Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 109

Before entering the dungeon, Oh nara’s doppelgänger had said that her master would come to meet Jiwoo personally.

The only person Jiwoo had met since entering the dungeon was this man.

Which meant the person standing before her had to be that “master.”

“Well… I don’t know if master is really the right word.”

The man grinned.

The fact that he was wearing Kangwoo’s face while smiling like that irritated Jiwoo to no end.

“Then start by changing that appearance! Turn back into your real form!”

“Sorry. I can’t do that.”

If he won’t, I’ll make him.

The instant he finished speaking, the crimson energy gathered at the tip of Jiwoo’s staff intensified.

The man slowly raised both hands, as if trying to calm her.

“In this world, I can only exist by borrowing someone else’s appearance.”

“Then there are plenty of other people you could copy.”

“I like this one. I know Seo Kangwoo better than anyone.”

The moment Kangwoo’s name left his lips, Jiwoo’s eyes widened.

“How do you know Kangwoo?”

“’Know’ isn’t a strong enough word.”

Although he answered calmly, his eyes gleamed sharply.

Instinctively, Jiwoo knew they hadn’t been on good terms.

“Explain.”

“It’s simple. There’s only one thing I want.”

The man took a step closer.

“I want Seo Kangwoo… completely broken.”

Another step.

“Driven to the very bottom of despair. Never able to stand again.”

“Yet still clinging to a shred of hope while crawling through hell.”

His tone remained even, but the hatred beneath it was unmistakable.

Slowly, he reached out.

Grasping the end of her staff, he whispered,

“Come with me.”

“I need you.”

Jiwoo shot back immediately.

“You think I’d go anywhere with you? Your goal is to destroy Kangwoo!”

She shoved the tip of her staff harder against his throat.

“If that’s what you want, then killing you here means Kangwoo will never be in danger.”

The man smiled.

“Can you really kill me?”

“Yes.”

He chuckled.

“No.”

“I know you.”

“You can’t do it.”

“And what exactly makes you think you know me?”

“We’ve met before.”

“Not closely, but we knew each other’s names.”

Jiwoo understood.

He’s talking about “Jiu,” too.

Noticing the subtle change in her expression, the man sneered.

“Didn’t Seo Kangwoo tell you anything?”

Jiwoo stayed silent.

She had no intention of giving this man even the smallest clue.

Apparently, her silence was answer enough.

“Figures.”

“He always looked fearless, but he was a coward.”

“At the same time, he was incredibly greedy.”

“He hated losing what belonged to him.”

That’s impossible.

A greedy Kangwoo?

That sounded nothing like the man she knew.

“Still don’t get it?”

“Want me to help?”

“No.”

“Think carefully.”

“You might never get another chance.”

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t tempted.

Sensing it, the man lowered his voice.

“What kind of person do you think Seo Kangwoo really is?”

He laughed quietly.

“Actually… have you ever wondered whether he’s even human?”

“…”

“He’s strange, isn’t he?”

“I’m sure he’s hiding plenty of things.”

“Stop avoiding the question and answer me.”

The man smiled.

“The Seo Kangwoo you know… isn’t the real Seo Kangwoo.”

“Then what is he?”

“Another copy.”

It felt as though someone had struck Jiwoo over the head.

Gripping her staff tighter, she asked,

“You’re saying Kangwoo is a doppelgänger like you?”

The man clicked his tongue.

“You really don’t know anything.”

He gestured toward a table beside the bed.

“Shall we sit down and talk?”

“If you try anything, I’ll kill—”

“Harsh.”

“I’m trying to explain everything as kindly as I can.”

“You’re not a person.”

Jiwoo snapped back.

The man merely shrugged.

The two sat across from each other.

Jiwoo kept her staff aimed at his throat the entire time, but he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

“First of all, I’m not a doppelgänger.”

“I’m simply borrowing Seo Kangwoo’s appearance.”

“How is that different?”

“Well… hold on.”

With a wave of his hand, a sheet of paper and a pen appeared.

He drew two overlapping circles.

“Let’s say this circle is the Earth you’re living on.”

“And this one is another Earth.”

Jiwoo blinked.

“Another Earth?”

“Why are there two Earths?”

“…This is going to take longer than I thought.”

Sighing, the man labeled the circles.

“Earth A is your world.”

“Earth B is the world I came from.”

“Then what’s the overlapping part?”

“That’s the dungeon.”

“…The dungeon?”

Seeing her stare at the drawing, he continued.

“Earth A and Earth B are like twins.”

“Very similar, but different.”

“Some people and buildings exist in both.”

“Others exist in only one.”

He pointed at the overlapping section.

“And this part.”

“The places you call dungeons are actually spaces that broke away from Earth B.”

“The movie theater you were in today originally existed in Earth B.”

The dungeon… is part of another Earth?

It was too much information all at once.

Of course, Jiwoo wasn’t blindly believing everything he said.

But right now, she had nothing else to rely on.

“Then what about doppelgängers?”

“Earlier I said someone living on Earth A might also exist on Earth B.”

“Right.”

He drew a small stick figure inside each circle.

Then asked,

“So what happens if the person from Earth B crosses over to Earth A?”

“They become a doppelgänger.”

“Good.”

“You’re catching on.”

Should I just kill him?

Ignoring her glare, the man looked away.

Most of Jiwoo’s questions about doppelgängers had now been answered.

But one remained.

She tapped the table.

“Fine.”

“Let’s say another Earth really exists.”

“Let’s say people who look exactly the same live there.”

“Then why come here?”

“Why not stay in your own world?”

The man’s expression darkened.

“You’re a Hunter.”

“You know what dungeons are like.”

“You know what became of our world.”

His words made Jiwoo think back to every dungeon she’d entered.

Though each one was different, they all shared the same feeling.

The ruins of a fallen civilization.

Collapsed buildings.

Broken objects.

Dried bloodstains.

Beautiful nature growing over everything.

“Don’t pity us.”

“This world will end up the same way soon enough.”

Jiwoo frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean it’ll become the same?”

“…Class is over.”

“If you want to learn more, pay your tuition.”

With a flick of his hand, the paper burst into flames.

Jiwoo watched it turn to ash with obvious regret.

“Just one more question.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

The man smiled gently.

“Call it a guilty conscience.”

“I wanted to make up for what I’m about to do to you.”

The instant he smiled—

Jiwoo’s staff crumpled in on itself.

From the beginning, her threats had been nothing more than a child’s game to him.

This entire place was under his complete control.

He snapped his fingers.

Black vines burst from the floor and wrapped around Jiwoo’s body.

She struggled.

The harder she fought, the tighter they squeezed around her limbs.

“I knew it.”

“You had something prepared all along.”

“Do you have any idea how difficult it was to get the chance to meet you?”

“I’m not about to waste it.”

The bedroom door swung open.

Beyond it lay complete darkness.

Not a single ray of light entered.

Jiwoo forced herself to speak despite her trembling voice.

“What are you going to do with me?”

He answered simply.

“I’m taking you.”

“To the world we came from.”

“Why?”

“What use am I?”

“You saw it yourself!”

“I don’t know anything!”

“I don’t have anything!”

“If you really believe that…”

“That’s unfortunate.”

The vines slowly dragged Jiwoo toward the open doorway.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shouted,

“Wait!”

“I have something to tell you!”

“You can tell me after we cross over.”

“If you don’t listen now, you’ll regret it!”

“It’s about Kangwoo!”

“Something only I know!”

“Something you’ll never learn for the rest of your life!”

The moment Kangwoo’s name was mentioned—

He stopped.

Then he closed the door behind him and turned back toward her.

“Talk.”

Jiwoo swallowed.

She wet her dry lips before speaking.

“Kangwoo…”

Another swallow.

“The truth is…”