episode_0224

Am embarrassed.

No, I’m more than embarrassed, I’m irritated.

A brightly shining object is one and only one.

It’s just a memorial that reflects Karssein’s past, right?

It was clearly said that the status window was also a memorial.

But why?

Why is this house I escaped from popping up again?

-Sureuk.

“…!”

I suddenly feel like I’m being popular, so my head turns.

A man was walking just three steps away.

To my horror, I knew it when I saw those eyes.

okay. I remember this too.

A dark, foggy day.

Today is a day where the darkness is especially deep.

That day, my family, except me, laughed and talked haha.

There was a seal in front of this house that I had never seen before.

The image of a man holding a sword in one hand.

At that moment, I realized everything and relaxed my body.

-Jump, jerk.

To my horror, when I made eye contact with him, I thought he was going to rush at me, but the man just walked straight ahead.

It’s as if he doesn’t even know I exist.

It’s like you can’t even see it in front of you.

So we came one step at a time.

Then the moment came when our bodies touched, but my body did not collide with that man. The man who passed through exactly is still going straight.

okay. This was not Karsein, but the past in my memory.

“After this…”

My gaze goes in a direction I already know.

I, who had just returned from my part-time job, was quietly approaching there.

A man walking home holding a kitchen knife in one hand.

And the past me happened to discover that situation.

Dimly, I began to remember that time.

***

-Ding dong.

Doorbell ringing in man’s hand.

The voices in the living room that were laughing and talking stopped for a moment.

“Who is the guest? Did any of you call anyone?”

“I have never called you.”

“I don’t have one either. Little sister?”

“Then who is your mom?”

Even the mother of the three sisters shook her head.

No one had invited any guests.

“He’s not even my guest. Who is this time?”

The second one tilted his head and opened the door.

– Sweet.

“…? What is it?”

I opened the door but couldn’t see anyone.

There was only quiet silence, and no voices were heard.

The bell was clearly rang. However, since there were no people around, the second child’s expression became a frown.

“Ha, Mr. Who wears a belt these days?”

The second child, who was muttering in frustration, closed the door and returned.

But was it really just silence?

A fierce struggle was taking place in that silent place.

-Wow.

“Keuuu! Let go of this!”

“Ugh!”

It was Minhyuk who threw the sword away and overpowered the man through a sudden attack, but the opponent’s strength was formidable.

The fact that my senses were dulled due to alcohol also contributed to the fact that if any sound escaped, it could be dangerous, so I completely failed to make him faint by strangling him.

“Ha. ha. What are you. What are you doing you idiot!”

The man holding the knife again blinks again, but now he comes into focus and recognizes Minhyuk.

“What is it? Are you… the little brother of that girl who lives in this house? It’s all kinds of things… I’m being treated like this by an idiot who can’t even be treated properly as a younger sibling.”

Yes. This man is one year older than Minhyuk.

He was a senior at the same school.

But there was a background to why this happened.

“Kim Min-hyuk, you bastard. I have some business to attend to, not you, but to your second sister, so can I get out of here?”

“Hey. Youngjun Lee. Do you think that bitch will accept your confession just because you do that?”

“What?”

“You were dumped. At school.”

“You bastard! It’s not like I got dumped! What do you know!”

“You were so obviously dumped, do you think it would be different if you drank again and stormed into the house?”

At those words, Youngjun asked with his teeth.

“Eun-hye just postponed her answer because she was embarrassed by my sudden confession! So get out of the way right now!”

“…Ha.”

If you hold a knife and say something like that, I will get out of the way.

It doesn’t look normal at first glance, but what will that bastard do if he goes into that house?

Because I was very drunk, I confessed once more. If I were to be kicked, the rest would be obvious.

Minhyuk has been hated a lot by his family.

But no matter how much I hated them, I didn’t want to see them horribly hacked to death.

Take a stance.

You might not know it if you were fighting while holding the same sword, but in a situation where only the opponent has a weapon.

It wasn’t strange even though cold sweat was pouring down my face.

However, Minhyuk calmly assessed the other person’s condition.

“Ha, haha. How dare you interfere with my love? Are you crazy?”

I feel less pain when I’m drunk.

On the other hand, when looking at a staggering body, there are obvious weaknesses in terms of balance and vision.

‘If only I could do something with that kitchen knife, I might be able to take it down.’

Youngjun aims the cool tip of the kitchen knife at Minhyuk.

“Yes, yes. In fact, obstacles like you should disappear. Eunhye probably wishes that there would be no younger sibling like you anyway. Because you’re a bastard that this family doesn’t need. It wouldn’t be surprising if we disappeared from here sooner. right? Ah, after dealing with you, Eunhye might actually like it more. Heh, heh heh.”

Crazy guy.

It gives me goosebumps, to the point where it’s scary.

“I’m dying-!!”

With his bloodshot and bloodshot eyes, Yeongjun rushed towards me.

With an expression as if a screw had fallen out, Young-jun is trying to aim for Min-hyuk’s neck.

But Geomro is awkward.

The movement was only focused on the arms, but the rest of the body became sluggish.

There is definitely a gap to be dug.

-Poof! Swish!

Minhyuk, who had easily dodged two attacks in succession and looked for an opening, moved at lightning speed as soon as an opening appeared.

-Push shot!

The blade’s trajectory narrowly passes by Minhyuk’s cheek. The skin split open and a few drops of blood flew into the air.

And in between.

He dug right into Youngjun’s arms, grabbed the arm holding the knife, and lifted it up.

“Quaaaagh!”

– Tang.

The body falls through the air and falls to the ground, and the knife is pulled out while still holding on to the bent arm.

“Ugh, ugh. Let go of this! Let go!”

Minhyuk pushes Youngjun’s struggling body further to subdue him.

It was quite annoying for Yeong-jun to struggle while forgetting the pain because he was drunk, but by the time he was exhausted, the sound of police car sirens was blaring.

“What is it? What siren is that?”

“It looks like something happened outside.”

“Heeing. I’m scared!”

“Won’t you be scared if you stick close to your eldest sister?”

Before long, the sound of sirens subsides.

The friendly family atmosphere begins to revive again.

And soon.

Minhyuk came into the house.

“Hey, you’re always late like this again… huh?”

When Minhyuk pretended not to notice and tried to enter the room, the second child, Eunhye, grabbed Minhyuk’s arm.

“What is this on your face? What kind of wound did you have to put a band on like this?”

Minhyuk shook off the second child’s arm again.

“Why don’t you pay attention. It’s none of your business.”

“What? hey! People worry─”

-thud.

“Ha, Mr. Why are there all these rude bastards?”

“Leave it alone. How long are you going to worry about that idiot?”

“…”

At the older sister’s words, the younger child swallows his frustration and turns around.

But why?

Eunhye kept looking at Minhyuk’s room with a feeling of uneasiness.

Later, when I heard from the police what kind of wound Minhyuk had on his cheek…

I was scared and had to cover my mouth.

***

▶Hidden Memorial has ended.◀

…This thing is called a memorial?

It’s so absurd that it doesn’t even make sense.

These are just unpleasant memories of my past.

It’s a memory that doesn’t bother me at the moment and will be forgotten over time.

But you’re showing it as a memorial?

“Ha, fuck. It was a good catch.”

There is no joke like this.

I brought it because I was told that I would be able to obtain certain evidence that would be used on the final presentation day of the symposium. This was a waste of effort and money.

That time when I was waiting for the timer to run out.

The status window once again showed me a system message.

-Tiring!

▶Hidden Memorial’s special reward provides players with the secrets of this world!◀

This world’s… secret?

【Your choice determines the fate of someone else in this world. 】

“…What?”

What are you talking about.

Another person’s fate is determined by my choice?

Are you saying that if I make a wrong choice, that person will die?

“Explain so that they can understand! What do you mean!!”

I shouted that, but the status window didn’t respond.

▶This scene is a hidden memorial.◀

▶If you collect additional Hidden Memorials, you can obtain additional information.◀

▶Gather information related to the Kingdom of Wederos.◀

▶The memorial effect is canceled. The timer starts.◀

10…

9…

All my nerves were on edge due to the unpleasant message.

I can’t believe that someone’s life or death depends on my choice.

Even though it’s called a game, isn’t this a creepy story?

“Fuck. What on earth is that…!”

As I clenched my teeth and expressed my anger at the unanswered questions, the timer began to run out.

I can’t keep doing this even when the timer runs out.

“…Did you ask me to gather information related to the Kingdom of Wederos?”

In the first place, that was the only answer.

I can only get the answer by researching the kingdom, which I have never seen in the game, despite repeated attempts at retrying.

What is the secret of this world?

That my life is connected to someone else.

If you dig into the Kingdom of Wederos, you will receive another answer.

▶The timer has ended!◀

▶The time stop effect is lifted.◀

“Harnier. Is it okay if I go a little faster?”

“Yes? That doesn’t matter, but…”

“Then please excuse me.”

“Eh, eh?! Wow!”

***

There were still questions remaining about the Kingdom of Wederos.

The time when doubts arose was in Ruthmeyer.

The reaction that an old man had when he had a question about the ring and called Delphina to activate some kind of magic.

From here, there was some kind of hint about the Kingdom of Wederos.

Not only that, I remember Pollux also asking a strange question.

-So you were a citizen of Wederos Kingdom?

-…what?

-If you are not from the Kingdom of Wederos, you cannot wear this ring. But aren’t you wearing this well? With no side effects.

A special ring and the side effects of wearing it.

I wore it without any problems.

Is it a setting in the game, or is it because there is some kind of behind-the-scenes story? That’s unknown.

But for me now, it is the only key to solving this question.

-As for the Kingdom of Wederos… there are only a few things I know.

It is the only non-tribal kingdom in the West.

Other than that, I didn’t know much about Harnier.

However, when it comes to the West, there are people here who know it well.

“Dephone.”

“…Carcein? Did you have a good trip?”

“I’m sorry for saying something like this. Could you please look at this first?”

He holds out his hand and shows the ring.

“This is…!”

“This ring. Pollux said I heard there were side effects. I also heard that you can’t wear it unless you’re from the Kingdom of Wederos.”

“I see. That Pollux guy…”

“The same goes for this sword, right?”

“…Okay. It also cannot be used unless you are from the Kingdom of Wederos.”

But I already checked.

The fact that this sword fits my body perfectly.

▶The silver sword of the Kingdom of Wederos is a weapon that grows in proportion to the player’s growth!◀

There is no need for any further explanation since that phrase was even included.

“Tell me. About the Kingdom of Wederos. And there is something for me too, right?”

“…Okay. It would be okay to say it now.”

Talpon, who was silent for a moment, gently closed his eyes and opened them. After confirming through his smell that there was no one around to listen, he sat down.

“Before you answer that, let me ask you a question. Karsein. Where do you come from?”

“What does that mean all of a sudden? I─”

“You’re not the Duke of Vagrand. Because you are not even a resident of this world.”

“…!!”