Resurrection Chapter 124 - I Don’t Know If He’s Alive

I disabled the security alarm and rushed into the house, immediately looking for Heesoo hyung.

‘Hyung! Heesoo hyung!’

I had only meant to go out to buy groceries and come right back, but I ended up being quite late. It was because I was being tailed at the market and had a hard time shaking them off.

They seemed to be people sent by the Order of the White Goddess, which was extremely annoying. I didn’t like how they had ignored Heesoo hyung when he was stuck in the den of evil, only to try and find his whereabouts once he got out.

I had barely managed to save him, slitting my own arm countless times. As if I’d let them take him back.

I inwardly ground my teeth, shook off the pursuit, and gave them a hard time. That part was fine, but when I came to my senses, the sun was already setting. Worried that I might miss dinner time, I hurried back to the apartment and peeked into the room where Heesoo hyung was staying.

There was no one there.

Surprised by his absence, I opened not only the bathroom, but also my own room and bathroom, but Heesoo hyung was nowhere to be seen.

However, what caught my eye was the old tablet on top of a box that was turned upside down to serve as a table. He had been using it instead of a laptop, but the screen had changed to the default wallpaper, and its position had been moved.

It seemed that Heesoo hyung had used it, and my heart sank. I was terribly anxious that he might have found out about the outside world, which he had been oblivious to until now, and left this house, disappearing somewhere.

After leaving the den of evil, hyung was like a withered flower. He didn’t even seem to have the energy to move around. When he slept, his body was cold and his breathing was so shallow that I worried he might be dead. Thanks to my dedicated efforts in feeding him, his mummy-like appearance had only recently started to look human again. Could he have left as soon as he regained his strength?

He could leave, of course, but it was very upsetting that he did so without a single word. Even though I had a clear purpose in bringing him out of the den of evil, he could have at least said thank you.

Heesoo hyung had not said a single word since leaving the dungeon. Not a word of thanks, not even a question to grasp the situation, like where we were or why I had saved him.

He looked as if he regretted having survived the den of evil.

Rumors that he, a former Holy Knight, had fallen were rampant, but I didn’t believe them. I was just curious about the reason why he had lost all will to live. I could have pressed him for answers, but I didn’t want to. I was planning to wait until Heesoo hyung opened up on his own. To think he would just leave without even giving me that chance.

Tears welled up in my eyes from sorrow and disappointment. I scrunched up my nose and my lips trembled as I threw the grocery bag I was still holding onto the floor. It was even more upsetting when the eggs I had bought with difficulty shattered.

I sniffled, squatted on the floor, and began to clean up the broken eggs. A shadow fell over my head, and soon, a dry, veiny hand joined mine in gathering the eggshells.

I looked up in surprise. Heesoo hyung, wherever he had been, was silently picking up the eggs across from me. I was so relieved that I felt my legs give way and I plopped down on the spot. Then, forgetting about picking up the eggs, I complained to him.

‘Where were you? I thought you left.’

‘…’

Heesoo hyung remained silent, but his hands were busy gathering the eggs. I belatedly realized that he had been out on the balcony, sunbathing like a plant.

I thought to myself that I should check the balcony first from now on, and helped him wipe the sticky floor. I carried the grocery bag to the kitchen and put things away. All the while, I kept glancing at him in the living room, afraid he might disappear somewhere. Then I casually tried to strike up a conversation with some everyday talk.

‘I bought groceries. What do you want to eat? Should I peel some fruit for you first? The apples are expensive, but they taste good.’

At those words, Heesoo hyung looked up and stared at me. His gaze seemed to be speaking to me, and I unknowingly walked over to him. He looked at the seat opposite him, and as if hypnotized, I sat there and faced him. Then, Heesoo hyung finally opened his mouth.

‘…Thank you for saving me.’

I was a little surprised. Could he have noticed that I was upset that he had left without even saying thank you?

I pretended to be nonchalant and was about to explain my purpose, that I hadn’t saved him just to hear those words. But when I actually opened my mouth, the words wouldn’t come out. Something welled up inside me, as if I had been deceiving myself as well.

In fact, I was the one who wanted to say thank you. I was grateful to him not just for saving my life when I was young and for helping my parents.

During the harsh and cruel years past, the reason I could be myself was thanks to Heesoo hyung. Because he, as a Holy Knight, practiced justice and righteousness and shone like a beacon, I was able to watch him from afar and draw strength. That’s why I wasn’t afraid to rush into the den of evil all by myself to save him.

But when I actually saved him, he was like a person waiting for death. A doubt crept in that I had forcibly saved someone who should have died long ago if not for the tenacious life force of an Awakened. Even though I had saved him for my own purpose, I might have unconsciously been conceited, thinking that I had helped him.

But his one phrase, “thank you,” instantly calmed my complicated feelings. His gratitude transformed what I had done into an act of goodwill. That’s why I wasn’t so much happy about his thanks as I was ashamed. In fact, I was even more grateful to him.

Unable to express all these feelings, I scratched my cheek like an embarrassed person. Seeing me like that, Heesoo hyung narrowed his eyes slightly and lifted the corners of his lips ever so slightly. At the time, I didn’t know what kind of expression that was, but now I do.

It was a smile.

Ever since he came to me, Heesoo hyung had always smiled like that. He smiled faintly, like a candle flame that would be extinguished by a puff of breath. It was a smile that evoked a sense of pity rather than making one smile along with him.

Every time I saw that smile, I wished he would smile brightly, feeling a sense of regret.

But now that I thought I might not see that smile anymore, I missed it terribly.

Feeling my eyes getting moist, I raised a hand and touched my eyelids. Contrary to my feelings, my eyelashes were dry, and my eyes felt stiff. The sentimentality brought on by the dream in my light sleep also vanished in an instant.

It was true that I missed Heesoo hyung, but this was no time to be lost in longing. I had no choice but to be that way if I wanted to be alone in a place that was nothing short of a monster exhibition.

I got up from the shallow pit I had dug under a rock. The surrounding area was a wilderness where the boundary of the horizon was indistinct. It was an unremarkable place, but I knew very well where I was.

It was none other than the holy ground where Ulfheðinn had appeared.

The sanctuary had been sealed and had disappeared, but the holy ground still remained. Usually, holy grounds like this did not disappear and often became dungeons. Especially in this case, the place was teeming with all sorts of monsters that Ulfheðinn had gathered for the apostle’s trial.

The monsters had not yet established their territories and were all mixed up, so it was not suitable for hunting. It was an excessively dangerous place for ordinary hunters to enter, so the surroundings were dead silent.

I found some dried food in the dimension pocket Min Gongchan had given me. I didn’t know what or how much was in it, but it was clear that it contained just about everything.

Because my Resurrection was exposed, I had come back to Ulfheðinn’s holy ground without any preparation. But thanks to the dimension pocket Min Gongchan gave me, I wasn’t feeling any particular lack.

Thinking of Min Gongchan made the spot where he had put the bandage itch. There was no one to see me here anyway, and I figured the bruise would have disappeared by now, so I tore off the bandage. Then I scratched the spot and chewed on some beef jerky. I figured it was safe to move since the surroundings were quiet despite the smell of jerky.

—The Golden Emperor grumbles, asking if you really had to come to this dangerous place for that Seo Heesoo fellow.

I didn’t bother to answer the Golden Emperor’s sudden complaint. He hadn’t liked Heesoo hyung from the beginning and seemed to think I was doing something foolish. He clearly thought it would be better to go find another candidate to make max level rather than wasting time for him.

But my mind was still resolute.

‘I’ve told you many times that no one but Heesoo hyung can become max level and defeat the Black King. It’s not too late yet. Now that I’m at Ulfheðinn’s holy ground, if I enter the sanctuary and find his altar, I’ll be able to find some way.’

—The Golden Emperor warns you not to even think of calling upon him in front of that mad dog. He threatens that since it was you who ignored his advice and came here, you must solve it with your own power.

It seemed the Golden Emperor was sulking again, but I skipped the reply. I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with him right now. Although I hadn’t shown it to the Golden Emperor, I was worried about what I would do if there was no clear solution even after summoning Ulfheðinn.

I decided to worry about that later and comforted myself, chewing and swallowing the tough beef jerky. Then, I retraced my memories and headed towards the place where Ulfheðinn’s sanctuary had been.

Just as holy grounds where gods had appeared often remained and became dungeons, sanctuaries also often remained and became spots. Ulfheðinn had buried the sanctuary underground to prevent anyone other than Heesoo hyung from entering, but I intended to find a way in somehow. Because if I found the altar inside the holy ground, I could contact that god even if I wasn’t an apostle.