WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 112 - Using One Evil to Fight Another (2)

"Nightfall, that’s our target.”

When Vile Blood cautiously uttered that name, the expression of the members immediately darkened.

Even Sunken Mire, who had just been sitting there quietly, swallowed hard, as if just saying that name would place a curse on someone.

Vile Blood took a deep breath to steady himself after the name Nightfall left his mouth. In that silence, there was a small but unmistakable sense of fear lingering in everyone.

From those reactions alone, I could roughly guess what kind of monster that person was, even before Vile Blood finished his explanation.

"She has Puppet. The same world as yours.”

"My world is Puppet?”

"Yes. I’ve already settled on that conclusion. The fact that you can freely control Knights like that means it can’t be anything other than Puppet. At least when it comes to the word ‘control,’ there is no world that can compare to Puppet.”

Listening to Vile Blood’s confident tone, I felt relieved.

As long as I didn’t give anything away, there wouldn’t be any reason for him to ever think that I had the Abyssal Sea.

The problem was that this misunderstanding seemed to have led him to a slightly strange conclusion.

"But if we use Puppet against Puppet, then we can catch Nightfall off guard. If you’re aiming for the Upper Tier, we have no other choice.”

"Hmm…”

Well, it was something I had to do anyway.

I nodded, then suddenly realized that he had glossed over something pretty important, so I asked again.

"So, what exactly is that Nightfall person?”

Silence again. After about 30 seconds passed, Vile Blood, who had been clenching his teeth, finally spoke up again.

"...A demon.”

"Coming from you people, that doesn’t exactly sound convincing.”

"Tsk, we’re aware that by definition we’re technically villains. But look, at least we only kill.”

"?"

For a moment, I was so taken aback by that outrageous attempt at moral laundering that I couldn’t find words. Vile Blood, wearing an indignant expression, continued.

"It might sound strange coming from people desperately struggling to survive, but dying isn’t necessarily such a terrible thing. Honestly, if I'd had the choice, I would’ve chosen not to be born at all.”

"Then how about killing yourself right now?”

"Once born, humans can’t help themselves but struggle to live. Anyway, here’s the point. That monster turns death into something that isn’t just nothingness but hell.”

"Be more specific.”

"That person’s world steals rest from corpses.”

I tilted my head.

"You mean she…resurrects them?”

"That’s right. Resurrection.”

"Then that sounds more like an angel’s power than a demon’s.”

"..."

Vile Blood’s fist began to tremble.

As if he could no longer hold it in, he dragged a hand down his face and answered.

"Yeah… If we don’t go deeper, this won’t mean anything. Like I said, one of the reasons we’re helping you is that if there’s even one among the Upper Tier bastards with a functioning mind, our lives are more secure. But to be honest, fighting the Upper Tier means being prepared to die. In terms of cost-benefit, it’s a 50/50 split. You can’t tell profit from loss. I usually don’t take on missions like that. There are a lot of better deals out there.”

"So what are you trying to say?”

"I had another reason for deciding to work with you. It’s to kill that bitch, Nightfall.”

So it was a woman.

Looking at his face, where fear still lingered more than any forced anger, I asked again.

"Why? If she can bring others back no matter what, wouldn’t it be better to keep Nightfall around?”

"Because Nightfall’s puppets all want nothing more than to die.”

"...?"

"This is a fairly well-known story. There was once a Fallen with a world that could read other people’s minds. Out of curiosity, they took a look at what one of Nightfall’s puppets was thinking, and then poured oil over their own body and burned themselves to death.”

"Really? Did they leave any kind of message behind before they died?”

"They didn’t. But before dying, they did tell us this. If any of us were to ever die, we must absolutely mutilate the corpse. To the point where it could never be used as a puppet.”

"..."

"There were quite a few worlds capable of mind-reading. But none of them could overcome their curiosity. After spying on Nightfall’s puppets, they all chose similar ends. They gave the same warning and said nothing else. Because of that, mind-reading worlds have all but disappeared.”

It was an unspeakably horrific situation, but I was quite grateful for it. If mind-readers still existed, I’d have had to empty my mind completely every time I met anyone part of Scarlet Abyss.

Hiding those thoughts, I nodded.

"Hmm, that does sound pretty bad.”

"...If that were all, it wouldn’t matter as much.”

Vile Blood let out a sigh and looked down at the ground.

"Nightfall is gathering corpses of the Lower Tiers.”

"Gathering them?”

"Yes. Whether they die to their burdens or by any other means. Even if they’re hacked to pieces. If there’s enough of them left, she takes them and turns them into puppets.”

"If you tell her not to—”

"Do you think she’d listen? The words of the dead mean nothing, don’t they?”

From Vile Blood’s bitter smile and the members who were still gripped by terror, I could understand why they feared Nightfall that much.

An unknown purgatory after death.

If one were unlucky enough to die normally, leaving behind a body intact enough for Nightfall to reclaim, then from that point on one would spend an eternity in that inescapable purgatory.

If death was nothingness, then that would be the end of our burdens.

But what if one became one of Nightfall’s puppets?

"No matter how horrifying she is…sometimes, when I see Nightfall, when I see my comrades who once stood beside me now standing there with empty eyes, something surges up in my chest.”

"I understand.”

In the end, Nightfall’s death was one of the long-cherished wishes shared by the entire Lower Tier, not just Vile Blood.

I nodded, stood up, and held out my hand.

"If it’s something that has to be done anyway, then it’s better to deal with someone like her. We erase Nightfall, and while we’re at it, we grant your comrades a proper rest as well.”

"...Hah, if you die fighting Nightfall, you’re guaranteed to end up in an endless purgatory. You’re still going to do it?”

"Then I’ll just prepare explosives and blow my body apart.”

"Looks like we really do have something in common, big bro.”

Vile Blood pulled out a palm-sized spherical object with a fuse attached and placed it in my hand.

I was just joking. This bastard…

I put the bomb into my pocket, then called out to the grinning Vile Blood and the still-tense members.

"Then let’s start working out a more concrete plan.”

It had taken a full year just to find a way to reach the Upper Tier and find some people I could use.

Even during that time, my burdens continued to gnaw away at my body. If things kept going on like this, I wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

The subjugation of Nightfall had to be carried out as quickly as possible.

"Where is she?”

"At the edge of the continent, in the eastern country of Manganji, the endless land.”

"Manganji…?”

A hazy fragment of history I had heard back in the orphanage surfaced in my mind.

A very distant land that occasionally imported unusual medicinal herbs. I didn’t remember the details, only that it was said to be a barren place crawling with monsters and poisonous insects, and that even the Empire had never shown much interest in it.

"I heard its territory is quite large…”

"That doesn’t really matter. "

Vile Blood shrugged as he replied.

"It’s true that it’s large, but you could say there are practically no real people living there.”

I had a rough idea of what he meant.

"How many?"

"A million.”

"..."

That number was far beyond anything I had expected, though.

“One of the greatest villainesses and tyrants, Nightfall, killed all of her own people and made them live on in hell. That place is, quite literally, hell materialized in this realm.”

"I suppose it balances out.”

"What do you mean by that?”

"It’s nothing.”

If there existed a ruler like the princess, who would give her life for her people…

Then perhaps there also had to be a ruler who would kill all her people for herself for the world to stay balanced.

"How long will it take to get there from here?”

"At least two months… Three, if the weather turns.”

"..."

I narrowed my eyes.

That was far too much time. Considering how my burdens were growing stronger with every passing minute…

By the time we arrived, my Water Partition would have gotten so weak that even summoning my Realm once would be difficult.

"Is there any faster way?”

"Of course. If you request an audience with Nightfall, she’ll send a puppet so that you can reach Manganji within a week.”

"Oho? I see. Then what are the conditions for requesting an audience?”

"Anyone can do it.”

"...What?"

"Literally. Any member of Scarlet Abyss can request to meet Nightfall whenever they wish.”

"Wait, I thought the Upper Tiers had no interest in the Lower Tiers?”

"That’s right. So what do you think that means?”

"...Ah."

Only then did I realize and nod.

"Selling one’s body.”

"Exactly. More precisely, selling the rights to your future in exchange for World-Sealing Elixirs. Horrifying, isn’t it?”

"And the people who did it…”

"There were some. Mostly idiots who’d only just joined Scarlet Abyss and didn’t know any better.”

That proved once again just how little the Upper Tiers cared about the Lower Tier.

A senior coaxing interns into a pyramid scheme, while the other seniors knew and did absolutely nothing. This was beyond indifference, treating them as less than human.

"This is nothing but treating people as resources."

"Especially so, when it comes to Nightfall.”

With a sigh, Vile Blood took a sack filled with World-Sealing Elixirs out of his bag and set it down on the table.

At his cue, the other members, faces filled with determination, each added some of their own World-Sealing Elixirs, which were more precious than their own lives to them, to the sack.

"What is this supposed to be?”

"Undercurrent. Knowing your strength, I still dare say this is close to a gamble. To raise the odds even a little, we have to put everything on the line.”

"Hmm… So do I just add more World-Sealing Elixirs as well?”

"There’s no need. We’re gathering this for you.”

"For me?”

"Yes. In the end, we can’t oppose Nightfall directly. She likely knows everything about us already. Even if we were to charge in, it’ll only lead to pointless deaths without actually helping a bit. So this is the only way we can support you.”

"I appreciate the thought, but I’m not sure it’ll mean much.”

I didn’t take World-Sealing Elixirs that often. They helped in battle, but not to the point that I needed to take them every day.

As I was about to decline, Vile Blood burst out laughing.

"Wahaha, you really do show your inexperience in matters like this. World-Sealing Elixirs aren’t just for consumption. They can also be used for trade.”

"Trade?"

"Exactly. Go!”

"Yes."

The members scattered in a hurry, each carrying sacks of the collected World-Sealing Elixirs.

Puzzled, I asked,

"What are they planning to trade those for?”

"Hmm, we’ll start with this…”

Vile Blood stepped closer, fiddled with my robe, and then paused in surprise.

"Oho, you already have a sacred relic.”

"Sacred relic?”

"Yes. I don’t know where you got it, but it’s quite high-quality.”

"I’ve never once heard of anything called a sacred relic.”

"That’s only natural. Sacred relics are items used by those Upper Tiers. Most Lower Tiers don’t even know they exist, let alone ever get to touch one…with a few exceptions.”

Wearing a wicked grin on his face, Vile Blood removed a pair of gloves he was wearing and handed them to me.

"Put them on.”

Suspicious, I slipped the gloves on. At that moment, something unbelievable happened.

-Sluuurp…

The gloves became damp, and water began dripping from them.

"H-huh?”

Vile Blood was even more shocked than I was.

He hurriedly pulled the gloves off, wrung them out in a panic, and fiddled with them.

Then, with an utterly stunned expression, he clutched his head.

"W-what is this? Are they broken? Why?”

"..."

I kept my mouth tightly shut, saying nothing.

But inside, I was completely stunned.

Those gloves, if only for a moment, had entered the Abyssal Sea.

How…? As I tilted my head in confusion, Vile Blood clenched his teeth and hurled the gloves onto the ground.

"Tsk. Maybe I used them for too long. Looks like they’re broken. They were expensive, too.”

"What are they?”

"Haah… Sacred relics are tools that take on your burdens instead of you.”

"Take on my burdens?”

"Yes."

Still looking incredulous, he kicked the gloves away with his foot as he continued.

"In the past, they were items created during Scarlet Abyss’ process of developing the World-Sealing Elixir.”

"If that’s the case, why weren’t these distributed?”

"They were far too inefficient. To the point that it was better to just take those pills that you’ll eventually build a resistance towards until the day you die… Ah!”

Suddenly, as if something had occurred to him, Vile Blood turned toward Brimdal, who had been listening to our conversation with interest.

"I see, my mistake.”

"What do you mean?”

"You’re currently focusing all your energy on controlling that Knight, right? If you put on a sacred relic in a situation like this, they’d of course take on that burden instead and break. Still, sacred relics aren’t something that should break so easily…”

Watching Vile Blood nod as if this finally made sense to him, I swallowed.

Actually, I wasn’t even actively using my world’s power right now.

Those gloves had broken from bearing only my baseline burdens.

"But why did water come out? Tsk, does water flow in that puppet world?”

"Well, something like that. So when it breaks, it ends up like this?"

"Yes. Most sacred relics have resistance against worlds, so if you examine them closely, they’re easy to identify. One pair of gloves wouldn’t be enough, but wearing multiple sacred relics would be a great help in battles between Fallen.”

"So they can be distinguished.”

I picked up the gloves Vile Blood had thrown away to check exactly what was different about them.

Seeing that, Vile Blood hurriedly tried to stop me.

"Wait, it’s best not to touch those. Burn them.”

"Why?"

"A broken sacred relic, destroyed while enduring a burden—”

-Crack!

Before he could finish, the fingers of the gloves suddenly vanished.

"...It takes on the burden of that world… Wait, what just happened…?”

I hurriedly threw the gloves into the fire.

Vile Blood stared with his mouth hanging open, pressing for an answer.

"W-wait. What was that just now? It looked like something just cut them. Like something bit into them.”

"Just your imagination."

The study robe I was wearing suddenly felt like a set of shackles.

I should probably start wearing underclothes as well, just in case it starts getting wet.

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