A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 129

Chapter 129: Fog (2)

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Epherene sprawled on the floor, drooling and scratching her stomach. The Drowsing Fog must have gotten to her. With a sigh, I lifted her slack form and laid her on the bed.

"Is Allen asleep too?" I mused quietly.

Across the room, Allen lay on the other bed, softly snoring. I settled into the chair, watching them both. They didn’t seem to be having nightmares, but my Sharp Eyesight picked up something—a status effect.

[Status Effect: Coma]

Coma. The word held a weight like no other. He glanced at the clock—it was 6 o’clock 6 minutes in the morning, or more precisely, 6 o’clock 6 minutes on the 6th day.

“... How strange.”

I picked up The Case Files of Goreth Island once more and resumed reading the sections I hadn't yet finished.

The residents of Goreth Island vanished abruptly. According to a witness who had been fishing at sea during the incident, the entire island was enveloped in a thick fog at that moment.

It spoke of the fog. Even now, I could see the thick fog swirling around my feet.

The passage of time on Goreth Island differs from the outside. Upon setting foot on the island, one instinctively perceives a month as 36 days for reasons yet unknown.

Hetrog’s earlier words quickly resurfaced in my mind.

“... Opens precisely at 18:06 on the 6th, 16th, 26th, and 36th days.”

The calendar in this game world was the same as Earth’s—365 days a year. A 36-day month just didn’t exist.

It is believed that Goreth Island is a part of the Coma—a realm where dreams and reality blend. It is a peculiar place, known to consume the subconscious mind of those who enter.

“... Goreth,” I murmured, the name hanging in the air. Then, almost instinctively, it began to unravel in my mind, slowly shifting into a different name.

“Hetrog.”

I stood up and went down to the first floor, where Hetrog's team usually gathered. A thick fog filled the space, and only three remained—Ihelm and his two protégés. The other fifteen members had vanished, like shadows swallowed by the fog.

“What a bother.”

I used Telekinesis to lift Ihelm and his protégés, moving them to the second floor. After carelessly placing them on the beds, I turned to Epherene, observing her calm breathing. I paused, then slipped off my gloves. Placing my hand on her forehead, I activated Comprehension, attempting to peer into her dream.

[Dream Comprehension: 2%]

However, it was going to take some time, most likely because all five—or maybe even everyone in the castle—were locked up in the same dream...

***

At some point, Epherene woke up, an odd sensation settling over her.

How did I end up here? What was I supposed to be doing? Epherene thought, glancing around, her head tilting in confusion.

“Please make your preparations; we’ll be leaving shortly,” one of Hetrog’s teammates instructed.

“Oh, right.”

They were in the middle of a mission. In the meeting room, Hetrog and his team stood alongside Assistant Professor Allen, Ihelm, and his two protégés. Each of them wore a bracelet, connected to one another by a rope around their waists.

“Hmm...”

But something felt off. She couldn't quite explain it or understand why, but a sense of emptiness lingered within her.

As Allen adjusted his gear, he glanced at her and asked, "Miss Epherene, is everything alright?"

“Sorry? Oh, no... it’s nothing,” Epherene said quickly.

“Is everyone prepared?” Hetrog asked, scanning around the room.

Epherene nodded almost reflexively.

"Alright, let's proceed," Ihelm replied.

“Yes,” Hetrog replied, glancing at his wristwatch. At exactly six minutes and six seconds, he opened the door. “6th day, 6 minutes, 6 seconds. Commencing exploration.”

“Shall we proceed?” Hetrog asked, finishing the recording in the crystal orb.

"Yes, let’s head inside," Allen replied with a cheerful smile.

Together, they entered the passage—a wide, dark tunnel cloaked in thick fog, obscuring everything beyond a few steps.

“Everyone, please keep a firm hold on the rope,” Hetrog cautioned.

Epherene gripped the rope tightly as they moved forward, each step tense, ready for a ghost to jump out at any moment.

"Leaf," Ihelm called sharply.

Epherene glanced back at him and asked, "What?"

"Doesn't it seem a bit strange to you?"

Rustle—

The sudden echo of footsteps cut through the stillness.

Epherene replied calmly, “I’m not sure. What do you mean?”

“What else do you think? It just feels too—”

“Over there,” Hetrog interrupted, stopping Ihelm mid-sentence as he pointed ahead.

“Hmm.”

“Oh?”

Ihelm and Epherene turned their eyes to where he was pointing.

“It’s the entrance to the inner chambers of the Ghost Castle,” Hetrog explained.

At the end of the passage, where the fog thinned, a massive door loomed in the distance. Just seeing it sent a chill down their spines—it was covered in what looked like veins or tentacles.

“After countless explorations, we believe that the core of spatial discontinuity lies within this area,” Hetrog explained.

“Hmm. I can understand why. There's an immense flow of mana within,” Ihelm remarked.

Epherene nodded in agreement, though a vague sense of something forgotten lingered in the back of her mind.

"Now, we will begin our approach."

Just as Hetrog moved to open the door—

“Wait! Stop!”

A voice suddenly cut through the darkness, stopping them. They turned toward the sound, eyes sharp with caution. Slowly, four shadowy figures emerged, drawing closer.

“Who... Oh?!”

Epherene, readying herself for a possible fight, froze as soon as she spotted them. Her eyes widened with recognition. The red-haired woman, and the two children at her side... Epherene knew them all too well. _{ƒreewebɳovel.com}

“The Red Garnet Adventure Team?!”

***

While trying to comprehend Epherene’s dream, I sent my Wood Steel exploring through the castle’s halls. My goal was simple at first—to find that demon and kill it. Although I couldn’t track him down, I did get a good sense of the castle’s layout.

By measuring the mana concentration in each room, I mapped out the different spaces within the Ghost Castle. The structure wasn’t continuous; each area had its own distinct mana density. For example, if one room had 3.1503% and another had 2.9825%, they were clearly a separate space.

Using my Wood Steel, I continued measuring the mana concentration, repeating the process until I counted 3,663 rooms. The number felt strangely familiar. I glanced at a line from The Case Files.

The initial count of missing persons was 3,535, with about 100 more disappearing since then.

3,535 people and 3,663 rooms. The numbers were strangely similar, too exact to be a coincidence. I pressed my hand against the wall and came to a simple conclusion.

“They weren’t simply missing,” I whispered.

The cause of the spatial discontinuity was clear. The entire place was alive, each section a living, breathing entity.

“They became part of the castle.”

“Deculein,” a soft voice called out, and I turned to see who it was. “I think it’s been a while since we last met.”

It was Carla, a named character called the Authority. As expected, she wasn’t locked in the dream as well.

“Are you here to challenge me?”

“I don’t think so,” Carla said, shaking her head slowly. “Deculein, have you happened to see the child?”

That gentle tone, always laced with a touch of uncertainty—that was Carla. It was just part of who she was.

“... Are you referring to the demon?”

“No, I think he’s more of a half-human, half-demon.”

Half-human, half-demon. As soon as I heard it, one name came to mind.

“Carlos?”

“Yes. I wonder how you know the name already.”

Carlos was a complicated one. As a named character, he could turn into a villain, a lunatic, or just an ordinary human, depending on how the quest went. Unpredictable as ever. Still, I didn’t expect him to be this young.

“I’m wondering what you plan to do with the child,” Carla asked.

There was no need for me to think any further.

“Exterminate it, without question.”

“Hmph. It has been a while, Ganesha,” Ihelm said, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at her.

“We’ve got some ssam, too,” Ria said, taking out a handful of leafy greens.

“It’s called ssam,” Ria explained. “You basically place the meat and vegetables in the leaf, wrap it up, and then eat it.”

“Oh~ So you just wrap the meat and veggies in the leaf and eat it?”

“Mm-hmm, it’s very tasty,” Ria mumbled with her mouth full.

Epherene watched the child chew, then decided to try the ssam herself. She added three pieces of pork and some mushrooms to the leaf, sprinkled on some herbs and salt, and took a large bite.

“Wow!”

Wrapping another piece of meat into a ssam, Ria said, "They say ghosts do everything in reverse."

“Everything in reverse? Like walking on their hands or something?” Epherene asked, making another ssam for herself.

Ria turned to the boy beside her, Leo, and handed him a ssam she made. He took it eagerly, like a baby bird.

Epherene stuffed another ssam into her mouth and glanced at Hetrog. To her surprise, he was making a ssam too. She quickly looked away, pretending not to notice.

“... Gulp.”

Epherene swallowed her ssam whole without chewing, feeling it catch in her throat. Her eyes widened at what she had just seen. Hetrog had put the meat down first and placed the leaf on top. He’d made the ssam in reverse...

“... Um, Mr. West?”

“Oh, come on. It’s clearly something,” West replied with a gentle smile. To Epherene, his face blurred with the ghost from her nightmare the night before. “Just tell me, what’s—”

“Eek—!” Ganesha screamed, sprang into battle mode, while Epherene turned toward the source, mana already surging through her.