashed on my skin.
The heat and the smell of blood, which are felt more clearly because they are in a sensitive state.
In this place where bloodstains are rampant, the sense of smell seemed meaningless.
Where is it?
Where is the attack coming from?
'If I use Mana Mental Cultivation...'
This is that bastard's power, and there was only contaminated Mana around.
What would happen if I used Mental Cultivation in this situation?
"Cough... Cough..."
The moment I tried to control the Mana around me, I felt a sensation of my whole body twisting.
An unpleasant sensation crawling up my skin, the contaminated Mana and the Mana in my body collided and caused repulsion.
'If I manipulate Mana only externally, not internally...'
I tried to control the Mana only externally so that it wouldn't mix, but I felt a sensation of bugs crawling all over my body and a feeling of nausea rose up.
'This is... a failure...'
My consciousness was cut off along with a stinging sensation.
[Loading save point.]
"You bastard! Are you the culprit who caused this chaos!!"
The knight who stepped forward and shouted, just like back then.
If I can't respond when that bastard uses his ability, shouldn't I attack first before he uses his ability?
I moved Mana before Kim Cheol-soo got up.
The blue full moon, which rotates quickly and now feels familiar, rises into the air.
"B-Blue full moon?"
"N-No way, is that Calis-nim's?!"
I didn't pay attention to the voices of the people around me who were surprised and only stared at Kim Cheol-soo.
Kim Cheol-soo, still sitting in his seat with a relaxed face.
"Yeah. That's the swordsmanship that bastard used back then."
The moment I tried to swing my sword at him, I suddenly couldn't see anything.
'This bastard... He's not thinking of just taking it?'
Even though I clearly confirmed that bastard's location, I wasn't sure about the direction.
'No... It's definitely this way!!'
I swung my sword in the direction where Kim Cheol-soo was. I thought that if I attacked first, I would have a chance of winning.
Blue Moon Slash[éææ¬]
The blue full moon flashed, and my vision returned along with the sensation of cutting the world in half.
What unfolded before my eyes were people split in half because of something and the throne where that bastard was sitting.
Kim Cheol-soo was nowhere to be seen.
"You're slow."
"?!"
The moment I turned around, Kim Cheol-soo disappeared.
"But it's a dangerous sword."
"Again..!!"
The light and sound disappeared along with that short answer.
I was robbed of light and sound again.
I reflexively swung my sword in the pitch-black darkness where nothing existed, but a black blade that flew from behind pierced my body.
"This fucking... scammer bastard..."
Isn't it cheating to use teleportation while blindfolded?
"You're just a human anyway."
Kim Cheol-soo's black Mana, who appeared from behind again this time, was piercing my body.
When sight and hearing returned, Kim Cheol-soo with a satisfied face came into view.
A feeling of anger rising as I looked at his face as if he had won.
"You... You bastard... I'll never let you get away with this..."
"You're just a dying bastard with only your mouth alive."
"Just you wait..."
"..."