R4STWH - Chapter 88
Chapter 88
A flash of light erupted behind Zero. Something mangled was rapidly regenerating. It resembled a lizard, though not quite a dragon.
“What? You didn’t kill it?”
“I kept it alive. If the boss monster was dead, there’d be no reason for you to come here.”
I considered my options.
Killing the boss monster wouldn't be difficult.
However, judging by the message that the boss monster had been “fully strengthened,” I was certain who the two new entrants were, so I needed to stall.
“Why don't you show us what you’re capable of?” Zero said to Elias, his provocative intent obvious. But…
‘That’s exactly what I wanted.’
A fully strengthened S-rank boss monster was a rare opportunity!
‘Its HP, attack, and defense must have increased by at least four times. And judging by its regeneration rate, it seems to have a healing skill as well.’
Elias’s current priority was to gain experience and level up by fighting stronger monsters.
As expected, Elias’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he looked at the boss monster.
“Alright.”
Perhaps he wanted to wait for it to fully recover before attacking.
Elias drew his sword only after the boss monster had regenerated completely.
“I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
I didn't bother giving him advice or telling him to be careful.
When it was just the two of us, I knew he enjoyed my fussing and concern, so I tended to be more expressive, but I knew…
Elias didn't need that anymore.
A red net of mana, Elias's “Mark,” a special skill of his “Chaser” title, appeared on the boss monster’s forehead.
Elias vanished the moment the mark appeared.
Crack!
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared above the monster, landing the first blow.
Although invisible to others, the monster’s body would be covered in glowing marks, indicating its weak points.
He attacked them efficiently, his movements precise and calculated.
Even Zero seemed momentarily captivated by his agile movements, so unlike someone who had only awakened a month ago.
“Impressive, isn’t he?”
“Not really. He’s still far from our level.”
“He’ll catch up soon. Unlike us, he has no restrictions.”
“He only grew stronger because of your help.”
I just grinned, ignoring Zero’s remark.
He knew he was being unreasonable. Elias wasn’t the only one who benefited from the knowledge and resources accumulated by previous generations.
Although it hadn't been intentional, I had become a monster through the abilities implanted in me at the lab.
And Zero, born as CODE NO.0, was the biggest beneficiary of those horrific human experiments.
Compared to us, the help Elias received was insignificant.
“Whitey,” Zero said.
“Yes?” I replied, keeping my eyes on Elias, just in case.
“He’s not your Pair.”
His unexpected words startled me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you really think it’s possible for people from different worlds to be paired? It doesn't work that way.”
“Why are you so sure? You wouldn't know, but the moment our eyes met, I felt a jolt, like being struck by lightning.”
“That’s just because you were smitten with his face.”
“…….”
I couldn’t understand why he was saying this. Although it was true that I couldn't take my eyes off Elias’s face…
“Whitey, snap out of it. He’s not your Pair. I am.”
I finally looked at him.
“What?”
“You have a duty to bear my children.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded, and he took out a platinum card from his inventory and handed it to me.
“You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?”
It was a Pairing Key, granting access to various resources and support for producing gifted children. In this world, it served as a marriage certificate.
And to my surprise, it displayed both Zero’s and my code numbers, linked together.
“Where did you get this?” I demanded, unable to hide my shock. “Why do you have something I didn’t even know existed?”
Zero met my gaze, his emerald eyes, not his own, serious and intense, making my heart clench.
“Do you remember coming to my house right after escaping the lab?”
“Yes.”
“Our world had already designated you as my Pair. This was issued then.”
“But you… you chased me away,” I said, my voice cracking. “You called me filthy, tossed me a bag of bread, and slammed the door in my face.”
“I was too young then… I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“…….”
I stared at him, speechless.
I didn’t know how to process this.
Why was he telling me this now, after all this time?
We’d been reunited for years, fighting side by side, risking our lives together, but he had never…
“Ilesha!” Two figures burst through the open door.
“You, seriously! How could you not reply even once…!” Yumi, in Selena’s body, stormed towards me, fuming, then stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on the Pairing Key in my hand. “What the hell?” she said, her gaze shifting to Zero, filled with accusation. “You actually showed her that? Are you crazy?”
Baeksa walked over to me and snatched the key. “Don't worry about this. It’s just a relic from a dead world.”
Their reaction told me that they already knew about the Key.
I was the only one who hadn’t known that Zero, not Elias, was my Pair.
“Ilesha…?”
Elias, who had finished off the boss monster, walked towards me, wiping the dark green monster fluids from his sword with a sharp flick of his wrist. “What’s wrong? Did they do something to you?” He pulled me protectively into his arms, his eyes wary.
“Long time no see, Duke Tenaclad. Just so you know, we just arrived. We didn't do anything,” Yumi said, raising her hands.
Notification windows about defeating the boss monster and contribution rankings flashed in my vision, but I couldn't focus.
‘If Zero is my Pair, then who is Elias’s? Who was he supposed to be with?’
The assumption I had believed without a doubt shattered, leaving me confused and afraid.
Was Elias’s insecurity and constant fear that I would leave him because he instinctively knew we weren't meant to be together?
Had I ruined the happiness he was supposed to have?
“Ilesha, why are you…”
I couldn’t stop trembling.
But even after learning the truth, I still couldn't help but love Elias.
His warm, broad chest, his strong arms, his scent, his voice, all comforted me, even now.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s okay. It’ll be okay. It’s over now, so let’s go home.”
I needed to tell Yumi about changing our method of communication, ask how she was doing, and check on her integration with her new body, but…
I couldn't bring myself to do anything, so I just buried myself in Elias's arms as he lifted me.
“Whitey, wait…”
Yumi rushed over and clamped a hand over Zero’s mouth. “Just go. Whatever nonsense you heard, just forget about it.”
“Yeah, we’ll contact you, so reply this time!” Baeksa and Yumi called after us.
Elias and I left the dungeon, ignoring them.
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