75. OutMission (14)

75. OutMission (14)

Once Aria's Ethereal body took the attack, it quickly disappeared back to Aria.

"Cough!" At the same time, Aria coughed out black blood

Lex didn't have any time to care about the Skeleton King anymore. He crawls as fast as he can toward Aria,

"Aria!" Lex hugged and called her name, again and again, her closed eyes slowly opened.

"Do you remember what I wanted to talk to you before the attack…" with a very rough breath, Aria spoke weakly. Her face was pale at one glance. You could see that she was in terrible condition.

"Wait, don't talk! Drink this first!" Lex quickly pulled out a small jar with red liquid. It was 'Potion.' Unlike the medicine used nowadays, 'Potion' had the same ability as the health potion Lex known in the game.

Aria's pupil widened when she saw the 'potion' because Potion was very rare and valuable now. The reason was 'Alchemist' has extinct, and no one could make it anymore. Its stock and source had been cut.

(why did they give me something this precious?) was what Lex thought when he got the Potion from Crimson Eagle.

Crimson Eagle didn't say the exact reason, but Lex concluded 'Guest' were different than 'Number,' and Lex's party had 5 Guests in it. It might be why they got this preferential treatment (we even had Cleos Sariela). Lex remembered Cleos was like royalty among the angel. Lex didn't know that only he alone got the 'potion.'

(Whichever the case, it's beneficial for this situation) Lex tried to make Aria drink the Potion as fast as possible.

With her weak hand, Aria held back Lex's hand "no…" she said weakly

"!?" Lex was shocked by Aria's denial. "No! you don't need to care the value!" Lex guessed Aria was afraid of using Lex's Potion because of the treasure value.

"Drink it first… please… not you too…" seeing the weakened Aria, Lex can't help but contrast her with Max…

"…" Aria's eyes widen a bit. She didn't expect Lex this fragile. She thought Lex had already moved on like her.

('No…') Aria denied herself ('he's the same as me… isn't this the reason I never let anyone die in front of me… the reason I helped him…'). Even when Aria realized that there was nothing she could do, the reason she rejected Lex's Potion wasn't because of the value at all.

"Lex…" Aria said calmly. She stared straight at Lex's eyes, and she waited for Lex to calm down.

"…" at first, Lex panicked and asked Aria to drink the Potion sooner. He even wanted to make her drink the Potion forcefully, but when Aria called his name… looking at her calm eyes… Lex understood there was something she needed to let Lex know.

"I'm sorry," the first thing Aria said was to apologize, "what I wanted to tell you back then, that is… Spirit Race vulnerable to Curse Magic."

"!!?" this is the first time Lex heard something like this. Even Livia's collection didn't have this information, of course, if you think about it logically. There's no way Spirit Race would deliberately announce their weakness. Yet, Lex, who moved with feeling rather than logical thinking, can't believe what he just heard. "no… No! there's no such thing!" more like Lex didn't even want to consider that possibility.

Even with Lex's outburst, Aria didn't stop talking "that's why Potion wouldn't work on my condition now," she said, trying to calm Lex down too. "Spirit Race Ethereal body easily corroded by Curse Magic, and the result would be madness, a sentient who loses their mind. destroying everything in the surrounding, something much worse than a monster."

"No!" Lex still denied the fact. "there's must be a way out. There should be no Spirit Race left in this world if it's true! If Spirit Race has that kind of big flaw, there's no way they survived this long," even if Lex's thought is driven by feeling. It's not like his logical thinking stopped working. If it were to support his emotion, it would work its best.

"…" Aria was silent for a moment. She knew what Lex said was true. In this Hidden World, which is not much different from wildlife law, 'the strong eat the weak' Spirit Race would be long gone if they had a big flaw without a solution. Still, Aria didn't want to tell Lex this because it was related to him. yet at the same time, Lex wouldn't give up if she didn't tell him ('I still had a favor I need to ask') Aria thought before she decided to answer Lex, "that's right, there's a method."

Lex's face instantly brightened up when he heard that "then-" before Lex could finish. his brightened up mood immediately slammed down once again

"If there's Mio, Arthur, or Cleos here, there's a way like other Magic. Curse Magic had its opposite like Holy Magic, but Lex… you can't do that," Aria said solemnly. She decided to say it. It's better to tell directly instead of in a roundabout way.

"!?" Lex was stunned "t, then" he stuttered, "I brought you to them at once," Lex said as he tried to pick up Aria, but his body was held down by Aria's weak hand

"You knew it too Lex, I don't have that much time left," Aria said softly

The truth is always the harshest one

Finally, Lex can't help but break down, "then why!?" he asked "if you knew all this, why did you protect me just now!" it's was his fault Aria got attacked by Curse Magic. It's also his fault that she can't be helped. It's because she can't use Magic like others.

When Aria heard it, she refuted Lex "no, Lex, I was already eroded by Curse Magic when I fought that Skeleton King. when I covered for you before, it's like 100+1 there's not much differen- cough!" Aria coughed blood once again. This is the result of physical injury, and her Ethereal Body was slowly corroded right at this moment.

"Aria!" Lex yelled in sadness as he hugged her tighter

Yet Aria showed a slight smile "Lex… I need… a favor…" she slowly said, "I… don't want… to fall… into madness… so… Lex… helps me…."

"!?" Lex's hand, trying to help her clean the blood from Aria's mouth, froze in mid-air. It's because he knew exactly what she wanted from him. She wanted him to help her… to stop her from falling into madness… to end her life before that happened.

"Please, Lex…"

Lex gritted his teeth so strong it was like it was going to break at any moment. He didn't want to, but that's the only thing he could help her with. Lex glanced toward his dagger, and he recalled Aria's weak plea before Lex slowly nodded his head to her.

"Thanks…" Aria said in relief, "and one more…."

Lex turned to face Aria's again, hearing there's still more.

"I… don't want to shackle you… but please," Aria said with a powerful feeling unlike before. Even with her weak voice and the intense emotion and will still overflow from her. "if you… ever found… Mother Goddess's Fragment… KILL EVERYONE WHO HAD IT!" her eyes burning with a powerful flame of revenge. These were the eyes that infected Lex before. "Cough! Cough!" Aria's time's up

(She didn't want to die…) transmitted to Lex, Aria's will, which actually didn't want to die, but she didn't have any other choice left (is there… really nothing I can do…) Lex thought before a tiny silver thing entered his sight

*pan

A slight gunshot sound rang around the mountain forest.

***

Lex remembered Red Bullet = Flame, Blue Bullet = Ice, Yellow Bullet = Heal. That's what his parents explained to him two years ago.

He has never seen the effect of the yellow bullet. However, he knew the red and blue shells had an incredible impact, so he gambled on the Yellow Bullet effect too. And the result was….

"Lex… I'm sorry… Thank you and goodbye…" it was Lex, the one who said that. Then, with a sad face, Lex put one of his hands on his chest while the other was facing the full moon in the sky as he recalled Aria's last word and beside him…

"~~~~!" it was Aria with a face as red as a tomato. If there's a hole, she would unhesitantly jump inside it to hide.

(Cutee~~!) Lex unexpectedly was counterattacked by Aria's unusual expression. but seeing that his brake had broken a long time ago, "I… don't want to fall into madness… so help me, Lex…." So he continued recalling all Aria's words.

"~~~~~!!!!!" Aria was trying her best to hide her face from Lex. She felt like her body was burned every time Lex repeated her words. She realized Lex enjoyed her reaction (I can't continue like this). Finally, Aria made her move. She stood up with a red face. While holding her embarrassment, she glared at Lex.

(Damn!? Did I take it too far? Is she angry?) what Lex's thought before he could apologize Aria's next word shook him to his core

"She sacrificing me? I abandon her? Are you joking? Because if you were, That's too hilarious…." Aria acted with the same tone as Lex before

(!!?? She heard that!?) "W-wait, A, Aria, calm down for a bit, shall we."

"It might be correct as a King to choose the best choice, but as a friend… as a family…."

(~~!) "A, Aria Miss Aria, please Calm down! Please forgive me! I'm very sorry, so stop-" Lex begged. Aria nodded to her as if she understood what he wanted then she gave him a bright smile.

"even if it means I had to lose limbs and life, I will protect this cave!! So COME AND GET ME IF YOU DARE!!!"

"GYAAAAAAA!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!" Lex screamed, anguishing as a worm poured by salt, "AAAAAHHHH~~!!" (why did I say something so cliche like that~!! NOOOO!!!!)

***

"How does it feel?" Aria asked once she calmed down with her usual inflectionless tone, but her face still had a slight tinge of redness before

"Kuh! kill me~~!" Lex replied, in the end, Lex's yellow bullet saved aria, and he drank the Potion. So both of them were back to their best condition except the fatigue accumulated.

"Well enough joking, here" Aria sat down beside Lex under the moonlight both of them sat in front of the cave together, Aria gave Lex ration to fill back their stamina

"Ahem!" Lex made a fake cough as he took the ration from Aria, "there's no signal, it's either the enemy or this Power-Spot who jammed the signal whichever the case I can't contact the others like before," Lex reported

"I see…" Aria replied

"What do we do next? We're going to strike them back, no?"

"Un," Aria nodded, "we will. But, for now, Take a rest. let's wait for the sunrise."

"Yea," Lex agreed, unlike Undead Lex, and the rest can't see clearly on the night. And at the same time, the Undead had no difference between day and night. they might be more assertive on the night, "will they send reinforcement?"

"I wonder? From what I see, The Skeleton King and The Lich were not monoliths. So even if The Skeleton King back late, the Lich won't feel that strange," Aria explained, "but let's take turn to rest. besides, if The Skeleton King was here, most likely Arthur and the other were chased by The Lich unless they had more number than we know."

"Will they be okay?"

"They were safer than us, don't need to think about it."

Lex recalled what Aria said before being ambushed by Skeleton King. "I see…" he replied

Lex hesitated whether to ask or not (once I ask her, once I involved in her problem, there's no turning back…)

(It might be better for me not to get involved with her problem, there are already Mio, Liselotte, and Kate on my plate…) once Lex decided not to ask about it, he remembered Aria's eyes.

(…. Damn it!)

"Aria," Lex softly called her, Aria, who was preparing to rest first according to their agreement. She turned her head toward Lex "what is Mother Goddess's fragment?"

Aria's hand stopped… her eyes were shaken… they stared at each other for a few seconds. In fact, Aria didn't want to talk about it. She was glad that Lex didn't talk about it before she thought Lex teased her was too avoid that topic between them, but…

"Haa~" Aria sighed. Unlike usual, she can see Lex would not give up even if she avoided the topic this time, so she gave up from the beginning "do you know Mother Goddes?"

"Yes," Lex replied, "it was said Mother Goddess created the Spirit Race. while Father God created the Celestial Race [Angel and Devil Race], and The World created the Human and Mana race."

It was the knowledge He got from Livia's collection. It's also common sense in the Hidden World.

"It was said that The World we lived in had met its end once, but Mother Goddess and Father God stopped the doomsday and The Sentient being survived along with the World," Aria explained.

Lex nodded with Aria's explanation it was another common sense in the hidden world too, so Lex had heard about it before

"The history said Mother Goddess and Father God left the World after that, but it was wrong."

"Wrong?" Lex was astounded. Even if The Hidden World's history were something new for Lex, he would be shocked too if someone denied it so confidently like this.

Aria nodded "the real situation was both Mother Goddess and Father God were destroyed to prevent the world from ending."

"!?"

"Mother Goddess's fragment was Mother Goddess's soul, which was destroyed because of that event. I didn't know much about Father God but most likely in the same situation with Mother Goddess" after Aria finished her explanation. She kept her mouth shut.

Lex's question was answered. But another question appeared on his mind (how did Aria know all of this…?). Lex looked toward Aria for a second (and that eyes… there must be something happened… but it seems she won't talk more than this…)

"I see," Lex finally replied, "thank you for telling me."

Aria didn't reply. She lay down with her back facing Lex

Lex fell in thought thinking about her situation for quite a while, and when he saw her small figure sleeping on the ground, which looks very lonely, he gently caressed her head

(It's easy to forget, but she's only a twelve-year-old child…) Lex thought, "I said it myself before, didn't it, as her friend… as her family…."

(The only thing I can do for her now…) "I'll help find their information," Lex muttered in a small voice. It was only for himself to hear, to declare his objective, but...

('!?') what Lex didn't know was Aria hadn't fallen asleep yet at that time.