I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Chapter 14: Cough, Kill Them

Click.

Darkness followed the sound of the door closing.

Vivian, having returned to her abode, silently stepped away from the entrance and surveyed the interior of the house where she resided.

The place was in severe disarray, just as it had been before her return.

Her research findings had disappeared completely when she awoke and descended to the basement, prompting her to ransack the house in search of them.

Of course, she had already moved the reclaimed results to a safe location. Once she finished packing her belongings, she planned to relocate there and resume her research.

She was confident that the Mage Tower would pay close attention to her defense.

They were desperate, too, and should they betray her, she was determined to ensure they paid the price accordingly

Still, conducting research today will be tough.

She had turned both the slums and the Mage Tower upside down.

Since it had been an exhausting day for her, a person who mostly confined herself to her room, she deemed it reasonable to rest for now.

Yes, just a little bit.

Despite the urgency she felt in her heart to continue her research right away, she recognized the necessity of rest for the challenges ahead.

Just a little bit compared to the time Ive already waited

Vivian managed to soothe herself and move her lethargic body back to her room.

She used telekinesis with mana to tidy the slightly disheveled areas, then immediately lay down on her bed, clutching a doll in her arms.

She was about to fall asleep like that, alleviating her fatigue and preparing herself for what was to come when

Grumble.

Im hungry.

She realized that she had not eaten all day.

While she knew she should eat to regain her strength, Vivian chose to remain in bed, burying her face in the doll to suppress her hunger.

After all, if she attempted to find food for herself, it would likely be nothing more than tasteless, hard biscuits.

Even during her research, she ate those without care, but now, unable to make progress in her research, she felt her heart fill with nostalgia from old memories.

If there was something she needed to put in her mouth to soothe that feeling, it had to be warm food made by someones hands.

Yes, hiring a housekeeper was also about experiencing such things and revisiting the nostalgia of those days.

Vivian. Stay here quietly.

Mother.

The only family who had passed the witchs blood to her.

And if she stopped, she would be someone whom she could only recall as a memory of the past.

Mom, dont go! I dont want to stay here!

Its okay, Vivian. Youre going to fall into a long sleep now.

Whenever she fell asleep, she always remembered her last encounter with her.

The burning cabin and the armed shadows approaching from outside

And all the moments when she, who blocked their path with a barrier and carried her on her back, stroked her cheek before putting herself in a box.

Once you wake up from sleep, surely no one will be able to harm you. Wait, and such a world will surely come

Then, what about Mom?

She didnt want to part ways.

No matter what happened afterward, she wanted to share that fate with her mother.

If Im here, then Mom, what happens to you?

No matter how young she was, she wasnt a fool.

Whatever reason they came for, it was clear what would happen to her mother outside, casting a barrier while only she was inside

Dont worry, Vivian.

Still, she kissed her forehead without a trace of fear or hesitation, whispering softly.

Mom is just going to another world.

Another world?

Yes, another world. You know, being Moms daughter, right? Our world is really isolated by many dimensional walls.

Im not going to disappear. Im just leaving for another place.

Was she just saying that to reassure her?

Or really

Was there a basis for her to believe that the souls of those who had left this world really headed to another world?

So dont worry. If youre alive, youll be able to meet Mom again someday.

Really?

Yes, so survive. No matter what, bravely

With those words of farewell, the box closed with a thud.

Afterward, as she felt a great power from outside, her consciousness sank below the surface, and it was a long time before she woke again.

There, the humans who had persecuted her were presenting research materials conducted by witches like her mother, requesting interpretation and assistance in their progress.

It was a bit later that she learned that witches like her mother had been burned to death by their ancestors, vanishing without leaving even their bodies behind.

But this fact didnt just make her angry.

Even if she had no living kin in this world, her mother had left behind a small hope in the moment she bid farewell.

If the souls of the dead really pass to another world

Yes, that was hope.

With that hope, she lent her power to the descendants of her enemies who needed her help and conducted research that interfered with other dimensions.

She aimed not just to summon one-sidedly but to journey there herself or bring more into this world.

Thus, whether it was the afterlife or another world, she might find her mothers reincarnation, and the day might come when she would realize the memories of that day in the present

On the day my research is completed, I will surely see Mom again, wont I?

Feeling that the day she would achieve this was not far off, Vivian hugged the doll in her arms, ready to calm her mind.

She mulled over her memories with her mother and prepared to forget everything else

Yes, originally, she should have considered everyone else insignificant except for that one person.

Hyo-sung.

Why was that?

In moments when she should be reminiscing about such memories, why did an unexpected name come to her mind?

Woo Hyo-sung.

He was just a man she had temporarily summoned to soothe her nostalgia and irritation.

No matter how kindly and silently he complied with her commands, he was someone she should have let pass by without a second glance.

Thinking about it again, its a strange name. Woo Hyo~ Hehehehe.

Yet now, as she recalls his presence, a smile slowly spreads across her lips while she projects his image onto the doll she cradles in her arms.

Yes, really, its strange. That I still remember his name

Despite being an entity beyond understanding, she hadnt forgotten the heart of the girl she once was.

Her immaturity prevented her from realizing that another indelible mark had joined the memory of the mother she longed to see again in her heart.

A few days later.

Having reviewed my plans and steeled my mind, I withdrew all my funds from the bank and made my way to the artisans street.

There was no hesitation.

I had had ample time to deliberate, and any further delay would only serve to erode my determination.

When one makes a decision, acting with conviction is crucial to carving the desired path.

The rough experiences I had endured thus far had taught me the significance of taking that first step.

Are you, by any chance, from another world?

An old man inquired with curiosity as I stepped onto the artisans street for precisely that reason.

I was inclined to engage with his interest.

Since not just any place would suffice, his curiosity about me presented a welcome chance.

You knew right away.

Well, if its a foreigner with black hair, theyre usually comrades from another world.

The old man, squinting, gave me a thorough once-over. His furrowed brows likely expressed his dissatisfaction with my appearance.

But judging by your plain attire, you dont look like a hero Did you come here to purchase equipment?

Yes, Im planning to become an adventurer soon.

Aspiring to be an adventurer despite not being a hero is reaching too far.

It was a valid concern, if there ever was one.

But I responded with a casual smile.

Even if its a stretch, I have to try.

Becoming an adventurer once I had enough money was one of my goals.

That aspiration had only grown stronger since the incident on that day.

Of course, I wasnt a fool; I definitely felt something about what happened that day.

It was natural to feel bewildered by phenomena I couldnt understand, and to feel fear and helplessness about the existence of such beings somewhere in this world.

Nevertheless, I was able to stand up and aim to be an adventurer again because of a connection I made back when I was a porter under the commission of the Paladins.

It was when the newly appointed leader of the Paladins, a noble of a very dogmatic nature, led a troop into a reckless operation that ended in total annihilation.

And the remaining remnants were surrounded by the undead legion.

Damn, so this is where it ends.

The Paladin leader, who couldnt accept defeat and struggled vainly, finally came to terms with reality and fell into despair.

Realizing that she could achieve nothing with just a sense of justice to eradicate evil, she slumped in front of the Black Knight, who appeared before her, muttering quietly.

It was probably a statement stemming from her last shred of pridenot to succumb to evil.

Cough, kill them.

Understood.

Crunch!

The Paladin leader was slaughtered by the greatsword that was swung.

Despite the shock of those present, including me, at the spurting blood and severed flesh, there was not a hint of sympathy or hesitation in him.

After all, for the undead, the sanctity of life was worth less than a pebble on the roadside.

Theres no need to revive someone who speaks so lightly of their own death without hesitation.

As if imparting that lesson, the Black Knight, who had just kicked the slaughtered body aside like a stone, then turned toward the remaining survivors, including me, and issued orders to the ghouls.

Take the rest. There might be someone among them who can join us.

The Death Knight.

One of the four knights guarding the Lord of Corpses, leader of the army of the dead, intended to turn the remaining survivors, myself included, into undead to recruit them as comrades.

His goal was to find those who, like himself, could awaken as beings who retained their egos despite being undead.