IARMDH - Chapter 38




It is said that if you respond to the call of the ancient God, it will come to you every night and burn your soul and take it away. That is why people suffer from high fevers.

So, ordinary fever reducers cannot control the fever. A special fever reducer is needed, but the problem is the ingredient.

“You have to make it with oasis water? Where do you get Oasis water?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. Before I could get the water from the oasis, Erne had to go to the other world holding hands with the ancient gods.

“Madam, here is a recipe for exorcising the ancient God.”

A few more pages later, there was a recipe for defeating an ancient God. I and Henry, who was reading the recipe quickly like we had found an oasis in the desert, gradually lost the light of hope on our faces.

Ⅰ. Prepare identical twins and send them into a room. When the ancient God comes and calls the name of one of them, the twin whose name is not called opens the door.

Ⅱ. The twin whose name is called must look at the door through the mirror. The twin looking at the mirror must not take his/her eyes off the mirror until the ancient god has completely withdrawn. No matter what he/she sees, absolutely not.

Ⅲ. The twin whose name is called says, "What is my name? You have come to the wrong person. This time, go back." This must be repeated until the Old God turns away.


At this time, if the twin whose name was called sees his or her own face reflected in the mirror, it means that the ancient God has retreated, so you can rest assured.

Absurdly, I roughly closed the book.

“Where can I find identical twins?”

Even identical twins who would risk their lives for Erne!

***

Before we knew it, the sun had set. At the same time, Erne's condition became very serious.

Neither I nor Henry were doctors, but we could sense that tonight was a critical night. While Henry briefly looked after Erne, I went outside to pick up the bed sheets that had been spread out.

Erne sweated so much that I had to change his sheets three times a day. I looked toward Erne’s room as I gathered the fluffy, dry sheets without any regard for others.

Although Erne's room was not directly visible from where I was standing, I kept turning my head out of worry.

But all I can see is my own blurred face reflected in the window.

“You're a nurse without a care in the world.”

Aren't I going to end up paying the toll twice like this? This happened in my past life too... Wait a minute.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

I hurriedly gathered up the sheets and returned to my room. Then I opened the book I had received from Ceres. I flipped through the pages with anxious hands.

“The reason we need identical twins is to confuse the Old Gods.”

It takes identical twins to make them call each other by different names. But what if one body has two names?

“This might work...?”

While I was lost in thought for a moment, the sun was setting further and further down and the ground was starting to get dark. I took a dry sheet and headed to Erne's room.

“He can’t breathe well.”

Ern's breathing was ragged. His chest was rising and falling as if he had just been running. He wasn't really going to die like this, was he?

An idea just popped into my head. It might work. That meant it might not.

If it didn't work, not only Erne but even I could be in danger.

“Erne....”

Erne's death won't be a loss to me. It'll just be a little empty. There'll be no one to greet me every morning, and no more lame jokes to exchange.

I was originally accustomed to silence. Coming home alone and sleeping alone was my life. So at first, living with Erne was uncomfortable.

But I quickly got used to living with Erne. Eating together, saying goodbye when we got older, everything. So now I don't like it. Living in silence and desolation.

It might be dangerous to save Erne. Then it would be a loss. But what was it like in my past life when I was calculating the loss and gain? I got hit by a truck and died in vain.

So in this life, just once.

'Just make the choice that appeals to you.'

***

The sun had completely set. It was pitch black. I stood holding a table mirror. In the room where Henry and Erne were, I lit three candles just in case.

“No matter what you hear, don’t open the door, Sir Henry. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am. But isn’t this too dangerous? I’m worried about you.”

“Thank you for your concern. But I have to save Erne. And the ancient God has come to visit me anyway. I can’t just light a candle in my room forever.”

Saving Erne means saving me.

I made up my mind. In theory, it was fine. My body was called Judith Harrington, and my soul was called Lee Yujin.

I stood close to the door, having to open it without turning around. I turned my back to the door, one hand on the doorknob. With the other hand, I held the mirror. My tense face was reflected in the mirror.

I've made all the preparations, so surely the ancient God won't come?

The brief worry soon faded away as a small knock was heard.

“Miss Harrington, are you there?”

It's Erne's voice. 

Gulp, dry saliva passes. 

Knock-knock- 

The repeated knocks make the palm holding the doorknob break out in a cold sweat.

“Miss Harrington, I know you’re there.”

Calm down. Calm down.

I took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. 

Squeak- the old doorknob made a sound that sounded exactly like a scream today.

Never take your eyes off the mirror. 

I stared at myself in the mirror. I saw the door slowly opening. Soon, the door opened wide and the corridor outside was visible.

Nothing seemed strange. Could it be that the book was wrong? The moment I took a deep breath, a shadow appeared behind me.

A man. A man bleeding profusely.

Perhaps because of the height difference, only the man's lower body was visible in the mirror. The man with a scar running from his lips to his chin smiled. In his hand was a short but sharp knife.

“...!”

Suddenly, a man lifted a knife and tried to stab me in the back of my neck. I instinctively turned my head away, forgetting the rule of never taking my eyes off the mirror.

Heeeeeeing-

The horse cried.

Outside the window, a horse was circling around, making a clattering sound. The sound brought me back to my senses.

I fixed the mirror. The man in the mirror clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed. A cold sweat ran down the back of my neck. When I came to my senses, I felt no movement behind me.

So, come to your senses. They say that even if you get bitten by a tiger, as long as you come to your senses, you will survive.

“Miss Judith Harrington, are you there?”

This time it was Layla's voice. The dark man's imitation of the pretty voice sent shivers down my spine. I licked my dry lips.

“...My name is.”

My throat was choked and a sharp sound leaked out. I stared straight at the man. The knife he was holding was still hovering around the nape of my neck. But the shape of his arm was somewhat awkward.

Why is your arm raised at an angle instead of vertically? Why are your fingers holding the knife handle facing me?

Normally when you hold a knife, your fingers should point towards your body and only the back of your hand should be visible on the other side, but why is it the other way around?

“Ugh...!”

What the hell, fucking shit! His neck is twisted?

I bit the tender flesh inside my mouth. The man's neck was completely turned back.

Below the neck was the back, not the chest. The man with the strangely bent body laughed. Goosebumps ran through my whole body.

“Miss Judith Harrington, are you there?”

Blood dripped down the man's chin. Suddenly, a chill came over me, and my body began to tremble, but only my neck, where the man had placed the tip of the knife, felt hot as if it had been burned.

“My, my name is Lee Yu-jin, and you have come to the wrong person. This time, go back.”

I squeezed out a voice that wouldn't come out. The corners of the man's mouth in the mirror went up and then froze.

“Miss Judith Harrington, are you there?”

The man's voice was gradually becoming harder. I stared straight into the man's mouth.

“My name is Lee Yu-jin, and you have come to the wrong person. This time, go back.”

The soul's name is Lee Yu-jin. The shell's name is Judith Harrington. Both are named Judith.

However, a name is something that the person calling it must recognize as my name. Judith is Lee Yu-jin today.

“Miss Judith Harrington, there, are you? Are you there? Miss Judith Harrington, there, Judith, Countess of Rhineland, there, there, Judith, there, are you!”

The man's mouth twitched. Sinuous tendons bulged from his grotesquely twisted neck, and bones popped out from the back of his sword-wielding hand.

Damn, it's gross!

My right neck and shoulder felt as if they were being burned, while the rest of my body felt as cold as if I had been holding ice. I was sweating and shivering all over.

“My name is! Lee Yu-jin, Lee Yu-jin! You’ve come to the wrong person. This time, go back.”

My name is Lee Yu-jin, you came to the wrong person, go back this time, my name is Lee Yu-jin. You came to the wrong person...

The hand holding the mirror trembles. The man twists his hand and the blade passes diagonally across my neck, and the mirror shatters with a loud crash.

I and the man standing with the gold slit dividing the mirror in half between them. The man lowers his sword. Then he bows slightly.

The moment I felt that the face, even the nose was visible, looked familiar, the guy pursed his lips.

it's a shame.

I couldn't hear the voice, but it was clear that he said it. It was a pity.

At that time.

Swish-

Cracks began to appear on the mirror, and soon the glass shattered and fell.

Hehehe-

A horse neighed outside.

"... OMG."

Only then did I let out the breath I had been holding and staggered.



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Comments

  1. JUST READING IT MAKES ME WANT TO CRY 😭 That shit is scary even if I'm just imagining it . Eugh. Especially the part where the body is completely twisted GAH! Also it sucks living in that world, imagine being cursed out of nowhere but removing the curse needs you to do something specific. Scaryyy! But kudos to Judith! No-- Lee Yu-Jin such a badass! Ty for the translation!

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