Necromancer Survival

Chapter 431

No way… By parasites, was he referring to… Was that how they saw themselves? Dumbfounded, I glared at Choi Kyung-sik, "Why do you phrase it like that?"

Meeting and forming contracts with the Servants had been a life-defining opportunity for me. Even if, at first, it wasn’t entirely my choice…it was undeniable that their presence had brought me this far. Sure, my body wasn’t in great shape now, but…

‘I'm not dead yet…'

I thought of my image in the hand mirror, but I wasn't scared at all. Rather, my head was filled with thoughts on how I should recover myself. Honestly, at this point, what was the point of lying low and trying to merely survive? It was clear I wouldn’t last long anyway.

‘Then, I'll have to work even harder. I don't want to die either.'

It seemed the Servants were working under a misunderstanding.

The one who valued my life the most was *me*. Every risky choice I’d made so far wasn’t made recklessly—it always included my own calculated assessment of the benefits and risks.

‘Of course, I admit that my choices were influenced by personal feelings…'

Because I loved Seo Dawon…. And the [Red Lotus]. Though they often misbehaved, I got attached.

‘So, in the end, all of my decisions are my responsibility. Why are you all trying to share the burden of responsibility with me?'

Or course, there may be hidden circumstances I wasn’t privy to. However, even considering the missteps we may make along the way, it would be nonsense for them to give up on their revival. If anything, shouldn’t they come back to life and dedicate themselves to taking care of me for the rest of my days as proper repayment?

‘I was planning to rely on you guys for retirement!'

Unaware of my inner rant, Choi Kyung-sik replied sarcastically, “I just simplified my explanation to match your level of comprehension, Choi Lee-kyung.”

His tone was as usual–infuriating. When he saw me scowling, he released a long sigh. Then, out of nowhere, he reached out and stroked my hair. It wasn’t a mere gentle pat—it carried a bit more emotion than that.

“Hey… only Dawon is allowed to do that to me, you know?” I snapped.

While smirking, Choi Kyung-sik took back his hand. "Yes, yes. Aren’t you so precious–you’ve got it all figured out." 1

With a dismissive remark like ‘It’s good to see you bouncing back now that you’re conscious’, he scribbled something on the chart and made to leave the room.

I hesitated for a moment before shouting at his retreating back, "And bring Seo Dawon to me."

"I'll let him know what you've said."

"Then, can you tell him that I really miss him?"

"……"

Choi Kyung-sik looked incredibly tired, but, when I chuckled, he closed his mouth.

I had a feeling Dawon would come to see me today. But as the door closed, and I lay curled up on the bed with Lackey hugged tightly in my arms, a sense of helplessness and despair washed over me.

Rather than being angry, anxious thoughts crept in when I was alone. I sighed loudly as I recalled the way I looked in that mirror. "Haaah…"

[Clack Clack?]

[Master?]

"Mmm… It's nothing…"

…I couldn't show this unease in front of the Servants.

Unless they were like Lackey, who completely trusted and depended on me, showing unease in front of them was a bad idea. I bit my lip anxiously; the [System Message] about my declining control flashed in my mind. �

‘Honestly, to try and influence a group that wields overwhelming force with only my mental fortitude… How ridiculous. Furthemore, Dawon's already experienced what it's like to fail a group he led with just faith.'

A failure, huh?

Dawon said that his relationship with me was also a ‘mistake.' That means, he must have had some feelings towards me, right? What a nightmare it must have been for him to see me at death’s door.

‘Dawon probably didn’t anticipate just how quickly I’d deteriorate—much faster than he expected.’

However, was it solely the [Red Lotus]'s mistake that brought us here?

‘There's no way…'

I felt that this, too, was another trick played on us by the [Tragedy Collectors]. I didn’t have proof, but it was clear as day that some malicious thread had been woven into the fabric of our relationship. And who else but the [Tragedy Collectors] could orchestrate something like this?

I needed strength to fulfill their revenge. And to be strong, I needed to sign contracts with Servants and make them obey me completely.

But if I were to fully subjugate a Servant, they would lose their sense of self—and with it, even the drive to carry out vengeance. If they lost themselves completely, would resurrecting them afterwards really lead to a happy ending?

‘This route was destined to end in tragedy.'

It felt as though someone was watching me from above, sneering with a vile grin. My fists automatically clenched tightly.

‘But if I summon a Servant without fully subjugating them, there’s a high chance my life force will drain completely.’

If I were to die from this unfortunate side effect, that, too, would count as a tragedy. And right now, these [Tragedy Collectors] had their eyes on Dawon-ie.

I recalled quite clearly how the Boss Monster of the [Tower of Command] Dungeon, the [Lich Lord], became a dungeon monster.

Plunging Dawon into despair…

…That's what the [Tragedy Collectors] were after.

‘My deteriorating health… It’s likely their doing as well.’

And there was no denying that Bae Jaemin and Lim Jisoo were tangled up in this mess as well.

‘Do they know about the existence of these [Tragedy Collectors]?’

It was highly likely they knew about these beings, but, for now, I was uncertain how involved those two were with this current situation.

However, there was no need to complicate the matters in my mind. The point was simple: escape from the tragedy those beings had been crafting, complete the revenge, and survive. It was clear that this was the only way I could escape from this mischief of fate.

Knock Knock–!

Just when I was slowly organizing my thoughts, I heard a sudden knock on the door. The person who knocked opened the door without waiting for my response.

It was Dawon.

"…Did you tell Kyung-sik-ie that you'd run away if I didn't come to you?" As soon as he entered, he asked me that question…His tone was dumbfounded, as if he had heard something incredibly absurd.

I sheepishly smiled as I cursed Choi Kyung-sik inwardly. "I was going to go to you myself…"

Dawon's stiff expression didn't relax even when he saw me scratching my cheeks. Then, as if he couldn't be bothered, he asked, "What do you want?"

Of course, I had expected him to be irritated. So, I gripped Dawon's arms tightly and laughed, "What do you mean? I just wanted to see your face."

"……"

"Do you want to take a seat?" I moved aside a little and made some space on the bed; Dawon lowered his gaze.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A long silence seemed to loom over us. But as I looked at Dawon’s cold face, I was, oddly enough, reminded of the past. The first time I met him–when he viewed me solely as a tool… I couldn't help but recall that calculating demeanor from back then.

‘Back then, even if he was smiling and laughing, it was hard to shorten the distance between us.'

Now, even with Dawon’s expressionless face, I wanted nothing more than to pull him into a tight hug.

Of course, I’d grown enough sense not to rush at him recklessly. But I didn’t give up, gently intertwining my fingers with his, as if locking them together.

Fortunately, Dawon lent me his hand and remained silent. I held Dawon's hand for a few minutes before mustering the courage to make awkward small talk, "What have you been doing for the past two days? I've been waiting for you to visit…"

"For someone waiting, you've been sleeping pretty well."

"Hmm? You were watching me?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Dawon sighed as he proudly admitted to stalking me.

I looked around and tried to find his surveillance device, but I gave up after scanning through too many ‘ordinary' items.

Pat–!

Then, Dawon suddenly put his hand on my head. As he gently stroked my hair…

[Clack Clack…]

[Grrr….]

Lackey, who was sitting at the end of the bed, seemed incredibly unhappy with that contact. But, I couldn't hold back my smile.

‘As expected, you were watching even while Choi Kyung-sik was there.'

However, afterwards, Dawon said something completely unexpected, "Choi Lee-kyung. How about you fall deep asleep for a year or so?"

"What?"

"By that time, I think I can gather the sacrifices needed to offset your lifeforce depletion."

The sinister undertone of the word "sacrifices" aside, Dawon’s suggestion to put me to sleep for an entire year sounded utterly bizarre.

‘This guy… He hasn't calmed down one bit.'

I clicked my tongue. What kind of man would put his lover to sleep for a year….

"Am I so bothersome… for you to put me to sleep for a year?" I joked lightheartedly, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Of course, I knew Dawon wasn’t joking. But when your partner seems to have lost a bit of their sanity, isn’t it a lover’s duty to distract them from dwelling too deeply on such grim thoughts?

"You know that's not what I meant, right?" Dawon was still expressionless.

But, I endeavored to completely ignore the grim truth. Further, I brought up a topic I knew would grab his attention. "Mmm, well I don't know about that, but… Anyway, I had a good idea. I want you to listen."

"……"

"Actually, when I signed a contract with Jo Chan-young… I learned about the [Tragedy Collectors] at that instance. I can't really tell you much more, but…"

However, Dawon interrupted me, "I know."

"…You know?"

"Yeah. It’s a group of bastards who get off watching my life go down the drain, right?”

"Uh…"

Well, he wasn't wrong, but hearing him speak so bluntly caught me off guard.

Dawon looked at me, who was slightly wary, and finally sat down on the bed. His gaze was fixed on me–intense enough to make me wonder…expect something more.

However, sadly, Dawon maintained his distance and continued to speak, "It's been a while since I've learned about their existence. After all, I specialize in collecting scenarios. Even before I died, I knew that every monster in the dungeons was a failed hero from ‘another world.'"

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TL: The plot thickens?

And it's so interesting to compare the Dawon of chapter 1 to now. To see how he's devolved.

I'm very excited to translate the next chapter. I imagine it might give some of you guys a breather.

1. 어련하시겠습니까 used straight is basically praising someone for being on top of their shit. Here, he's using it sarcastically.