WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 111: Project Alice-02 (9)
──────
It happened in an instant.
The enormous thing swimming above our heads, the shape that had blotted out the sky, was torn in half.
‘Leviathan.’
A monster responsible for thousands of casualties in the story.
The ruler of the deep sea that tore through the skies.
Despite its lowly origins as a Chimera, it was a monstrous being capable of biting even most Apostles to death.
Yet all those grand descriptions were torn apart by a single ripping crack.
Crack-!
The sound was loud enough to rupture eardrums, and the whole space shook in its wake.
Even in death, something of high rank let out a thunderous final cry.
Could the sound of flesh being torn apart really be this magnificent?
As that pointless thought crossed my mind, red gore scattered across the sky.
“...”
I silently looked up.
Blood, guts, and chunks of flesh floated through the air.
They filled the sky, almost like the Milky Way.
Though it was probably too revolting a sight for such a beautiful comparison...
‘It’s over.’
It was dead.
That was all.
Ding-!
[The target has been ■■■ ■■!]
-Disease Name: ■■■
-Description: A disease that can be found in some ancient records. A creature afflicted with this disease suffers as the cohesion between its cells loosens, causing its entire body to be torn to pieces. At the same time, its body splits perfectly in half vertically. It was a bizarre disease that existed in ancient times, but it has been eradicated in the modern era, leaving only records behind.]
A disease whose name I couldn’t even pronounce.
The monster’s end had been utterly anticlimactic.
I calmly watched the corpse divided straight down the middle.
‘Did it work?’
In the end, everything had gone exactly as I planned.
I’d built this whole setup with that outcome in mind from the start.
There was nothing else to worry about afterward, either.
I didn’t have to worry about the disease that struck the monster spreading to anyone else.
The disease I’d used this time wasn’t contagious.
Tap, tap.
I casually dusted off my hands.
When I turned around, a white figure shimmered at the edge of my vision.
<...>
It was the White Knight.
Clad in white armor, it billowed like a hazy mist.
It stood still as though waiting for something.
Its pure white head was turned toward me.
‘Is it demanding payment?’
An Apostle of the Evil God.
Commanding one required a considerable offering.
Like during the Lunar Eclipse, when Jersian had sacrificed every vampire in the city, including himself, to summon the Black Knight.
“Your payment.”
Anyone who failed to uphold a contract with an Apostle met a horrific end.
Fortunately, this place was piled high with things I could offer as sacrifices.
I pointed up at the sky.
“It’s all yours.”
<...>
I handed over Leviathan’s corpse, floating overhead with overwhelming presence.
On top of that, I added the corpses of thousands of Chimeras and Cult members.
The White Knight silently examined them, then released a pale mist from between the plates of its armor.
Dreamlike smoke wrapped around part of the space.
The blood-soaked masses of flesh were swallowed by the mist.
Then, by some incomprehensible means, they were absorbed into the White Knight.
Crunch! Crack, creak-!
For a while, bizarre cracking sounds echoed through the silence.
Only after it had swallowed the last drop of blood did the devouring come to an end.
The White Knight withdrew its mist, turned toward me, and left only a brief remark.
<The contract has been fulfilled.>
Then the white armor lost its shape and collapsed.
It vanished as fleetingly as a cloud of smoke breaking apart.
‘Looks like it was satisfied.’
Honestly, I’d worried it might complain that the offering wasn’t enough, but thankfully, it seemed pleased with the sacrifice.
It was rare for an Apostle to speak in human language unless it was exceptionally satisfied with a contract.
In terms of my previous life, it was like getting a five-star review with a glowing comment.
Soon afterward, the White Knight vanished completely.
When I opened my eyes again, there was only one book in my arms.
[White Knight’s End]
-Category: Book
-Rank: ???
-Status: Cannot Use
-Description: A contract that can manifest an Apostle of the Evil God. It can summon the [White Knight], one of the Four Knights of the Apocalypse who governs pestilence. An item exclusive to the Cult. Those not affiliated with the Cult cannot use it.
An ancient book that still gave off an ominous aura.
The only change was a message attached beneath the item description like a footnote.
Ding-!
[Time Remaining Until Reuse: 666 years]
The period displayed in the status window was absurdly long.
Technically, it had a set duration, but for all practical purposes, it could never be used again.
I’d expected as much.
‘As expected... Reusing it will be difficult.’
I wasn’t particularly disappointed.
I’d used it at the perfect moment, exactly as planned.
I roughly shoved the book, which was little more than scrap now, into my inventory.
Immediately afterward, the baleful energy that had filled the entire space settled as if by magic.
“Phew...”
Only then did I let out a breath.
Beads of sweat ran down the inside of my mask.
‘That was rough. Really rough.’
As I took a deep breath, I felt eyes on me.
My teammates had gone stiff with shock.
The kids stared blankly, as though they couldn’t even grasp what they had witnessed.
Caitlin went without saying, but even Ranne, who was used to my antics, had her mouth hanging open.
“...”
Carmilla was the only one with a calm expression.
It made sense. The princess had seen something similar on the seventieth floor of Purgatory.
She seemed to be taking it in stride.
Instead of being shaken, Carmilla tended to Alice, who was asleep off to one side.
I stood there awkwardly for a moment, then held my index finger to the front of my mask.
“Keep what you saw today a secret.”
“...”
No answer came back, but I took their silence as agreement.
‘They must be pretty shocked.’
Well, I had torn apart a monster as large as Lotte Tower right in front of them.
On top of that, I’d summoned an Apostle of the Evil God and commanded it like one of my own limbs.
Anyone would naturally be thinking, ‘What the hell is this guy?’
Even I had to admit that performance might have been a little excessive.
‘I’ll explain it later. First...’
There was something more urgent.
I looked down at the one still sprawled beneath the heel of my shoe like a maggot.
“Ahem.”
<...>
Oz (OZ).
The man I had completely defeated in this game.
I leaned down slightly to gauge his reaction.
“How does it feel? The project you spent years preparing was destroyed in an instant.”
<Remarkable. The stolen Apocalypse. I never imagined you had it.>
“I intended to use it for a good cause. And I did use it for a good cause, didn’t I?”
<Were you a member of the Cult? Only those who accept His will should be able to make contracts with Apostles...>
“Well, I don’t think I have any obligation to tell you.”
Stab-.
A pitch-black scythe dug into the man’s abdomen.
His regenerative power had already reached its limit.
I could kill him if I wanted to.
The project’s collapse had probably weakened the main body’s influence over this clone too.
“If I kill this clone, the original will take quite a hit, right? Judging by this clone’s quality, I’d say your soul will suffer around thirty percent damage?”
<You know far too much. It seems you planted a spy within the Cult.>
“That’s right. There are too many to count. Why don’t you manage your household better?”
<I’ll keep that in mind. Since it has come to this, I should start by searching my closest aides.>
Of course, that was a lie.
He’d fallen for it on his own, so I’d simply thrown out a bluff.
Lies sounded more convincing when you casually mixed them into everyday conversation.
“Now die.”
<Ah... So it is time to part. I already long for the day we meet again.>
“That’s quite disgusting. I barely managed to keep down what was coming up.”
<I can’t remember the last time I met such an enjoyable opponent... This is a complete defeat.>
“This won’t be the last time. Next time, I’ll put your original body on the executioner’s block.”
<I will wait in the graveyard of life, with a wonderful gift that will please you.>
“A gift?”
His face had no eyes, nose, or mouth.
Even so, the man was smiling in a grotesque way.
It was only a feeling, yet that ominousness seemed almost tangible.
<I’ll leave it as something for you to enjoy later.>
<But I promise you this.>
<Both you and Alice will surely like it.>
<And next time, I will certainly drive that child into despair and bring forth the complete Queen’s manifestation...!>
“Activate. Thorns.”
Fwoosh-!
The man’s body exploded before he could finish speaking.
As thorns burst upward, his body was torn to rags.
This time, the flesh didn’t twitch and regenerate.
Instead, it melted like water and poured down in a horrifying mass.
‘Done.’
I had successfully hunted the clone.
I barely steadied my legs before they gave out.
Perhaps because I knew it was safely over, the strength began to leave my muscles.
‘Not yet.’
I bit my lip and pulled myself together.
There was still something left to finish.
Only seconds after Oz’s clone disappeared, the space began to shake as though an earthquake had struck.
Rumble-!
The floor cracked, and rupturing sounds echoed from the ceiling.
The space had begun to collapse.
Crack, boom-!
“Uh, huh...?”
“Fuck, what’s going on all of a sudden?!”
“Viktor! Something is wrong!”
It was only natural, in a way.
This space had been sustained by the Cult’s project and Oz’s existence.
With the project suddenly destroyed and Oz gone as well, it could no longer hold itself together.
Naturally, that led to the collapse of the space.
“Everyone, follow me!”
There was no time to discuss it with the others.
With a brief instruction, I ran across the wide corridor.
Boom-!
The vibrations grew stronger by the second.
We needed to find the right point and stay there.
Unless we wanted to be trapped in this facility and sink into a fissure where no one could ever find us.
“Here! Stand side by side.”
Fortunately, the point wasn’t far away.
We stood against one wall, holding each other’s hands.
If we stood here, we would be flung outside as the space collapsed.
“It’s coming...!”
We would be thrown out into the deep sea, not far from the island where we had been before entering this field.
Rumble-!
The collapse drew near.
‘Of course... This isn’t the end.’
We would be thrown into the deep sea.
My companions and I were exhausted.
If we were expelled into the deep sea in this state, could we reach the island safely?
‘Impossible.’
We’d probably just drift helplessly and drown.
Or perhaps the monsters lurking in the deep sea would attack us.
Was there really no way out...?
‘Of course there is.’
Didn’t I say it?
This entire field was in the palm of my hand.
“Everyone, take a deep breath!”
“...!”
----!
The next moment, the collapse of the space swallowed us.
My teammates were pulled along as though being sucked somewhere.
Then cold water wrapped around our entire bodies.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the deep, dark sea.
The kids flinched in panic, then tried to hold their breath.
‘Good.’
At that critical moment, I took out the thing I’d kept tucked inside the front of my shirt the entire time.
It had been useless in that other space, but now that we were out, I was certain it would work.
-If you need help with anything unrelated to tag, please press the crystal ball at any time to call the faculty.
Click-.
A crystal ball provided specifically for tag.
I lightly pressed the button to call for help.
Splash-!
Before even a few minutes had passed, a figure descended into the deep sea as though teleporting.
The hazy silhouette grabbed us and pulled us up toward dry land.
The water’s surface, which had been above our heads, rapidly drew near.
‘Ah...’
The back of the person pulling my teammates and me upward.
Red hair flowed through the water like flower petals.
I smiled faintly.
‘Big sis.’
I knew it.
Our professor was the best.
===
It’s Carmilla and Caitlin.
Footnotes:
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