Salvation Through Delusion C61

Chapter 61

I’d suggested an appropriate form of self-treatment, but instead of complying, he only let out a laugh.

“My ears work fine. I heard every word you exchanged with that rock.”

“…Whatever you heard was a hallucination.”

I shamelessly denied it, but the man only smiled wider. Even while drenched in cold sweat and struggling to stay conscious, he still found room to laugh.

And somehow, that made him look… attractive.

God, I’ve lost it. I’m the crazy one here.

I shook my head hard and turned away. That infuriating man wasn’t even my type.

“I’ll take a look around. We need to know where we are.”

“Thank you.”

I froze.

For a moment, it felt like I’d misheard him.

Thank you? He just said thank you?

It was a blessing that the darkness concealed my expression. Still, I needed a few seconds before I could answer without sounding like I was choking on my own tongue.

“…What for? Why are you smiling like that?”

“I just learned which word makes you flustered.”

“I am not flustered. You said something ridiculous, and I was just questioning if you’d finally lost your mind.”

“Still… thank you. For saving me.”

“…”

“This time you didn’t laugh.”

I muttered under my breath, frowning on purpose. The last thing I needed was for him to think I was embarrassed.

“There’s no need to thank me. You saved my life first.”

“I see.”

That was it. No teasing, no sarcasm—just quiet agreement.

That made me feel even worse.

I shouldn’t have felt flustered earlier; I should’ve known he’d say something that simple.

Maybe my irritation showed, because he smiled again—softly, not mockingly this time.

That somehow felt worse.

I deliberately turned my attention elsewhere.

“And you’re in this state because of me. I’m the one who dragged you into the Crimson Tide Forest.”

He didn’t answer. I kept speaking, avoiding his gaze.

“Stay here for a bit. I’ll check the area and try to—”

“Ugh.”

Tyroc let out a sharp groan, and I flinched. When I touched his shoulder, his skin was burning hot.

My palm went to his forehead instinctively—he was on fire.

“I’ll find someone who can help you.”

“Don’t.”

“This isn’t the time to think about appearances.”

“Hah… this is Borhumi.”

“Borhumi?” I repeated in disbelief.

The same Borhumi that ordered my kidnapping to the Ewik estate?

I’d barely escaped death at the hands of his right arm, Ottmar, not long ago.

And Borhumi Zab himself—he was Tyroc’s greatest enemy.

“This… is Borhumi territory?”

Tyroc, eyes closed and drenched in cold sweat, twisted his lips in a faint smirk.

“The resting place of the great ancestors. The underground tomb beneath the main fortress.”

The… tomb?!

A low tremor rolled through the chamber at that exact moment. I crouched low, moving cautiously toward the edge to look down.

The heavy iron door below had swung open, and two figures entered—a young man and an older one, his hood pulled deep over his head.

Their voices carried clearly through the vast chamber, every word amplified by the echoing stone walls.

The hooded man’s voice was aged and rasping.

“Lord Zab.”

Zab? Borhumi Zab, the Grand Duke himself?

I held my breath and crept closer to a spot where I could see them clearly.

From this height, I had a decent vantage point.

The young man had long blue hair tied back neatly. The old man’s hood concealed most of his face—he’d even wrapped a cloth around his nose and mouth.

“Not here,” the old man said sternly. “If you continue, the Divine Beast may grow angry.”

“Angry?” Zab’s voice rose sharply. “Let it! I’ve spent years honing my power, and yet it keeps fading!”

My eyes widened. Fading? That was a bombshell if I’d ever heard one.

The old man—Dorgo, apparently—answered with quiet firmness.

“I told you, it’s only temporary. Time will correct it.”

“Time? How much longer?” Zab’s tone cracked with fury. “You expect me to sit here useless while my power withers away? I told you—it’s getting weaker by the day!”

His rage thundered through the cavernous hall, echoing off every surface.

And the reason for that fury… was someone I knew.

“I wield the power of the Divine Beast, and yet Tyroc—that bastard—was able to block my strength! He humiliated me, Dorgo! You have any idea what that feels like?”

Zab’s fists trembled as he spat the words, trembling with frustration.

He looked like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, but Dorgo, clearly used to it, remained composed.

“You must calm yourself. In a few months, you will possess a power that will make the Duke of Koon look insignificant. Patience, my lord.”

A greater power?

Zab already wielded the Divine Beast’s strength—what more could there possibly be?

I leaned forward slightly, straining to catch every word.

“A few months?” Zab snapped. “You said that before. You’ve been saying that for months! Meanwhile, Tyroc walks free—mocking me! That bastard doesn’t even need a Divine Beast to stand against me. He held me off with nothing but a sword!”

He spun around, glaring furiously at the vast chamber.

“What use is this Divine power if I can’t even kill Tyroc?!”

“My lord, the Divine Beast can hear you,” Dorgo warned.

“Let it hear! Maybe it should know its so-called power isn’t even enough to match one human!”

Zab’s words cut through the air like a whip.

For the first time, Dorgo’s calm composure cracked. His tone turned harsh.

“If you wish to lose that power entirely, then by all means—keep shouting. See how long it takes before the Divine Beast withdraws its blessing.”

“You dare—”

“Do you wish to lose the power you’ve already been given?”

That silenced Zab instantly.

Though his lips twitched with barely-contained rage, he forced himself to stay quiet.

“The Divine Beast may be confined, my lord,” Dorgo continued evenly, “but that does not mean it cannot hear.”

Confined?

I blinked. Did he just say… confined?

A Divine Beast—imprisoned by humans?

That made no sense. Those beings were practically gods. How could anyone trap one?

Zab scoffed, “It’s been locked up for ages. If it could leave on its own, it would’ve done so by now.”

“Still,” Dorgo insisted, “you must remain cautious. The Divine One is merely in a state of slumber. I am working tirelessly to ensure it awakens stronger than ever.”

“Sure,” Zab spat. “That’s why I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for—slaves, darkstones, whatever you needed. So why does it keep taking longer? Why am I still getting weaker?”

Dorgo’s answer came calm and unwavering.

“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same. We are close. When the Divine Beast awakens, it will do so with overwhelming power—and you, Lord Zab, will become the master of this land.”

Zab exhaled harshly, his frustration palpable even from where I hid.

Waiting clearly wasn’t his strong suit.

Dorgo’s voice softened slightly.

“You saw it with your own eyes—the barrier that keeps the Divine Beast sealed is holding perfectly. There is nothing to fear, so long as it remains contained.”

So they came here to check the seal, I realized.

But Zab still looked dissatisfied, his frown etched deep.

“If you crave immediate power,” Dorgo added, his tone now sharp again, “then there is but one path left to you. Train. Shall I open the gate to the lake?”

The lake—wherever that was—seemed to strike a nerve. Zab recoiled as if the word itself disgusted him.

“Hell no! Why the lake?”

“For your training, my lord,” Dorgo said simply.

Zab shook his head violently, almost panicked.

“Do you know how much I suffered in that cursed lake as a child? Just hearing about it makes me sick!”

“But if you truly wish for strength, you must—”

“Damn it, enough about that lake!” Zab’s roar thundered across the hall. “If training actually worked, the Divine Beast wouldn’t still be locked away! I’m done with that nonsense, understood? Done!”

His voice echoed long after he finished.

Whatever the “training” was, it must’ve been torturous.

But the way he whined about it—honestly, he sounded like a sulking schoolboy.

“I need results now,” he snapped. “If you don’t have a real answer, just say so. Stop telling me to train like some fool.”

“My lord,” Dorgo said evenly.

“Stop saying my name and tell me another way!”

Dorgo’s reply came low and deliberate.

“There is only one other way, my lord.”

Zab’s brows furrowed. “…What?”

Dorgo looked up, his lifeless, glass-like eyes glinting faintly in the torchlight.

“Seek salvation.”