Chapter 30

Chapter 4 Eyelid (3)

***

“Huff, huff”

My breathing grows rough. I’m scared. The fact that this is just a game has long vanished from my mind. The eyeballs floating in the glass jars watching me, the countless wrists scattered on the desk without any proper storage, and the rusty saw that keeps highlighting my mental breakdown no matter where I look!

In this empty room, my imagination is torturing me.

‘I have to get out. This isn’t a problem with the game character. If I stay any longer, I might go insane.’

Thanks to the newly acquired [Extreme Regeneration], the injured parts of my body are regenerating at an alarming speed. It looks like even the severed parts will grow back soon.

‘Once the spine regenerates, all the sensations will hit me at once. But if I want to escape, I need to move my body first.’

What a terrifying setup. If I want to escape, I have to endure physical pain; if I don’t want that, I have to endure mental pain. Is this intentional? If so, why?

‘Why not. He’s a wizard, after all!’

Wizard. A class known as the flower of RPG games for its powerful area attacks and mesmerizing brilliance. The proportion of players choosing this excellent class is only 2.5% of the total.

I’m not mistaken; it’s 2.5%.

While it’s well-known that wizards are sensitive and picky, in the GG world, describing a wizard as merely picky would be an insult. They are thoroughly insane, from the dark wizards to the supposedly kind ones.

Among players, it’s often said, “It’s not that crazy people become wizards; they become crazy because they are wizards,” and “There are kind wizards, but there are no sane wizards.” The madness of wizards is infamous.

I was captured by one of these wizards, a particularly unsavory one, as an ‘experiment subject.’

Thud, thud! Creak-

“Ugh! Ah, ah! Gah!”

The spine. Finally, the spinal cord is starting to function, and the pain is bringing back all the sensations in my body.

“Choke, choke! Ah, aah!”

Well, if the sensations come back, can I run away?

It was a delusional dream. The pain, the sensation that seems to burn through all my nerves, is overwhelming my thoughts and paralyzing my body.

[Get up....]

Clank! Crack!

A rough but gentle voice pierced through the terrible pain. The restrained arm started to pull on the chains.

[Move....for Mother....]

Clank, clank!

Creak!

A disgustingly sweet scent softly enveloped my nostrils. Yes. I can move. So I should.

Naturally, strength flowed into my limbs. The restrained limbs were pulled taut, and the not yet fully healed wounds started to tear open. I don’t know how I can move with a broken spine and no sensation, but whatever. I can move.

Clank, clank!

The shackles binding my body didn’t come off easily, but fortunately, this body seems very suitable for such a situation. This frail body separated easily with just a bit of force.

Crack, creak!

Swish!

Hot blood splattered onto the floor. My hands were still tied, but now my arms can move. The chain binding my waist is relatively long, so if I tear off the rest of my hands and ankles, I can reach the rusty saw on the desk. Mother, please wait a little longer. I’ll bring this body to you—

Bam!

“Huff, huff! Oh! I’m too late!”

Who is it?

A person I don’t recognize. Bulky clothes, a cane, and a white beard. Ah, so this is the wizard. What a strange body. It’s absorbing information I can’t process with my eyes, and my whole body is screaming in agony. Although this annoying scream is blocking Mother’s call, it’s fine. The body’s owner is asleep.

‘Blood-stained apron, the rusty saw in his hand, a man...an old man’s voice.’

It’s him. The wizard who did this to me.

“Oh, the spine is already regenerating. I took so much care to crush it. How come the regeneration speed keeps getting faster...”

“Mother, I can move....”

“Already able to think on your own, huh? Maybe...there’s no time left...”

‘The man’s hand. Water. A water mass. Water mass? Blade?’

A water blade formed in the old man’s hand as he wiggled his fingers.

“I’m sorry, but you need to go back to sleep, Mute.”

Creak!

With a chilling sound, the consciousness in my body slipped back into darkness.

***

Drip. Drip.

It’s dark. So dense that I can’t even distinguish my hands and feet. In this darkness where I feel nothing, the sound of dripping water is the only thing reminding me that I’m still alive.

‘...Is it hard?’

A voice. One I haven’t heard in a long time. But as time passed, it grew heavier in a corner of my memory.

Mother.

A small gap appeared in the void. Following the light seeping through the gap, the professor pushed away the stubborn darkness and swam toward the black surface.

‘I saw you smile...for the first time in a long...time.’

Mother. I have so much to tell you. Five years have passed since that day, and I’ve...experienced many things.

My heart is racing. The unknown anxiety makes me swim harder. Mother, Mother, why do you have that face?

I stretch out my hand toward the light. When I lift my head out of the water and exhale, the blurry face of Mother, soaked in darkness, changes into another’s face. It reaches out to me.

Crack.

My scalp feels like it’s being torn.

Monster.

A monster in human form, grinning as it grabs my hair. From its disgusting mouth, the familiar smell of the wasteland wafted.

‘Forgetfulness. Living by forgetting. You always choose the easy way out.’

‘......’

‘Enjoying it? Do you think this is okay? Or do you really think you’ve ‘forgotten’?’

‘Shut up.’

‘Such a familiar voice... Isn’t it disgusting? If you’re going to miss it so much, if you’re going to blame yourself so much, why did you make that choice back then?’

‘Shut up. Shut up! Shut upuuuuu!!!’

The scream that erupted from deep within my lungs only echoed in my throat and subsided in my chest.

The monster’s face and the professor’s face were reflected side by side on the surface of the water.

The monster crying, the professor expressionless.

The only difference between the two faces was their expressions.

The crying professor’s face gazed at the blurry professor.

‘Erasing memories doesn’t erase the results. Remember that. Even a single breath you take is evidence of your guilt.’

From the expressionless professor’s mouth, a scream that couldn’t become a sound emerged as a sentence.

‘I just wanted to live. I really didn’t know it would turn out like this!’

The professor’s desperate words made the monster’s smile deepen.

Holding the professor’s head, the monster spoke each word as if chewing it.

‘That ignorance is the sin, fool.’

Swish!

The scarred hand pushed the professor’s head back into the darkness.

***

Swish!

“Phew! Whee! Huff! Huff!”

“Hmm? Oh, you’re awake!”

“Huff! Whee! Cough!”

“Come now, take it easy. Take several small breaths. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.”

The professor followed the old wizard’s advice and slowly regulated his breathing. Sensation was absent from his body, indicating that his spine was broken again.

‘I need to assess the situation before the pain comes back.’

The professor regulated his breathing and surveyed his surroundings.

The place was still the same terrifying room. His position was the same, at the center of the room. So, the restraints on his body must be unchanged.

The difference was that his body was now in a large wooden bathtub.

The bathtub was filled with a dark red liquid. Red and metallic-smelling. He didn’t need to look closely to know what it was.

‘Good thing I lowered the broadcast screen. If this had been shown, everyone who came in would have left.’

Most people who come to watch the broadcast do so to heal from their weary lives in the wasteland.

If I were to gift them a hardcore splatter movie while they’re here to heal from a day’s fatigue, the broadcast would fail, and I’d be hunted down in the community.

A strange feeling washed over him. He regained consciousness, checked the system window, and confirmed he was in a strange room. What happened next?

‘I have no memory.’

There was no memory before losing consciousness. The last memory was definitely...

‘That voice. After hearing the sweet whisper, I lost consciousness. The Mute cells...moved my body.’

“Hmm. Seeing that your breathing has returned, you seem to have calmed down a bit. Now, how many fingers do you see?”

The old wizard, who had been taking notes, waved his fingers in front of me as soon as I woke up.

‘First...I’ll play along. I’m not sure, but thanks to the measures this wizard took, the infection hasn’t progressed fully. I need to pretend to be cooperative until I figure out his method.’

The professor’s blank expression made the wizard look slightly flustered.

“Oh. You’re not recovered enough to count yet? Then...”

“The fingers are three, my name is Professor, and I’m a member of the Silver Roar Mercenary Corps, participating in the Turan Defense Battle. Is this enough of an answer to your question?”

The wizard smiled at the professor’s rapid-fire response.

“Very perfect. You’ve regained your senses so quickly, despite being controlled by the creature for not long.”

“The creature...?”

“The Mute cells. They’re spread throughout your body.”

The professor looked at the churning blood just below his neck. His body, which still twitched occasionally, didn’t feel like his own. It was hard to believe.

“Your face looks like you need a lot of explanation, but it’s about time. Let’s handle the necessary tasks first, then I’ll explain.”

“What tasks...?”

“Your treatment.”

The old wizard picked up a saw from the desk, then shook his head at the rusted blade and took a new one from his apron pocket.

“The Mute cells are quite nasty. They try to adapt even on inanimate objects. Metal contaminated with Mute blood rusts quickly and can’t be used for long. Now, I’m going to cut off your hand, so don’t be surprised.”

Eh, um. Which part should I not be surprised about? The part about cutting off my hand? Or the part about saying it so calmly in front of someone about to have their hand cut off?

“What, what did you say? Cut off my hand?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve already taken measures, so it won’t hurt at all. The mixture in the bathtub, though it looks disgusting, is quite expensive. It’s a blend of Mute blood, powerful anesthetics, and holy water. I increased the anesthetic ratio this time, so you should be fine for a while.”

Swish!

The wizard plunged his gloved hand into the container and pulled out the professor’s arm, which was bound by chains.

“...It’s healed again. This level of regeneration is beyond 4th grade...no, even 3rd grade mutants.”

“Wait, wait! You said treatment! What does cutting off my hand have to do with treatment?”

The wizard looked slightly annoyed as the professor screamed at the approaching saw blade.

“Hmm...I can’t do two things at once. Can I cut and explain at the same time?”

“Don’t joke around!”

“It’s not funny... Well, I’ll explain first.”

Putting the saw, which seemed ready to slice his wrist, back into his pocket, the wizard returned to the chair he had been sitting in and spoke.

“How much do you know about the Mute infection system?”

The professor desperately tried to recall. The Mute infection system. The Mute infection system in World 3. It’s definitely...

“Blood and saliva contact start the infection. The infected must be purified by a priest immediately. If the infection progresses too much, purification won’t cure it. Once fully infected, they move toward the queen in the north as if possessed.”

“Oh, quite impressive! You know much more than the average person! No wonder you were brought here by her.”

“Her?”

“Sir Agart. Sir Agart. Charlotte de Agart, the stone-hearted lady, carried you to the temple.”

Now that I think about it, a similar message was written in the friendly relationship with Charlotte. She must have moved me to the temple after the battle.

“So...this is a temple?”

“You’re asking for trouble. There’s no temple that looks like this. This is my home. More precisely, my laboratory.”

‘Then what kind of person are you to make your home look like a temple of an evil deity?’

The professor’s suspicion that this wizard might be a dark wizard grew.

“Continuing the story, the temple didn’t want to, but because of the person I was asked to help, they made an effort. They used a lot of holy power. But it only slowed the infection; it was almost ineffective.”

That’s to be expected. The holy spell ‘Purification’ is designed to remove evil and harmful things from the body.

Once the Mute cells outnumber the normal cells, removing them would cause more damage to the body. Depending on the sect, the purification spell generally doesn’t harm the person, so its effect would have been dispersed.

“Yes, you were destined to die there. In a few minutes, the infection would have reached your brain, and you would have been ‘saved’ by the temple knights.”

“...And you pulled me out from there.”

“Exactly! I happened to be in Turan for research and was passing by the temple. By chance, I had a connection with Sir Agart, so I took charge of your ‘treatment’ based on my research.”

“Treatment...I don’t know much about magical medicine, but is this kind of thing called ‘treatment’ these days?”

Pointing to the specimens around him, the old wizard smiled bitterly.

“Even in such a situation, you’re still sarcastic. I can’t believe it, but it is treatment.

The Mute infection system has two main characteristics: erosion and regeneration.

It erodes the invaded parts and assimilates them, then controls and nurtures them as if they were its own body. I focused on this. No matter how notorious the Mute infection system is, it has its limits. This has been proven through many experiments. It can’t penetrate a knight’s body full of mana, and even without mana, it can’t easily infect a well-trained body.”

The wizard pointed to the professor’s scarred body.

“So, I thought, what if I make it expend its strength? What if I keep giving deep wounds to the infected body, forcing the Mute cells to pour all their strength into regeneration? That’s exactly what happened!”

“Ugh!”

Swish!

While I was distracted, the wizard instantly cut off my wrist with a water blade.

“What the hell...”

“Pay attention! Look at the cut!”

The wizard lifted the arm, now free from the wrist. The cleanly cut wrist bled for a moment, then quickly healed into a round lump of flesh.

“The color...!”

“You can see it too! The regenerated part has a normal flesh color, unlike the other parts that are infected and have a dark red hue!”

Unbelievably, the color of the cut part and its surroundings changed. It seemed to have returned to its original skin color, as if the Mute cells had retreated.

“I’ve been doing this for the past month, keeping your body alive. I keep giving wounds and letting them regenerate.

Then, the higher-ups in the kingdom started to realize the situation was unusual, and my research began to receive attention.

Isn’t that right? The Mutes, who used to burn to death in shallow ditches in front of the city walls, are now strong enough to capture a city and defeat Lordric, the First Knight. A few weeks ago, the royal family issued an order to support my research, to find out everything about the Mutes and, if possible, to use their infection to enhance soldiers.”

Click.

The wizard, who had been about to slice the professor’s wrist, put the saw back into his pocket and returned to his chair.

“How much do you know about the Mute infection system?”

The professor desperately tried to recall. The Mute infection system. The Mute infection system in World 3. It’s definitely...

“Blood and saliva contact start the infection. The infected must be purified by a priest immediately. If the infection progresses too much, purification won’t cure it. Once fully infected, they move toward the queen in the north as if possessed.”

“Oh, quite impressive! You know much more than the average person! No wonder you were brought here by her.”

“Her?”

“Sir Agart. Sir Agart. Charlotte de Agart, the stone-hearted lady, carried you to the temple.”

Now that I think about it, a similar message was written in the friendly relationship with Charlotte. She must have moved me to the temple after the battle.

“So...this is a temple?”

“You’re asking for trouble. There’s no temple that looks like this. This is my home. More precisely, my laboratory.”

‘Then what kind of person are you to make your home look like a temple of an evil deity?’

The professor’s suspicion that this wizard might be a dark wizard grew.

“Continuing the story, the temple didn’t want to, but because of the person I was asked to help, they made an effort.