입양딸 역할을 지나치게 잘해버렸다 188화

The surroundings began to turn pitch black.

Darkness settled in.

It felt vastly different from the sunset.

Tundra looked around.

‘It seems the darkness is settling down.

Spirit King Pongpong started to gasp, “Huff~ Huff~.”

Viola hurriedly asked, “Pongpong, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay.”

The area beneath Pongpong’s feet gradually started to blur. Semi-transparency began to take place.

Pongpong grit his teeth.

“That’s not good. I need to be by your side.”

Pongpong sensed it. In this world, there was no place for spirits.

This world rejected spirits. Pongpong’s entire lower body became translucent.

“Viola, listen carefully. This world is not normal.”

It seemed obvious even without an explanation. It felt like a universe devoid of light was settling down.

“A world where light does not reach is approaching and existing.”

Viola’s heart sank! ‘A world where light does not reach?’

She already knew a similar setup. “The Evil Spirit King Bahakarun was sealed in a place beyond dimensions, where light does not reach.”

The descending darkness. A world that rejects light and spirits.

‘No way…!’

Half of Pongpong’s body disappeared. “We need to run.”

She grabbed Viola’s shoulders and shook her. “You must run. We must cross the sea.

The Evil Spirit King cannot cross the sea.

Please. Please promise me you will.”

Pongpong’s body had vanished up to his shoulders. His eyes were filled with concern. “Please, run.”

Soon, Pongpong’s entire body vanished. Tundra cautiously came beside Viola.

“What should we do?”

“Hold my hand.”

It grew increasingly darker. It was far darker than when the blizzard raged.

If Pongpong’s words are true, parts of this world would connect with “the place where light does not reach.”

That place was a prison beyond dimensions that could seal even the Evil Spirit King.

If they got lost, they might never escape.

Tundra took Viola’s hand.

“I’ve got a hold of you. Should we run as Pongpong said?”

Viola contemplated. In the original story, Bahakarun ultimately doesn’t resurrect.

After defeating White Dragon Paila, the massive heart fragment buried in the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors’ reveals itself.

It was the largest of Bahakarun’s heart fragments, and Viola shatters it with the ‘Sun Sword.’

“‘Farewell to the Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors.’”

But that wasn’t the end. The final hurdle contained in the Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors was to overcome the Viola of the original story.

“‘Having killed White Dragon Paila, now I must overcome myself?’”

Memories of abandonment.

The painful effort to become Princess Mancell.

The familial love lost in that process. A world where one must be cruel and cold to survive.

In that world, I had to kill the man who loved me, the sister who cherished me, and my elder brother.

To the Viola of the original story, all of that was trauma and a curse.

Viola half-drew the ‘Truth Stone’ she had almost stolen from the Emperor. Radiant light seeped from the Truth Stone, dispelling all darkness surrounding Viola.

Viola used the power of the Truth Stone to chase away illusions showing her past. The episode at the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors’ thus concluded. ‘That should’ve been the way.’

The story has changed. ‘It’s my fault.’

The Evil Spirit King, Bahakarun, is resurrecting. There won’t be much time left.

I felt like my hair was standing on end.

Something huge and ominous was approaching.

‘What if I run across the sea?’

It didn’t seem impossible. At the very least, I thought I could escape to the Western Continent or Eastern Continent with my family.

But then? What about the land where the Evil Spirit King Bahakarun has resurrected? What will happen to the countless moms and dads living in this land? What about the children following those moms and dads? “I…”

Tundra looked at Viola. He slightly bent down to make eye contact with Viola.

“I will be by your side, no matter what choice you make.”

If I order to run, he will run; if I command him to fight, he will fight. If I ask him to protect, he will protect.

“I…”

Viola made her decision. “I’ll take responsibility for what I’ve caused.”

Viola now understood. ‘Why Bahakarun is resurrecting.

‘Because of me, Tundra has grown. To a level even the Viola from the late stages of the novel hadn’t reached.

Tundra had ascended to the realm of ‘Annihilation.’ ‘That’s why he could annihilate parts of the world.’

The evidence still lay before her eyes. A void, like a ‘place where light does not reach,’ where nothing existed. The sword trail Tundra created was still vividly engraved.

‘The strong seal began to shake as it created cracks in the world.’

The Evil Spirit King Bahakarun wouldn’t let such an opportunity pass. If Sun King Khan were to return, he would immediately attempt to reseal it, but Khan wasn’t here. Both in the novel and the reference materials, there were no detailed methods for sealing.

Viola bit her lip.

‘Not that I hoped for it, but I am the protagonist.’

The time had come. She said she would correct her mistakes.

And so, she had to. That was the way of the protagonist, Viola. “Tundra, use all your strength and fight.”

Bahakarun, who couldn’t even be defeated by Sun King Khan and his allies. Bahakarun, who didn’t even appear in the late stages of the novel.

Bahakarun was approaching. However, Viola had changed as well. ‘You are stronger than the Viola from the late stages of the novel.’

And, “I’m giving you a sincere command. Fight with all your heart.”

The current Tundra was different from the Tundra in the original. Tundra decided to sincerely follow Viola’s words.

Tundra’s eyes turned golden.

“If that is your command.”

* The world knew that the Iron-Blooded Saint was moving to stop the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines’ from shining.

‘It’s been a long time since news broke that there is a group related to the Evil Spirit King in the area where the eye shines, and that group is connected to the 6th Magic Tower. – Brutal human experiments are taking place in the 6th Magic Tower. Research materials full of extracting mana and life force from humans. There was also much research material aimed at transmitting mana to the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors.’

Many studies had been conducted to resurrect Bahakarun.

Mention of crazed individuals and contamination were also noted.

So much evidence had come forth. – The six magic tower masters, apart from the 6th Magic Tower, issued a joint statement condemning the 6th Magic Tower… – The tower masters defined this as an individual misconduct of the sixth magic tower master, Sirson… The sixth magic tower master, Sirson, was sentenced to death.

Then one day. – The eye stopped shining at the Place Where the Eye Shines. They said the Iron-Blooded Saint Viola achieved her accomplishments by finding the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors.’ News filled the newspapers that Viola would soon return.

And a year passed. In the meantime, it had stopped shining at the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines.’ The frozen ground began to thaw, and flowers began to bloom.

Countless monsters pouring out from that place began to vanish one by one.

– The whereabouts of the Iron-Blooded Saint are unknown. – Is it time to mourn her now? People referred to the Iron-Blooded Saint as a hero, but they didn’t think she was alive.

If she were alive, she wouldn’t have disappeared without a trace until now.

– By the Emperor’s command, the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines’ has been designated a forbidden zone… The eye no longer shines, but it has become a taboo area.

However, some had received special permission. Kaiser was one of them.

“Tch, another bust today.”

Kaiser searched the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines’ for quite a while but ended up empty-handed once again. It was as if Viola had either shot up to the sky or sunk into the ground, disappearing without a trace.

Having searched the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines’ every day, he had become familiar with the area.

He could navigate around without getting lost.

Kaiser wasn’t the only one wandering aimlessly in the Place Where the Eye Shines.

Hixson was also anxiously searching for Viola.

“Viola! Where are youuuuu!”

He decided to set up camp in a cave for a moment. “I really need to find her soon.”

Hixson mumbled to himself. “If I don’t hurry, Heron will go crazy.”

Right now, Sword Master Nelak and Sunless Empress Aselda were keeping an eye on Heron. Without those two, they couldn’t stop Heron. Heron had already lost his sanity.

Having fought monsters for so many ages, the once emotionless Heron had lost all rationality in front of his missing beloved daughter.

He was in no mental state to proceed with search operations.

“Maybe that’s what the Heat Wind wants.”

Is the absolute being Heron losing his mind and being contaminated? Isn’t that precisely what the Heat Wind desires?

Rustle, rustle.

Footsteps could be heard.

“Is that Zeno?”

“Yes, it is. Have you made any progress?”

“Not at all.”

Sigh. Hixson let out a deep sigh.

Zeno nodded.

“I understand. Please rest easy.”

“Zeno, you. Hey.”

Hixson stood up. He quickly dashed over and slapped the back of Zeno’s head!

At that moment, Zeno lost consciousness and collapsed.

“Ugh, whether it’s this guy or that one.”

Hixson dragged Zeno’s legs, bringing him into the cave. Zeno was definitely not someone who could fall so helplessly.

“How long has he been awake?”

The strong martial artist Zeno had fallen into this state. He probably hadn’t slept for at least two months. He likely hadn’t eaten either.

“Snap out of it. That’s how we find Viola.”

Hixson started a campfire. Originally, he didn’t need the fire, but it seemed necessary for Zeno right now. “Where in the world are you, Viola?”

Hixson closed his eyes and vowed. “I will definitely find you, even if I have to chase you to the ends of the earth.

But then, he felt a peculiar presence from deep inside the cave. It felt like something was wriggling.

‘Could it be a bear cub?’ He ventured deeper inside.

‘What is this…?’