Chapter 748: Wake Up, Hero (1)
The castle, tucked safely behind thick walls built for defense, looked like something out of a fairy tale, all bright colors and nature woven into its design. It also had the feel of a Western manor house. The spacious garden held a lovely pond, a swing wrapped in flowering vines, and other charming touches.
“Is it hard to walk?”
Yuhyun asked as he supported me. Whether Peace understood the words or just picked up on the mood, he quickly slipped out of my arms and jumped to the ground. I’m fine.
“I guess that little nap helped. I’m okay for now. Won’t last long, though.”
“Didn’t Mister Park Hayul even fix your legs before he left?”
Yerim said, looking furious. Nope. He even took one of my eyes too. He acted like some Sleeping Beauty princess, but he was basically the Demon King.
“So should I kiss you, hyung?”
“…What? No, why would you say that all of a sudden?”
“That’s usually how it goes.”
Hyunah picked up the joke with a grin.
“To break the curse on an abducted princess…”
“Hey, I walked out on my own!”
“But just in case, why not try it? Here.”
– Kyaang.
Yerim lifted Peace up in front of me. His tail wagged back and forth. Well, if it was Peace, then sure. I gave him a quick kiss, just like Yerim wanted.
“See? Nothing changed. I told you, I’m not one.”
What princess, seriously. Once we stepped inside, a wide hall opened up before us. At the center, Gyeol and Mari sat across from each other at a large table, both wearing grave expressions.
“Dad!”
“Han Yujin!”
The two of them shot to their feet the second they saw me. I caught Gyeol as he came bouncing over.
“I heard what happened. Park Hayul did something to your legs, Han Yujin, and oh my! It’s not just your legs, is it?”
“You can tell?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I used to be Park Hayul’s dream. So I can’t see everything, but I can still sneak a peek here and there. Han Yujin, look at me.”
Mari clapped her hands twice.
“When I count to three, you’ll wake up from the dream. One, two, three!”
Smack! The clap cracked louder than before, and my body jolted. Sensation returned to the limbs I’d been forcing to move with mana. Even my vision, which had been leaning on Yuhyun’s, filled in with my own.
“…That came off pretty easily?”
“I’m something that escaped Park Hayul’s dream, remember? If I had to put it simply, he layered a nightmare over you. A dream where parts of your body were paralyzed. Dreams disappear when you wake up, but actually waking up is the hard part.”
But Mari was a dream that had already awakened, so apparently she could pull me out of the nightmare. I flexed my arms and legs a little and looked around. The castle was huge, but there were barely any people left inside. The ones here were all of us.
“I heard there’s a way to stop Park Hayul.”
“There is.”
“That’s why everybody else left except a few people, Dad.”
Gyeol and Mari nodded at the same time.
Then, at the same time, both of them glanced at the Puppeteer standing behind us.
“It’s kind of a long explanation, but Park Hayul is the urgent part.”
“Everything’s coming together nicely!”
“Everybody agreed to help again!”
The two of them rushed to explain the situation over each other. The method itself was simple. Short, too.
“So all we have to do is wait for Park Hayul to show up.”
“We still need to get ready for a fight. I have to stay out of the way if he gets too close.”
“I can help Gyeol use items and skills, but not much.”
We needed Gyeol’s power, but I still hated the idea of keeping him here. Just in case, I turned to the Puppeteer.
“Ancestor, you see my point, right?”
“You spent the whole trip whining about how unfair this was.”
Whatever. If I had to, I’d adopt a random rock as my ancestor and hold memorial rites for it every holiday.
“Isn’t he adorable? He’s my son. He even looks just like Sigma. If you think about it, that makes him a distant descendant of his too.”
Gyeol muttered under his breath, “What are you even saying, Dad…” Hang in there a little longer.
“He’s still this young. I can’t drag him into a fight between adults.”
“Dad, honestly.”
“Our Gyeol has already helped so much, right? Go with Mari noona. Your younger siblings will be waiting too. Ancestor, you should be protecting your young descendant.”
Until he’s grown up, at least. The Puppeteer walked over to Gyeol. Gyeol flinched slightly and looked up at him. Behind me, Mari whispered in a small voice.
“Is he really your ancestor?”
“Close enough.”
Originally he was a doll I made, but things got weird. That’s life. Sometimes the world just does whatever it wants.
“I’d help even without this. I still have to protect him.”
The Puppeteer looked at Seong Hyunjae, and Gyeol shot me a startled look.
“He looks like you, Dad… but he’s different.”
Why though. I protect Seong Hyunjae too. I haven’t exactly tossed him out on the street.
“First, Han Yujin.”
The Puppeteer reached out and hoisted me right up into the air.
Wait, hold on.
He gave me a light shake, smiling all the while.
“It’s about time you started liking me.”
“W, why would I do that?!”
“Because then Park Hayul won’t be able to attack me. If I help you, the power I’ve already lost will weaken even more.”
“…People’s feelings don’t just change that easily.”
“Then what should I do? In the end, the way to tame children is…”
He set me down on top of the table, then pulled something out.
“Snacks.”
Candy.
This young looking old man seriously thought I was Gyeol’s age? He didn’t pull this on Sigma too, did he?
“Hyung likes softer candy better than hard candy.”
Yuhyun cut in from the side.
“Try praising Han Yuhyun. Mister falls for that more than anything.”
Yerim added her own tip.
I mean… that wasn’t wrong. Still.
“Your little brother is handsome.”
“Well, I mean, that’s true, but…”
“And kind.”
“Our Yuhyun is… I mean, come on.”
“You two are really close too. Your brother likes you a lot, doesn’t he? It was obvious. When he got off the helicopter, he only had eyes for you. He’s cute, too.”
“…Well.”
“And you’re kind and cute too.”
“What is this all of a sudden?! It’s just creepy when you say it with that face!”
“Here, eat this.”
The Puppeteer held out a cookie Gyeol had made and brought it to my mouth. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but I did need to like him, so I took a bite.
“This tastes familiar.”
“…I copied the one he made.”
Gyeol said it with a slight furrow in his brow. Seong Hyunjae really had taken good care of the kids.
“Your child is good too. He listens to his dad, and he’s smart.”
“Gyeol’s more son than I deserve. Even you can tell that, Mr. Puppeteer, right? He’s insanely popular too.”
A laugh slipped out of me despite myself. Of course it felt good hearing someone praise my kids. Besides, it didn’t even sound like he was lying. Honestly, it was just objective fact. The Puppeteer leaned closer and studied my face.
“So do you like me now?”
“You really think I’m that easy.”
“Then do you dislike me?”
“Not exactly. I guess I do like you.”
I didn’t feel anything like dots appearing on my face. Hyunah muttered, “Hyung is way too easy.” Hey, the Puppeteer did help me, okay? He saved me. There’s nothing weird about feeling some goodwill toward him.
“Hyung, from now on, never take snacks from strangers.”
“Mister, not everyone who praises us is a good person.”
Yuhyun and Yerim said it in deadly serious voices.
I know. I know!
“It’s not like I do this with just anybody! The Puppeteer is someone I’ve technically known for a while, and he’s protecting Sigma too. I’m not that easy.”
There was no way I’d fall this fast for a complete stranger I’d never met before. Not unless I got smashed in the head and lost my memory or something.
…The past doesn’t just disappear because it piles up.
“Now that Park Hayul can’t attack me either, I’m going to use my power to stabilize the mana around us. Your stats should return to normal, and even without the system, you’ll probably be able to use skills that are deeply engraved into your bodies. I think that would be the better option. What do you think?”
The Puppeteer looked around at all of us.
“Everyone will get one safe chance.”
A single opportunity to attack Park Hayul without restraint. That made more sense than the Puppeteer throwing his power around alone. Restoring the other Hunters’ abilities was clearly the smarter move.
“Then Gyeol can support us with items and skills.”
“Gyeol.”
“I’ll stay quiet inside the castle. Dad, I can wake up anytime.”
Those round golden eyes looked up at me. Swallowing a sigh, I nodded.
“Then the second I give the signal, you wake up immediately. No hesitation.”
“Yeah. I promise.”
We had a brief strategy meeting, then Mari disappeared, saying she was going to inform the people outside. It would probably take Park Hayul another couple of hours to realize I was gone. In the meantime, Gyeol kept telling us to get some real rest and conjured up sofas, beds, and food all over the place.
“There are lots of bedrooms too! And bathrooms, and changes of clothes. But be careful, because the clothes will disappear once I wake up.”
I ate first, then went to the bathroom and washed up. After soaking in warm water and then stretching out on a soft couch, I finally felt like I could breathe again. Even though I told him I was fine, Yuhyun insisted on sitting beside me and drying my hair.
‘…Even if we catch Park Hayul, Crescent Moon is still a problem.’
She’s definitely plotting something. But right now, I had no clue what.
“Han Yujin.”
At that moment, Chief Song walked over to me. His expression was slightly shadowed as he continued.
“I heard that Transcendent is a doll you made, Han Yujin.”
“Oh, right. You weren’t there that time, Chief Song.”
He hadn’t gone with us to Japan. Of course he hadn’t entered the dungeon either. Still, it looked like someone had explained things to him.
“He was originally my doppelganger doll. Then… well, there was this world where Seong Hyunjae from the distant past had stayed. Sigma, who was basically the real version of that past Seong Hyunjae, left that world and took my doll with him. Over a very long time, the doll became… you know goblins, right? Something like that. He became a person with a sense of self, and eventually even grew into a Transcendent.”
Yes. That’s what happened.
“…”
Chief Song fell silent.
Over to the side, Hyunah snickered into her beer.
“…From the past?”
“Seong Hyunjae, yeah. But unlike the Seong Hyunjae now, he was… more innocent, I guess. He was nice.”
“Our Dali really was sweet. Way younger than the Sesung Guild Leader. Chief Song should’ve seen him!”
“Exactly! He was completely different from Seong Hyunjae now! Same face, that’s it.”
“Even the face looked younger, didn’t it?”
“Well, Seong Hyunjae still looks young now too.”
“Oh, come on, Sigma was way fresher.”
“Hyunah! His guardian is right here!”
Moon Hyunah flinched and turned toward the Puppeteer, who was sitting quietly nearby. The Puppeteer smiled benevolently.
“My child is still adorable.”
“…That’s what he says, hyung!”
Now I suddenly kind of missed Dali. As Hyunah and I went back and forth like that, Chief Song’s expression only darkened further. No, Chief Song, Sigma is really different.
“You all seem to be having fun.”
Seong Hyunjae had come down alone after washing up. Moon Hyunah strode straight over with her beer glass in hand and stared hard at his face.
“See? There is a difference.”
Yerim came down right after and joined in with, “Difference in what?” The moment she realized they were talking about Sigma, she went, “Oh,” and started studying Seong Hyunjae’s face with Hyunah.
You people are too much. The faces are identical.
“What exactly did you mean when you said Sigma could be entrusted to Hunter Moon Hyunah?”
Chief Song asked.
Hyunah and I both turned toward the Puppeteer at once.
“Exactly what I said. For that child to become an independent existence, he needs a world to belong to. Fortunately, this world already contains the same existence, Seong Hyunjae, so the child can enter it easily without being rejected. But as long as two identical beings remain in the same place, that child cannot wake.”
“You said he was asleep.”
“That’s why he needs a guardian who belongs to this world. A bond from this world that can clearly recognize Sigma, not Seong Hyunjae, as a separate individual.”
The Puppeteer looked from Moon Hyunah to Song Taewon in turn.
“As things stand, those two are the best candidates. They wouldn’t harm my child, they’re responsible, and one of them knew the original Sigma, while the other has deep ties to Seong Hyunjae’s very existence.”
“Mister is good at taking care of people too.”
“Absolutely not.”
Yuhyun shut Yerim down immediately. The Puppeteer nodded too.
“He already holds too much. And Han Yuhyun is out for the opposite reason. He’s a vessel that can hold no one but Han Yujin. Park Yerim would be a better choice than him.”
“You can’t entrust a child to another child. Hyunah and Chief Song really are the best options.”
If it were me, I’d choose those two as well. Seong Hyunjae looked at Moon Hyunah and Song Taewon with open interest.
“It is me, at least in part. Are you really not going to consider my opinion?”
“Who would you pick, Seong Hyunjae?”
“The stable choice is the Breaker Guild Leader. The entertaining choice is obviously Chief Song.”
Honestly… I did kind of want to see Chief Song walking around with Sigma.
Chief Song hesitated. He wasn’t the type to refuse someone who needed protection, but the problem was that the someone in question was a younger Seong Hyunjae. Hyunah walked up to him and jabbed him lightly with her elbow.
“Want to split it fifty fifty? One month with me, one month with you.”
“Please… give me time to think.”
“So how long is this homestay supposed to last? About a year?”
Rumble—
The ground shook, cutting Hyunah off. The distant sound rolled closer and closer. Everyone was on their feet in an instant. Park Hayul. He’d come from outside.
“Gyeol, don’t move. Stay here.”
“Okay, Dad. Be careful.”
Peace enlarged himself. The moment we stepped outside the castle, the armed Hunters turned toward us.
“Someone go tell Mari not to come here!”
At my words, one of the Hunters got doused in ice water. He jumped in shock, and then his figure vanished. When we climbed to the top of the wall, we saw a hazy cloud of dust rising in the distance. Beneath the wavering moonlight, a great army shook the earth as it advanced.
Boom, boom, boom! Their footsteps pounded in steady rhythm like war drums. Countless monsters surged together in a chaotic mass, while above them a swarm of flying monsters billowed like a thick black storm cloud. The sight sharpened with terrifying speed.
– Grrrrr!
At the front stood a gigantic chimera with three heads. Lion, dragon, and goat, each one snarling with savage menace. And on top of the dragon’s head sat Park Hayul. The bastard spotted me and waved like he was thrilled to see me.
“Hyung! You’re safe! What a relief!”
Like hell that’s your line. You’re the one who kidnapped me, you bastard!
With a deep rumble, the monsters plowed through the dust cloud and stopped in front of the wall. Their rough breathing gusted all the way to us. The sky was pandemonium, full of wings and shrieks and monstrous cries.
“I’ll tell you now. I like everyone who comes here to help me. You can’t attack them, Park Hayul.”
“I know. That’s why I came prepared~.”
Park Hayul grinned and gestured toward the monster horde.
“I’m just going to let them loose. Then it’s not me doing the attacking, right? And besides…”
He looked up at the wall.
“You don’t exactly like the wall, do you, hyung? It’s not even a person to begin with.”
A powerful wave of magic rippled around him.
“So it’s fine if I break it, right?”
A thick green fog spread out. Carrying the power of corrosion, it rushed toward the wall. The Puppeteer stepped forward. A white defensive force rose up, and the green wave crashed against the wall.
Then shattered.
“…Huh?”
The Puppeteer’s barrier broke into pieces, but the wall itself stood firm. Park Hayul’s expression twisted.
“I was holding back, sure, but I should still be stronger here. Huh?”
He looked down at his own hand.
“…What is this? I feel weaker…?”
Park Hayul’s power had diminished.
People were waking up.
– WEEEEE–OOOOOOO!!
Sirens wailed from every direction. Warning tones blared nonstop from televisions and phones alike.
[Attention, everyone in the nation! Wake up immediately!]
–TL Notes–
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