Chapter 10: garden tiger mouth
“Starting now.”
With my sword at Hekaton’s throat, I spoke.
“Anyone moves, he dies.”
The soldiers and researchers froze, panicking, their minds seemingly blank.
I got lucky.
Hekaton happened to be at the front, so I could grab him as a hostage right away.
This should buy me some time.
“You…”
Akairum glared at me, his snake-like eyes narrowing sharply.
I smirked, mocking him.
“Idiot… you think I’d fall for that?”
6 a.m.
Six hours before the final ritual.
Step, step.
I was pacing near the underground prison.
Then—
“Stop. If you go further, the protective magic will activate.”
Someone spoke from behind.
“…What? Who’s there?”
I turned, feigning surprise.
It was Akairum.
“Don’t come closer!”
F*ck, finally.
I’d been lingering around here for an hour just to run into him.
Is security always this lax?
“Calm down. I’m only here to help you.”
Akairum raised his hands slightly, approaching to reassure me.
Being 800 years in the past, he looked much younger than in the game.
He wasn’t a commander yet, so he didn’t seem overwhelmingly strong.
But that smug face and those fierce snake eyes? Same as ever.
“…How do I trust you?”
“I know what you’ve been doing here. I’ve been watching.”
“What?”
I already knew.
About a week after he arrived, Akairum caught me with Tana.
Since then, he’d been stalking me daily like a creep.
I didn’t let on that I noticed.
Revealing I knew could complicate things.
Besides, he didn’t do anything beyond watching.
No harm, no foul.
He did the same in the game.
“At first, it was curiosity… but now, I share your goal. I want to help Subject 618—no, Tana—escape.”
“…Don’t bullshit me!”
“Hm… you didn’t notice? The ritual’s success depends on her will.”
“…What? Is that true?”
“If Tana resists, the ritual can’t succeed. Hekaton will figure this out soon, and then… what he’ll do to an undying Tana… it’s horrific to imagine.”
“…”
Wow.
I was impressed.
How could he recite the game’s lines word-for-word?
My memory was fuzzy, but hearing him brought it back vividly.
Classic Akairum—master of manipulation.
“And one more thing. As a priest of time, I have some foresight. I can’t see the process, but I glimpse the outcome. Hekaton will fail.”
“…Then what? What should I do?”
“Calm down. Knowing it’ll fail, I’ve chosen humanity. Here, take this.”
Akairum handed me a small key.
I took it cautiously.
“…What’s this?”
“The key to Tana’s shackles.”
“…”
Yeah.
This was it.
Jang failed to save Tana and died because of this key.
It was fake.
“And remember: once the ritual starts, there’s no turning back.”
“…No turning back?”
“Tana’s body will collapse endlessly. If the ritual succeeds, she’ll vanish. If it fails… her body regenerates quickly, so she’ll be trapped in eternal collapse and reconstruction.”
“…”
“So don’t miss your chance. It’ll be decided in a moment.”
“…Got it. Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. Oh, and the lab door is locked now, so you can’t get to Tana.”
“When should I go?”
“Hm… the final ritual starts at 2 p.m., so come at 1 p.m.”
“…Understood.”
F*cking bastard.
He knows it starts at 1 p.m.
His plan’s obvious—he wants to lure me in to kill me.
“Then I’ll be off. Lots to do.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Step, step.
I watched Akairum’s retreating figure.
“…”
Paranoia.
Akairum admitted he was paranoid back then.
His foresight only showed failure, so he wanted to control the process.
I looked at the key he gave me.
“…Hm.”
Clang—!
I dropped it—
Crush—!
And stomped it to pieces.
“Phew—”
Unlike Jang, I knew Akairum was trying to trick me.
And unlike Jang, I’m f*cking strong.
“Time to die.”
Time to screw over this paranoid snake.
“Eek…!”
“Stay still if you don’t want to die.”
Hekaton struggled, but a mage couldn’t overpower a warrior.
He couldn’t cast magic either—his scepter was already broken, lying in pieces.
“What are you doing?! Kill him! Now!”
Hekaton shouted.
The soldiers stirred.
“Oh? Moving, are we?”
“Ugh…!”
Slick.
Blood trickled from a shallow cut on Hekaton’s neck.
The soldiers screamed in panic.
“Your Majesty—!”
“You! Take your filthy hands off him!”
“How dare you touch His Majesty’s sacred body!”
“Your Majesty! I’ll slay this wretch and offer his head!”
Shouts came from all sides, ringing in my ears.
Annoying.
It was almost funny.
These guys, usually spouting nonsense, were acting like Akairum in front of the king.
“…Weird.”
I tilted my head.
“You guys don’t seem to get it.”
Grab.
“Urk…!”
I yanked Hekaton’s hair back, exposing his throat.
“You see who’s holding your precious king right now?”
“Let… go…!”
“Think carefully. One wrong word, and his head’s gone in a second.”
I didn’t care what they barked.
The key fact was clear: I held the power here.
As long as I had the king’s life in my hands, they’d have to obey.
And I wasn’t going to waste that.
“Shut up. All of you.”
First, I’d silence them.
Too noisy.
“Drop your weapons. …Akairum, you too, put down your wand, you bastard.”
“Hm…”
“I said drop it.”
“…Heh, hahaha. You got me good. Didn’t expect you to see through it. Hahaha.”
Ridiculous.
This wasn’t a laughing matter.
Has he lost it?
“Last warning. Drop the wand.”
“Hahaha… fine, I’ll put it down.”
Clang—!
He dropped his wand, the sound echoing in the silent prison.
“…Oh, by the way, didn’t you forget something?”
“…What?”
“I saw you meeting someone else often, besides Tana. Seemed pretty close, too. What was his name… Shai?”
“…”
“Hah, hahaha!”
…F*ck.
I bit my lip.
“Akairum, you bastard…”
“Hahaha! Come on, join us! Time for a happy reunion!”
Soon, someone stepped out from behind Akairum.
“J-Juhyuk-nim…”
It was Shai, trembling, looking like he’d cry, his body bound.
“…Shai.”
“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know this would happen… they grabbed me and tied me up…”
…Damn it.
My teeth ground together.
I forgot about Shai.
I should’ve considered they’d take him hostage.
I didn’t think they’d know about our meetings.
“Now, let’s continue. Of course, if you harm His Majesty, I can’t guarantee Shai’s life.”
“…Since when were you so loyal?”
“Oh, how hurtful. I’ve always held deep respect for His Majesty. Hahaha.”
Bullshit.
In the game, he gloated when Hekaton died, calling it a spectacular fall.
“Time to choose. Save Shai now, or keep holding the king?”
“…”
“Of course, neither guarantees Shai’s life. But the latter ensures he dies, while the former… might give him a chance, no? Hahaha.”
“You think I’m an idiot? You want me to weigh Shai against the king? If I slit his throat now, what are you gonna do?”
“Heh, nervous? I’m not forcing you. I respect your choice to keep the king. Of course, Shai will die. Hahaha.”
The soldiers stirred at our exchange.
Some sharper ones realized the tide was turning and grabbed their weapons.
“…This sucks.”
I tried to screw Akairum, but he got me instead.
I planned to use Hekaton to get Tana’s shackle key, but of course it wasn’t that easy.
I wasn’t abandoning Shai.
Without him, I wouldn’t have made it this far.
I wasn’t heartless enough to ignore that.
I lowered the sword from Hekaton’s throat.
He broke free instantly.
The soldiers rushed to him.
Wiping the blood from his neck, Hekaton spoke in a menacing tone.
“You… you think you’ll get away with this? Akairum, what are you waiting for? Deal with him!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Akairum approached me.
“Truly a touching choice. Sacrificing a hostage for a friend.”
He smirked vilely.
“But foolish. The king was your lifeline. By letting him go, your life—”
“—!!”
Clang—!
Akairum instinctively raised a barrier.
My swift strike was blocked by it.
…What the…!
A crack formed in the barrier.
He was stunned.
He nearly got sliced in half.
It was that fast.
“You…!”
“Tch.”
I clicked my tongue.
I struck when he was distracted, but it failed.
…Oh well.
My main goal was already achieved.
“Feeling a chill in your side?”
“…?”
Akairum glanced to his side.
“What… what the?!”
He looked around, panicked.
Shai, who’d been tied up beside him, was gone.
I’d cut Shai’s ropes with my sword.
He stood there, confused.
“J-Juhyuk-nim…? What’s going on?”
“Shai, listen.”
I put a hand on his shoulder.
“You know Tana’s behind that door, right? Stay there and don’t come out. I can’t fight while protecting you.”
“F-Fight…? Even so, this is too—”
Boom—!
“Ugh—!”
An energy bolt shot from Akairum.
I blocked it with my sword, but the explosion’s shockwave hit me.
This is why I hate mages.
“Go! No time!”
“Y-Yes!”
Shai opened the door and ran inside.
“Phew…”
I tightened my grip on my sword and took a deep breath.
All variables were gone.
Now, it was a straight fight.
“Don’t underestimate him—he took out the royal guard in seconds! Maintain formation!”
Akairum shouted.
I opened my status window.
[Hold off the final ritual for 1 hour]
[Time remaining: 0:54:27]
…Fifty minutes.
Just fifty minutes to hold out.
“Fire!”
A barrage of magic rained down.
The dark prison lit up like daylight.
I charged in.