Chapter 104
“…Pardon?”
When I asked blankly, he replied,
“I can’t do it. I’ve tried… but it didn’t work.”
What do you mean by “you tried, and it didn’t work”?
As I frowned, trying to grasp what he meant, a hypothesis suddenly surfaced.
Could it be that this person too…
—
[Ah, so it’s him. The one that the character ‘Kim Jaeyeon’ wanted to bring back.]
—
…Right. So that’s how it is.
I don’t know how things ended up that way, but I held my head for a moment.
Even so, nothing changes.
“…All the more reason this isn’t something we should interfere in. If they hadn’t told us not to do anything, that’d be one thing… but everyone’s clearly telling us not to. What more are we supposed to do?”
Kim Sungho fell silent for a moment.
From a broader perspective, there was no benefit in turning against someone like “Kim Jaeyeon.”
Even if what I was about to do could save them, it was also an action where I stood to lose more.
“I’m sorry, but I think you should persuade the owner first, not us.”
As I turned to leave and told Lee Hoin to go, Kim Sungho stared at me.
It seemed like he had more to say, but couldn’t find the words.
I didn’t have anything either.
There was nothing I could say.
This wasn’t something I could involve myself in any further.
If I were somehow entangled and unable to leave, that would be different… but I wasn’t.
If I could leave at any time, then interfering would most likely just make things worse.
Lee Hoin gave Kim Sungho a small bow and stepped out.
‘Still, we rested well… so it’s only right to say goodbye to the owner.’
Even if it felt unsettling, there was no justification left for me to interfere further.
Even if I acted out of a sense of justice, there was a high chance this wasn’t justice.
In the end, the only thing I could do was warn the owner about the danger.
Whether that would even work… I didn’t know.
As we slowly went down to the first floor, Choi Seongeun… who must have come down earlier, was waiting anxiously. When she saw us, she looked startled.
“You’re leaving? Oh no… what should we do… I’m sorry. He’s not usually like that. Are you–are you badly hurt? Is that why you’re leaving?”
I shook my head at her words.
“It’s just about time for us to move on.”
“But… where will you go? It’s still very dangerous outside…”
Because it was dangerous, we had to leave.
If another joint event started while we stayed here, we’d be in trouble.
Was there an event that opened near Gaehwasan?
‘No… soon, the “Third Parties” will be able to act more freely.’
Since the first joint event had already occurred, the tutorial phase was over.
More “Third Parties” could now host events.
There might already be many more events opening.
Or they might deploy agents.
‘High-level agents probably still can’t act yet.’
The agents currently roaming around would match the current Apocalypse chapter level, or be newly raised ones, or types like merchants or craftsmen who produce items.
If we encountered a merchant or production-type agent, we’d have to establish some kind of connection.
‘And I do have the Key of the Eternal Pleasure Seeker.’
But there was no need to use that yet.
It was something to use more carefully.
“Thank you for your concern. We also have things we left outside.”
“But…”
In the end, Choi Seongeun stepped back.
I asked her,
“Do you know where the owner is? We should at least say something before leaving.”
“Ah… probably at the shop…”
“Thank you.”
As I bowed slightly, she waved her hands, saying it was nothing.
Then she looked at us with a guilty expression and said,
“I’m really sorry. No matter what was said, that kind of behavior can’t be forgiven. Trying to kill someone… I’m truly sorry, Student Muyeong. You don’t have to forgive him. Just…”
I nodded and gave a deep bow.
Then I headed straight to the shop.
Entering through the back door, I saw the owner’s back as she prepared something in the kitchen.
I lightly knocked on the open back door and spoke.
“Ma’am.”
She turned around.
“…You’re leaving?”
“Yes. We’re heading out. Thank you for everything.”
“….”
She looked at us for a moment, then took out several lunch boxes.
“Take these.”
Silently, I accepted her kindness.
Then I spoke quietly.
“That item… it’s dangerous. Like most things that require sacrifices. Be careful. If something starts to feel off, you need to leave this place… or end it. Otherwise…”
I paused for a moment.
“It’ll become truly dangerous.”
That was all I could say.
“…You know, don’t you? That there’s no place in this world that’s completely safe.”
She looked at me quietly.
“I won’t interfere anymore. I’m not even sure I have the right to…”
Just… damn, I don’t know.
“I’ll be going.”
I bowed my head.
As I turned away, she spoke behind me.
“I know too.”
She paused briefly, then continued.
“I know this is all just lingering attachment. I know… but people’s hearts aren’t that simple. So… that’s just how it is.”
“….”
“But still, thank you for giving me the knife. Now… I can’t blame anyone anymore. Right?”
I slowly walked outside.
In the end, this was the right thing.
If I harmed anything in this place, then yes… just as the narrator said, it would only be me pretending to be righteous.
I was never that kind of person to begin with.
In the end, there was only one person in this space who could hold the knife.
The one who started everything.
As we completely left the loach soup restaurant and began descending the mountain, I saw the owner step out of the shop and head toward the house.
—
[That was a rather lukewarm story.]
[Somehow, it feels empty. It wasn’t an interesting story.]
—
Ignoring those words, we continued descending… Suddenly, a scream rang out from somewhere.
At that sound, I instinctively turned around.
And there… A familiar figure was melting.
Ah.
“Muyeong…!!!”
Calling my name.
It was definitely an illusion.
It had to be an illusion.
And yet, for a moment, I just stood there, staring blankly at it all.
Damn it.
‘This isn’t the time to worry about others.’
We should’ve gotten out of here immediately.
—
[Who could that be, I wonder?]
—
From head to toe… the way it slowly melted, as if something were consuming it… made my hands tremble uncontrollably.
“Help me, help me…!! It hurts, it hurts…! Muyeong, Muyeong…!”
Saying words it would never have said.
—
[Ah, could it be… yours?]
—
Shut up.
My breath hitched.
This disgusting feeling.
This goddamn feeling.
I clenched my fists tightly and glared at it.
Around it, people from the orphanage appeared… being torn apart.
It was nothing but a scene of desecration.
Everything about it… was just meant to defile.
I turned my gaze away.
There was no point in looking any longer.
I turned my head, trying to move faster.
At some point, Lee Hoin had stopped.
His pupils were unnaturally dilated… and like someone completely broken, tears streamed silently down his face.
There was no sobbing.
Just tears falling endlessly.
That made it even clearer… he had collapsed.
I grabbed his arm and tried to snap him out of it.
“Lee Hoin!!”
I pulled him hard, trying to force a reaction.
If even I felt this level of discomfort… then Lee Hoin, who already had trauma…
I could tell exactly what had been targeted.
Damn it. Damn it…!
Biting my lip, I dragged Lee Hoin… who could only cry without coming to his senses, down the mountain.
At the base… it felt like something blocked us.
My hand wouldn’t let go.
—
[The hunt has begun, hasn’t it?]
—
Lee Hoin was still blankly crying.
And from repeatedly attempting resonance treatment, my breathing kept catching.
No matter how much I tried, it barely held him together at a minimal level.
Then…
I heard Lee Hoin’s voice.
Amid countless illusions…
I saw Lee Hoin harming himself.
But… damn it… that wasn’t an illusion.
—
[It looks like the future.]
[Doesn’t it?]
[This is all because you knew… and still let it slip. Because you dragged everything out with that useless sympathy and pity of yours.]
—
Besides Lee Hoin… a teacher was crying.
And from that teacher’s mouth… words blaming my incompetence poured out again and again.
I knew… they weren’t someone who would say such things.
I knew that for certain.
And yet… seeing them so vividly, as if I had met them just yesterday, after nearly ten years of only seeing them in photos…
—
[Complete Fear (00:09:59)]
[Hahaha! This is getting truly enjoyable!]
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