《Girl Who Survived The Madness》 Chapter 0 - Prologue Under the pitch, black sky with an eerie blood moon. Inside the unknown throne room, decorated with bone and flesh of countless people, lay an otherworldly, hideous monstrosity without a sign of life. In place of its head it had one large gaping mouth with a twisted tongue, its whole body made up of large, pulsating, red flesh in the shape of a human, it had countless big and small eyes that were still alive and moving. Beside the monstrosity, stood a lone woman and one haggard looking dog. The woman''s armour torn asunder, blood pouring out from the large cut on her left eye. Howling still rang in the ears of Leona as she gently rested her claymore against her forehead, recalling on her entire life, leading to these nightmarish years, hopelessly squirming in this cursed world of madness, as it slowly and painfully drained and life and the sanity of all those who sucked in. Feeling the gentle wind on her scarred skin, Leona saw a blue portal appear before her. Ignoring the ticket to leave this world of an endless nightmare she closed her eye and talked to herself. "Never would''ve guessed that old man would''ve died like that. He said after leaving this cursed world he will return his family and ask forgiveness from his only daughter." She muttered, looking back at Royston, the fallen paladin, who brutally met his end being pierced by a black lance thrown by the monster. "The way Kongou went down though.... he went out like a true man." Recollection shrouded her mind as the towering man yelled "I am your death!" continuing to fight against the monster despite missing half of his body. "Ah, big sis Yasmine and big brother Ted didn''t you two promise to invite us to your wedding?" Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Leona asked the large black puddle beside the stone pillar, recalling how that couple was doused with a powerful acid, causing them to quickly turn into a puddle, leaving their dog Zipp with her. "And Good God, Poor Yong-Sun. Looks like he is one who fell into the madness." Leona said in regret, recalling how the monster sending countless forbidden words into the mind of an unfortunate scholar. Within just moments, he collapsed to the ground in sobbing throes of laughter and seconds later he took his own life by ripping open his own chest. Looking at her eye that shone like ruby on reflection of the edge of her claymore. A sign that her body fused with cursed blood. Then she looked at her left arm, forming a claw full of pulsating red veins. Taking another deep sigh Leona knows she already went too far. The thought of suicide passed through her mind but it immediately disappeared as she felt something wet on her left hand. She saw Zipp poking her hand with his nose as if trying to cheer her up. Seeing the old dog trying to act cute, Leona curled her lips into a smile, as she remembered that she has things to do. She also has to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades as well. "Yes, I gotta live." Putting her sword in her scabbard, Leona walked towards her fallen comrades. After cremating them she put their ashes in their specific things and put them in her bag. She took Royston''s sword, family''s badge and eyepatch from his corpse, a part of hair and protection charm from Kongou, a grimoire and melody box from Yong-Sun. Sadly she didn''t find anything from Yasmine and Ted''s puddle except one broken cosmetic box. Putting on the eyepatch Leona walked into the portal along with her last comrade Zipp. Chapter 1: The person that hard to call a human On the moment Leona passes through the portal. Her body was surrounded by light that flowed out from the Dimensional Portal. While surrounded by the portal''s light, she felt a constant change in the time. In just moment she felt time going so slow as seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like days and hours felt like its months. In just moment suddenly time moves insanely quick as she felt her whole body turning into the dust. While resisting the chaotic time Leona has begun to feel an urge for flesh and blood of living being. It was a sign of cursed blood flowing through her veins. In a nightmare world, she and her comrades fought against many foes like a dragon that corrupted by the monster to unseen enemies like plague and diseases. Cursed blood was one of those diseases spread by twisted creatures looks like a mix of human and bug, but it was more of a curse than a disease because it can''t be cured by any means. At the first stage, the victim who infected by cursed blood would first start to carve for flesh and blood of living being then more the victim eats the flesh and drinks blood he or she will slowly transform into the abomination that infected them in the first place. Feeling madness in her veins Leona tried to her best to resist the carve, but this time the carve too much for her weakened mind from a previous battle. Just like a hungry beast, her bright red eye began to search the flesh to sate her carving. A moment''s later her eye lands on dog leash in her right arm following the leash she found delicious looking food tied at the end. *Gulp* Swallowing her saliva in hunger, Leona reached her claw towards the Zipp. With pricked ears, Zipp watched her master for a moment then waged its tail and snorted happily without even knowing its incoming death. "LEONA STOP!" Barely able to hold onto her consciousness Leona stopped her hard right before reaching Zipp''s head before the blood takes over her mind again she immediately opened her mouth and took a bite from her own right arm. It was better to eat herself than killing her last companion with her own hands. In a usual another day in head-quarters of hero association. "Aaah..so boring. Is there even any returner''s left ?" Fighting against his boredom, Aid Walker stretched out his arms on his chair.'' The Returners'' was given a name for people who returned to earth after getting summoned to another world. As the ordinary staff of Hero association, his job is to receive and help ''The Returners''. *Brr. Brr* Hearing his phone, he slowly reached his hand towards his pocket and answered lazily "Helloo.." "WHAT!?" A few moments Walker''s coworkers hear a loud scream and saw him sprinting out of his room like lightning bolt after slamming his door open. Walker received the news about the sudden portal with blue light opened in D City. He knew that blue portal sign of ''The Returners''. Immediately he arrived at the helipad of the association and saw a beautiful woman with golden hair waiting for him in an already prepared helicopter. Walker knew who this woman was. Her name is Rose, a human girl who returned with ''The Returner''. She is adopted daughter of Reignhearth the one of strongest returner of the Hero Association, one of youngest returner who received B rank. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Today she will accompany Walker for receiving new returners. In just a few hours Walker and Rose, arrived place portal has opened. The local police already placed the protection fences and maintaining the crowd of people who arrived at the scene. After finished preparing the pieces of equipment Walked quietly waited for the ''The Returners'' passing through the portal. A moments later a human hand slowly appears from the portal and a teenage boy around the 16 to 17 age dressed simple blue high school uniform along with a sword with golden handle followed by three beautiful girls. Each girl was beautiful as in their own way. A first girl is dressed in elegant looking white plate armour, blonde hair dancing in the wind. She looked elegant and charming. The second girl is dressed in a red top and full-length skirt, with her revealing clothes and dark skin she aroused every male with her every movement. She looked gorgeous. The last girl is dressed in a light blue robe, short blue hair tied in a ponytail. A face that looking around with curiosity and fear. Innocent and pure. "It is a F*cking harem!" Every male quietly cursed while praying for god the male for drop dead from playing too much. "Typical ''Returner'' that received cheat and harem froth another world. Looks like we don''t need a force." The real reason why association sends the high ranking returner with an agent is to prevent a possible scenario that new "Returner" went berserk or using newly acquire power from world to exact revenge or killing people or even try to take over the earth. With Rose, Walker walked towards the group holding list of summoned people. "So this is Sir. Kage''s world. Nice place." "Now let''s go to the stores you told me." "Why there are so many people around us ?" Arriving in front of a group with Rose, Walker heard they in mid of their conversation so he decided to stop it before it is too late. "Welcome to your home hero. I am Aid Walker, a person who sent by Hero Association to help you and this is my partner Reinghearth Rose." Finally noticing the Walker, the group stopped their conversation and greeted with Walker. "Hello Aid Walker, my name is Aoi Kage, and they are my wife''s Clare, Amey and Charlotte." Immediately, Walker opened the list and found a male''s name. "As noted in the list you have summoned into another world two years ago in front of people in a subway station ?" A little bit surprised at man knowing how he disappeared, Kage replied. "Yes, I summoned to another world while on my way to my home. Then I..." Suddenly everyone felt like chill throughout their body, unconsciously trembling. Basked within ocean like killing intent all people simultaneously looked towards tall black figure appearing on the portal. "What is that!" "Is that person ?" "There is no way this thing is human." From portal haggard-looking large dog followed by a tall armoured person armed with a large claymore. But people didn''t fear of a person because of thing it''s wearing but because how it looked right now. With bright red eye shining under the hood person now ripping and tearing flesh from its own right arm that showing bright white bone behind its flesh and eating with delight. It was a horrific and gruesome sight. Chapter 2: Is he an idiot ? Seeing the unknown people Zipp prepares to spring with a savage growl, canine teeth are uncovered, and the ears pressed close backwards on the head. A hearing threatening growl unconsciously people took step back despite its coming from dog looks like about to drop on the ground in moments. Waken up from her feverish hunger by Zipp''s growl Leona staring at her right arms reduced nothing but pure white bone. "Fuck! small after effect my ass." Leona couldn¡¯t help but mutter out swear towards the mad doctor who once said he found a perfect solution against her cursed blood and put her under his own experiment, observing flesh of her arms regenerating in insane pace. *Grrr!* Hearing Zipp''s growl again, Leona moved her head towards the direction of the sound and found many people staring at her. Checking her surroundings, she found out that she standing in front of the subway station, she disappeared in the first place. But she noticed many people surrounding her along with weirdly dressed people standing right in front of her, immediately a chill ran down her spine as thinking she fell into another twisted game of the being. Didn''t I ripped and crushed that thing''s heart along with its soul? How come it''s alive after that. Shit! but first I need to get out this nightmare quickly before I became part of it. *Thunk!* With loud sound after stabbing her claymore in the ground quickly, Leona puts her left hand on Zipp''s head while removing its leash, preparing him to attack any moment she gave a command. Then she moves her right hand towards her belt under the rag like a robe and pulls out a steel lantern. Noticing the unknown person clearly preparing for the fight Kage and his wives took their combat stance to battle against the unknown person. "Should we call reinforcement from HQ ?" Unsheathing her sword, Rose asked from Walker. "Wait! let''s observe her bit longer." "Her? how do you know this person''s gender ?" Rose couldn''t fully believe Walker words despite knowing as a special agent of Hero Association he possesses skill called ''Identity''. That is because air and equipment of this unknown person own. At first usually, any kind of female returns from another world she became more beautiful and feminine due energy and skills she acquired from another world. Even she became a warrior, she will become something closer to a female knight that accompanying Kage not become this unknown person surrounded by this much bloodlust and eats its own flesh. As Rose and Walker continue to observe the unknowns woman, they saw she pushes the small lever on side of steel lantern opening shutters. Despite its under the sunlight, an eerie blue light shines through steel lantern''s shutters. As if checking something, a woman has begun to shine lantern''s light on surrounding the people. Upon seeing directly at the blue light, unconsciously people stopped their activities and just stood there staring at a light only regains their consciousness after the light moves away. Seeing creepy scenery that people checked by hooded figure one by one Walker decided to interrupt. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "Rose, let''s go meet our new returner." Calling out his partner Walker walked towards the unknown woman. But at that moment they saw lantern''s light becoming more bright when shined on Charlotte the third wife of Kage. As expected she has some kind of connection to the being Seeing will o wisp in lantern reacting to the innocent looking girl. Cursing the being''s a twisted mind Leona takes her claymore from the ground and walked towards Kage''s group. " Kage, I am scared. " Noticing the change in lantern''s light Charlotte immediately hides behind the Kage in fear from an unknown person. " Its okay Charlotte we will protect you. " " Who are you? What do you want from Charlotte ? " Calming Charlotte down, Kage asked from Leona while enhancing his sword with fiery flame and surrounding himself with armour made of golden coloured energy. "Wow." "Look at that flame and armour." "Not bad" Seeing Kage''s sword and armour made of pure mana everyone is surprised by his skill even genius like Rose couldn''t help but praise boy''s talent at mana manipulation. Except for one person, or one woman and one animal to be more specific looking towards Kage as if an idiot. Is he an idiot?. using mana in this place and why are those people not stopping him before calling eldritch monster?. Doesn''t he know magic is no use? or did they forgot everything?. well, its no use to question what is going on in that shit''s mind. Giving up for further thinking the reasons Leona decides to finish this quick. But at least she knows that being likes play a mind game with prey so she knows those people are real and not real at the same time if she kills someone then somewhere someone will be killed or their soul will be extinguished and used against her. So chose the most peaceful method. Giving a command to Zipp to stand by Leona walked towards Kage while preparing her left hand. *Tap, tap, tap* "Do you hear me I will not repeat myself!" said Kage prepares to attack Leona. *Tap tap tap* "Don''t blame me, you bought upon this on yourself," said Kage swung his sword aiming toward Leona''s waist. "Wait! Mr.Kage!" *Ting!* "Huh?" One moment everyone saw Kage''s sword vanishes at the moment then they saw now his sword grabbed by Leona''s claw-like hand and turned into ordinary sword without any enhancements. With her other hand holding claymore Leona simply stuck Kage''s neck with claymore''s pommel. "Wha-HUck!" Before even realizing what happened. Kage drops on the ground unconscious Chapter 3: Realization "Kage!" Three women shouted while staring at Leona with eyes that mix of hostility and fear. As his lovers and companion, they know the power and strength of Kage. Now seeing Kage''s golden armour and fiery sword turns nothing against this unknown person. "W-why his armour didn''t work ?" Charlotte shook even more. She knows Kage''s armour made of golden energy is strong enough shrug off almost any kind of attacks without fading and due properties of golden energy, especially it''s very poisonous against dark and death related attacks. Then she moved her head towards the direction of a person''s arm that holding Kage''s sword, and saw fiery flame is still in the sword as red flame twirling around the sword, but it is stopped at claw-like hand as if arm itself completely nullified the everything around itself. -sn''t that person''s arm related to any kind of dark or death magic, why is able to nullify the mana and holy power ? "Let''s talk about that later, now let''s focus on that person!" As a magic knight Clare quickly understood the situation and stood in front of, Charlotte knows she is the target. "There is something weird going on with that person''s arm, don''t let it touch you," Charlotte warned to Clare and Amey. "It''s okay," said Amey and begun to chanting her spell. One the moment she opens her mouth, her whole body starts exuding a faint black glow while as her skirt blowing with the sudden wind giving a sense of mystery. But they were too slow because Leona already know their idea and on at sama time Amey opens her mouth she raised her claw-like arm towards the three and spoke. "Ahornah ymg'' nwnglui mgepah''ehye ng ymg'' aimgr''luhh clog ymg'' neck" It was a simple charm cast by Leona in being''s language using her left arm as a catalyst. "Huck!!?" All three of then suddenly felt something stuck on their throats. Walking towards the confused trio, Leona quickly puts them to sleep with a simple punch to the gut. Seeing things turning the wrong direction, afraid of caught in crossfire people already begun to disperse to every direction leaving some brave and curious ones. "Stop what are you doing or else I will use the force!" Completely ignoring the Rose and Walker, Leona opens her lamp''s shutter and begun to examine the unconscious Charlotte searching for the specific mark or key item. As being almost always in the centre of its attention, Rose herself bit dislike the attention, but still, she didn''t hate it. So she got a bit angry for being completely ignored by a complete stranger. Unsheathing her sabre, she prepared to stuck at a stranger. *GRR!* "What ?" Hearing the growl suddenly she felt danger, she immediately to her side and felt something running past her. Moving her head and she found a dog that came out of portal along with a stranger. The dog was just a pile of skin and bones, it clearly looked like beast hunger for food, but seeing with clear eyes calmly observing her every movement Rose knew this is not an ordinary dog. "Do you not hear me "stop"! that is against the law! " Rose screamed towards the Leona who is now taking Charlotte''s clothes one by one while couldn''t take a step under the dog watch. "DAMN! Walker! stop her before she strips her naked!" She said to Walker while fighting against Zipp. She couldn''t help but curse this dammed dog as she couldn''t even touch its hair. Despite being looks like about to drop dead sooner or later, just like a slippery eel, Zipp dodged Rose''s every attack. On the moment she tries to move or distracted by, Leona she greeted by the sharp fang of Zippy aimed towards her leg and throat. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! *Sign* Walker really wanted to cry as thinking how did simple task turn into a this. What are you telling me to do? I can only use Identity, disarm and cleanse, are you telling me to disarm that woman looks like can crush my skull with her bare hand ? Disarms and cleanse was the only skills, Walker learned for his protection. Unlike returner who returns from another world with all kinds of skill, ordinary people will have one or two inhale skills. If they want to learn other skill they can learn in there way first learn from people with a special skill, second learn by hard work, and last they can learn instantly by using skill tome found from dungeons. As someone with non-combat skill, Walker bought those two skills using his salary. In the end, money is nothing when one dies. Cursing his bad luck Walker tries to find something about Leona using his "Identity". "Sh*t," said Walker seeing Leona''s blurred status showing only her gender. If I try to stop her she will kill me but if I run away then Association will kill me f*ck. Wait for a sec. Then Walker saw there another thing is clear under the ''Effect'' tab as saying ''Drug %$$!#$%'' he couldn''t read the drug''s name but he clearly knew she using some kind of drug to strengthens herself. Immediately he found a solution to save his job, after preparing himself Walker immediately runs towards, Leona with all of his strengths. May Walker couldn''t beat her but using the skill "cleanse" to erase the effect of a drug from the Leona weaker herself so when higher-ups from HQ arrives he will have something to say to them. Noticing man wearing suit running towards her Leona decides to stop him before doing something to a girl. When she preparing to strike suddenly man stops right in front of her and screamed. "Disarm!" it was a skill that throws random equipment from the target. With a short flash of light, Walker saw steel lantern on woman hand flings into towards him due to an invisible force. Seeing woman still holding her large claymore Walker really wanted to scream toward''s sky cursing his bad luck. Knowing there is no way out he runs towards woman but he found she doesn''t move as if she turned into all sudden. Leona was a bit surprised at seeing her lamp with will-o-wisp thrown away with invisible force but the thing made her stopped moving was lantern showing the reaction to a woman fighting against Zipp. It was an impossible thing that there is two key so she finally realized she really back to the earth and she saw the palm of man in a suit about to touch her. She tried to react but it was too late. "Cleanse" followed by man''s speech, Leona suddenly felt all strength in her body leaving immediately followed by a strong headache. Then her vision becomes blurry and sharp pain around her whole body like jagged saw constantly passing between her joints. Then she realizes the effect of "Angel Dust" is worn off while blood rush through her throat like river. While puking large blood with all of her remaining strength, Leona tried to reach her pouch to take more ''Angel Dust'' but the only thing she could see was pitch black darkness. Chapter 4: Defeated by blessing "Wha-what just happened ?" said Walker staring at the woman who is now lying unconscious on the ground mixed with a large pool of blood under her. Even now he couldn''t understand what just occurred, he only used skill "Cleanse" to erase drug effect but who knows as if something exploded inside of her body, a woman has begun to puke large amount blood then dropping on the ground after some twitch she stopped the move. There is no way "Cleanse" deal any kind of damage to anything except to some type of undead. Or is she a corpse user ? "Walker watch out!" When Walker was in deep thought, he heard a sudden shout. Immediately he performed a roll to his right with all of his strength without even checking what is coming towards him. As a result of his unsightly roll ruined his suit, but he kept his life as Walker saw a shadow running past him while leaving claw mark on his shoulder. It was Zipp rushed to Leona''s side seeing her drop on the ground completely ignoring, Rose. As a result, there is blood dripping out from a large wound right above the dog''s shoulder. Zipp comes close to Leona with gentle steps, standing in his master''s pool of blood. He touched his master with his nose cone dry from previous fight wishing for her to wake up as usual. But she didn''t move. With a sad whimper, Zipp licked his master''s face, but again there was no reaction. It was a sad scene that made people forgot the previous thing that Leona about to strip someone naked in public and begun to give a cold look towards Walker and Rose as if they are criminals. "To think the Hero Association kill a hero just returned." "I bet they are controlled by the government''s greedy pigs like other things and robbing from people just returned from another world in the name of "Finding their home"." "Yeah or else how are they providing that equipment and skills. I bet that agent used the hidden skill while shouting different name or else how could that person throw up that much blood. " Just like a single spark dropped on dry leaves, one after another people began to talk about rumours or things they heard from the internet. Hearing the talk between people a cold sweat has begun to gather on Walker''s back as realizing he fucked up. "N-no, I really used the ''Cleanse''," said Walker tried to explain but his speech cut short by Rose. "Idiot quickly call the medic and person with a skill that can communicate beasts or else she really gonna die!" said Rose as she tried to put a healing potion to Leona, but she blocked by Zipp who is now with red eyes ready to pounce to anyone who got close. "Oh, Right!" Walker quickly reached towards his pocket and took out his phone calling to headquarters asking for the help. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. *SIgn* She took the deep sign as knowing after all of this there, is no way this dog will let her or anybody close to his master until his dying breath. If only she didn''t rush toward that girl, with her lantern this would never happen. Why she did that? Also, what is with that lantern and creepy language? "Huh?" While getting goosebumps from remembering creepy sounding spell cast by the woman she saw bright blue light shining on her from steel lantern thrown on the ground it was showing the reaction just like it''s on a girl called, Charlotte. With growing curiosity, Rose decided to ''borrow'' it and return to a woman when after she woke up. Thanks to its a strong network of Hero Association quickly sent personnel to retrieve the Leona and Kage''s companions. -- "Well, that is because ''Cleanse'' counts as a blessing." said a man in a lab coat who looks like around his forty answered Walker''s question of how his skill able to hurt someone alive. "What is wrong with a blessing ?" Rose and Walker asked in curiosity. "You know the difference between curse and blessing is that person can develop resistance against curse but not against blessing right?" "Yes?" Walker replied as remembering after being targeted by constant curses person can develop a certain kind of resistance. But there is no such thing against blessing because a blessing is a ''blessing''. The body tries to take in more of its effects. There is no resistance to blessings. There¡¯s no way the body would refuse to take in blessings cause it''s good for your body. He spoke while pointing toward''s Leona''s room. "I thought, I seeing corpse not an alive person when I saw her first. Behind her armour she was just skin and bones it was a miracle that she stood while wearing that kind of armour. Then while we checking her body we found an unknown drug in her blood and along with a ten small bottle that full of unknown shiny blue dust. It was clear that all thanks to that unknown drug she able to move ignoring her body''s condition" The man took out of his cigarette from his chest pocket light it up and took a smoke. After some pause, he continued. "Drug it didn''t heal her body it is just suppressing it so just became like ticking time bomb. Then on a moment she hit by your ''Cleanse'' her body tried to receive the blessing much as it can but as a result of its completely erased drug''s effect. And without drug''s suppression anymore bomb just exploded. We tried taking a sample from the drug but her dog couldn''t let staff toucher her stuff anymore so we have no choice to wait for her to wake up. "