A Horror Novel’s Supporting Character Wants to Live as a Human

Chapter 271

Chapter 271

Earnestly hoping that tomorrow wouldn't come was the first time, no, the one hundred seventy-first time for him.

But since there was no proper solution for the Leng Plateau that was approaching,

He just rode the carriage and was dragged along as the party moved.

What should he do? What should he do about this?

Jump off the running carriage? No. With the Leng Plateau right in front of them, the procession wouldn't stop just because of him.

If only he knew how to exercise Aphoom-Zhah's authority, he would collapse the road.

While he was earnestly staring out the window helplessly, Evana's horse came close and knocked on the door.

"Are you okay right now? No problems?"

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine.""Then that's good."

He could hear her muttering "I thought someone had died" as she moved away.

No, he wanted to die right now instead.

While he was being transported helplessly, the road steadily became more treacherous,

And later there came such rough roads that it was difficult for the carriage to enter.

Getting off the carriage, they decided to leave Walter here just in case.

Cellinne gave up the horse she was riding and boarded with Evana, while he and Yurik got on a horse together.

As they climbed the narrow, steep rough path in single file, the sides of the road became increasingly higher.

Between the mountains, and through passages where no one seemed likely to come, after traveling for more than half a day with breaks in between.

"-Wow."

A plateau area wide and cozy enough to make Cellinne exclaim in admiration spread out before their eyes.

Though the altitude was high, the land was flat, so all kinds of small plants were growing here.

Flowers and grass he had never even seen the names of, refreshing wind.

The air was cold enough to cool the white dried sweat on the horses' chests.

They stood dazed for a moment, admiring the scenery untouched by human hands.

Evana looked as if enchanted, then came to her senses and asked.

"Is this the Leng Plateau? For a mysterious place not recorded on maps, it's quite ordinary."

"But when we decoded various ancient texts, they all pointed to the same place. This must definitely be it."

While Dardin and Evana were talking,

Yurik silently walked forward and knelt on one knee.

He pushed aside grass and wildflowers to stare intently at what was underneath, then let out a sigh so small that no one could hear it.

Ah, could this not be the right place?

He quietly approached and whispered.

"Is this the right place?"

"The terrain has changed a bit, but it seems right."

"Damn!"

"We need to go further inside. That's where the real Leng Plateau will be."

Having said that, Yurik stood up and shouted to the people behind.

"Follow without straying. We'll leave the horses here. I'll take the lead, and check if there are any problems at the rear."

The party formed ranks with practiced ease. He was protected right behind Yurik.

As they slowly advanced together toward the center of the plateau, he could feel the air subtly changing.

A sensation that seemed to tingle, like being gently tickled with feathers while constantly making him conscious of it.

What had Eibon said long ago after hearing magic lectures from Aphoom-Zhah?

-The whole world is full of magical power. Sensitive people, especially mages, can feel something when they go to places rich in magical power.

-Really? Have you ever felt something?

-My skin always stung when I was next to His Lordship or Yesung. It gets better when I'm farther away. If not you two... I think I felt something similar when we went to seal Shaguna Fan.

This was the sensation she had talked about then.

Not just him, but Dardin and Evana standing behind also shuddered and said a word each.

"I'm getting more and more nervous."

"I don't know much about ancient mysterious places, but this is fitting for a place where the first emperor sealed demons."

It seemed the Leng Plateau that Yurik created was a place so rich in magical power that even ordinary people could feel it without difficulty.

Well, if it imprisoned countless demonic beasts, that much magical power would be necessary.

As he continued to endure the stimulation, he later even had the illusion that his whole body was becoming numb.

Yurik also walked as if he couldn't feel anything, then suddenly raised one hand.

The party's footsteps stopped in unison.

In front of him where he had stopped, a small rock was sticking out incongruously.

The rock itself didn't look special except for scratches carved on its surface.

But it was so alien compared to the surrounding scenery

That anyone could notice at a glance that it was some kind of special device.

"Your Highness."

"It's the first emperor's test."

"Will you be alright?"

"I just need to pour in the exact magical power. It'll be complicated, but it's not beyond what I can solve, so there's no change in the plan."

Yurik, former first emperor and current 3rd Prince, spoke seriously.

He tried not to laugh while biting his lips tightly.

Whether he did that or not, Yurik took out a small pouch from his chest and turned it over.

As various brilliantly colored gems rolled out, Yurik held them in his hand and rolled them lightly.

Dardin grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back slightly.

"We don't know what might happen, so let's step back."

"But."

"There won't be any part we can help with. His Highness knows well about the first emperor's test."

Of course he would, since it was himself!

In the end, he stepped back a few paces and looked at Yurik's back.

If it was as he said earlier, he needed to put in 'exact magical power.'

From Yurik's and his perspective, the magical power source they could obtain right now was obvious.

Sure enough, Yurik pressed his thumb firmly against the sharp edge of a gem.

As blood drops gradually seeped out, red light swirled among the gems and then disappeared.

Yurik seemed to be concentrating hard to interpret the scratches carved on the rock and carefully measure his magical power.

Neither too little nor too much. To meet the conditions he had set in the past.

After pondering for a long time, he counted the gems that were beginning to glow slightly and carefully fitted them according to the scratches on the rock.

-Click.

The gems with blood smeared on their surfaces mysteriously fit perfectly into the scratches on the rock and settled into place.

The moment Yurik was about to push in the last yellow amber,

Wind blew.

"...?"

His skin continued to tingle.

The wind was still cold and refreshing, and the ground where flowers grew wild hadn't changed at all. It was all the same scenery.

It was the same when he looked back.

The people behind him were the same too. Still 5 people. So Dardin, Evana, Cellinne, Bailies and.

...Wait. Didn't Walter stay behind to guard the carriage before coming to the plateau?

The moment he realized that fact, the timing when Cellinne and Bailies' expressions changed dramatically as they sensed something strange, and when an intruder who had followed without anyone knowing moved, all overlapped simultaneously.

Bailies shouted.

"How did you get this far!"

Everything happened slowly, but in an instant.

The stranger first stabbed Bailies' throat with a small, sharp dagger as he drew his sword.

The sword Bailies swung cut the assassin's face. However, it was Bailies who fell.

As blood spurted from his throat like a fountain and he collapsed, Evana screamed.

Cellinne deflected the assassin's dagger turning toward her and threw a punch.

While Dardin pushed Evana aside, the assassin deflected Cellinne's blow and kicked her abdomen.

Cellinne, who was disadvantaged in size, was sent flying far away, and the assassin who had knocked down Dardin, who was far from combat, in one blow turned his eyes in his direction.

To be precise, he was probably looking at Yurik who was behind him.

As soon as he stepped back, that bastard rushed at him faster than anyone he had ever seen.

He wasn't worried about Yurik.

Yurik was the strongest in this worldview,

And he would have experienced such attacks fifty times more than him.

His reflexes far exceeded ordinary people, and his combat power was beyond words.

So even if he avoided this front attack, Yurik could kill the assassin instantly without blinking an eye.

But. Even knowing that.

-Slash!

"Yesung!"

He couldn't bear to dodge in case Yurik would be disappointed again. And the price came back immediately.

From his stomach to his shoulder,

A few drops of blood that didn't feel like his own splattered along the cleanly drawn trajectory.

When had his blood turned so bright red?

As he stood dazed in the surreal feeling, the assassin opened his eyes wide in confusion and swung his weapon once more.

Short, sharp pain.

The clothes Cellinne had lent him were torn. Something was falling to the ground with thumping sounds.

Unable to withstand the shock of the dagger being thrust in, he stepped back one more step. However, the weapon didn't come out again.

Rather, tendons bulged in the arm holding the handle, conveying the will to finish it this time.

But before the deeply embedded blade could completely damage his internal organs,

-Crack!

"Kugh...!"

A sword extending from behind his shoulder pierced through the assassin's chest.

It was a terrifying force that even shattered his ribcage.

And the owner of this sword was, of course.

"...Yesung?"

Yurik, pale as a sheet, was looking down at him.

Wait, when had he collapsed?

Everything came at him one beat slower. The familiar pain, the tingling skin, the gradually cooling body.

When he turned his head, he could see Evana running to Bailies beyond the assassin's corpse.

Cellinne was coming while panting with her waist bent, and Dardin hadn't regained consciousness.

He couldn't tell when the impurity had gotten attached.

But the most important thing right now was something else.

"Yurik."

"Don't talk. Wait until Evana can look at you."

"Blood."

"You've lost too much blood. Don't close your eyes. Try not to fall asleep!"

"That's not it, blood..."

Only then did Yurik seem to realize something and turn his head.

The rock a few steps away.

Red traces splattered messily on the gems.

His blood that the assassin had spilled without any plan.

Two people with the same nature. Magical power. The first emperor's test. The exact amount of magical power. Yurik's bloodstains on the gems, with his blood added on top.

"This is bad."

Yurik groaned low.

-Rummmmmble...

The ground vibrated. Everything around shook and Evana and Cellinne, who had been standing, lost their balance and fell.

"It's an earthquake!"

"Your Highness, get away from there!"

No. This wasn't an earthquake.

Blurry forms appeared and disappeared above the blackened rock.

Things from another dimension, not this world, that had been trapped and hadn't seen fresh offerings for thousands of years.

Children of life-bearing gods, things that couldn't hide their injected instincts even though an era had come when even the remnants of their parent gods had rotted and disappeared.

His heart, having lost blood, began beating violently.

A familiar smell. The screams of unborn things buried in mud echoed faintly in his ears.

This was the Leng Plateau.

The sacred ground where the first emperor had sealed demons.

From the small rock in the middle of the plateau where green had been so beautiful, black corruption began pouring out uncontrollably.