Chapter 242: Old Man’s Exclusive Administrator (2)
“First things first, what exactly is going on? At first, I thought Sigma was Seong Hyunjae—”
Everything that happened since re-entering this world rushed through my mind. Instinctively, I grabbed the yarn ball spinning around me and shook it vigorously.
“How much have you seen!”
[Shaking me like that makes me a bit dizzy.]
“If you don’t answer honestly, I’ll unwind you completely!”
I threatened, gripping the tip of the yarn. As one loop unwound with a tug, the emoticon floating above the yarn ball changed to ㅠㅠ.
[I’ve received all sorts of threats in my life, but you’re the first to threaten to undress me—]
“What nonsense are you spouting! How is this clothing?!”
[Then what do you think it is?]
…What did he even mean by that? It was clearly just a yarn ball—did it have some core inside? Was the yarn his body, and the core… The more I thought, the worse I felt. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.
[I’ve been able to watch you since right after the first disturbance. Until then, all I could do was lightly touch the system.]
First disturbance—he meant after placing the first disk. At least that meant he hadn’t seen my status window before then. …But he must’ve seen everything afterward. I wanted to throw the yarn ball forcefully. Maybe hitting the back of his head would make him forget at least a bit.
Just to be certain, I asked about the status window explicitly, and he confirmed he couldn’t see it.
[Manipulating the quest window isn’t easy either. Since you entered with your original body, your strong external interference allowed me access, but I couldn’t even locate others.]
He explained that before I explicitly called for him, he couldn’t even enter this unconscious space, and messages to Yuhyun were only possible through me.
[My visible range is about a hundred meters around you. That’s about the limit.]
“You seemed to reveal a lot through quests despite those limitations.”
[That’s because I □□□□□□□□□□—ah, as expected, I still can’t speak about it.]
Seong Hyunjae shook his head. Well, strictly speaking, the yarn ball swayed from side to side, but it was basically the same.
[This place is currently □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□ so □□□□□□□□□.]
^^; The yarn ball looked troubled. Apparently, he couldn’t say much clearly.
[Still, thanks to the second disturbance, I was able to approach you this way. Are you continuing to install those disks?]
“I have three left. The Rookie said he’d reveal the strategy once all were placed. Have you contacted the Rookie or Volleyball?”
[Not at all. All I got was something along the lines of, “This body and world aren’t real; gather points through quests and hunts, and buy the items and skills you desire from the store.” And that was it.]
Rookie wasn’t doing his job properly, was he?
[Once all the disks are installed, I’ll be able to tell you more. For now, I’m stuck like this.]
Then I’d better finish installing them quickly. At least I wasn’t alone anymore, so it shouldn’t take long. Traveling between cities might be the bigger problem, though. What if the distance wasn’t two days by car, but more than a week? Maybe I could squeeze a helicopter out of Sigma.
Currently, there wasn’t much information I could gain from Seong Hyunjae. Every attempt to dig deeper resulted in floating □ marks. Still, it was certain he was part of this world’s system.
‘So, placing all the disks might give me more system-related information.’
Even the Rookie probably hadn’t anticipated this. Normally, he would’ve placed his chosen individuals into predetermined roles. For once, I felt grateful to the Filial Duty Addict who interfered with the dungeon. It rekindled my motivation.
“Please don’t lose your memories again; hold on to them properly.”
[□□□□□□ about □□□□□□□□□□□.]
What was he trying to say now? Holding the yarn ball carefully in my hands, I looked at the screen again. The building’s upper portion had vanished. Dark blue flames surged like waves in the night. With even the defense headquarters losing electricity, the area was illuminated only by pale moonlight, and beneath it, flames tinged increasingly blue surged upward.
It was beautiful. I admired it, yet simultaneously felt bitter.
The flames I remembered from Han Yuhyun had always been terribly dark, even toxic. The blood-flames blooming within spilled blood drops had earned admiration—an efficient yet devastating attack skill that slowed enemy recovery.
“…That bluish color mixed in—it’s because of Alpha’s skill, right?”
[No, you’ll confirm once you return, but Alpha controls normal red flames □□□□□□□□□□.]
“…Pardon?”
[Even in a different body, the essence of mana control belongs to Han Yuhyun. Those flames are entirely his own.]
Seong Hyunjae definitively ended the speculation I’d held. Warmth spread behind my throat.
…How should I describe this feeling? I knew… Yuhyun was changing. Of course he was. It was inevitable since so many things around us had changed; staying exactly the same alone was impossible.
I knew it, yet…
“You once mentioned that Yuhyun was behaving contrary to his natural disposition.”
I remembered how he’d found it intriguing that Yuhyun established and led a guild, saying originally he would’ve been even more fiercely independent than Liette.
“Was that… harmful for my brother? Was it wrong of me to encourage him to connect with others?”
[It depends on your perspective.]
The hot-pink yarn ball spun slowly on my palm.
[From □□□□□□□□’s perspective, without Han Yujin, Han Yuhyun would have remained alone forever. He would have let no one approach him nor wished to approach anyone himself. He’d burn alone, and in the end, consume even himself.]
“Consume even himself?”
[Indeed. No matter how talented, this world is difficult to endure alone. Even Liette, who has neither a guild nor a fixed team, wouldn’t challenge an S-class dungeon alone. She’d form temporary teams or drag her brother along. But Han Yuhyun would always remain alone, eventually meeting his end alone in a dungeon without retreating or escaping.]
Such was his nature, said Seong Hyunjae.
[People often describe lives like his as flames burning briefly but brilliantly. Han Yuhyun’s would have been even more extreme. His solitary achievements might evoke awe, but he would not last, burning out quickly.]
I stared down silently at the yarn ball. My heart stung. At my involuntary sigh, the yarn ball grinned ^▽^. I felt an urge to smack him.
[Yet, he would have been free. Living as he wished, he’d have no regrets. Some would say that’s preferable. Others might believe it’s better to restrain oneself and live among others. And as for me—]
…And as for me? He suddenly stopped talking, the smiling expression vanished.
“Seong Hyunjae?”
Did the connection break? Just as I was about to call him again, a hand abruptly appeared over my shoulder and grabbed the yarn ball. I thought he’d recreated his body with a suit and gloves, but then—
“You raised him well.”
A familiar voice spoke. I reflexively turned around. Holding the yarn ball was a familiar figure in a suit, now with a face atop the neck. Annoyingly, it was a face I was glad to see.
“I believe Han Yujin raised Han Yuhyun very well.”
“…Because it makes things more interesting for you?”
“Because the Han Yuhyun you raised could change.”
Seong Hyunjae lightly tossed the yarn ball and caught it.
“You can’t make him restrain himself simply by telling him to. Had he been so simple, he wouldn’t have interested me. Yet, Han Yuhyun accepted you—someone weaker, someone insignificant compared to him. A strong person can easily persuade a weaker one, but rarely does the opposite happen.”
My heart pounded. It felt strangely thrilling, as though I were a child awaiting praise.
“You raised him well and earnestly. Such a change would have been impossible without you. It might not be perfect, but I express my admiration. There’s no such thing as perfection in raising someone. You can only do your best, and you certainly did.”
My face flushed. It was embarrassing yet deeply satisfying. Something warm blossomed in my chest.
“…Thank you.”
“Han Yujin, I think you’re someone who should receive gratitude, not give it.”
“Even so, this once, thank you sincerely.”
I was genuinely happy. It felt especially significant because the words came from Seong Hyunjae, of all people.
I didn’t consider myself perfect either. Yuhyun’s end before regression was far from ideal. But even so—though Seong Hyunjae didn’t know about the previous life—it comforted me deeply to hear I had done my best.
I was grateful he recognized that.
“It’s about time you wake up.”
“Yes. I’ll quickly finish installing the remaining disks, and we can properly discuss—”
Then I noticed something previously unseen. The arm Seong Hyunjae wasn’t holding the yarn ball with had vanished, leaving only his sleeve dangling loosely.
“W-where did your arm go?!”
“Direct interference always has a backlash. But considering it’s someone else’s body, this is a cheap price.”
“Even if it’s not your real body—!”
“I’d appreciate it if you ignored my missing eye too. Until next time.”
Before I could say more, my vision turned black.
It was fascinating, he had said, to see Yuhyun gathering people, founding a guild, and leading others. Originally, he would have had a temperament even wilder than Liette’s, always wandering freely without restraint.
“Was that… a bad thing for my brother? Did I make a mistake by encouraging him to be around others?”
[It depends on your perspective.]
The hot-pink yarn ball spun slowly on my palm.
[From □□□□□□□’s perspective, if not for Han Yujin, Han Yuhyun would have remained alone. Unapproachable and unwilling to approach anyone else, he would have burned in solitude until he finally consumed even himself.]
“Even himself?”
[Indeed. No matter how outstanding someone may be, it’s difficult to last long alone in this world. Even Liette, who doesn’t have a guild or permanent team, wouldn’t attempt to conquer an S-class dungeon by herself. She temporarily recruits a team or at least takes her brother along. But Han Yuhyun would have remained alone until the very end, ultimately meeting his end alone within a dungeon, neither retreating nor avoiding it.]
That’s just his nature, Seong Hyunjae said.
[People often describe such lives as briefly burning flames. Han Yuhyun’s would have been even more extreme. His solitary achievements would draw admiration, yet he would fade away quickly.]
Unable to say anything, I stared silently at the yarn ball. My heart stung a little. As I sighed involuntarily, the yarn ball smiled with a ^▽^. I felt like hitting him once.
[At least, he would have been free. Living as he desired, he wouldn’t have regrets. Some people would say that’s better. Others might think it preferable to suppress oneself slightly to mingle with others. And as for me—]
…As for me? He suddenly fell silent, his smiling expression vanishing.
“Seong Hyunjae?”
Did the connection cut out? Just as I was about to call again, a hand abruptly appeared over my shoulder, grabbing the yarn ball. Had he recreated his body again, with suit and gloves?
“You raised him well.”
A voice came from behind. Reflexively, I turned around. There was the hand holding the yarn ball, a suited figure, and above the neck—a familiar, annoyingly welcome face smiling at me.
“I believe Han Yujin raised Han Yuhyun well.”
“…Because that makes things more entertaining for you?”
“Because the Han Yuhyun you raised was capable of changing.”
Seong Hyunjae lightly tossed the yarn ball and caught it.
“He’s not someone who would hold back just because you told him to. If he were that easy, I wouldn’t be interested. Yet Han Yuhyun accepted you—someone weaker, someone insignificant compared to himself. It’s easy for the strong to persuade the weak, but rarely does it work the other way around.”
My heart pounded. I felt strangely excited, like a child expecting praise.
“You raised him well. You raised him diligently. It’s a change that wouldn’t have been possible without Han Yujin. I won’t say it’s perfect, but you have my sincere admiration. Can raising a person ever be truly perfect? All we can do is give it our best, and I think you’ve clearly achieved that.”
My face grew warm. Embarrassed yet simultaneously satisfied, warmth spread through my chest.
“…Thank you.”
“I think you should be receiving gratitude rather than giving it.”
“Even so, for this once, thank you sincerely.”
And honestly, I felt happy. It touched me deeply, even more so because it came from Seong Hyunjae of all people.
I didn’t believe myself perfect either. Yuhyun’s ending before the regression was far from ideal. Yet even so—though Seong Hyunjae didn’t know about our past life—hearing him say I’d done my best comforted me greatly.
I was grateful he recognized that.
“It’s about time for you to wake up.”
“Yes. I’ll hurry to finish placing the disks, so we can properly talk outside—”
Then, something I hadn’t noticed until now caught my eye. One of Seong Hyunjae’s arms—the one not holding the yarn ball—had completely vanished, leaving an empty sleeve dangling.
“W-what happened to your arm?!”
“Direct interference always has its backlash. Still, given it’s someone else’s body, the viewing fee is pretty cheap.”
“But even if it’s not your real body—!”
“If possible, I’d prefer you overlook my missing eye as well. Until next time.”
Before I could say anything else, darkness enveloped me. When I opened my eyes again, an enormous blue hall filled my vision. I quickly looked around. Yuhyun was nearby, still holding my body.
[Would you like to resurrect?]
Alongside the message was the remaining waiting time. I immediately chose to resurrect and felt myself gently pulled back into my body. Like reviving a character in a real game, there was no pain—I felt completely fine. How exactly was this working?
“…Yuhyun.”
“…Hyung?”
-Hyung!
Yuhyun and Iryn shouted simultaneously.
“H-Hyung. Are you really… alright?”
“I’m fine. Really. Completely okay.”
As soon as I indicated he could put me down, Yuhyun withdrew the flames surrounding us. However, as soon as he set me down, he collapsed right onto the spot.
“Yuhyun!”
-Yuhyun!
“Are you injured somewhere? …Of course you are, damn it! Wait, let me get a potion—”
“It’s, hic, not that, Hyung—”
Tears began falling again from his eyes as Yuhyun spoke haltingly.
“S-suddenly, I lost strength in my legs… I-I couldn’t even remember how to stand…”
“Yuhyun—”
I quickly pulled out a potion, treating the still-visible wounds on his shoulder and back first. While I did that, my brother, still sobbing softly, stretched his arms out and hugged me tightly.
“…Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I—I can wait too.”
Holding back tears, Yuhyun continued speaking.
“I trust you too, Hyung. I can wait. I’ll wait as long as needed, so please don’t come alone. Come with Peace or Park Yerim. Don’t rush, just come safely. I’ll wait until then.”
“…Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Yuhyun.”
I had rushed too much. I’d told my brother not to hurry, yet I was the one who’d made the mistake.
“Are you hurt anywhere else? Is your body alright? Those damn bastards probably didn’t even feed you properly.”
Just thinking about it made my blood boil. For now, I pulled out water and dried fruits from my inventory and fed them to him. I should’ve brought more food. The dining area wasn’t destroyed, so maybe we could go there? Or perhaps the lodging, which had a fridge and simple food. Ideally, we could use the nicest room… if only there was a way to kick Sigma out.
I carefully lifted my still-trembling brother into my arms. Yuhyun clung to me, startled.
“Hyung! I’m heavy!”
“I’m a C-rank now. You’re not heavy at all. I could’ve carried you even before this.”
Probably. Iryn climbed up my arm and circled my shoulder excitedly.
-Hyung, Hyung! Should I show you how I can transform?
“I saw it already. You looked amazing.”
-Right?
“But how did it happen? And how are you talking?”
-It’s because of that blue thing! I can talk near the Blue Hole because it’s full of mana! It suits me really well!
Was it thanks to the mana hole’s power? Could spirits absorb mana directly from a mana hole even without an imprint? Yuhyun stared at the chattering Iryn with slight dissatisfaction.
“Why are you calling him Hyung? He’s my brother.”
-Because you’re Yuhyun Hyung!
Yuhyun made a face as though somehow convinced by Iryn’s logic. I didn’t quite get it, but apparently there was something understandable among kids.
“Is this the part where I applaud?”
At that moment, Sigma’s voice echoed out. I turned toward the man standing among the dying flames.
“You can applaud and then promptly leave.”
“I was planning to call for an encore.”
“Consider offering up your suite, then. Or at least a room of similar quality. My brother needs rest.”
“Brother, you say.”
Sigma alternated his gaze between Yuhyun and me with keen interest.
“I’m certain Alpha had no brothers. It doesn’t look like a mental-type skill either. How fascinating.”
“I’ll officially introduce him. This is my one and only brother, Han Yuhyun. I clearly told you not to mess with him. All you had to do was quietly watch from the side and collect some leftovers, yet you had to flip the entire table and cause a ruckus.”
Maybe he didn’t get it since there’s no rice cake here.
“The contract was valid only until Alpha was freed.”
“To hell with your contracts. I told you to keep your filthy hands off my brother, you bastard.”
[◑▽◑ Introduce your partner as well!]
…You, stay quiet too. Somebody please take the quest-making privileges away from Seong Hyunjae. Yet it seemed neither Sigma nor Seong Hyunjae had any intention of behaving themselves.
–TL Notes–
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