Chapter 113: Resolve
’Whoever designed the shepherds’ clothing is someone I would really appreciate. Even if blood had somehow covered some part of the robe, it wasn’t visibly noticeable. Well, maybe that’s because the one I’m wearing is black? Still, there wasn’t any smell either. It was as if the robe had been made for people to get splashed with blood left and right. The blood didn’t smell at all.’
Cillian mused inwardly as he sat down on a chair, looking down at the shepherd he had killed.
This was the sixth black shepherd among the shepherds that he had brought down by his blade after being tricked by his words and actions.
There was no need to make any unnecessary noises, flashy movements, or deliberate mistakes. One execution, one play. Cillian did everything accurately as he spent almost an hour inside Hensel Hospital doing such things.
Cillian’s productivity in hunting down the shepherds throughout the hospital was reduced since the shepherds adapted and felt something was suspicious about how Cillian was killing them. It became apparent when Troy’s delivered information kept lessening.
Two, such a small amount added to his lists.
The current victim of his lay on the ground with a horror-stricken expression after being killed by a blade plunged into his head.
Cillian coldly looked at the corpse on the ground, feeling little emotion about taking the life of another human being. There was a slight sting in his heart, yet that didn’t change the fact that it was either him or them.
Now that Cillian was painfully aware that the Shepherds were wary of him, he had to steel his resolve to continue these killings.
’For some reason, I can sense that I have a talent for killing, something I didn’t even have back on Earth.’
Cillian mused inwardly, a small smile creeping on his lips.
’Unlucky that I only managed to kill two more. Oh well, I would’ve killed more if those shepherds were dumber.’
Just as he was about to stand up and leave the place, not waiting for the Fragmented Piece to arrive, even though their death status did not work inside the Runic Gate, as Troy had mentioned, a screen suddenly appeared within his vision.
[A scent of Death is within you]
Cillian glanced at the screen related to the scent that had suddenly appeared from time to time. This time, it was related to death.
This made Cillian click his tongue, his mood dampening as he became a hundred percent certain that he was being influenced by this scent indirectly without realizing it.
Still, Cillian didn’t let it bother him... well, he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t slightly bothered. What made him continue allowing it to affect him was that he was still in control of the situation and it wasn’t directly causing him any harm.
Besides, how could he deal with this scent if he didn’t even know where it came from, aside from the fact that it was connected to his Death Flag System? Even if he came to know what this thing was, would he even have the means to remove it?
Cillian himself wanted to remove it so badly, as it was nothing more than a parasite latching itself onto him.
[A scent of Death wishes to make a bet with you.]
Cillian watched the screen with contempt before ignoring it and focusing on the task at hand. Right now, the primary goal was to escape this place and find his parents, whom he presumed had been captured by Arthur.
’Troy has stopped passing information, which I guess had something to do with the robes of the Black Shepherds.’
Cillian learned a lot of things within the span of over an hour while being hunted down by the Black Shepherds. The most notable one was the fact that Troy used the robes as a means of transferring information through the Shepherds inside this gate. It was probably related to his Ruiner powers.
Another important piece of information he had gathered from his latest victim was the fact that fifteen people had been sent inside, all Black Shepherds. This left the Black Shepherds sent here to be nine, unless someone decided to call backup from outside and decide to just end him here.
Yet Cillian was sure that no backup was at least coming. After all, a screen relating to Arthur’s Death Flag was still escalating, sending a few messages here and there from time to time. Because he made Arthur impatient, the Shepherds were probably the same and could only send this number of people to capture him while the rest focused on the heretic.
’But I have to leave here...’
Cillian was eager to leave, growing increasingly impatient as the seconds went by, but he knew that everything would be for naught if he failed even once. The result would probably be his death, which was the last thing he wanted for someone who still wanted to have tons of fun.
’I don’t think escaping is going to be easy. I gained another ability because of this dude, along with a few smokescreens I’ve gotten a while ago. Heh, if the nine people left on this gate are thinking, they’re probably staying at the entrance now. At least, some of them are. That sucks. I have no idea what their abilities are. It’s going to be dangerous if I just barge my way toward them.’
But Cillian couldn’t just focus on staying inside when the situation outside had already passed for an hour.
Cillian was afraid that he was already too late because he had wasted so much time being trapped in here, but he stopped his thoughts from running wild. He continued believing that things hadn’t spiraled out of control and that the plans he had made and everything he told his father about were going well.
’Now that I think about it, it’s much better that I’m the one here instead of Leo. I couldn’t afford to find myself losing Cillian’s family member when I’ve done everything I could to stop Arthur.’
A passing thought that came to his mind made Cillian let out a short sigh. Then, with a disgruntled groan, he grabbed Death Coin from his inventory and began examining it.
[Death Coin is usable again]
[Death Coin can be flipped]
Seeing the Fragmented Piece manifest from the chest of the dead shepherd, Cillian tossed the coin into the air and flipped it.
[Death Coin is flipping]
Soon, Cillian caught the Death Coin with one hand while using the other to hide the result for a moment.
He didn’t look at the system for the result, unlike the first time he had done it while running, because he had expected to land heads on his first try. That was what he wanted, until it betrayed his expectations.
Maybe it is different now?
The second time’s the charm? Or was it the third?
Cillian didn’t remember, but he eventually opened his palms and watched the result of the Death Coin being flipped.
And then, his eyes glanced towards the screen, pointed at its result to see if his eyes weren’t betraying him.
[Death Coin flipped]
[Result: Tails]
[0:59:30]
’I have shitty luck, aren’t I?’
Cillian pondered inwardly before standing up from his seat and grabbing the Fragmented Piece, placing it back into his inventory. Since he had already stopped because of the scent of Death, he might as well take it.
Then, Cillian left the room after double-checking whether the shepherd had any valuables left that he had failed to notice.