Full Moon Night (6-7) Chapter 40-41

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Full Moon Night (6)

"Can we put that aside for a moment and have a conversation?"

Lina asked Ian.

She looked at Ian with a faint smile. In that expression, Ian confirmed a few facts.

Firstly, the infection of the spores had progressed quite a bit.

Most of Lina Rosewell's hair had already turned blue. It only appeared purple due to the reddish moonlight.

Secondly, the smile on her lips.

'It's not natural.'

That was a mask.

Not just the smile, everything about this woman was an act.

The worst kind of heroine.

If someone had asked the Ian from his previous life what a fake heroine was like, he would have answered like that.

A heroine shouldn't be fake.

Especially if she pretended to be kind.

The game was not reality. Players wanted to be healed through the game, whether they were tired of social life or feeling too lonely. The role of heroines in the game was to embrace such pains. Even if it was just on the screen, if they smiled brightly towards the player, healing occurred.

But what if it was all an act?

It was like breaking the implicit rules between the player and the character.

The worst of the worst.

If he had been playing a game, he would have thrown his phone away immediately.

'… If this were a game, that's how it would be.'

If all those laughs were just a mask, the player could only feel betrayed. The suspicion of Lina Rosewell was based on that point.

But his thoughts at that moment were different.

Ian had raised his head.

In this strange place, that was reality. Originally, reality was a harsh thing. Whether the heroine was a v*rgin or not, fake or not. It was more advantageous to take care of his body and develop his abilities.

Even if it wasn't the Lina Rosewell he knew, he was prepared to accept it. Whether Lina Rosewell wore a mask or was fake. In any case, Ian had to be careful.

… So he could say for sure.

"You came to save me. Thank you."

The girl who had flaunted her overwhelming appearance with a fake smile was not Lina Rosewell.

Then what was it?

'It was a blue mushroom walking around with Lina Rosewell's mask.'

Spores of the blue mushroom.

It was no different from a state where only the shell remained.

When infected with spores, it started with just a slight increase in aggression.

And if you listened to the voices in the stimulating mind, eventually, control of the body and brain completely slipped away. At first glance, it was similar to the brainwashing of the Bloodstone Cult. But that was only a common point because the Bloodstone Cult was good at using such hallucinogenic drugs.

Ian spoke.

"It might be okay to reveal your true colors now."

Of course, there was no intention to have a conversation with the infected Lina.

Because a human addicted to mushroom spores was no different from something else wearing that shell.

He just wanted to understand the current state of Lina in this infected condition.

"What were you talking about?"

"No one around, right? Isn't this an appropriate situation to kill me?"

The infected Lina had shown intense aggression. And the target was Ian himself. Lina's attack in the combat training exercise still came to mind occasionally.

"That's right… No one's around… But Ian, I didn't try to kill you…"

Lina had smiled sweetly.

A more coercive eye smile than Lina.

Then she had gently brought her hand to the center of her shirt and unbuttoned it.

"Would you like to try once?"

Sweet voice.

Temptation that hadn't seemed to have a plausible context.

But her appearance had packaged it as if it was such a natural act.

But Ian's gaze had remained unwavering.

At that moment, Lina Rosewell's brain had been perfectly controlled by spores.

Even the act of suddenly tempting him was probably to consume bodily fluids for recovery and spread the spores as much as possible.

"You. You aren't Lina Rosewell."

"What. What. What. I don't know what you are talking about."

Unfortunately for her, Ian had no hobbies like sharing mushrooms and love.

"Don't stutter. It's creepy because you don't seem like a proper human."

"..."

The infected Lina had stopped in confusion.

The reason was obvious.

The parasite spore was merely pulling out reactions stored in Lina's brain. There wouldn't be a proper way to respond to a question like, "You don't seem human, do you?"

"Come to think of it, mushrooms are essentially fungi, aren't they?"

"…"

The pupils turned and clicked as if rummaging through the brain.

It sent a slight shiver down Ian's spine.

He wanted to deal with it immediately.

With that thought came a question.

If it were the uninfected Lina, wouldn't she have attacked Ian?

'No, she probably wouldn't.'

Ian shook his head.

Instinctively and unconsciously, Lina Rosewell disliked Ian.

The fact that even the infected Lina had thrown magic at the back of Ian's head was because she such feelings at some point.

Therefore.

'I won't go easy on her.'

Even though her combat power had explosively increased due to the infection, she had already fought against Sharon.

Moreover, she had suffered quite a bit of damage due to the intentional explosion. Besides, mages were traditionally weak in close combat, especially elementalists who needed to summon spirits.

'I also identified weaknesses.'

Throwing in a random remark to find a reaction and exploiting the gap when the reaction malfunctioned.

Ian subtly strengthened his grip on the Lunar Staff without showing it.

Then he bluffed.

"Lina."

"Yeah, Ian, what is it?"

"It looks like you have fungus spreading on your head."

"…?"

The pupils clicked again, as if rummaging through her brain.

'… Now.'

Ian immediately closed the distance with Lina.

He had reinforced only part of his body to maximize destructive power.

Although somewhat slow, Lina's reactions were slower.

Her temples crumpled belatedly.

"Too late."

— Bang!

The staff of Lunar exploded directly on Lina's pristine forehead.

A long red line was carved vertically.

Lina's body, swaying as if about to fall, was caught directly on it.

"Kasa!"

She hurriedly called out the name of a lesser spirit.

— Whirl!

Already prepared to defend with Lunar wrapped around her arms. It wasn't strong enough to destroy the charged Lunar.

"Cele…"

More than two syllables?

Dealing with an elemental mage up close was simple.

Just prevent them from opening their mouth.

"Almighty Aim…"

Wow. Was this mushroom insane?

Ian quickly grabbed her neck.

"…Lord, descend…Ultimate!"

What demon was she trying to summon?

A neck slender and white enough to be held in one hand.

Ian sighed, then exerted pressure on his gripping hand.

"Ughhh…"

Strange sounds emanated from the infected Lina.

Her complexion was getting paler.

But Ian knew.

At this level, students from Lichten Academy wouldn't die so easily.

"Grrrr…"

Even if a heroine makes such sounds, can it be allowed?

"Hold on."

Ian had already been almost killed by a heroine.

Heroine or not, there was nothing to be seen.

Squelch.

The parasite inside the infected Lina wriggled to survive.

Arms and legs clashed, but the impact wasn't significant.

— Kuk

He felt the power drain from Lina's body with the final death blow.

She was not dead, of course.

"… For now, the primary purification is complete."

Ian observed the now subdued body of Lina.

As he gazed slowly, something caught his eye.

"Is this it?"

Lina Rosewell's head.

A tiny blue mushroom had sprouted there.

— Pluck

Ian didn't hesitate and plucked it off.

Then, once again, he activated 'Dishwashing' towards Lina.

To answer Ian's questions,

He needed Lina to come back to her senses.

◆

Lina Rosewell was wandering in her own consciousness.

It was endlessly deep and dark.

She had lost her way.

A voice had been echoing in her mind for days.

Initially, it was sweet.

— You don't always have to be kind.

— Being good won't make people see you as anything more than a fool.

Words that made her think, "Could that be true?"

She brushed them aside without much thought, feeling comforted.

But as she became more distressed, the intensity of those words grew.

— Look at this, Lina Rosewell. You always took care of others, but now there's no one taking care of you, not even someone to bring you a lunchbox.

— Hey, have you seen Ian? He's a grade just higher than yours. If anything, it seems like he's intentionally trying to humiliate you.

… It was unconscious.

She paid attention to that ominous voice because, in her hardships, it felt like receiving consolation. But as she became more exhausted, that voice became stronger.

— I can give you some power.

The voice suggested. Lina agreed.

She was Lina Rosewell, needing better grades and a scholarship urgently.

Sometimes, she lost her sanity.

But she thought she could manage it.

The power offered by that thing was overwhelmingly persuasive.

— See? Everything is getting better because you're listening to me.

She fell deeper.

And before she knew it, she discovered herself sinking into the deep abyss of her consciousness.

Here, numerous past and present memories were entangled like threads.

Now, her body, which had lost control, could see and hear everything that played out like a continuous loop. Even if she closed her eyes, some scenes replayed endlessly.

"…Ian."

She suddenly called out his name.

After coming here, Lina Rosewell realized.

The sins she committed towards Ian were far from trivial.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Full Moon Night (7)

Lina Rosewell was kind.

If you were to grab someone who knew Lina and ask them about her, they would undoubtedly respond with glowing praise.

Gentle laughter, kindness, consideration, always looking out for others—these were the qualities that defined her.

Friends, family, everyone who knew Lina, liked her.

In short, "kindness" was her identity.

Even if you didn't know her, you could approach her comfortably, engage in casual banter, laugh, greet, and eventually part ways happily for the day.

Lina was someone with whom even strangers could feel at ease. She was well aware of how others perceived her.

'Everyone expects that from me.'

Fulfilling others' expectations was a quite enjoyable task. Satisfied individuals immediately followed and liked Lina.

Lina enjoyed it too.

But then, gradually,

-Lina will surely help with this, right? I'm going through a tough time.

-Lina always takes good care of her younger siblings. She's truly amazing.

Such "expectations" soon became a pattern.

The person known as Lina Rosewell was expected to be kind, caring, and socially adept.

-You have to be kind because you're Lina Rosewell.

Before she knew it, compliments from others began to sound like a given.

Eventually, Lina became consumed by her own image.

Everyone naturally relied on her. Some would chat about boredom, others sought advice about serious matters with their significant others. There were even those who asked for help with difficult assignments or wanted to know what small spirits looked like.

Friends, acquaintances, and even family.

Everyone leaned on Lina as if it were a given.

Lina was a kind and caring person.

Initially, she was pleased to help others. She even deceived herself into thinking that this was an incredibly happy thing.

Perhaps that's why.

From the depths of her being, something began to decay.

"… I'm struggling too."

Lina hugged her knees.

Her parents had passed away, and she had to take responsibility for the family.

To support her remaining siblings and rebuild the family, she needed the qualifications.

She had sought refuge in Lichten Academy after negotiating with relatives.

"… The truth is, I have to live ruthlessly too."

There was no money for immediate needs.

No food. Nothing unless absolutely necessary, and even those essentials were hard to obtain. If she made herself comfortable, her siblings would suffer.

The weight of the Rosewell family burdened Lina.

To raise her remaining siblings and revive the family, Lina had to graduate from Lichten at all costs.

So, she had to compete fiercely.

She had to secure a scholarship.

"… I'm not as kind as people think."

Squeeze.

At some point, her fist clenched.

With a sigh, Lina released her fist.

Then she looked around.

"…"

A space filled with darkness.

She had realized that she was trapped here a few hours ago.

– The moon is bright today.

The last thought she had before opening her eyes was that the moon rising in the sky was unusually bright. But when she opened her eyes, she was here.

It was as if everything had turned pitch black around her, as if she had fallen into the depths of the sea. Yet, somehow, Lina felt like she knew where she was.

"… It must be in my consciousness."

The reason she could make such a conjecture was simple.

She had experienced such phenomena before.

From one day, a voice had started echoing in her mind.

– It's tough, isn't it?

– You don't have to live too kindly.

At first, she was scared.

She thought she was going crazy.

But as she listened, it became a comforting voice.

It said the things Lina wanted to hear the most.

— Look at that guy named Ian over there. He's blocking your way. Shouldn't we get rid of him?

At some point, aggressiveness began to emerge in the whispers.

Initially, she resisted.

But she couldn't forget the sweet whispers.

Only then did she realize.

These whispers were ultimately pulling out what lay deep within Lina herself.

'… These are my deep emotions.'

With that mindset, all reservations disappeared.

— Do you want to become stronger? I can help you.

As she listened to the whispers, her growth accelerated. The overflowing magic was becoming difficult to control. Her trust in the whispers only grew stronger.

— Will you lend me your body?

At some point when that whisper came, Lina nodded her head.

That was the first moment she lost consciousness.

But that moment felt good.

Whenever she woke up after losing consciousness, it was refreshingly invigorating.

A feeling of liberation from the things that had oppressed her.

— Quaaaaang!

One day, she attacked Ian from behind.

Even when she regained consciousness, she didn't regret it. Although she felt that something might be wrong, that uneasiness was quickly swallowed.

Because.

'… Because I was the one who hated Ian.'

Ian.

Ian Blackangers.

She particularly disliked that boy.

Even before the strange whispers echoed in her mind, she disliked him.

If Lina, as a person, was defined by the framework of "kindness", Ian was a small hole in that framework.

Even though she could be kind to others, she couldn't be kind to Ian alone.

The whispers didn't miss that hole.

After listening to the whispers, all her aggressiveness was directed at Ian.

"… Why did I do that in the first place?"

Why. Why did she especially dislike Ian?

And now, trapped in her consciousness.

Why does his face keep coming to mind and haunting her?

Why does she keep thinking about Ian?

"..."

Lina tightened her arms around her knees.

And burying her face in them.

She recalled her first meeting with Ian.

◆

In the early days of Lina's enrollment at the academy.

This was a story from when the owner of Ian's body had not yet changed.

Magic Formation practical class.

"Everyone has prepared their materials. Now, let's begin the lesson."

At that time, Lina had no money.

She couldn't even afford essential supplies after buying books.

But it was embarrassing to just not bring anything.

"…"

With a self-deprecating feeling, she put her hand into the desk.

Of course, nothing would be there to touch…

– Rustle

Something caught in her hand.

'… What?'

With widened eyes, Lina cautiously pulled out a paper bag from the desk.

Inside the bag, along with the practice materials, there was a small note.

Written at the end, along with a message full of dark humor, was the name Ian Blackangers.

'… If it's Ian, he's be a guy with a bad reputation.'

Rumors were already circulating that he had approached some girls and got rejected.

Lina turned her head toward his direction.

Ian, who had been staring at her, quickly averted his gaze.

'… It's still uncomfortable.'

Lina was troubled.

Was it right to use this?

But the image of her siblings back home came to mind.

She couldn't be in a position to refuse others' help.

'… And I am genuinely grateful.'

Ian's bad reputation was just a rumor after all.

Honestly, when she first opened the bag, she felt thankful and even a bit moved. Although she felt burdened and uncomfortable after reading the note, it was true.

She had become somewhat interested in Ian.

Since that moment of half discomfort and half gratitude and curiosity.

The same thing happened during lunch.

"Lina, let's go grab something to eat!"

"Oh, um…"

Buying something outside felt burdensome. But she hadn't brought lunch either.

'… No way.'

With a hopeful heart, she put her hand into the desk.

 As expected, there was a lunchbox placed there as if it were normal.

"Lina, what are you doing?"

"Ah… Yeah! Let's go!"

Such assistance continued for a few days.

Moreover, without him even striking up a conversation.

Whenever she searched inside the desk, what Lina needed was magically there.

'… Maybe he's not a bad guy?'

Her wariness of Ian also began to dissipate.

Perhaps he might be a good guy.

It felt like the first time she had received care to this extent, especially in an academy full of young students.

'… Does he have an interest in me?'

Thump.

Her heart area felt a light ache.

But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

After receiving help several times in difficult situations, she naturally developed an interest.

One day, she asked her friends.

"What do you guys think of Ian?"

To hide her interest in Ian, she asked the question casually, as if it were just passing.

"Oh, him. He got a sword for Miss Sharon the other day."

"He's also busy serving Lady Emilia."

"There's not a girl he hasn't confessed to. Isn't that a bit extreme? It's so frustrating."

"Really. He's the worst of the worst. But Miss Lina, why are you asking about him?"

"Aha-ha. It's nothing. But when did that happen?"

"Just yesterday."

On the same day he had given her supplies and lunch.

It was clear that he had been fooling around, teasing anyone without discrimination, just as the rumors about Ian suggested.

Lina bit her lip.

A feeling of betrayal welled up.

The fact that she had developed even a slight interest in that guy was something she detested. It was also her first time since coming to the academy.

"...."

"Hey, Miss Lina? Why is your expression like that? Are you okay? Does something hurt?"

When she came to her senses, she realized she was clutching her face.

"Ah… Aha-ha. No, it's nothing. Just felt a bit dizzy."

The taste of betrayal she experienced for the first time was like straight black coffee. It was bitter, and there wasn't even a dessert to swallow with it.

It was the day the first hole appeared in Lina's 'kindness'.

And time passed.

The supplies and food were always placed inside the desk, but there were no notes.

Although she hesitated to use them, Lina was too desperate to scrutinize those emotions.

Then, one day during lunch.

Out of habit, Lina searched inside the desk.

For some reason, the lunchbox wasn't there today.

'…Yeah, it's better not to get it.'

Uncomfortable with the feeling, Lina thought, "If it's going to be this uncomfortable, I'd rather go hungry." Maybe she could go to the forest and pick some fruits.

Clutching her hungry stomach, Lina leaned over her desk.

— Tock.

Lina raised her head to a lunch box placed on the desk.

Ominously black hair.

Ian Blackangers was standing there.

To see free female character art and read the first 20 chapters for free, visit Patreon. patreon.com/zennin12