Artifact Report

Chapter 450 Brianna: A dying man's words...

He truly deserves to be a hunter who has been warmly invited by several factions.

The moment their hands clasped, Morandall sensed danger—the hand held by Brianna was now stuck; but as Brianna stabbed him in the abdomen, Morandall had already raised his gun again.

She fired several shots at Brianna's head.

Spinning, scorching bullets, like countless blades twisting and tearing at her, like the golden and red skirts of a dancer unfurled; countless colors, scents, memories, finally settling into a buzzing, trembling white light in her mind.

The pain was so intense and sudden that Brianna could no longer feel it. Her neck was bent straight back as if she suddenly wanted to look at the sky.

The roof blocked out the sky, and she couldn't see anything.

But she could feel it.

The fabric tore open without resistance, revealing skin and muscle like shredded bread, the flesh and skin tattered and yet still connected. The internal organs resembled oil droplets floating in water, trembling and sliding to the side at the slightest touch.

Her hands were sinking deep into the warm, slippery, blood-red liquid, as if she were falling into Morando's last embrace.

That moment was tenderness, passionate love, softness, and unparalleled intimacy.

So happy.

I wish I could sit here forever under the hot showerhead, under the endless torrent of blood, warmed by the generous blood, with a mist of hope rising all around me.

However, that moment was quickly extinguished—as Brianna was shot and fell backward, Morandau shoved the door frame, pulling himself away from her grasp, stumbling back a few steps, and falling down the steps.

She lay on the ground, one hand tightly clutching her abdomen, which had been ripped open with a bloody hole, while the other hand still trembled as she held the gun, aiming it at the doorway.

"Jin Xue Li,"

Morando's every breath was hoarse and shrill. Her voice seemed to be losing its shape. "You...you've become a resident?"

Brianna slowly straightened her neck again.

She touched her forehead. It was alright; the residents wouldn't be harmed by the bullets.

Yes, that's great.

Although Morando saw it, she thought the person who had become like this was Kim Seol-ri.

That's right, that's right, Brianna is already dead, and the person who became a resident is Kim Sherry.

“Yes,” Brianna said, peeking out from behind the door again. “Morandot, I’m so happy.”

Morando suppressed his gasps and groans, almost like a floating, struggling cloud of steam in the darkness—human life only shines so brightly, restlessly, and full of vitality when it is about to be cut off.

Brianna crawled out of the doorway little by little, her long back sliding into the dim light of the door lamp.

Morando stared at her back, which was gradually lengthening and slowly flowing down the steps, his eyes wide open, and for a moment he didn't fire.

While still a Green, Brianna couldn't avoid briefly mentioning her death, but she never described her body.

She never wanted Morandall's impression of her to become an endless stretch of her back.

"Why didn't you call me before you came?"

Brianna pulled Jin Xueli's cell phone from a small pouch around her neck. "If I had prepared in advance, you would be dead by now."

She still had some feelings for Morandall; she would rather see him die quickly than let him suffer any more.

"If you die here, you'll become a resident and keep me company, okay?"

Morando suddenly frowned slightly, as if the words were so abrupt that she didn't understand.

In that split second, Brianna flung her phone—the force of the resident sent the phone flying at almost the same speed as a cannonball. It slammed into Morando's gun, which she couldn't hold on to due to her injuries. With a clang, the gun was knocked to the ground.

...Finally, fate granted me a favorable turn.

Morandall was an excellent hunter, yet he wounded her and shot her gun with ease.

Is it because she has become a resident and things are different now? Is it because she is not wary of Kim Seol-ri and once she is disemboweled, there will be no way to reverse the decline?
Or a better explanation is that Morando still couldn't bring himself to be ruthless towards Kim Selena, even after she had become a resident.
No way, no way, no way! You're not the kind of person who would still have feelings for the residents! Don't be ridiculous!
Morandall seemed to try to get up, but as soon as she moved, it was as if a sticky, slippery storm was brewing in her lacerated abdomen; it was as if there were endless, towering waves inside her, about to surge into the darkness—Briana could hear every sound clearly.

Although the two only touched for a moment, Morando's injuries were much more severe than she had imagined.

It's all because of Kim Sulli.
If you hadn't been so anxious, so desperate, so eager to save Jin Xueli, you wouldn't be lying in the dark garden like a corpse whose life lease is about to expire.
Back away, struggle back away. As I crawl toward you little by little, you retreat little by little.

Just like before.

Morando's face was completely bloodless, as if the night had been broken, revealing a section of white bone.

“Molando,” Brianna whispered. “Molando, Morando, Morando.” She let the name dance twice on her tongue before leaving her lips as a violin's final note. She had always liked calling it that name because it sounded beautiful.

Morandall didn't only have one pistol on her; she also used a small decoy as she retreated.

After the illusion disappeared into Morandau's body, Brianna could no longer hear the roaring waves inside her. It was as if all the torn flesh and ripped internal organs had frozen solid like pudding, no longer gushing blood.

However, it only stabilized the injury, but did not reverse it.

Besides, what's the point of stabilizing the injury?
Just one more blow—

Brianna suddenly braced herself against the ground, like a long snake leaping into the air, raising one hand, and the wind, shadows, and all her strength pressed down on Morando.

She did not resist, nor did she move; perhaps she was too weak to move any further.

Morando simply looked up and met her gaze.

She whispered, "...Brie?"

That's strange, isn't it?

All her hatred, resentment, fear, relief, and longing for liberation... were suddenly put on pause.

Brianna seemed to have suddenly fallen into a blank vacuum.

The power that had propelled her to strike had vanished—she was like a puppet whose supporting skeleton had been removed, like Franklin's kite that had lost its power, crashing down from mid-air and collapsing onto the ground in a disorganized mess, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

“What?” she said hoarsely, “I am…I am Kim Seol-ri.”

Morandall seemed not to hear.

She gazed at Brianna silently, as if trying to gradually squeeze out Brianna's presence with such meticulous, irresistible scrutiny.

“Bri,” she called softly again.

Brianna instinctively touched her face—the makeup product seemed to have fallen off.

When did this happen? When—how could this be—she knows I've become like this—

She knew, she saw, she saw me in this disgusting and horrible state.
What's the point of killing her now? She's already seen everything.

Even if I kill you, I must kill you even more. Once I kill you, you won't look at me anymore.

"...I thought you were dead,"

Morandall's breath was faint, like a hollow reed, through which even the wind could pass. If the inhabitants weren't so sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, Brianna wouldn't have been able to decipher the words. "Why...did you lie to me?"

It sounded like a question, but Morando gently curved the corners of his mouth up as if he were about to laugh out loud.

However, tears welled up in Morandau's eyes.

Brianna stared at her blankly.

Two seconds later, she opened her mouth and said, "...I originally wanted you to think I was dead, and then put on Jin Xueli. Once I became her...you wouldn't...you would..."

Her words were fragmented, but Morando understood.

Morando seemed to want to smile, but even the corners of his mouth seemed to have lost their strength.

Brianna imagined the muscles inside her body, perhaps washed clean by water time and time again, white and flabby—she closed her eyes, as if wanting to save the energy of opening them for speaking.

"You really... don't understand me."

Brianna stared at her blankly, unable to utter a single word.

“You never really understood me,” Morando said softly, as if in a dream. “You died like this… did you think it was just a breakup?”

Brianna wanted to argue, for example, that she loved him so deeply, how could she not understand—but her mind went blank.

"Even if everyone in the world dies, and only Kim Seol-ri remains..."

Morando gave a weak laugh. "I can't help it... I can't do anything about it."

why?
“Why?” Brianna asked.

“Because she looks a bit like you,” Morando said softly.

(End of this chapter)