Chapter 13

Illusion

    "It's peaceful, isn't it?"

    Esther's physician sat sipping tea while watching the CCTV footage in the lounge. He adjusted the channel to match the emergency room's number before pushing his glasses up, his expression showing satisfaction at seeing his patient back to normal, even though he knew Esther had vanished since being kicked.

    "If the world were peaceful, people like us would be out of jobs, wouldn't we?" A young woman with red hair, carrying a file of documents, walked in. "Doctor, could you spare an hour to brief me on patient management? My next scoop for the network requires an interview with an expert."

    "Ha...I happen to be busy. I have more patients to see," the bearded elder stroked his neatly trimmed beard. "As a third-year president of the journalist club, you shouldn't just focus on activities. No matter how dire the situation, you understand medical ethics, right? I can't disclose internal information. Maybe try asking others; perhaps they might have something to say."

    "That's okay," the female journalist bowed her head before watching the elder doctor walk away. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a blue clay-like data storage device, attaching it to the CCTV monitor to automatically transfer data.

    "Wonder if I'll get anything...coming all random like this." She looked around suspiciously. Within seconds, an alert from her tiny wireless earpiece rang.

    "News! Nurses are coming in now!!"

    "That'll do."

    The young woman stuffed the clay back into her hip bag and casually walked out, crossing paths with the nurses coming in for a check-up.

    Unbeknownst to Esther, who seldom browsed the network...the headline for the next day would directly involve him.

    ...

    The doctor got kicked rolling back on the patient’s claim: that was the reflex.    

    "Alright, enough playing."

    Esther moved away from his recent target of teasing, with Victoria looking at him apprehensively. The young man had no intention of seriously upsetting them; it was just a jest. He had to admit he was momentarily stunned to see the other party closed her eyes waiting for him, nearly making him act on impulse... Fortunately, Esther managed to restrain himself. Otherwise, Tartarus might have found a reason to kill him for sure.

    But it made no difference when the other party didn't appreciate his actions at all. Esther felt so nervous that he couldn't bear to look, turning his gaze to a vase of flowers beside him instead.

    A chilling aura of malice seeped into every pore, with the young man unable to react. Esther started panicking as Tartarus pulled out a giant cross from the void. The biggest problem now was he had no weapons for defense other than a saline drip and a soft pillow.

    Despite his pale complexion, he could still find his way out with the best he could. Yet, the escape path was nowhere to be found as they were in the ICU where there was no window. If Victoria used her power here, something might happen, and he might get more injuries.

    ‘What should I do now, pushing the pillow against the face of a knife-proof person?’

    "Take it easy...I got carried away," Esther tried to soothe her, but it seemed futile. On the contrary, it only made Tartarus even angrier, with Victoria, floating besides, unable to intervene due to the overwhelming pressure.

    "You...Master Devald, you like playing with women's feelings."

    Mispronouncing his name in her anger seemed unimportant compared to the giant cross she lifted, aiming unmistakably at his head...forcing Esther to find a solution. However, he was clueless about what to do to resolve the situation, only aiming to stop her from wreaking havoc in the hospital.

    In a desperate move he never thought he'd resort to, as the cross fell, Esther caught its end and leaned it against the wall while simultaneously grabbing Tartarus' wrist. The human-formed weapon, poised to protest, found that his actions didn't stop there.

    Shocking someone's emotions was a way to calm them suddenly, and some lunatics chose to do something utterly improper without thinking.

    The thin, ice-cold lips of the apparition clashed against the soft petals, on the other side were the coarse lips of Esther.

    The human-form chain paused when unexpectedly kissed by her master, even though he used a flower petal as a barrier. Her raised hand was swiftly caught by Esther, who used his other arm to prevent her from falling off the bed. At this moment, neither of them could foresee the consequences of this unforeseen incident.

    Uh...what have I done?

    The ominous cross, which nearly became part of his grave, vanished like mist, while its owner remained still, her arms held high by Esther. It took him minutes to realize he was holding her arm in place.

    "Uh...sorry."

    The young man faced the woman, whose face turned from a soft pink to a deep red. If it were possible for steam to rise from her head due to the heat, it would have. Her glasses even fogged up significantly until Tartarus, unable to bear his gaze any longer, looked downward.

    'Cute,' Esther bit his lip. 'But, hey, damn it.'

    Thump!

    The door burst open as Victoria vanished in a blink as if having enlightenment in that flash, causing a sudden halt among the large group standing at the entrance. Their expressions made it clear they had completely misunderstood the situation, but no explanation was necessary for what they saw.

    Bryan and Barney smiled broadly, nodding as if they understood, followed by a large dog grinning along. A young witch named Wiz held her head, sighing deeply, while the only doctor in the group quickly took photos. The administrative twins scribbled non-stop, forcing Esther, who was still holding Tartarus' hand, to rush over to snatch the devices away.

    But everything vanished in a moment.

    "Such speed can't compete with teleporters," Joshua smiled, lowering his hand that was ready to use his powers. "Initially, I came to visit and check on you since you've been in the ICU for three days. But seeing how lively it is here, it seems you're enjoying the atmosphere more than being unwell."

    "Enjoy my ass!" Esther scowled before scanning the group. "Aren't you joining the war with them? You'll be disqualified soon enough."

    "We can't. The number of team members doesn’t meet the requirement," Joshua adjusted his glasses. "Remember the engineer who vanished early on? He's back, and now our group's number has changed. Registration for the war is quite a hassle to prevent impersonation, so participants must show up in person for the first time. What happens next can be arranged differently."

    'What a hassle.'

    "And where's Lady Valpurgis? Why didn't she come along?"

    Esther's genuine question stemmed from knowing Grace was one of those who dragged him to the hospital and stayed to monitor his condition. If she went outside, it must have been for something significant.

    The group fell silent, exchanging uncertain looks, making Esther uneasy. Finally, the man he hardly interacted with responded.

    Wearing an engineer's navy blue workshop shirt, the rather slim figure with a forced smile on his face, wearing a headset around his neck and holding a tablet, was Gear

Linemaker from the Military Engineering department. His news wasn't pleasant.

    "Ha... I saw her walking with someone in a suit earlier, probably someone from her mafia group," the man in the shop coat informed an interrogating Esther.

    'What now? And this university allows outsiders too easily. Since last time...'

    Esther frowned, facing another absurd turn of events. However, the man before him seemed more capable than expected, potentially useful for intelligence and data. If not for his early elimination during the initiation ceremony, he could have been quite reliable.

    Esther took a deep breath, pondering various things before speaking out. Although they gathered like this, no specific leader was designated.

    'If I'm not careful, I'll mess this up for sure.'

    ‘It feels like I'm in the same situation as what that diary mentioned, huh.’

    "It seems... I'll have to handle this myself," Esther concluded, keeping his expression hidden. Despite his growing anxiety, he had to appear unfazed to the onlookers, or the aftermath would involve more than just clearing the war – it could lead to a conflict with the mafia.

    "Are you sure?" Wiz objected. "It seems like it's not a problem you can handle."

    "I can talk to them. You guys go listen to the lecture about the rules of the war to make sure you understand them, so you can guide us better. We'll take a look at other things later."

    Although they were skeptical of his words and demeanor, his teammates chose to follow his orders. It was a form of indirect test for Esther, as well as a confirmation of his identity because talking to the mafia suggested he must be quite significant.

    However, once the door closed, his confident expression suddenly turned pale. The young man, who hadn't expected things to escalate, smirked while looking at the IV line he had pulled out, realizing he was now truly free since no guns were pointing at him. But he knew better than to trust the situation completely.

    Tartarus remained as rigid as before...

    "Hey... hey, you blockhead," Esther grabbed her shoulder and shook her. "Wake up!"

    Not only was she shocked by the kiss, but what Esther found adorable caused a significant impact. It took a while for Tartarus’ senses to return, and by then, Esther was already complaining about his sore hand. He might not have thought much of it, but it seemed his weapon had completely lost its senses.

    Victoria, giggling at Tartarus’ petrification, noticed something on the headboard. A clean white envelope caught her curiosity, especially the dark brown address on it, which increased her suspicion. She handed it to Esther as soon as Tartarus recovered.

    "Esther... this is?"

    "Oh... the doctor said someone left it for me," Esther said, looking at the envelope's address. "If anyone else opens this... I curse you dead. Who would want to open it with a message like this!!!"

    Despite saying that, Esther proceeded to open the envelope under Tartarus and Victoria's watchful eyes.

    Whoosh!!

    Suddenly, black-purple flames erupted from the envelope, consuming it until only ashes remained. A single piece of paper inside survived, making Esther completely lose his trust. He thought it would have been easier for the sender to include a bomb if they intended to prank him like this.

    Esther unfolded the large piece of paper that had been folded into quarters. It was a map painted with blood, so detailed that it must have been done by hand. He didn't know who sent it. Despite that, he could guess the sender from the character written with blood on the envelope. What he was seeing right now ensured him that this involved someone utilizing blood, which no one did, except Vampires.

    The image of those buildings continuously changed before picturing an image of the university of war. To be more precise, it was the War city’s territorial details. This level of detail led to the conclusion that the mapmaker was definitely an insider. After a while, his brows furrowed as he examined the map without blinking. His gaze moved across the territories within the map, checking the accuracy of the information.

    However, something unusual happened as he took his eyes off the paper.

    The ICU, empty of people, the door suddenly enveloped in darkness, and the lights flickering. Esther slowly placed the paper down, but it wouldn't leave his hand. His face turned pale suddenly, realizing this was no ordinary event.

    A rotten smell seeped from under the door, the ceiling melted down like it was being dissolved by acid, turning into yellowish, translucent worms crawling over his body. Esther was stunned for a moment before regaining his composure, trying not to scream.

    What scared him wasn't the worms, but the oppressive feeling coming from the ICU door.

    Disgusted, he had to flick the creatures off him and move towards the entrance. The nauseating stench almost made him vomit, but the lack of alternatives to escape pushed him forward.

    Should I…open?

    That was the question in his mind as he reached for the doorknob.

    The number of worms in the room increased to an unbearable level, not just covering objects but devouring them. This urgency made Esther decide whether to confront whatever was behind the door or stay with these stupid creatures in the room.

    Snap!

    A cold grip seized his wrist along with a surge of murderous intent. The young man looked at the letter that had transformed into a hand, cut and bleeding, gripping his wrist tightly. It seemed to crave something missing, but of course, there was nothing Esther could give. However, it rapidly climbed his body and grasped his neck, its white hand beginning to suffocate him.

    Alright then!

    The door burst open with hundreds of hands stretching out from the darkness, forcing Esther to retreat until he stepped on numerous worms, crushing them. The goo from the creatures began to dissolve his flesh slowly, and smoke rising from his wounds indicated the acid was potent enough to burn through his skin in seconds.

    In an instant, the hand choking him smashed against the bed, causing more cursed worms to scatter. Not counting the acid eating away at his back, making his flesh and bones dissolve under an invisible fire, Esther struggled desperately, while the scene before him became hands retreating back into the darkness.

    Then his savior appeared.

    Swoosh!

    A Rapier swung, cutting the hand and reaching for him, scattering blood. Many chains from Tartarus then whipped out, pulling away the assailants from the darkness, with one chain seizing the hand choking him and crushing it.

    "Calm down, you fool... this is an illusion," Tartarus said, pulling out her cross after sending the sword stabbed on the ground, "Find the source of this illusion and destroy it!"

    'I've seen enough illusions already!!!'

    Before Esther could voice his thoughts, the destroyed hand regenerated as if untouched. What was terrifying was the dozens of hands, upon falling among the worms, began consuming them, returning to their original state. The sight of a hand devouring worms as if it had a mouth was enough to turn his stomach.

    The pale hands began to detonate, overflowing the room with blood, which then combined with the worms to reform into something familiar. Though not as frightening as the sea of hands, it was enough to make him hesitate.

    Esther narrowed his eyes at the weapon manifesting, murmuring, "Loki... Grace's gun?"

    Was that letter from Valpurgis?

    Grinding his teeth, Esther dodged aside as the gun fired at him. The pistol was targeting him at a high speed before firing a barrage. Esther looked at it with content. He called Tartarus back in his hand and punched back those bullets.

    The gun separated into dozens of guns. He used a bed to shield against the barrage, the dark bullets piercing through as if fearing the bed's heat. Even when ducking, a bullet grazed his shoulder, leaving a significant wound. Waiting for the right moment, he used the saline stand to strike back, scattering one of the guns against the wall.

    Using Tartarus, he seized another gun and smashed it against more, causing the surroundings to blur as if shaken. Realizing he was in an illusion, he acted to escape.

    "Tartarus... spread out."

    Chains whipped out, pursuing the fleeing guns while shooting back at Esther. Despite his injuries, he didn't give up, his frustration only growing until he finally smashed Tartarus against his pursuers, shattering the illusion.

    The scene settled on a woman in a kimono, holding the last gun over the bloodied wreckage of the bed.

    Her one grey eye questioned Esther, who hesitated whether to keep the map or not but eventually nodded.

    Tartarus had an effortless breakfast.

    Everything shook and then disintegrated. Esther sighed in relief, inspecting the numerous wounds on his body. Though the bullets were gone, the injuries remained. The ICU was untouched, except for Victoria's shocked face, witnessing his sudden injuries.

    "Vampire's low-grade weapons... reek of blood."

    Tartarus complained, shaking her head. “Next time, tell whoever wants to kill you to send something tasty.”

    "If possible, better not to send anything at all."

    "What on earth is that guy doing?!"

    A visitor to the university slammed his fist onto a wooden table, leaving an indentation, as he watched the footage from a security camera. He had given a map to Esther as a test, but instead, Esther fed it to his weapon.

    What was sent to Esther was a Lesvape, a low-tier weapon used by vampires that could transform and create illusions. Despite being much less powerful, only one-tenth as strong, it was easily used for assassination. Normally, creating something like this was very difficult and costly, hence not commonly done.

    "Calm down, Raven... There's still plenty of time."

    "It ruins the plan," the mafia gang leader glared at Director Loren Aegis, who was laughing behind him.

    "It’s normal for that kid..."

    For Loren, Esther's illogical actions were no longer surprising. He knew that normal human logic couldn't apply to Esther. If one tried to deal with him in a conventional way, they should be prepared for failure.

    Both were watching footage in the laboratory (for entertainment purposes) of the staff, located in the administration building. The professors enjoyed the show, in front of them floated a large screen that could display 360-degree views, along with many smaller screens ready for viewing. The images came from new spy satellites, hidden security cameras, or even directly hacked from students' cameras.

    "Ah... It's time," the director looked at his watch. "Let's see something fun, Tartarus."