TVDWL - Chapter 210 < I Want to See You Right Now >

"I love Karina."

Karina's heart was greatly moved by those words.

'The man in the past... liked me?'

Her heart pounded and pounded. The pain. of the past and the unfamiliar joy mixed together, making her chest ache.

Indefinable emotions surged through her.

"Ugh."

A sobbing moan escaped Karina's teeth.

She couldn't tell exactly what she was feeling right now. She felt happy and overwhelmed, angry and wronged, sad and hurt, and deep relief and affection. Countless conflicting emotions were mixed together, and she was out of breath. Even in the midst of all that, Jeremiah's words that he loved her were repeated in her ears, and It felt like time had stopped.

"I don't care what happens to the empire as long as she is happy."

He was the one who especially cared for the North and his people. That was why he had been silently enduring the Emperor's pressure and threats, bowing his head. That was the way he was.

"Life without Karina is hell for me anyway. I don't need anything else."

He acted as if everything else didn't matter.

'Is it really Jeremiah? Am I dreaming?'

Karina had doubts for a moment, but then she remembered what Jeremiah had said after returning.

'I truly care about you.'

'From the moment I first saw you until now, you are the only one for me.'

'You are mine. You are my one and only wife.'

Karina's heart ached as she recalled the countless confessions he had made.

'I can do anything for you.'

'Please trust me.'

'Karina, please open your heart to me.'

From the solemn oath that Diana, Karina's mother, made in the crypt where she was laid to rest, to the way he rushed to her whenever she was in danger.

'There's no way I would leave you in danger.'

'How precious you are to me.'

The moments when Jeremiah came to her rescue flashed before her eyes. He always came running to her without fail. He looked after her with worried eyes and stayed by her side until she was completely healed. She remembered him looking at her with a pitiful face whenever she got hurt or sick. His eyes looking at her with sad eyes as if he would rather be sick. His warm embrace, tightly embracing her as she slumped over and leaned on him. His gentle hands caressed her cheeks affectionately and kindly. Even the desperate and careful kiss on the back of her hand. Each and every one of those memories touched Karina's heart. Only then did she finally realize.

'Jeremiah truly loved me.'

She had no choice but to admit it. Even in the past before her regression, he had taken revenge on those who had tormented her and wished for her happiness. It was he who had made a contract with the dragon and revived her.

'They were all Jeremiah.'

Tears gathered in her reddened eyes. Her face was distorted and her lips trembled. Karina quickly covered her mouth with both hands, but the tears that she couldn't hold back eventually burst out.

"Ugh... Jeremiah."

She called his name with a trembling voice. But it didn't reach him, who had become so haggard and worn-out that he had lost all trace of life. The sight of him stubbornly praying for her happiness, with his eyes as empty as if he were dead, was painfully engraved in her eyes. Even though she knew he wouldn't hear, Karina clutched her chest and whispered to Jeremiah in her memories.

"I want to see you right now."

The surroundings were covered in light along with Karina's longing wind. For a moment, she felt like her eyes met his as he raised his head. However, she couldn't be sure because everything was swallowed up in a splendid light. But it didn't matter.

'When you wake up, I will come find you.'

With firm determination, Karina surrendered herself to the light.

"Karina!"

Her consciousness surfaced with a familiar voice from afar. 

*** 

The time when Karina faced the warlock in the hideout, the North. Dark red blood was sprayed on the gloomy sky and the dry land. 

Crunch! 

Jeremiah struggled to cut down the monster that was rushing at him, showing its ugly and sharp teeth. He was immediately banished to the North for failing to protect the Emperor at the wedding. As soon as he arrived in the North, a wave of monsters erupted.

"Your Highness! It's an attack by a horde of monsters!"

"Hold on! We have to stop it!"

Jeremiah fought against swarms of ant-like monsters. But.

'It's hard.'

It was not easy to deal with the monsters that came rushing in with a small number of people. If it had been in the past, it might have been different, but currently, he had already paid the price for his contract with the dragon several times and was extremely weak. As the fierce battle continued for several days without rest, he gradually became exhausted. The wounds on his body increased and his injuries became more frequent. There was no hope for support or treatment. 

Nevertheless, he did not collapse and protected the North. Even in a crisis, his appearance to protect the North and the people of the territory was steadfast. Barely holding on day after day, he briefly fell into a dream and glimpsed memories of the past. However, those memories were not much different from the nightmares he had every day. 

After losing Karina, he had become an empty shell, filled with painful regret and despair. He laughed at himself. He had never cared about her feelings or sincerity, but he was disgusted at how sad and regretful he was. Jeremiah was very happy that his soul would be destroyed in exchange for his wish. He wanted to be punished for his mistake of ignoring and treating her in pain. He wanted to strangle himself and kill himself for helping to drive her to death. He felt joy at the thought that he could do something for her, even if it was just a little. He was delighted that he could finally get rid of all the cursed people who had tormented her. At the same time, he felt sorrow and misery at the thought that he would not be able to be with her even after death. And even now.

'She must have been in more pain than me.'

His heart ached and stung. It was painful and painful, like a wound that had already been opened again. The fact that Karina was no longer by his side. The fact that she had left his side was devastating. Even though he had encouraged her to leave for her sake. And even though he thought it was fortunate that she had left him, she was not involved in a treason plot.

"It's hell."

Life was a dull, colorless black-and-white painting. Nothing could make him smile except Karina. The reason he couldn't die, despite the terrible, maddening gloom, the bleak future that would continue without her. Even that was for her. He needed the power of the dragon he had to hold onto her soul so that it wouldn't break. It was the only reason he could continue his worthless life. 

But even that didn't last long. If he paid the reasonable price the dragon demanded, he wouldn't have to continue this lonely life anymore. Jeremiah clutched the white pendant around his neck. The pendant made of dragon bones was the most efficient tool to contain the dragon's power.

"Now all we have to do is put the dragon's heart here."

Jeremiah took his time, not caring that his soul would be shattered, and poured all the dragon power he had into the pendant. But that wasn't enough.

"Your soul is no longer worth the price. But my heart, which still remains 'there', will be a worthy price. Find it."

This was Dragon's answer to his question of whether there was a way to keep his soul intact even if Karina left his side.

'If I put the dragon's heart in this pendant and give it to Karina, my role will be complete.'

As he handed over the pendant, only the hope of seeing Karina one last time was breathing a faint breath into his eyes. At that moment. 

Kwakwakwang!!!

“...?!”

A flash of light rose from the top of the highest snowy mountain in the north with a huge roar. The lightning shot into the sky along with the earthquake and split the clouds on the mountaintop. The northern knights were surprised by the unexpected turn of events and were confused.

"Still holding on."

A calm voice was heard from above. It was too calm a voice to be heard on the battlefield. A blue-haired man with a relaxed expression, completely free of tension, appeared before Jeremiah.

"Who are you?"

The man standing in the air and looking down at Jeremiah opened his mouth with the corners of his eyes raised.

"The dragon's protection has weakened. Has it lost the power of blessing?"

"...!"

Jeremiah asked again, wary of the man who had figured out his condition the moment he saw him.

"I asked who you were."

The man ignored Jeremiah's question and continued to speak.

"The plan is nearing its final stages, and it would be a problem if it gets delayed because of you alone."

WHIST! 

As the man waved his hand, black light flashed like lightning and everything around him was cut down.

"...!"

Jeremiah narrowly avoided his attack.

"Avoiding this."

The man looked at Jeremiah with an annoyed expression. Jeremiah, seeing the black magic, realized the man's true identity.

"You. You're a warlock. What do you want?"

"What do I want?"

The black magician smiled, raising the corners of his lips.

"The Dragon's Heart."

"...!"

Jeremiah's eyes opened wide.

"The North is the land where dragons sleep. To obtain the eternal life and absolute power promised to the Emperor, I need the dragon's heart."

A contractor who has received the blessing of the dragon and inherited the bloodline of the founder of the empire.

"If I offer you up as a sacrifice while dealing with you, the sleeping dragon's heart will react."

The warlock took up his attack stance again. Jeremiah's expression darkened. He was already exhausted and weakened from the fierce battle with the hordes of monsters.

'It is disadvantageous to fight now.'

But he couldn't just let the dragon's heart be taken away like this. Jeremiah gripped the sword handle tightly and sharpened his senses.

'Keep it as short as possible.'

He glared at the warlock with eyes that were too young to live.

"It seems like you're planning to confront me, but I'm not sure. Do you think you can kill me? As it stands now, it seems like you can't even touch me with your fingertips."

The warlock snorted and sneered at Jeremiah. The shadow at his feet began to ripple and expand its range, stretching like rubber. From there, creatures emitting tainted magic emerged one after another, surrounding Jeremiah.

'Was the demon wave also planned by this guy?'

Jeremiah's eyebrows furrowed. 

Keeeeek!!

With a terrifying, eardrum-splitting howl, the monsters rushed at Jeremiah indiscriminately. Some of them seemed to have poison, producing a dark blue liquid from their snouts or tails and spraying it in all directions. The ground that the liquid touched seemed to melt.

'This!!

It was a very unfavorable situation. While he was distracted by the fight with the monsters, the black magician aimed his fingertips at Jeremiah. Then. 

Wheeing!! 

The light gathered at his fingertips shot out like an arrow towards Jeremiah in an instant.

"....!!"

Jeremiah hurriedly dodged, but he was unable to dodge the last shot as the attacks continued to fire like blind arrows. It was also unfortunate that a spider-like creature suddenly appeared in the place where he was trying to dodge, spewing out sticky webs. The last ray of light pierced Jeremiah's thigh.

"Ugh!"

The monsters wouldn't leave him alone as he staggered. 

Crunch! 

A monster with pincers cracked his shoulder.

"Ugh!"

The lizard-like creature slapped Jeremiah's thigh with its spined, whip-like tail.

"...!"

Extreme pain surged. Nevertheless, Jeremiah gritted his teeth and tried to endure. His body, already exhausted, could not handle the warlock's attack and fell to the floor.

"Ugh, ugh."

Jeremiah was breathing heavily, spitting out blood from his mouth.

"The loser of the North is nothing special. You will die soon, so what do you have to say? I will listen."

Jeremiah remained expressionless despite the warlock's sarcasm, which he pretended to be kind to.

"Death and such..."

Now that Karina is gone, death is no longer a threat to him.

"I'm not afraid of death."

Because what he feared most had already happened. A life without Karina was the greatest fear he had ever experienced.

"I have nothing left."

Only an empty void, a terrible loneliness, and loneliness accompanied him. But. Even if he died, he had to leave a way for Karina to live. Anyone who could give Karina the pendant containing the dragon's heart. He didn't like it, but he thought that damn wizard could find the dragon's heart and give it to Karina.

'Then.'

This guy in front of him absolutely had to be dealt with so that he could never approach Karina. Jeremiah held his breath and waited for an opportunity. If he could give himself even one opening, he would never miss it. Jeremiah kept his mouth shut to concentrate.

"Is that the end?"

"..."

"Then I will kill you so that you can go without any regrets."

'It's foolishness...'

He missed Karina so much.

'I wish I could see her just one more time."

If that was his last foolish wish, it was only that. The warlock spread his hand before Jeremiah's eyes.

"I am glad that the offerings have Increased."

A large magic circle appeared under Jeremiah's feet. The magic circle with intricate patterns began to glow as it absorbed the blood he had shed. An unpleasant sensation flowed through his entire body. But.

'What?'

The magic circle he thought was one appeared next to another. He looked to the side with a puzzled look.

"....!"

And at the sight he witnessed, his face hardened like ice.

'Karina?'

Karina lay unconscious on top of another magic circle.

"Why is Karina here...?"

Jeremiah was in great shock.

"Now that the sacrifices have been gathered, we just need to bring out the dragon's power and take its heart."

The warlock reached out to Karina.

"No! Karina!!"

Jeremiah desperately called her name. At that moment, she opened her eyes.

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