Abyss (3)

The rustling footsteps trampling the moss of the silent forest.

Following behind, the rumbling of a rolling carriage.

We are advancing into the Forest of the Abyss, guiding our way with torches.

Céline and Erick are inside the carriage while I am outside with the escort knights.

“Do you have time during the college board progress? It should be the second quarter.”

Raelro, a senior member of the Aventagher Knights, spoke to me.

“Yes. But tomorrow is also a weekend, and I have about 4-5 hours free. This game also helps in real life.”

“Well, that’s true. By the way, where is your friend?”

“I’m not sure. The system is unavailable … let’s keep going.”

Thanks to the return token, I’m at ease. Just press the button, and you’ll return to the waiting room.

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll help you.”

“Oh yes. But why is Aventagher playing this game?”

I was curious about that.

Aventagher is a major family. Of course, their situation itself isn’t good. The family is on a worsening path after the death of the head, ‘Silrokt’.

However, like the saying that a rich man is still rich for three generations, Aventagher is still on par with Libra·Arkne.

“……”

Raelro, who glanced inside the carriage, quietly spoke.

“Is this city called Shadowring?”

“Yes.”

“There’s someone in the city who owes a great debt to Aventagher. He contacted the family first. He said that if we clear this game, we will get a treasure beneficial to the family. Somehow, the young master and the young lady found out about it… Anyway, think of it as part of a project they are pushing.”

In other words, it’s a joint venture of the successors.

Then, it makes sense that it seems a bit loose.

“More importantly, is your level high? You’re killing the zombie rather easily.”

“I’m not that high. What level are you, Raelro? You’re missing a lot of hits.”

“Hmm. Is it because I’m level 5? It’s embarrassing.”

“Level 5? No matter how skilled you are, it’s hard at level 5. You should’ve leveled up more.”

In reality, Raelro would grind hundreds of zombies like a blender, but the ‘level scaling’ of [Bethune Dungeon] is quite strict.

Things like Magic Spell, swordsmanship, and physical skills learned in real life are just ‘controls’ here.

For example, in a battle between level 5 and level 8~9, if the real-life skill of level 5 is superior, level 5 can win.

It’s a ‘control difference’.

But as the level difference continues to widen, and there is a huge gap in almost all stats, it becomes almost impossible to overcome with control.

“……I’ll take your advice to heart. As soon as I enter the inner chambers, I’ll have to level up. If I’m to assist the young master and the young lady.”

Raelro’s choice of words is full of sincerity.

“But, Shion. Are you okay with this abyss?”

“Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Raelro?”

“I somehow overcame it… but it was hard. My dead daughter appeared. It was a kind of experience.”

“……”

At times like this, it’s best to spare words.

I glanced at the carriage.

“Are the seniors inside the carriage okay?”

Would the pure white twins, who grew up without fear, have something like trauma?

“Ah. This carriage is made of a material that resists the abyss. We received it as a gift from the acquaintance I mentioned earlier. The young master and miss inside should be fine.”

Thud-

Just then, the carriage window opened.

It was Céline.

“Hey. Shion Ascal. I’m bored, do you want to come in here? There’s a spot left.”

“I’m fine.”

“Hmph. Suit yourself~”

Thud- She closed the window again.

Thud- It opened again immediately.

“Hey. But does Gerkhen not play this game?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, whatever.”

Thud- She closed the window again.

As always, she’s hard to handle.

Raelro spoke with concern.

“……Don’t worry too much. The young lady is just showing her gratitude in her own way.”

“Yes. I understand.”

I know her. That’s why no matter what she does, I can’t hate her.

In fact, when I first met her, I thought she was crazy. She was so twisted and warped, honestly, she was a personification of the abyss itself.

But as time passed, I learned about her loss, her sorrow, her secrets, and from the way she protected my name without revealing it even in the midst of an affair scandal, I acknowledged her.

I was grateful.

“But who’s your friend? Seems like an Endex person.”

“Soliette.”

Thud-!

At that moment, the window opened again. This time it was Erick.

“Soliette?”

“It must be a with the same name! Just sit still, you moron.”

“Shut up.”

“Shutting up is for you who’s being ignored.”

“……Crazy bitch.”

Erick looked at me with veins popping on his forehead.

“Is Soliette that Soliette?”

“Yes. It’s that Soliette.”

Erick likes Soliette. Of course, it’s not reciprocated.

“……Are you close?”

“No. We have a business relationship.”

“Business? Like playing the game together?”

“You could say that.”

With a face that said, ‘Well, that’s that,’ Erick closed the carriage window.

“It’s a crossroad.”

Just then, a three-way fork appeared. Raelro asked me.

“Shion. Which way should we go?”

“Just a moment.”

I moved my finger. Where should we go? Please decide.

The third road.

“Let’s go this way.”

“……Is that right?”

“Yes.”

Going my own way. It’s the best way to use luck.

Thud-

The carriage window opened again. This time it was Céline.

“Hey. You’ll take responsibility if it’s not, right?”

“Yes.”

I answered immediately. Céline smirked after furrowing her brows.

“Alright. Do as you please~ You said you’d take responsibility.”

Thud-

And then she closed the window again.

Raelro quietly said.

“You don’t need to take responsibility, don’t worry about it.”

I responded with a small smile.

“I know.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Soliette was moving through the [Forest of the Flowing Abyss] with a torch in hand.

“Shion. Are you coming?”

“Yeah. I’m on my way. Don’t worry.”

She is still with Shion.

From the moment they set foot in the forest, they hadn’t been apart for even a single minute.

“There seem to be quite a few undead around.”

“Indeed.”

She waved her torch back and forth. The handle kept slipping due to the sweat on her hand.

“Another fork in the road, Shion.”

The fork that had appeared.

“Let’s go left.”

Shion spoke first.

Like this, he had been deciding the direction at every fork. There was no hesitation, and he was always right.

“Can you see the path clearly, Shion?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Thanks to him, the only undead they encountered were ghouls.

She had been avoiding facing her own abyss for a long time. Although sweat kept forming on her hands and lower back, not knowing when it would appear—

Grrrrrrrr…

Suddenly, a distinctly foreign zombie cry flowed in.

Ghouls were okay, and they had been dealt with easily, but zombies would be a different story.

“Shion. Stand behind me.”

“It’s fine. I’ll help. Looks like there are about twenty.”

Shion pressed against her back.

—At that moment.

Soliette sensed a strange unease. She felt an unidentifiable eerieness from his body.

“……”

She glanced back quietly. But she couldn’t reveal her suspicion just yet.

She activated her skill first.

[Rogue’s Sense]

Agility instantly upgraded by 2, and the power of the dagger became sharper. It’s a rogue-exclusive skill that helps pierce the heart in one blow.

Just then, the zombies rushed in.

Grrrrrrrrr—!

A full-on charge in formation, shaking the ground.

Soliette calmly received the approaching creatures. Thud-! Thud-! She quickly killed them by stabbing their cores.

Kyaaaaa—!

One particularly fast zombie leaped out from among them.

Thwack-!

The 「Card」 retaliated.

The 「Card」 stuck to the zombie’s forehead emitted a white light, burning the undead’s entire body.

“……”

Soliette was slightly surprised but continued the fight.

Thrust-! Thrust-! Thrust-!

She quickly finished off by stabbing the zombies’ cores.

“Phew~ Soliette. You’re not hurt, are you?”

The guy who naturally asked this with a sigh of relief after the situation ended.

Soliette, tightly gripping her dagger, slowly turned around.

In the fog, there was the figure of Shion.

However, he was not Shion.

He used Shion’s skills, spoke like Shion, and acted like Shion.

But he was not Shion.

“……who are you, impersonator!”

Soliette impulsively infused magic into the torch.

Fwoosh—! The large flame swallowed the fog.

The identity of the guy revealed by it was……

“What. Why?”

It was still Shion.

“……”

Soliette was slightly taken aback.

Is this also an illusion? A deception of the forest?

She stumbled before finally catching a discrepancy.

“Hey, why did you throw the torch!”

“I dropped it.”

She said calmly.

“……”

Soliette glared at him and reached out. She grabbed his arm tightly.

It was cold.

There was no warmth that a person should naturally possess.

It felt just like a frozen log.

“Surprising. Why are you like this?”

“…Why am I like this? You are not Shion.”

Soliette was certain.

He was not Shion.

He was a completely different entity wearing Shion’s skin.

“What are you talking about?”

Nevertheless, he shamelessly shook his head.

“I am Shion.”

“Stop the insolent talk-”

“I’m telling you, I am.”

“……”

Soliette clenched her fist tightly.

“Speak honestly. Where did the real Shion go?”

She raised her mana. Magic Body flared up in red. She held the dagger in reverse grip.

“Or are you my abyss?”

The abyss she had experienced here came to mind again.

She had seen Jared here. She had met Felix.

Both of them reached out to her. They pulled her into the abyss.

Thanks to [Jenny]’s help, she barely escaped…

“Alright. I’ll tell you honestly.”

The guy shrugged his shoulders. He twisted his lips in a smirk.

It was a habit identical to Shion’s.

“I can’t lie to you. Maybe because only that part of me has separated.”

‘Only that part has separated’?

He keeps mumbling incomprehensible words.

“What are you talking about? Explain in detail.”

As he scratched his jaw, he spoke.

“Yeah. I am Shion’s abyss.”

As calm as introducing himself at a first meeting.

Soliette’s brows furrowed.

“Shion’s abyss?”

“Yeah. I’m not your abyss. So, you don’t need to be on guard against me.”

In the [Forest of the Flowing Abyss], the abyss of a person, that is, the deep unconsciousness, flows and materializes.

Then, does it mean that he himself is an abyss separated from Shion?

“What do you mean, ‘don’t be on guard’ if you’re an abyss.”

“I will protect you. No matter what happens.”

“……”

Soliette’s face twitched slightly. She swallowed and spoke.

“What… what do you mean by that.”

Then Shion, no, his abyss, gave a faint smile.

“Do you think an abyss of a person only contains all sorts of evils? That’s not the case. Desperate wishes, desires, hopes can also become an abyss.”

After finishing his words, he grabbed Soliette’s wrist. Soliette was greatly surprised, but he gently pulled her.

“Leave it to me.”

And then, he covered her eyes with both hands.

“What, what are you-”

“Don’t open your eyes.”

His tone deepened again.

“There are things you shouldn’t see coming.”

Thump── Thump──.

Footsteps approached like a scorching bonfire.

Soon, an ashy voice enveloped her ears.

─……Soliette.

She could tell just from that fragment of his voice.

It was her abyss.

They had materialized and were approaching again.

“Just bear with it a little. They’re not the people you know.”

He steadied her. He calmed her down gently.

His palms covering her eyes were cold, but his voice was warm.

“I wish you could forget them…”

Soon, her ears were blocked.

She could hear no sound, and she could see nothing.

Soliette breathed slowly.

She calmed herself as if she couldn’t hear anything.

“…It’s okay now.”

Soon, he let her go. Soliette quietly opened her eyes.

The forest was covered in fog.

Her abyss was already gone.

“I have to protect you.”

“……”

Soliette looked up at him blankly.

He sighed softly as he faced her.

“Shion’s abyss.”

The [Forest of the Flowing Abyss] touched Shion’s soul. It peered into the deepest part.

“Shion’s trauma.”

In this way, it brought to life the image he least wanted to see.

“Soliette. It’s you.”

The dark forest.

The silence where not even a leaf rustles.

Soliette cautiously asked.

“…Why?”

“Because of love.”

At that moment, her body stiffened, just like when she fell into a frozen lake as a child. Her limbs stiffened from the incoming chill, and it felt as if her heart had stopped.

“When you suppress the emotion called love. When you suppress it with the idea that you must give it up, and it sticks to the bottom, it becomes an abyss.”

While gently looking at such Soliette…

“The emotion Shion gave up. A very deep emotion. An abyss.”

He confessed in a whisper.

“That’s me.”