Chapter 101
Clop, clop—.
As the pale white horse’s hooves struck the ground, a suffocating pressure pressed down on the air itself.
‘Of course it would.’
What had crawled out from beyond the gate was an absolute being meant to bring about the end of the world.
A white rider, pale-faced and devoid of color.
The massive body of the rider, wearing a white mask, was covered in countless faces of tormented souls stuck all over it.
And every time the rider moved atop the horse, the mouths of the spirits clinging to him released eerie moans.
“Hic…”
“Ghhhkk…”
It sounded like a crying newborn baby.
Or like a vengeful ghost sobbing in anguish.
A ghostly white horse, a rider cloaked in those disturbing faces.
And the chilling cries echoing like the wails of the dead.
If one were to imagine the end of the world, wouldn’t it look like this?
Faced with that sight, everyone—including myself—
Even Agatha, who had summoned the rider, held his breath and simply stared at the Rider of the Apocalypse.
Overwhelmed by the oppressive pressure, none of us could move a muscle.
Tension, despair, and a vivid, undeniable fear.
The rider slowly turned his gaze to survey the crowd, each frozen with a different expression.
“……”
And then, his eyes fell upon our group—where the brand above our heads glowed faintly.
[Was it you who called me forth?]
A cold, indifferent voice echoed like a funeral hymn, devoid of emotion or cadence.
The rider’s gaze then shifted.
[……Or was it you?]
Now staring straight at Agatha, the one who had summoned him.
Agatha’s composed expression began to crack under the weight of the gaze of death.
His polished face distorted with growing anxiety.
“The Rider of the Apocalypse wouldn’t punish the lamb who merely broke the seal, would he?”
Even as his fingertips trembled slightly, Agatha feigned composure—typical of him.
The rider looked down at him silently, then muttered quietly.
[It is faint.]
Faint?
Was he referring to the skull-shaped mark that had appeared above our heads?
It certainly wasn’t as vivid as the one mentioned in the original story.
Most likely, it was because Agatha hadn’t gathered the required life energy to properly summon the Rider of Pestilence.
[You will have only one chance.]
With those words, the Rider of the Apocalypse glared down at Agatha in warning, then casually raised his left hand.
[And I saw: when Pestilence raised his hand, beasts of the earth crawled and rustled, bearing boundless rot and suffering.]
“No, stop!”
At the same time as the rider’s proclamation, black shadows erupted outward in all directions.
The dark shadows split like a spider web.
They crawled like swarms of rats.
Or perhaps more like a flood of bugs, surging toward us—
And engulfed our group in an instant.
As the shadows swallowed them, the expressions of my companions turned a deathly shade.
“Gahk!”
Nia and Lyria were the first to vomit up thick, blackened blood.
They were quickly followed by Sylvester, Eden, Yeriel, and Celestine.
Even Xenon and Darwin—who normally wouldn’t bleed even if pierced with a skewer—
“Ugh…”
“I… can’t breathe…”
One by one, they coughed up dark blood and collapsed to their knees.
Their gasping, choking figures were writhing in pain, struggling to breathe.
But the rider didn’t even glance at them.
He simply turned his cold head, as if only he and Agatha existed in this space.
Then he spoke again.
[Do not call me forth for such trivial and personal matters again.]
A chilling voice, as if warning not to summon him for worthless business.
The rider stared at Agatha in silence for a moment, then slowly turned his steed around—
And crossed the white gate, disappearing entirely.
The Rider of Pestilence vanished, and the gate from which he had emerged dissolved into bone dust, scattering into the air.
“Haha…”
Perhaps it was the release of tension, but Agatha let out a rough breath and turned to look at me.
“I wouldn’t do that again.”
With a bright, twisted smile, he met my eyes and said,
“What now, Wendy? Your companions are all dying.”
At his words, I bit my lip hard and bowed my head low.
He was right.
The curse laid down by the Rider of Pestilence couldn’t be lifted by any purification magic.
Like a brand of fire, the only way to remove it was—
To kill the one who cast it…
Or to summon the rider again and plead for him to take it back.
The first option was essentially impossible.
Defeating Agatha alone would be nearly unthinkable.
But the second…
Was a different story.
Because from the beginning, he—
“If you don’t want your teammates to die like this, come with me, Wendy.”
He had done something this reckless just to get his hands on me.
‘If only I had gone with him from the start…’
None of this pain would have been inflicted on my teammates.
If I hadn’t resisted so pointlessly, maybe everyone would’ve been safe.
Clenching my teeth, I looked at my companions who writhed in pain.
From Lyria’s mouth, chunks of blackened blood were spilling out.
Yeriel was retching over and over again, even though nothing came out.
It was the same for the others.
Xenon was pretending to be fine, but the cold sweat dripping down revealed the truth.
Darwin had clenched his fists so tightly they were trembling as if he would shatter the ground.
All of them were suffering.
Suffering… because of me.
Because I didn’t go with Agatha.
Because I made the wrong choice.
Because I was selfish.
And… because I wasn’t strong enough to protect them.
This powerlessness weighed down on me like a lead blanket.
It was a different kind of despair from what I had felt at the lake.
A helplessness that nothing could be done.
A crushing sense of futility that this was my limit, no matter how hard I tried.
It felt like I had fallen into a swamp I couldn’t crawl out of.
All strength drained from my body, and my vision blurred for a moment.
But if I left my comrades like this, their lives would be in danger.
Before their life threads were severed, I had to make a decision—quickly.
“I…”
I was ready to give everything up and join Agatha’s side.
To plead with him to at least spare my companions.
At that moment—
[‘Myeolmangi, Budding Calamitous Despairflower’ wants to come out from your inventory!]
Something squirmed—a sensation, like something was moving in my pocket.
***
‘Mmm…’
The small flower named Myeolmangi dreamed a warm dream inside a golden cocoon.
Even while shivering in the cold rain, she smiled brightly.
‘Let’s name you Wildflower.’
A dream of a gentle girl, giving an umbrella to a nameless flower.
A dream of a warm-hearted girl who cried when she saw a trampled roadside flower wither away.
‘It’s warm.’
From within Myeolmangi’s heart, love bloomed again—a warmth once experienced.
‘I’m happy.’
That tender kindness bloomed layer by layer, like clear spring water.
‘Now I remember. Why you were so warm.’
Sura’s Calamitous Despairflower.
The flower that bore the hatred, sorrow, pain, and despair of the world.
‘I just want you to be happy.’
Now learned feelings too vast to contain.
Soft and warm—
Overwhelming emotions of love surged in Myeolmangi’s chest.
‘So that’s it.’
It finally understood.
It had left the place where it was born, diligently moved its roots,
Rode the winds, searching and searching—
And had finally found what it was looking for.
[Calamitous Despairflower learns “Gratitude.”]
After all the detours, it had finally returned to the origin.
[Calamitous Despairflower learns “Love.”]
Only now did it finally understand the reason it had bloomed.
[Calamitous Despairflower learns “Devotion.”]
It was not a mutant.
She was just a normal flower once called Wildflower, long before being named Sura’s Calamitous Despairflower.
[Sura’s Calamitous Despairflower evolves after understanding an impossible emotion.]
Now Myeolmangi knew why it had come to this place.
To protect the precious warmth it had once received from a gentle girl.
And to learn that emotion.
[You have defied fate.]
Myeolmangi wanted to protect Wendy’s kindness.
When those small, delicate hands held it, it felt like Myeolmang had been given the whole world.
[You are… ]
So it was time to wake up.
The golden cocoon, long dormant, began to shimmer with brilliant light.
It’s roots itched as if they were burning.
Whole body tingled and burned here and there—
‘I have to endure.’
Myeolmang endured.
Persevered—and overcame it.
It thought of Wendy smiling brightly at it, and it’s leaves trembled.
And then it happened—an anomaly in an instant.
The cocoon split, and petals unfurled.
A dazzling light swept the world, and it felt as if everything had turned full circle.
‘I must protect Wendy.’
With the single desire to protect her—
Myeolmangi reached out toward the man standing before her.
No, it extended her stem.
[A brilliance that blooms for only one moment, ‘Heaven’s One-Day Flower.’]
A long vine shot out and clamped tightly around Agatha’s smiling neck.
“…Myeolmangi?”
Wendy, startled, called out its name.
In response, Myeolmangi swayed its petals gently.
Now, it was Myeolmangi’s turn to protect Wendy’s world.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment