What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 299

Sub Male Lead on Strike-299

#299

Lost Child (2)

The front of the maze was in chaos.

“Your Highness, did you bring your carry-on bag?”

“Of course. I probably won’t need it, but I also have the Sacred Stone Orb. Here’s water, medicine, snacks, handkerchiefs…”

My friends surrounded the Crown Prince and me, checking our belongings.

Lord Kleman hastily put gold coins in my bag.

I probably won’t need money inside, but I laughed, grateful for their thoughtfulness.

Ronald Lüpert, the chief manager, stood like a statue, waiting for us.

I heard he would be the last to enter the labyrinth.

I held my teacher’s staff and carried the sleeping Stubborn in my arms.

The wren was still breathing warmly.

“Should we just leave Stubborn behind?”

Of course, the decision wasn’t easy.

Even if he’s a divine creature, I felt bad taking him without even asking his opinion.

As I hesitated, Lady Mariz held my hands tightly.

“Take him with you. According to His Majesty Hanan, the divine creature seems to have a great purpose. Even if he can’t help, he’ll be a source of support on a lonely path.”

“…Yes.”

I barely nodded. Still, I’ll protect him no matter what happens.

I don’t know any specific methods since I can’t use Ether [magical energy] inside, but I’ll definitely do it.

“Please take care of the remaining people, Sir Johann. I’ll see you later.”

“Yes. It’s a shame I can’t go in with you.”

Sir Johann replied kindly.

It was funny how he sounded like a grown adult complaining.

Hanan grumbled, saying, ‘Why is this farewell so extravagant and long?’

I shook hands with the rag doll, hugged Demi, Perry, and Leah tightly, and fixed Tete’s bib.

I also said goodbye to Joan and Santua. And…

“Christel.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

-Ugh…

The king in my pocket sighed as if he was fed up.

In the end, we didn’t say much and just smiled.

Isabel kissed Crown Prince Cedrick’s hand. Soon, the man turned away first.

The chief manager spoke in an emotionless voice like an artificial intelligence.

“If you touch the World Tree’s roots with your skin, the labyrinth will open its arms.”

“…”

After hearing the explanation, the Crown Prince took off one of his gloves.

I belatedly remembered something and quickly ran to him. Hey, wait a minute!

“Your Highness!”

-Oh my, I don’t want to see this…

Hanan’s sigh was heard from behind. The Crown Prince silently looked down at me.

I quickly put my hand on his elbow and channeled Ether into him.

He tilted his head with grace. He accepts it well, so why does he react like that?

“Even if you can’t use it inside, it’ll help stabilize the vessel.”

“…”

“You’re very welcome. Watch your step.”

I smiled, and he furrowed his brow slightly.

He’s been in good condition lately, so he doesn’t actively seek me out as much.

He seems to have a lot of energy, and his workout time has increased significantly. Today, the Crown Prince was the first to let go of my arm.

He turned his body and walked towards the labyrinth without even making eye contact.

A large hand touched the black tree root. Then…

-Crack! Snap!

-Crunch!

“Wow…”

The stem writhed like a giant octopus, then quickly retracted its branches and opened its mouth wide.

Looking at it like this, it looked like a gruesome tumor growing on a white wall.

The interior of the labyrinth that was briefly revealed was all darkness. It seemed like a space without any sound or light.

‘Aung!’ The frightened divine creatures snuggled into Lord and Lady Santua’s arms.

-Step, step, step…

The man moved his steps without hesitation. Then, swoosh! He flew into the maze and disappeared.

The World Tree reacted immediately.

-Crackling!

-Ogeuk!

The charcoal-like roots instantly sealed the entrance.

It was eerie how it judged and acted without anyone telling it to.

Next was my turn.

As we had agreed in advance, Demi grew vines as thick as ropes from her tail.

It was said that Ether could not be used inside the maze, but it was naturally okay to use it outside.

As long as it didn’t break, it would be my guide.

The Papal soldiers clicked their tongues at our trickery.

I touched the World Tree, which was as cold as plastic.

“Then I’ll be back. Please wish me luck in resolving this.”

“Everything will be fine. Don’t worry too much.”

-Finally leaving. You’ll be back faster than this, right?

“Good luck, Your Highness!”

“Say everything you want to say! And make sure to get a promise!”

Isabel and my friends waved their hands with bright faces.

The white flippers and black forepaws also fluttered. The corners of my mouth twitched on their own.

It was a scene I wanted to capture in a photo and keep.

Thump, thump! Before I knew it, a black hole had appeared in front of me.

“I’ll be waiting, Your Highness.”

The last person I made eye contact with was Christel. I smiled brightly and nodded.

I tapped my carry-on bag once, grabbed my staff with my right hand, held the vine in my left hand, thought of Stubborn in my arms…

I thought of the peace and clues I could gain from this journey.

And I jumped into the unknown space.

*

It’s hot.

“Ugh. It never ends.”

How many hours have passed? I should have borrowed a pocket watch.

“Huff, huff… Whew…”

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

I took out a water bottle and drank some water, and took off my thin gown and put it in my carry-on bag.

I didn’t expect to easily join up with the Crown Prince, but he really didn’t leave a trace.

Since it’s a maze that even screens entrants, it’s probably guiding everyone on a different path.

He’ll be fine. I nodded to myself and started walking again.

I’ve encountered dead ends several times, but so far it’s been okay.

Thanks to Demi’s vine, I was able to return to the crossroads each time.

-Step, step, step…

“Hoo. Hoo.”

The labyrinth ‘Labyrinthos’ was cool like a cave, and it actually looked more like a cave than a maze.

The World Tree’s remaining roots covering the interior created a generally round shape.

However, there were no geometrically shaped stalactites or stalagmites like in a limestone cave.

It wasn’t that big either, with a height of about the first floor of an apartment building and a width of only my friend’s studio apartment.

The problem was this damn black tree branch.

-Thud!

“Gently. Jung Yeseo, gently.”

The World Tree had thick stems throughout the maze, and sometimes it took the form of a very plausible tree.

I had to bend my body several times to avoid the huge pillars.

The floor was covered with black, dead feet like ink, making it uneven and rough.

I’ve been extra careful since I fell hard a while ago.

There were also many sloping sections, making me feel like I was trekking.

“It’s hard because of this, because of this.”

-Isn’t it hard because of me?

As I muttered, ‘She’ questioned me as if she had been waiting. I chuckled and looked to the side.

Of course, I was also taking the maze’s test as a test. It’s been an hour or two.

“You’re not real, so why would it be hard for you?”

Then the ‘Guardian Spirit’ persistently followed me.

It’s called a spirit, but the opponent was just like a living person.

It wasn’t translucent like the ghosts of the Chaum Ruins, and it didn’t float around.

The footsteps and breathing were also real. When I ignored his gaze, the middle-aged man openly groaned.

I roughly expected it.

If it’s a test to look into the vessel rather than the ability, I thought it was likely to be mental torment.

Isn’t that a cliché that often appears not only in novels but also in movies and dramas?

-You conspired with your brother and pushed Mom into a nursing home! Then you should be having a hard time!

“…”

I habitually made a smile. Then I walked forward silently.

The guardian spirit, who had transformed into my mother, didn’t give up and spewed out bad words.

The way she spoke, her gestures, her expressions, her tone. Everything was exactly like my mother, which was amazing.

So the saying that they examine the soul was real.

Seeing them dig up everything, even the parts that were pushed into the corner and covered with a blackout curtain.

-Aren’t you sorry? How did I raise you to do this? You’re ungrateful, really. Ungrateful!

“…”

The screaming grew louder and louder.

-You guys locked Mom up! Mom wanted to see Eunseo’s college entrance ceremony and graduation ceremony! You kicked me out of the house. Are you listening to me?

“…”

-Even animals don’t do this, Jung Yeseo! Even animals don’t do this to their parents! You’re not even crying now!? Hey!

“Excuse me.”

I stopped. The guardian spirit looked at me with wide eyes.

It seemed like she thought her torment had finally worked.

I wiped my face with a handkerchief and said.

“The way my mom spoke like that… was right before she was hospitalized. When she was very sick.”

-You…

“So honestly, it doesn’t have a big impact. I was somewhat trained by then. All three of us.”

-“….”

“It would have been more effective if it was my mom when she was healthy. Or Eunseo would be fine too.”

And I gave a bitter smile. The guardian spirit stared blankly at me.

I packed my towel, leaned on my staff, and moved forward again.

Saaaah… I heard a sound effect like something disappearing from behind, but I didn’t look back.

A pungent ink smell lingered at the tip of my nose.

Wait, ink?

-Hwaaaaa!

「As expected, the one who inherited the will of the main god is different.」

“Gasp!”

I was so surprised that I took a step back.

I was just as startled as when the guardian spirit first appeared in front of me. What is that writing in the air…

-Wheeeee!

Black letters with pure white outlines were floating up.

In an instant, goosebumps ran all over my body and the back of my neck felt dizzy.

That wasn’t handwriting, it was a web page or a font for printing.

The shocked lips were gaping like a goldfish. Here, here is really―

「Well, it wouldn’t make sense for us to test you.」

“…”

「Beloved being.」

I clenched my trembling hands tightly.

Then I looked at the old staff and thought of my teacher, and I looked at the solid green vine and thought of Demi.

I felt Stubborn’s small warmth in my heart.

When I closed my eyes tightly and opened them, I remembered what the guide of the Ark had said.

-The world is already relying on you.

“Me…”

Let’s calmly figure it out. Please.

What’s appearing right in front of me now is probably another form of the guardian spirit.

It’s just a matter of judging my qualifications, so there’s no need to think of it as scary.

The problem is the title the other party is calling me. ‘The one who inherited the will of the main god’?

I don’t know who the main god is, and I don’t know what she wants, so how can I inherit it?

The reason why ‘the world relies on me’ is probably because of that (I didn’t think there would be a reason more than that), but this clue was truly confusing.

I’m a possessor who has never even read Toegye Gong [a famous Korean Confucian scholar]…

“Ah!”

A thunderbolt-like realization struck the top of my head and spread tingling throughout my body.

My jaw dropped on its own.

You know, Jung Yeseo. You already guessed why you possessed on the first day you came here.

Then maybe,

-That’s right. The pervasive sense of guilt wasn’t even hidden. Was it that difficult…

Hmm. A beautiful male voice I didn’t know rang out from behind.

The letters under my nose danced like a mirage, and soon they blurred one by one like tears.

I slowly turned around.

I had a very ominous and scary feeling, but I couldn’t avoid it.

The guardian spirit, who had once again taken human form, was consuming my vision.

-Hello, Yeseo.

“…”

The violet eyes curved beautifully. My breath caught in my throat.

-My name is Yeseo Venetian. Do you like my body?

I was shocked and stood there as if nailed to the spot.

Every time he walked, his glossy blonde hair swayed.

His posture, voice, and the way he held his gown. Even the speed at which he blinked was different from mine.

So I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I knew he wasn’t real, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“I…”

I know I don’t need to react. But my mouth moved on its own.

The maze had become a scary space like a prison.

-You’ve come into my body and done a lot of good things.

“…”

-You saved children, took care of divine creatures, and caught people who were doing bad things.

“…”

-You’ve made a lot of friends too.

Gulp. The sound of swallowing was loud. Then he, Prince Yeseo, laughed cheerfully.

So that’s how he originally smiled. That’s the impression he changes into and that’s how he uses his arms.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology came out unexpectedly. It was a moment that even I didn’t recognize.

Just like a word that was lingering on the tip of my tongue, just like that.

“I didn’t intend to possess you. I didn’t want to complicate your life. Actually, I don’t even know how this happened. But,”

-Are you making excuses?

“…”

The smile momentarily disappeared from the young man’s face. I quickly took a breath.

That wasn’t it. I’m not trying to make excuses, I’m―

-I’m grateful that you didn’t use it for bad things, but this is theft. You know that yourself.

“That’s…”

I had to say no.

-I had to move when I opened my eyes, and I had to eat when I moved. I understand. But isn’t your behavior so far clearly crossing the line?

I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

-My body, my memories, my relationships, my public reputation. Mine…

He continued to speak softly. I bit my lip.

-Everything about me. My life…

I tasted a clear taste of blood. Even this wasn’t mine.

-You’re taking it all away.

He declared sadly. Then I felt a terrible sense of despair.

It was an emotion mixed with guilt that I couldn’t distinguish. I twisted my parched tongue and moved it.

A trembling voice came out.

“…What do you want me to do?”

-It’s simple.

The man reached out to me. His white fingertips were the same as mine, but different.

I slowly closed my eyes. I was going to entrust him with the final judgment.

I had to, and that was right. Then no more…

-Kwang!

Flash! I opened my eyes wide and looked around. For a moment, I thought I was mistaken.

But it wasn’t.

-Kwang! Koong!

With a strong shock, the maze rumbled and seethed.

Prince Yeseo and I made eye contact. He had a troubled expression on his face.

Only then did I feel a hot flame awaken my brain.

My vision cleared and my mind was cleared with snow-white ashes.

I hurriedly threw myself in the direction closest to the epicenter.

Then I put my forehead against the wall as if looking for a breathing hole.

Beyond this, he is there.

“Cedrick!”