self-indulgent translation stuff

Chapter 399: Sunset (3)

Chapter 400: Sunset (4)

Chapter 401: Sunset (5)

Chapter 402: Sunset (6)

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Chapter 462: I'm a Fan! (2)

Chapter 463: I'm a Fan! (3)

Chapter 464: I'm a Fan! (4)

Chapter 465: Even a Good Person (1)

Chapter 466: Even a Good Person (2)

Chapter 467: Even A Good Person (3)

Chapter 468: Even A Good Person (4)

Chapter 469: Selfish

Chapter 470: Letter (1)

Chapter 471: Letter (2)

Chapter 472: Letter (3)

Chapter 473: Inside the Drawer

Chapter 474: The Owner of the Letter (1)

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SIDE STORY chapters (after the end of the main story)

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Chapter 851: Save Me

Sung Hyunje.

Two words were written clearly on each palm.

Sesung Guildmaster.

Together with the words on both hands, his fading memories resurfaced. In his mind, a clear, bright voice spoke as if chiding him:

"Sung. Hyun. Je. Now, repeat after me. I am Sung Hyunje. I am the Sesung Guildmaster. I will repay my debt to Han Yoojin tenfold. I will not leave a single crust of bread uneaten—"

"That, I don't like," Sung Hyunje muttered aloud.

He could feel the dampness of the wet earth against his skin. With every breath, the sickening stench of blood seeped deeply into his lungs.

His head was intact. Below that, he gradually became aware of his body, both arms, both wrists, and the two hands connected to them. He tried moving his fingers slightly. Both legs were also properly attached.

After being shattered, broken and torn apart countless times, he had begun to question whether his limbs had originally been attached at all. Wasn't it normal not to have them in the first place? His original form became obscured in the mist, and a single fragment became the self. Was the current self the real him, or was it the past self, or even a self from a more distant past that even he didn't know? Could one truly be certain that their present self was the real them if they couldn't recall their beginning?

Sung Hyunje clenched and unclenched his hands. They were clean except for a few smears of blood. But he could still remember the tickling sensation of the pen writing along his skin.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster.

The erased past, the hazy present, and the fragmenting future didn't matter. Those four words defined him. Another memory surfaced.

The aquarium.

He had kept two memories for himself. One of his identity and one of his purpose. His name written on his palm and the promise to go to the aquarium. Even if everything else about him was erased, as long as those two things remained clear, he was confident he could rise and walk without wavering.

His golden eyes slowly closed and opened. It was a simple goal, just a promise to go somewhere together for fun. It was the kind of promise that could have easily been written off or forgotten. And yet, that was precisely why it had been engraved even more deeply. Deliberately keeping such an ordinary and lighthearted promise meant that the other person was that special. Someone who could turn even the ordinary into something extraordinary.

His limp arms bent and pressed against the earth. Blood seeped from the soil between his fingers. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.

It was night here, and yet there was no night. The bright light of the moon had chased away the darkness and bathed everything in silver. Only a few faint patches of shadow lingered, drifting to and fro between the swaying auroras of pale moonlight.

The moon rose at night, but could this place truly be called that? With a sky so silver that nightbirds closed their eyes, and daybirds couldn't sleep.

Sung Hyunje looked up at the moonlight. Within that cascading celestial glow, the Crescent Moon gazed down at him, like a god watching over her creation. It wasn't far from the truth.

"It's clear that I won't be able to escape this place with my own power."

Golden light flickered around Sung Hyunje. He had already surpassed S-rank. In his hands, he held a portion of his accumulated power and the Gardener's mana stone, refined using the Caregiver's title. One step further and he could have reached the level of a Transcendent, though he still fell short of the level of the Crescent Moon. The layers of contracts that bound him also held him back.

"But… you will not get what you want either."

Jingle, jingle— The tinkling of bells echoed.

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Sung Hyunje lifted the corners of his mouth.

The small moon now had enough power to reach its fullness. With the Gardener's mana stone as the final drop, the vessel had been filled. Yet, Sung Hyunje had not lost himself. The Perfect Caregiver. The power held by that title was preventing him from transforming into something he didn't want to be.

By the skin of his teeth, barely, precariously, struggling to hold on. Yet refusing to give up.

The Crescent Moon didn't move. She simply hung there. But the moonlight quivered. Clink, clink, clink— Silvery chains poured down from all directions.

Clang, clang! 

Golden light flared to meet the moonlight. Hundreds of chains burst forth, but were struck down by an even greater number, crashing down in waves of gold. Under the overwhelming difference in power, the light fractured, shattering into countless pieces. The moonlight became stained with blood as it sliced through his limbs like blades.

Without even a scream, Sung Hyunje was torn apart. Painted red once more across the red soil. The metallic tinkling of bells subsided. The moonlight resumed its quiet flow. The scattered fragments began to reassemble Sung Hyunje's body again.

The power of the pseudo-Origin, wielding the force of creation, restored 'Sung Hyunje' to his original form. Recreated perfectly, from his body, to his clothes, to even his shoes. It was proof that he hadn't lost himself. 

After inhaling and releasing a long, labored breath, Sung Hyunje lay there on his back, staring up at the sky. 

"You've failed again," he said.

The Crescent Moon, who had reclaimed Sung Hyunje, understood his condition. Despite having gathered everything it needed, the small moon had failed to be reborn as a full moon.

Ordinarily, 'Sung Hyunje' would have disappeared naturally under the weight of such immense power. But Han Yoojin's memories continued to awaken 'Sung Hyunje'. Erasing memories alone wasn't enough to erase 'Sung Hyunje'. And the Cradle that sought to claim the Caregiver had been blocked by the Young Chaos.

The only remaining options were to break 'Sung Hyunje' or erase his memories and start anew.

Jingle─

The moonlight trembled.

His body had been shattered to pieces countless times. When the body broke, the mind was inevitably affected. Yet, Sung Hyunje endured. He was still the Sesung Guildmaster, and he still had a promise to go to the aquarium with Han Yoojin. If he bought him ice cream, Han Yoojin would accept it while pretending that he didn't want it.

"The Cradle will disappear as well."

Sung Hyunje stood, slightly unsteady. His intact legs felt momentarily unfamiliar.

"The Elder will handle it somehow, I'm sure."

The Newbie would end up helping Han Yoojin too. The world Sung Hyunje would return to would be safe. His golden eyes curved gently as he smiled. The Crescent Moon's expression remained unchanged as she looked down at him. Her detached demeanor was like the impassive face of the moon hanging in the sky.

"Your plans have gone awry, haven't they?"

— 'I wanted to perfect you while keeping you as intact as possible.'

Unlike her unchanging face, her voice carried a clear affection. And that made it feel eerily incongruent, like a doll playing a recorded message.

Clink!

A beam of moonlight shot forward at a speed that even combat foresight couldn't anticipate, piercing Sung Hyunje's shoulder. He grabbed the moonlight, which had solidified into a chain, and tore it away.

— 'I hoped you would stay unbroken until the moment of your completion.'

More beams of moonlight shot at him. A few silver chains exploded amidst the burst of electricity, but there remained too many to fend off. Sung Hyunje's body was flung to the ground like a ragdoll, his arm broken, his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.

"Hrgk—!"

A choked breath reflexively escaped him as the chains coiled around his neck. They yanked him around violently like a toy, careful not to kill him. No matter how many times he severed them, the moonlight was infinite. His one remaining intact leg was torn apart, and his broken ankle was ripped clean off.

Crack—His vision went black. The lifeless body of 'Sung Hyunje' was restored to its original form again. His golden eyes blinked open beneath the strands of his disheveled hair.

— 'My child, in the new world, you will not Awaken.'

Sung Hyunje's legs, barely supporting him, were pierced by chains. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

— 'You will be unable to convey your will, neither through voice nor written words. And yet, there will be countless who desire you, and that itself will become your torment.'

Powerless and mute, yet a coveted existence. Such a thing would ultimately be treated as an object. Some would cherish him, while others would enact unspeakable cruelty upon him. Even those who cherished him would not cherish him as an equal.

— 'You will wander, unable to establish anything of your own, until you give up on yourself, or the power that sustains you fades.'

It would be different from before. Someone who had always risen to the highest place would now have to crawl at the lowest. Even if his innate excellence made him rise again, the moment he clawed himself out of the muck, he would be dragged off to a new place again.

Sung Hyunje would have no opportunity to refine the power he had accumulated. He would have neither time nor freedom to find a way to escape from the Crescent Moon. He would be muzzled, collared, and trampled helplessly underfoot.

Instead of using his impaled legs, Sung Hyunje spread his wings. But before he could rise far, the moonlight tore them apart. His body plummeted, and was shredded to pieces by the silver chains before it hit the ground. He rose, ran, and flew countless times, yet his end was always the ground.

Sung Hyunje opened his eyes once more. His limp arm and open palm came into view. Sesung Guildmaster. Sung Hyunje.

"A promise I can't keep…"

How long would Han Yoojin live? Sung Hyunje was confident he could endure, but he couldn't guarantee Han Yoojin's remaining time. Even if Han Yoojin grew old to the point Sung Hyunje could no longer recognize him, that would be alright. Even if their world had changed completely, it wouldn't matter. Even if the aquarium was a dried-up, empty lot with not a drop of water, just going there together would be enough. Even if there wasn't a single minnow, they could remember, imagine and talk about the biggest whale shark.

Sung Hyunje stood once again, his golden eyes wet. The welling tears fell silently down his face. What he felt wasn't desperation or hopelessness. It was simply…

— 'Such sadness.'

"How could I not be sad? I loved those times."

Every single moment of living in his world. Of Sung Hyunje's life. Even if Han Yoojin's time ran out, Sung Hyunje still had death left to him. His faithful death would surely come and deliver him the final gift of closure.

So he felt neither anxious nor afraid. What he felt was purely sadness.

Song Taewon would recount for him everything that had happened. There would probably be time to share a drink or two. But nothing more than that would be possible for him.

"I want to live in my world."

Just a little longer. Greedily. Like a child who still had so many things he wanted to do, yearning for more time. He didn't want to let go of all the moments yet to come.

"I want to celebrate every birthday, and even death, in that world."

His own birthdays, but also the birthdays of others. He hadn't properly celebrated Han Yoojin's birthday even once. Maybe Song Taewon's upcoming birthday would be a little different than before. Perhaps Sung Hyunje would send off everyone else first, including the two of them, and be left alone again. But this time, he hoped to remember it all and long for it once it was gone.

Even being a gravekeeper would be a joy in that world.

"While remembering who I am…"

Moonlight poured down like rain, veiling his tears. His blurred vision became stained with red. Though he knew full well he couldn't win, golden light surged forth. Electricity crackled fiercely until his last breath. Over and over, again and again.

Yet, slowly, his memories began to dissolve under the relentless violence. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. He struggled to connect these words, to recall their meaning. The aquarium. The massive glass tank where fish swam. He couldn't remember that place.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

Someone took his hand and moved a pen across his skin. They were in an unfamiliar place. Light pierced through his heart, his head. The memories he had barely pieced together were suddenly severed and cut short.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

The fragmented words drifted through his mind. He couldn't even remember how to breathe, but he realized that 'Sung Hyunje' was his name. Fish swam in the clear water. Bubbles rose to the surface. A vast space, a high ceiling. Moonlight streamed down from the sky.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

In his empty palm, he saw the illusion of letters appearing. He had made a promise to go to the aquarium. But he couldn't remember what an aquarium was. His body felt as heavy as if it were sinking into the water. His body, struggling to rise, broke apart again. It dissolved like grains of sand flowing between his fingers.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

The Sesung Guildmaster, named Sung Hyunje, extended his hand. The moonlit sky filled his vision. Had the sky always looked like that? Soon, his hand would be severed. He would inevitably be shattered into fragments, as if it were only the natural way of the world.

He didn't even feel the need to resist or fight. He simply stared at his hand.

Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.

And then, a string of pink yarn.

"…Yarn."

At some point, the string of pink yarn had descended. Or perhaps it extended out from him. The Crescent Moon lifted her head. The string of yarn stretched out endlessly. Instinctively, Sung Hyunje grabbed it.

'Happy birthday.'

With the sound of that voice, a memory flowed into him. Bundles of yarn tumbled from above. A golden dragon streaked across the bright blue sky, and hot pink yarn rained down around him.

'Hold out your hand.'

He already had. A pair of knitting needles appeared faintly in his mind.

'Though I wasn't invited, I'll leave you a gift. Take care to prevent dementia, and live a very long life.'

All the buried memories came rushing back. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium. The pink yarn. Han Yoojin. Song Taewon. His guild, and his world. Like fireworks, the memories lit up his mind, sparkling brightly. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.

The golden electricity that had vanished flared to life around him once more. And then—

Crack— the sky split open. At the end of the fluttering string of yarn, golden wings spread wide.

"I've come to save you, Princess!" Han Yoojin shouted.

Sung Hyunje laughed with pure joy.

—

Footnotes:

1. "털실" is "fur (usually wool) thread", and refers to wool spun into threads, or what we call "yarn" in English. The term for a single "thread" is also the same 실 as in 털실. In this chapter, the text just says "pink 털실" appeared. In Korean, "운명의 붉은 실 (red thread of fate)" has an analogous grammatical construction: "red 실" (red thread) vs "pink 털실" (pink wool thread), making the symbolism easier to see grammatically. In English, the phrase "red string of fate" is awkward to mirror since "pink string of yarn" sounds odd, so I went with "string of pink yarn".

After being dragged around and moved over long distances repeatedly, I was genuinely exhausted, not just saying it. I didn't care about dinner or anything else, I just wanted them to let me rest already. But the place they led me to, down a plain, empty corridor, wasn't a bedroom. It was a small room with the atmosphere of an interrogation room, where a middle-aged man was sitting at a table.

"...Your face looks familiar," I said.

The middle-aged man looked at me and smiled.

"Long time no see, Director Han Yoojin."

His intonation and lip movements were Korean. Was this guy Korean?

One of the Chinese hunters twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me. Them suddenly acting like this made it clear that the middle-aged man in front of me was a non-Awakened.

"Oh, how delightful to meet a fellow countryman in a foreign land~" I drawled. "Or at least that's what I should say. But who are you, again?"

As I approached the table, the middle-aged man stood up, his lips twisting into a sneer.

"I was part of the Hunter Association. Thanks to Director Han—"

"Oh, I remember now! You're Wanyong-ssi. Your family name is Lee, right? Wow, no wonder these Chinese guys seem to know so much about me. You've really been living up to your name, Wanyong-ssi."

My Poison Resistance was one thing, since many people at the hospital knew about it, but my 'Sapling' Skill had been kept top secret. I'd only told the Association about it during our negotiations about the Awakening Center.

At my words, Wanyong's face suddenly contorted, and he seized me by the collar. 

"You little shit, you're all talk!"

"As if I could out-talk you. How much did you blab about me, huh? Your face is nice and shiny, so it seems you've been treated well."

"I was the Director of HR for the Hunter Association—!"

"Yes, Wanyong-ssi, I said I know that already."

His face contorted even more—he looked like he was about to hit me.

"If you've sold out your country to get where you are, it makes sense to just live quietly. So why did you want to come see me? What else did you sell off? Being the head of HR, you must have leaked all of the Association Hunters' abilities. Good thing Director Song isn't officially part of the Association, huh? The Association wouldn't have just thrown you out, either. They would've made you sign a contract to keep your mouth shut, so I guess you got a nice 'bonus' for opening it."

Just in case, I temporarily turned off my Curse Resistance. If Wanyong-ssi suddenly made an about-face and embraced me, it might nullify his curse. He spat out a string of curses in response to my words. Had he not been able to lift the curse he'd gotten as a penalty for breaking his contract? He seemed physically fine, so I wondered what kind of curse it was.

"I worked my way up in the Association from the very beginning!"

"I heard about that. You played a big role in kicking out the early members, didn't you? Those who kick people out are bound to be kicked out in return eventually. Life goes round in circles, doesn't it? Seems you got what you deserved."

Did he meet me just to vent his frustration? That didn't seem likely. I never expected the people expelled from the Association who had managed to avoid prison would live quietly, but I also hadn't expected them to start selling information so quickly. Even if I had known, there wasn't much I could've done to stop it.

'They should write stronger contracts.'

But the Association had to consider human rights issues, too. They couldn't write stuff like 'your head will roll if you talk.' That was also why they often turned a blind eye when hunters hid their skills or stats during registration.

"Did you bring any friends along with you? How's MKC doing? I heard they teamed up with China as well. Did you sell off a lot of information about the Rearing Facility? What about Haeyeon?"

When I mentioned Haeyeon, Wanyong-ssi's grip on my collar tightened. He yanked me partway onto the table. The sharp edge of the metal table hurt.

"Younger brother or older brother, both bastards…" that guy muttered through gritted teeth. What did Yoohyun have to do with this?

"Why are you dragging someone else's younger brother into this?"

"Don't you know that when that little shit Han Yoohyun first awakened, the Association tried to take him in? Well, that bastard caused quite a mess."

I knew about the Association temporarily taking Yoohyun in for protection, but a mess? As I involuntarily frowned, Wanyong’s mouth started running again. His mouth was clearly much livelier than mine.

"Since he was a minor and an S-rank, we tried to persuade him to join the Association. I told him that if people found out a kid who had no other resources was an S-rank hunter, his family wouldn't be safe either."

…I recalled how cold Yoohyun had become when he returned after having been gone for a few days. So the Association bastards had been feeding him that nonsense. It wasn't entirely wrong, though. If Yoohyun and I had remained on good terms, there definitely would've been people trying to take me hostage to exert control over an S-rank hunter who had no backers.

But to threaten a kid with that kind of talk? What kind of adult did that?

"As you said, he was just a kid. And you tried to make him bow down to you by using his family? You filthy fucking bastard."

Trying to manipulate a child by exploiting his weakness. It was utterly disgusting. Even between adults, using family as hostages was a dirty move, but he was a minor. Rage flared up inside me.

The bastard sneered. "Do you know that fucking brat destroyed the temporary accommodations for high-rank Awakened and beat down all the Association hunters? We tried to persuade him as nicely as possible, but fuck, that little shit threatened to kill us if we interfered with his plans to create his own guild—"

"He did a good job, then," I said.

My Yoohyun was clever. Before he got Seok Shimyung's help, I had worried about how he would manage to establish a guild by himself. But it turned out he'd been ordering around scumbags like the guy in front of me. I was glad that kid had an easier time than I thought.

"You failed to use his family as leverage against him, and since he was an S-rank hunter without any weaknesses, you must have been terrified. Because if you pissed him off, he could've just killed you all and gone overseas, where he'd be welcomed. So you had to quietly clean up after my little brother to stay alive. Thanks for that. Really, thanks."

Once Yoohyun actually established the guild, threatening them like that wouldn't have worked. Because if he wasn’t careful, it could have negatively impacted the guild. But before that, even if they tried to cause a scene by threatening to publicize the situation, he had nothing to lose. After forming the guild, there was a chance it could have become a weakness, but Seok Shimyung probably handled that well.

Wanyong spat more curses. I glanced around to check my surroundings. Two hunters were guarding the door, and Chu Huoyun stood beside them, looking bored. There was one more guard standing by the table, but he wasn't that close. He didn't seem like a high-rank hunter, either.

"So, Wanyong-ssi, do you still have connections in Korea? Although the Association has been cleaned up, it hasn’t been completely overhauled, so I’m a bit concerned."

We had only excised the most critical parts. Although internal cleanup was ongoing, it was impossible to completely eradicate the rot.

The edge of the metal table. Would it work? I should've worked out more.

"I can't escape from here anyway, so how about you just tell me who the spies are?" I suggested, then said, "Ah, this position is uncomfortable."

Grumbling for him to let go of my collar, I casually pulled myself up fully to sit on top of the table facing him.

"You think I'd tell you that?" Wanyong said. "But I can offer you some advice, Director Han."

Hmm, was this perhaps one of those moments? Where the one who defected first tries to convince the other person to join them, saying something like, 'If you want an easier life, too~' I've seen scenes with that kind of 'comrade' talk before.

Either way, this guy would keep leaking information from Korea, and he had also threatened my little brother.

"Really? Someone who picks fights wants to give advice?" I asked. "You're terrible at your job."

"You picked the fight first! After you got fussed over by all those S-ranks, I wanted to come and enjoy seeing you get dragged in here—"

I threw my upper body backward hard. My back hit the table and the bastard gripping my collar stumbled, falling forward across the table beside me. At the same time, I kicked off its surface and raised my leg over my head towards him. My bent knee made contact with the back of the bastard's neck, and as I twisted my whole body backwards like I was doing a back roll off the table, I drove my knee — and the bastard's neck — down toward the table's edge.

Bang!

That loud impact noise accompanied the sickening crack of his neck breaking. One of the Chinese hunters rushed forward a moment too late and grabbed me. Wanyong's body slid off the table and collapsed onto the floor.

"Healer—shit, no, he's dead!"

A knee strike alone was dangerous enough. With the metal table adding to the force, a non-Awakened would have a hard time surviving. Chu Huoyun leisurely strolled over and nudged Wanyong's body with his foot. Then he turned his gaze to me. I smiled as if asking if he had a problem.

---

"Jin-ah, I'm busy too—why don't you worry about me?" Huang Lin, who had accompanied Director Song, asked me slyly... wait, what?

"You seem kind of down," I said with surprise.

I didn't particularly want to care about that guy, but his mood was noticeably different from usual. I was curious. Normally, he wasn't one to get discouraged easily. 

At my question, Huang Lin sighed deeply, scratching the back of his head.

"As expected, I don't exist here."

Ah..... That was something that could make even someone like Huang Lin feel a bit depressed. It was one thing for him to joke about being an African poison dart frog before the regression, but actually confirming he hadn't existed must feel different.

"Cheer up. You're here now, and that hasn't changed."

"That's true. And best of all, I still have my beloved Hyung-nim!"

Huang Lin suddenly clung to Director Song, as if his previous moodiness had never existed. Surprisingly, Director Song didn't dodge or push away his self-proclaimed younger brother. No way… Director Song?

"Hyung-nim is the proof of my existence, after all~"

Director Song remained silent. I didn't know what exactly had happened between those two, but with Huang Lin saying things like that, it must've been hard for Director Song to push him away. After all, with the Gardener gone, Director Song was indeed Huang Lin's only remaining connection… umm...

"... Director Song, you don't have to put up with everything just because of that," I said.

"I'm fine."

"Even if you say you're fine—"

"Ow, that hurts!"

Huang Lin yelped and jumped away from Director Song.

It seemed someone on my shoulder had sneakily delivered an electric shock just to Huang Lin.

"Song Taewon-ssi's problem is that his heart is just too big," Sung Hyunje said.

I agreed, but wasn't that why he put up with you, too? Honestly, if I had to pick which one between Huang Lin and Sung Hyunje was less of a bother to Director Song, I'd have to say Huang Lin was a bit better. He caused fewer incidents and was surprisingly good at taking care of people. Though Sung Hyunje-ssi was a good cook...

In any case, they needed to agree to either take turns or work out a schedule. If they kept this up, Director Song would get burnt out.

"Hyung, if he's bothering you, should I get rid of him?" Yoohyun asked quietly from behind me, having apparently regained his memories of Huang Lin. Huang Lin stepped back cautiously.

"No, it's fine. For now, Director Song seems to have accepted him, and he's still useful, so let him be."

"If you ever need me to, just say the word."

Yoohyun's cold sharp gaze made Huang Lin hide behind Director Song.

—-

“Normally, I shouldn’t interfere. But since my partner has requested it…”

With those words, Sung Hyunje appeared.

“I have no choice but to comply.”

He was tiny, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and had fairy wings. It was a form I had seen once before, but still…

“…Why are you in this state again?”

Aren’t you about to turn forty? Actually, at this point, aren’t you already in your mid-forties? A man nearing fifty was fluttering around with shiny wings, claiming ‘I’m the Sesung Guild Leader~’ If he were a complete stranger, I would’ve said that people in this world had all sorts of preferences and left it at that. But unfortunately, this person happened to be my partner.

Amidst everyone’s gaze, Sung Hyunje-ssi landed on my palm. For a moment, I had the urge to clench my fist and shake it. Would sparks fly if I grabbed him?

[…]

“So that’s why you came with wings,” I said.

“The wings are because I felt Han Yoojin-gun’s interest in me has been waning a bit. I just spruced myself up a little.”

… What nonsense. When people said they wanted to spruce up, they usually changed their hairstyle, put on nice clothes, or added accessories. Why on earth would you suddenly add wings?

“… Anyway, we can explain publicly that the Sesung Guildmaster shrank due to a curse. As long as we get cooperation from the current Sesung Guildmaster, Hunter Kang Soyoung, it shouldn’t be too hard to bring Sesung Guild in line with its current state.”

“Um, excuse me.”

At that moment, Soyoung-ssi raised one arm with a serious expression. She glanced between the tiny Sung Hyunje in my palm and me before speaking.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but… in the end, the person who was a mermaid, then a captain, and now a fairy—is my boss?”

“Uh… yes? I suppose so.”

“And that thing… I mean, this person, needs to become the Sesung Guildmaster? No, wait, the original Guildmaster was… Why did I even join Sesung Guild under this person in the first place? Director Han Yoojin raised my dragon, didn’t he? And more importantly… Is that person really the Sesung Guildmaster?”

Soyoung-ssi clutched her head, looking confused. It seemed like her gradually returning memories were clashing with her current reality. Or maybe she just couldn’t accept that Sung Hyunje was her boss.

“Kang Soyoung-gun,” Sung Hyunje spoke softly to the bewildered Soyoung.

Since he was the guildmaster, maybe he would give some comforting advice to his young guild member…

“I’m a fairy dragon,” he said.

But no—he lied without even batting an eye. Had he lost his mind?

Kang Soyoung’s eyes widened as she stared at him. “You’re a dragon? For real?”

“Yes. Gyeol was born due to my influence as a fairy dragon. Don’t we even look alike?”

The self-proclaimed fairy dragon spun slowly once in my palm to display himself. Appearance-wise… he clearly did look like Gyeol. I felt sorry for Gyeol, but what Sung Hyunje-ssi said wasn’t entirely wrong. And now that he had fairy wings, his nonsense actually sounded somewhat plausible.

“So that’s…!”

Kang Soyoung cried out in awe and astonishment. Her expression went through a number of complex changes for a moment, but then she quickly calmed down and nodded firmly.

“I understand everything now.”

…Really? That was all it took?

“It all makes sense. It’s perfect. Yes! I love Sesung Guild and our Guildmaster!” Soyoung-ssi shouted with eyes full of guild pride…

---

Side Story 117: The Time That Doesn't Disappear (1)

As I stepped through the dungeon gate connected directly to the mini portal, my heart raced a little. Calm down. Don't get too excited just because this is the last time. Even if things seem like they might go wrong, don't push it. Just think, "It's okay, it might take a little longer," and move on.

I had already let the kids know I was safe, seen their faces, and spent the whole day with them. So, I engraved the phrase "safety first" into my heart once more.

I engraved it, but...

'...It feels like things are going wrong from the start.'

Where was I? I should've landed in the lobby of Sesung Guild, but instead, I found myself in a fog-filled, unfamiliar space. On top of that, I couldn't sense the kids. Yoohyun and Yerim had definitely entered the portal at almost the same time as me.

"Yoohyun~ Yerim~"

No response. Did I get separated from them? I waved my hand through the fog, then pulled out the Godslaying Spear. Black flames erupted, instantly pushing back the hazy mist, revealing the floor and walls. The ground and walls came into view. It wasn't outdoors—it seemed like I was indoors. As I intensified the flames, the fog thinned even more, revealing the interior more clearly.

It looked like I hadn't been thrown somewhere entirely different after all.

'It's Sesung, huh.'

To be precise, it was Sung Hyunje-ssi's house—the one I had blown up. The ceiling-high bookshelves, the large windows letting in dim light. The spines of the books were made of various materials, but none of them had any writing on them. The sight was a little eerie. If a world were to be consumed, I supposed this was how it might be erased. Not that we had to worry about that happening anymore. Our little Bin-ie wasn’t that much of a glutton.

With gentle flames surrounding me, I turned around. On the other side of the study, I noticed a figure sitting in a chair. If anyone were to appear here, who else would it be but a certain Mr. Sung? I took a few steps toward the figure lounging with his arms draped over the armrests, but then suddenly stopped in my tracks.

Something felt off. The way he looked at me, the slouch of his limbs, and the tilt of his neck—it all seemed strangely unnatural.

Because, when it came to Sung Hyunje-ssi, there was actually not a single person who could claim to know him better than I did. Though things were much more comfortable between us now, at first I had just been an F-rank beside an unpredictable and dangerous S-rank. Naturally, I'd had to stay on high alert, constantly trying to figure out what that guy was thinking and what he was going to do. Even after we got closer, Sung Hyunje’s unpredictability meant I never stopped observing him. If I'd written down all my observations in a diary and submitted it as a summer vacation assignment, I probably would've gotten five 'Great Job!' stickers from the teacher.

So, over time, I got to the point where I could tell things like, 'He’s tilting his head 5 degrees to the left, that means he’s losing interest,' or 'He's touching his left sleeve with his right hand, that means he’s not having fun but is willing to put up with it for a bit longer,' or 'His left foot is dragging slightly—he’s about to do something unexpected!' I’d become pretty familiar with Sung Hyunje-ssi’s behavior.

So I could tell that the thing sitting in that chair was a fake; just a shell that looked like him. For one thing, I had never seen Sung Hyunje sit like that before. His posture was off, with his back too close to the chair and his legs in the wrong position. Most notably, his hand was casually hanging off the armrest.

"There aren't many options to choose from, if I ask what you are. Are you a time fragment from before the regression?"

The thing wearing Sung Hyunje's form slowly opened its mouth.

"Correct."

"Oh, you can talk. Why are you wearing someone else's shell?"

"...My…?"

The time fragment hesitated, as if uncomfortable with referring to itself independently. It wasn't showing as much hostility toward me as I expected.

"For now, it is because this target retains most of... my… influence. The Sesung Guildmaster. Kang Soyoung would also qualify, but it is easier to borrow forms that are hazier in the current world's perception."

"Those two did remain mostly unchanged."

Yoohyun, Yerim, Peace, Director Song and most others had returned to their original positions, but Kang Soyoung and Sung Hyunje remained unchanged. And because Sung Hyunje-ssi stayed the same, Sigma and the Puppeteer couldn't go back either.

"Is it because his influence on Soyoung-ssi was especially strong? He did turn an A-rank into a born S-rank."[1]

"That's one reason, and Sung Hyunje also took on Park Yerim's distortion in her place."

".......Sung Hyunje-ssi, really."

I'd had a suspicion, and it had turned out to be true. Yerim had changed as much as Soyoung-ssi, but then had reverted in an instant.

"So he took on the distortion while taking on the role of the Ruler of Water?"

"Yes. That's why Kang Soyoung, who was connected to him, also remained the same."

…Reverting Yerim's distortion first was indeed the right decision given the situation. Since this dungeon was based on the Mermaid Queen's sea, Yerim being swayed by the time fragment would have been the most dangerous scenario. And if Yerim were my opponent, I would have hesitated to fight her. Even if she may have grown older on the outside, she was still a child inside.

'If I got hurt, Yerim would feel hurt too.'

With people like Sung Hyunje-ssi, Hyuna-ssi, and even Yoohyun, one could say 'as long as they're alive, it's okay' and charge forward.[2] But Yerim wasn't like that. Resolving Yerim's distortion had been the most urgent priority, but…

'How could he not say anything?'

I mean, there were probably reasons like him being worried that the time fragment would notice, but I was still somewhat upset. How could he sulk over me not telling him about my condition, yet keep his mouth shut when it was the other way around? There must have been some way he could've told me, so was this just his manner of making me understand how he had felt?

But come to think of it, this wasn't the first time that guy Sung Hyunje had done something like this. Right after the Gardener died, he went off and got captured by the Crescent Moon without saying a word. Would it have killed him to say "please save me" before getting captured?

I was upset for a moment because of all the grievances that had built up, but I calmed down and looked at the time fragment again. It was being surprisingly courteous. It even explained things well.

"You're pretty good at speaking. I thought you might have some intelligence since you've manipulated the system before, but you're more human-like than I expected."

"That is because intelligence comes from the accumulation of memories. The time fragments from before the regression are more precisely collections of memory. It is natural that intelligence would emerge when those discarded memories gathered together."

— 'That's right, hyung! Intelligent beings are essentially born when they develop a foundation for passing on and accumulating memories and records!'

A familiar voice suddenly burst out. Park Hayul–I was actually glad to hear from him right now!

— 'The most common form of record is writing, but there are other forms too! There are even memories built up through cannibalism!'

The voice came from much farther below than I expected. I quickly lowered my gaze to see a small, 30-40 cm tall flower walking toward me.

Sitting on the flower's head, in the middle of its round, open petals, was a tiny version of Sung Hyunje.

...What the heck?

— 'Because one needs to be able to write precise characters, fingers or tentacles are useful. Haneul said that if octopuses had nurtured their offspring, there might've been two intelligent species on Earth.'

That damn octopus again. I glared at the tiny Sung Hyunje who had appeared so shamelessly. 

Feeling my gaze, Sung Hyunje shrugged his shoulders and said, "Should I have given myself wings after all?"

"...What nonsense are you talking?"

"Because my dear partner is giving me a look as if he'll grab me and throw me at any moment."

"I'm more tempted to sew shut that mouth of yours for only ever spouting useless things. Either you don't say the things that need to be said, or you twist things around, or you laugh about things only you understand. And then you nag at me for not being honest with you? You really have no conscience."

At my words, Sung Hyunje adjusted his posture to sit more respectfully. Maybe he wasn't completely devoid of a conscience after all.

"In the future, if you're going to be kidnapped or lose your memories or arm or whatever, let me know in advance. The same goes for any similar situations. Then I'll find a way to save you somehow."

"I'll keep that in mind."

At least he answered well. Once Yoohyun got all his memories back, I would have to give him the same warning—no more running away; just talk things out. I should say the same to Yerim and the kids, too.

— 'If I give you a heads-up before getting kidnapped, will you also come save me, hyung?'

"Well, for now, yes. You've been helpful too, Hayul. But don't go staging a fake kidnapping."

— 'Hyung...!'

Park Hayul was touched and started dancing with joy, nearly dropping the tiny Sung Hyunje.

"So, what's the situation here? Are the others safe?"

— 'Yes, hyung. You're the only one who got transported somewhere else, so I came looking for you with the Sesung Guildmaster. The water has receded, but the side effect is that there's a lot of fog.'

So it wasn't just here that was foggy. The fog, based on the Mermaid Queen's sea, had made the mana flow unstable, so only the two administrators, Hayul and Sung Hyunje, could come searching for me. Yoohyun and Yerim were probably fine. Hopefully, Yilin and Coral weren't fighting again. With Hyuna-ssi and Director Song coming along this time, they should be okay.

"Anyway, it's good that we can have a talk." 

I turned back to the time fragment and spoke. 

"What do you want? All I want is to fix the distortion, return home safely, and live in peace. So let's try to settle this through conversation."

The time fragment shifted its gaze toward the tiny Sung Hyunje, looking slightly uncomfortable, before changing into Kang Soyoung's form. 

"We merely exist. Just like the past you had thought was gone, which still lingers and influences the present and future. That's all."

"That's all, huh?"

"The time fragments absorbed into people also still exert a subtle influence. Unless there is a significant trigger, they will proceed similarly towards the forgotten future; doing the same things, meeting the same people, and having the same children."

I'd heard something similar from Myungwoo and Haneul before.

"I, we, haven't changed from what we were. Only our influence has grown stronger. The distortions you speak of are a natural result of that."

— 'That's not exactly wrong! After all, the time before the regression is part of this world's timeline too. In a way, it's not so much a distortion as a potential outcome.'

That guy Hayul said something Transcendent-like. Hey, weren't you supposed to always be on my side?

"So, you don't particularly want anything? Can I assume you'll just disappear quietly?"

"As long as we exist, we naturally have an aversion to disappearing. It's more of a reflex than a conscious decision. And, Han Yoojin, we cannot disappear."

The fragment's deep blue eyes were fixed on me as it spoke.

"Because we are the future, but also the past. So long as there are those who look back on that past and sink into regret."

"...Are you talking about me?"

"All intelligent beings in this world."

"So you're saying you'll never truly disappear."

Did anyone truly exist who had never once thought, 'ah, if only things had gone differently back then'? We all had such regrets every day, even over something as small as ordering jjajangmyeon instead of jjamppong or thinking, "I should've woken up 10 minutes earlier."

I did, too. I still had regrets about the time before the regression. Even if I told myself that turning back time was the best choice, I still could have spent the remaining time with my younger brother better. We could have reconciled earlier and spent time together before saying goodbye. No, at the very least, I could have forced myself to visit one more time, called one more time, not blocked his number, and kept sending messages. Yoohyun would surely have read them all.

Perhaps it was impossible to completely shake off such regrets. After all, it was because of those lingering attachments that I had endured until now and learned to embrace those around me more closely.

I sighed deeply, my heart aching slightly as I forced a small smile.

"Yeah. You'll remain as you are, forever lingering. Because every now and then I'll look back and feel that longing. Until the very end, without forgetting."

If anything, if someone told me to forget or offered to erase my past, I would refuse.

"But we should still weaken you back to your original state. Hayul, if what it says is true, let's update the records to say we're 'purifying' the time fragments through dungeon clearing."

— 'I'll change it to 'purification.' It seems the time fragments will return to something closer to harmless, like before.'

"Good. Nothing much has changed, then. But why did you come out here to see me in person?"

The time fragment, still in Kang Soyoung's form, stumbled slightly as if unused to handling a human body. It smiled at me while awkwardly moving its muscles.

"After all, we were born because of you," it said. "We wanted to tell you about us. And we wanted to hear from you too."

Hearing it put that way made me feel a bit guilty about trying to erase them all this time.

"Well, thanks to you all coming into existence, I was able to get another chance. And thanks to that, I've made it this far, and things will probably go better from now on. So, uh... I guess what I'm saying is, thank you for being born?"

Was that right? 

The time fragment nodded at my words. "But since our time is striving to remain as it is, we cannot help you."

"If that's how it has to be, then it's okay. I can live with that." 

Since it was my–our–past, what could we do? The time fragment's form dispersed into the mist. Sung Hyunje-ssi gestured for me to follow him. It was time to complete the final quest.

---

Footnotes:

[1] I don't have context for what happened so I don't know which pronouns to use here. Feel free to tell me.