Escape from an Ancient Civilization Ch 177

Chapter 177

“True ending…”

Nataek stared blankly at the words before him. The long-awaited end had come, but his heart felt anything but light. While his spirits sank heavily, the cheers outside soared ever higher into the sky.

As Nataek squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head deeply, a blue light began to spread beneath his eyelids. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see the soothsayer’s face, full of joy and covering his mouth. At the soothsayer’s feet, the same blue light was blooming, just like around Nataek.

Before them, a system message appeared:

“Do you wish to log out? [Yes] [No]”

Nataek’s breath caught, then his heart began to race.

“It’s up… it’s up! It’s really up!”

The soothsayer jumped excitedly in place and shouted, but Nataek beside him bit his lips and froze like stone. His whole body ached—surely from his injuries—but the sharp pain in his chest was something he couldn’t explain.

Is this really the end?

His aching chest pulsed rapidly, and his heart thudded loudly. The escape route he had longed for was right before him, yet instead of joy he felt a stabbing pain. It was fear—the fear born of the situation he had desperately wished for but feared most all along.

From afar, Samuagon’s voice echoed:

“I commend your hard work in arriving here.”

The cheers of the gathering sounded unreal, like a festival.

It was a fear unlike any before. Neither when the Gutians hurled blades, nor when floodwaters rose to his chin, had Nataek felt such fear.

“Is it okay to press this now?”

The soothsayer stamped his foot nervously, looking to Nataek. Nataek stared blankly back. The soothsayer stopped pacing.

“Why? Does your arm hurt?”

“…”

“Surely you haven’t seen the logout button, right?”

“No… I have.”

“Ahh, you scared me! Pressing it means we get to go home, right?”

The soothsayer covered his mouth with trembling hands, placed it over his chest, took a deep breath, and nearly threw a fit. Finally, he spoke.

“Your arm isn’t raising well, right? But it can’t push it for you—so pull yourself together. How did you get your arm like that? Still, it’s a blessing it happened at the end. Otherwise, you might have been buried forever in some unknown land.”

Nataek couldn’t agree with the soothsayer. Maybe if he had been badly hurt earlier, he could have tried a healing potion.

“I’m leaving? Leaving?! You’re not?”

Nataek answered slowly:

“…I have to. You go first.”

“Whew. Phew. I’m going first. Really!”

The soothsayer squeezed his eyes shut, opened them again, and pressed his index finger into the air. The blue light at his feet brightened intensely.

“Whoaah!”

The soothsayer’s voice grew muffled, as if submerged underwater, and the light glowed so fiercely it was painful to look at. Unable to endure it further, Nataek turned his head.

The light engulfed the soothsayer and then dimmed. Frowning, Nataek looked again toward the spot where the soothsayer had stood. Nothing remained. No sign he had ever been there.

The soothsayer had vanished completely without leaving a speck of dust in this ancient world. Seeing that, Nataek’s heart sank even lower. The logout prompt continued to float before him as he looked down at his battered body.

What happens if I stay here in this state? Could I stay with Medeus without being a burden? Could we stay together?

Lost in thought, Nataek let out a hollow laugh.

“Shouldn’t I first worry if I can survive like this… or not?”

There was no guarantee the Hittites wouldn’t invade again. Though unification was achieved, the possibility of war had not disappeared. The ancient world was an imperfect age where disaster could erupt at any time. Dreaming of a complete life with an imperfect body—it seemed absurd even to him.

Nataek began to loosen the linen bandage on his splinted arm. The strap came undone with a rustling sound, revealing ragged flesh beneath. His skin was so sensitive he could feel the cold air even with his eyes closed.

He pressed his index finger near the wound. Yellow fluid and pus began to seep out. The ineffective herbal poultices were the problem. Watching the discharge, his eyes burned suddenly.

“What is this, after all?”

He had imagined going back to the modern world, staying with Medeus, even living together till their hair grayed… but never in reality like this.

As Nataek stared blankly at the system prompt, urgent footsteps drew near. Suddenly the door flung open and Medeus stood there, gasping. Medeus looked at Nataek and then glanced at the blue glow from Nataek’s feet. Seeing despair painted on Nataek’s face, Medeus parted his lips.

“Teresi… are you okay?”

Medeus approached slowly. As he released his hold on the doorframe, it slid softly closed behind him. His steps creaked as though in pain or weakness.

“Shouldn’t you be at the victory celebration?”

Nataek watched his reaction and asked.

Could Medeus see that light too?

The answer came quickly:

“Teresi, what… what is this? What’s happening? Are you all right?”

Medeus was bewildered by the strange light but kept his gaze on Nataek. Neither he nor Nataek could accept the reality facing them.

Nataek quietly called out.

“Medeus.”

Suddenly Medeus was standing before him.

“Teresi, what is this? This light… where does it come from? Come here.”

With a rare look of confusion, Medeus pulled Nataek into his arms. Yet the blue glow ruthlessly followed Nataek’s movement. Medeus, increasingly flustered, examined Nataek’s feet left and right.

“This is strange. What is this? Teresi. Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

“Medeus.”

But Nataek answered calmly. Uncertain how or where to begin explaining, his mouth opened on its own accord.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but…”

“I do. I believe everything you say.”

Medeus gently caressed Nataek’s face. Though he must have wanted to understand what the light meant, why Nataek was so calm, he swallowed his anxiety and waited silently.

“I didn’t plan on telling you like this…”

Nataek squinted and smiled slightly.

“Do you remember what I said long ago? That I’m not from this place.”

‘Actually, I’m not from here.’

‘Here? The fertile plains? I knew that already. You came from the east.’

‘Yes. The east, but… from somewhere east that doesn’t share this land or sky. A completely different world.’

‘Even if I drove the kunga eastward now, I’d have no home to return to. To get home, this entire land must be unified. That’s how my wish will come true.’

‘…What is your wish? To go home?’

Recalling this, regret flooded him again.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said my wish was to go home. Would things be different if I hadn’t?

Medeus nodded.

“I remember. The day I promised to grant your wish. How could I forget? The day you said what you wished for, even though you rarely spoke your true wishes. I remember.”

Nataek bit his lip tightly. His gaze, heavy, began blurring slightly.

I wished for the wrong thing. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made such a wish.

“I think I made a bad wish. That’s why this happened. I shouldn’t have wished so recklessly…”

“What are you saying, Teresi?”

Medeus’s voice grew more desperate as he leaned in to meet Nataek’s eyes.

“Tell me slowly. Okay?”

Medeus’s hands, trying to comfort Nataek’s front, trembled. Without understanding the words, he instinctively sensed the gravity of the moment. His urging voice grew moist with emotion.

“I just… I was worried about you… so I came to check on you. I noticed strange light seeping from this room… I was worried—worried if you were alright…”

Nataek continued calmly.

“I never planned to stay here from the start. Back then, I just wanted to return home. But now… it’s different.”

I want a tomorrow with you. I should have wished for that.

Nataek moved closer to Medeus.

“I want to be with you, Medeus. I want to be with you, but in this state, I probably won’t help here. It’s probably hard to get better…”

Medeus held Nataek’s hand, but gently, worried about hurting him, only wrapped one of his hands with both of his.

“You don’t need to help me. You just need to be by my side. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll look for a better doctor, okay? Or is there a better doctor where you come from?”

“…Yes. So…”

There was no hope that his wounds would be healed here. Everyone had shown a response mixed with despair.

I wanted to stay to live with my lover, not to die by his side. Above all, if I were to fall here, I’d only burden Medeus with guilt.

“So I…”

I have to return to the modern era.

Nataek rarely regretted the past, as what is done cannot be undone. But the past connected to Medeus was hard to shake off. It was a constant chain of regrets.

I shouldn’t have been hurt there. I should have protected Medeus and myself. Only then could we be together.

“When your treatment finishes, you’ll come back, right? No, I’ll come. I have to see with my own eyes that the doctor cares for you carefully. Come with me, Teresi. Okay? Let’s go together.”

At Medeus’s words, Nataek’s heart crumbled. Tears fell from Medeus’s eyes. Medeus instinctively sensed that Nataek would not return. His voice grew thick with tears.

“Let’s go together, Teresi… don’t leave me alone…”

Medeus gripped Nataek’s coat hem tightly. Seeing his hesitant fingertips, reluctant to touch because of pain, Nataek’s eyes reddened.

“You always said you’d stay by my side. You promised. So come with me. Okay? Teresi…”

Nataek weakly raised a hand, holding Medeus’s arm.

“Medeus. I… I will definitely come back.”

I will play the game again. When my arm heals, I’ll come back here and see Medeus again.

Though thinking so made him feel foolish, Nataek had yet to choose a path to part with Medeus. He hadn’t made up his mind. So his heart kept seeking the connection with Medeus.

“Teresi, come with me. Come. Come with me… Take me too…”

Nataek tightened his grip on Medeus’s hand.

“Medeus. I will definitely come back. We have our village, right? I will definitely find my way back there. Once my arm heals, I’ll come again.”

Could they truly meet again? Could he truly return?

“Come with me, Teresi…”

Medeus’s trembling voice crushed Nataek’s heart.

“I will definitely come.”

By any means, he had to come back. But when he returned, would Medeus still be safely here?

“I will really come to find you. I promise.”

Nataek’s vision blurred with tears. He looked back and forth between the system’s [Yes] button and Medeus. Leaving seemed right. Leaving was the right thing to do. But he couldn’t bring himself to press the button because of the lingering feelings for the lover left behind.

I want to stay with you.

Lamenting the system’s cold cruelty and choosing his final words for Medeus, Nataek didn’t notice the light brightening around him. The time for decision ended.

Though still undecided, the choice screen he couldn’t press was swallowed by the light and a new message appeared:

“Returning to standby screen.”

No. I haven’t even finished this conversation. I can’t go yet.

“Medeus.”

Before the words ended, soft blue light swept over Nataek, swallowing him. Gently spreading, the light began shrinking again. Medeus raised his head sharply, dazzled and unable to see Nataek clearly. He gripped Nataek’s hand tighter, feeling his touch.

“Teresi! Teresi!”

But the warmth and touch grew blurrier.

“Teresi!”

He called desperately but no answer came. The light vanished completely, leaving only Medeus in the room. There wasn’t so much as a speck of dust where Nataek had stood.

Medeus fell to his knees, disconsolate. He swiped a large hand through the empty space.

“Teresi, uh, uggh… Teresi… no… no…”