My Illusion Is Survival - Chapter 22

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 22

“You like that piece of trash?”

I couldn’t understand why the man before me hated Azel so much.

But judging from his words, it seemed he had lost someone because of Azel.

‘That’s why he’s condemning him as a murderer.’

However, just as the man had reasons to hate Azel, I also had reasons not to dislike him.

‘Azel wasn’t originally someone who hurt people for no reason.’

Until he completely lost his mind, Azel had always lived doing the right thing.

‘Azel simply eliminated those who would become villains in the future.’

Azel wasn’t a crazy murderer, but someone who stained his hands with blood to prevent greater tragedies that others would create.

But no one knew that fact.

‘Because those things haven’t happened yet.’

In the early loops, Azel agonized over whether he should kill people who hadn’t committed crimes yet.

He was hurt by those who hated him, and despaired at the fact that the same things repeated every time.

His justice was tainted with infamy, and his pride was trampled underfoot.

The special novel released by the developers contained Azel’s terrible life written in a matter-of-fact style.

Just like Azel’s current indifferent expression.

However, Azel’s seemingly nonchalant expressionlessness looked different to me.

He had simply worn down too much and could no longer express emotions.

‘Poor guy.’

I pitied such an Azel.

“Completely insane.”

Then the man’s voice pierced my ears once again.

“I wondered why you were traveling with such trash. You’re an equally crazy woman.”

Disappointed by my answer that differed from his expectations, the man’s eyes that had been filled with strange fervor flickered darkly.

“How boring.”

The man’s gaze was cold.

“What exactly were you expecting?”

When I couldn’t help but ask back, a slight light flickered in his pitch-black pupils.

“For him to be abandoned.”

“…What did you say?”

“Well, he came running desperately when you were in danger, didn’t he? I’ve never seen him like that before.”

“…”

“To think that monster cherishes a human. It’s only natural I’d want to mess with that at least once. How fun would it be if he were shocked by the sight of you abandoning him and running away!”

The man trembled as if the mere thought thrilled him.

“So you wanted to use me to torment Azel?”

“Exactly! But now, you’ve ruined it all. So here’s what I’m thinking…”

“…So what.”

“It’d be better to just kill you.”

“…?”

“Both you and that guy.”

The more I thought about it, the more absurd his way of thinking was.

The term “crazy murderer” suited the psycho before me better than Azel.

‘This is why I hate dealing with guys whose eyes glitter like that!’

Watching the man now glaring at me with mad eyes filled me with immense regret.

‘I should have just stayed home.’

While I lamented my fate inwardly, the situation grew increasingly tense.

“You really don’t know when to stop.”

Clear anger rippled across Azel’s expressionless face.

Thanks to that, only the lunatic before me became even more excited.

“Are you angry now? Is this real? Ahahaha!”

His behavior, unable to contain his joy, even felt grotesque. The problem was that his gaze toward me intensified even more.

“Yes! This was the right answer after all!”

No, that’s not it, so put it away.

“That woman is precious to you. Then I should definitely target her, right?”

However, the man’s eyes were already filled with conviction.

“Alright, pretty girl. I’ll kill you first.”

It was truly the worst conclusion.

‘Why is that your conclusion!’

As I muttered curses reflexively, the figure before me suddenly vanished.

Rather than fear, indignation surged at movement too fast for ordinary human dynamic vision to follow.

“Hello there?”

“…!”

Just as I hesitated at the vile voice brushing my neck, the man’s blade aimed for my throat.

But the blind sword never reached me.

“Kugh!”

Because Azel was in front of me.

“Azel!”

Before I knew it, a gentle breeze arose around Azel. The wind became invisible chains that instantly bound the man.

Whoosh-!

“Still monstrous strength!”

It was truly an ability worthy of admiration.

‘As expected of our regressor!’

The sight of him using magic without incantations couldn’t have been sexier.

While I mentally added to Azel’s list of good points, the man’s subordinates who had been surrounding us also began charging all at once.

“No matter how much you struggle with that vermin-like power.”

“How dare you!”

“Kill hiiiiim-! Attack the monster!”

However, the difference in power was clear.

The scene unfolding before me was closer to one-sided slaughter than an equal fight.

Every time they swung their swords, the ground split and pressure that seemed to cut through the air swept over us, but all those attacks were meaningless against Azel.

Just as even the strongest humans are powerless before nature, their swords merely cut through empty air.

“…Crazy.”

Words I muttered unconsciously formed on my lips.

Because I was getting goosebumps all over from a fact I suddenly realized.

‘He’s a real monster.’

Unlike the struggling enemies, Azel hadn’t moved a single step yet.

But there was something that bothered me.

‘Something seems a bit strange…’

Hidden behind Azel so I didn’t notice right away, but there was an odd sense of dissonance in the scene before me.

“Ah.”

I belatedly realized the source of that dissonance.

‘Why isn’t anyone afraid?’

The attitude of the enemies charging at Azel was abnormally calm.

‘They’re not afraid even seeing such a scene?’

Humans facing disaster inevitably feel fear. That’s what an overwhelming difference in power means.

Yet they acted as if they couldn’t feel the emotion called fear.

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed across the battlefield.

Thud, thud, thud.

Each lightly placed step carried the overwhelming pressure of a mountain. Azel’s expression was cold, and his footsteps were filled with rage.

“Kazen Mayer.”

Finally, someone’s name flowed from between Azel’s lips.

‘Mayer?’

It was definitely a name I knew.

“Did you tamper with the forbidden?”

However, regardless of my concerns, things began to unfold on their own.

“As expected, you recognize it immediately. You monster.”

The man. No, Kazen Mayer let out an unpleasant laugh.

“From the moment I first saw you, I thought you reeked of something rotten.”

“Hahaha! That’s right! I thought I’d need to go at least this far to be able to fight you!”

Kazen instantly broke free from Azel’s restraints and stood up. His movements were light, as if all his previous disadvantage had been an act.

But there was something even more shocking than that.

Kazen’s whites were turning pitch black, indistinguishable from his pupils.

‘What is that?’

My body naturally froze at this strange sight I had never seen even in the game.

“Accepting demonic energy into a human body, are you insane?”

Right then, a familiar term brushed against my eardrums.

“…Demonic energy?”

I already knew what demonic energy was.

That was because demonic energy was one of the most important elements in the game.

‘What did he do with demonic energy? A human accepting demonic energy?’

In this world, there was an unknown force called demonic energy, and anything tainted by it would rot away.

When animals were consumed by demonic energy, they would go mad and rampage, and when land was tainted, it became dead land.

Humans tainted by demonic energy also met miserable ends.

No treatment worked on them, so their fate was to suffer a painful death as the affected areas gradually rotted away.

Against this backdrop, the female protagonist Yulia was the only being capable of purifying demonic energy.

‘That’s how all protagonist one-trick shitty games are.’

People revered the only human who could purify demonic energy as the Holy Maiden.

Demonic energy was essentially a stage device to make the protagonist shine.

That’s why the current situation was even more incomprehensible.

‘A human consumed by demonic energy is still alive?’

Does that even make sense?

However, there was clear evidence right before my eyes.

These were words that came from Azel’s mouth no less, so it couldn’t be a mistake.

Right then, another change appeared.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————