Novels online

Chapter 236

My Villains Episode 236

48. artist(3)

When I entered the black disk, no, the gateway to the dream, the entire area was a dark space. It felt like I had fallen into a starless universe..

It's been like this all along, and it was the same this time when I escaped from Ellen's dream..

But there were a few differences. First, I saw a light beyond the exit in the distance..

It wasn't that bright. It looks like it's a torch... … . That level could only barely light up a basement, but it was impossible to light up a vast dark space..

The people carrying the torches all had a vague yet familiar silhouette. They were mercenaries who followed me, including Stedman the tough, Mira the freckles, and Fritz the ponytail..

okay. That was the underground throne room of Raven's Cliff Castle. The place where I was tricked by Kelsen and sat on the white throne. Middleworld, the real world.

The faint light that flowed into the dark space illuminated the Elen, Utequai, Munchi, and Kol scattered in front of them, casting dark shadows..

Their shadows were writhing slowly. When I looked again, the group was repeating useless gestures as if they were swimming in a space without gravity..

Hayla, who was in my arms, was looking up at me with a rare look of embarrassment, with her eyes constantly blinking and her mouth half-open..

Her glossy red lips and snow-white teeth were chatting eagerly. But despite all the efforts, her voice was not heard at all..

“Are you here already? It's faster than expected.”

A man spoke to me in a dark space filled with silence. It was a cold voice that gave me goosebumps..

As I shuffled my feet and looked around, I saw a figure that looked particularly black compared to the dark space around me, looking at me..

“I was planning on going alone.?”

“……you.”

“flaw. That won't work.”

An unpleasant sound of laughter. At the same time, a pitch-black shape swelled and attacked..

Hayla's eyes widened and she grabbed my arm, but the darkness ended up swallowing me up..

There was a woman.

A twenty-year-old young woman who came to Seoul alone to find a job..

Just two months after she started living in Seoul, she met a man..

A neat face, a good voice, and rare kindness. That alone made him an attractive man, but it turned out that he was also a talented person who graduated from a prestigious university and became an executive of a foreign company at a young age..

The two started dating and got married a year later..

The couple began their newlywed life in a nice, spacious house. Around that time, the woman brought to her husband the small inheritance left by her parents and the money she had borrowed from her family and friends..

After some time, my husband disappeared without a trace. The woman was kicked out of the house and gave birth to a son..

The woman believed that her husband would return someday. I prayed like that.

Her wish came true. Around her son's third birthday, the woman met her husband again. He was placed in a small wooden box..

Those who have been victims of fraud by their husbands

After hearing the police's explanation that it was difficult to identify the suspect because there were so many, the woman held her stomach and laughed for a while before throwing the wooden box out the window..

A few days later, the woman made a final plan and put it into action. The plan was only half successful, and the son survived..

Well, it's definitely a sad story, but now I don't have tears in my eyes. Is it because it happened when I was so young?.

Regardless of my feelings, there is something a bit funny about it. The face of my biological mother, who raised me for three years, is blurry, but I clearly remember the face of the fraudster I saw in a photo after I became an adult..

Anyway, I became an orphan and was placed in an orphanage. I lived there for 3 years.

“It's my hometown. home of the heart.”

Red brick buildings such as orphanages, rehabilitation centers, and special schools are clustered together, and an empty playground is squeezed in between them..

I was drawn to the voice and stood on the other side

I looked at the black shape..

Under cloudy sunlight. A human-like monster appeared. The squatting monster had a truly terrifying appearance..

Its naked body was covered in black scales, and its limbs had long, sharp claws like hooks. It had horns as thick and sharp as those of an ox, and a tail as long and flexible as that of a lizard, waving slowly. The vertical pupils were filled with bright yellow light..

““Huh—” The maw filled with saw-like teeth drew a long arc..

“••••••you.”

“It's like a dream. I can't believe we're face to face and talking like this. It really feels like a dream.”

It was a cold, but somehow familiar voice..

Looking again, the monster's appearance was not unfamiliar. The scales and tail were clearly those of a reptile, but the facial features and body shape were familiar to the eye..

The monster's smile grew a little deeper. I guess it's because I noticed my face hardening..

“You recognized me‘?”

“……what are you?”

“Tell me your guess first. Before teaching the correct answer.”

The monster flicked its dark red tongue as if to taste it. It was still squatting, its muscles writhing viciously beneath its densely scaly skin..

“ maybe••••••

He slowly raised his hand and placed it on Hrunting's pummel. It's because I felt like there was a threat that they might pounce at any moment..

“It must be another me. Contains my dark parts.”

“okay. Being quick-witted is one of our strengths..”

Fighting spirit, anger, hatred, revenge.

A broken sense of superiority that can only be relieved by defeating an opponent with force, a twisted aesthetic intoxicated by the trajectory of a sword, a thirst for blood, an impulse to kill, and a desire to tear apart and destroy something beautiful and whole..

The monster that symbolized those dark things slowly rose up..

This guy looked exactly like me. If they stripped me naked, covered me with black scales, and added horns, a tail, claws, and shark teeth, that's what I would look like..

“what do you want?”

In response to the direct question, the monster crossed its arms and snapped its fingers. As if pressing a key, the claw-like nails tapped the scales covering the biceps..

“I have a little… … want to adjust.”

“adjustment?”

“yes, adjustment.”

Despite its hideous appearance and bright yellow eyes, the monster was trying to persuade me..

“I don't mean to hurt you. Absolutely not. However, there is a need to adjust the distribution of roles between us a little more equitably..”

“……I'm not sure what you mean.”

“Hmm, maybe I was a little fast? Please understand. Because my heart is sweet.”

“So where do we start?……

The monster scratched its eyes with its long nails and then opened its mouth..

“I've been protecting you for a very long time. No, it was protecting ‘us’..”

He jabbed at the building behind me..

“From that shitty orphanage. Did you say it? home of my heart.”

“……This is ridiculous. From then on you existed?”

“Oh, of course, it takes on its full form only after taking over the current body..”

The monster smiled brightly.

“Phoenixes are, um, useful things to me.

I left a lot behind. Thanks to you, I got such a great body..”

“Even as I grew into a new body, I fulfilled my role faithfully..”

“what is your role?”

“tutelar.”

“tutelar?”

‘The monster, who seemed more suited to titles such as 'predator', 'predator', or 'murderer', smiled proudly and nodded..

“okay. As your Guardian, I have done all sorts of things on your behalf..”

“on behalf of me?”

“On your behalf, to protect us.”

The monster continued talking, licking its tongue..

“i love you I love you more than anything in this world, even more than myself.”

“You are smart and selfish, yet pure and vulnerable. Normally, you are extremely adorable, but when something scary or painful happens, you immediately curl up and hide. ugly.”

He smiled, showing his teeth.

“That's when I step in.”

“how?”

“Use various methods. Most of the time I'm just a little helpful, but sometimes I step up when needed..”

“If I kill my enemies with flying colors, you'll say, 'Oh, what a terrible thing I did!' They say stupid things together and cover their faces. It's a perfect combination.”

“……That was you.”

“Other than that, it can be used to relieve suppressed desires, crush stress that is difficult to handle, etc… … . Even such little things are my duty..”

A few scenes flashed through my mind..

Those moments when we calmly did unimaginable cruel things. I am a bloody swordsman, a beheader, a bloody beacon, and… … Those moments that made me an artist.

“……It wasn't Phoenix, it was Seungsu Kim.?”

“Phew.”

The monster frowned as if asking what nonsense he was talking about..

“You said it every time, right? Gimpo Inix Ni, Multiplier of Zahakarni. Phoenix's ego melted away a long time ago and became a part of us..”

“As a Poynix, all I have left is my lingering affection for some ugly bitch. You really didn’t know that? you? under.”

The guy snorted loudly as if that couldn't be possible. When I closed my mouth, the monster with a mean smile spoke again..

“It's not Phoenix, it's me. These are the majors I chose.”

He hissed like a snake and added in a low voice..

“But I didn't get any compensation.”

“••••••compensation?”

“Yes, compensation. Those who have made a contribution should receive a reward. But what was given to me??”

The smile instantly became distorted..

“nothing. There was nothing.”

The monster began to pour out cold anger..

“I couldn't stroke Ellen's fragrant hair, pinch Munchi's soft cheeks, or touch Hayla's appetizing lips. I couldn't give Utequai a review of the painting or train with my subordinates. Even when I mix with women, you're too busy suppressing me. I saved your life several times, but you tried to erase me by meditating. Treating me like a germ!”

By the time what started as a whisper ended in a shout, I had already pulled out my Hrunting and was taking a stance..

“......flaw.”

The monster's eyes flashed bright yellow..

“What are you doing now??”

“I have a rough idea of ​​what you want. I know how dangerous it is to grant that request..”

The guy closed his mouth with a stern expression on his face..

He continued speaking while assuming a superior posture, aiming the tip of his sword at the other person's eyes..

“There were times when I had impulses that I couldn't understand. The urge to hear the screams of a loved one. It must be the voice you made.”

“……I did it myself, the right way

It was resolved with.”

“Correct way? The right way is to hunt down innocent civilians and disgrace their bodies.?”

“or not? Should I have done what my heart told me to do? Should I have violated Ellen and twisted her neck?.”

“bullshit.”

“Yeah, that's bullshit. Even though you know that, you try to insult me?”

“……There's no use holding you accountable. Because we are one.”

Just as the monster was about to gently twist its lips, I spoke in a surprisingly cold voice..

“However, I cannot grant your request. never.”

“••••••Why?”

“Why would you do this? You are a psycho killer. It will put me and my colleagues at risk..”

“So you're pointing a knife at me? Knowing that fighting with me is stupid?”

The monster before me was a bloody swordsman and beheader, a bloody beacon and an artist at the same time. Even though he had a few pieces of equipment, including Hrunting and the Dragon Slayer's Seal, he was not an opponent he could dare attack..

“I already said, I love you.”

Knowing this well, I had to take a step back when the monster came closer..

“I have no intention of harming you. Just hoping for a fair reward, a little adjustment.”

“stop.”

“Think carefully. We still have a long way to go. I've only solved the 4th chapter. No matter how you solve Setenio or the royal road, think about the rest..”

“I told you to stop.”

“The sky and the underworld, the underworld and the dark world. Will you be able to handle it??”

The guy muttered ‘You’re welcome’ and kicked the ground..

X8, I knew it would come out like that..

I quickly took a step back and swung my Hrunting. The blade was suddenly stained a bright red color. Following the sharp attack, a storm of sword strikes fell alternately left and right..

“ “Huh,” the monster was surprisingly flexible and agile for its size. He leaned back to avoid the first sword strike, and twisted his shoulder to avoid the second sword strike..

The blood-covered blade extended one span at a time, as if it were flicking its tongue. The monster seemed to have expected even that. The third sword strike stretched out and tried to sweep through the chest, but the bastard dodged it by a single piece of paper..

“you,”

The monster rushed forward, twisted its head, and deflected the third sword strike with its horn..

“ “Me,” he immediately crawled into my arms and dug his nails into my thighs. Unconsciously, I let out a scream, ‘Oops.’.

“I can't win！”

The guy grabbed my thighs tightly using his white dagger-like nails. Then it opened its mouth wide and lunged at my neck..

“Ugh-!”

I gritted my teeth and tilted my head back. Teeth like saw blades cut all the way to the bottom of the chin! made a sound.

The distance was too close to cut with a blade, so instead I slashed at the monster's neck with pummel..

Gang1

A feeling as if I had hit a piece of iron... … . He swung his left arm and scratched my forearm as if nothing had happened..

“shit!”

I quickly let go of Hrunting and grabbed the monster’s wrist. At the same time, I lowered my posture and grabbed the guy's neck with my left hand..

I don't know if there's a chance of winning, but for now, just shut up and it's grappling.!

“Hmm!”

When I attempted to walk on a field with my blood-stained right leg deeply inserted from the outside, the guy let out a laugh, 'Ugh'..

Then, he shifted his center of gravity, held on for a moment, and then suddenly took a step to the side. Just like that, he brushed off my legs and hung on me in a position as if he was carrying me on his back..

“weak and slow-”

When I heard an unpleasant voice in my ear, I quickly lay back and crushed the monster..

“Shut up!”

Gritting my teeth, I rolled around in the sand and practiced all the skills I had learned from Utequai and the knights..

but… … . Ugh, this guy was literally a monster..

Their physique and strength were roughly similar. However, its blade-like claws, sharp teeth, thick horns, and long tail were very threatening..

“You need my protection.”

I was being toyed with by a monster. It was bitten by teeth, scratched by nails, and scratched by horns, so its entire body was instantly covered in blood..

I poured my energy into the blood that flowed and exploded with blood, but,

Kaga River!

The blood fragments that exploded violently were blocked by black scales and bounced off in vain..

“this,”

However, the monster seemed to be hard even up to its eyeballs and quickly raised its arms to cover its eyes, and in that moment, I was behind it..

Next, a half nelson, that is, he put his right hand under the armpit and tightly grasped the nape of the neck. I was planning on pressing down on the monster's shoulder and breaking its neck..

Kwaang!

“Ouch,”

At that time, I felt a shock to my side as if I had been hit by a battering ram. I got hit by that guy's tail..

While I was out of breath and my vision was blurred, the monster instantly turned over and sat on my chest. I couldn't even move because my arms were held down by its knees and my pelvis was held down by its tail..

“I think I've had enough fun with this..”

I couldn't come to my senses due to the intense pain I felt all over my body and the rapid breathing, but instead of showing any signs of distress, the monster was smiling leisurely..

“I just want to make adjustments, not to hurt you. There's no need to do this.”

“Bullshit, *sigh*. Psycho, baby.”

“You are me, I am you. Even if you say something like that, you'll be told to lie down and spit on it..”

The monster flicked its tongue and pressed its palm against my face..

“You may have already noticed, but I am the one who built the dream territory. Fueled by our darkest memories.”

“Off-”

“In this world, the soul and self can be divided into two. I know what that means?”

The monster's deep smile was visible between its black scale-covered fingers..

“That means I can lock you up in that orphanage..”

“This crazy bastard.”

“Heh, don't be too scared. Because I have no intention of keeping you locked up forever..”

“Wow, wow!”

“And, you're right. Actually I'm a psycho.”

My grip got stronger. My fingernails dug through my hair and under my jawbone..

“But I also pursue happiness. So, give me half of your day. You when the sun rises, me when the sun sets. That's enough.”

It felt like if he applied a little more force, his head would explode like this..

But I couldn't accept the monster's demands. Living half of your day as an ‘artist’? It's a terrible thing that I don't even want to imagine..

“Nothing changes. You are me, I am you.”

“Ugh,”

“Accept it. Just being a little more honest.”

His vertical pupils were dilated in anticipation of murder..

However, his eyes were not completely excited. There was some hesitation and worry..

Yeah, I guess it's true to some extent that this monster loves me..

It's a strange thing. Instead of loving the artist, I fear and hate him, so why does the artist love me??

I barely opened my mouth in pain that felt like my head was going to explode..

“You can't get compensation.”

“……what?”

““You will continue to starve, struggle, and suffer.” The bright yellow eyes gradually turned red. The guy was angry..

“……under. why do i?”

“'Cause it's work for us.”

“for us?”

“When you are full, satisfied, and happy... … . we become unhappy.”

“flaw. Don't be a bitch.”

“I am you, and you are me. You know that what I say is true. I just pretend not to know.”

I realized this while talking. Why artists love me.

What constitutes a bastard are fighting spirit, anger, hatred, revenge, a sense of superiority, and a desire for murder and sadism. They burn the heart and increase power..

It is I, not the artist, who heals the burnt heart. Without me, my constantly burning heart will only crumble to ashes..

I could live without artists. But an artist can never live without me. This unequal relationship is what made the artist fall in love with me..

“Heh, heh. “You selfish bastard.” I ignored the monster's angry muttering and raised my spirits. The blood that was soaking my entire body began to squirm in response..

“I just want fair compensation. I didn't mean to get rid of you. By the way, by the way-!”

Through the palms of my hands pressed against my face and the parts stained with my blood, I let my blood flow into his body..

I am a monster and the monster is me.

Thanks to that, his blood quickly came under my control..

“......Ugh, huh?”

As the monster grabbed my chest with one hand, I twisted my body with all my might and knocked it down..

“Uh, how.”

The monster's vertical pupils shook wildly and became tinged with embarrassment. Meanwhile, he picked up the Hrunting that had fallen nearby and dyed the blade red..

“no. Wait, wait a minute.”

As the limbs stiffened, the monster scratched the floor and tried to escape..

Even though I felt sorry for him, I kicked him and pressed his chest with my foot..

“I am you, you are me.”

“No, no, no.……

“Suffer, thirst, be sad. for us, forever.”

“no. Jeba, purr..”

A bright red blade penetrated the artist's neck..

In order to cut off the hard and tough scales, I pushed the knife in with my weight. The monster that looked exactly like me died, immersed in black blood..