Chương 36: Tragic Events
Chapter 36: Tragic Events
William was strangely unmoved by Old Neil's grotesque body, consisting of his head held together by thick, slimy blood. Such a sight would make any normal person tremble in fear, especially considering that the person in this state could be regarded as a friend. However, Dunn acted as if everything was fine, and William himself coolly reflected on the situation.
'Am I losing control of my emotions?' William looked at his hands, thinking deeply about the matter. 'No, that's not correct.'
He instinctively knew that this was a merely natural process. When you have been close to death, you are bound to change. Some learn to value life, for others, it is the opposite, and it seemed that William had the second option.
Although it was useful for cases like this, to think clearly in times of difficulty, it was not a pleasant thing, and he had to make a mental note to try to keep his emotions, which equaled his humanity. After all, someone without feelings is not much different from someone dead.
"Old Neil, where did you learn alchemical life and resurrection ritual?" Dunn Smith's eyes sparkled as he asked this question.
Old Neil responded excitedly: "I heard it. I tried the first part and confirmed its authenticity! It is a gift from God! He kept describing it in my ears. He went on to describe, He is—He is…"
William already knew the answer, he had seen the eyes enveloping Old Neil's spirituality.
The old man seemed to realize something and continued in disbelief and fear.
"He is the Hidden Sage..."
He then truly woke up and looked at the group bitterly.
"It seems… it seems that I have already become a monster…" He showed a smile of servility, fear, and cowardice. "Let me go, please. I will go into the mountains so as not to harm anyone. I will try my ritual in silence, without disturbing anyone else. Please..."
William felt his consciousness alerted.
"It's a dream." Debris warned him.
He quickly got rid of it and returned to the real world.
"You're dragging me into a dream!" Old Neil exclaimed furiously. "That won't work on me, my eyes can see through it."
The blood on the ceiling writhed and opened like a giant mouth ready to swallow them. No one moved apart from the Captain.
Suddenly, everything stopped. Old Neil's head lost its coldness, hatred, desire, and all other emotions. He went from being like a volcano about to erupt to a calm lake.
Dunn had thrown Artifact 3-0611 into the blood, and it was already working. He began to close his eyes, apparently having lost all need to live.
They all drew their weapons, aiming at the monster's head. William was also pointing a revolver he had recently acquired at him.
He had noticed that he was lacking in ranged attacks, and with his Sequence 8 Beyonder salary, he could easily afford one.
Then, Old Neil revealed a look of extreme fear. He was struggling, his strong will to live fighting against the effects of Sealed Artifact 3-0611.
The four extra eyes disappeared, and he returned to his normal appearance, except that he was still hanging by the liquid from the ceiling.
"Dunn, do you remember the time I saved you...
"Royale, do you remember when I helped you redeem your family's life…
"Klein, do you remember how I taught you mysticism every day? Remember when we talked about how to make claims? Remember how I made you hand-ground coffee? Remember when we fought a mandatory Punisher Rampager?"
"William, do you remember when we ate at your house, and I took care of you when you came that time and you were about to die?"
However, none of them lowered their weapons. Still, there was someone who spoke up.
"I remember what you told me that time we talked about our families." William looked at Old Neil's sorry state, something degrading to the person he had known. "We must move on, and not dwell on painful memories. I hope the Goddess has you with her in her Kingdom."
And the four of them pulled the trigger without further hesitation, showering Old Neil with a barrage of bullets. Soon, he turned into a ball of rotten meat, and all the viscous blood on the ceiling disappeared.
It felt a little unreal looking at the dead body of a former colleague. The sequence of events had ended tragically, and when Dunn took two steps closer to the corpse and murmured the Nighthawks' motto, William felt it more real than ever.
"We are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness."
It should have felt like a turning point for a rookie like William, and for Klein it was. However, he had already been through an experience equal to or more shocking than this.
'I just hope that if he really has gone to the Goddess Kingdom, he can find peace and meet his fiancée again.' He drew the Goddess symbol on her chest and murmured a prayer under his breath.
The next Thursday, at nine o'clock in the morning, many people were gathered at the Raphael Cemetery in Tingen.
Rozanne wept on top of the coffin, lamenting that the man had consumed a potion. There was a picture of Old Neil in black and white, one that showed him with his hat and his usual relaxed smile, very different from his last moments.
Beneath the photograph was an epitaph that read "If I cannot save her, then I shall accompany her."
William paid his respects to him and turned to go back to his training.
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