Chapter 144 : Companionship - 4
Chapter 144: Companionship - 4
Crack.
It felt as though the air itself had frozen solid.
For a brief moment, I couldn’t understand why he was saying something like that.
But I soon realized.
‘Damn it!’
I tried to interfere, but before I could, Magireta opened her mouth first.
“The game already started, didn’t it? Look, the Bulletin Board is up.”
“I know. If I want to Reshuffle after the quest has started, I’ll have to put my life on the line, right? I’ll offer it.”
“……I told you before, but I can’t tolerate you constantly requesting trades by using your infinite lives as collateral.”
“That’s why we agreed to trade only once per quest. I believe I’ve been faithfully keeping that promise.”
Magireta fell silent.
Aina whispered, cold sweat running down her face.
“What is that bastard thinking?”
“He knows I can see the future. That’s why he avoided my trap last time.”
“Then…….”
“Yeah. He’s trying to render the future I saw meaningless.”
“This is bad. We have to stop him.”
No, the Reshuffle itself couldn’t be stopped.
To block that, we would have to offer something more valuable than Edgar’s life.
And obviously, I couldn’t offer the lives of my Companions.
Still, I had to try something.
Magireta spoke.
“Huu. It’s troublesome, but I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“Wait!”
“What is it, Little brother? I don’t like it either, but I can’t block a trade request.”
“I’m not trying to block it. You can accept Edgar’s request.”
“Hmm?”
“Instead, I’d like to make a separate request.”
I continued slowly.
“Even if you Reshuffle, please let us be grouped together with the A sitting over there.”
“…….”
“In short, bind A and us together during the Reshuffle. A request of this level wouldn’t require staking a life, would it?”
Edgar’s face twisted violently.
Magireta also looked somewhat troubled.
But I didn’t care and kept speaking.
“Noona, you said that to Reshuffle after the game begins, someone has to put their life on the line. You can use Edgar’s life for that.”
“…….”
“What I’m asking is only that A and we be placed together. For something like this, a life won’t be necessary.”
“Wait.”
Unable to endure any longer, Edgar cut in.
“Isn’t that too cowardly? I’m the one putting my life on the line, and you intend to hitch a ride on the Reshuffle made possible by my life?”
“How dare you speak of cowardice? You, who have been solving every game so easily with your infinite lives.”
“That’s…….”
“You don’t like my scheme, do you? Then I have a suggestion.”
I raised my index finger at him.
“No matter what you say, I want to play this game together with A. So I’ll request a trade from Magireta.”
“…….”
“If you want to stop it, you can request an additional trade. A trade asking her to reject Mason’s request.”
“That’s ridiculous. Magireta would never accept it. If a trade is proposed, she must accept it.”
“Right. It would be difficult with something trivial. But if the price you offer is great enough, wouldn’t it be possible?”
His expression turned cautious.
“What more must I offer?”
“Well. For example, giving up immortality.”
“……!”
“If it’s that much, it should be sufficient as a price.”
He remained endlessly silent.
Edgar was certainly capable, but honestly, if not for his immortality, he would have died at our Companions’ hands long ago. That was certain.
Even if I failed to be grouped with A this time… even if what I saw in the Future Diary became useless, if I could take away his immortality, it would still be a profitable deal.
Edgar’s contemplation dragged on for a long time.
In the meantime, Armelia whispered.
“Why is Edgar hesitating? Honestly, doesn’t this seem overwhelmingly disadvantageous for him?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Hm?”
“Try thinking from his perspective. The Twelfth Quest isn’t far off.”
Of course, Edgar didn’t know when the quest with the ‘Shoes’ as the First-place reward would appear.
But instinctively, he must have felt it was near.
Well, Edgar and I had signed a Contract beforehand.
In quests where we pulled in rewards using Credit Right, we agreed to yield first place to each other.
However, Edgar would know.
That without breaking the Contract, I would use whatever means necessary to ensure he wouldn’t take first place.
‘I was actually planning to do exactly that.’
If Edgar missed first place in the Twelfth Quest?
He wouldn’t simply be eliminated.
It wouldn’t end with mere death.
He would live forever as Magireta’s toy.
“Although it may seem sudden, what do you think Edgar fears most?”
“Not being able to play the game?”
“Right. Edgar doesn’t fear death. The reason he doesn’t want to die is because he wants to remain in this world and continue enjoying the game.”
“…….”
“But through Louis Danahan, he learned that Magireta’s game also exists in Hell.”
“The Revival Round.”
That’s right.
Even in Hell, Magireta’s game existed.
From Edgar’s perspective, there was no longer any need to cling so desperately to life in this world.
He could still play the game even if he died.
“From the moment he learned about the existence of the Revival Round, the merit of immortality must have significantly decreased for Edgar.”
“…….”
“And in the middle of all this, the quest with the Shoes as a reward, which could arrive at any time. If he misses first place then and ends up living as Magireta’s toy, he’ll never be able to participate in the game again. That’s the future he fears most.”
So he would want to eliminate me before a Quest where the Shoes appeared as a reward.
Because he would not want me interfering.
‘Then wouldn’t he be thinking that it’s about time to make his move?’
To an ordinary person, that kind of idea and way of thinking would be completely incomprehensible.
But Edgar was capable of reaching that conclusion.
Because he was deeply addicted to the Game.
-If I could just kill Mason before a Quest where the Shoes came out as a reward.
-If even after dying, it was still possible to enjoy the Game in Hell.
-Then…… staking everything this time wouldn’t be such a bad choice.
‘That’s what he’d be thinking.’
After a long silence, Edgar finally opened his mouth.
“I admit that you make a valid point.”
“……!”
“But even if I give up Immortality, there is no way I would truly die.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s like this.”
He pulled something out from his chest.
Squirm, squirm.
A maggot I had seen before.
It was Odline Ragna’s maggot!
‘As I thought, Odline had been alive.’
Just as I had guessed, the Third MVP of Hell was a Colony.
Killing one or two of them would never completely erase that existence.
I ground my teeth and said,
“Don’t tell me you…….”
“So you had expected it. Yes, I joined hands with Odline.”
“What exactly do you mean by joining hands?”
“You know that Odline possesses the Omnipotence to revive Monsters, don’t you?”
Of course I did.
“It seems that since I am not yet a complete Monster, it is impossible for him to turn me into his Subordinate.”
“…….”
“But thanks to Magireta’s Omnipotence, my body, which has lived in Immortality for so long, has already become half Monsterized.”
I knew that as well.
That was why it melted upon reacting to my blood.
“So? What are you trying to say?”
“Even if my Immortality disappears, Odline has promised to revive me.”
“……! That’s possible?”
“As I said, half of my body is already a Monster. With Odline’s Omnipotence, that much is possible.”
“…….”
“So…… hehe. It means I can accept your proposal quite comfortably.”
He turned his head toward Magireta.
“Noona. I request two transactions.”
“Speak.”
“First. In exchange for my life, please perform a Reshuffle.”
“And the second?”
“In this Quest, please ignore any trade requests from Mason. No, that’s not enough. While you’re at it, ignore all trade requests from Mason and his Companions. In return, you may take back the Immortality that was granted to me.”
“Hmm……. Little brother, are you sure about that?”
I lowered my head and let my body tremble.
My Companions seemed to think I was trembling with anger or a sense of defeat.
They circled around me and tried to console me.
“It’s fine, Mason. This couldn’t be helped.”
“Who would’ve thought he’d cooperate with Odline to that extent?”
“The idea was good. Just think of it as bad luck.”
“That’s right. Mr. Mason did more than enough.”
“But Mr. Mason. Right now, you’re…….”
“This bastard is smiling, isn’t he?”
That was right.
I was smiling.
I wasn’t trembling with anger, but with joy.
‘You stupid bastard Edgar.’
[What? Why is he stupid? He’s still Immortal either way.]
‘It’s completely different. Immortality originating from Magireta and that originating from Odline.’
[…]
‘Magireta is a truly Omnipotent being. But Odline is nothing more than her hands and feet at best.’
In fact, another MVP, Helena Protro Nine, had already died at Magireta’s hands.
And Magireta harbored very unpleasant feelings toward Odline.
If I cooperated somehow and fulfilled the conditions, she would eliminate Odline as if she had been waiting for the chance.
‘If Odline died, Edgar’s Immortality would disappear as well.’
I barely suppressed my laughter and lifted my head.
Then, in a voice full of grievance, I said,
“……It can’t be helped.”
“That doesn’t seem right? Little brother, you looked like you were about to burst with happiness just now.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Hm. Fine. Let’s say that’s the case. Anyway, request accepted.”
Snap.
She flicked her finger.
Then something began to seep out from Edgar’s body.
I didn’t have eyes that could see Mana, nor could I see souls, but I could clearly tell.
A dark smoke was leaking out of Edgar’s body.
“So that’s her taking back the Immortality.”
Edgar’s expression remained calm.
A moment later, once all the black smoke had drained away, bang—Edgar’s head exploded.
She had killed him once as the price for requesting the Reshuffle.
Under normal circumstances, Edgar would have revived within seconds.
But this time, he was unable to rise so easily.
“Keuk. Krrgh.”
He writhed in agony on the floor.
Not just a few seconds—even after a minute, he still had not returned to his original form.
Only after nearly three minutes had passed did Edgar finally manage to get up.
His face was a complete mess.
His lips were twisted and stuck to his cheek.
His right and left ears were attached one above the other.
His eyes were tilted at about forty degrees, and his nostrils were clogged.
“What on earth is that appearance…….”
“It looks like a clay Doll a child failed to shape properly.”
“Just looking at it feels like it’ll appear in my dreams.”
At that moment, a voice flowed from the maggot sitting on Edgar’s shoulder.
It was less like sound and more like something resonating directly inside my head.
-It’s not going as smoothly as I thought. This is my first time restoring the body of a half-Monster.
I casually interfered.
“No matter what, isn’t that far too hideous?”
-Watch your tone.
“Then you should speak politely too.”
-Hmph.
Little by little.
Each part of his face returned to its proper place.
Like an unskilled novice artisan clumsily repainting a ruined piece to somehow salvage it.
Only after quite some time did Edgar’s face barely regain a human shape.
He rubbed his chin and said,
“I should avoid dying as much as possible from now on. That was truly excruciating.”
-It’s only because this is the first time. It’ll improve gradually. Of course, if you eat my maggot and become a complete Monster, I could restore you instantly.
“I’ll decline. I have no intention of becoming your Slave.”
-Impudent brat.
At that moment, Magireta spoke in a cold voice.
“Odline.”