I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 197

“Yeon Dana. Would it hurt to fall from a high place?”

 

Yes, this is it.

 

“The inheritance grandfather left is too much for you to monopolize, isn’t it?”

 

An unforgettable day. It was nighttime at the construction site. To be exact, the rooftop of a towering building. A relative approaches her like a beast as she backs up to the edge.

 

“So, goodbye. I’ll say farewell on behalf of the family.”

 

Ah—found it.

It was this very moment. Dana focused and looked down at the scene.

 

Yeon Dana, her past self, was falling from the rooftop. It was an endless fall, as if it would last forever. But she didn’t crash to the ground. Suddenly, a massive black rift opened in the air. That pitch-black hole swallowed her body whole, sucking her in instantly, into a vacuum world.

 

“Ah!”

 

And when she opened her eyes, Yeon Dana was submerged in a cold, icy lake.

 

“Please save me!”

 

Yeon Dana flailed desperately. It was because she couldn’t swim.

 

After struggling for a while, she spotted a giant statue towering in the center of the lake and reached for it with all her strength. She barely managed to grab hold of it. Yeon Dana clung to the statue, panting heavily.

 

Where am I? What is happening to me? I was just falling from a rooftop—why am I in a place like this? Her mind was filled with those questions.

 

“What is your name?”

 

At that moment, someone standing at the lakeside spoke to her. It was clearly a language she was hearing for the first time, yet somehow she understood. While still gasping for breath, Yeon Dana had a fleeting question in her mind.

 

“Dana…” Clinging tightly to the statue, she answered, looking exhausted. “Dana. Yeon Dana. P-Please save me.” Coughing, Yeon Dana turned her head and met eyes with the man standing at the shore.

 

Viego?

 

The ‘Dana’ looking down at the scene was startled. The man looked like Viego. Pale platinum hair, green eyes, somewhat sharp gaze, intelligent look. That man is definitely a handsome man with a cold, ice-carved appearance.

 

I-Is it not him? It was confusing, so she couldn’t tell.

 

The Windsor bloodline mostly looked similar. But even with similar faces, the impression, personality, or expressions could make someone look completely different. At the very least, the man was definitely of the Windsor bloodline.

 

“P-Please help me.” Her whole body trembled with cold, almost to the point of tears. Yeon Dana cried out. “Help me! I can’t swim…”

 

“Do not be afraid.” The Windsor, who resembled Viego, responded calmly. “You will not die by falling into this icy lake.”

 

“W-What?”

 

“This is a sacred lake. The sun god Ramun sealed the seven-headed serpent, a demon, here. It is a place filled with divine energy, so do not fear.”

 

“W-What are you talking about? Where am I?”

 

But after that, the man who looked like Viego said nothing more. Instead, a woman standing behind him spoke.

 

“On behalf of this world, I would like to express my gratitude.

 

…Natty?

 

“Lady Yeon Dana, your existence will save this world.”

 

“What? Ah, yes. For now, could you help me out of here?”

 

But the woman shook her head. “That’s not possible.”

 

“What?”

 

“You will remain submerged in this lake forever.”

 

“…”

 

“Of course, it’s unfair and infuriating, but please understand. It is all a noble sacrifice for the salvation of this world.”

 

Yeon Dana couldn’t grasp the situation. Is this a prank? A dream? A hallucination? She was bewildered as the woman continued.

 

“Lady Yeon Dana, this world is destined to meet its end 200 years from now, swallowed up by a disaster called the Rotten Land.”

 

“…”

 

“Two hundred years from now, when the blessing of the sun god Ramun ends, this world will be abandoned by god. And then—to return to its primordial state, to nothingness—the entire world will begin to rot.”

 

Swallowed by the Rotten Land in two hundred years? The blessing of Ramun ending?

 

At those words, the ‘Dana’ watching through her insight was convinced. Ah, that’s why Raios has black hair instead of blond. Because Ramun’s blessing ended.

 

Therefore, that man wasn’t Viego. This scene took place about two hundred years ago.

 

Wait—Then Yeon Dana’s body was trapped in the Ice Lake for two hundred years? Neither rotting nor aging, remaining as she was when she first came to this world?

 

“We have been conducting experiments to stop the apocalypse, to stop the Rotten Land. Even borrowing the power of the demon, the seven-headed serpent.”

 

“W-What are you saying?!” Yeon Dana shouted through her shivering, as if she couldn’t believe a word. “Please, just get me out first! We can talk after that…”

 

“After countless experiments using the demon’s power, we finally succeeded in creating the power of purification… but we could not find a body that could contain it.”

 

“Please get me out, it’s too cold!”

 

“This world is destined for destruction. In other words, humans from our world cannot contain the power of purification.”

 

“Get me out!”

 

“Only a body from a world not destined for destruction can contain the power of purification.”

 

Driven mad by their nonsense, Yeon Dana finally screamed. “Who the hell are you?!”

 

“And after many attempts, we succeeded in summoning a body from a world not destined for destruction. That is you.”

 

“You lunatics, I’ll sue all of you!”

 

“We have summoned forty-five humans from other worlds before you, but all of them arrived here dead. You are the first, the only one, to arrive alive.”

 

“…!”

 

Yeon Dana’s jaw trembled. Their nonsense was too cruel to be made up.

 

“You’re insane! What are you talking about?!”

 

Yeon Dana’s face finally twisted in fear. Everything was uncertain, but two things were clear. First, these people were out of their minds. Second, she was in grave danger. The cold that felt like it would kill her was nothing compared to this terrible danger.

 

The woman explained gently with a smile. “From now on, we will conduct countless experiments on Lady Yeon Dana’s body. It may take a very long time.”

 

“Experiments? What do you intend to do with my body?”

 

“To instill the power of purification into your body and soul, we will first research cloning your body. You are precious, the only one. If your body were to die during the experiments, it would be a problem…”

 

“Cloning? You’re insane!”

 

“To remember your sacrifice, Dana… our order will take your name. Though, perhaps, with a bit more dignity.” The woman glanced at the platinum-haired man, the man who resembled Viego. “How about Daiana?”

 

“…”

 

“It’s the name of the moon goddess, mentioned a few times in the scriptures. Perfect for a disguise.”

 

The man did not answer. From the very moment Yeon Dana arrived, he never took his eyes off her, staring as if piercing through her.

 

“Church Leader, what do you think?”

 

“…” After a moment, the man finally tore his gaze away from Yeon Dana and answered. “Do it.”

 

The woman smiled in satisfaction. Smiling widely at Yeon Dana, who was clinging to the statue, trembling in utter terror. “Our order, which serves the seven-headed serpent, will be named after Lady Yeon Dana—the Church Daiana.” And she bowed deeply in respect. “Lady Yeon Dana, we will remember your sacrifice forever.”

 

* * *

After that, Yeon Dana slept in the Ice Lake for a very long time, under the demon’s spell, unconscious, not even realizing she was asleep, and was subjected to countless experiments. In that dreadful cold, together with the seven-headed serpent…

 

After so much time had passed, the last thing ‘Dana’ saw was the scene of the boy Carl Windsor falling into the Ice Lake.

 

* * *

And before her eyes, stood Viego. He lowered the cane he had pressed to her forehead, slowly and leisurely.

 

Dana stared at Viego and muttered, “Give me back my body.”

 

“No,” Viego spoke slowly. “I can’t.”

 

“I’ll detonate the black core.”

 

“Go ahead. Even if you leave this world, it will still be destroyed by the Rotten Land in the end.”

 

Dana bit her lip. She was angry, but she understood why Viego was acting this way. Her existence was a matter of this world’s survival. But so what? She couldn’t sacrifice herself like this forever.

 

“Why don’t you try adapting to this place?” Viego added, looking at her, “There are countless people heartbroken because they can’t do anything about you.”

 

Dana was slow to realize what he meant. “Are you saying there are many people who love me?”

 

“Do you think there aren’t?”

 

“…”

 

She couldn’t say there weren’t. But love? Dana had decided she would never be foolish enough to stay in this world just for that reason again. Besides, she couldn’t give up. I never tolerate my body being treated like this. As she came to that thought, Dana regained complete composure.

 

“Let’s get to the point.”

 

Viego must have a solution. He hadn’t even been afraid of the black core. There must be a reason for this roundabout conversation, for using that strange power contained in his cane.

 

“You want to make a deal with me, don’t you?”

 

He must have a compromise prepared.

 

“If I do something for you, will you return my body?”

 

As expected, Viego immediately replied, as if prepared. “A body from this world cannot contain the power of purification. Both the body and the soul must be mixed with yours.” He then tapped the floor with his cane. “In other words…” Looking at Dana’s shoulder, he spoke firmly, “We need your child.”

 

“…”

 

“You must give birth to a child yourself.”

 

“…”

 

“If you give me that child, I’ll let you go.”

 

Dana shuddered. Give birth to a child? And then? Would that child become the next subject in my place? Would they live on, purifying this land that should have perished long ago, while trapped in the Ice Lake? And you told me that I should escape, leaving that child behind? Crazy human…

 

Dana grabbed Viego by the collar. She had to do something—anything. Anything that could put a crack in that madman’s perfect face. Even pointing the black core at him didn’t faze that statue-like face, so how—

 

At that time, his mysophobia came to her mind. A person who hates touching anyone. Even now, he wears white gloves on his hands. That’s probably why he’d foisted his own engagement off on Noah.

 

“Fine.”

 

Dana smiled. Finally, a shiver of anticipation ran through her. She had finally found it—the way to break that perfect face.

 

“I’ll bear a child. But.” Dana looked Viego straight in the eyes and smiled brightly. “I want to have your child.”

 

Ah. There was a crack. Dana burst out laughing. Even this man, so shameless in front of the black core, had finally shown a small crack at those words…

 

“The father of my child must be you. That’s my condition.”

 

Dana knew Viego was flustered. Though he was expressionless, she was sure of it. At this moment, Viego was startled, flustered, and troubled…

 

“Alright.”

 

“…What?”

 

“For the sake of this land, that’s within acceptable limits. But losing my purity before marriage is unimaginable to me, so we’ll have to marry.”

 

Huh?

 

Viego grabbed Dana’s hand, which was gripping his collar, and brushed it off lightly. “We’ll get married in the capital.”

 

“…”

 

“Of course, I don’t care if you have a child with another man. But—” He cut her off sharply, looking straight at her. “As long as you marry me, you must have at least one of my children.” He then tidied his gloves and tie, speaking matter-of-factly. “Windsor also needs an heir.”