Silence fell. My conscience returned. ‘No... don’t co now...’ Even in this serious situation, sha washed over first. Well, it’s not like I’ll see him again. Thanks to that, we’ve created an atmosphere for conversation, so let’s just say it’s a relief.
I forced a smile, my lips trembling with embarrassnt.
“Hello, Mr. Seong Hyunjae. Nice to et you for the first ti.”
The current Seong Hyunjae and I have never t. We were probably just aware of each other one-sidedly. Pretending to be nonchalant, I observed his condition.
His hair felt even lighter, a color hard to gauge. One golden eye, the other closed. There were no changes that ca with a few more years of age. He was the sa as now. If it weren’t for the feel of his hair color and his eye, it would have been impossible to tell them apart. No, one more thing. The light gray coat he was wearing—I rember that was also an SS-Rank item. He probably got that around the 5th year of the dungeon outbreak.
So this was the Seong Hyunjae from at least a year after the present. It was after he had broken his contract with Diarma, so he had lost one eye, but his arm was intact. He was wearing gloves, so there was a possibility it was a prosthetic. On the other hand, it was possible he hadn’t lost his eye because of the contract. He might have simply been injured during a dungeon clear and was not yet fully recovered.
As I was quickly organizing things in my head, Seong Hyunjae opened his mouth.
“It would be disappointing if you pretended not to know now.”
“We don’t know each other.”
“That kind, gentle, and affectionate Seong Hyunjae.”
Wow, he’s saying those cringe-worthy things with his own mouth so calmly. Seong Hyunjae’s gaze slowly scanned up and down.
“Has the past changed?”
He’s really damn sharp. I put on a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about expression.
“What?”
“You’re younger than the Han Yujin I know. Twenty-five, or six.”
“I’m twenty-five. Not much ti left until I turn twenty-six, though.”
“But you know the current . You seem to have an idea about my condition, so did you go back to the past? With your mories.”
“Don’t you think I might be lying? It sounded like nonsense. You even blabbered about how kind I am, of all things?”
“I can tell that much. Whether it’s a lie or not.”
Seong Hyunjae said as if it were a matter of course. Ah, yes. I’m sure you can. Just lay it all out.
“Yes. I regressed. When I was thirty. I went back five years, and many things have changed.”
“Han Yuhyun is dead.”
My heart skipped a beat. Seong Hyunjae continued nonchalantly.
“To not even last 10 years, it’s below expectations.”
It was a dry voice, devoid of any emotion. He said it was below expectations, but it was just words—there was no sign of disappointnt. Still, they knew each other, couldn’t he have been a little sad? To Seong Hyunjae, Yuhyun was really just one of the long-term pieces to entrust Korea to. It struck again, strongly, that he was nothing more and nothing less than that.
That kid had such a hard ti.
“Shit, that was a different person with the sa na, and I don’t know you. Kind, my ass.”
“Oops. Should I have expressed my condolences? But the Haeyeon Guild Leader and I weren’t that close.”
I guess so. Seong Hyunjae probably wouldn’t care. I accepted it in my head, but I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
“Still, you knew each other! You probably t a few tis! You were colleagues in the industry, and what’s with the ‘expectations’ at the news of a kid’s death? You rotten bastard! Even if you were complete strangers, if you heard the unfortunate news of a young person, you’d at least pretend to be sad!”
And you’re so much older. Isn’t Yuhyun almost like your son! If it were the old days, you would have had a child Yuhyun’s age. A kid, and sothing like that happened! Is a single, cold evaluation all there is? Yuhyun wouldn’t care what that man says, but I was upset.
“You disappeared suddenly yourself, so what do you an, below expectations—”
“If we’re counting the number of tis we’ve t, it was Han Yujin more than Han Yuhyun.”
“What?”
My words caught in my throat. No, wait a minute. I’ve never t that man. And he saw more often than Yuhyun? Even if the opportunities to et Yuhyun were few, to say it was more often, it seems we must have t more than a handful of tis. Did sothing happen to my mory due to the influence of the post-regression information?
“No, I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
“I had to confirm. I went to check.”
“Uh, when...”
Young Chaos, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Does the kind guy in your neighborhood also stalk people?”
“That man has done all sorts of things, but I don’t think he’s gone that far, um, uuummm.”
Well, what was it. He didn’t chase after and harass Chief Song, did he? He made Chief Song co to him on his own. If you ask which is worse, I have nothing to say.
Thud. A piece of concrete rolled at Seong Hyunjae’s feet. He, who had been still for a mont, took another step down. As he got closer, the sll of blood seed to grow stronger. In the faint, seeping evening glow, the red stain on the hem of his coat was visible. As his coat swayed as he moved, a part that I hadn’t seen before was revealed.
Like a person’s handprint. ‘Let’s not think too deeply about it now.’
“Of course, it wasn’t this appearance. I even comforted you when you were drunk and crying that you missed your little brother, but being treated like a stalker is unfair.”
“Wh-who was it? When, where?!”
Who the hell was it! That, so, it must have been after he found out about . The current Seong Hyunjae said he didn’t know, so it was probably after I awakened. He found out that Yuhyun was keeping at a distance to protect and wanted to confirm it for himself... still, did he co directly?
Seong Hyunjae stepped onto the floor with a faint smile on his face. Ziiiip, the now-faded bloodstain was sared under his shoe heel.
“Thanks to that, I ended up like this.”
“Excuse ?”
“To be precise, Song Taewon, and Han Yujin.”
The faint smile beca as bright and clear as a waxing moon. Song Taewon. At that na, my mind raced. This story, could it be about when Chief Song died—
THWACK!
With a faint footstep, Seong Hyunjae moved. In place of a chain, a sword of unknown origin was held in his hand. Young Chaos, as if he had been waiting, blocked my front with his greatsword. KAANG! Force and force clashed, and the silver-tinged greatsword was pushed back slightly.
Damn it, as expected, Seong Hyunjae is different from other SS-Ranks. Grace is set to SS-Rank, but should I raise it one more level? But the SSS-Rank damage nullification, even with the Fountain of Mana, can only be maintained for 24 hours at most. It’s not a short ti, but it can’t be called long either. I don’t know how long I’ll have to last in this dungeon.
“What will you do, Firstborn?”
Young Chaos asked . CRACK, the weapons bared their blades and growled at each other. First, I stepped back so as not to be a hindrance. If even Young Chaos’s power was not enough, it was right to retreat. I had to join up with the others and then attack together. With support skills, domain skills, and double attack damage, we should be able to face him.
But.
“What happened! Mr. Seong Hyunjae!”
KANG! The swords clashed again. Seong Hyunjae had the upper hand in strength, but it was his weapon that broke. The difference in the weapons’ performance was too great.
The half-broken blade spun in the empty air. A gloved hand snatched it, and a black shadow seeped into the blade. Plunder.
It was after Song Taewon had died.
The broken blade flew towards Young Chaos. Young Chaos’s toe kicked up a stone scattered on the floor. It collided precisely with the blade and BOOM, exploded. Fragnts of stone and blade scattered like a fine mist. In the anti, another type of sword was held in Seong Hyunjae’s hand.
What happened to the Seeker’s Chain?
“Hey! Seong Hyunjae!”
He swung his sword expressionlessly, without even a glance in my direction. That appearance was unfamiliar. There was no chain, no electricity. Still, he seed to be using combat foresight, as he didn’t seem to feel the blind spot despite having only one eye.
The two clashed again. Should I just retreat? Is there a way to get his attention? If I reveal so shocking post-regression information... The Sesung Guild building has collapsed, well, this place is also destroyed. I can raise S-Rank monster mounts, that’s not exactly shocking. If I tell [N O V E L I G H T] an absurd lie, he’ll notice right away.
Sothing that really happened, sothing that would surprise Seong Hyunjae, information...
Ugh, this is really crazy. It’s crazy, but, what the hell. I took a deep breath and shouted.
“Seong Hyunjae! There’s a child between you and !”
Seong Hyunjae flinched. Young Chaos didn’t miss the opportunity and pressed in. Surprisingly, despite using combat foresight, a fist he couldn’t block struck Seong Hyunjae hard in the solar plexus. Seong Hyunjae was pushed back, and Young Chaos looked back at .
“Firstborn?”
It’s not a lie. To be precise, it’s a demonic beast created between Seong Hyunjae, Diarma, Diarma’s dragonkin, and . Isn’t that much more accurate information than a fabricated tabloid? It’s true, you know. Since I’d already said it, I shalessly revealed more.
“And Yuhyun, a child is scheduled to be born between my little brother and !”
Yuhyun, I’m sorry. Your brother is spouting crazy things that will block your marriage prospects. Still, since the two people here can’t leave the dungeon anyway, please let it slide just this once!
At my series of nonsense, Young Chaos’s brow furrowed as if he had an idea of what was going on.
“It’s not wrong.”
“And Chief Song Taewon also has a child! He refused to take him, so I’m raising him now. He’s really cute!”
I’m sorry to Chief Song too. But I didn’t lie. These days, people often say “my child” to pets like dogs and cats. It’s a monster mount that will beco a partner, so it’s no different from a child.
“Finally, Chief Song took a vacation!”
“It doesn’t seem like a lie.”
Seong Hyunjae looked at with a quite surprised face. Even if I think about it, the dog-like things I’m saying are just woof woof woof. In fact, they’re all baby monsters. It’s no different from having a dog and saying, “I have a daughter, a son!” Of course, Chief Song’s vacation is 100% pure, unadulterated truth.
“And he’s here.”
“I see.”
CLANG, the badly cracked sword was thrown away carelessly. Seong Hyunjae’s fingertips lightly touched the collar of his disheveled coat. Has he cald down a bit? I quickly asked, lest he attack again.
“What happened, to Chief Song?”
“Is the kind, gentle, and affectionate Seong Hyunjae here too?”
I was about to answer, but I closed my mouth. An ominous premonition pricked . But Seong Hyunjae didn’t seem to need my answer. He had already known and was just confirming it.
“Please tell what happened. I need to know so I can at least prepare.”
“There’s no need to prepare.”
The fingers that had climbed up the coat collar pressed on his closed eyelid.
“It’s enough if the cause disappears.”
Seong Hyunjae’s form disappeared. Teleportation. An item? Young Chaos imdiately ca to and lifted up. The cause, damn it. Could it be!
“We have to follow him!”
I beca urgent. But as soon as we left the building, there was no need to move in a hurry.
Seong Hyunjae was standing motionlessly in the empty street. His hand reached out to the empty air where nothing was visible. His palm pressed down on a transparent mbrane. The mont I understood what was happening, my stomach twisted.
He was a monster of this area.
Seong Hyunjae was neither surprised nor angry, but quietly caressed the wall that had trapped him. He had probably already guessed his own condition. That’s why he had dealt with all the Hunters of the Sesung Guild himself.
I didn’t know exactly what he was feeling. But he wouldn’t have been able to just leave his guild, his affiliated Hunters, as they were.
I got off Young Chaos’s arm. Seong Hyunjae’s back looked both sad and angry.
“Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”
“He took his first vacation very early this ti. To enter a dungeon like this again, what bad luck.”
“Um, this dungeon.”
“It was his first vacation then too.”
Spinning, Seong Hyunjae turned around and looked up at on the stairs, continuing.
“You know, but he died. There’s a cetery near here, and they made a spot for him when he should have gone to Daejeon. In this state, I can’t even guide you. Have you been there? Before the regression.”
“If I went there, I would have been severely criticized.”
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t expect to receive an apology for just that.
“No, it’s not like you were the one who criticized .”
“I an, including what’s to co.”
“What?”
CLINK. A tallic sound was heard. But the golden chain was nowhere to be seen. Young Chaos furrowed his eyebrows. Seong Hyunjae’s lips curled up as he answered.
“Since I can’t go out. If you’re so close, he’ll co to rescue . The kind Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”
An early moonlight poured down from the sky.
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