Chapter 300: The Tomb of Oracleus [3]


    ?


    "Hiak!"


    Josephine screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands shooting forward to grasp the arms that were reaching out for her. It was dark, and she couldn''t see, but the strength behind the grip made it hard for her to breathe as her legs iled wildly in a desperate struggle.


    "Huek... Huek!"


    In that brief moment, a sudden wave of fear overwhelmed her as her breathing grew increasinglybored, each gasp more desperate than thest.


    "H-huelp!"


    She tried to call for help, hoping for her voice to reach Kiera, but nothing.


    Her surroundings were silent.


    Could it be that Kiera had also...?


    The thought made Josephine freeze, her expression draining of color. Panic surged through her as she iled her legs wildly, clenching her teeth and applying all the strength she could muster to the arms squeezing her.


    Though she wasn''t the strongest in her year, she was among the very top, and she poured every ounce of that strength into freeing herself from the relentless grip.


    After the initial shock, Josephine was able to calm down and think properly.


    "Khk!"


    She was a [Body] type user. Recalling the training she had undergone with her father, Josephine''s eyes sharpened as her torso twisted and she raised her legs in the air, reaching for the head of the culprit behind her choking.


    Josephine was nning to choke him back with her legs.


    Swoosh!


    Her movements were blindingly fast, the wind whistling as she twisted through the air. With her agile and flexible body, she reached the position where the head should be in mere seconds. Just as she prepared to lock it in with her legs, she was stunned to see her legs hit... Nothing.


    "Uh?"


    Stunned, Josephine''s body twisted.


    With her head looking down and on all fours, her eyes opened wide.


    A horrifying realization dawned on her.


    "This can''t be...''


    The one who was strangling her... It didn''t exist. Uponing to this realization, her eyes red open.


    "Haa... Haa... Haa..."


    With heavy breaths, Josephine stared at the familiar ck ceiling.


    Her entire back was drenched in sweat. Turning around, she quickly pulled out a small orb, activating it to cast light and reveal her surroundings.


    "That..."


    Josephine covered her mouth.


    ....Everything was normal. Kiera was peacefully sleeping in her sleeping bag, and aside from a bit of mess, nothing seemed out of ce.


    "A nightmare?"


    Josephine rubbed her forehead.


    Biting her lips she reached for a water bottle and took a small sip.


    "....It felt so real."


    Her heart was still beating extremely quickly, and the images of her nightmare continued to rey in her mind. Everything felt so vivid. Almost as if she had actually experienced the strangling.


    Not only that, but the difort in her neck was still there.


    Rubbing her neck, Josephine swallowed quietly.


    ''Crazy.''


    Brushing her hair back, she leaned over to check on Kiera. Even with the light on, Kiera seemed to be sleeping soundly, her breathing steady and rhythmic.


    Josephine sighed in relief when she saw that, afraid that she had disturbed her sleep.


    ''Who knows what this crazy bitch would do if I woke her up.''


    Perhaps she''d be the one strangling her.


    Josephineughed to herself only for herugh to freeze as she noticed something on Kiera''s neck.


    Swallowing quietly, Josephine reached forward to get a better look. She did distinctively remember it being red just as she hade, but it was different now. The color...


    It was purple.


    ||


    In the silence, Josephine reached forward and slowly pulled back the sleeping bag. Her expression twisted into one of horror as she discovered the reason for the purple color on


    Kiera''s neck.


    Josephine felt her heart stop beating for a brief moment as her breath left her body.


    Before she could utter a word, Kiera''s eyes snapped open, her hand shooting out to clutch Josephine''s forearm with a vice-like grip.


    With bloodshot eyes, Kiera looked at Josephine.


    "What is it?"


    Her voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable, and it wasn''t just the tone that was different. Her entire presence seemed different as if she had be apletely different person.


    And that very fact chilled Josephine''s heart.


    Putting more pressure over Josephin''s arm, Kiera''s voice grew hoarse.


    "....Why did you wake me up?"


    ***


    "Ukh...!"


    By the time Leon regained consciousness, he found himself lying on something soft. A faint rustling sound reached his ears as a gentle warmth embraced his entire body prompting his eyelids to open.


    What greeted his eyes was a familiar-looking sky and sun. It was a stark contrast to the gloomy white sun and dark sky of the Mirror Dimension.


    "Where am I?"


    Sitting up, Leon looked around in surprise. He found himself in a lush grasnd, the wind rustling softly through the tall grass. The refreshing scent of pine trees lingered in the air,


    creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.


    It felt like paradise.


    Leon didn''t feel like getting up. He wanted to remain seated where he was and enjoy the


    scenery before him.


    But he knew he had to leave.


    This ce...


    It wasn''t real.


    ''It must be some sort of illusion within the tomb.''


    Trata! Trata! Trata! Trata! Trata!


    "?"


    A sudden rhythmic thumping jolted Leon out of his thoughts, apanied by a powerful gust of wind that rushed toward him.


    His eyes widened in shock as he looked up to see a massive object flying through the air. It was unlike anything he had ever seen-crafted from metal, with three long, sharp des jutting out, spinning at incredible speeds. His expression shifted from confusion to awe as he stared at the strange machine that flew in the air.


    ''What sort of...?''


    He tried to reach out for it but was startled to see that his entire body was illusionary as if he


    was merely part of the drifting wind of the surrounding.


    "Uh?"


    But his shock didn''t die down.


    Squinting his eyes, he was both surprised and shocked to see several people appear within the


    strange machine.


    They looked like humans, and yet... he had never heard of humans ever being capable of using


    such machines.


    He followed the strange machine with his eyes as it crossed past him.


    Leon traced its path with his eyes and then saw it: massive buildings towering toward the sky,


    their imposing structures piercing through the clouds.


    "Ahh."


    Leon felt his breath leave his body.


    ''.... How is this possible?''


    The buildings were unlike anything Leon had ever seen before. Their architecture was


    otherworldly, and their height seemed to stretch beyondprehension. The sheer


    magnitude of their presence felt intimidating.


    Leon''s head started to hurt.


    He couldn''t make heads or tails of the situation.


    Looking around him, Leon pursed his lips and decided to run forward. It was in the same direction as where the strange machine went and where the buildings were.


    He wanted to get a better idea of what was happening.


    As such, he ran.


    He ran and ran and ran.


    Feeling the cool breeze of the wind, he continued to run, his eyes locking toward the strange


    buildings that grew nearer and nearer.


    At the same time, he thought about Julien.


    Was he also seeing what he was seeing...? Such a strange ce. Leon was sure he''d also be


    shocked. Still, since he was being shown such a ce, Leon was sure that it was closely rted


    to Oracleus.


    "Hooo."


    Leon continued to run for what felt like hours until eventually, he managed to reach a t


    road that contained strange symbols and lines.


    Vrooom-!


    But the most shocking part wasn''t the strange lines but the bizarre machines moving across them. At speeds Leon found unbelievable, he watched as the metallic objects sped along the


    road, heading straight toward the city.


    "Ukh."


    Leon felt his head throb.


    Staring at the unfamiliar machines and settings, he felt lost.


    Rubbing his head, he marched forward toward the imposing city of lights that seemed to


    swallow him whole.


    It was an overwhelming feeling.


    It felt disorienting. Especially when he saw the way the people dressed, and the strange devices that they had in their hands. Everyone appeared to be glued to them. They used them while sitting, walking, and even when using strange machines.


    Веер! Веер!


    That wasn''t all.


    It was also extremely loud.


    Be it from the people and the strange machines. Leon found the noiseing from all sides.


    He thought that the noiseing from Bremmer was bad, butpared to this... It was


    nothing.


    ||


    Like that, Leon walked around aimlessly.


    He had no idea where to go. He just quietly observed his surroundings and walked without an


    objective. He wanted a way out of this world, but how could he go out?


    As Leon racked his mind over the situation, his head throbbed again.


    "Uekh...!"


    It was a lot more painful than before forcing him to stop for a brief moment. Holding onto his


    head, he felt his face grow red from the pain.


    But...


    "Uh?"


    Apanying the pain, there was something else.


    He felt something.


    Swoosh!


    Leon turned his head to face a certain direction. Over there, he felt a presence. A familiar one.


    It was quite far but he knew who it belonged to.


    Julien.


    He was somewhere over in that direction.


    Leon didn''t hesitate to move where he was. He couldn''t make heads or tails of the situation,


    but perhaps he''d know something that he didn''t.


    Even if he didn''t, Leon didn''t feelfortable roaming this ce by himself.


    It was too loud and congested for him.


    With such thoughts, his steps quickened and he zig-zagged through the strange city. He


    walked past buildings withrge disys, showing all sorts of different people holding onto


    strange products and devices. That much wasn''t different from Bremmer, but everything felt extremely convoluted.


    He didn''t know for how long he kept running.


    Before he knew it, he found the buildings growing scarcer and the buildings be smaller.


    There were still some, but they were a lot less than before. Greenery became more abundant, and the air felt fresher.


    As Leon approached a distant gate, his chest grew lighter and his steps gradually slowed. The metal gates stood wide open, beckoning him forward, but something about the scene felt off.


    His steps came to an abrupt halt as he tilted his head in confusion, uncertain of why he was


    there.


    ''Graveyard? Why would Julien be there...?''


    He hade all the way here in order to meet Julien, but why would he be at the graveyard?


    Leon scratched his forehead before entering the gates.


    Rustle~


    He was met with a strange and peaceful silence upon entering the gates of the graveyard. It


    was theplete opposite of the loud mess outside.


    Lining up in front of him were white tombstones that stretched endlessly before his very eyes.


    Leon took a quick nce at the first tombstone before him.


    [John Middlestone]


    [1990-2055]


    "1990? 2055?"


    The strange numbers felt confusing to him. Were this the dates?"


    Leon felt his mouth grow dry as he turned his head in a certain direction. There, he finally


    spotted a familiar figure. With his back facing him, he stood before a certain tombstone.


    "Julien!"


    Leon called out to him but received no response.


    "Julien...!"


    Leon tried again, but he was yet again met with silence.


    Confused, Leon decided to go closer to him.


    Perhaps he didn''t hear him...


    "Julien!"


    But even as he drew nearer and nearer to him, Leon found it that Julien didn''t answer him.


    Frowning, Leon picked up his pace and arrived a few meters behind Julien.


    "Julien..."


    He called out again, but Julien remained firm, his gaze never leaving the tombstone that


    stood before him.


    It was then that Leon grew curious and looked at the tombstone.


    Unlike the other tombstones, this one stood out. It wasrger and more borate, adorned


    with fresh flowers and a small portrait. Intrigued, Leon moved closer, squinting his eyes as he


    leaned in to read the name engraved on the tombstone.


    "Emmet..."


    Reading the first part of the name, Leon felt his chest grow heavy, a strange sensation taking


    over his body.


    His heart raced, and the world around him began to close in, the air growing thick and oppressive as a sense of dread took hold.


    Leon felt the very air get sucked out of his lungs as it felt as though he was being choked.


    The darkness continued to close in from all sides, closing in on his vision. A strange tingling sensation coursed through Leon''s body as if his very being was rejecting


    the sight before him.


    His breathing grew heavier, and his mouth went dry, the saliva vanishing as an overwhelming


    sense of unease gripped him.


    It was almost as if the entire world was trying to stop him from finishing the name.


    In spite of all of this, Leon continued to stare at the tombstone.


    Gradually, his lips opened, and he read thest part of the name.


    "....Rowe."


    Woom!


    Darkness took hold of Leon''s vision.


    It was only brief, and by the time he recovered, he found himself standing before the same


    tombstone.


    But there was a difference.


    The surroundings were different, and the tombstone stood by itself. Julien still looked at it


    with a nk look, and new words appeared over it.


    They glowed a purple hue.


    Leon carefully read each word.


    "Here lies the grave of Oracleus." "--The seer."