Chapter 97

The heat and shockwave pelted his skin. Worm instinctively curled his body, protecting his vital areas. Through the gaps in his crossed arms, the scene he could see had completely changed. The remnants of the scattered people covered the grand square in a tide of blood. Worm couldn’t grasp the reality. The attendees who had just moments ago believed in Bergana’s glory were now prostrate on the floor, groaning. The path of light that had shone through the stained glass was now colored with dark, viscous organs.

“An explosion...? What’s happening?”

He struggled to work his confused thoughts. The people in front and behind him had served as perfect shields, leaving Worm unharmed. In contrast, the guests who had taken the full force of the blast were now leaning weakly against him, lifeless.

“Hey, stay with me!”

Worm called out to the man slumped against him, but received no response. The man’s once splendid clothes were now dirty, and his skin was indistinctly adhered to them. Despite this, he was far from dead. To check his condition, Worm grabbed his shoulder and laid him on his back, noticing something abnormal.

“Ugh, ah, ah, ah”

His face was congested, and he was convulsing, accompanied by vomiting. Even Worm, who was accustomed to burns and injuries, had never seen such symptoms before. Upon closer inspection of the skin, he noticed white foreign objects mixed with metal shards piercing through. This was not just an explosion. The explosive device, likely planted on the deputy branch manager of the guild and others, was filled with metal shards and potent poison to increase its lethality.

The attendee Worm was holding arched his back dramatically and stopped breathing. There was nothing that could be done. Laying the body down, Worm scanned the surroundings to gather information. As his vision cleared, the full extent of the damage became apparent. Nearly half of the attendees and guards were sprawled on the floor.

“Call for healing mages! The marquis is injured!”

“It’s no use. His breath... damn, what is this poison? Where is the guild branch manager!?”

“The deputy branch manager’s explosion killed him instantly.”

The grand square, once filled with praise and music, was now dominated by screams and groans. Servants and soldiers were frantically trying to save the injured, but their efforts were in vain. Soldiers ran around the room, guests cried for help, and guild officials, pale with fear, fled through the exits.

In the midst of the chaos, Worm’s eyes caught sight of someone. He caught sight of her. His throat felt dry, and time seemed to stop as he forgot to breathe. Gasping for air, Worm ran across the room, his feet slipping on the wet floor. His heart pounded like a rapid drumbeat. The more he tried to convince himself that this couldn’t be happening, the more his breathing became erratic. Reaching the wall, Worm knelt down, like in confession, and called out.

“L, Lizzie, hey, Lizzie!!”

“Ugh, ugh, ugh”

Worm carefully lifted the woman’s body, and his vision blurred. Metal shards the size of fists were embedded in Lizzie’s throat and chest, and she was spitting out copious amounts of blood. Her eyes were unfocused, and her eyelids were closing as if she couldn’t resist the drowsiness. Despite her severe injuries, instead of responding to Worm’s call, Lizzie moved her fingers, slightly shaking the silver bracelet on her wrist. Her hand was cold like a corpse.

“Is there a healing mage? Is there a healing mage!?”

Among the hundred or more people writhing in poison, no one prioritized saving Lizzie, a guild official, except Worm. Removing the metal shards coated with poison should be the top priority, but Worm’s experience as a soldier warned him. If he removed the metal shards from Lizzie, who couldn’t form a magic barrier, the balance would be lost, and she would surely bleed to death. Even if he tried to cauterize the wounds, burning her throat and chest would be unbearable.

“Stay awake, keep your consciousness!”

Don’t lament, don’t rage, think of a solution. Worm struggled to control his thoughts, which were being dragged by his emotions. Removing the metal shards would lead to death by bleeding. There was no method to remove the poison. Even if he tried to heal her, the few available healing mages were overwhelmed and ineffective against the potent poison.

In the back of his mind, a certain existence passed by. The three sacred treasures of healing, the crimson grass that could even extend one’s lifespan and heal all diseases. Worm had risked his life to obtain it at the bottom of the dungeon. It was needed by the person who was on the brink of death. A selfish thought crept in, but he bit his lip and suppressed it. Even if he pretended not to see, the new curse of regret would only add to his burden.

“Now, help—”

He grabbed a bottle from his magic bag and pried off the cork. The unchanging flower had remained in its form since the bottom of the dungeon. Worm, trying to decide how to administer it to Lizzie, froze at the sound of a voice. The calmness that Yuna had maintained even at the bottom of the dungeon was now absent, and her voice shook his eardrums.

Worm awkwardly turned his heavy head, as if it were rusted. In front of him, the familiar party was gathered. The only difference was that their leader, Meryl, was lying on the floor, convulsing irregularly from the potent poison. Beside her, the bodies of the city’s dignitaries lay in a gruesome scene. Whether it was the direct hit or the difference in their magic barriers, Meryl had avoided instant death.

“Meryl, hang in there.”

“Yuna, stuff a cloth in her mouth, she’s biting her tongue. Ah, even with the enhancement from support magic, why isn’t the poison removal working!?”

“Gh, gh, this is the poison of the nine-headed dragon! A toxin so potent that it could bring down a descendant of the giant of the republic. This amount would kill a normal person five times over.”

Which one to choose, to save. The rationality he had developed as a soldier weighed both options while calling out to Worm. A comrade who had shared hardships in the dungeon, or a benefactor who had supported and guided him in the dungeon.

“A, a, aaaa”

His vision swayed with dizziness. Acid rose in his throat, and he suppressed a sob. What to do. What should he do. Worm’s emotions were on the verge of bursting. In contrast, his rationality as a soldier coldly recognized the facts. The injuries of Lizzie in his arms were too deep. The warning bells rang, and his emotions denied the facts. Which one to save. With the two people on the scales, time passed mercilessly without an answer. The screams in the grand hall, once chaotic, were gradually diminishing. Despite the urgency of the decision, Worm couldn’t choose. In the midst of this, Lizzie’s mouth in Worm’s arms moved slightly.

“What’s wrong, what do you want to say?”

Her mouth moved slightly, but no sound came out. Worm tried to understand her intentions by carefully observing her mouth movements, but to no avail. Lizzie’s stiffened and relaxed arm fell to the floor, and the silver bracelet made a sound. The metallic echo lingered in his ears.

“Hey, Lizzie? Lizzie!?”

He knew it was clear. It was meaningless and unproductive. Still, Worm continued to call out.

“It’s a lie. This can’t be.”

Lizzie would never speak again. The cold body had lost its life. Worm couldn’t choose between the two. He didn’t choose. The result was that he left Lizzie to die. The process didn’t matter. The result told the story.

“...I’m sorry.”

It wouldn’t be forgiven. Worm hadn’t chosen her. Still, he couldn’t help but apologize through his sobs. With trembling fingers, he closed her eyes and laid Lizzie’s body on the floor. He moved forward on his knees, his vision distorted, reflecting the tragedies of the many people. He took shallow breaths, trying to hold back his fading consciousness. He couldn’t sit down. Worm made a choice.

“Worm! Meryl is—”

Hari, who had been focused on healing, was surprised by Worm’s sudden appearance and tried to explain Meryl’s condition.

“If this continues, she will die. Right?”

His words were blunt. Still, no one blamed him, knowing the gravity of the situation and the weight of the object in his hand.

“Worm, that’s the—”

“I know. She won’t survive without it. It’s just an eye.”

“Are you sure?”

Hari’s insistence met Worm’s bloodshot, clouded eyes.

“...There’s no going back. Meryl, can you hear me? Swallow the crimson grass.”

Worm pried open Meryl’s tightly closed mouth and forced the crimson grass in, but she only coughed, unable to swallow.

“She doesn’t have the strength to swallow.”

Marianne was speechless at the worsening condition. Worm no longer lamented. He took out rum from his magic bag, drank it in one gulp, and chewed the crimson grass. The bitter taste of the crimson grass, like rusted iron, mixed with the sweet flavor of the rum in his mouth.

Wrapping his arm around Meryl’s neck and placing his fingers on her jaw, he poured the crimson grass from his mouth into hers. Without a gap, the liquid flowed in. Meryl coughed, and Worm pressed her body to prevent the liquid from leaking out. As her throat gurgled, the crimson grass was swallowed.

The effect was dramatic. Her convulsing body slowly calmed down. Her labored breathing began to stabilize. Worm, exhausted, sat on the floor. The bitter aftertaste lingered. Unexplainable emotions swirled deep within him. Someone grabbed his shoulder. He looked back with a dazed face. Lavinia, a guild official who had worked the reception with Lizzie, was distorted with anger, shouting.

“Why didn’t you save that girl? Why did you abandon her!! With the crimson grass, Lizzie could have... lived. She had a good opinion of you, why, why?”

It was a valid point. Worm listened silently. Lavinia, who was close to Lizzie, couldn’t accept Worm’s choice.

“In this situation, no one can remain calm. Still, you, at least—”

“Hari, stop. I couldn’t choose, and by not choosing, I killed her. There’s no difference.”

Hari, with a face flushed with anger, shouted at Lavinia, but Worm stopped him. Lavinia, meeting Worm’s gaze, bowed her head and pounded the floor.

“It’s not your fault, Worm. You didn’t even consider—”

Marianne, about to continue, was interrupted by a soldier rushing into the grand hall. The messenger reported to the surviving officers.

“Centurion Eduardo, a message from the communication magic device! Similar necromantic human bombs have exploded at the dungeon-related facilities, the barracks, and the main castle, causing severe damage. Furthermore, numerous undead and unidentified armed forces have been confirmed within the city walls, including the old castle, the city, and the gates.”

“How many?”

“Unknown, but the undead alone number in the thousands, and many of the equipment they wear dates back to the Unification War.”

The officer called Eduardo clenched his teeth and shouted.

“This method is from the Unification War. The dead have crawled out of their graves.”

“The marquis and his heir are dead. The guild officials and the soldiers in the command center—what should we do?”

Eduardo, looking at the messenger, raised his voice.

“Don’t panic!! First, mobilize all the soldiers and adventurers in the vicinity to gather numbers. Don’t worry about their affiliation or unit. We don’t know how many of the higher command are still alive. Gather those who can be controlled and prioritize eliminating the threat!!”

The soldiers, spurred on, dispersed outside. There were no more lives to save. Worm exhaled softly. Eduardo’s voice resonated well, a model of a leader’s voice. Ironically, it was the rebuke from a foreign officer that brought Worm’s mind back to reality. The priority was to eliminate those who had caused this worst, most abhorrent situation. Worm agreed with this from the bottom of his heart.

“...Take care of Meryl. I’ve done what I needed to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Where are you going!? Worm!!”

Worm ignored his comrades’ attempts to stop him. He dodged the frantic guild officials and guests, advancing down the corridor. He wore a face that he couldn’t show to the proper adventurers. Fortunately, he had a lead. Amid the confusion and grief of the victims, Worm didn’t miss the one person whose face was pale with fear. He couldn’t be unrelated. After all, the man was the bodyguard of the scattered Raffaele. When Lizzie was under house arrest in the guild, this man was always with the deputy branch manager. For his important master to explode, and for him to be only filled with fear, the answer was clear. Worm was certain that this man knew the culprit.

“Good, if that’s the case. ...I’m good at killing and war.”

Worm had killed countless people, holding up the banner of the community he belonged to and self-defense.

“I won’t blame anyone. I won’t make excuses. I will kill them, every single one, by my own will.”

He put on the demon mask. The emotions that had been so chaotic were now focused. The mask trembled, approving of its owner’s murderous intent. Worm spoke to the inciting mask as if to soothe it.

“Yeah, I get it. Don’t make so much noise. I can’t hold back either.”

Crimson grass, flower language, balance, cost, sacrifice.