Resurrection Chapter 105 - Hyung, Get a Grip

Seeing them making a fuss, Min Gongchan let out a chuckle and turned around without a word. As he left the tent and walked a few steps, Yoon Younghyun followed him out. When Min Gongchan turned to look at him as if to ask if he had something to say, Yoon Younghyun hesitated and said.

“…Thanks.”

Min Gongchan didn’t smile at those words. He knew full well why Yoon Younghyun had accepted his proposal. In fact, he had made the investment proposal to Yoon Younghyun for that very reason. He didn’t want to find himself hurtling down a slope with no brakes when he became the vampire monarch.

Min Gongchan turned around without another word. Watching his retreating back, Yoon Younghyun scratched the back of his neck, looking troubled. He silently hoped that, if possible, he and Min Gongchan would never have to confront each other.

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With a mind in utter turmoil, I stomped my way toward the infirmary. Earlier in the bathroom, Heesoo hyung had said he would bring me a bandage, but it seemed he hadn’t been able to grab one, being too busy fighting with Min Gongchan. I was angry too, so I hadn’t grabbed one either when I left. But now that Heesoo hyung had also pounced on me, the mark left on my skin had become even more pronounced, so I had to go back to get a bandage.

While I was wandering around looking for the collapsed infirmary tent, I ran right into Min Gongchan. My head was already a mess just from dealing with Heesoo hyung, so I tried to pretend I hadn’t seen him and pass by. But he quickly blocked my path and took a bandage out from his pocket, holding it out to me.

“Here.”

I hesitated before taking it. I’d need a mirror to put this on. As I looked around, wondering which way the bathroom was, Min Gongchan led me into an empty tent.

“I’ll put it on for you.”

“It’s fine. I’ll look and put it on myself.”

“I have something to say, too.”

At his added words, I couldn’t complain and followed him into the tent. After having me stand in a corner of the tent, Min Gongchan gestured toward me with his chin.

“Hold your clothes.”

I hooked my fingers on my collar and pulled it down. Seeing the exposed area, Min Gongchan paused in the middle of unwrapping the bandage. He must have found it strange that the bruise had gotten darker than before, but I kept my head turned to the side and stubbornly said nothing. I didn’t want to tell Min Gongchan of all people that Heesoo hyung had done this. If I did, it was obvious he would rattle on with things I didn’t want to hear, like “what did I tell you,” or “Seo Heesoo is a lost cause.”

As if sensing my mood, Min Gongchan said nothing. He simply unwrapped the bandage and applied it to the nape of my neck. As he did so, his fingertips brushed against my skin. His fingertips were as cold as ice, and goosebumps rose on my skin.

For a moment, I wondered if I was in a situation where I was sticking my neck out in front of a predator, but Min Gongchan’s condition seemed better than before. The bluish veins that had been prominent had subsided, and his lips were reddish, showing a hint of vitality.

When he removed his hand from me, I straightened my clothes and said.

“Did you go and eat someone on the street? You look better than before.”

“Kang Cheoljun gave me a blood pack. It’s like first aid.”

“Speaking of which, what are you going to do from now on? You can’t live your whole life drinking blood donated by others.”

“A vampire won’t die just because they don’t drink blood. And it doesn’t have to be human blood.”

“An Awakened won’t die just because they don’t eat, either. But they have to eat just like an ordinary person. Vampires have a particularly strong thirst for blood. If you just endure it blindly and then snap…”

“Then you can donate blood to me regularly.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, why would I…!”

“Or kill me before I snap.”

At his indifferent tone, I scowled.

“What kind of fucked up thing is that to say. Why should I have to kill you? If you want to get all emo, go hang out with Yaksha. You two are a perfect match. One’s a concept-addict, the other’s got middle schooler syndrome. What a fantastic pair.”

As I was venting my irritation, strangely, Min Gongchan laughed. He curved his eyes into crescents and shook his shoulders silently. Seeing him snickering under his breath, my irritation slowly subsided.

It was strange, but perhaps because of his friendly attitude, I couldn’t hate him even though I knew full well what he had done. Especially after I accepted the fact that he was a regressor, a sense of understanding bloomed, wondering if there might have been a reason for it.

I stared blankly at his face, which looked youthful when he smiled. A beat later, Min Gongchan noticed my gaze and withdrew his smile with an awkward expression. He looked as if he regretted laughing so unguardedly in front of me. Seeing him stealthily avert his eyes, I asked abruptly.

“Hey, how old are you?”

“Why are you suddenly asking my age?”

“Because I was wondering if it’s right for a new-generation brat like you to be talking down to me all the time.”

At my指摘, Min Gongchan knitted his brows.

“I’ve felt this for a while, but do you know you can be a real boomer sometimes?”

“Yeah, I know. So don’t talk down to me. Use polite language.”

I said it thinking that if he used polite language, it might create some distance, but Min Gongchan replied in a dumbfounded tone.

“If we’re going by that, you’re the one who should be using polite language. Do you know how many times I’ve regressed? If you add it all up, I’m easily a few hundred years old…”

Seeing my expression change, Min Gongchan shut his mouth as if he had made a mistake. But from the story he had inadvertently let slip, I realized that he had regressed more than just once or twice. He himself had said he was on his Nth playthrough, so I had guessed it was multiple times, but a few hundred years old?

I was suddenly seized by a chilling feeling. I thought it would be better not to ask, but by the time I came to my senses, the question had already left my mouth.

“Just how many times have you regressed?”

My voice was tinged with dread. Instead of answering, Min Gongchan made a troubled expression.

How must it have felt to watch the world end dozens, or even hundreds of times? The thought arose that I couldn’t know how hard he had tried to prevent the destruction and how frustrated he must have been. The long time, so arduous it must have become sickening, had a terrifying aspect to it just by imagining it.

Min Gongchan opened his mouth again, but it wasn’t an answer to my question.

“The Special Task Force will set a trap to catch Yaksha using the Trishula as bait.”

He changed the subject out of the blue. But I couldn’t bring the topic back to its original place. The story of how many times Min Gongchan had regressed was like a Pandora’s box that shouldn’t be touched carelessly. I felt that nothing good would come from prying, so I pretended not to notice his clumsy attempt to change the subject.

“Kim Piljoong will be ready for him, but he’ll fail to catch Yaksha. Yaksha will retrieve the Trishula and immediately track you down. For now, even Seo Heesoo is no match for that bastard, so at least until you find a solution, you should stay away.”

It meant I had to hide, so I wasn’t thrilled. But I knew Yaksha wasn’t an opponent to be reckless with, so I couldn’t complain much. I obediently nodded at Min Gongchan’s words.

“Alright. I’ll go to the safe house with Heesoo hyung…”

Min Gongchan cut me off flatly.

“The safe house is no good. Okjamhwa has already figured out the locations of all your safe houses, and Hwang Chihong took that information. Even if the location is discovered, it has to be a place that Yaksha can’t break through.”

“Where is that?”

“Elysium.”

At the unfamiliar word, I tilted my head.

“Elysium?”

“It’s a kind of ark created through the cooperation of the Pacific Alliance. It’s a bomb shelter built in preparation for when the Earth is destroyed. It’s in an R-grade dungeon where hunters are forbidden to enter, so even Hwang Chihong probably doesn’t know the exact location. And even if the location is discovered, it has the best defenses, so it won’t be easy to break through.”

As I was surprised by the unexpected story, suspicion arose. I glared at Min Gongchan with a skeptical expression.

“Aren’t you planning to separate me from Heesoo hyung while pretending to get me to safety?”

Min Gongchan immediately shook his head.

“Right now, Yaksha is more dangerous than Seo Heesoo. If you let Yaksha run wild because you’re fixated on keeping Seo Heesoo in check, you’ll die. It’s a huge mistake to think that Yaksha will keep you alive because you have Resurrection. That bastard would rather have you… if he can’t have you.”

A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I said casually.

“If I die, it will be difficult for Heesoo hyung to reach the max level, and then you can achieve your goal, can’t you? If what you say is true, it’s best if I just die, right? Why didn’t you kill me?”

At my point, Min Gongchan looked at me intently. His gaze was strange, so I shut my mouth.

Min Gongchan sometimes looked cold, as if he were angry at me. At other times, he looked pitiful, as if he resented me. It felt as if I hadn’t said what I should have, but rather something that hurt him.

Min Gongchan was silent for a while before he opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Do you want me to kill you?”

It was a question I didn’t know how to answer. Of course, I couldn’t possibly want that. Min Gongchan probably wasn’t asking because he didn’t know, either. His question was less a question expecting an answer and more a statement blaming me.

I knew that the answer itself was so obvious as to be meaningless, but Min Gongchan was glaring at me as if demanding an answer, so I had no choice but to open my mouth.

“Of course… not.”

“Then don’t ask such a stupid question.”

“…Alright.”

I nodded at his sharp words, which sounded angry, and Min Gongchan, as if realizing he had shown too much emotion, softened his expression. But his feelings still looked complicated. Unable to hide it all, he launched into a long explanation, as if making an excuse.

“Seo Heesoo is the one who goes so far as to destroy the world because of you. Do you think he’ll be fine if you die at Yaksha’s hands? A world without you is, to Seo Heesoo, a living hell that deserves to be destroyed. Blinded by revenge, he goes on a crazy rampage, ignoring the awakening of the Black King, and messes everything up.”