C908
Raon trembled at the sight of the black heart beating at Rensia's waist.
'What is that...'
The black heart was alive, breathing, and emanating a faint anger. Just looking at it made his chest tighten.
"Ah..."
Dorian seemed severely nervous, dropping the bag he was holding and falling to his knees.
"Rensia, you..."
Kerin was also too shocked to continue speaking, only murmuring Rensia's name.
-You saw it, didn't you?
Rensia pulled down her shirt to cover the black heart protruding from her chest. Judging by her flushed cheeks, she seemed embarrassed despite her confident tone.
"As Sir Kayden said, there is never a life of constant happiness. Montiro may seem filled with smiles and joy on the surface, but inside it rises a very dark shadow. It is a huge shadow that cannot be erased with money or power."
She shook her head, saying it was something neither she nor anyone else could solve.
"Can you tell me what that is?"
Raon pointed to the black heart still visible at Rensia's waist.
-You know what oysters are, right?
-Yes. We bought some when we went to your house too.
Rensia really hadn't wanted to buy them, but Raon had brought some, thinking some of her siblings might like them.
"Oysters have the ability to purify water; that's why they are called cleaners of the sea. If you put them in a dirty tank, they will clear the water in just one day."
Suddenly, with a shadowed smile, she brought up the story of the oysters.
"It's the same as that."
"What...?"
Raon asked, unable to accept Rensia's words. In truth, he seemed to understand what she meant, but he didn't want to think about it.
"I heard that this black heart we have absorbs the negative energy flowing from this land and sends it somewhere else. Sir Kayden, we are not human."
Rensia tremblingly grasped the black heart protruding from her body.
"This Montiro is a huge tank, and we are mere oysters purifying that tank. Here we can only live by consuming the dirty energy."
She pressed her lips tightly together, with a tear hanging at the corner of her eye.
"It surely can't be..."
"That's right. As you can guess, Sir Kayden, all the residents of Montiro, except those with status, have this heart like mine. Even my siblings."
Rensia lowered her head and said that even her younger brother, who had just turned six, had received this heart transplant.
"That's why I made the clothes. So they wouldn't irritate their skin..."
She let out a despondent laugh, explaining that was the reason she wove clothes.
"Those bastards!"
Kerin, unable to contain himself, clenched his fist until it bled.
"How could humans..."
Dorian trembled with disbelief in his eyes.
-Invoke this king immediately.
Wrath frowned and shook his shoulder.
-I will destroy those criminals who use demonic energy in that way.
Even he seemed very angry, with a powerful aura emanating from his blue eyes.
"...."
Raon took a deep breath as he looked at Rensia. He wanted to get angry like the others, but now was the time to gather as much information as possible.
"When you say people with status, do you mean the hotel manager or those so-called heroes?"
"That's right."
Rensia nodded, saying those people were the supervisors.
"And everyone else has a black heart..."
Raon shut his eyes tightly, recalling the residents of Montiro he had met so far.
«Now all the questions have answers.»
The Black Tower had used the residents here to create a barrier to hide the demonic energy, which was why not even the slightest demonic energy or death energy could be felt.
-Yes. With humans of this scale sacrificed, there isn't even a trace of demonic energy or death energy.
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn't believe it.
-Those guys from the Black Tower or whatever are not worth living.
He raised silver frost that emanated murderous intent, as if he wanted to storm the Black Tower immediately.
-But the residents didn't have hearts protruding like that, did they?
Raon squinted, looking at the part of Rensia's body where the heart still protruded. Being at a beach, there were many shirtless men, but he had never seen a heart like this.
"Most have it attached to their heart, but I have undergone two surgeries, and when I get angry, the heart protrudes like this."
Rensia shook her head and said she was the only one whose heart came out like that.
"So, when you met Félix..."
It seemed that the reason her anger had spilled over when she met Félix, the leader of the Hochang Division, was that her heart had protruded in that way.
"That's right. That person..."
Rensia nodded, gripping her trembling wrist.
"He put this heart in me and in my siblings..."
She lowered her gaze and said that Félix was the one who implanted the black hearts.
"That's why you carried that backpack. To hide the black heart in case it protruded."
"Yes...."
Rensia nodded, confirming it was correct.
-That bastard! I didn't like how he looked at us with contempt from the very beginning...
Kerin gritted his teeth, showing killing intent towards Félix.
"This time, I'm angrier than scared."
Dorian clenched his fist tightly, saying he felt the same.
"Does it hurt?"
Raon looked at Rensia, suppressing the urge to run out and deal with those so-called heroes.
"About once a month, it hurts a lot, but unless the heart protrudes like this, it’s not too painful."
Rensia nodded as if everything was fine. If what she was saying was true, it meant she was currently in intense pain, but there was something to do for future plans.
-I’m very sorry, but could I touch that heart?
"What?"
Rensia's eyes widened as if she didn’t understand what he meant.
"It's the last thing I’ll ask."
Raon tilted his head and said it was something he had to do.
—Then I will put a condition on you too. I will let you touch it, but please leave this place immediately.
Rensia lifted her shirt again and said that was her condition. The girl closed her eyes tightly, apparently out of embarrassment and pain.
"There’s no choice."
He had to examine the black heart directly to know where the Black Tower was and how to remove it. Even if he didn't know, it was necessary to pass the information to the Chamber.
"I'm sorry."
Raon extended his firm hand and grasped the black heart that protruded from Rensia's waist.
"Ugh...."
Rensia bit her lip as if it hurt, but didn’t say anything.
"It’s demonic energy and death energy."
-Yes. Now I can feel the demonic energy. But it is moving from this child’s body to another place.
'Is the direction downward?'
-It’s downward, but it’s not something physical. It needs to be seen as another dimension.
Wrath shook his head and said he wouldn’t come out even if they dug into the ground.
"In the end, everything depends on the Chamber."
It wasn’t something he could resolve alone. It seemed he needed to return to headquarters and consult with the Chamber.
-So what I have to do is...
He used his upper dantian and his Fire Ring to the fullest, perfectly memorizing the movement of the black heart and the flow of mana.
"Thank you."
Raon patted Rensia on the head and then took a step back.
"Yes...."
Rensia lowered her shirt with a sigh of exhaustion. Sweat was running down her forehead, apparently from the effort.
"Are you okay?"
Dorian pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Rensia's forehead.
"You’ll leave now, right?"
Rensia raised her trembling hand, asking them to keep their promise.
"Why do you keep telling us to leave?"
Raon squinted and looked into Rensia's green eyes.
"There was someone like you before, Kayden. They tried to save the sister who raised me, and that person and their whole family were erased from the world. And my sister too..."
Rensia covered her eyes and forehead with her hand, as if recalling past events.
"So that’s why you’re taking care of the children..."
"That's right. Just as my sister helped me, I take care of the children. So please, leave us alone."
Rensia bowed her head, pleading. Her emerald eyes wavered with various emotions and concerns.
"Grr!"
"Rensia...."
Kerin turned the hilt of his great sword as if struggling to contain his anger, while Dorian finally let the tears that had been welling up in his eyes fall.
"We are not just us; you and the Merchants Association could also disappear. No matter how much money you have, you can’t defeat the people who control this Montiro."
Rensia bent her waist and said, "Please, leave now."
"I see."
Raon rubbed his chin and stood up.
"I promised and I must fulfill it. We will leave this place as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow."
"What? No, Head of the Association!"
Kerin's lips trembled, as if he hadn’t expected Raon to say they would leave.
"The young master!"
Dorian also shouted his former title, wide-eyed.
"Shut your mouths."
Raon ignored Kerin and Dorian's protests and pulled a gold coin from his shirt pocket.
"You did well."
He nodded slightly and tossed the gold coin to Rensia.
"...."
Rensia stored the gold coin she received from Raon in her pocket and bowed her head.
"Thank you. Please make sure to leave tomorrow."
She exited Raon’s room with those words.
"Uf...."
Rensia leaned against the wall and pulled out the gold coin she had received from Raon. She examined the coin closely before storing it in her inner pocket and then shouldered the backpack she had left behind.
'This is right.'
This is the way to save everyone. Rensia put on a fabricated smile as if she had never been sad and walked down the well-lit hallway, humming a melody.
* * *
As he had promised Rensia, Raon left Montiro and then took a detour to return to the headquarters created by the Chamber. The swordsmen who had infiltrated Montiro at the same time as him had returned and were resting.
"You’re here."
Chamber requested a chair so he could sit with a bitter smile.
"...Good job."
Karoon also nodded slowly, saying he had done well.
"You both saw it, didn’t you?"
Raon clenched his fist, pointing to the necklace that Chamber had made for him.
-Yes, thanks to you, we learned everything.
A cold aura rose over Karoon’s red eyes.
"I realized once again that it's not worth keeping the demonized humans of the Black Tower alive."
He moved his long fingers as if he wanted to go out right now and annihilate the Black Tower.
"I knew the demonized humans were filthy bastards, but I didn't expect them to exceed even my expectations."
Chamber bit and crushed the lollipop she had in her mouth.
"Damn it! I want to go out right now and kill them all!"
Martha ruffled her hair and kicked the ground.
"We should freeze them so they can never get out..."
Even Runaan furrowed her brows, saying harsh words she normally wouldn’t say.
-I agree! Our ice girl knows what she’s talking about!
Wrath raised his hand and said that the ice girl was indeed the best.
"My role is to contain you, but I don’t want to do that this time."
Even Burren let out a sneer of disdain, unable to contain his emotions.
"Raon. Did you check the movement of that black heart?"
"Yes. It’s hard to explain in words, so I’ll show you using the aura."
Raon took Chamber's hand and transmitted everything he had felt when he touched the black heart.
"As expected."
Chamber nodded, pulling out the stick that remained from her lollipop.
"That black heart is a very small dimensional door that absorbs negative energy like demonic energy and death energy and sends it to the Black Tower."
She smiled deeply at Raon.
"So can we open that dimension?"
"Normally it would be impossible, but thanks to you telling us the movement and flow of the black heart, we should be able to track it and reach the Black Tower."
Chamber said it should now be possible and drew a large circle with her finger. With a clap, the mages of Balkar, including Jayna, gathered with dazzling eyes.
"Are you ready?"
Chamber looked at the mages with a deep smile.
"Now it’s our turn to move."
* * *
The door creaked open as Rensia carefully opened it after slinging her blue backpack over her shoulder. Although she hadn’t applied much force, the sound was inevitable due to the dilapidated state of the house.
"Sister?"
"Are you leaving already, sister?"
Her siblings woke up to the sound of the door opening, rubbing their eyes as they got up.
-Yes, I have to go to work. I’ve prepared the food, so eat slowly.
Rensia greeted her siblings lightly and left the house. As she was leaving the slum area to head towards the entrance of Montiro, a tip of a red spear suddenly appeared before her eyes.
"Ah..."
Rensia's lips trembled at the sight of the spear blocking her path. She could feel the black heart protruding from her waist pressing against her backpack strap.
"Fortunately, it seems it’s not like that."
Félix, the leader of the Hochang Division and the dark doctor who transplanted the black hearts into the residents, slowly shook his head.
"What? What are you doing...?"
"The Kayden you guided a month ago returned to his Merchants Association and is enjoying a decadent life, throwing parties. I was worried you might have said something unnecessary, but it’s fortunate."
Félix's eyes narrowed slightly.
—Well, after seeing your sister die, you wouldn’t do anything foolish.
He lowered the shaft of his spear as if it were natural.
"Continue living diligently for our sake. You have a lot to protect, don’t you?"
Félix disappeared towards the hill after leaving those words.
"Yes...."
Rensia couldn’t move from that spot for a long time, even after Félix left. She forced herself to put on a doll-like smile to go to work and descended from the slum.
"Jaja..."
However, it was especially difficult for her to contain her emotions today. When she raised her trembling hand to touch Kayden’s gold coin in her inner pocket, she felt a little better.
"It's okay. This is for the best."
It had been a month since Kayden left Montiro. At first, she feared he might suddenly appear, but fortunately, that hadn’t happened.
'What luck...right?'
To be honest, a part of her hoped Kayden would return. He reminded her of the sister who had raised her; he seemed indifferent but showed kindness at important moments, so she wanted to see him again.
That’s why she had an even stronger wish for him not to come. The darkness that had enveloped that Montiro was too great for anyone to erase.
"Nothing has changed. I will protect the children instead of my sister."
Rensia wiped the moisture from her eyes and ran towards the main gate of Montiro. She had too much to protect to remain immersed in sadness. She approached the tourists passing through the gate of Montiro, bowed her head, and asked them to use her as a guide.
However, they seemed to be frequent visitors to Montiro and didn’t want to use a guide, and most hired children even younger than her.
"Welcome!"
Rensia maintained a smiling face despite her heavy heart and approached the people who looked like travelers.
"Is this your first time in Montiro? I’m a local, so I can guide you to the best places."
She greeted them cheerfully, just as she had when she met Kayden, calling out to them to hire her.
"You say you can guide us anywhere?"
The man who seemed to be the center of the group tilted his chin.
—¡Yes! There’s no place in Montiro that I don’t know!
Rensia thumped her chest expectantly.
"Alright. We’ll hire you."
The blond man nodded and tossed her a silver coin.
"Thank you!"
Seeing him toss the coin reminded her of Kayden, which made her heart race, but she maintained her smiling expression and bowed her head.
"Please take this first."
Rensia distributed the flower necklaces she had made to the six of them and then smiled.
"Where would you like to go first?"
"We’d like to see the sea first."
—¡Okay! I’ll guide you!
As most tourists went to the sea first, she nodded and guided them to the nearest beach.
—¡This is Montiro’s pride, the emerald sea! You can see right through it, can’t you?
Rensia opened her arms and said it was possible to swim, surf, and fish.
"It hasn’t changed much."
The blond man clicked his tongue, muttering that it wasn’t interesting.
How could it change in that time?
The slightly chubby man let out a hollow laugh.
"Oh yeah? Had you been here before?"
-Yes. A month ago.
The blond man looked up as he said he had arrived a month ago. His blue eyes resembled the emerald sea, but strangely, they reminded her of someone she had seen a month ago.
"No way...."
"It’s been a while."
Kayden, to whom she had revealed her secret and had tried to send away safely, had returned to Montiro.
"Why...."
Rensia dropped the gold coin she was holding in her pocket onto the sandy beach in shock.
"Why did you come back? You promised you would leave!"
She broke her doll-like smile and shouted, asking why he had returned.
"I promised I would leave. I didn’t promise I wouldn’t come back, did I?"
The man whose name she didn’t even know smiled gently.
"Are you stupid? I told you it’s dangerous here. Even after saying that..."
"I’m strong. No, we are strong."
Golden flames rose in his blue eyes.
"We will break this tank called Montiro."
-
More Ch4pters on KoreanPlayer
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
Thanks for the support
