Chapter Thirty: Traitor
“Please use ‘Complete Domination’ on me, Miss Bai.”
Linna looked at Luo Ling calmly, her voice soft.
“My body… should be quite useful.”
She turned her gaze to the now empty ground where her teammates had once lain, now a part of Purgatory, a part of the Company’s Boundary collapse plan.
In this conspiracy disguised as “saving humanity,” the “Hunt” team were the chosen sacrifices.
Now… words seemed meaningless.
But there was one thing.
Even knowing that Frick was merely following orders, that the Company’s actions likely had a reason, perhaps even for the sake of humanity…
Linna couldn’t accept being chosen as a sacrifice, nor could she accept her teammates becoming cold statistics in a report, dying without knowing the truth.
She wanted to kill Frick.
“Use my body as you see fit, Miss Bai. I know you can.” Linna lowered her gaze, her voice barely a whisper. “This isn’t revenge, just… a struggle.”
A struggle against this conspiracy.
Even if she couldn’t change the outcome, even if she couldn’t resist this conspiracy, at least… she could take down the one who executed it.
“No, Linna, I won’t dominate your body.”
An unexpected refusal. The silver-haired figure, shrouded in her cloak, trembled slightly, her small hand gripping Linna’s increasingly cold one.
Linna was stunned, her weary expression softening.
“Really? There’s no need to consider my feelings, Miss Bai. It’s just a body. When a person dies, their light goes out. I don’t care.”
“No, Linna.” The childish voice seemed to change slightly. As the cloaked figure looked up, Linna saw a pair of beautiful, clear amethyst eyes. “This isn’t my place. This is your fight.
“Avenge yourself. Your struggle, your resistance… should be your own.”
Linna seemed to see enormous, grotesque spider legs extending from the cloaked figure, blotting out the sky.
Her eyes widened.
She realized something. This wasn’t a power a human could possess.
“And I, I want you to live.”
The gentle voice echoed, yet carried undeniable authority.
The fact of her impending death was twisted, rewritten, in an act of extreme defiance.
This was… Naraku of Chaos, eighth in the Grotesquery Sequence, a Taboo, an ability impossible for a human to wield.
[First Ability: “Ensnare” – Within the web domain, rewrite a single aspect of reality]
[This is the decree of “Omniscience,” it is reality, and cannot be defied.]
“Rewrite reality.”
Rewrite the reality of Linna’s impending death.
“Cough…”
The amethyst-eyed beauty coughed weakly, her exhaustion evident, yet she maintained this terrifying rewrite.
Meanwhile, the parts of Linna’s body that had been healed began to change, the change rapidly spreading throughout her entire being.
Countless elegant yet grotesque fungal growths bloomed, completely consuming Linna’s body, even invading her consciousness, becoming a part of it.
—The Puppet Ballad couldn’t influence the mind, but Naraku could.
But… in a different way.
Only now did Luo Ling finally understand the true meaning of “rewriting reality.”
This seemingly omnipotent ability could indeed fulfill any wish.
However, every wish had a price, not just the immense consumption of Inspiration, even requiring Luo Ling to overdraw her power.
More importantly, the way these wishes were fulfilled wasn’t always pleasant.
It was fulfilled in the most malicious way, “rewriting reality” with malice.
Under the influence of “Ensnare,” Linna would indeed survive.
But she was no longer human, but a Grotesquery.
Or rather, the current Linna could be considered a part of the White Witch, like a limb, her consciousness now a part of the White Witch’s.
Even more completely than an Agent.
Linna’s consciousness, connected to Luo Ling’s, quickly understood everything, her current state, and Luo Ling’s true identity.
…A human-like Grotesquery, practically a taboo according to all Grotesquery encounter protocols.
In her final moments, facing death due to a human conspiracy, it was a Grotesquery that offered her a lifeline.
How ironic.
“Actually, I’m quite selfish, just like my sister.”
The amethyst-eyed beauty reverted to the ghostly silver-haired girl, taking Linna’s hand and saying earnestly,
“My sister selfishly gave me everything without asking if I wanted it, and I selfishly saved you without asking if you wanted it. Because… I just want you to live, that’s all.”
Living like this, half-human, half-Grotesquery, her life in the hands of a Grotesquery, was a fate worse than death for most Awakened Ones.
Linna felt that if this were yesterday, she would have agreed.
But now…
“What’s the difference between humans and Grotesqueries?”
For some unknown purpose, the Company had deliberately caused a Boundary collapse that would kill over a hundred thousand people, and Awakened organizations used this opportunity to eliminate their rivals.
…Most Grotesqueries couldn’t even cause this much damage.
So, Linna could no longer distinguish between them.
“This… isn’t so bad.”
Linna smiled, a hint of sadness in her expression.
Her face was covered in white marks from the fungal growths, grotesque yet strangely beautiful.
“Knight Linna, at your service, my new master… the White Witch.” The armored knight knelt on one knee, gently kissing the silver-haired girl’s hand. “Or rather, my dear Miss Luo Ling.”
“…”
“Linna, I can’t believe you’d do this…”
Frick stared at the Grotesquery-tainted Linna in disbelief. She had clearly become a Grotesquery.
If her body wasn’t being dominated, it could only mean…
Linna had willingly degraded herself, siding with a Grotesquery, becoming humanity’s enemy, a “Grotesquery Apostle.”
Frick hadn’t anticipated this.
The Linna he knew, the captain of the “Hunt” team, would never do such a thing, even if it meant death.
As for how Linna, who had been on the verge of death, was still alive, perhaps it was due to some unknown Grotesquery’s power.
But what was the price?
Clearly, the price was Linna herself.
She had offered her entire being to the Grotesquery. This was the defining characteristic of a Grotesquery Apostle.
And the Grotesquery Linna had devoted herself to…
“…The White Witch.”
Frick slowly turned to Luo Ling, his gaze fixed on her.
Now he was certain. This little girl hadn’t lied. She was indeed a Grotesquery.
And possessing an Authority, capable of saving someone from certain death… she must be a High-Risk Grotesquery within the top fifty Sequences.
“You’ve betrayed humanity, Linna. You’ll be hunted by all of mankind, your name forever etched in infamy.” Frick said gravely. He could no longer move. The Puppet Ballad had completely dominated his body.
However, due to his armor and Luo Ling’s depleted Inspiration, her domination could only immobilize him.
Even now, Frick maintained his dignity as a knight.
“Is that so? But Frick, you already know, don’t you?” Linna smiled faintly. “The Linna you knew is dead, killed by your own hand.
“Along with Wilson, Helen, Lucia, and… Old Victor.”
Now Linna knew that Old Victor was also dead. Frick’s earlier words had been a lie to lure her back to the core area.
“Regardless, their deaths were for the sake of humanity!” Frick’s voice rose, his neck stiffly turning as he glared at Linna. “And Linna, you should have died for humanity too! Even if you struggled, even if you killed me to avenge your teammates, you should have died as a human!”
“But… what’s the point now?” Linna whispered. “We both know… it’s meaningless.”
Only after experiencing this firsthand could one truly understand despair.
When Miss Luo Ling granted her a second life, Linna had understood.
What was the difference between humans and Grotesqueries?
Humans wanted to kill her, while a Grotesquery saved her.
Knowing this was enough.
“Linna! You traitor!”
Frick bit his tongue, a surge of strength coursing through him, shattering the fungal threads dominating his body.
Luo Ling immediately understood.
Frick’s ability enhanced his muscles, and her fungal threads, weakened by her depleted Inspiration, hadn’t fully consumed his flesh, only restricting his movements.
This gave him an opportunity to break free.
But Frick didn’t attack Luo Ling. Knowing that the silver-haired girl was likely a High-Risk Grotesquery, he knew he couldn’t kill her, and he was right.
So, his sword was aimed at Linna, who was holding her firearm.
Everything Frick had done was for this moment. Even if he died at the hands of the Grotesquery girl, he would first kill Linna, the traitor to humanity.
Linna looked at him sadly.
Frick’s plan was indeed perfect. His sword was fast, accurate, and capable of severing even the soul.
At this distance, even if Linna reacted, she couldn’t dodge Frick’s all-out attack.
But she didn’t dodge, not even attempting to.
The sword flashed.
The surrounding rubble shattered, the unstable ground collapsing slightly under the force of the blow. Linna’s body was torn apart, a gruesome sight.
But… what was severed wasn’t flesh and blood, but the interwoven white fungal growths.
“Have you forgotten, Frick?” Linna’s expression remained calm, even with half her body missing. “I’m no longer human. I’ve become a Grotesquery.
“When dealing with a Grotesquery, you shouldn’t use human methods and thinking.”
Linna’s shattered body slowly regenerated, instantly restored.
The Puppet Ballad was a Silent Demise Grotesquery ability. Such injuries couldn’t kill her.
This was the single flaw in Frick’s perfect plan.
“Wh-what…”
Frick muttered in disbelief.
The fungal threads he had shattered with his muscles had regenerated, dominating his body again.
Now, Frick was powerless, unable to break free.
A long-barreled firearm was aimed at his forehead, a pair of clear green eyes looking at him with sadness.
“Go apologize to them.” Linna whispered.
A gunshot echoed. Frick’s body exploded, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, quickly dissolving under Purgatory’s influence.
At the same time, the surrounding environment began to change drastically.
With Frick’s death, this downgraded Purgatory finally reached its critical point, rapidly evolving into its complete form.
“It’s finally over…”
Luo Ling’s eyes flickered. It was time to determine whether all this was real or an illusion.
She walked over to Linna, who was removing Frick’s armor, cleaning off the corrupted flesh.
“This is a good item.” Linna held up a piece of the armor. “Worth at least a hundred thousand points.”
Almost all Awakened organizations used the Company’s point system as a standard. Scientist’s Sacred Relic had been worth sixty thousand points, and this armor was worth at least a hundred thousand, indicating that Frick had indeed come prepared.
Luo Ling remained silent for a moment. Before she could speak, Linna said,
“Miss Luo Ling, you’re wondering… whether this is reality or an altered past, aren’t you?”
Through their connected consciousness, Linna had access to some of Luo Ling’s memories, understanding her hesitation.
Luo Ling nodded slightly.
“It’s quite remarkable, isn’t it? Such a powerful ability… even resurrection pales in comparison.” Linna sighed, then smiled at Luo Ling. “But Miss Luo Ling, whether this is real or an illusion… didn’t you already know?
“Can’t you… feel my presence?”
Indeed, Luo Ling could clearly sense that Linna had become a part of the Puppet Ballad. This couldn’t be faked.
Whether “rewriting reality” had truly changed the past, or this was the original past, one thing was certain.
What was happening now was undeniably real.
“But, why…”
Luo Ling was still puzzled. If this was real, why would Fiona ask her to search for her daughter later?
Seemingly understanding Luo Ling’s confusion, Linna smiled wryly.
“Miss Luo Ling, even I wouldn’t dare to face my mother in this state. She would scold me to death. I wouldn’t dare to explain this to her.”
“…That’s true.”
Luo Ling’s eyelid twitched. She hadn’t considered that.
Indeed, in her current state, Linna couldn’t return to the human world.
Her appearance was far removed from human. Anyone could tell she wasn’t human.
Even Luo Ling couldn’t erase the fungal growths. Like a mark of Naraku’s malice, even if Linna survived, she couldn’t openly appear in the human world.
However, before Luo Ling could ponder further, Purgatory’s Incubation Barrier began to transform.
Or rather, disappear.
This meant… Purgatory’s incubation was complete.
The surroundings began to fade, a malicious gaze observing them, yet quickly retreating, sensing the White Witch’s High-Risk Grotesquery aura.
“The Company’s plan has likely succeeded. This Boundary collapse is unavoidable.” Linna whispered, looking up.
Linna had mentioned earlier that this Incubation Barrier alone couldn’t trigger a Boundary collapse.
And according to Frick, there were fifteen other locations.
Perhaps individually they were weaker than this Purgatory, but together, they possessed the power to collapse a Boundary.
“You have to leave, Linna.” Luo Ling said gravely.
“I know.”
Linna nodded. She knew that with her current strength, she couldn’t stay here.
This was the epicenter of the collapse. Purgatory would engulf everything until the Boundary, unable to withstand the drastic changes, finally collapsed.
“We’ll meet again later. For you, it might be a long time.”
“But for me, it might be just a moment.”
Linna winked at Luo Ling, a faint smile on her lips.
“So… my dear Miss Luo Ling, let’s meet again soon.”
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