All this time, at the very start of my fourth cycle, Rayleigh was already suspecting me.
I didn't do a great job pretending to say the least...
Her father came rushing here, to lend us his aid with the king, I could only stand and listen to his words.
He apologized for being late. Leonard seems like a well-mannered gentleman, he must've had quite the bond with the original Luden.
Soon, he started congratulating us for managing it ourselves, saying he was proud of us, but my mind was spiraling.
"Luden, say something..." Rayleigh spoke.
Her voice broke my reverie...
I need to pay more attention.
Sir Leonard stepped closer, examining me. "Is something bothering you? You're just standing there, Luden. And what did you mean by asking if you knew me?"
I didn't have an answer. It was a slip. I scrambled for an excuse, do I claim it was a joke? I don't think the real Luden would act like that.
"Aha, Sir Leonard, it's good to see you!"
Leonard wasn't used to the way I acted, perhaps in the past, the original Luden would've acted more noble and formal.
» [System]: Suspicion high... Player do be careful with your next actions...
I know, I'm thinking of a way out of this...
"Father, this morning I saw Luden lying on the floor, he was."
...Wait?
Instantly I cut her mid-sentence, it was an opportunity.
"It was the poison vial! Ever since I drank it, my memories have been foggy, and I can't remember why I drank it... Then your daughter, Rayleigh, saved my life..."
The best excuse I've ever come up with...
Now I just had to pray it was enough to convince them because I had no idea why the real Luden would've poisoned himself.
» [System]: Impressive player, lying might be the most reliable way to move forward.
I'm one awful liar.
Rayleigh turned her attention to me. She said, why couldn't I remember drinking such a thing? She was worried that I'd lost my mind.
I assured her that I didn't remember, amnesia was my answer. It was my only dialogue option.
But her father... it only fueled his suspicion, telling me that I drank the poison, and it somehow affected my memories. That it was so potent, it even changed my mannerisms and the way I speak.
...Shit...
"Can such a thing even happen, Luden?" Leonard won't let it go, and I feel the pressure crash down on me.
"My Daughter, what else do you know?"
» [Warning]: Suspicion increasing.
That's not helping me, System. Why aren't I getting any brainwave signals? I need your assistance right now.
» Negative.
Why?!
Tch.
All this time, I've been hiding my scars on my neck, not wanting Leonard to see.
My eyes pleaded with Rayleigh, to not share the fact that this body tried choking me, and the incident with the shattered mirror.
But Rayleigh was surprised that I could make an expression like this. She was hesitating, clearly debating whether she should share the incident.
I can only hope she considers that I have my reasons and that she shouldn't share something so personal from someone she considered a dear friend!
"Father, I was about to say that Luden drank poison, and I helped him recover. The people were verbally harassing him, and…"
"I… I think he might've tried to—Father, I'm not sure. But it looked like he gave up, he tried taking his own life..."
Rayleigh… came up with an excuse. Or was it? Was that her interpretation of my situation?
Well, I could turn this into my favor right now.
But Leonard looked concerned for my well-being. Perhaps he sympathized with my position in this world, his expression was much more gentle and understanding.
Once again, Rayleigh saved the day.
---
"Father, he shared something during the meeting with the king, about his past. And it was quite… a sensitive one," Rayleigh added.
"How so, my daughter?"
"It was about Luden's mother and father," she leaned in to whisper the details of my 'past' to Leonard's unsuspecting ears.
"By the heavens, I did not know!" Leonard looked shocked.
"I am truly sorry you had to go through that."
I made a sorrowful expression, capitalizing on the opportunity for more pity. "I forgive you, Sir Leonard. It's just—"
"It's just been a rough time. And I remember… I considered suicide because I couldn't bear it all anymore."
Now I'm really acting...
» [System]: What a performance. Bravo.
Do something useful, please.
» [System]: ...
It's not over, we need to hope they don't realize the biggest contradiction. I claimed the poison affected my memory, yet I remembered my past with the Banshee Queen.
» [System]: They seem to buy your story, Player. You're such a liar.
...No comment...
But the expressions on their faces, Rayleigh looked touched, and so did her father, who stepped forward and gave me a pat on the shoulder.
"The pain won't last," Leonard said gently. "I promise I'll do what I can to support the two of you."
"Thank you fa—" ...I almost slipped. Almost said 'father.'
Ahem—
"Thank you, Sir Leonard."
I think both of them noticed the near slip, but maybe they just found it endearing...
Now I'm curious. What kind of history does the original Luden have with Rayleigh's father?
He seems too comfortable with leaving me with his daughter, did the original Luden also save him in the past?
"Very well, I won't keep the two of you for long," Leonard said, taking out his wallet, and handing 10 gilds to Rayleigh.
And of course, her face lit up.
"Father? This is so much! Thank you!" Rayleigh gave her dad a warm hug, and I watched in amusement, they seemed close.
---
But one thing caught my eye.
When they hugged, I saw Sir Leonard's right hand. There it was... a blasphemy crest. That symbol.
He must be a Domination class.
...Domination...
Why do I—
» [ERROR]: CORRUPTED MEMORY LEAKING
» [ERROR]: CORRUPTED MEMORY LEAKING
» [ERROR]: CORRUPTED MEMORY LEAKING
» [ERROR]: CORRUPTED MEMORY LEAKING
» [ERROR]: SANITY 167/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 147/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 126/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 101/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 97/180
Weakness...I felt it all over my body.
Accompanied by a throbbing headache.
I look at my right hand, there, it's itching, I had the domi—
My name was dae—
» [WARNING]: I SUGGEST NOT TO DWELL ON SUCH INFORMATION FOR YOUR SAKE.
What are you even saying right now? What information?
System tell me everything I need to know...
» [SYSTEM]: DENIED
"Luden! Luden! Are you okay?!" I felt her hand on my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was red—corrupted code and glitching text everywhere.
....And multiple death timers.
...Alongside multiple eyeballs... on every part of Rayleigh's body.
I panicked, I pulled out the wand, and aimed at her.
I was terrified.
"LUDEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" screamed Rayleigh, she immediately tried moving away from the wand's direction.
In an instant, her father vanished. His Domination Crest flared deep red.
He revealed his class: [Dreadnought].
He pinned me down with great strength disarming me with my wand in the process but he wasn't trying to hurt me, the other guards approached aiming their rifles at me, they yelled for backup, but Leonardo screamed at them, telling them not to call for anyone else.
"Luden—boy... Calm down... This isn't like you, you promised to never hurt my daughter, Luden I trust you, you helped my family so much, you don't want to do this." Leonardo's words were heavy with guilt, I know he didn't want to do this.
Rayleigh was in shock, she couldn't believe that Luden, for the first time, aimed a wand at her.
But my sanity kept dropping.
» [ERROR]: SANITY 89/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 78/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 67/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 50/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 40/180
An excruciating mental pain, my face contorted in the process, Leonardo, using the gift of his Blasphemy Crest, sensed the signs of a collapsing mind...
"Is someone attacking his sanity?!" yelled Leonardo, Rayleigh quickly pulled herself together, looking around for any potential threats that could be attacking my mind.
But there was no one, everyone in the room was confused, what kind of attack was this?
But they don't understand.
Everyone's faces are filled with eyeballs looking at me.
Even the guards, my wand, and the floor, all have twitching eyeballs, accompanied by multiple error text, and glitched faces and skins.
Wake me up from this nightmare.
» [ERROR]: SANITY 38/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 37/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 34/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 32/180 [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: [ERROR]: SANITY 29/180
» [WARNING]: SANITY TOO LOW
I heard voices, unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.
I felt so cold.
I'm hallucinating: horrific images of angels, and people...
And there he was, the original Luden: standing in front of me with those glowing crimson eyes. A true Banshee.
He lunged at me, hands around my throat, choking me to death.
"Get out of my body, you disgusting mortal..." Luden growled as he strangled me.
Not a soul could see what was happening.
I couldn't speak. My voice was slipping away along with something far more terrifying.
Why was I so scared of dying?
I don't want to die. Please, stop choking me. I don't want to die. Please... stop... I don't want to die.
The hands around my neck were as terrifying as real angels.
I don't want to die. Please, stop choking me. I don't want to die. Please... stop... I don't want to die.
» [Tier System Intercepting]: Once again the original system is so easily corrupted.
» Player, you look so empty... I wonder when I'll be able to talk to you normally. That massive sanity pool saved you just in time...
» I cannot let you restart here.
» [Emergency]: Initiating Mental Shut Down...
» 3...
» 2...
» 1...
» Please, grow stronger and reach me...
» For now... I granted this pathetic excuse of a weak system a small upgrade, it will aid you.
» Goodnight... Player...
Chapter End.