— 1st Failure
I pushed as far west as I could before trying to head north, but Urokoonu's barrier blocked my path. Driven by sheer desperation, I charged in, only to be effortlessly beheaded.
— 2nd Failure
I pushed north through the marshlands before attempting to break out to the west, but just as before, the barrier snared me. That time, I was captured, tortured, and died.
— 3rd Failure
I tried heading north from the eastern flank, but ran straight into Fuguo, the blowfish-headed monster, and was slaughtered on the spot.
— 4th Failure
I spent time developing concealment items before taking the northwestern route, but Urokoonu's barrier detected me all the same, and I died.
— 5th Failure
— 6th Failure
— 7th Failure
........................................................................................................................
— 78th Failure
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Just how many times had I started over? I kept count for a while, but eventually gave up once the sheer absurdity of it sank in.
By now, I didn't even flinch when the torture began. The only things keeping me moving were my burning rage and hatred toward them, a helpless frustration at my own pathetic weakness, and above all, the desperate wish to reclaim those peaceful, ordinary days I had shared with everyone.
Then, after finding a route as precarious as threading a needle, I finally arrived right on the doorstep of my destination—the marshlands.
"I can see it..."
Far in the distance stretched a lake of an unsettlingly vivid blue. That was the infamous acid lake, a place that repelled all living things.
Finally. If I could just reach that spot, the strongest being would be there. And if I found them, everyone would be saved. Char would be saved!
For a dizzyingly long time, I had endured death after agonizing death. But now, at long last, I could take back those peaceful days.
I frantically wiped away the tears spilling from my eyes and prepared to dash down toward the marsh, when—
"Too baaad, so sahad. This whole area's already inside Achiki's belly-nooon."
That raspy, all-too-familiar voice rang through the air. Standing right before my eyes was Urokoonu, striking her usual bizarre pose.
"Wh...y?"
I forced the word past my bone-dry throat.
"Did you really, honestly think you made it here all on your own-non? Ob-obviously, Achiki let you-no nen."
"On purpose...?"
I could only parrot her words in disbelief.
"Well? How's it feel? When a little insect squeezes every drop of wit it has, finally thinks it accomplished something, and then gets the rug pulled right out from under it? That hurts the most, doesn't it-no yehn?"
She asked with a squirming, ecstatic look on her face.
No. Not this. Anything but this. Was that all this had been? Had I just been foolishly dancing in the palm of her hand the entire time?
"I've had... enough!"
Screaming at the top of my lungs, I used Mimicry of the strongest being and bolted toward the lake.
The place I had spent so long trying to reach was right in front of me. That single truth wouldn't let me give up.
And yet—
"Useless, useless, useless! It's useleeess-noon!"
She seized me by the throat from behind and hoisted me into the air.
"No... Please, no more..."
Having lost even the strength to fight back, I could only murmur those broken words.
"Oh my-n, are you crying-non? It's so pathetic it's got Achiki's heart fluttering-ahn."
With my left hand—the only part of me I could still move—I drew a knife from my waist, drove it straight into my own throat, and died.