KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 66

Golden rays of light enveloped Zion. The beams tangled together like thread, forging chains of solid gold. Just as he had done on Athena Island, he gathered all the energy used for the capital's defensive barrier.

It was a magnificent sight, but Odette couldn't keep her eyes on him. The deeper she fell into the Calamity, the stronger the pull became.

My arms and legs…… they feel like they are tearing apart.

The force yanking her in every direction stretched her skin and muscles taut. Worse, as she plunged deeper, the walls of the Calamity bristled with long, razor-sharp teeth. They lunged at her, snapping at her flesh.

It hurts. It hurts, it hurts! It hurts so much……!

Crunch.

One tooth grazed her shoulder, sending a fiery jolt of pain through her body. A scream tore from her throat, but the Calamity swallowed the sound whole.

[Zion] "Odette!"

He flew toward her and wrapped her in his arms. His body heat radiated against her as his left arm braced her waist. With his remaining right hand, he shattered the teeth lunging at her.

[Zion] "Stay still, even if it disgusts you. You will get seriously hurt if you move."

He pulled her closer, pressing her tightly against his chest to ensure no space remained between them.

It hurts……

Odette nodded weakly. If she struggled to escape his embrace, those teeth would shred her into pieces.

Holding her tight, Zion muttered a command. His eyes flashed gold, and the metallic clatter of light-forged chains echoed beneath them. He intended to stop the Calamity with his power.

[Zion] "Damn it. Why isn't it working?"

It was useless.

[Zion] "Damn it……"

He changed tactics. Instead of trying to halt the Calamity, the golden chains focused entirely on severing the teeth attacking Odette.

Clang!

The endless sound of chains pulling taut rang in Odette's ears. Every time she flinched at the noise, he whispered in her ear.

[Zion] "It's alright. Odette. You are safe. You don't have to be afraid."

It was a completely unconvincing thing to say inside the belly of a Calamity that looked exactly like hell.

She lost track of how long they fell through the endless abyss. Far below, a single dot of pure white light appeared. Instinct told her the dot was the end of the Calamity.

They plummeted into the white light.

A muffled splash echoed as freezing water engulfed them.

Bubble. Bubble.

Muffled sounds of rising air filled the silence.

This is……

The distinct smell and taste of salt and fish flooded her nose and mouth. Odette instantly recognized the sensation.

We are deep underwater.

Cough, cough.

She gasped as water rushed into her lungs. Even though she could breathe underwater, drawing breath here was agonizing. It felt like inhaling water tainted by rotting corpses.

Zion can't breathe underwater at all……!

Panic surged within her. Then, a ding chimed, and the status window appeared.

[The 'Master of the Status Window' has reached the World Tree!]

[The status window forms a protective barrier for the Master!]

……The World Tree?

This pitch-black place, exactly like the belly of a Calamity, was the World Tree?

Before she could process the words, the status window generated a transparent barrier shaped like a massive bubble.

Only after the shield enveloped her and Zion could she breathe easily.

[Odette] "……Haa."

She collapsed onto the floor of the bubble and finally realized she was still locked in his embrace.

[Odette] "Your Excellency. Please let go."

[Zion] "……"

[Odette] "Your Excellency?"

Despite her request, Zion held her tight. Odette herself can't get out of his arms.

What……?

The moment she stepped back, Zion collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud.

Only then did she see the state he was in.

[Odette] "Your Excellency……?"

She gasped.

Zion was drenched in blood. His face and body looked as if a wild beast had mauled him. One eye and one ear were missing, and his left arm barely hung from his shoulder. He had used his right hand to grip the mangled left arm and lock it in place, enduring the agony to shield Odette from harm.

[Odette] "Are you insane? How can you look like this?"

A sharp, panicked pitch crept into her voice. He groaned low and forced himself to sit up.

[Zion] "It's fine. I'm o—"

He cut himself off, biting his lip to suppress the blinding pain. The moment he let go of his left arm, it swung limply. The bones were clearly shattered.

[Odette] "Your Excellency! You are bleeding too much—"

[Zion] "It's fine…… My body regenerates anyway. I'll just grow a cooler arm."

[Odette] "Is this the time to show off? Look at your condition."

[Zion] "I can handle it. The Intelligence Bureau trains us in pain tolerance from day one. I wouldn't be a Kleist if I whined over a few missing extremities."

An eye, an ear, an arm. None of those were mere "extremities," yet he brushed them off with a casual tone.

[Zion] "More importantly, is your shoulder alright? Did it scare you too much?"

He worried about a simple graze on her shoulder while sweating profusely from his own agony.

Her gaze drifted to his ruined left arm. His cufflink had torn off in the Calamity, exposing deep, distinct scars. They were the scars she had seen before and chosen to ignore.

[Odette] "Why go this far?"

Guilt saturated her voice. She still despised him and found him repulsive, but she wasn't cruel enough to feel nothing while watching him destroy himself for her.

His casual tone vanished, turning heavy.

[Zion] "Why do you…… feel guilty?"

[Odette] "……"

[Zion] "You have no reason to feel guilty toward me. I exist to be ruthlessly used by you."

[Odette] "Are you doing this because I am a Purifier? Because it would be troublesome if I got hurt or died?"

She hated the fact that he was hurt because of her. It exhausted her. Unless he was influenced by the Loathing system, she wanted no emotional debts between them.

[Odette] "Because Transcendents have a duty to protect Purifiers?"

The male lead and the villainess. A Transcendent and a fake Purifier. The best outcome was to let the bitter ties of their past life end there. She had no desire to entangle her feelings with them in this life—especially with Zion, who had openly despised her.

He stared at her. Blood streamed from his missing eye, but his gaze remained calm.

[Zion] "I didn't think that far ahead."

[Odette] "What?"

[Zion] "I just hated seeing you get hurt. Purifier or not. Do you think I could calculate logic when you were crying in pain?"

Odette lost her words.

Why…… Why is his attitude toward me changing?

It made her uncomfortable. It was better when he hated her. She was used to it.

Why…… now, when I have given up on everything. Why……!

He noticed her turmoil and lightened his tone to break the tension.

[Zion] "If it bothers you that much, you can blow on it to make it heal faster."

That attitude only depressed her further. It felt like a pathetic attempt to comfort her.

[Odette] "……"

She remained silent for a long time before sighing.

[Odette] "Come closer."

[Zion] "Are you really going to blow on it? Forget it. I was joking. Looking at this hideous mess will just ruin your eyes."

[Odette] "Don't say such nonsense."

Blowing on it was absurd. What good would blowing air into a completely shredded arm do?

She reached out toward him, intending to use Purification to ease his pain. That was the least she could do to lighten her own guilt.

But she couldn't touch him.

Ding!

A notification chimed, and a barrier materialized between them.

[Odette] "Uh……?"

His voice was completely cut off. Startled, Zion threw his broken body against the barrier, but no sound passed through to her side.

Ding!

The status window chimed again.

[Hello, Odette.]

[Finally, you...]

[Be careful outside the door.]

[Remember this, Odette. What you possess is the purest of all.]

It was the entity that had constantly spoken to her through the status window two years ago. The one who vanished the moment she awakened as a Purifier.

[Welcome to the World Tree.]

It was speaking to her again. How? Why did it always appear during the most urgent and critical moments?

[Odette] "Who…… are you? Why are you speaking to me now?"

She asked the status window, her voice trembling.

[I am the status window. You are my master.]

An evasive answer.

[Odette] "You know what I am asking. That is not a sufficient answer. Give me a real one."

Her voice turned firm. She intended to drag a proper answer out of this entity.

[Odette] "Who exactly are you? What is your identity? How do you always appear right when I am in danger?"

The status window remained silent for a moment before replying.

[Some call me the First Transcendent.]

[Though I don't wish to be called that by you.]

The First Transcendent.

She gasped.

The First Transcendent was born with power, dared to kill a god, and became a god himself. Then, he allegedly gave up the godhood of his own will.

If that was true…… the entity speaking to her was a god.

[I have waited for you for a very long time. So please, say my name. Odette.]

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