When I Finished Playing the Terminally-Ill Villainous Omega C13

Chapter 13

“Huff… huff…”

As I reached the edge of the territory, a wave of golden light rippled across the air—the barrier opened. My lungs burned as if they’d splinter apart, but I didn’t stop. If I hesitated and Locke died before I got there, that would be the end—truly irreversible this time.

“Locke! Can you hear me? Where are you? If you can hear me, answer me!”

Fearing my voice would be drowned by the sound of the rain, I swung a lamp filled with luminescent stones in every direction, hoping he’d catch even a glimpse of it.

Shhh—

Even the mountain beasts had hidden from the downpour. The silence that followed pressed heavy, thick with unease. Never in both my lives had I set foot inside the Allure Domain. Perhaps that was why fear wrapped so tightly around my chest.

To fight it off, I started muttering to myself.

“God, I can’t see a damn thing in this rain! Why aren’t you near the barrier like a sane person, Locke!”

Something caught at the tip of my boot and I stumbled. Maybe a root had surfaced from the wet soil. I wiped the rain streaming into my eyes with the back of my hand—and then froze, breath hitching.

A figure lay crumpled ahead, cloaked and motionless.

“Wh–what…!”

I staggered backward, heart hammering wildly, but there was no running from this. I had to check who it was.

“L–Locke? Is that you?”

Trembling, I forced myself to approach, crawling the last few feet, stretching out my arm to shake the figure from a safe distance. The body rolled over, the hood slipping away—

—and my stomach lurched violently. The glassy-eyed corpse staring back at me was one of the household knights.

“Oh, f—! Damn it!”

The curse flew out before I could stop it, an echo from my previous life. I whispered a frantic prayer for my safety and then forced myself to look again. His chest was still, his skin drained of all color. Even without touching him, it was clear—he’d been dead for quite some time. A deep wound gaped in his left side, no blood still flowing.

“Urgh…”

My gut churned, but something glinted inside the wound. A weapon? Evidence? I couldn’t just ignore it.

Grimacing, I reached in—and nearly screamed when a black mist began to seep from the corpse’s mouth, curling like smoke.

Oh God. Was I actually watching his soul escape?

I snatched whatever solid thing my hand found inside the wound and stumbled backward. Then—something brushed my back. Not bark. It was wet, thick, and warm. I froze.

It was solid yet fleshy, carrying a sharp, musky stench—like ammonia.

The servants had once gossiped about this smell. They said Cassian’s pet monster reeked like this when wet. A Bael Wolf’s stench, they’d called it.

A shiver sprinted up my spine.

Don’t panic. You’re fine. You’ve got this. Even Aiden handles these things like it’s nothing.

Right. I could do this too. I had to stay calm.

Biting my lip, I gripped the hilt of the dagger Aiden had given me.

A low growl rumbled close—so close that the vibration brushed the back of my neck. If I swung, I’d hit it.

Magic weapon power varied by mana stone grade. But Aiden’s gift had to be top-tier, right? I tightened my grip and slashed behind me with all my strength.

A shrill roar ripped through the storm as the blade connected. The beast jerked back, writhing, the mana burning through its hide. I caught a flash of its monstrous face—like a wolf’s head sprouting twisted horns.

I ran.

There was no time to think, no time to breathe. I sprinted, mud splashing, lungs tearing. I couldn’t die again. Not like this.

“Haah… haah!”

The trees thinned; I could see the faint shimmer of the barrier ahead. Hope surged, pushing me faster.

But the monster was faster.

In a single bound it overtook me, slamming me to the ground, one enormous paw crushing my shoulders.

“Aagh!”

I hit the earth hard. Its gaping maw loomed above me, dripping with saliva that spattered my cheeks.

No way—I won’t die like this!

I clenched my teeth, ready to thrust the dagger straight into its eye—

—when a slicing noise split the air.

Shraaak!

The monster exploded into hundreds of pieces before my eyes. Blood and shards of bone splattered everywhere, then quickly washed away by the rain.

Holy hell. That wasn’t me—was it? No… that couldn’t have been just the dagger.

Blinking through the downpour, I lifted my head. Through the haze of rain, something—someone—stood ahead. A dark silhouette, motionless, yet alive.

It could’ve been a trick of the light, but…

“Locke? If it’s you, say something. Otherwise, I’m swinging again!”

“…Why… why in the world are you here?”

That familiar low, composed voice cut through the rain, and suddenly all strength drained from my body. The fear strangling my lungs melted away, replaced by something—warmer.

“Locke! It really is you!”

I smiled weakly, blinking through the stinging rain, before my knees gave out completely.

He reached me in a few strides. Rough hands caught me before I hit the ground, one strong arm curling around my shoulders. His warmth was steady, solid, impossibly real.

Outside, monsters howled through the storm—but here, in his arms, everything was quiet.

“I never imagined anyone would step into a monster’s den during a storm, leaking pheromones like a beacon. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

The cool, precise tone sent a jolt through me. I lifted my head to see his amber eyes glinting faintly in the dark.

“Pher…omones?”

His gaze sharpened, cutting through me.

That couldn’t be right. I wasn’t supposed to be in heat yet. Not in this body, not now. Since awakening as Cedric, everything had felt strange, but this—this wasn’t possible.

“You’re mistaken,” I began weakly. “That’s just perfume—”

The world tilted violently. I shoved him away, gagging as nausea churned from deep within me.

Dry heaves wracked my chest. It couldn’t be happening—not that. The pain, the dizziness, the sharp scent of my own skin—it all screamed onset.

Locke sighed, low and cold.

He reached out a hand, but I recoiled, curling in on myself as the sight of the weapon still strapped to his belt flashed in my mind.

He frowned, murmuring something under his breath—something that sounded an awful lot like “troublesome.” Then, with a frustrated sigh, he shoved his sword into his belt and scooped me effortlessly into his arms.

❖ ❖ ❖

Crackle. Crackle.

The sound of burning wood echoed softly. Damp moss and smoke filled my nose.

When I opened my eyes, the light of a fire flickered against uneven stone walls.

Locke sat a short distance away, tossing small pieces of wood into the flames.

He’d carried me here—into a cave, away from the storm. I remembered faintly how his arm had steadied my body, how I’d slipped into darkness against his chest.

He didn’t abandon me.

The Locke I once knew—the emperor of blood and ruin—would have left me as a corpse by the barrier. But this one had carried me through the rain instead. My suspicions were right. His cruelty was learned, not innate.

Still… why a cave? Was it because the barrier wouldn’t open without my consciousness?

Or… was there another reason he’d stayed?

I pushed myself upright.

“You brought me here?”

He didn’t answer. The silence thickened.

Awkwardly, I tried again.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to. I would’ve died of hypothermia if you’d left me. But why a cave? Was it because the barrier wouldn’t open while I was out?”

He looked at me once—slowly, from under his lashes—then turned back to the fire.

TLN-Cedric’s first instinct when seeing a corpse? Swear, panic, then investigate like a crime drama lead

Also Locke: “You’re leaking pheromones.” Cedric: “It’s perfume!”

Sir, that’s not Chanel No. 5 that’s plot development