episode_0068

Episode.68 In the slowly flowing time

After the time of telling Illya about my past, the flow of time moves again as Harin and I pass through the dark red gate and enter the past, and while talking with Illya about defeating Verdium at Violet’s mansion, the story ends. It leaks out somewhere else and brings me back to the moment when I was talking about my past on a snowy terrace, leaning on the railing while facing the snow.

**********

“-I got dumped by my lover who reawakened me from D-class to S-class at the fountain.”

On a distant, quiet night, the snow is falling softly and the blue sky has become dark, but it looks eerily red.

The red sky is covered with white snowdrifts.

“The sadness of being betrayed by a child I trusted was immeasurable.”

I looked at the sky and imagined my old friend for a moment.

‘… Why is it… At that time, my second break-up with my girlfriend was more heartbreaking than my first break-up with my best friend… Now that time has passed…’

Even at this moment, the sky covered in darkness was deepening as the snow fell.

The red energy was also getting darker.

“I even promised the future.”

The red color in the sky seemed as vibrant as the color of Illya’s eyes.

It feels like snow is falling from the tiny lights of the stars in space.

‘But is there a universe inside the gate?… Is this Earth?’

I couldn’t figure that out.

” Doesn’t that make sense? Did you explain it wrong? ”

“Why did you explain it wrong? This is my story… Oh, there are some parts I forgot.”

“That’s right!… Come on, let’s talk!”

Perhaps because of the blizzard on her lively face, snowflakes glowing in the dark flew lightly in the air and fell coldly on Illya’s face.

But despite this, Illya was not shaken at all.

“Well, I forgot to mention that I received a sword as a gift from my girlfriend…”

“… Did you receive the sword you are using now as a gift?”

“No, that’s not it… It was just a regular store-bought sword. What I’m writing now is what came with me-”

“Oh, really! Now that you think about it, that’s not important!”

“Huh? Then, what part do you not understand?”

Ilya brought her arms inward and crossed them.

“Listen carefully… Shu.”

“Who is Shu?”

“Who is it, you?”

“Ah, anyway… What part do you not understand?”

I wanted to scold the little Illya who changed my name arbitrarily, but I barely held back while reciting the Heart Sutra in my heart.

Well, to be honest… I actually only know half of the first line of the Heart Sutra.

For the general public, among the Mahapanya Paramita Sutra Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, most people only know Mahapanya.

“First of all, the part that I think doesn’t make sense from what you said is… I had such a good relationship with my ex-lover, but I don’t know why we broke up so suddenly.”

‘I don’t know.’

‘Rather, this is the question I want to ask here.’

‘Since we don’t know the exact reason, we can’t help but think that he was dumped because of a difference in level, right?’

“That’s… I’m not sure. Because it was a sudden breakup notice…”

“Think about it carefully. They loved each other so much that they even flirted with each other in public places, but they didn’t seem to be such bad people that they would throw their lover away just because they went from D-class to S-class. Of course, I was just imagining it after hearing your subjective thoughts.”

‘Aren’t you a bad person?’

“I… I couldn’t help but think that he was kicked out just because he was in a different class.”

“Hasn’t there been some kind of incident?”

‘Some kind of incident… what is that incident?’

“…”

“I can’t say for sure because I don’t know the fundamental cause… but even if I become S-class, I won’t be able to disobey the association that is called the headquarters of you hunters. Am I right?”

‘What is fundamental?’

I couldn’t refute Illya’s attempt to approach the problem logically.

No, I could certainly refute that statement.

It’s just that my ex-girlfriend hates me.

It’s just that my ex-girlfriend got tired of me.

You abandoned me because you were of a different class from me.

Now I even call her Yena.

The real reason why we have become so indifferent to even calling each other by name?

Is that really something I need to know now?

Doing… that kind of thinking.

Honestly, until I heard Illya’s words, I thought she had changed her mind and abandoned me because it was so different.

But now that I’ve thought about it deeply and talked about it to others.

Something is sloppy.

It’s as if he’s telling a clumsy but forced lie…

That’s why I couldn’t say anything.

“You said earlier that you clearly promised the future, right? In that case… is it possible that she is being threatened by an organization called the Association or a large guild to which she belongs-”

Unforgettable memories.

“So what’s the use of that now!”

Illya was in a calm atmosphere, but when she heard me shouting, the atmosphere was broken and she stared at me with a surprised face.

Her red eyes, widened in surprise, were profound.

“Already… I…”

This is Yena.

to her.

‘I bet the nerf ability… The effect was progressing to the point where it was even mentioned on the news before I entered the gate.’

I’m not stupid, but what if the person who nerfed doesn’t understand what was said in the news?

That’s not true.

Anyway, what if… the reason you stopped dating me was because you were really threatened and thought of me.

If they distanced themselves from me because they anticipated that the damage would spread to me.

I felt like I no longer had the courage to live in this world.

The privilege of being able to become stronger than anyone else and having no limits to your growth.

system..?

What’s the use of that?

you are not there

This is Yena.

I had a more awkward relationship than anyone else.

But I was more excited than anyone else.

Is this feeling I am feeling now… a feeling called regret?

During my school days, I was always curious and wanted to experience many different emotions.

I know because I experienced it myself.

Curiosity kills the cat.

What if the period of dating her was a dream?

If it was a dream that I would wake up from one day anyway, wouldn’t it have been right to not give her affection?

Why?

Wasn’t this the revenge you wanted so much?

Why…does revenge leave behind such vain feelings?

What should I do from now on?

There is no answer to this question.

It wasn’t just this time.

It’s been that way since I first started thinking in my life.

Just thinking… I couldn’t do anything.

Even in dreams.

Even in haunting nightmares.

No answer whatsoever.

‘Oh, I see. Now I understand.’

It’s really nice to feel new emotions…

You could say it was new every time.

This feeling I’m feeling right now.

It wasn’t something I felt regretful about.

The feeling I was feeling right now was… ‘guilt.’

Yes, it was nothing more or less than guilt.

Minseong, I… maybe it would be good?

Is it best to do what I can now…?

‘Then, should I just live as a member of the Golden Rule?’

“… Calm down, what are you going to do when my dad comes to visit?”

“They’re coming… Don’t say such scary things even as a joke.”

It did.

…I thought it would be better to focus on the conversation.

I felt like my psychological state was very damaged right now.

Although I didn’t manage it well, it seemed like my will was broken after I was beaten by Verdium and left.

Even the sword I trusted broke.

The sword I received from Harin, who is now away, broke.

Even the system that provided the foundation for a reversal in moments of crisis became powerless in the face of Verdium’s absolute power.

“There’s nothing worth talking about now.”

“Are you feeling tired now?”

I nodded.

Ilya and I left the terrace and closed the door leading to it.

The warm energy that suddenly seeped into my body made my nose run.

“It was really cold outside.”

“So, didn’t I say I had a cold?”

I found Chaewon sprawled out on the bed.

Anyway, I just pushed the ghost body to the floor.

It would have been normal for her to fall to the floor, but Chaewon was sleeping floating in the air.

Before I could say anything else, Ilya was lying down next to me and had already finished getting ready for bed.

I didn’t have the energy to say anything, so I lay down on the bed and opened the status window.

‘system.’

– Tiring!

‘My Info.’

[Check your information.]

[information]

Name: Han Si-woo (21)

Level: 30

Position: Dealer

Status possessed: 0

-Current stats-

Strength: 11

Agility: 8

Intelligence: 5

Luck: 7

-Technology Possessed-

Attenuation-nerf (EX) LV.1 (Max)

[If you use a command after making physical contact with a person with abilities of the same race, the target’s abilities are reduced by two levels.]

P. System Blessing (EX) LV.1 (Max)

[Helping holder Han Si-woo grow. You can obtain various rewards as you grow.]

Inheritance of Ability (S) LV.1 (Max)

[You can inherit abilities from the corpse of the creature you killed. (You can select one.)]

King’s Insight (S) LV.3

[You can obtain more information. (The amount of information you can obtain increases as the level increases.)]

Soul Protection (S) LV.1

[Nullifies the effects of abilities that cause mental damage. (Cooldown: 24 hours. / Prevents only harmful effects.)]

Soul Summon (A) LV.1 (Max)

[The soul contained in the sword can be summoned. (However, it can be liberated if both sides wish.)]

Invisibility (A) LV.1

[Makes the body transparent when not in combat. However, the duration is proportional to the intelligence level. (Intelligence stat x 5 minutes)]

Acceleration (B) LV.1

[The erosion speed of debuffs on ‘enemies’ increases.]

P. Sharp Swordsmanship (D) LV.5

[You can handle your sword more sharply.]

4 consecutive attacks (D) LV.5

[Attacks 4 times quickly.]

P. Druggist’s Grace (D) LV.3 (Max)

[Increases the duration of the drug’s beneficial effects by 20 times. (Drug effects overlap.)]

Painless Transplantation (F) LV.0 (Max)

[…]

==========

‘…a painless transplant…?’

I stared blankly at the information window and my eyes began to close.

Soon, I couldn’t bear the heavy eyelids and fell into a deep sleep.

– Rustling.

**********

The next morning.

Sure enough, I feel a hot sensation in my neck.

However, it is a little different from the sensation I felt before.

It didn’t feel like this when Ilya sucked the blood from my neck.

By any chance, has everything already been sucked in?

I think it would be appropriate to use an analogy to explain it as present-tense pain and past-tense pain.

I immediately opened my eyes and ran to where the mirror was.

In front of the full-length mirror, Illya was neatly adjusting her hair.

“Did you sleep well?”

Illya greeted me first.

“Uh, but… who uses it?”

“Oh, I sent it back… No, I sent it back.”

Illya pretending to be solemn.

I looked into the full-length mirror.

‘…’

“Damn, Illya. You sucked blood from my neck again, right?”

“Jo, just a little… No, I couldn’t hold it in the middle of the night, so I sucked it without thinking. Is there some problem?”

So Black Gate… No, it would be correct to say it is dark red.

Anyway, time inside the gate began to pass.