Chapter 285

Even after enjoying the fresh atmosphere with Kara, I remained in the forest.

For a week, as others prepared, I too planned to prepare thoroughly.

This preparation meant taking out the dangerous monsters lurking in the forest in advance. The plan was to snip off the potentially dangerous elements right at the bud.

As Rize mentioned earlier, the moment the monument gets neutralized, the monsters and beasts of the forest will plunge into utter chaos.

Charging into the Academy during that chaos would surely lead to tremendous damage.

‘Wasn’t it said that the very sensation would feel twisted?’

From the perspective of beasts or monsters, whose senses are more acute than those of humans, it could be truly confusing.

To a human, it would be like a city suddenly popping up right next to them. They’d come out of curiosity, at the very least.

The thing is, that city is nothing but a mirage. Essentially, I’ve taken on the role of eliminating the intruders in advance.

‘But, unless I go inside, there aren’t that many dangerous monsters around.’

Even the so-called dangerous monsters are mostly just ‘starving’ creatures.

They’re the ones wandering around after failing to compete. But their danger level is quite high.

Because most beasts will eat anything when they’re hungry. Since ancient times, hunger has made everyone desperate.

‘Even a full bear ignores humans.’

People have this misconception that the dangerous bears are the ones that are gigantic and intimidating.

If a bear has cubs nearby, that’s one thing, but that’s actually a half-misunderstanding.

The most dangerous bear is a bear that has become emaciated. It’s best to shoot those creatures on sight.

Bears are already renowned for being omnivorous, and if they’re starving too, eating a human is just a piece of cake.

‘Bears almost never lose in food competition. After all, they’re smart.’

Bears are very intelligent animals and accept the natural order of things.

So, if they perceive their opponent as strong or if there’s a chance of strong resistance, they’ll just back off quietly.

If they end up getting injured, the chances of their survival decrease significantly, and they won’t gain anything by attacking, preferring instead to make threats.

Of course, the moment their back is to you, there’s no holding back. Showing your back means you’re weaker, and they’ll come charging.

“Growl······!”

Thinking of bears while walking, was it a coincidence or not?

I unexpectedly came face to face with a not-yet-full-grown bear. It looked like it had just moved from being a cub.

The bear was mostly covered in black fur. I tilted my head as soon as I saw it.

‘Feels like I’ve seen this somewhere?’

Bears may all look the same, but there are subtle differences. You can tell by looking closely at their faces.

And the bear I encountered now has a strangely familiar appearance. When did I see that?

“Pajji! Get away.”

“Kying····· keng······”

Putting that aside, I told it to move. When I threatened it with my axe, the bear obediently retreated.

This bear also knows that this is my territory. So just a little threat was enough to send it running.

It seems to be adapting well, despite being a young one, as its body was rather plump even in winter.

‘Soon, it will be time for hibernation.’

It appears this bear had an unexpected early independence due to an accident. Normally, it should have its mother bear by its side.

Of course, if the mother bear was present, I would have shot it on sight. Because nothing is as dangerous as a mother bear with cubs.

‘By the way, it seems there aren’t that many genuinely threatening creatures around.’

Could it be because it’s winter? There were hardly any dangerous monsters or beasts in the forest.

By now, they should all be preparing for hibernation, their bodies plumped up. The problem is that the timing is rather awkward.

It isn’t completely cold yet, and they are still literally preparing. By now, most of the predators should have gotten chubby.

‘In such a state, if chaos breaks out, what······’

Moreover, as previously mentioned, I know nothing of what’s happening inside. This means I can’t predict what monsters might spring out.

Just looking at Pijon-tu’s mother, she’s quite a threatening monster. There’s that high-level magic, but the problem is she’s not alone.

Later on, I roamed around the forest until late at night, taking out any potential threats. Surprisingly, there was hardly anything to eliminate.

‘Should I head back soon?’

Since it’s winter, night comes early. I looked up to the sky.

A deep indigo shade turned into black pitch had engulfed the sky. Only the starlight and the full moon shone brightly in that sky.

Looking up at the sky made me realize how beautiful it was. I hardly ever look up, busy trying to get by.

‘It’s pretty.’

I couldn’t see a galaxy like that on Earth. Especially the big moon that shines so prominently.

Is it because my vision is good? Or is it just because the sky is so clear? Even the dark patches on the lunar surface are vividly visible.

A sky similar to Earth, yet different. However, it is an even more beautiful sight.

A landscape that seems like it could suck you in just by looking at it.

“Sivar brother?”

“What?”

Just as I was staring at the sky endlessly, a familiar voice reached my ears.

Turning my head, I noticed bright silver hair glowing even in the dark of night.

Eyes as blue as the blue moon were an added bonus. Those eyes were directly focused on me.

“Rize?”

It was Rize. Why was she, who should have been inside, here?

Before I could ponder that, Rize approached me with a gentle smile.

As she got closer, her beauty, veiled in darkness, gradually revealed itself.

Rize’s face, illuminated by moonlight, was nothing short of breathtaking.

“What are you doing out here?”

Rize, who had now approached right in front of me, posed the question. She seemed just like her usual self.

Feeling a little awkward, I scratched my head. There was no reason to lie.

“Just hunting.”

“Hunting?”

“Yeah. They say monsters are coming. Trying to reduce their numbers.”

“I see.”

Perhaps satisfied with that explanation, Rize nodded. Her soft smile was still there.

A slight silence descended afterward, but it didn’t last long.

“Shall we walk for a bit?”

“Why?”

“I have something I want to share with you, Sivar brother.”

If it’s that, then I’m okay with it. It’s better than the two of us sitting in uncomfortable silence.

I accepted Rize’s suggestion. Her smile deepened with my consent.

The corners of her eyes curved slightly, giving the impression she was delighted.

Step by step—

We walked without saying a word. There were no exchanges between us.

Only the unique sounds of insects at night and the occasional beast’s cries could be heard.

I waited quietly until Rize was ready to speak first. There was no point in me starting the conversation.

“Let’s sit here.”

How long had we walked? Rize pointed to a fallen tree on the ground.

The dry and rotten outer layer showed it had been down for some time. I quietly sat next to Rize.

“The moon is really bright, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“The stars are beautiful too.”

“Indeed.”

I echoed Rize’s sentiments. To be honest, it was a bit awkward.

It’s not like I had lively exchanges with Rize, and the only common topic we had was Chaos.

“Sivar brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you still dislike performing?”

“Why’s that?”

“I thought you might not be too keen on it.”

That person had sent me off citing all sorts of reasons. I swallowed those words internally.

To attract ‘aggro,’ I’m the perfect candidate. But then, Rod or Rize couldn’t go, right?

Yet, being pushed into it doesn’t change the fact. So, it left me feeling somewhat disappointed.

“It’s fine. I can do it.”

“Um······ that’s good to hear. I was thinking of going up if you truly disliked it.”

“Huh?”

This was unexpected. I widened my eyes at Rize.

Her emotionless expression made it seem like she wasn’t lying. But at the same time, I became curious.

A saint herself is going to perform? Though calling her a chorister of the church might be more accurate.

“Do you know any songs?”

“I don’t. I’ll just go up and show off my muscles instead.”

“··· ···”

Ah, right. The saint in front of me is nothing like a typical saint.

The best support is to eliminate the dangerous sprouts in advance. That’s her motto, and she acts faithfully to it.

Therefore, her way of thinking must be entirely different from that of an ordinary person. I barely managed to keep a laugh at bay.

Creak!

At that moment, Rize pulled away at the wooden surface she was using as a seat. It came apart easily since it was already rotten.

Afterwards, she rummaged through an opening inside and pulled something out.

It was a thick grub.

“Want to eat this?”

“Sure.”

I didn’t mind a nutritious snack. I popped the grub into my mouth.

It had a slightly bitter taste, and I was startled when it burst, but it was edible enough.

Seeing my reaction, Rize chuckled. That feeling of ‘still being herself’ was strong.

“Sivar brother.”

“Mm mmm. Speak.”

“You’re curious about me too, right?”

I nodded instead of answering. Rize is a mysterious woman.

In the Soul World, she’s a character overflowing with personality, but that’s not the case in reality.

She has too many secrets, and the more you peel away, the more stories emerge. She’s truly an onion of a person.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you right now. However, there’s one thing I want to let you know.”

“What is it?”

“In the upcoming crisis, ignore what the demons say. That’s what I want to share.”

“You mean I’m a demon?”

More accurately, it refers to this body being the descendant of a demon. I already know that.

However, Rize shook her head. It seems she was talking about something else.

“That too, but······ just ignore it if you can.”

“Why? Is it all lies?”

“There’s a high chance it’s the opposite.”

The darker the truth, the more shocking it is above all else. Rize was warning me not to be shocked.

Honestly, I’m not sure if there’s an even uglier truth. If there is, it would probably be my ‘past.’

‘That doesn’t make sense. The world is completely different.’

Of course, if it’s a demon that’s colored more than just indigo, but is ‘purple’, then they might see through my essence. But I didn’t care.

Even if I get caught for deceiving those around me, I can still prepare myself. Eventually, I can just kneel and apologize.

‘·····But considering what I’ve done so far, they might not believe me.’

With how much has stacked up, they probably wouldn’t believe it even if I revealed the truth. Except for one person, Luna.

Luna might just say, ‘Oh, really?’ and brush it aside. She would probably ask about the Earth civilization.

[Faith is declining.]

“Huh?”

My eyes widened. A message popped up saying that faith had declined, though I didn’t know the reason.

Even if someone else was doing something strange elsewhere, faith would usually rise, not fall.

I looked at Rize, confused. I wondered if something was wrong with her.

“··· ···”

Rize didn’t even meet my gaze. She just bit her lip tightly and lowered her head.

What on earth could have happened for faith to decrease? I couldn’t understand it at all.

“Rize?”

“Yes?”

As I called her name, Rize quickly changed her expression. Unlike before, she wore a gentle smile.

For a moment, I thought I had misseen her expression. Thus, I could only respond with a vague refusal.

“Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you only going to dance during the performance?”

“Why? You want me to sing too?”

“If it’s okay with you, Sivar. It would suffice with just the performance, but I’d love to hear you sing.”

Isn’t that just a wish of hers? It’s too transparent.

To be honest, maybe it’d be better if I did both. Just dancing might not be enough to fill the time.

Moreover, most performances would not only take 5 minutes but would extend beyond 10. Performances include not only singing and dancing but also circus acts.

“Should I?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you give us just a little taste?”

Just a little is fine by me. I looked up at the sky.

The moon, shining uniquely beside the galaxy. There’s a certain song that Rod would surely like.

“Clef clef.”

I cleared my throat to prevent any unexpected stumbles. And I glanced sideways.

Rize was watching me with her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Her gaze was full of expectation.

It’s a bit pressuring, but I plan to sing just the first verse and end it there. Eventually, I fixed my gaze upon the moon and opened my mouth.

[The moon I viewed tonight seems so pitiful.]

[You live with a lonely, empty heart just like me.]

A song sung by a famous singer in South Korea, back on Earth.

It gained popularity because of its unique rhythm and lyrical beauty.

Eventually, it even became a song one would hear plying a tram, with many facets to it.

Clap clap clap—

After finishing the verse, shortly afterward, Rize quietly applauded.

Seeing her like that, she was wearing a satisfied smile. Like a parent watching their child’s talent show.

“It’s lyrical yet has an Eastern vibe. It felt almost like poetry.”

“Is it okay?”

“Yes. Did you compose this too, Sivar?”

“Yeah.”

I couldn’t very well say that I’d heard it on Earth. Rize nodded in understanding.

“It seems Eli the student provided quite the education. It’s surprising to see it can evolve like this.”

“I learned a lot.”

Feeling a bit smug from praising Eli, I noticed something was slightly off in Rize’s reaction.

It might be an illusion, but it seemed like her expression grew a little sad. Though her mouth was smiling, her eyes seemed to be sadder.

I felt like I had seen a similar expression before. When I tilted my head, Rize made a request.

“Then, Sivar. Can I ask one more favor?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Could you possibly come up with a song suitable for a sinner to sing?”

“Um······”

There’s definitely one song that comes to mind immediately.

It’s a song that’s definitely considered a no-go at karaoke, marked among the classics.

Especially, it suits Rize very well, giving a feeling of one pleading desperately to God.

“I can do it later. Not right now.”

“Okay. But please let me know when you can.”

“Are you planning to sing it?”

I asked jokingly.

“Yes.”

“··· ···”

“There are times I want to sing it just to feel refreshed.”

The Chaos Saint came out with an answer I least expected.

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