Salvation Through Delusion C70

Chapter 70

There was no way a monster could exist here… ah, right. That was his reverse way of speaking again—it probably meant he intended to go ahead first and confirm that it was safe. Still, I didn’t like that interpretation either.

I wasn’t about to just stand there. I stepped forward deliberately, speaking with mocking nonchalance.

“Be careful. If a monster shows up, you might end up teaming up with it to attack the Grand Duke…”

I froze.

The instant I rounded the pillar, I stopped walking—and my words cut off as well. Standing rigid, staring straight ahead, I heard his puzzled voice behind me.

“What is it?”

Slowly, I turned toward Tyroc. He had halted a few steps ahead of me—five, maybe six paces away.

“Don’t go any farther.”

His brow arched slightly, but he turned his head in the direction he’d been about to walk, then asked sharply,

“What do you see?”

I wanted to throw the question back at him. Did he really not see that?

Before us stretched a dome-shaped barrier, vast enough to touch the ceiling of the cavern. The surface was latticed like a net, yet shrouded entirely in black energy. The dark, smoke-like aura that shimmered around it made my skin crawl. I knew at once—

That thing was sealing the Divine Beast inside. And judging from the faint reflection, the Divine Beast was likely within the pond beyond the barrier.

A deep, dark-blue pool—its depth impossible to gauge. I lowered my gaze to my wrist.

“You’re trapped in there?”

The tail didn’t move, but the small head turned toward the pond. That was answer enough. I shifted my eyes back to Tyroc.

“Step back. There’s a huge pond just ahead, covered by an enormous barrier. But that barrier feels… terribly unpleasant.”

Tyroc scanned the space with cold eyes before asking,

“Unpleasant how?”

Good question. Why did it feel so awful? Because of the color? The net-like pattern?

No. When had I ever cared about appearances? I frowned but couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

“I don’t know. But it’s real.”

He didn’t need proof. I expected skepticism—but instead, he said simply,

“Understood.”

And with that, he stepped back from the dark barrier.

For all the shock of seeing this cursed thing, it was his reaction that surprised me more.

“You trust me?”

He gave a small, crooked smile, bent down, and picked up a loose stone from the ground. Without a word, he threw it toward the barrier I’d indicated. The stone arced through the air—but no sound of impact followed. Instead, the moment it touched the dark surface, it turned instantly to ash, scattering across the floor.

What in the world… that thing incinerated solid rock?!

Unlike my stunned reaction, Tyroc’s expression didn’t waver. Yet his eyes glinted fiercely as he stared at the ashes—anger burning in that golden hue. No matter how detached he seemed, seeing the Divine Beast imprisoned in such a place clearly enraged him.

“So the Divine Beast is inside that thing?”

He spoke as he looked to my wrist. Following his gaze, I saw the Divine Beast’s small head still fixed silently on the pond. I asked softly,

“Do you know how to break that dark barrier?”

[Dorgo.]

“So Dorgo created it. Meaning only he can destroy it.”

I was about to explain this to Tyroc when heat surged up my arm and a voice echoed inside my head.

‘Obtain the key first, child.’

It was the Divine Beast’s voice—but it sounded exactly like my grandmother again. The tone still unsettled me, and I responded a beat too late.

‘Where is the key?’

‘I gave it to Borhumi.’

Borhumi? For a second, I thought it meant Zab, but then I realized it referred to his ancestor—Borhumi, long ago.

‘What does the key look like?’

‘A key is a key.’

Ah, right—I’d forgotten how cryptic non-human beings could be. Fortunately, the Divine Beast wasn’t completely incomprehensible.

‘Seek that which should be cherished, but is not.’

‘That’s too vague. Can’t you give me a clearer hint?’

But instead of clarifying, my grandmother’s voice imparted another message.

‘If you take the key, my contract with Borhumi will end. You must find a new one to succeed me.’

I froze. So that was why the Divine Beast had suddenly invaded my thoughts.

It wanted me to find its next contractor? That was… quite the burden.

‘Do you wish to choose Koon?’

I couldn’t answer right away. If I made that choice, would Tyroc be able to fully wield Borhumi’s divine power? But he already had a family’s guardian spirit—one everyone assumed had vanished but was merely slumbering.

‘He already has a Divine Beast. Can I still choose him?’

No answer. The warmth faded from my body, leaving only silence. The little spirit’s head remained turned toward its imprisoned body, motionless as if nothing had happened.

Then, a low call reached me.

“Rue.”

I blinked and turned. Tyroc was watching, and I realized I’d been silent for far too long. I owed him some explanation.

“The Divine Beast said it gave the key to Borhumi. If we retrieve it, that should release the seal.”

I hesitated, then added my assumption.

“If that’s the case, Zab probably can’t use the Divine Beast’s power at all. But it didn’t tell me what the key looks like or where exactly it is. Only that I should find something meant to be cherished but neglected.”

“Understood.”

“What do you mean, understood? Do you know what the key is?”

He began walking, casting me a slightly pitying look.

“It means I know what to do once we’re out of here.”

Ah… wait. Together?

Once we got out, couldn’t we just part ways? I swallowed the words rising in my throat. It wouldn’t hurt to have him involved in finding the key. Actually, it would probably help a lot.

So, I pointed out the barrier’s position precisely, just in case.

“Be careful not to touch this area. The walls with the luminous stones are all safe, though…”

I trailed off when I noticed the Divine Beast’s tail moving.

[Secret passage.]

“Huh? There’s a secret passage here?”

I turned to tell Tyroc quickly, but when I looked down again, the small body coiled around my wrist was already fading.

Instinct told me—the last of its strength had run out. Until I rescued its true form, I wouldn’t see it again.

Maybe that’s why, even as it disappeared, I couldn’t look away from those faintly glowing blue eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Tyroc asked.

I couldn’t answer at first. I just stared at the fading shape. Maybe because of the voice that sounded like my grandmother, the farewell felt unexpectedly sorrowful.

“The Divine Beast… it vanished.”

Swallowing hard, I managed to speak. Then another thought struck me, and I looked up quickly.

“Are you all right?”

“The power it granted still lingers.”

Thank goodness.

“But it won’t last long.”

“When will your original power return?”

“Want to give me another kiss?”

What kind of middle-aged flirt was that supposed to be? I stared flatly at him.

“I can give you a beating instead, if that’ll help you focus.”

Instead of getting angry, Tyroc merely chuckled and turned away, striding off as if he had a destination in mind.

“Where are you going?”

I hurried after him, afraid he might touch the barrier. Luckily, he moved along the wall instead and stopped at the opposite side. Then, unexpectedly, he tapped the stone wall with his sword.

“Step back,” he ordered.

“Why? What’s there?”

“There are traces of artificial work.”

Traces? Where? I tried to get closer to see, but he extended an arm to stop me. Then he raised his sword high.

Clang!

He drove it into the wall, breaking through with raw strength. I was about to protest—there was no way he could break through something that thick—but apparently, he could.

Thud! Thud!

Crack, crash!

After two more strikes, the wall split apart, and chunks of rock tumbled to the floor. A hole wide enough for one person to squeeze through appeared, leading into an empty void beyond.

With that kind of strength, who even needed swordsmanship? He could probably just beat monsters to death.

Half awed, half envious, I approached—just as he raised his sword again.

“Wait, the hole’s already there!”

Why was he smashing it again? He didn’t bother answering, just cast me a sidelong glance and brought his sword down once more.

BOOM!

The impact echoed deafeningly through the cavern, and the wall collapsed again. This time the gap was big enough that we could walk through upright with just a slight bow of the head.

At this point, I was more impressed by his sword than his strength. What material was that thing even made of?

As I eyed his weapon with a mix of jealousy and awe, he stepped through the newly opened passage and extended a hand to me.

“You can come.”

“…”

“What are you waiting for?”

“Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t act like you’re helping the weak. If I need help, I’ll ask for it myself.”

I said it firmly, but it didn’t work—his lips curved even more.

“What if it’s the other way around?”

“The other way around?”

“If I’m the one weakened and asking for care?”

He waved his still-extended hand slightly.

“Take it.”