Chapter 35 Nightmare 2
“So, you came here to get something, and ended up locked in here?”
“Y-yes…”
“Then why are your hands empty? And usually, aren’t things in here ice-attribute magic? It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you.”
“Well, well, well…”
“Teacher~ Don’t forget what I told you, be honest~ be straightforward~ be bold~”
Will originally just wanted to tease Liya a bit and didn’t expect her to tell the truth.
After all, she was always tsundere, who didn’t know that?
To his surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Liya covered her face with her large hat.
“Th-then I’ll tell you everything… everything? Y-you, you, you cannot laugh at your teacher!”
Liya skipped her internal monologue and explained how she saw Will take the letter, and how she accidentally picked it up off the ground.
“…Does anyone actually believe that letter?”
“W-well… Ahahaha…”
Liya chuckled awkwardly.
“Never mind. Will, don’t worry, the warehouse is checked regularly. If we’re lucky, the security guard on duty will come soon. If not… someone will definitely come in the morning!”
“That’s not exactly good news.”
“W-worst case scenario, you still have me.”
And so, the two of them squatted side by side on the ground.
Liya secretly looked at Will.
He was wearing the summer uniform. Entak First Academy only had two types of uniforms, but the capital’s climate was extreme, with short springs and autumns, so two uniforms were sufficient.
However…
Liya thought Will must be cold, and reached out to touch his arm.
She felt a slight electric shock.
Perhaps it was because Will was still carrying that strange coin, but since the temperature was steadily dropping, her accelerated heartbeat and magic circuits felt less intense than they would have outside.
“W-why are you suddenly bothering a student?”
“Who-who’s bothering you? I just, just thought you might be cold, so I touched you to see if you were. Indeed, your skin is a bit cool.”
“Uh… that behavior of yours is a bit like my mom…”
Will realized he didn’t have a mom in this world after saying that.
It’s okay though, if that’s the case, having a loli-mom isn’t so bad.
“Who-who wants to be your mom! At least I’m your sister.”
Even at a hundred years old, women still hated being called older.
Liya said that as she unfastened her magic robe and draped it over Will’s head.
“It-it’s not… not concern… Forget it, it is concern for you. Your arm is quite cool, and we don’t know how long we’ll be locked up here, so put it on first.”
After saying that, Liya turned away, her ears and half of her chubby, baby-faced cheeks red.
Actually, the teacher’s uniform also only had winter and summer sets. After taking off the robe that completely concealed Liya’s figure, she was actually wearing a short-sleeved uniform and a pleated skirt, paired with knee-high socks and small leather shoes.
Although it was a teacher’s uniform, on her, it looked no different from a regular JK.
Will was surprised.
Although it wasn’t the enthusiastic direct approach he had imagined, but… but she really had improved! She actually voiced her concern for someone else to their face.
Excited, he grabbed Liya’s arm—
“Yes, yes, yes! Liya, that’s it, thank you! Hey, be a bit happier, I thanked you. Smile more cheerfully~”
“Are you-you-you sick—”
Because the door was closed, the warm air outside was also cooled down. After a while, the temperature inside the warehouse gradually dropped.
Even with the dragon’s stomach acid reinforcement, Will still felt a bit of a chill.
According to the original novel, if he were locked up here until 6:30, those brats who bullied him would obediently open the door, as they didn’t want to cause a death. After opening the door, they would throw the cold, unconscious Will into the woods and run away.
Therefore, without any divine protection, and with his magic circuits being pathetically weak, Will, though it wasn’t apparent at the time, later developed side effects, becoming even weaker. This led to him only being able to act as a healer in the party.
6:30 was the time in the original novel when Young Master Will became delirious, stared at the clock, and heard the door being opened—Thank goodness for such detailed descriptions. Though, from the perspective of the original work, giving such a minor character so much detail was completely unnecessary!
There was still about an hour left.
“Hoo…”
Will’s exhaled breath could already form a white mist in the air.
The dragon’s stomach acid could ensure that his magic circuits and body would not be damaged. This was information he and Mr. S had obtained after repeatedly cross-referencing literature and practical experience in dungeons.
Although it wasn’t the “bitter cold” described in the original work, Will still felt a trace of chill—the difference between these two could be likened to walking in the snow in the dead of winter without clothes, versus stepping out in the rain on a cool spring evening wearing just a single layer.
But wrapped in the magic robe with a faint scent of Liya, there was a strange warmth.
It was like the cozy feeling of being wrapped in a comfortable quilt on a cool rainy night, listening to the gentle patter of rain outside the window.
Wrapped in a quilt…
Looking at the rows of shelves filled with items, all made of iron and gray. Because they were freezers, a layer of ice had formed on the boxes.
Will suddenly felt sleepy. Thinking about it, ever since he enrolled, he had been staying up late almost every night. Because Liya’s plotline involved many changes, he still had to make time to handle coursework assignments.
Sleep… a severe lack thereof.
The easiest time for people to fall asleep was probably when they were wrapped in a small quilt.
Those gray cabinets, one by one, twisted and grew taller, eventually transforming into towering ice walls that reached the sky.
The ice walls were indestructible, and each side was so smooth and transparent, easily reflecting one’s shadow. There was no wind, and large, fluffy snowflakes drifted down. The ice walls and the ground were covered by a thick layer of snow, already two meters deep.
This was…
The most formidable BOSS on the 70th floor of the “Apex of the Galaxy” dungeon, the “Snow Woman,” who hid in the “Snowfall” terrain and fully utilized the environment. Compared to the powerful attacks of other dungeon BOSSes, this Snow Woman was adept at defense and attrition. In such a snowy and icy world, just walking was difficult, let alone fighting.
But in this icy landscape, the blonde Liya, wearing a large witch hat and holding her staff, trudged forward, stepping deep into the snow.
Facing the towering ice wall before her, she stopped.
“This is… Extreme Flame Meteor—!”
“This is… Extreme Flame Meteor!!!!!”
“This… is… Extreme Flame… Meteor!!!!!”
She repeatedly shot her proud skill towards the ice wall, only to be met with immovable absolute defense.
A thick layer of snow covered her hat, turning the deep purple brim white.
The hem of her robe was buried in the deep snow, and frost settled on her shoulders.
Snow clumps formed on both sides of her small leather shoes, and her black socks were dotted with white.
“…Damn it… Xiu, you… listen to me—”
After over a dozen meteors streaked across the sky and crashed against the ice wall, even the witch couldn’t hold on. She knelt on the ground, hugging her staff.
“…I… I don’t hate you at all.”
“I never hated you from the beginning.”
“The reason I drove you away was… was because I was afraid… afraid that if I lost you later… I would cry uncontrollably.”
“Can you hear me? Xiu… You must be able to hear me, behind this wall…”
She spoke while panting, her breath forming white mist.
Her usually high-pitched voice trembled uncontrollably.
Her usually agile body was slowly stiffening.
Her usually bright eyes were gradually becoming cloudy.
She took out a bottle of red Blood Mint Essential Oil from her pocket and poured it into her mouth.
“Before… before I couldn’t say these words…”
“Damn it, I… I should have said them sooner…”
“…Then, let me tell you, I… Liya Ferranmure Ellemont, want you to come back! I need you to come back! I’m waiting for you to come back! I really, really want—”
“If you don’t answer, then I’ll break this wall and make you answer!!!”
Her incantation was incredibly fast, and a flame ignited from her right hand.
In that vast expanse of ice and snow, she was the only light.
“Take this strike of mine—”
The witch, inheriting the name of “Flame,” broke through her limits, pouring all her strength into a blow towards the impenetrable ice wall, a strike that illuminated the dim snowy landscape of dungeon floor 60…
However…
It didn’t move.
It was still there.
It stood firm.
This single flame bullet, which Liya was immensely proud of, only managed to make the mirror-like ice wall reveal the scenery behind it.
The person Liya had repeatedly mumbled about had been standing behind the ice wall the entire time, watching her pathetic state with a serious expression.
And behind him, the beautiful black-haired Snow Woman stood with him, looking more like comrades who had fought side by side for many years.
She brought him a cup of steaming hot coffee, then kissed his cheek.
【Too late.】
She couldn’t hear his voice, but Liya could read his lips.
“Wait—How could… how could…”
She rushed to the wall.
“I… I did my best, how could I still…”
She pounded on the transparent ice.
“Too late… Yes, too late… It’s all… all my fault… Can you… can you look back at me one last time?”
Her fingers slowly slid down, her eyes fixed on the back of the person behind the insurmountable wall of sighs.
Whoosh—
In an instant.
The ice wall, which she had tried to break with all her might, re-froze, leaving only her own tear-streaked, ugly face. Her red magic eyes were swollen from crying, and large tears streamed down.
Will watched, feeling a chill.
Chasing after the back of the person she admired, only to be rejected and get a view of her ugliness and crying face, as if mocking the witch’s hesitation and lack of honesty.
The illustration in the novel stopped at this moment, the image of her crying tears of regret as she slid down the ice wall.
Ah… it’s really cold.
From a proud witch to a crying, regretful loser, all it took was a gust of wind and snow, one act of heartlessness, and unstoppable tears.
Perhaps this is what it means to be tsundere.
But…
Liya who drove him away to protect him from political turmoil…
Liya who helped him clear all the text from his desk…
Liya who gave her robe to a student…
“Liya…”
“Ferranmure…”
“Ellemont…”
“…You’re not very cute like this.”
More than his field of vision, Will first felt the area around his body becoming warmer than before.
Then, something tickled his cheek.
And…
A deafening roar—
“I-I gave you my shoulder to sleep on… and you’re still calling me not cute, don’t push your luck too far! Will Systom!!!!!”
Liya flashed away.
Thump.
Will landed solidly on the concrete floor.
