I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 83
With a short, sharp cry, Rosaline’s body collapsed. The jagged energy that had struck him slashed through like a wild beast, raking his body clearly as it passed.
“…Rosaline!”
His pure white ceremonial robes, imbued with divine power, were beginning to soak dark red.
The monster that had torn from his abdomen to the top of his foot bared its teeth with a snarl before disappearing between the trees.
“Kh, guh…”
A painful moan spilled from Rosaline’s parted lips.
He had foolishly forgotten.
Even though he knew what was going to happen in the southern Mishemol Duchy, he’d been too distracted by Edward and forgotten completely.
‘You stupid bastard!’
Gritting his teeth, he felt Rosaline’s trembling hand clutch his wrist.
“Run… Yeshion…”
“What?”
“It might… hurgh… charge again…”
Rosaline murmured as he clutched his abdomen. The pain from the deep wound was surely unbearable, but more than that, it looked like he was struggling against the monster’s lingering energy.
‘If only Eldis were here…’
If he were, that creature would’ve been destroyed in a flash, and Rosaline could’ve been healed immediately.
‘Why did it have to be me that followed instead…!’
He should’ve made sure the two of them stayed together just in case. It felt like everything was going wrong simply because someone like him—who should’ve been dead—was still alive.
Negative thoughts started to slither in, and Yeshion quickly shook his head.
What was done was done. Sitting here blaming himself wouldn’t fix anything.
“Yeshion…”
When he didn’t respond to the plea to run and only kept watch on their surroundings, Rosaline spoke again.
His desperate expression screamed that Yeshion shouldn’t be here.
“I’m not going.”
“Please…”
“Don’t tell me to leave. How could I run and leave you behind?”
It was the first time he’d encountered a monster, and it was far more terrifying than he’d imagined. His voice trembled as he spoke.
Rosaline bit his lip at Yeshion’s stubbornness. But only for a moment—he clutched the bloody wound again and spoke through gritted teeth.
“You can… drive it off with divine power…”
“…With divine power?”
“The dagger Eldis… gave you… if you put divine power into it…”
Yeshion swallowed hard and pulled the dagger from his coat.
The moment he did, the monster hiding in the bushes let out a furious shriek.
Before he could even locate it properly, the beast sprang toward a nearby tree, preparing to leap again.
“Divine power…”
Yeshion recalled Rosaline’s earlier words. Then, as if convincing himself he truly had divine power, he steeled himself.
‘How to mobilize divine power.’
In the original story, there had been a brief mention of it when Rosaline healed someone. To wield divine power, it required a sincere desire to help someone else.
Only with that kind of heart would the power dwelling within a priest manifest as pure strength—able to heal or purify perfectly.
In other words, only those with that heart could become true high priests and control divine power freely.
‘Then let me protect them.’
If he really did have divine power—
If he had the strength to protect and heal someone—then he wanted to protect Rosaline.
The first person to show him genuine kindness after he fell into this world. Someone who wanted nothing in return, offering only trust and affection.
As Yeshion gripped the dagger tightly, the monster lurking in the distance stirred.
Their eyes met. Without hesitation, it launched itself at him.
Claws bared, a black hand stretching toward his body, about to tear him apart—
“Get away from me!”
Yeshion shouted, slashing the blade forward. At once, a brilliant white light burst from the blade, his strength draining as it surged.
It was so bright it hurt to look at.
“KIEEEEEGH!”
The monster, which had lunged at him with full force, let out a horrible scream as it slammed into the ground.
It writhed in agony, twisting and convulsing—then, slowly, it began to disintegrate into ash beneath the light from the blade.
“..…?”
Yeshion looked between the fading creature and the dagger in his hand.
When he’d drawn it last night, no such white light had appeared. Seeing it with his own eyes now, he could hardly believe it.
He really did… have divine power.
“…This isn’t the time to be shocked.”
Leaving the vanishing monster behind, Yeshion rushed to Rosaline’s side.
If he truly possessed divine power— then maybe he could heal him. As he knelt beside him, Rosaline managed a strained smile.
“Hahh… See… I told you… you really do have divine power…”
“…Just stay still. Don’t talk—you’re barely holding on.”
