Reincarnated as a Background Character — Boss Fell in Love With Me
Chapter 7: Tethered Souls and Terrible Decisions
Velzeria succumbed to slumber once more.
However, this time there was nothing graceful or haunting about it, unlike the way she had dozed off in the library's embrace — this was an altogether different scenario. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, almost imperceptible, hinting at the fragility of her state. The pallor of her skin was alarming; it appeared almost ghostly, with an unsettling shimmer of ash clinging to her arms, as though her very essence was being eroded by the consequences of her own arcane powers, barely holding her form together.
Seated beside her, Raze was pressed against the unforgiving coldness of the obsidian wall that formed the confines of the catacombs, grappling with rising panic that clawed at his insides. And try as he might to suppress it, he could feel himself failing miserably to maintain composure.
[Status Effect: Soul Tether — Active]
You are now bound to Velzeria. Your soul will reflect her condition.
[Warning: Vital Sync 61% and dropping.]
His gaze dropped to his trembling hands, which were betraying him in this moment of crisis. It wasn't simply fear that made them shake — it was an ominous feedback loop connecting him to her suffering, as if her pain were an inescapable dark mist seeping through the cracks of a tightly shut door.
"This is perfectly fine," he muttered under his breath, the edge of his voice laced with forced bravado. "Everything's just as it should be. I'm merely soul-linked to a dying demon empress. Who wouldn't feel relaxed in a situation like this?"
In a desperate attempt to stave off the impending dread, he rummaged into his inventory, which frustratingly remained dismally vacant, until he managed to retrieve a basic healing salve. It was nothing extraordinary, lacking any magical properties — simply a medicinal remedy.
[Item Use: Rejected. Target is beyond physical recovery.]
The rejection of his hopeful remedy felt like a punch to the gut, heightening the frustration swirling within him.
"You're not allowed to die, okay?" he whispered fervently, leaning closer to her. "I'm not important enough to lose someone as extraordinary as you."
Just as he clung to the hope of her revival, a sudden ripple raced through the very fabric of the air surrounding them.
The walls seemed to shimmer and shift, as if the entire catacomb were responding to an unseen force.
And then, from the oppressive darkness, a voice emerged, laced with an unsettling chill.
"So this is the human she tethered herself to…"
Raze sprang to his feet instinctively, positioning himself protectively in front of Velzeria without a second thought. "Who's there?" he demanded, trying to sound braver than he felt.
From the depths of the shadows, a figure began to emerge, cloaked in tattered crimson fabric that hung from his form like remnants of a forgotten storm. His face remained obscured, and his body contorted in unnatural flickers, as if reality itself struggled to confine him.
[???: Fragmented Entity — Rank Unknown]
"Calm yourself," the figure spoke, his voice shattering the air, akin to a mirror breaking into countless pieces. "If I desired your demise, you would have already become a mere echo in this abyss."
"I find that not particularly comforting," Raze bit back, swallowing hard.
"You're fortunate, anomaly," the figure continued, circling them with an unsettling grace. "She used to incinerate entire cities for the mere act of wrongfully being gazed at. And now... she binds herself to someone like you. Fascinating."
Raze clenched his jaw tight, frustration igniting within him. "What do you want? Get to the point."
"I came seeking her Core Fragment," the figure intoned, an interest gleaming in his voice. "However, it seems it has been claimed. Thus, I came simply to investigate the thief."
"I'm not a thief," Raze retorted angrily. "I'm just trying to help her!"
"A mere background character," the figure murmured, a hint of condescension dripping from his words. "Unwritten. Unchosen. Yet, somehow, you've managed to rewrite fate itself."
[Hidden Trait Detected: Null Rewrite – Active Interference Confirmed]
"I never asked for any of this," Raze replied, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over him.
"The cosmos operates that way, as you surely know. No one desires such burdens." The figure paused and turned, his gaze piercing through the darkness. "But now you are tethered, and that alters everything."
Suddenly, the air around them pulsed with an energy that was tangible, almost electric.
[System Interruption Detected – Stabilizing…]
The figure flickered, more violently this time, as if struggling against the constraints of existence itself.
"You've attracted attention, Raze. Eyes that linger beyond this realm. The script is keeping a watchful gaze upon you both now. Tread carefully with whom you allow into your soul."
And as quickly as he had arrived, the shadowy entity vanished with a final blink of static, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake.
Raze took a sharp breath, feeling his heart race instinctively.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees beside Velzeria, who was now stirring, her eyes fluttering open as if awakening from a deep slumber.
"…You stood between me and danger yet again," she murmured, her voice soft and slightly draped in a veil of confusion.
"Someone's got to," he replied, his voice a gentle reminder. "You're not invincible anymore."
She blinked at him, momentarily taken aback. "You are quite loud for a commoner, you know."
A laugh, short and weary, escaped him, sounding surprisingly genuine amidst the chaos. "Well," he said, feeling the absurdity of the moment, "we're soul-tethered now. Guess that means you're stuck with me."
Her gaze lingered on him, penetrating yet contemplative. "Then… we should commence your training."
Raze stared in confusion. "Training? As in, fighting?"
"No. Much worse," she replied, a glint of amusement shining in her eyes.
"…Worse?"
The corners of Velzeria's lips curled into that familiar, yet terrifying, smirk.
"Etiquette. You are now a companion to an Empress. I will not have you slouching and stumbling like a peasant."
He groaned, allowing the weight of this new burden to rest heavily on him. "I've survived a level 85 death beast and navigated a cursed tether. And now I've got to learn how to behave properly at the dinner table?"
She tilted her head slightly, her expression playful yet firm.
"Yes. Or else I will kill you."
"…Well, that's just fantastic. Truly looking forward to it."
To be continued...