Chapter 21: Questioning

The intense mental contamination rendered Elias momentarily paralyzed.

He clenched his teeth, helplessly watching the twisted mass inching closer.

"Bro..."

"Why did you betray me?"

"Did Luna do something wrong?"

Her tone was sharp and unnatural, not something that should come from a human.

"Everything I've done... it's all been in vain..."

"I should just kill you, bro. As long as we can be together forever, that's all that matters..."

"That's all that's needed..."

Countless dark tentacles wrapped around Elias, threatening to engulf him.

[Sanity Check...]

In the game, a sanity check was a moment of comparing attributes and luck, requiring a dice roll. In reality, it was a struggle of Elias's willpower.

And this time, he was on the verge of failing.

A string seemed to snap in Elias's mind, the mental onslaught nearly rendering him unconscious, his eyes growing vacant.

His arms fell limply, the potion bottle dropping to the floor, its liquid spilling on Luna's tentacles beneath her skirt.

Though the suppressant was almost ineffective against a creature of this level, it still managed to reduce Luna's contamination slightly.

In that instant, Elias's thoughts regained a sliver of clarity.

He was grateful for having the potion, considering himself lucky for his prior decision.

He stared intently at the twisted entity before him.

[Negotiation/Soothing (Master)]

[0:00:00]

His skill cooldown had ended, and he didn't hesitate to use it on Luna.

It was as if a myriad of complex knowledge flooded his mind, his entire mental state becoming calmer and more composed.

To persuade someone, you need to have a stronger psychological advantage than them, even when facing twisted monsters.

Unexpectedly, this skill turned out to be a weapon against the evil entity's mental corruption, a pleasant surprise indeed.

Within the countless tentacles, Luna's bloodshot eyes suddenly showed confusion.

She found it odd that even in such a situation, her brother showed no fear but instead smiled calmly.

That indifferent smile annoyed her.

"What are you smiling at, bro?"

"Are you mocking me??"

The tentacles began to tighten, making a horrifying sound on Elias's limbs, threatening to dislocate them.

But Elias kept his indifferent gaze on her.

"I am mocking you, Luna."

"What?" Luna's eyes widened in a grotesque and terrifying manner.

"I just want to ask you sincerely," Elias said calmly, "Isn't what you're doing just an escape?"

"Escape from what?" Luna was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

It must have been the effect of [Negotiation/Soothing], for Luna actually listened. In any other circumstance, Elias would have been killed by her.

He sighed inwardly but maintained his composure.

"Do you think killing me will make you have me? "

"What kind of logic is that? "

"You're just running away. "

"You're afraid they'll take me away, proving you're a loser, the most pitiful and unfortunate loser, like a bug hiding under the bed, covering its eyes."

Elias chuckled, his smile eliciting more anger from Luna.

"What!?"

Her face twisted in rage.

"I'm a loser? No! I'm not a loser! I have you, I have everything I wanted, they all lost! I'm the happiest person!!"

"Heh, hardly." Elias's smile grew more sympathetic as he observed Luna, as if looking at a pitiable creature.

"Can you tell me, what's your goal? Is it just to have me, to have your bro?"

Luna sneered, "What else could it be?"

"But that's not the goal, it's just a means to an end," Elias said, surprisingly lecturing her on logic in such a situation.

"Wait! Wait!" Luna's tentacles trembled involuntarily. "You're confusing me! What are you trying to say?"

Elias laughed lightly, "Seems like you've been deceiving me, Luna. You don't study much, do you? You haven't thought this through."

"Ah... as your bro, it's my responsibility... seems like I need to give you some lessons..."

Luna looked bewildered.

"Huh?"

Seeing Luna's softened demeanor, Elias's smile deepened.

"It seems I need to clarify this for you. Your elaborate schemes and efforts aren't for the sake of winning me over. "

"Rather, they're aimed at capturing happiness. Just as you mentioned earlier, Luna wants to become the happiest person."

Elias's gaze was intense as he watched her struggle with her thoughts, her expression conflicted.

"Have you never considered another possibility, another ending to this story?"

"What ending?" Luna was utterly confused, a strange feeling for her.

She knew Elias was speaking to delay time, or for some other purpose, but she couldn't bring herself to simply kill him.

Compelled by an unknown force, Luna really wanted to hear him continue. 

She wanted to know what was really in her heart, what she was looking for...

Elias's gentle smile reappeared.

"The little girl who roamed the streets, always on the run, barely surviving, thin and unattractive..."

"wouldn't she look forward to her favorite bro coming home from school, preparing a table full of steaming dishes just for her?"

"Maybe it's creamy mushroom soup, or pasta drizzled with seafood sauce from the coastal city of Madawat, sprinkled with onions. Or perhaps the soft bread you had when we first met... just thinking about it makes it seem delicious."

"If you kill me now," Elias blinked, "you'll never again enjoy that beautiful life."

His words seemed to resonate, as the grip of her tentacles lessened.

She was listening.

Elias pressed on, directly addressing her heart.

"Don't you look forward to walking on the sunny streets of Saint Rose City during the holidays, happily shopping for new clothes, wearing a pretty dress and twirling around, or me winning a prize and stuffing a giant plush Mickey Mouse into your arms?"

Elias looked at her meaningfully, even bravely pushing aside the tentacles to stroke her head as he used to.

"These are all experiences a girl your age should have, utterly normal... because of your terrible childhood, you've never had these. I'm sorry for neglecting your feelings before, for never doing these things..."

"Your life is still long ahead. If you haven't experienced these joys, wouldn't it be a pity?"

"I'll help you fulfill the wishes you couldn't before."

"Isn't that better than us becoming two cold corpses? If you die like this, what have you won over those you despise?"

Elias looked at her sadly, "You lost, you still have nothing."

"So... stop deceiving yourself, stop lying to yourself."