I Regressed and the Genre Changed

Chapter 39 – Black Mist

“Kyle?”

Rudine called out to me.

She stood there with an elegant smile.

“Who’s the lady sitting next to you?”

“Ah…”

What should I say?

Suddenly, the story Merlin had told me rang in my ears like an auditory hallucination.

— Her name is Odette Astoria.

— Just think of her as the mischievous daughter of the Count Astoria family from the Kingdom.

Ah, that was the concept.

Surprisingly, even the name fits perfectly.

Having finished my calculations in my mind, I finally answered Rudine’s question with a smile.

“She’s Odette Astoria, from the Count Astoria family.”

“The Count Astoria family?”

The Count Astoria family was indeed a real noble family.

If it weren’t, they wouldn’t have made it onto the guest list of the Founding Festival.

I don’t know what route Merlin took to acquire the invitation qualifications and forged identity.

But since it’s a real noble family, the Princess must naturally know about the Count Astoria family as well.

“Ah, a guest from the Kingdom.”

Just as expected.

Rudine’s large pupils sparkled with curiosity.

I wasn’t particularly worried about Diana.

From her appearance to her attire, and even her voice.

With the disguise artifact, everything about that figure had changed, making it impossible to deduce it was Diana.

“…I am honored to meet the Sun of the Empire. I am Odette Astoria, from the Count Astoria family…”

Diana bowed her head, covering her expression with a fluttering fan.

Though her movements were somewhat stiff, resembling a puppet, it would probably just seem like a cute mistake of a nervous noblewoman in front of Royalty.

‘It’s not easy to associate that figure with Diana.’

Look at that big roll of hair.

How many layers of waves did they put in to get such voluminous curls?”

“It’s been a long journey.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re just grateful to have you grace the seat arranged by the Royal Family, Lady Odette.”

Diana’s lips, hidden behind the fan, twitched.

Rudine clapped her hands and asked Diana.

“What’s the relationship between Lady Odette and Kyle?”

“…We just met today.”

“Oh, really? No wonder it looked awkward between you two.”

Rudine exclaimed in surprise, then added with a puzzled expression.

“Kyle and I have something to discuss privately. If Lady Odette is okay with it, we’d like to leave for a moment… Is that alright?”

“…It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Thank you so much, Lady Odette.”

Rudine smiled and got up from her seat.

Diana still giggled awkwardly behind her fan.

Rudine walked slowly down the deserted forest path.

Though leaving Diana alone made me somewhat uneasy, she would handle herself just fine.

I followed Rudine without much concern.

Then, Rudine’s gentle voice reached me.

“Kyle, remember?”

“What?”

“Today. It’s the day when the Black Mist starts to spread in earnest.”

How could I not know?

It’s the beginning of a significant event, the onset of a full-blown disaster.

‘Is she testing me?’

Instead of answering, I just blinked dumbly.

It’s better to keep my words to myself when I can’t gauge her intentions.

“Things will soon get chaotic here too.”

“…”

“Are you curious why I brought you here?”

Not particularly curious.

The reason is obvious.

Either she brought me here to test me like before, or she has some business with me.

“Want to hear an interesting fact?”

“What is it?”

“You’ll remember. About how before we returned to the past, the Founding Festival was completely devastated by the spread of the Black Mist.”

Of course, I know.

That marked the beginning of the main scenario in earnest.

Though I couldn’t attend the Founding Festival due to being possessed by Kyle Winfred, I remember clearly because the entire Empire was in an uproar.

What is she trying to say?

I stood quietly, listening to her words.

“Do you know how it was resolved back then?”

Rudine slowly turned her head.

Our eyes met.

“Lady Isabel and Duke Winfred.”

“…”

“Thanks to their efforts, no one died. The blame for the disaster wasn’t pinned on the Royal Family either.”

That’s true.

With those two, dealing with the first wave wouldn’t have been too difficult.

Honestly, even with Isabel’s enhanced abilities alone, they could have successfully averted it to some extent, couldn’t they?

“Have you ever found it strange?”

“What?”

“The Black Mist. What exactly is its mechanism, and why did such a calamity beyond the norm appear in this world?”

The origin of the Black Mist is simple.

No, calling it an origin story is unnecessary.

This world is a world within a game.

The element of the “Black Mist” was added as a narrative device to maintain consistency with the setting of a world constantly threatened by destruction from the beginning.

Rudine tilted her head.

Her eyes narrowed.

“It’s contrived.”

Rudine pointed out the essence of the Black Mist.

“The Black Mist, this world, it’s all just too contrived.”

Rudine was scrutinizing me intently.

It was a gaze of blatant observation.

“What is the fate of this world, and what lies beyond that dreadful Black Mist? Isn’t everything just full of uncertainties?”

A dry tone filled the air.

The fate of this world? The truth beyond the Black Mist?

I’ve never deeply considered any of it.

Because it’s a world within a game.

Solely for that reason, I never doubted the world I transmigrated into.

“Do you know why I ended up returning to the past?”

Rudine bent her waist forward.

The breaking sunlight illuminated her.

Her stunning face looked directly at me.

“Kyle, you were poisoned.”

“…”

“A week after your death, Luna Winfred died like a ghost. Poisoned through the food served at the dinner.”

Rudine’s eyes were grave.

“And soon after, Isabel died as well.”

I swallowed hard.

My throat felt as if I had swallowed a fireball.

Rudine paused for a moment.

But that was enough to fill the air with an eerie silence.

“What do you think happened next?”

“…”

“The world stopped.”

I was speechless.

Because I had never once thought about the world after my death.

Rudine spoke slowly.

“Everything in the world was preserved. Not alive, not dead. Frozen in time, as if time itself had stopped.”

The world stopped.

“Isn’t it fascinating? Kyle, isn’t it strange that the world stopped after you died? Like a world that existed solely for you? How is that even possible?”

But it’s strange.

If, as Rudine said, the world had really stopped, then how did Rudine manage to maintain consciousness in that frozen world?

Rudine let out a small laugh as she read my expression.

Then she casually swung the Rosary hanging around her neck.

“Then how could I still move, right?”

My mind was overwhelmed by the flood of information.

Is it true? If it is, what’s the reason she’s confessing this so readily?

“Isn’t it horrifying to be the only one moving in a world that’s frozen in time?”

“…”

“So, you know what I did first?”

Before I could answer, Rudine whispered softly.

“I’ve always been curious. Where did the Black Mist come from, after all?”

“…”

“And what lies beyond it.”

The smile on the corners of her lips deepened.

I slowly raised my head.

And then, I barely managed to spit out the question that had welled up to my chin.

“What did you see?”

Rudine smiled, her eyes narrowing.

That smile was chillingly beautiful.

Bending forward, Rudine whispered to me.

Then, a massive vibration engulfed the forest.

Kuuuuung—

The forest shook.

With the strong wind, the shadows stretched out on the ground writhed madly.

The air became thick in an instant.

Thump, thump— the sound of demons approaching faintly echoed.

There was no mistaking it.

It was the precursor phenomenon of the full-scale invasion.

That was when it happened.

— 41%

— 42%

— 43%

…

…

The progress rate began to rise rapidly.

The chaotic screams of people mingled in the air.

The peaceful Founding Festival had suddenly turned into chaos.

“Over here, Kyle.”

Rudine grinned and moved slowly.

This place would soon turn into a battlefield.

For safety’s sake, I had to move to where Isabel was right away.

Oh, right.

Diana was there too.

Now wasn’t the time for this.

Now wasn’t the time to stand here dumbfounded like an idiot.

But still.

Despite that, I couldn’t move a single finger.

My whole body was frozen as if tied with ropes.

‘Just now…’

What did I hear?

‘What the…’

I don’t understand.

My mind went blank from shock.

‘How…’

It’s not a mistake.

Rudine definitely whispered it to me.

What did she say?

— Lee Seung-jun.

My real name.

She uttered my real name.

Not in the Imperial language.

In clear Korean.

[TL/N: bro got doxed in a fantasy world ]