NOVEL WEB Chapter 9
Is this what it feels like when your feet won’t move?
“Ugh… I have to go. Let’s go.”
I’ve already resolved to do this countless times.
Just as I’m about to take a step, the scene before my eyes automatically makes me take a step back.
“If I keep doing this, my connection to my body might get severed, and that would be a disaster!”
My mind is screaming at me to go inside, but my legs stubbornly refuse to move.
At that moment, the voice of the Saint reached my ears.
“Mr. Death.”
“Yes?”
“You look like you’ve lost all your color. Are you okay?”
The worried gaze of the Saint filled me with an immense sense of unease.
How could a God be worried about a human over something like this?
I awkwardly cleared my throat and replied.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You said you’re vulnerable to blood and gore…”
The Saint’s words made me suddenly fill with embarrassment.
I’ve never been good at managing my expressions, but this time it’s especially bad.
Unable to compose my expression, I covered my face with my hands and answered.
“That’s true. But this is something I need to do as Mr. Death.”
“Is that so? It seems like you’ve had a tough time, Mr. Death.”
The muttering sound, as if talking to herself, touched my heart in a strange way.
Is it because a human worries about me?
Or because someone acknowledges my hardship?
A peculiar feeling arose, and I absentmindedly scratched the back of my neck.
“It’s something I should do, but thank you for worrying, Saint.”
“But why did you want to see this place again?”
“It’s…”
If I tell the truth, it might make her upset again.
At the same time, I can’t exactly hide it.
The only method I can take is one.
‘Prepare to be swayed by the overly excited Saint.’
After counting down in my mind, I calmly confessed.
“Some of the people lying here have passed away. To be exact, ten…”
“What? Passed away? How? Why?!”
As expected, the Saint started shaking me roughly, grabbing both my arms.
I am like a reed. This, too, will end eventually.
Thinking this way, I endured being shaken about by the Saint.
“Mr. Death clearly said that because the connection to the underworld was severed, it’s impossible to die, right?!”
“…Ugh, yes, that’s true, but… please let go for a moment. My head’s spinning.”
“Ah! S, sorry!”
The Saint hurriedly let go.
Oh dear, even though I braced myself, my vision is still spinning.
After regaining my shaky vision, I continued calmly.
“I mentioned earlier that death is now applicable, right?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“The reason I knew that is because of the people here. About fifteen people have died, and their bodies and souls have separated.”
The Saint’s eyes trembled greatly.
“Ten… fifteen?”
“Yes. Exactly fifteen. I can still sense it, but it hasn’t increased further.”
As the Saint was about to grab my arm again, I quickly raised my hand.
“Please. Can we talk about it, Saint? Yes?”
“U, yeah. Sorry. So, how did they… die? How?!”
“…Well, I don’t know.”
The Saint momentarily froze, staring at me.
But I truly don’t know.
The condition for mortality can only be determined when the Book is activated.
“Ah, perhaps you’re asking why death is applicable, not the cause?”
That is top secret.
I made a sound, biting my lip hard after pondering.
“If I explain it vaguely, it might just barely avoid violating the rules.”
Wary of potential punishments, I painfully began to speak.
“Actually, the Gods engraved death on the souls of humans as a precaution for various calamities.”
“…Engraved death?”
“Yes. Simply put, they installed a device on each person that makes it impossible to avoid death.”
Is this explanation safe so far?
Relieved internally, I went on.
“So, the fifteen people activated that device, and the moment I came into this world, death was applied to them.”
“Then! How is that device activated?!”
“…I apologize, but I don’t know that. The one who knows that condition is not me but this guy.”
I sighed and indicated the Book.
Still pitch black screen.
Upon seeing this, the Saint helplessly lowered her head.
“Anyways, I must recover the souls before the connection with their bodies is completely severed. Otherwise, they might become malevolent spirits.”
“So you’re trying to enter because of that?”
I nodded in response.
“Yes. I need to directly examine the bodies to properly assess the situation.”
“Do you need to get close to figure it out?”
“…Yes.”
Sadly, that’s how it is.
When I quickly glanced earlier, there were those who were injured to an unspeakable extent.
‘What if someone is injured to that extent? What then?’
The imagined scene made my stomach churn again.
“…Excuse me, Mr. Death.”
“Yes?”
The Saint, who had been fidgeting with her fingers, looked at me with a determined expression.
“If it’s fine, can I go in with you?”
“Ah, to check the status of the departed ones?”
The Saint quickly shook her head.
“No?”
“…Because you’re worried about Mr. Death.”
“Me? ME?”
Taken aback by the unexpected words, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
The Saint, nodding, looked at me intently with a gentle voice.
“Mr. Death can keep his eyes firmly closed… If I guide you, would it be alright?”
“…”
“Uhm,… I’ll walk carefully and slowly…”
My mind went blank.
As the troubled Saint took a step forward, she cautiously extended her hand.
“…Can I hold your hand?”
The small hand was trembling slightly in the air.
I was dazed, just staring at the Saint’s hand hovering in the air without reacting.
When I made no response at all, the tremor intensified.
I snapped to my senses just in time to find the Saint, her eyes clenched shut, silently crying.
“…Ugh, of course not me…”
“No! That’s not it!”
I urgently reached out and grabbed the Saint’s hand.
The small, cold hand fit snugly into mine, and the Saint opened her large eyes in astonishment.
Carefully, I wiped away a single tear streaming down her cheek.
“Thank you, Saint. Let me make a request.”
“Yeah!”
…I ended up asking for help without hesitation.
Still, it’s better than fainting during the recovery process.
I slowly closed my eyes.
The vibrations felt from the tips of my feet and the clicking sounds echoing through the room filled my ears.
Soon, my body started to be gently guided forward.
‘I didn’t expect her to be this considerate…’
Is she worried I might fall?
She’s walking very slowly and carefully, just as she said earlier.
Her meticulousness seeps through in those measured steps.
“Are you okay? Should I walk even slower?”
“No. This pace is fine.”
A small sigh of relief brushed past my ears.
It seems she’s carefully watching what’s beneath my feet.
The Saint whispered, pausing her steps.
“There’s a pool of blood right in front. If we widen our steps a little….”
“A, yes.”
…Forget what I thought earlier.
The unnecessarily detailed explanation made me shiver.
As I unconsciously shivered, the Saint started to fluster.
“S, sorry. I mean, internal organs…”
“Could you just tell me if there’s something under my feet?”
“Uh, sorry.”
No, I’m the one who should apologize. I’m an unworthy Mr. Death.
We carefully started walking again.
A crunching sound rang out as something got stepped on beneath my feet.
‘…Wha? Is it again?!’
I recoiled in startled haste.
“Why, why are you startled?!”
“B, because I just heard a sound—!”
“Huh? That’s strange. There was nothing there?”
I definitely stepped on something.
As I hesitated about whether to open my eyes and confirm this, the Saint’s voice came through.
“Ah? There are flies… dead ones on the floor.”
“F, flies?”
“…Yeah. Since they always fly away, I thought they’d be fine… But, these flies… are dead?”
Surprise crept into the Saint’s voice.
It seems death was impossible without the permission of fate due to the severed connection to the underworld.
‘This world might be worse than I anticipated…’
I momentarily got lost in thought but shook it off right away.
The most important thing right now is to safely recover the souls.
Other issues can be pondered later.
Still, since the Saint is surprised, I should explain.
“It’s because I’m here. Death among animals and plants doesn’t require permission from fate to apply.”
“S, really? That means…!”
“Woah, just a moment. I think it’s close by.”
I calmly awakened my senses.
The faint signals sent by the souls started getting clearer.
The Saint cautiously stepped closer to my side.
“What do you feel? Where do you think they are?”
“…Right in front of us. We need to get closer.”
The Saint carefully guided me, setting the direction.
Focusing my senses, I took a deep breath.
‘Don’t miss anyone. Not a single one.’