kscans

Chapter 35 - I Am a Chosen One

"Hiiiih, stay back, stay back, stay back..."

I was trembling in a gap between the rubble. No matter how much I tried to calm down, my body wouldn't stop shaking. When will they attack... my mind was dominated by that fear. To make matters worse, while running from the evil spirits, I had lost all sense of where I was.

"W, what in the world are these things! Where did they come from!"

"Focus on the enemy in front of you for now! They’re pretty strong!"

"And they’re not just ordinary monsters! Every single one of them is terrifyingly strong!"

[AAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAH!]

The sounds of soldiers fighting, evil spirits rampaging, and people screaming filled the air, sounds that had no place in the peaceful Royal Capital. But aside from the fear, I was growing irritated that the situation wasn’t being resolved. This was the Royal Palace, the headquarters of the national army. There should be plenty of soldiers. Somebody, anybody, hurry up and do something. Don't inconvenience me. It is a grave sin to keep me frightened for so long. Once this commotion is over, I’ll have to give them a good lecture.

""Guaaaaaah!""

"Whoa! W, what was that!?"

With a scream, the rubble I was hiding behind collapsed. W, what, what happened? Was it an evil spirit? An evil spirit attack? Was it an evil spirit attack? Cold sweat poured down my back as my heart pounded violently. No, that’s not it.

""Ugh...""

Several soldiers were lying before me. It seemed they had been sent flying by an evil spirit and crashed into the rubble. Watching them try to get up so pathetically, even I got angry. You've got to be kidding me. You ruined my hiding spot.

"What are you doing! This is where I was hiding! What if the evil spirits find me!"

""Guah!""

I kicked the soldiers’ faces. They didn't resist at all, likely because of the damage from the evil spirits. It was a one-sided fight. After just a few kicks, the good-for-nothings lost consciousness. So weak. Good grief, how pathetic. You should be grateful I didn't kill you. Now then, I need to find a new hiding spot immediately...

[...Huh?]

When I looked up, several evil spirits were looking at me.

"Uwaaaaaaah!"

I took off running in the opposite direction at full speed. If they catch me, it’s over. I’ll be killed. I don't want to die in a place like this. I’m not someone who is supposed to die. But as I ran, another evil spirit blocked my path.

"H, hey! Somebody, anybody, help me!"

I screamed with all my might, but there were no soldiers around. No, there were several lying on the ground. It seemed all the soldiers in this area had been defeated.

"What are you doing, you incompetents! Get up! Protect me! I am the former guild master of Rieten! My value is different from the likes of you rabble!"

It’s a soldier’s duty to protect the people. The moment they fail to fulfill their role, they are no better than trash. To think I’d been paying money for things like this. What an utter waste.

[AAAAAAH]

"Th, this is bad!"

While I was pitying them for their incompetence, the evil spirits surrounded me. I was too slow to escape because the soldiers were so useless. If I die, it’s their fault. I was surrounded from the front and back, with nowhere left to run. The evil spirits closed in on me with an eerie slowness. The fact that they weren’t attacking right away was somehow even more terrifying, and my breathing grew ragged with fear.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! First, let’s brainstorm! After that, we can have a meeting! We'll each raise an agenda and find a solution for this situation!"

That’s right. Now is the time to show off my high level of consciousness.

With my high level of consciousness, I can even purify evil spirits!

Thinking back on my life, I was filled with confidence. Wearing only the finest brand-name goods, working out three times a week, choosing my cologne with women in mind, making Dareth do the blacksmithing because it would get my clothes and body dirty...

What a wonderfully high level of consciousness...

Having lived such a highly conscious life since childhood, purifying some evil spirits should be easy for me! I shouted highly conscious words with all my might.

"Agenda! Reschedule! Evidence! Commit! Priority! Scheme! Alliance!"

[AAAAAAAAAAH!]

"Gah!"

Immediately after, I was sent flying by an evil spirit and slammed into the wall behind me. A tremendous impact shot through my entire body.

W, why...

Shouldn't my high consciousness have been able to purify these things? I forced my eyelids open to see the evil spirits were already right in front of me. W, wait... Before I could get a word out, they raised their sharp, pointed hands and thrust them forward. The premonition of death chilled me to the bone. I'm going to die here...

"Noooo! Stooop! Stop iiiit!"

[Ah...!]

Just before it pierced my throat, the hand stopped. The evil spirit froze solid and didn’t move.

"Wh... what?"

It wasn't just not moving. Its body was gradually turning transparent. What in the world is happening? The moment I wondered, I realized.

I see! It was purified by my high level of consciousness!

As I thought, evil spirits were beings of low consciousness. They couldn't withstand my high consciousness and were purified... There was no other explanation.

"I won! I won!"

I thrust both hands toward the heavens and roared. It was a cry of victory. Ahhh, that feels good. My only regret is that no one is around to see it. As I savored the victory I had grasped with my own power, I saw some soldiers in the distance.

"Hey, you guys! The evil spirits have been purified by my high level of consciousness!"

""There he is! It's Shion!""

As soon as they saw me, several soldiers came running over. They were all sprinting, trying to get to me first. They must want to shake my hand. It’s alright, no need to panic. I will shake every single one of your hands. But... you have to form a line.

""You damn bastard! How dare you show your face!""

"Guaaaaaah!"

The soldiers charged me with the momentum from their run. I was knocked over and pinned down by the sweaty men. A sharp pain shot through my whole body, making me ache all over.

"W, what are you doing! Get off! You’re heavy!"

What are these guys thinking? Weren't they impressed by my high consciousness? But the soldiers didn’t move, keeping me pinned.

""We know you’re the one who broke the Calamity! You felon!""

"Wh... at..."

My heart leaped into my throat. H, how do they know that.

"Th, that's a false accusation! I didn't do it! I don't know anything about a Calamity!"

"Look at this mark!"

A soldier grabbed my arm and thrust it in front of my face. An eerie mark, resembling an evil spirit, was appearing on the back of my hand. W, what is this. It wasn't there a moment ago.

"A mechanism was in place that causes a mark like an evil spirit's to appear on whoever broke the Calamity. It’s just as Her Majesty the Queen said. We're taking you to her!"

"I wasn't told anything about that! That woman didn’t say a thing...!"

The soldiers pressed down on me without any hesitation. My lungs were being crushed, and I couldn't breathe.

C, can't... breathe...

I couldn't draw in even a little air, and my consciousness began to fade. I, I'm not someone who ends in a place like this... I'm a chosen man, one of a kind in this world...

Before I could finish the thought, I passed out.