Chapter 675: [Bonus - 4/9] Everything Is Connected.

Chapter 675: [Bonus Chapter 4/9] Everything Is Connected.

’How could I forget about that?’

Thoren almost slapped himself on the forehead, but he managed to control his hand before it could reach his face.

He had been so preoccupied with the dreadful choices presented by the Weeping Ossuary that he had nearly overlooked something important.

’I don’t have to worry about losing any part of my body or soul when I have something that wasn’t mine in the first place.’

That was right.

He was thinking about the memory of the young boy that had been forcefully stamped into his mind when he looked at the blinking skull in the nave.

The memory had appeared without his permission, dragging him into a strange vision where he witnessed the boy being captured by armored men, betrayed by his own family, and thrown into a deep well.

At the time, Thoren had been too shocked by the experience to understand what had happened.

He had even tried desperately to force the memory out of his mind, but it had clung to him like a parasite, refusing to disappear no matter how hard he struggled.

Now, however, that unwanted memory might be the answer to his predicament.

It was not his in the first place.

He had never experienced those events, never known the boy, and never possessed those memories before entering the Weeping Ossuary.

Whatever had been forced into his mind belonged to someone else, and if he could somehow surrender it as payment, then he would have nothing to lose.

At least, that was what he hoped.

A pleasant smile slowly appeared on Thoren’s face as he considered the possibility.

For the first time since the Tallykeeper had demanded repayment, he felt as though he had found a way to escape the terrible choices laid before him.

If the Weeping Ossuary wanted a memory, then he already had one that did not belong to him.

There was no reason to sacrifice the precious memories of his family when he could offer something that had been forced upon him.

Yet, just as that thought brought him a measure of relief, the smile on his face gradually faded.

A frown appeared between his brows, and his eyes narrowed as another thought crept into his mind.

’Don’t tell me this had all been planned from the beginning.’

A shiver ran down his spine.

Thoren stood motionless, suddenly feeling as though the cold air surrounding him had become much heavier.

He tried to dismiss the thought immediately, but the more he considered everything that had happened since entering the Weeping Ossuary.

’No... It’s impossible.’

He tried to deny it.

He shook his head slightly as though the gesture could drive away the disturbing possibility.

How could something like this have been planned?

He had entered the ruin while exploring the trenches, and he had never known that the Weeping Ossuary even existed before discovering its entrance.

There was no reason for this place to know who he was, much less arrange a series of events designed to corner him into a particular decision.

But the gnawing thought that it was the truth refused to leave him.

Since he entered the Weeping Ossuary, each of his steps seemed to have been calculated and plotted against him.

The deeper he ventured, the more he discovered that his experiences were connected in ways he could not understand.

If he made the wrong decision now, his fate might be sealed.

Just thinking about everything made him suck in a cold breath.

The corridors of skulls.

The Hall of Tallies.

The Mourners.

The Skull that blinked.

The boy’s memory.

And now, the Tallykeeper.

Thoren recalled each encounter, his expression growing more solemn as the pieces slowly fell into place.

The corridors had guided him deeper into the ruin, the Hall of Tallies had revealed the strange connection between life and death, and the mourners had attempted to claim his life before he could reach the Well of Grief.

Then came the blinking skull, which had forced the boy’s memory into his mind, followed by the Tallykeeper, who now demanded payment for a debt he had never knowingly incurred.

Everything was connected.

For a long moment, Thoren could barely control his fast pounding heart.

He had faced powerful beasts that could tear apart his undead legion, but at least those enemies had been straightforward.

They attacked with their claws, fangs, or abilities.

But this was different.

He could not see the enemy clearly, nor could he determine whether the strange occurrences were part of a deliberate plan or merely the natural workings of the Weeping Ossuary.

Thoren finally realized that the Weeping Ossuary was a battlefield.

It was not a physical battlefield in the normal sense, where strength, speed, and destructive abilities determined the victor.

This was a mental battlefield, where every discovery could become a trap, every choice could carry a hidden price, and even a moment of relief could lead him toward a carefully prepared disaster.

It was like a chessboard.

He was a piece moving across it, while an unseen opponent might already have calculated several moves ahead.

Thoren lowered his gaze, his hands slowly tightening into fists.

He had no intention of becoming another skull on the pillar beside the Well of Grief.

Whatever game this place was playing, he would have to find a way to survive it.

But one question continued to trouble him.

If the Weeping Ossuary had truly been guiding him toward this moment, then had it deliberately placed the boy’s memory inside his mind because it knew he would eventually need something to sacrifice?

The thought made his heart sink.

Taking a deep breath, Thoren forced the complicated thoughts out of his mind as he raised his head to look at the Tallykeeper.

"If I decide to sacrifice a portion of my memories, can I choose which memories to sacrifice?" he asked with a solemn expression.

This was very important to his survival, and everything depended on it.

If the Weeping Ossuary allowed him to choose, then he might be able to use the strange memory of the young boy that had been forcibly stamped into his mind as payment.

However, if the choice was not his to make, then he could find himself losing something far more precious than he could afford to surrender.