Chapter 252: Tutorial



[Note: Chapter progression…. 20%????]

[Note: System stabilization on command…. Hidden command… stabilizing]

[System error!!!]

[System error!!!]

[Note: Tutorial unlock…]

[Denied!]

[System requirements…. Failed!!!]

[Fragments 2//3]

[Soul refracture incomplete!]

[Forgotten Guidance] [Applied!]

[Forgotten Scenario] [Applied!]

[Forgotten Soul…. In progress]

[….. Fragmented Skills stabilization [Locked!]]

[Note: Fragments of a destroyed world contact….]

[Stabilized!]

[Requirements…. In progress!]

[Note: Mission Stabilization will contradict user soul progression….] [Re-establishing commission of soul fate progression…!!]

[Error!!!]

[Error!!!]

[Scenario maintenance denied!]

[………]

“Huahh~!”

Alice stretched her arms high above her head, greeting the soft golden rays of morning sunlight that streamed through her window.

A gentle smile graced her face as she gazed at the swaying tops of the gigantic trees in the distance, their emerald leaves catching the light in a playful dance.

The fresh melody of birdsong drifted through the crisp air, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.

Mornings like these were usually a struggle for her, her body weighed down by an unnatural exhaustion that made even sitting up a chore.

But today felt different.

There was a lightness in her chest, a spark that had settled deep within her heart, filling her with an unfamiliar yet welcome energy.

“Hmm Hmm~”

She hummed softly to herself, a carefree tune, as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and hopped to her feet.

Her movements were brisk and cheerful as she made her way toward the bathroom.

“Oh my, up so early, are we~?”

A mischievous voice echoed through the room, followed by a puff of gray smoke.

Cheshire, her ever-smirking familiar, materialized in midair.

His disembodied, grinning face hovered at eye level, his sharp teeth gleaming with his trademark cheekiness. “And here I thought you’d sleep in a bit longer, considering how comfy you seemed last night~”

Alice paused, glancing at him with her usual warm smile, though there was a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. “Good morning, Cheshire…” she replied, her tone pleasant but tinged with exasperation.

The events of yesterday flashed briefly in her mind, and her fingers twitched at the memory. She hadn’t quite forgotten-or forgiven-her familiar’s antics that had put her in such an awkward situation.

Still, she decided to let it slide, unwilling to let anything ruin her bright and refreshing morning.

Cheshire’s grin widened as he floated closer, his sharp, catlike eyes watching her with interest.

“Ah, I see. You’re in a good mood, master. Did something delightful happen? Or perhaps it’s the aftermath of certain developments?”

Alice ignored the implication, choosing instead to focus on the sparkle of sunlight filtering into the room. “It’s just a beautiful morning, Cheshire. Let’s leave it at that.”

As she turned back toward the bathroom, Cheshire’s laughter trailed behind her. “Oh, as you wish, my der master- But I do hope you’ll share all the juicy details later. You know how much I love a good story.”

Alice shook her head with a small laugh of her own, stepping into the bathroom with a lightheartedness she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever.

Glancing slightly back at Cheshire, Alice hesitated.

Should she tell him what had happened back then?

The thought lingered, but after a moment of quiet deliberation, she chose to brush it aside.

Cheshire, as much as he was her familiar and confidant, had a knack for turning any situation into a chaotic whirlwind-especially when he found it intriguing.

Whether he knew the details or not never seemed to matter; the worst outcomes always seemed to spring forth when he was left in the dark.

Still, this time, Alice decided that keeping him uninformed was the safer choice, or at least she hoped it was.

Loosening the ties of her white dress, the fabric slid gently down to the floor, pooling at her feet. She stepped forward toward the bathtub, her gaze briefly catching her reflection in the

full-length mirror.

“I’m not getting chubby, right?” she murmured, scrutinizing herself with a mix of curiosity and baseless concern.

It was such an innocent, trivial thought, one born of a young girl’s self-consciousness.

But it was also a welcome distraction from the weightier thoughts threatening to overwhelm

her.

Ignorance of love’s complexities, combined with the fluttering feelings of newfound affection, intoxicated her mind.

Easing herself into the warm water, she let out a soft sigh as the heat soaked into her skin.

The steam rose around her, clouding the air, but it couldn’t distract her from the blush that

bloomed on her face.

Her thoughts betrayed her.

That kiss… that wonderful, electrifying kiss lingered in her mind like an indelible mark.

The soft pink of his lips, the warmth of his breath, and the overwhelming sensation of tenderness-all of it came rushing back, causing her to sink deeper into the water as if she could hide from her own emotions.

“Ah~ What should I do…?” she whispered, her voice tinged with both longing and

uncertainty.

When they had been together before, with the others working to save her, it had been easier.

Her thoughts were consumed by worry for his safety, her focus entirely on ensuring he was

okay.

But now… now there was no distraction, no battle to fight, no crisis to solve.

Her heart fluttered, and her mind felt cloudy at the mere thought of facing him again.

How could she look him in the eyes after what had happened?

How could she confront these unfamiliar, overwhelming emotions that seemed to spiral further out of her control with each passing moment?

For now, all Alice could do was sink into the warmth of the bath, letting the water envelop her

as she tried-and failed-to calm the storm of feelings inside her

…

A young man walked alone down a broken road.

The sky hung heavy with darkness, a suffocating shroud that blurred the horizon.

Clouds of ash swirled in the air, lifted by the corrupted winds that whispered of despair.

Hazy fragments of destruction danced like lost souls, rising into the void above.

The world around him was chaos.

People screamed, their cries echoing in the air like a requiem.

Some begged for salvation, their voices hoarse with desperation.

Others simply sobbed as death claimed them, one by one.

Yet the young man moved forward, his steps measured and unhurried, utterly detached from

the suffering that surrounded him.

His blue eyes, hollow and devoid of emotion, never wavered from the path ahead.

The pleas and agony of the dying fell on deaf ears, as if the life draining from the world

around him held no meaning.

“Please… my daughter… she’s just a child, spare her “

A woman’s voice broke through the cacophony, trembling and raw with desperation.

She knelt in the middle of the road, clutching a child to her chest, her tear-streaked face turned upward toward a towering figure.

The black knight loomed over her, less a man and more a monstrous shadow clad in armor. Its eyes-if they could even be called eyes-were voids, dark and unfeeling. It paused for a moment, as if considering her words, before stepping forward.

CRUNCH!

SPLAT!!!

The sound was sickening.

The woman’s scream was cut short as the knight’s massive boot crushed her and the child she

clung to, reducing them both to nothing more than lifeless remnants of flesh smeared into

the earth.

The young man watched it all without flinching.

His gaze shifted briefly toward the black knight, and with a silent gesture, he commanded it

to continue its work.

The knight obeyed without hesitation, resuming its path of destruction.

“Where are you…”

The young man’s voice broke through the stillness that followed, barely above a whisper.

It was hoarse and dry, as if every word scraped against his throat.

Though his voice carried a hint of ancient wisdom, it felt foreign-alien to the corrupted

world that surrounded him.

He didn’t stop.

His feet carried him forward, ignoring the dying and the dead.

Each step was heavy with purpose, his eyes fixed on the horizon as if seeking something only

he could see.

Finally, he arrived.

The road ended at a graveyard on a hill, its silent stones standing as sentinels to the

forgotten.

The ashes seemed to thin here, the chaos of the world fading into an eerie quiet.

The young man stopped, his gaze falling upon the graves.

“…Found you.”

His voice cracked again, softer this time, as though the weight of his search had finally caught

up with him.

The shadows around him twisted and writhed, the black knight standing motionless behind

him like a looming specter.

In front of him knelt a woman, her hands clasped in silent prayer before a weathered grave.

Her eyes were closed, her expression solemn as if each whispered word carried the weight of a

lifetime. “You’re here,” she said softly, sensing his presence without needing to turn around. The young man paused, his shadow stretching long against the dim light.

The woman glanced back, just enough to acknowledge him with a faint look over her

shoulder, a silent permission for him to approach.

He moved forward, his footsteps measured and deliberate, soft against the ground yet resonating like the faint echoes of death itself.

As he reached her side, he stopped, lowering himself slightly to stand next to her. “…You’re tired,” he observed, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying an undercurrent of

understanding as his gaze fixed on the grave before her.

“It would seem I am,” the woman replied, her voice steady yet laced with a subtle tremor, as

though she had long accepted the weariness in her soul.

“…Would you like to rest now?”

As he spoke, the shadows at his back came alive, writhing and twisting like serpentine

tendrils.

Slowly, they slithered toward the woman, encircling her body with a careful, deliberate

motion.

One tendril extended toward her neck, sharpening into a blade-like tip that hovered mere

inches from her throat, poised and ready.

She didn’t flinch.

Instead, she remained still, her hands resting gently on her lap.

Her lips parted slightly as she exhaled, her gaze shifting from the grave to meet his.

Her eyes, filled with a profound sadness, bore into his apathetic blue ones.

“Are you satisfied?”

He didn’t answer.

The silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint rustling of the wind and the

distant echoes of a world still burning behind them.

The young man’s gaze flickered, his blue eyes momentarily betraying a flicker of something

-uncertainty, pain, or perhaps regret.

It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced once again by the cold detachment that had

defined him for so long.

The young man paused, his gaze lingering on the woman as he mulled over her question.

Slowly, his attention drifted back to the makeshift grave. It stood out among the older, more weathered tombstones, its freshly turned soil a clear indication of its recent creation.

The name etched into the grave marker caught his eye-a name both familiar and peculiar.

[Lucas.]

“I don’t know…” he murmured at last, his voice devoid of certainty.

As he spoke, a pale, dark mana began to seep from his body, coiling around him like a living

entity.

His hand reached out, touching the grave lightly, as if testing its permanence.

“Maybe next time… I won’t.”

The woman glanced at him, her expression a mix of curiosity and resignation.

She wanted to ask what he meant, but years of knowing him-this enigmatic, abnormal man

-had taught her better.

Some questions were best left unanswered.

Closing her eyes, she let out a soft, steady exhale, her body relaxing as if surrendering to an inevitable fate.

“You can take me now,” she whispered, her voice carrying a calm acceptance.

The young man didn’t respond with words. Instead, the writhing shadows around him surged

forward, their sharp, blade-like tendrils piercing her throat with ruthless precision. Blood spilled in a warm cascade, staining the ground as her body trembled. She fought briefly, as if the light within her sought to resist the corruption enveloping her.

But the darkness was relentless.

As the life faded from her eyes, her body slumped, falling sideways onto his shoulder.

He didn’t push her away.

Instead, he gently stroked her hair, his touch oddly tender for someone who had just ended

her life.

“Rest well… Saint…”

Then, his cold blue eyes lifted, staring straight ahead, unseeing yet piercing, as though he

were aware of another presence.

He was looking….

‘Right at me?’

“Once the tutorial is over…” he said softly, his voice barely audible but weighted with intent.

“…don’t choose our paths.”

And then, the shadows surged.

They consumed him, the woman, and the grave, leaving nothing but a void where they once

stood.

I gasped awake, my lungs desperate for air as I sat up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat.

The morning rays of the sun filtered through the window, their warmth in stark contrast to

the chilling remnants of the dream that lingered in my mind.

My hand instinctively clutched at my chest, my heart racing beneath my palm.

Haah-!

Haah-!

‘WTF was that?’

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